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Unless you have specific things you want to do, if this is the first time you\u2019re going to visit Vietnam, I recommend that you start with the classic route, which runs from north to south connecting the country\u2019s two main cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Ming (Saigon).<\/p>\n
In addition to the diverse culture of the country, Vietnam also offers spectacular natural environments that are ideal for people who want to enjoy the outdoors and not just tourist activities.<\/p>\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/best-vietnam-tour.jpg\")
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<\/strong><\/p>\n Note: The cost of international flights to Vietnam is not included in the prices indicated on this website.<\/p>\n Currently, there exist hundreds of agencies offering spectacular trips at very good prices, but many of them are not entirely trustworthy. Below are some recommendations to keep in mind when choosing a tour operator:<\/p>\n One of the aspects that can give a clear idea of the reliability of an agency are the payment options they offer. If their only payment methods are Western Union<\/a> or a transfer to a bank account in a tax haven, you should be really careful, as this transfer will be traceable and therefore it\u2019s very likely that the agency is a scam artist. So, ask your agency if you can pay via bank transfer or via PayPal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Websites are a good reflection of the quality of an agency. A functional website with good information takes a lot of time and money. If the agency has a good website, it\u2019s an indication that they take care to offer a quality product to their customers. Scam artists don\u2019t tend to invest time in creating a good webpage, because it\u2019s likely that they\u2019ll have to close it shortly afterward.<\/p>\n Aggressive travel agents are usually an indication that the agency doesn\u2019t have enough customers. A good agency doesn\u2019t have trouble finding customers, making it so that they don\u2019t need to be very insistent; rather, all they have to do is offer good service without pressure.<\/p>\n Travel agencies offering very low prices need to complement their earnings by other indirect methods. It\u2019s common for guides to take travelers to stores or businesses with inflated prices that will later pass on a commission to the guide and\/or the agency if one of the travelers buys a product.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to spend your trip running from store to store, be careful who you book your tour with.<\/p>\n In the end, the only way of knowing if the travel agency is trustworthy or not is to get the opinion of other customers. Take some time to read the opinions of previous customers. Normally they can be found directly on the website of the agency. A good agency will be interested in showing positive reviews from previous customers.<\/p>\n In addition, you can look at the agency\u2019s accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Trip Advisor, etc. Do they have followers? Do they interact with them? What are people saying? What are the comments of previous customers on social media?<\/p>\n Last of all, you should keep in mind that even the best agency in the world isn\u2019t able to satisfy all of their customers. The presence of one negative or not very good review is a sign that the rest of the opinions are real. If an agency only has a few reviews and all of them are very positive, it\u2019s highly likely that they are \u201cfalse\u201d reviews.<\/p>\n In addition to the honesty of an agency, there are other aspects that can let you know about the quality of the agency:<\/p>\n If the agency has experience in Vietnam, it will grant a certain degree of flexibility in its itineraries or will offer a large selection of itineraries. If the agency only offers you two or three tours to choose from, it\u2019s likely that it has little experience in the country or few resources.<\/p>\n Tourist destinations in Vietnam<\/a> are located somewhat far away, making it necessary to move around by train or plane. A good agency will take care of booking plane or train tickets for you.<\/p>\n One of the main reasons for booking a tour is to minimize the inconveniences of traveling in a country that you don\u2019t know. During the first hours after arriving in a new country, it\u2019s common to feel a little lost. Asian airports tend to be filled with people that will try to take advantage of your initial disorientation to rip you off. Good agencies will offer to pick you up at the airport to make your first contact with the country easier.<\/p>\n Getting a tourist visa for Vietnam is relatively easy, and for time periods of less than 15 days, on many occasions, they can be obtained directly at the airport. Even so, a good agency will make the effort to provide updated information on visas, and will therefore be capable of providing all the information necessary. Note that, in some cases, you can even get a visa exemption<\/a>. <\/p>\n When you evaluate a tour, it\u2019s really important that you make sure what it includes. It\u2019s normal for a tour to include transportation as well as train and plane tickets, lodging, agency fees, entry fees for places of interest, and some meals. International plane tickets and visa costs are usually not included in the price.<\/p>\n The quality of hotels is something that can cause the price of the tour to vary significantly. Despite this, if you choose to stay at two- or three-star budget hotels, the quality of the hotels can vary significantly<\/a>. Just take a look at the reviews of the hotels that the agency is offering to get an idea of what to expect.<\/p>\n Below you will find the situations in which in our opinion it\u2019s better to book a tour:<\/p>\n Organizing a trip to Vietnam takes time. You\u2019ll have to look up information on the visa, choose an itinerary, book hotels, and book internal transportation, among many other things.<\/p>\n In addition, if you only have 7-15 days to spend in Vietnam and you want to visit the main tourist attractions, a tour or an organized trip will let you make much better use of your time and will allow you to visit more places. With a tour, you\u2019re not going to waste time looking for tourist attractions, finding out how to get to the train station or the hotel, etc.<\/p>\n Obviously, if you have time and a tight budget, a tour might not be the best option for you.<\/p>\n Asia is a continent that can overwhelm you the first time, especially if you don\u2019t have a lot of experience traveling in culturally different countries. Traveling in Vietnam is safe, and in the main cities or tourist destinations, it\u2019s not hard to find people who can speak English (or even French). Even so, little scams and cultural differences are commonplace.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of information on the Internet (you can start by reading our guide to the country<\/a>), so if you\u2019re open to the unknown and you have patience, you don\u2019t need to book tour.<\/p>\n However, if you don\u2019t have traveling experience or you don\u2019t think you\u2019re capable of adapting to a different lifestyle, booking an organized tour is your best bet.<\/p>\n Do you want to go kayaking in Halong Bay? Do you want to hike across rural areas? Would you like to travel across the country on a bicycle? In this case, it would be best for you to look for a specialized agency to help you organize these activities.<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s possible to organize them yourself, in my opinion, it\u2019s not a very good idea, as you can get lost, hurt yourself, or even worse. An accident under these circumstances can be very costly, even if\u00a0you have a good travel insurance policy<\/a>. No insurance will cover your medical expenses or repatriation if you decide to participate in potentially dangerous activities with no type of supervision.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning to stay for less than 15 days and you have a passport On the other hand, if you\u2019re planning to stay in Vietnam for more than 15 days or your country isn\u2019t on the list that I linked to above, you need to apply for a visa.<\/p>\n In any event, ask your agency whether you need a visa or not.<\/p>\n Note that visa exemption rules may change, thus always make sure to confirm it with the Vietnamese Consular Office in your country, before booking your trip. <\/p>\n It\u2019s important to ask the agency to find out if it provides travel insurance and what type. If you want more information on the subject, we have published a complete article on the topic. Here you will find all of the information you need on travel insurance and why you need it<\/a>.<\/p>\n The only vaccine necessary for entering Vietnam is yellow fever (only for travelers from countries where there is a risk of contracting the disease). Even so, I recommend that you see your doctor and check if you\u2019re up to date on vaccines for tetanus\/diphtheria\/pertussis (Tdap), polio, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. If you\u2019re not up to date, I suggest you update your vaccines.<\/p>\n In some areas of the country, especially during the rainy season, you run the risk of getting malaria or dengue. Considering that there are no effective vaccines for these diseases, the best strategy is prevention.<\/p>\n In Vietnam, there are restrictions on Internet use. Some social networks, such as Twitter, are blocked and therefore inaccessible in the country. If you need to stay connected to the world, I recommend that you take a look at this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n For the moment, we are recommending Expedia<\/a> to book international flights, because in our experience, it is generally where we get the best prices.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need anything special other than a few basic medications (aspirin, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and antidiarrheal medications), waterproof clothing if you\u2019re traveling during the rainy season, and a few books if you like to read.<\/p>\n If you have already decided that you want to book a trip to Vietnam but you\u2019re not very sure which agency to choose, I recommend that you click here and take a look at our suggestions<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\nClassic tour<\/h3>\n
![\"Vietnam](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/vietnam-classic-tour.jpg\")
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Other tours<\/h3>\n
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How to identify an honest travel agency<\/h2>\n
Is their payment method secure?<\/h3>\n
What does the agency\u2019s website look like?<\/h3>\n
What is the travel agent like?<\/h3>\n
What are the guides like?<\/h3>\n
What do previous customers say?<\/h3>\n
What to consider before booking your trip to Vietnam<\/h2>\n
Is there flexibility in my itinerary?<\/h3>\n
Does the agency take care of my internal trips?<\/h3>\n
Does the agency pick you up at the airport?<\/h3>\n
Can the agency help you with your visa?<\/h3>\n
What does the price of the tour include?<\/h3>\n
What is the quality of hotels?<\/h3>\n
Once again\u2026 What do previous customers say?<\/h3>\n
When to book a tour and when to travel independently<\/h2>\n
You don\u2019t have a lot of time<\/h3>\n
You\u2019ve never traveled outside of your country<\/h3>\n
I want to do \u201cspecial\u201d activities<\/h3>\n
How to prepare for your trip and what to bring<\/h2>\n
Visa<\/h3>\n
\nfrom one of the countries on this list<\/a>, then you don\u2019t need a visa. All you need is a passport with at least 6 months of validity.<\/p>\nTravel insurance and vaccines<\/h3>\n
Internet<\/h3>\n
International flights<\/h3>\n
What to take to Vietnam<\/h3>\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
\n\nCan you drink the water in Vietnam?<\/div>\n\nYou can\u2019t drink the tap water but need to buy water in stores instead. Common water brands are Dasani, Aquafina, and La Vie. However, most of these brands are currently owned by established brands like Coca Cola and Nestle.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n