Vietnam Adventure

This was a thoroughly wonderful adventure that exceeded my expectations. We had a lovely group of folks to travel with and a fantastic tour leader.

This trip had so many contrasting experiences and enchanting surprises along the way. It was quite a full itinerary but not arduous.

This trip had so many contrasting experiences and enchanting surprises along the way. It was quite a full itinerary but not arduous.

We visited all the best tourist spots and had plenty of free time to explore on our own

One of the best trips I've ever taken. From start to finish, Vietnam is a magical place to visit. The people are so friendly and happy to share their country, culture, food and are sooo kind.

A wonderful trip highlighting all the best of Vietnam has to offer. A great variety of optionals and activities. Food was amazing. Would highly recommend this trip!!

Our guide Nhung worked tirelessly to make sure we caught the right planes, trains and automobiles. We travelled from North to South and saw a marvellous variety of locations and highlights of Vietnamese history. The trip was well organised to alternate active days with quiet days. I would recommend this tour highly.

This trip is classed as "leisurely" and, yes, that's an accurate description in terms of the level of "activity". However, this is a very "busy" trip with some early mornings - but all VERY worthwhile. There is "free time" but there's plenty to do and see in the relevant location. The hotels were all in central locations, enabling us to make the most of free time. The itinerary was diverse - from countryside (our overnight homestay) to 21st century Saigon - and the "noise" of the towns/cities from the ever-present scooters is something to experience! The food was delicious and it was great fun to be "hands-on" with our meal at our homestay. At no time did we feel unsafe; rather, it was a real pleasure to be able to strike up unexpected conversations on a number of occasions during the trip.

I had no idea of the vast array of places, people, sights and sounds. There is something for everyone in Vietnam.

The tour did everything that was promised and so much more. It really brought this beautiful and amazing country to life and gave me a great insight into somewhere of which I previously knew very little. Our tour guide - Nhung - was great and kept us all on track and made everything run as smoothly as possible. I would wholeheartedly recommend this tour!

Overall very well organised, a nice balance between history and cultural experiences, just wish more of the cultural/food experiences were included in the price rather then the historical ones as we had to miss out on some of them due to the additional cost.

A great variation from north to south Vietnam, but well worth all the travelling, as without it you wouldn't get a feel for what Vietnam has gone through and what it has to offer.

The trip benefitted from an amazing bunch of like minded people and a brilliant tour leader. Add to that the backdrop of Vietnam and it couldn’t fail to deliver.

Have never visited South East Asia before and was excited to learn about a new culture. This 14 day trip takes in all the major highlights starting in Hanoi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City.

A brilliantly organised trip with plenty of variation and a good balance between rest and exploration. I hadn’t quite imagined just how beautiful and exciting Vietnam would be, and so it exceeded each one of my hopes and expectations for this trip by tenfold. A lot of my praise for this trip can be credited to Nhung, who went above and beyond in her duties.

Cosseted from start to finish. Vietnam was amazing but the trip was made even better by our fabulous tour guide, Anh Vuoung. Hanoi was mad and needs to be experienced to be believed. Ha Long bay lives up to expectations, and despite being warned about lots of steps, the cave was not arduous but was spectacular. The Da Nang Reunification museum was a different take on the ‘American war’ and the spirit of reconciliation was obvious. I’m glad that we did it. Hoi An was amazing too, and very different from other Vietnamese places, a mini Hong Kong with LED coloured lights everywhere. One of my favourite places. The Mekong boat trip was an eye opener, the Vietnamese people are so resourceful and friendly. We had feared that the trip might be a bit too cultural for us, but it was fine, and we enjoyed the visits, and very happy to be educated. We did an optional bike & boat ride, it was a great respite from this town based trip, touring open countryside with a guide, meeting locals and tasting the home made products. No complaints about accommodation at all, nice hotels and lovely home stay - even the overnight rail trip was fine -earplugs essential. I’d recommend this trip wholeheartedly, Exodus delivered for us yet again and their star, Anh was incredible. rn with breezes was a welcome respite from the heat.

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip, our guide Anh Vuong ensured every detail was covered and we packed in so much whether it be cultural, gastronomic or memorable experiences. Many additional activities on offer ie. Cooking class, street food tour, cultural island cycle ride to name a few, we believe we had a taste of every aspect of Vietnam life from north to south, contrasting city experiences, rural life and the amazing Mekong Delta and Halong Bay. All hotels were very good and we were welcomed everywhere we went from restaurants to peoples homes and places of work, Anh’s hard work and delightful personality was infectious and appreciated by all. The people of Vietnam have suffered so much yet they hold no ill will and are enthusiastic, warm and welcoming.

From Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh in the south, a our through varying climates and cultures.

A brilliant tour of Vietnam, good company in the small group and an excellent, informative guide. Our first organised trip as have always arranged these ourselves, and we were not disappointed. Exodus staff were helpful from the start when booking the tour, responsive to our questions and staff in Vietnam went the extra mile to make sure everything ran smoothly. Would recommend and already considering where our next adventure with Exodus might take us.

A really fantastic insight into past and present life in Vietnam. The two week trip is packed full. Sights include temples, pagodas, paddy fields, caves, rivers, beautiful lanterns, war tunnels, war museums and spectacular sea views. Activities include walking, cycling, an overnight train journey, ferry rides, boat trips, including an overnight stay in a cabin, another night at a family Homestay; active participation in demonstrations of making reed mats, rice wine, rice noodles, coconut candy and incense sticks. The sheer volume of traffic and numbers of motorbikes all constantly sounding their horns whilst weaving around each other has to be seen to be believed, yet they are driven in a very non aggressive manner and somehow manage to avoid collisions. Bartering for holiday momentoes is great fun and the food variety is enormous and delicious with something for everyone. (You might well give sticky rice and noodles a miss for a few weeks once you return home!) So much more I could include, but go and find out for yourself, you won’t regret it.

The itinerary was good and varied. The sites visited are interesting and fun, my favourites was Saigon as there was so much to see and do followed very closely by Hoi An which was a really great riverside town full of many restaurants shops and market stalls. plus you could get clothes made to measure within 24 hours,,, Flights to Vietnam there and back are long haul flights involving stop overs on the flights so be prepared for sometimes long waits inbetween planes This is a great trip so much so that i have now been there with Exodus twice

This was my first trip out of Europe and really glad I picked Exodus to do it with. The trip was well organised, plenty of places to visit and things to do, a great range of included and optional activities (which are all well worth doing!). Our group leader was Phuong Le - she was amazing, gave us a lot of information about each place we visited, plus teaching us about the history and some of the language. 100% recommend this trip if you want to visit Vietnam!

A good start with the best coffee i've ever had by the lake nr Hanoi Hotel The holiday was extremely varied, showing so many aspects of Vietnam - chaotic cities with 'formation dancing' motorbikes ignoring most traffic lights but managing never to collide - the peace and quiet of Halong Bay and the Mekong Delta. The hotels and their buffet breakfasts were all top class, the 'homestay' was more like a basic 'eco hotel' , was in a peaceful spot and had bikes you could borrow. The original itinerary bike trip in Hue was discontinued, but made up for in Hoi An, with a ride plus a coracle and boat trip and the bonus that bikes could be kept for the rest of the day. I took advantage of this whilst Margaret went for the best massage she has ever had! The Reunification Express was very comfortable and could only be improved on if you were allowed to hang out of the doors or ride on the roof.! I could have done without the CuChi tunnels and would have preferred a 2/3 hr walk in quiet, scenic countryside as an option. All in all - A great holiday with a great group.

This was our first ever group tour holiday so we didn't quite know what to expect, however we loved every part of it. The itinerary is full to enable you to see what's on offer in the region but it allows some down time. We wouldn't have seen all that we did if we did it under our own steam. Having read previous reviews we took advice and went for all the optional extras that were offered, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, including kayaking in Halong Bay, the cyclotaxi ride, cycling and round boats, Vietnamese cookery course and the floating village near Siem Reap. The boat accommodation and food in Halong Bay was first class. The overnight train was an experience but was better than we thought it might have been, and we did actually manage some sleep. We also enjoyed the night in the homestay. We would totally recommend this trip and if you're lucky enough to have Phuong Le as your leader in Vietnam you will be well looked after. We were also well looked after by our guides in Cambodia, albeit for shorter times and thanks to Johnny Temple we have some very creative photographs to remember our trip to the Angkor Thom complex.

This was a great trip, taking in a multitude of sights across the length of Vietnam, right from Hanoi in the north down to the Mekong Delta in the south. The guide was excellent, very knowledgeable and friendly, helpful and funny. The food was amazing, the hotels all comfortable. The sleeper train is quite an experience. Don't expect luxury - just a hard mattress and a bumpy ride. My group were well looked after the entire time.

This trip lived up to what it promised from the start to the end. It was excellent value for money and provided a real insight into this wonderful country and it's people. Our group consisted of 16 people, some couples, some travelling independently with a range of ages from the UK, USA and Spain. By the end of the two weeks we were all good friends. The weather started pleasantly warm, although very cloudy, in the north and steadily became hotter and sunnier the further south we travelled. Our group leader Anh Tran, who we knew as Viet, also helped to make this trip special as he worked hard throughout to provide us with information and guidance about the places we visited.

Vietnam is everything you think it may be and everything you can never imagine! So opposite to your life in the western world, the country is a beautiful, absolutely chaotic, in your face and also serene at times. This is an extremely well organised trip and you will definitely get a flavour of Asia. Food is beyond amazing and our tour guide was unbelievable and a wonderful human!

I had high expectations for this trip and I was not disappointed. The trip was perfectly described in the brochure and offers an unforgettable experience of this fascinating country.

it was a fantastic holidays exceeding all our expectations.

Well organised and very good well informed guides. Very comprehensive trip. Grateful for arriving a day early and leaving a day later arrangements - accommodation & airport transfers. Excellent accommodation. Very variable activities - some included (cycling) and some optional (kayaking, cooking) Hoi An - too touristy. Saigon - uninteresting. Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, My Son, Tunnels, Mekong delta, Angkor temples, Floating villages - all excellent. Phnom Penn s21 prison and nearby "killing fields" - very harrowing. Meals - some were relatively expensive and I found with a good breakfast that I only needed a snack at lunchtime if eating a full meal in the evening.

Our Vietnam Adventure was indeed an adventure - having such a varied itinerary - but not over-organised - with interesting places visited - travel by boats and train- and activities such as bicycling and kayaking-and crawling through tunnels. Staying in excellent hotels - and overall led by a very competent, entertaining and knowledgeable guide - who looked after us, without being imperious

This was an excellent tour. We packed a lot in but the pace never felt too much. It was a really good mix of culture, history and activity.

What an amazing adventure that we have had with exodus, never been to Vietnam before this was a great way to see the country.

This was an outstanding and memorable trip which taught us so much about the history, culture and geography of Vietnam. Travelling from north to south, the itinerary was exceedingly well planned and varied - from the variety of accommodation and modes of transport to the experience of both city and rural life. As members of the generation which remembers the Vietnam War on the TV screeens for a decade, it was a profound experience to visit those places where momentous events took place, heightening our awareness of both the suffering, resilience and achievements of the Vietnamese people.

A fantastic experience. Vietnam is a fascinating country and with this trip you travel from North to South and experience the wealth of the country's geography, history, culture and food. Our trip was enhanced by a really great tour leader (Phuong Le) who was attentive from the start to each and every one of us and made sure that everything ran seamlessly. She had a lovely sense of humour, spoke English proficiently and went out of her way to tell us about all aspects of Vietnam so that we had a great understanding of the history and culture. We had a great group and right from the start we felt at ease with everybody. Lots of laughs and jokes were shared and we are still in touch using a WhatsApp group! The trip is very full on. You move from Hanoi in the north to the wonderful Halong Bay, then you're on an overnight train down to Hue in central Vietnam exploring the Forbidden Purple City and the next day cycling amongst the paddy fields. Then you're in Hoi An with its waterfront beautifully lit with hundreds of lanterns. Here we had time to relax, get the washing done, have a massage, do a cooking course, get some clothes made. The last part of the trip is based in Ho Chi Minh city and it is here were I became much more aware of the violent history of Vietnam, visiting the War Remnant museum (shocking) and then the Cu Chi tunnels. The next day we were on a boat weaving amongst the maze of waterways in the Mekong delta where we stayed overnight in a homestay. The food in Vietnam is fabulous. As I don't eat meat, Phuong went out of her way to ensure that I always had a veggie or fish alternative when we visited restaurants as a group. I have done quite a few Exodus trips but this is one of the best and is very high up in the ranking!

Our first visit to Vietnam; what an amazing trip. We had a fantastic tour leader (Phuong Le). It was clear from our introduction that she was determined to take good care of us, make sure that we had a great time, and she was going to Introduce us to the unique life and culture of Vietnam. The trip broke down to a number of very different elements. We loved it all, and would recommend this trip without hesitation

A fantastic holiday with lots of variety, things to do and see with some free time to explore parts of a city yourself. Our guide Khoa was excellent and thanks to him I feel I understand a bit more about the history of Vietnam! Delicious food everywhere!

Vietnam is a beautiful country with wonderful gentle people. This holiday gives an insight into the ways of the people who live in the modern world but respect the ways of the old world.

This was a fantastic trip, which covered a lot of distance and a wide variety of sights, activities and modes of transport. Our excellent leader, Cong Nguyen, managed the whole trip exceptionally well, ensuring that we had sufficient free time to allow us to relax from the busy schedule of travelling and activities. He was also knowledgeable and genuinely enthusiastic about the history and culture of Vietnam. We learned a lot from him. The standard of accommodation throughout the fortnight was excellent and the friendliness of the Vietnamese people was so welcoming. We even learned how to cross the street - a task which turned out to be a lot less dangerous than it first appeared (well, OK, a little less dangerous!) Finally, everything you ever heard about the fantastic food is correct!

Fantastic trip. First time that I have been on a holiday alone. I had absolutely no need to worry. Exodus were able to give ages and sexes of other travellers on certain dates when I was booking. I was so lucky with my group, a fantastic mix of ages, some couples, friends and other lone travellers. Everyone got on so well and we all mixed with each other and no one was ever left out. Our group leader Ngoc made the trip as he was a local guide with a wealth of knowledge and experiences that he was always willing to share with the group. He was very attentive to the groups needs and always willing to please. He also had a great sense of humour to keep us all amused. This is a full on trip and it is all go for the 2 weeks but I can't see how else would have seen what we did. There was free time in the afternoons which you can spend alone or with others. Lots of shopping opportunities. I made the most of any extra activities, cycle and boat trips which were great fun. Such fantastic scenery. All flat ground and at a leisurely pace. I would suggest a bit of practice in the Uk first just to get your confidence as the Vietnamese roads can be busy and unexpected to say the least! A must do activity though. I also went on a cooking class where we cooked what we ate, saw the water puppet show in Saigon and saw an acrobatic show as well. All amazing. My advice: Pack light. There were at least 3 opportunities to have washing done cheaply and it came back ironed and smelling fresh. Take clothes that can cope with creases and wick away, travel clothes were my lifeline. It was soooooo hot and humid and I went in the "cooler" month. You sweat as soon as you get out of the hotel so I would rinse clothes in the bathroom too. Take swimwear as we had 3 tiny pools overall on the trip. Take comfortable shoes and sandals. No need to dress up really smart in Vietnam. Be cool and comfortable Make sure you leave space in your case when you leave home as you have to live out of your suitcase and everything gets messed around and difficult to fit back. We all found this. Plus you will buy things that you want to bring home. I took a mixture of Vietnamese dong and American dollars but the Dong was much more useful day to day. Credit cards weren't excepted everywhere. Western toilets everywhere. Take loo roll and hand sanitiser out in your day bag. I spent far to long wondering whether to book this trip, would I like, would I be left on my own, would everyone in the group be nice. I had absolutely no need to worry. I had so much fun, met a fantastic group of people, ate wonderful food and had the most amazing experiences. I would definately recommend this trip to any of my friends and family.

I have not been on a group tour in over 35 years and was anxious how it would be traveling with 16 other individuals and a tour guide. I am quite independent when I travel. I was also the only American in a group of 16 people, the others being from England, Scotland and Wales. My fears were put to rest almost immediately. These people all became friends over the two week period - a very cohesive, easy going and adventurous group. Our tour guide, Cong, was amazing - very organized and on top of every little detail, making sure every one of us knew exactly what the day’s schedule would be. Exodus is a very conscious tour company and Cong, whenever possible, made sure our activities supported the people of Vietnam in cities and the rural areas. I learned and saw so much, and though it was at a bit faster pace than I might have gone on my own, it worked. What an amazing country. Each place we visited was different and offered unique insights into the Vietnamese culture. I would highly recommend this tour and Cong, our guide, gets an A+.

This trip was truly an amazing adventure, from start to finish. The itinerary is very diverse, so no 2 days are the same. In my opinion I got to know Vietnam´s history, landscape and culture both through the itinerary and our knowledgeable guide, Bon. It´s been nearly 3 months since I came back from the tour but Vietnam is still in my heart and I would very much like to go back. If not for the beautiful country...then for the delicious food. I would recommend to book the 5 days extension to Cambodia after the trip, the beautiful temples in Siem Riep took my breath away and the gruesome history was informative. Truely a trip to remember.

A memorable experience with a great group of people. Vietnam is a wonderful country with a rich and diverse culture. We travelled from North to South on planes, trains, boats and bicycles and it was great fun. Vietnam offers everything from busy cities, stunning scenery, relaxing boat trips, fantastic food and friendly people. What more could one want?

If you are still deciding whether you want to do this trip then stop thinking and start booking. What an excellent two weeks. Our guide Jay was a complete star from beginning to end, a thoughtful but funny guy who just wanted us to have a great time in his brilliant country. Hotels were far better than expected, really good and a couple with pools. The food was just out of this world and the beer cheap. We had meals out with just the two of us but could eat as a group if we wanted. The train journey was an experience not to forget, the Halong Bay boat trip was very restful (more brilliant food) and we loved the home stay in the Mekong Delta (excellent hammocks). My husband loved the cycling and kayaking that was offered. Hanoi traffic was something to experience but we survived getting across the road!

Having had Vietnam on my travel list for a while, this year I decided to give it a go. And I'm so glad that I did, it is one of the most beautiful countries that I have been to. The scenery is stunning, the countryside is so green and lush; the food is to die for, all full of flavour and so fresh it feels oozes health and goodness; and the people are friendly and helpful. If you've not been I would definitely put it on your list. This tour has it all, big cities, a peaceful overnight in Ha Long Bay, an overnight sleeper train, cultural delights in Hoi An and an overnight stay in the Mekong Delta at a guest house.