Ho Chi Minh City Walking Trips

The trip gave a comprehensive tour of some of the main sights in Vietnam. The walking elements in Pu Luong, the hike to My Son temple, and the Mekong Delta were highlights, as was Hanoi. Most of the other walks were sightseeing tours in the cities. Our guide Juan was very organised and professional, and his insights into the history and people were very interesting. The standard of the accommodation was very good. The walking was very sedate and would be doable for almost all travellers. As an introduction to the country, it ticked all the boxes.

A thoroughly comprehensive tour taking in Vietnam from north to south. The standard of the hotels was very good, the Pu Luong retreat lovely and the homestay in the Mekong delta well worth experiencing. There was just about enough walking to call it a "walking holiday" although I would have happily done a little bit more. The group (9 clients) was a lovely size enabling a good camaraderie. Leader (Wonn - phonetic spelling) was well organised and informative about fauna and flora. Would have liked to learn more about the culture. Would happily do another trip with Explore.

This was our first trip with explore for my husband and me . The programme was varied and interesting and the travel and accommodation comfortable with airconditioning . The walking was easy for active people . Good group size and very friendly , organised and knowledgeable guide /tour leader that looked after us throughout the whole trip . It is a busy schedule involving many hour travelling but this allowed us to have a good overview of the country in just 2 weeks one thing I got wrong in my preparation was the clothes I brought . I had taken too many long trousers and tops for the hot and humid weather as I had ready that shorts above the knee and sleeveless tops were best not from à col rural point of view when actually shorts , dresses and sandals would have been appropriate for our evenings and cities and sleeveless tops for our hikes

Vietnam, what a beautiful country and culture to immerse yourself in, and the people are amazing. In a relatively short time we got to experience the culture and breathtaking scenery of the north, central and southern regions; spending a couple of days in each place we really got a feel for their uniqueness. One of the key pleasures of the trip was our guide Tien, she is amazing; experienced considered, knowledgable and very funny. She is super organised - this is a busy trip but she was always on the ball so we moved from place to place with ease. Without her we would have experienced a very different Vietnam. We ate in local, non tourist restaurants- like roadside stops that you wouldn’t go to- and the food was amazing. In addition to the focus being on walking it was also a cultural foodie tour. Wherever we went and whoever we encountered she was highly respected. In each area local guides joined us and she skilfully incorporated them into our group. This is definitely where we saw how the collective tips worked; drivers, guides and families whose land we ventured on to view their irrigation system or saw them making rice paper were subtly remunerated, it was reassuring to actively see money going into local communities. Walking in Vietnam is a truly remarkable experience; walking through the terraced rice fields with the limestone mountains jutting up is simply magical- no camera can really capture that- you have to live and absorb it. To be honest I thought that there would be more walking- I would have preferred some longer hikes- only one in the mountains was cancelled due to storms. This maybe because I underestimated the number of city walks- which in themselves were brilliant in exposing us to Vietnam’s rich and complicated history. Wherever we went - on coaches or boats we remained with our group and there were only 6 of us - so that was special- we weren’t joined by other groups. The additional trips were key highlights- the cookery course in Hoi A where we cooked and then ate with the group. The Rickshaw ride in Hue and Vespa tour of Saigon in a tropical storm will be never be forgotten; being launched directly into the chaotic world of Vietnamese motor scooters! So any downsides? Whilst every effort is made by the unification train company to make the journey from Hanoi a memorable experience- it isn’t one I’d repeat. We paid for a cabin for two but that didn’t save you from the rock hard bed and toilets that you couldn’t go near. The only overnight stay that wasn’t great was the Puluong Retreat- it looked great but there wasn’t anywhere to sit and relax other than the bedroom and the food whilst nicely presented lacked flavour- non of us ate much there. Recommendations- Train street in Hanoi was simply amazing- so near to our hotel - it was a regular haunt. Bring Your currency in Vietnamese Dong- you are often paying in small amounts and you can rarely pay by card. Our dollars were used to pay our guide for our additional trips- but dong is what you really need. You don’t need to bring snacks- we packed & carried snacks - you will not go hungry on this tour! Bring hand sanitiser, mosquito spray and anti diarrhoea melts- especially if you are tempted by shellfish!

Enjoyed my walking tour of Vietnam. So much variety and fun and no worries at all. So many extra excursions and insights. I would say the walking is not difficult at all. It would suit any level of fitness. The leader really looked after the group. Great if you’re a single man or women who loves to travel. I can’t wait for another tour.

Wow, our family trip to Vietnam was, like, the best! Odynovo really hooked us up with an amazing 12-day adventure. Our guide, was super cool—she made history fun for our kiddo at every turn. That Perfume River Cruise in Hue? So peaceful! And the cooking class in Hoi An, we were all in, trying out some tasty local dishes. Our hotel was like a home away from home. Hanoi's Old Quarter was just buzzing. Our son loved the Water Puppet Show—it was a real treat. The cruise on Ha Long Bay was the piece de resistance. The Celestia's crew, with Captain Von leading the way, made us feel like royalty. Our driver was always on time, and Kelly, our coordinator, was totally on the ball, checking in with us every day to make sure we were having a blast. This trip wasn't just about seeing sights, it was about making memories as a family.