Hanoi Tours and Trips

We had an amazing time on our Cycle Saigon to Hanoi trip with Explore with an excellent local guide and support team . The itinerary provided the perfect opportunity to explore the towns, cities, villages and stunning countryside of Vietnam ranging from renowned tourist sites to local village markets. Vietnam is a fabulous country to explore by bike, and I strongly recommend the Cycle Saigon to Hanoi trip.

The trip guide with his knowledge and personality made this trip exceptional. The accommodation was wonderful and the cycling was brilliant. The only change I would make was to not have the cruise at the end…..it was not a traditional junk boat but a cruise full of tourists. I would rather have had 2 extra days cycling

This was an amazing experience and I am so glad I was able to do it. It was like everything I’d seen on tiktok becoming reality and was also with a brilliant group of people and trip manager who made the experience so special and memorable.

This trip was a follow-up visit to Vietnam after a 30-year break. The country still has the charm, interest, and friendly people that I remember. This is despite it now being an industrialised nation instead of the totally rural economy that it was. There has been a great deal of improvement in the infrastructure that makes travelling around much easier. The trip was very comprehensive with a packed itinerary giving a good insight into Vietnamese life. Our guide Tien worked tirelessly to make sure that the trip ran smoothly for everyone and ensured that the group was happy and well fed. Her knowledge of the country, its history, customs, along with her personal insights enhanced the basic facts of the place that we visited. The hotels were all an excellent standard, if a bit corporate and international on a few occasions. The junk for the cruise around Lan Ha Bay was of an exceptional standard. My favourite hotel was The Little Oasis in Hoi An. Hoi An was also my favourite town. We opted out of the cooking class to spend more time exploring the town. Perhaps this cooking activity should have been an option rather than inclusive. There are other things to do in and around the town that would have made a better option for me. The transport was clean and comfortable except for the Hue to Hoi An section. The vehicle had broken air vents, cup holders, seat belts were hanging on the floor, and the suspension was poor. The transport over this section needs upgrading. My only disappointment was the water puppet show. I have seen the show before. After a 45-minute drive to the rural location the exclusive show was very amateurish, lacked live music and had no atmosphere. The Hanoi city theatre version that I had seen previously was much more enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed my return visit to Vietnam and would have no worries about recommended this trip to either a first or return visitor to Vietnam.

Let's start with the positives: the organisation from Explore was magnificent. I was picked up and dropped off at the airport, and I received help whenever I needed it. The leader was amazing -knowledgeable, helpful, and always had a plan B. They looked after us, along with the support crew. Honestly, I have never experienced such kind and helpful people who genuinely wanted us to have the best experience while sharing their love for their country. However, there were some challenges. The constant noise during the day on the street or from live music almost every night made it difficult to get a good night's sleep. The chaotic streets filled with millions of scooters were part of the experience, but it would have been nice to have a larger proportion of quieter streets. As a result, the air quality was very poor. The cruise was overwhelming; how can you enjoy nature when there are 40-50 other cruise ships at the same place? We were shoved through the cave, and the water on the beach was quite disgusting. Additionally, we spent hours and hours on the bus from the start of the trip. No one mentioned that the bus ride would take longer than the biking segments, which was exhausting. Overall, it was a tiring two weeks, even though the group was nice and we had a lot of fun!

We had 2 Explore Leaders both were very knowledgable and helpful. But I think our Cambodian Leader was more experienced and this came across in his over all engagement with us