The Best Local Experiences for a Trip to Vietnam

At the beginning of this year, I embarked on a 2 week trip to Vietnam and it is no surprise that there was a great variety of things to do and places to eat. What I was most impressed by when starting to research, was just how many awesome excursions and activities the various cities had to offer. With the world on a pause, I wanted to highlight some of the amazing local tours we got to experience.

Scooter Food Tour by A.N. Tours
This was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip! My mom and I were a little nervous touring the city by scooter (if you have been to Vietnam you will know why) but our guides were great drivers and enjoyable companions for the evening. We went to so many great local food spots and tried items that we likely wouldn’t have tried without this tour. A food tour is one of my favorite ways to explore a new city and this one did not disappoint!

Cu Chi Tunnels by Speedboat by Saigon River Tours
If you have time while in Ho Chi Minh to spend a half day learning the history of the Cu Chi Tunnels I would highly recommend it. The day starts with a variety of breakfast options on the speedboat and a fun ride out to the tunnels. The tunnels were informative and interactive without being too much in such a short time. A group lunch was also provided that was really impressive. We both learned a great deal this day and getting to actually go into the tunnels was a great experience.

Ha Long Bay Cruise by Emperor Cruises 
There are a lot of cruise options available to stay overnight and really explore Ha Long Bay but I can’t imagine the others come close to our experience on Emperor Cruises. We were greeted onboard with a schedule of all the events over the next two days which was really fun - it felt a bit like summer camp. When our first meal on board included grilled lobster and oysters I didn’t think it could be topped, but each meal was even better than the last! Personally, getting to visit the floating fishing village was a trip highlight for me. We did not want to leave this magnificent ship and its hospitable staff.

Especially now, these smaller tour operators could use even more love. Thanks to everyone we met during our trip who made these experiences memorable! 

*Note: These are my personal thoughts on our experiences and none of them were sponsored by any of these tour operators.