Vietnam Tour Packages10 Day Vietnam Tour, North to South
This 10 day Vietnam tour runs the whole country in one booking, from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, sold by Authentic Adventures on Viator at $1,099 per person. The route goes by bus to Sapa for Cat Cat Village and the Fansipan cable car, spends one night on a Ha Long Bay cruise, then flies to Da Nang for the Marble Mountains, Hoi An and Ba Na Hills before a second flight south for Cu Chi and the Mekong Delta. Two domestic flights, private rooms, a guide and all entrance fees for the included sights are in the price. Groups cap at 12 and the listing holds a 5.0 rating from 25 reviews. This page sets out what the money covers, what the days look like and which travellers should pick a different listing from the compared Vietnam tour packages.
About This Tour
Authentic Adventures lists this product on Viator as the 10-Day Vietnam Discovery from North to South. It is a shared group tour with a maximum of 12 travellers and an English-speaking guide, running Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long Bay, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ba Na Hills, Cu Chi, Ben Tre and Ho Chi Minh City across 10 days and 9 nights. The price covers two domestic flights, an air-conditioned vehicle, all entrance fees for the included sights, breakfasts on days 2 to 10, lunches on days 2 to 7 and 9, and one dinner on the cruise night.
The listing is listed as wheelchair accessible, including the transportation, and suitable for all fitness levels, though not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Hotels are private rooms but are not named, and the tour can be cancelled for bad weather.
$1,099 per person on Viator, plus tips, alcoholic and soft drinks and personal expenses.
10 days and 9 nights, starting in Hanoi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City.
Hotel pickup included according to the option name, the exact time is not stated. Day 1 starts with a guide meeting you at Noi Bai airport.
Up to 12 travellers with a tour guide. The guide language stated is English.
9 nights: 1 in Hanoi, 1 in Sapa, 1 in Hanoi, 1 on a cruise in Ha Long Bay, 1 in Hanoi, 2 in Da Nang and 2 in Ho Chi Minh City. Two domestic flights, Hanoi to Da Nang on day 6 and Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City on day 8, are included.
Breakfast days 2 to 10, lunch days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, dinner only on day 4 on the cruise. Tips, alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and personal expenses are paid by you. No mandatory extras are stated.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are not fixed in the listing, so check live dates for your travel window. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The 10 day tour in short
This 10 day Vietnam tour costs $1,099 per person, runs Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in 10 days and 9 nights with groups of up to 12, and includes two domestic flights, a Ha Long Bay cruise night, private rooms and all entrance fees.
Key takeaways
- See exactly what the $1,099 covers in the price breakdown.
- Walk the full route in the day by day itinerary.
- Not a fit? The 9-day south to north tour from the same operator costs $999.
- Compare it against other listings in the Vietnam travel packages.
What the Price Actually Covers
The line below separates what Authentic Adventures includes at $1,099 per person from what you pay on the day, using only the operator's own listing on Viator.
Included in the $1,099
The inclusions list a tour guide, accommodation in a private room, an air-conditioned vehicle, two domestic flight tickets, all entrance fees for the included sightseeing destinations, and meals: breakfast on days 2 to 10, lunch on days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, and dinner on day 4 only, served on the Ha Long Bay cruise. The cruise night itself is part of the accommodation, with dinner and breakfast on board.
Note what a buyer might assume and would be wrong about. Dinners on the other eight nights are not included. Drinks of any kind, alcoholic or soft, are extra. Hotels are private rooms but the listing names no hotels and gives no star class, so you cannot judge the standard before booking.
What You Pay on the Day
The stated exclusions are tips, alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and personal expenses. No mandatory extras are listed, and no holiday surcharge or gala dinner is stated for this listing. Entrance fees for the sights on the itinerary, including Cat Cat Village, Fansipan, the Marble Mountains, Hoi An ancient town, Ba Na Hills with the Golden Bridge, the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta stops, are inside the price.
Airport transfers are not listed in the inclusions, although the day 1 and day 10 text mention them, so ask the operator to confirm them in writing.
How This Listing Compares on Price
The table places this 10 day itinerary against other grand tours on the site. Figures come from each operator's Viator listing, not from this site. Note the trade-offs in cancellation terms and group sizes, not just the headline number.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| This tour, 10 days north to south | Guide, private rooms, 2 domestic flights, all entrance fees, most meals except dinners | $1,099 per person, up to 12 travellers, free cancellation 24h, hotels not named |
| 9-day south to north, same operator | Similar inclusions, 2 domestic flights on the itinerary but only one in the inclusions list | $999 per person, up to 10 travellers, runs in reverse, dinner only on the cruise night |
| 14-day Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City | Guide, 3-star hotels and cruise, 2 domestic flights with 20kg luggage, entrance fees | $1,544 per person, up to 15, all sales final, gala dinner and holiday surcharges compulsory |
The Da Nang coast from the Marble Mountains. Photo: Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The plan below follows the operator's own day text on Viator, with the stated times, drives, flights and overnight stops.
Days 1 and 2: Hanoi, Then the Long Road to Sapa
Day 1 is arrival only. The guide meets you at Noi Bai airport and transfers you to a hotel in the city center, about 120 minutes for the transfer, with an orientation around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter if time allows. Day 2 starts early, with pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter hotels between 6:00 and 6:30. The big bus reaches Sapa Town around 13:00, with rest stops including one in Lao Cai at 11:00. After lunch and check-in, a short walk at 14:30 leads to the gate of Cat Cat Village, home of Black H'mong families at the bottom of a valley below Fansipan. Overnight in Sapa.
The bus leaves between 6:00 and 6:30 and reaches Sapa around 13:00, and the return leaves at 16:00 and reaches Hanoi around 22:00. Set your expectations for two long bus days in a row, and keep the day 2 early start in mind when booking flights into Hanoi.
Days 3 and 4: Fansipan, Then the Cruise
Day 3 starts with breakfast at 7:30 and the cable car station by 8:30. The cable car ride takes about 20 minutes to reach around 2,800 metres, then about 1.5 hours of walking and photos, including some 600 steps to the summit of Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam. Lunch in Sapa from 12:30 to 13:30, free time until 15:00, then a 16:00 bus back to Hanoi with two rest stops, arriving around 22:00.
Day 4 transfers to Ha Long Bay for a wooden junk cruise through the World Heritage area and quieter grottoes, with swimming, a hill climb and sampan rides weather permitting. Lunch and dinner are on board and the night is spent in a cruise cabin.
Days 5 to 7: Da Nang, Hoi An and Ba Na Hills
Day 5 brings Tai Chi on the top deck at sunrise, a rowboat visit to a nearby cave and a cruise that ends at noon, then a 180 minute transfer back to Hanoi for a third night there. Day 6 checks out, flies from Noi Bai to Da Nang, a flight listed at 1 hour 20 minutes, then picks up at Da Nang hotels at 13:00 to 13:45 for the Marble Mountains and the stone-carving Non Nuoc Village, moving on at 15:30 to the Cam Thanh Coconut Forest near Hoi An and Hoi An by night. Day 7 departs at 8:30 for Ba Na Hills, with a long cable car ride, the Golden Bridge held by giant stone hands, a 12:00 buffet lunch and the French Village in the afternoon.
Two nights in Da Nang.
Days 8 to 10: Cu Chi, the Mekong Delta and Departure
Day 8 is a morning flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, then a transfer to a central hotel with free time, and an afternoon half day at the Cu Chi Tunnels, described by the operator as over 220 km of tunnels, walking sections of them with a guide. Day 9 starts at 8:00 with hotel pickup for Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta, a 10:30 long boat ride on the Mekong River, coconut candy and brick factory stops, and lunch. Day 10 is breakfast, free time and an airport transfer for your flight home.
Two things in the operator's text do not add up. The day 4 text mentions a train arriving in Hanoi at 5:30am, but day 3 returns to Hanoi by bus around 22:00, so that line looks reused from another itinerary. The final day text also mentions an 18-day tour. Ask the operator to confirm the day plan in writing before you pay.
Sources: Authentic Adventures listing on Viator and Wikipedia on Fansipan
10 Days in Vietnam: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City
Ten days north to south, the length of this tour. Third-party video by Suitcase Monkey. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing states clear physical limits, a shared group format and a few honest gaps. Match yourself against these before booking.
Physical Demands and Access
The tour is listed as suitable for all fitness levels and wheelchair accessible, including all areas, surfaces and the transportation, with service animals allowed and infant seats available. It is not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries. The Fansipan day still involves around 600 steps near the summit after the cable car, and the Sapa legs ride a big bus, leaving Hanoi at 6:00 to 6:30 and returning around 22:00.
If long road days rule this out, the 14-day tour spreads the country over 14 days instead of 10.
Group Size, Meals and Money
This is a shared group product, up to 12 travellers, with no private option stated. Dinners outside the cruise night are your own cost, and so are drinks. Viator lists age bands from infants 0 to 3, children 4 to 9 and adults 10 to 75 for pricing. These are price bands, not restrictions, and infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller.
Cancellation is free until 24 hours before departure, which is more forgiving than the all-sales-final listings on the site. If you want the same operator's route in reverse for $999, see the 9-day south to north tour.
Options That Change What the Price Buys
The only stated option is pickup included, so there are no hotel-class upgrades, private guide upgrades or single-supplement options listed. The tour can be cancelled for bad weather, which matters most for the Ha Long Bay cruise night.
Ha Long Bay from the hill above the town. Photo: Trideep Dutta Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
You start in Hanoi and finish in Ho Chi Minh City, so plan your international flights around those two airports and leave room for what the route skips.
Reaching Hanoi to Start
Most international arrivals land at Noi Bai airport, which serves Hanoi. The tour's day 1 includes a guide meeting you at Noi Bai and a transfer to your hotel in the city center, so you do not need to arrange the first ride. Physical SIM cards in Vietnam require passport registration, and kiosks in the arrivals halls at Noi Bai open for every flight, with a 30-day tourist SIM running about 150,000 to 200,000 VND in a city store versus 250,000 to 300,000 VND at the airport.
Check what your passport needs before you fly. The e-visa allows a stay of up to 90 days and the fee is $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry.
Adding Days Before and After
The itinerary gives you a single orientation outing in Hanoi, if time permits, and a free morning before departure in Ho Chi Minh City. The Temple of Literature in Hanoi, open 8:00 to 17:00 daily, costs 70,000 VND for adults according to Vietnam Tourism, and children under 15 enter free. In Ho Chi Minh City, the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace are the standard additions, with the museum ticket reported at 40,000 to 60,000 VND depending on the source.
Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with over 14 million people, so an extra day or two repays itself. If you want beach time instead, the south-focused 6-day tour to Mui Ne and Phu Quoc adds island days this itinerary does not have.
Sources: Vietnam Tourism on SIM cards and Wikipedia on visa policy
Day by Day
Times and durations come from the operator's own day text. Where no clock time is stated, the step is labelled by phase.
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Start
Hanoi arrival
Guide welcome at Noi Bai airport, a 120 minute transfer to the city center hotel, then an orientation around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter if time permits. Overnight in Hanoi.
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6:00 to 6:30
Bus to Sapa and Cat Cat Village
Old Quarter pickup, the highway to Lao Cai with a rest stop at 11:00, arrival in Sapa around 13:00. Lunch, then a 14:30 walk to Cat Cat Village. Overnight in Sapa.
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7:30
Fansipan and return to Hanoi
Breakfast and check-out, cable car at 8:30 for a 20 minute ride to about 2,800 metres, roughly 1.5 hours on the summit steps. Lunch at 12:30, a 16:00 bus with two rest stops reaching Hanoi around 22:00. Overnight in Hanoi.
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Morning
Ha Long Bay cruise night
Transfer to Ha Long Bay, board a wooden junk for the World Heritage area, grottoes, swimming and sampan rides weather permitting. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight in a cruise cabin.
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Sunrise
Cruise morning, back to Hanoi
Tai Chi on the top deck, a rowboat cave visit, breakfast while sailing, cruise ends at noon, then a 180 minute transfer to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.
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Morning
Flight to Da Nang, Marble Mountains, Hoi An
Fly from Noi Bai to Da Nang, a flight listed at 1 hour 20 minutes. Da Nang hotel pickup 13:00 to 13:45, Marble Mountains and Non Nuoc Village, then 15:30 on to Cam Thanh Coconut Forest and Hoi An by night. Overnight in Da Nang.
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8:30
Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge
Full day at Ba Na Hills with the long cable car ride, the Golden Bridge, a 12:00 buffet lunch and the French Village. Overnight in Da Nang.
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Morning
Flight to Ho Chi Minh City and Cu Chi Tunnels
Fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, transfer to a central hotel, free time, then an afternoon half day walking sections of the Cu Chi Tunnels. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
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8:00
Mekong Delta day trip to Ben Tre
Hotel pickup at 8:00, drive to Ben Tre, a 10:30 long boat ride on the Mekong River, coconut candy and brick factory visits and lunch. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
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Last half day
Departure
Breakfast, free time, then a transfer to the airport for your flight home. The tour ends in Ho Chi Minh City.
Pros and Cons
A straight reading of the listing, including the parts the operator would rather you skipped.
What we genuinely like
- Two domestic flights are in the $1,099, Hanoi to Da Nang and Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City.
- A Ha Long Bay cruise night with dinner and breakfast on board is included.
- All entrance fees for the included sights, from Fansipan to the Cu Chi Tunnels, are covered.
- Groups cap at 12, small for a 10 day grand tour.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
- Wheelchair accessible listing, including the transportation, with service animals allowed.
The honest downsides
- Dinners are included only on the cruise night, so eight dinners and all drinks come out of your pocket.
- Two long bus days between Hanoi and Sapa, with a 6:00 to 6:30 start on day 2.
- Hotels are private rooms but are never named, so the standard is unknown before booking.
- The day 4 text mentions a train that clashes with the day 3 bus, and the last day text mentions an 18-day tour, so the itinerary text has leftovers and you should confirm the day plan in writing.
- Arrival and departure airport transfers beyond the day 1 hotel transfer are not stated as included.
Who it's NOT for: Travellers who want named hotels or a longer route should look at the 14-day listing instead.
Questions About This Tour
What does the $1,099 price include on this 10 day Vietnam tour?
It includes a guide, private rooms for 9 nights, two domestic flights, an air-conditioned vehicle, all entrance fees for the included sights, breakfast days 2 to 10, lunches on days 2 to 7 and 9, and one dinner on the cruise. Tips, drinks and personal expenses are extra. The full line-by-line is in the price breakdown.
Are the domestic flights really included?
Yes, the inclusions list domestic flight tickets, and the itinerary shows Hanoi to Da Nang on day 6 and Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City on day 8. Luggage allowances for those flights are not stated. See how other listings handle flights in the Vietnam travel packages.
Is the Ha Long Bay night on a real cruise?
Yes, day 4 and the following morning run on a wooden junk with lunch, dinner and breakfast served on board, and you sleep in a cruise cabin. Ha Long Bay was first inscribed by UNESCO in 1994. The cruise night section of the homepage guide explains what to expect on board.
How fit do I need to be for Sapa and Fansipan?
The listing says all fitness levels are fine and it is wheelchair accessible, but it is not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries, and the Fansipan summit involves about 600 steps after the cable car. A Sapa-focused alternative is the 3-day Sapa trekking and homestay tour.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure for a full refund, and the operator can also cancel for bad weather. That is more flexible than the all-sales-final 14-day Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City tour.
Why does the itinerary mention a train and an 18-day tour?
Those are leftovers in the operator's text: day 4 mentions a train arriving at 5:30am while day 3 returns by bus around 22:00, and the final day text references an 18-day tour. Ask the operator to confirm the day plan in writing before paying, then check it against the day by day walkthrough.
Do I need a visa before joining the tour in Hanoi?
Entry rules depend on your passport, so check yours first. The e-visa is open to all nationalities, allows up to 90 days and costs $25 single entry or $50 multiple entry. Bring your approval with you to Noi Bai, where the tour guide meets you. The practical basics sit in the visas, money and safety section.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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