Hanoi
-33%€40median tour
€26middle half of tours€57
- 69% under €50
- #8 cheapest of 50
Asia · 15 cities
Things to Do in Vietnam
Fifteen Vietnamese destinations in one place: how the north, centre and south differ as trips and as weather, what Ha Long Bay really involves, and what a day out costs.
23,260 tours listed by Viator 15 cities we cover Median tour €40–€40 Free cancellation
Where to go
Cities of Vietnam
In the order Viator’s own catalogue puts them — most-booked first, not alphabetical.
Full list
All cities, by region
Grouped by region using Viator’s own map of the country. The first block is the places it files directly under Vietnam.
What it costs
What tours cost in Vietnam
From our own price index — 2,400 tours across 50 cities, collected August 2026. Medians, not averages: a couple of multi-day packages drag an average into fiction.
Vertical line is the global median, €60. Full table for all 50 cities in the Tour Price Index.
Boats & cruises
Harbour cruises, catamarans, kayaks and sunset sailings.
ExploreFood & drink
Street food, markets and tasting walks with a local guide.
ExploreDay trips
Out of the city and back the same day.
ExploreAdventure
Rafting, zip lines, canyoning, quad bikes and climbing.
ExploreNature & wildlife
National parks, whale watching, safaris and jungle walks.
ExploreCooking classes
Cook the local dish, then eat it — usually three hours.
ExploreCity tours
Guided sightseeing on foot, by bus and by open-top tram.
ExplorePhotography
Guided shoots at the right hour, and photographers for hire.
ExplorePractical info
Know before you book
The things that change a decision — not a retelling of the guidebook.
Ha Long Bay: the boat is the product
A day trip from Hanoi is roughly eight hours of travel for four on the water. The overnight cruise is what people remember, and the difference between a cheap one and a good one is mostly how crowded the anchorage is. This is a place to spend a little more rather than a little less.
The country is 1,600 kilometres long
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is a two-hour flight or a thirty-hour train. A first trip is normally two or three bases — north, centre, south — joined by cheap internal flights, not a drive.
There is no single Vietnamese season
The north has a cool, grey winter and a hot wet summer. The centre floods around October and November. The south is dry from November to April. A trip covering all three will meet three different climates, and no month is good everywhere.
Crossing the road is a technique
Walk slowly and predictably and the scooters flow around you; stopping suddenly is what causes the accidents. Every walking tour in Hanoi begins with this and none of them are joking.
Cash, and a great many zeros
The dong runs into hundreds of thousands and several notes look alike. Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants and very little else outside the big cities. Count change in daylight and keep the small notes accessible.
The visa rules moved in visitors’ favour
Vietnam extended its e-visa validity considerably and widened the visa-free list in recent years. What applies to you depends on your passport and the year, so check an official source — a lot of the advice online predates the change.
When to visit
Vietnam through the seasons
What is open, how busy it gets, and when to book ahead.
North winter
Nov–Apr
- Best for
- Hanoi, Ha Long and Sapa — dry, cool and clear, and the south dry at the same time.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- The best window for a trip covering the whole country; book Ha Long cruises early.
Hot and dry south
Mar–Apr
- Best for
- The Mekong Delta and the southern beaches at their most reliable.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Tet, the lunar new year, falls January or February and closes much of the country for a week.
Summer rains
May–Sep
- Best for
- Green terraces in the north, cheap coast, storms that clear by evening.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Central beaches are actually at their best now — Hoi An and Da Nang are a summer trip.
Central floods
Oct–Nov
- Best for
- The north at its clearest, and the lowest prices everywhere.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Hue and Hoi An flood in these weeks most years — plan the centre for another month.
Frequently asked
Vietnam: common questions
How many days do you need in Vietnam?
Twelve to fourteen days for the whole country at a reasonable pace: Hanoi and Ha Long, Hoi An and Hue, then Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong. Ten days means dropping one of the three. A week is one region — and the north is the one to pick if it has to be one.
What does a tour in Vietnam cost?
Hanoi sits at a median of €40 in our index of 50 cities, against a global median of €60. Vietnam is one of the cheaper countries in the study, and the gap is widest on full-day and private tours rather than on entry tickets.
Day trip or overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay?
Overnight, if you can give it the time. The day version spends more hours on the road than on the water and reaches only the nearest part of the bay. An overnight gets you the early morning, which is when the bay looks like the photographs.
When is the best time to visit?
November to April if you want the whole country in one trip: the north is dry and the south is in its dry season at the same time. Avoid the centre in October and November, when Hue and Hoi An flood most years.
Is the street food safe?
Vietnamese street food is one of the best reasons to go, and the practical rule is the usual one: eat where it is busy, where the turnover is high and where the cooking happens in front of you. A food tour on the first evening is the fastest way to learn which stalls in a neighbourhood are the ones locals queue at.
North or south for a shorter trip?
North. Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh give you the most variety in the fewest hours of travel, and the Old Quarter is the most rewarding city centre in the country to simply walk around.