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Women-only Vietnam: Hanoi to Saigon
12 days north to south for women only, led by a See Sight Tours woman guide: a night on Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh at first light, Hue, three nights in Hoi An and the Mekong Delta.
12 jours · Hanoi à Ho Chi Minh City · jusqu'à 12 voyageurs
Sunrise from the water in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Andrea Schaffer, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunrise,_Halong_Bay_(5678869517).jpg)
Les faits
En bref
- Durée
- 12 jours, 11 nuits
- Départ et arrivée
- Hanoi à Ho Chi Minh City
- Taille du groupe
- 7 à 12 voyageurs
- Niveau d'activité
Modéré
Mostly easy walking in towns and at sites, 2 to 4 hours a day on pavements, temple steps and village lanes, in heat and humidity in the south. There are four early starts (Mua Cave, the Imperial City, the Hoi An dawn walk and My Son), about 500 steep stone steps at Mua Cave, optional kayaking and three short bicycle rides on flat lanes, each with the option to ride in the vehicle. The first evening is kept slow, and you can sit out any climb, ride or walk.
- Repas compris
- 11 petits-déjeuners, 7 repas du midi, 5 repas du soir
- Chambre individuelle
- + CAD 400 (prix estimé)
- Saison
- Best February to April
Points forts
Pourquoi ce voyage
- A slow first evening: a frank briefing on dress and conduct from your woman guide and an early welcome dinner in Hanoi
- The Vietnamese Women's Museum in Hanoi, the country's story told through its women
- A night on Ha Long Bay, with sunset and sunrise from the deck
- Mua Cave at first light and an early rowing boat through the caves of Trang An
- Hue's Imperial City as the gates open and Thien Mu Pagoda before sunset
- Three nights in Hoi An: a dawn walk at the Japanese Covered Bridge, a cooking class at Tra Que and a women-run craft workshop
- The Mekong Delta at Ben Tre by sampan and bicycle, with lunch with the women of a family in their garden
- Flights instead of the shared sleeper train, and room sharing matched with another woman on request
Ce qui distingue ce voyage
Le temps libre fait partie du programme
Le temps libre et les choix sont indiqués les jours où ils ont lieu.
En solo, sans pénalité
Une chambre individuelle coûte + CAD 400 (prix estimé).
Jour par jour
Itinéraire
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Arrive in Hanoi
Noi Bai International Airport to the Old Quarter
- Early welcome dinner
- Nuit : Hanoi
Your trip starts at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), north of the city, where we meet you and drive you to your hotel near the Old Quarter.
Soir
Nothing is planned until early evening, so sleep off the flight. At about 6 pm your woman guide meets the group in the hotel for an unhurried briefing: what to wear at pagodas and the mausoleum, how to carry a bag in scooter traffic, how to cross the road calmly, how to book a car by app, and anything you want to ask. Then a short walk to Hoan Kiem Lake as the lights come on, and an early sit-down welcome dinner of northern dishes, such as bun cha, spring rolls and a clear pho, at a restaurant run by women where we can confirm one with your dates. You are back at the hotel by about 9 pm. If your flight lands too late, your guide meets you at breakfast and briefs you then.
Compris
- Pick-up at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN)
- Welcome briefing with your woman guide on dress, safety and getting around
- Evening walk to Hoan Kiem Lake
- Early welcome dinner
Temps libre : Afternoon free to rest; back at the hotel by about 9 pm
Hanoi and the Vietnamese Women's Museum
Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn, the Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh and the Women's Museum
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Hanoi

Matin
Early risers can join your guide at first light at Hoan Kiem Lake, where people do tai chi, dance and stretch before work, past the red The Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple. The group day starts after breakfast at about 8:30 at the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 to honour Confucius and home from 1076 to the Imperial Academy. Its stone stelae on the backs of stone turtles list the scholars who passed the royal exams, all of them men, which your guide sets against what comes later. At Ba Dinh Square we see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where shoulders and knees must be covered, and the One Pillar Pagoda. The mausoleum closes on Mondays and Fridays, and on those days we see it from the square.
Après-midi
After lunch together, the Vietnamese Women's Museum tells the country's story through its women: marriage and family customs across ethnic groups, women in the wars, and the street traders who still feed the city.
Soir
The late afternoon and evening are free.
Compris
- Dawn walk at Hoan Kiem Lake with your guide (optional, early)
- Temple of Literature
- Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda
- Vietnamese Women's Museum
Activités en option
- Hoa Lo Prison in the free late afternoon, with entry
Option plus facile : Return to the hotel after lunch and visit the museum another time on your own.
Temps libre : Late afternoon and evening free
Ha Long Bay overnight
Hanoi to the bay, then a night on the water
- Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
- Nuit : Ha Long Bay
- Environ 2.5 h de route

Après-midi
After breakfast we drive east from Hanoi on the expressway to the coast and board an overnight boat around midday. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, close to 2,000 limestone islands and islets rising straight out of the Gulf of Tonkin, and in 2023 the listing was extended to the Cat Ba archipelago and Lan Ha Bay to its south. We choose a boat route that spends the afternoon in quieter water, with time to kayak between the karsts, or to swim when the weather is warm, and a visit to a cave or a floating fishing area depending on the route. Cabins are shared as your rooms are: with your matched roommate, or on your own with the supplement.
Soir
Lunch and dinner are served on board. Stay on deck for sunset, when the islands fade into dark outlines one behind another, and sleep on the water instead of driving back to Hanoi the same evening, as most day trips do.
Compris
- Transport from Hanoi to the harbour with your guide
- Overnight boat in Ha Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay in a private cabin with its own bathroom
- Kayaking among the islands, weather permitting
- Cave or floating fishing area visit, depending on the boat route
Option plus facile : Stay on deck or in the boat's tender while others kayak.
Option plus active : Kayak the longer loop and swim from the boat when the water is warm enough.
Activité : Kayaking is optional and depends on the weather and sea state.
Sunrise on the bay, then Ninh Binh
Ha Long Bay to Ninh Binh
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du soir
- Nuit : Ninh Binh
- Environ 3.5 h de route
Matin
Set an alarm for sunrise. The first hour of the day is the quietest on the bay, often still and misty in the cooler months, and for many people it is the best photograph of the trip. After coffee on deck and a last cruise through the islands, brunch is served before the boat returns to the harbour in the late morning. Instead of driving back to Hanoi, we drive south-west to Ninh Binh, the country of limestone towers and rice fields that people call Ha Long Bay on land. Check in near Tam Coc and rest.
Après-midi
In the late afternoon, when the heat has gone out of the day, cycle the flat lanes between the paddies and villages with your guide while the light softens over the karst hills, or ride along in the vehicle if you prefer.
Soir
Dinner together tonight, close to the hotel, with an early night before tomorrow's first-light start at Mua Cave.
Compris
- Sunrise on the boat
- Brunch on board
- Transport from the harbour to Ninh Binh with your guide
- Late afternoon bicycle ride around Tam Coc
Option plus facile : Skip the bicycle ride and see the villages from the vehicle with your guide.
Temps libre : Early afternoon free to rest
Activité : The bicycle ride is on flat village lanes.
Mua Cave at first light, Trang An, fly to Hue
Ninh Binh to Hanoi airport, then the flight to Hue
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Hue
- Environ 2.5 h de route

An early start for the best light of the day. We are at Mua Cave as it opens, before the heat and the tour buses, and climb about 500 stone steps to the stone dragon on the summit ridge, with the view over the rice fields and the Ngo Dong River winding through Tam Coc.
Matin
Back to the hotel for breakfast, then the Trang An Landscape Complex, Vietnam's first mixed natural and cultural World Heritage Site, listed in 2014. We take one of the first rowing boats of the morning, and a local rower takes you through low caves cut into the limestone, with short stops at temples.
Après-midi
After lunch we drive to Noi Bai International Airport for a flight leaving no earlier than about 4 pm, which ops confirm with your dates, and fly to Hue in a little over an hour with your guide.
Soir
If the flight is late, dinner waits at the hotel and day 6 starts as planned. The evening is free.
Compris
- Mua Cave viewpoint at opening time
- Trang An rowing boat trip on an early boat
- Transport from Ninh Binh to Noi Bai International Airport
- Flight from Hanoi to Hue, with transfer to your hotel
Option plus facile : Wait at the foot of Mua Cave with coffee, or walk the lotus ponds below it.
Option plus active : Climb to both the dragon summit and the pagoda on the opposite ridge at Mua Cave.
Temps libre : Evening free
Activité : About 500 steep stone steps at Mua Cave, with rails; you can wait at the foot instead. The flight time is confirmed with your dates, no earlier than about 4 pm, so the morning is not rushed.
Hue
The Imperial City, two royal tombs and the Perfume River
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du soir
- Nuit : Hue
- En bateau

Hue was the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and its monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We enter the Imperial City through the Meridian Gate as it opens, when the courtyards are cool and nearly empty, and your guide walks you through the throne hall, the dynastic temples and the gardens, explaining what was lost in the fighting of 1968 and what has been rebuilt since, and how the queen mothers and the women of the inner court lived behind its walls.
Matin
Late morning we drive into the hills south of the city to the tomb of Tu Duc, a lakeside park of pavilions the emperor used as a retreat in life, and the tomb of Khai Dinh, finished in 1931, its inner rooms covered in glass and porcelain mosaic.
Après-midi
The afternoon is free to rest.
Soir
Before sunset a dragon boat takes us up the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda and its seven-storey tower. Dinner together, with Hue dishes such as bun bo Hue.
Compris
- Imperial City of Hue at opening time
- Tomb of Tu Duc
- Tomb of Khai Dinh
- Dragon boat on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda
Temps libre : Afternoon free
Over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An
Hue to Hoi An by Lang Co, the Hai Van Pass and Da Nang
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Hoi An
- Environ 3 h de route

Today the drive is part of the trip.
Matin
After breakfast we head south along the coast to Lang Co, a fishing village between a lagoon and a long sand beach, and then climb the Hai Van Pass, the pass of the sea clouds, where a spur of the Truong Son range runs into the sea. It has long marked a climate divide between north and south, and at the top stand the ruins of a gate built under the Nguyen emperors and a few wartime bunkers. Cloud often sits on the pass, so your guide watches the sky that morning and picks the time; if it is hidden, we spend longer at Lang Co and take the tunnel underneath.
Après-midi
Seafood lunch together, a stop at the Marble Mountains in Da Nang, then Hoi An by mid-afternoon, with time to rest.
Soir
In the early evening we walk across to the An Hoi side of the river to watch the lanterns come on along the Thu Bon, before the main evening crowd arrives.
Compris
- Transport from Hue to Hoi An with your guide
- Lang Co
- Hai Van Pass, weather permitting
- Marble Mountains, Da Nang
- Evening lantern walk on the An Hoi side of the river
Temps libre : Late afternoon free
Hoi An: photo morning and a cooking class
The Old Town at dawn, then Tra Que village
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Hoi An

Matin
This is the morning to set an alarm for. At about 6 am the Japanese Covered Bridge, built by Hoi An's Japanese merchants at the end of the 16th century and reopened in 2024 after a long restoration, is often empty, and the yellow merchant houses of the Old Town take the early light. Your guide walks the quiet lanes with you, with time for photographs before the shops open; please keep tripods off the bridge itself. Hoi An Ancient Town was a busy trading port from the 15th to the 19th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After breakfast we cycle out to Tra Que, a vegetable village known for its herbs and greens, for a cooking class, with a host family where the women grow and cook if we can confirm one with your dates.
Après-midi
You help in the gardens, then cook and eat dishes such as cao lau noodles or banh xeo pancakes for lunch.
Soir
The afternoon and evening are free to wander, swim at the hotel or go back to the river after dark.
Compris
- Dawn photo walk in Hoi An Old Town and at the Japanese Covered Bridge
- Hoi An Old Town entry
- Bicycle ride to Tra Que vegetable village
- Cooking class with lunch
Option plus facile : Ride to Tra Que in the vehicle instead of by bicycle.
Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free
My Son, then a women-run craft workshop
Hoi An to the My Son sanctuary and back, then an afternoon workshop in Hoi An
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Hoi An
- Environ 2 h de route
My Son is the reason to be up early again. The sanctuary lies in a green valley under Cat's Tooth Mountain, about an hour west of Hoi An, and from the 4th to the 13th century the kings of Champa built brick temples here, most of them to the Hindu god Shiva. Many were destroyed by American bombing in 1969, but the groups that survive, with their carved brick and sandstone, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We arrive as the gates open, while it is cool and before the day groups.
Après-midi
We are back in Hoi An by late morning; lunch together is at a quiet local restaurant, with time to rest after it. At about 3 pm we spend a couple of hours at a women-run craft workshop or cooperative in or near Hoi An, confirmed with your dates: lantern making, weaving or embroidery, depending on who we work with. You make something with your hands and hear how the business runs, with nothing to buy.
Soir
The evening is free.
Compris
- My Son sanctuary at opening time, with your guide
- Lunch in Hoi An
- Afternoon at a women-run craft workshop or cooperative in Hoi An
Option plus facile : Skip My Son and sleep in; join the group for the afternoon workshop.
Temps libre : Evening free; your guide can recommend a tailor if you want clothes or an ao dai made, with two fittings before day 10
Fly to Saigon
Hoi An to Da Nang airport, the flight to Ho Chi Minh City and the old centre
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du soir
- Nuit : Ho Chi Minh City
- En avion
Matin
A slower morning in Hoi An, then we drive to Da Nang International Airport and fly south to Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by most of the people who live there. The flight takes about an hour and a half, and your guide flies with you.
Après-midi
In the afternoon we see the old centre: the Independence Palace, where a tank broke through the gates on 30 April 1975 and ended the war, the red-brick Notre-Dame Cathedral, built by the French between 1877 and 1880, and the Central Post Office beside it, still working under its vaulted iron roof. Then a choice: the War Remnants Museum, which tells the story of the war from the Vietnamese side and is hard viewing, or the Southern Women's Museum, on the women of the south, from ao dai and silk to the women who fought and organised in the wars.
Soir
In the evening we go out for a street food dinner in the backstreets, with the city at its busiest; this is the night to keep your phone in an inside pocket.
Compris
- Transport from Hoi An to Da Nang International Airport
- Flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, with transfer
- Independence Palace
- Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, from outside
- War Remnants Museum or the Southern Women's Museum, your choice
- Street food dinner with your guide
Activité : Notre-Dame Cathedral has been under restoration for several years, so it may be seen from outside only.
The Mekong Delta at Ben Tre
Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre and back
- Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
- Nuit : Ho Chi Minh City
- Environ 4 h de route
We leave Saigon early, around 7 am, to reach the Mekong Delta at Ben Tre before most day groups: about 2 hours each way, with a coffee stop on the way out. Ben Tre is a coconut-growing area of islands, rivers and narrow canals where the Mekong splits into its branches on the way to the sea. After a boat across the wide river, you board a small sampan, rowed by a local, along a canal shaded by water coconut palms; this is the quietest part of the day. Then we cycle lanes between orchards, small farms and village houses with your guide, at an easy pace with stops.
Après-midi
Lunch is in a family's garden, cooked and hosted by the women of the family where we can confirm one with your dates: Mekong dishes such as fried elephant ear fish, rolled at the table with herbs and rice paper, and time to talk with your guide translating.
Soir
We are back in the city by late afternoon, with time to rest before a farewell dinner together.
Compris
- Transport from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre and back with your guide
- Boat across the Mekong
- Sampan ride on the small canals
- Bicycle ride through the villages
- Lunch with a family in their garden
- Farewell dinner
Option plus facile : Ride in the vehicle instead of cycling.
Activité : About 4 hours of driving in all, split into two legs of about 2 hours, morning and late afternoon, with the boats, cycling and lunch in between.
Depart from Saigon
A free morning, then Tan Son Nhat International Airport
- Petit-déjeuner
The last day is yours, with no early start.
Matin
Breakfast at the hotel, then the morning is free until your airport transfer.
Soir
If you want one more outing and your flight leaves in the afternoon or evening, your guide can arrange either of two short options: a half-day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the network dug under the farmland north-west of the city and used through the wars against the French and the Americans, or a guided morning walk through Ben Thanh Market and the streets around it. If you would rather keep it quiet, pack slowly, have a last iced coffee with condensed milk and a bowl of noodles near the hotel. We drive you to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in good time for your flight home, at the hour that suits your departure; flights after about noon leave room for one of the options.
Compris
- Drop-off at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)
Activités en option
- Cu Chi Tunnels half-day trip. For afternoon or evening flights.
- Guided morning walk around Ben Thanh Market
Temps libre : Morning free
- Hanoi2 nuits
- Ha Long Bay1 nuit
- Ninh Binh1 nuit
- Hue2 nuits
- Hoi An3 nuits
- Ho Chi Minh City2 nuits
- Étape avec nuitée
- Excursion d'une journée
- En bateau ou en train
Faune et météo : February to April is the driest and most comfortable time to travel the whole length of the country. Ha Long Bay can be misty or drizzly in February and March, which softens the views but makes for calm, atmospheric mornings. Saigon is hot all year and hottest in April. Hue and Hoi An get most of their rain, and the risk of typhoons, from September to December.
Vous voulez recevoir ce programme par courriel?
Recevez l'itinéraire jour par jour par courriel, ou posez-nous vos questions sur ce voyage. Un conseiller en voyages vous répond le jour même ou le jour ouvrable suivant.
Avant de réserver
Ce voyage est-il pour vous?
Ce voyage vous convient si vous recherchez
- Women who want to see Vietnam end to end with other women and a woman guide
- Solo women travellers who want company and a matched roommate
- Travellers who prefer flights to the overnight sleeper train and two or three nights in most places
- Early risers happy to trade a sleep-in for Mua Cave, the Imperial City and the Japanese Covered Bridge at first light
Ce voyage ne vous convient pas si vous recherchez
- Couples or mixed groups: book our Vietnam: Hanoi to Saigon trip, or a private departure
- An all-women crew: drivers, boat crews and some local guides will be men
- Anyone set on Sapa or the far north, which this route does not reach
- Travellers who need a beach week; there is one free afternoon near the sea
- Travel between September and December, when the centre gets its heaviest rain
Âge minimum : 18
Réservez vos vols une fois votre place confirmée.
11 nuits
Où vous logerez
Vos hôtels sont nommés dans la confirmation de votre voyage.
- Hanoi2 nuits
- Ha Long Bay1 nuit
- Ninh Binh1 nuit
- Hue2 nuits
- Hoi An3 nuits
- Ho Chi Minh City2 nuits
Un seul prix
Ce que le prix comprend
Compris
Hébergement
- 11 nights: 2 in Hanoi, 1 on an overnight boat in Ha Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay, 1 in Ninh Binh, 2 in Hue, 3 in Hoi An and 2 in Ho Chi Minh City
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with air-conditioning and private bathrooms, chosen with women travellers in mind; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- A private cabin with its own bathroom on the boat
- Room and cabin sharing matched with another woman on request, or a room of your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) and drop-off at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)
- A private vehicle and driver for the group in each region
- Domestic flights from Hanoi to Hue and from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City
- The boat in Ha Long Bay, the rowing boats at Trang An, the dragon boat in Hue and the boats in the Mekong Delta
Votre guide
- A See Sight Tours woman guide with the group from day 1 to day 12, including on both flights
- Local site guides where a site requires them, women guides where available
Activités
- Hanoi: Hoan Kiem Lake, Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh Square and the Vietnamese Women's Museum
- Ha Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise with kayaking, weather permitting
- Ninh Binh: bicycle ride at Tam Coc, Mua Cave and a Trang An boat trip
- Hue: Imperial City, the tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, and a dragon boat to Thien Mu Pagoda
- The Hai Van Pass, Lang Co and the Marble Mountains
- Hoi An: dawn photo walk, Old Town entry, Tra Que cooking class, a women-run craft workshop and My Son sanctuary
- Ho Chi Minh City: Independence Palace, the old centre and the War Remnants Museum or the Southern Women's Museum
- The Mekong Delta at Ben Tre by boat, sampan and bicycle
- All entrance fees for included sights
Repas
- 10 breakfasts and a brunch on the boat
- 7 lunches, including the cooking class lunch, a lunch after My Son and a family lunch in Ben Tre
- 6 dinners: an early welcome dinner, two on and after the boat, Hue, a street food evening in Saigon and a farewell dinner
Non compris
- International flights to Hanoi and from Ho Chi Minh City
- Vietnam visa
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above
- Drinks
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Optional activities, such as the Cu Chi Tunnels, Hoa Lo Prison and tailoring
- The single supplement, if you want a room of your own
- Personal expenses
Suppléments
- Chambre individuelle
- CAD 400 (prix estimé)
Quand partir
Dates et prix
Choisissez votre date de départ au moment de votre demande de réservation. Nous vérifions cette date et la confirmons dans votre devis.
Vous préférez voyager sans groupe ni guide? Demandez-nous d'organiser vos hôtels, vos transports et vos visites de ville pour voyager en autonomie.
Avant de réserver
Conditions de réservation
Rien n'est facturé maintenant. Les conditions complètes et le barème d'annulation accompagnent votre devis, avant que vous acceptiez.
Adresses de l'entreprise
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Avis des voyageurs
Ce que disent nos voyageurs
Avis de voyageurs ayant participé à nos visites d'une journée.
5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
Bon à savoir
Questions
Les prix indiqués dans ces réponses s'appliquent à compter du 1er janv. 2027. Offre du Vendredi fou : 15 % de rabais sur le prix en petit groupe pour les demandes reçues au plus tard le 1er déc. 2026. À partir de CAD 2,000 par personne. Du 2 déc. au 31 déc. : à partir de CAD 2,160. À compter du 1er janv. 2027 : à partir de CAD 2,350.
What does the price include?
Eleven nights in central 3-star-plus hotels and a cabin on Ha Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay, airport transfers, two domestic flights, a private vehicle and driver in each region, a See Sight Tours woman guide throughout, every entry on the plan including both museums and the craft workshop, and 24 meals: 10 breakfasts and a brunch on the boat, 7 lunches and 6 dinners.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 women. That is small enough to share one boat on the bay, fit around one table at a family's lunch in Ben Tre and a cooking class at Tra Que, and move through Hanoi's Old Quarter without losing anyone.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours woman guide travels with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 12, including on both flights. Where a site requires a local guide, we ask for a woman guide and confirm who is available with your dates. Drivers and boat crews will mostly be men. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to walk 2 to 4 hours a day in heat and humidity, on pavements, temple steps and village lanes. Mua Cave has about 500 steep stone steps, and there are three short bicycle rides on flat lanes and optional kayaking. Every climb and ride has a seated or shorter alternative, and you can sit any of it out.
I am travelling solo. Can I share a room, or have my own?
Either. Ask to share and we match you with another woman on the same departure at the shared price, including the cabin on the boat. A room of your own is from CAD 400 more, shown when you request to book and never added later. If we cannot find you a roommate, we tell you before you confirm.
When is the best time to go?
February to April, when the weather is mostly dry and mild from Hanoi to Saigon. Ha Long Bay can be misty in February and March, and Saigon is hottest in April. We avoid the week of Tet, the Lunar New Year. Hue and Hoi An get most of their rain, and the typhoon risk, from September to December.
How much does it cost, and how does booking work?
Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and differ by style: small group or private. The small group starts from CAD 2,350 per person, and a room of your own is from CAD 400 more. Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own woman guide and vehicle, from CAD 4,230 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section: we can quote the same hotels, flights, boat and guided days.
Do I need a visa for Vietnam?
Most visitors do, Canadians included. Vietnam issues e-visas online before you travel, and you carry the approval with you on arrival. Rules and fees change, so check the official requirements for your passport before you book flights. The visa fee is not in the trip price.
Who can join a women-only trip?
Anyone who identifies as a woman, aged 18 and over, travelling alone or with friends, sisters, mothers or daughters. Every guest on the departure is a woman. If you want to travel with a partner or a mixed group, our Vietnam: Hanoi to Saigon trip follows almost the same route, or we can run this one privately.
Is Vietnam safe for women, and what should I wear?
Vietnam is generally relaxed for women travellers. The common problems are phone and bag snatching from scooters in Hanoi and Saigon, overcharging and traffic, and your guide shows you how to avoid them. Cover shoulders and knees at pagodas, temples and the Imperial City; the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum turns away shorts and sleeveless tops.
Why fly to Hue instead of taking the overnight train?
The sleeper train from the north to Hue takes most of a night in shared four-berth cabins, which are not split by gender, and it is one of the parts of this route travellers complain about most. We fly from Hanoi to Hue in a little over an hour, after a morning at Mua Cave and Trang An.