Junk boat on Ha Long Bay at sunset, Vietnam

Custom Trips Vietnam

Custom Trips to Vietnam

Vietnam,
Your Way.

Tailor-made Vietnam itineraries built around you — from the lantern-lit streets of Hội An to the karst peaks of Ha Long Bay, crafted with 25 years of firsthand knowledge.

25+ Years in Vietnam
1,800 km Country to Explore
All Styles Budget to Luxury
Overview Regions Who It's For Itinerary When to Go FAQ

Why Vietnam

One of the world's most rewarding destinations.

Vietnam stretches over 1,800 kilometres from north to south — a long, dramatic country that shifts dramatically in culture, cuisine, landscape, and pace as you travel through it. It rewards those who go deeper. We've spent years building relationships with the guides, guesthouses, and local contacts that make the difference between a good trip and an unforgettable one — and it's the foundation of everything we do across our custom trips.

Whether you have ten days or four weeks, we design your itinerary to capture the essence of the country without the rushed, checklist approach that leaves travellers feeling like they missed the point.

Hội An lanterns at night, Vietnam
10,000+ Happy Travelers

The Country

Vietnam's regions, each extraordinary.

No two parts of Vietnam feel the same. We help you decide what to include based on your time, interests, and what each region does best — so your itinerary feels cohesive, not rushed.

Rice fields, northern Vietnam
The North — Hanoi & Beyond
Vietnam's cultural heart. Hanoi's Old Quarter layers centuries of history. Beyond the city: the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, the rice terraces of Sapa, the remote valleys of Ha Giang. The north is rugged, authentic, and often the most surprising part of the country.
Basket boat, Hội An Vietnam
Central Vietnam — Hội An & Beyond
The soul of the country. Hội An's lantern-lit streets, tailor shops, riverside dining, and some of Vietnam's most beautiful beaches — An Bang and Cua Dai are genuinely special. Phong Nha's dramatic cave systems and river landscapes are a short journey north. Huế, the imperial capital, adds a more sombre, profound beauty for those with extra time. Central Vietnam is often the highlight of the entire trip.
Beach on the south coast of Vietnam
The South — Saigon & the Mekong
Ho Chi Minh City pulses with energy — a city that never quite stops moving. Pair it with the Mekong Delta's quiet waterways, floating markets, and river life, or head to Phú Quốc for white-sand beaches and easy island days. The south is Vietnam at its most vibrant and accessible.

Who It's For

Vietnam works brilliantly for all kinds of travellers.

We've designed Vietnam trips for honeymooners, families with young kids, groups of friends, and solo travellers. The country adapts beautifully to different budgets, paces, and interests.

Couples & Honeymoons
Hội An is one of the most romantic towns in Southeast Asia — and Vietnam delivers the full range, from intimate boutique stays in the countryside to overwater bungalows on Phú Quốc. We know which properties feel truly special versus just expensive.
Families With Kids
Vietnam is genuinely excellent for families. Cooking classes in Hội An, kayaking Ha Long Bay, cycling the countryside — activities that engage kids of all ages without sacrificing what makes Vietnam worth the journey. We know the logistics that matter when you're travelling with children.
Food & Culture Lovers
Vietnam's food scene is extraordinary — and it's different in every region. Pho in Hanoi, banh mi in Hội An, bún bò Huế in Huế, and bánh xèo sizzling in the south. We build in the right restaurants, market visits, and cooking experiences to make food central to your journey.
Adventure & Off the Beaten Path
Ha Giang's mountain loop, Son Doong cave expeditions, trekking the terraces of Sapa — Vietnam rewards those who want to go deeper. We access experiences that most tour companies can't, through years of relationships with the right local partners.

Sample Itinerary

12 Days in Vietnam — South to North.

This is one example of how we typically design a Vietnam trip — starting in the energy of Ho Chi Minh City and working northward, finishing on Ha Long Bay. Every itinerary we build is shaped around your pace, interests, and travel style. This is a starting point, not a template.

1–2
Ho Chi Minh City
Arrive into the energy of the south
Ho Chi Minh City opens the trip with momentum. The city is layered — history, street life, remarkable food, and a pace that never quite settles. We pair a day in the city with a day outside it entirely, trading the noise for the quiet waterways of the Mekong Delta: slow boats, floating markets, and a river lunch that feels a world away from everything else.
Ho Chi Minh CityMekong DeltaStreet Food
3–5
Hội An
Three days in the most beautiful town in Vietnam
Hội An is one of those towns that gets under your skin quickly. Three days here moves at a different pace — mornings with local life, afternoons at the beach. An Bang and Cua Dai are among the most beautiful stretches of sand in Vietnam and they sit just minutes from the ancient town. Evenings in Hội An tend to surprise. The town is full of experiences pitched at tourists and a handful that are genuinely worth your time. We know which is which.
Ancient TownBasket BoatsCyclingLanterns
6–7
Phong Nha
The caves and the river
Phong Nha is central Vietnam at its most dramatic — a landscape of karst mountains, underground rivers, and some of the world's largest cave systems. Most visitors never make it here, which is exactly why we include it. Two nights in a beautiful setting, far from the tourist circuit, before heading north to Hanoi.
Phong Nha CavesRiver LifeOff the Beaten Path
8–9
Hanoi
Vietnam's cultural capital
Hanoi rewards those who arrive without a checklist. The Old Quarter has a particular rhythm — and a particular dinner, a particular corner, a particular moment — that we've spent years finding. Two days here before the bay: curious, unhurried, genuinely inside the city rather than passing through it.
Old QuarterStreet FoodHoan Kiem Lake
10–12
Ha Long Bay & Hanoi
The ending the trip has been building toward
An overnight on the bay — and the reason we save it for last. There's a version of this experience most visitors get: crowded, rushed, forgettable. The version we design is quieter waters, the right boat, limestone karsts at dusk with almost no one else around. Two days on the water, back to Hanoi for one final night before flying home — a gentle close to a trip that earned its ending.
Ha Long BayOvernight CruiseKayakingFinal Night Hanoi

The specific guides, boats, guesthouses, restaurants, and moments that make each of these days what they are — that's what we bring. This is the shape of the trip; what fills it is what we build together when you reach out.

And some of our favourite stops in Vietnam aren't on this page at all. Over 25 years we've found places that don't appear in guidebooks, that most visitors never reach, and that consistently become the moments people talk about most when they get home. Ask us about them.

When to Visit

Vietnam's seasons are regional.

Vietnam's long, narrow shape means the north and south have different weather at different times of year. We factor this into your itinerary design — so you're in the right part of the country at the right time.

Jan
Good
Feb
Peak
Mar
Peak
Apr
Peak
May
Good
Jun
Mixed
Jul
Mixed
Aug
Mixed
Sep
Wet
Oct
Wet
Nov
Good
Dec
Good
Peak season
Good conditions
Mixed / region-dependent
Wet season
Feb – Apr: The Sweet Spot
Dry across most of the country, warm but not punishing. The ideal time for a south-to-north trip. Book early — this is peak season for good reason.
Nov – Jan: Underrated
The south is beautiful in these months. The north can be cool and misty, which adds its own atmosphere. Fewer crowds, lower prices, and often better availability.
The Shoulder Seasons
May and June work well for the north. September and October are wet in central Vietnam but fine in the south. We design around the conditions you'll encounter.
Cooking class, Vietnam
Our Vietnam Expertise

We know Vietnam deeply.

Firsthand Knowledge

We've spent years travelling Vietnam ourselves — not reading about it. We know which Hội An restaurants are worth it, which Ha Long Bay operators cut corners, and where to eat in Huế that no guidebook has found.

Real Local Connections

Our guides in Vietnam aren't just licensed — they're people we've known for years. The family who runs the cooking class, the boat captain on Lan Ha Bay, the guesthouse in Hội An's quiet back streets. These relationships make a measurable difference.

Always With You

Our team is available via WhatsApp throughout your entire trip in Vietnam — not just at home. Flight cancelled? Driver didn't show? We sort it before you've had time to worry.

Built for Your Budget

Vietnam works at every price point — from remarkable guesthouses to world-class luxury. We design your trip to deliver the best possible experience within your budget, not push you toward the most expensive option.

What Travellers Say

Vietnam trips they'll talk about forever.

Curtis and Andreas took the time to learn about our objectives and used their decade of experience in Indonesia to make discerning recommendations. During a flight cancellation, Andreas had already researched alternatives and re-booked us before I could even read the email. It was such a relief to know we were not alone on the other side of the world.

Leah Rae · Vietnam, 2024

Being in our 40s, we do not travel the way 20-year-olds do. It was so great to be able to trust Free & Easy to look after all the details. No matter where we were, we were just a quick message away from any help. On a scale from one to ten, we give them fifteen!

Tammy & Robert Bell · Southeast Asia, 2026

Common Questions

Everything you need to know.

Two weeks is ideal for a first visit that covers both the south and north with time to breathe. Ten days works well if you focus on one or two regions. We can design meaningful trips from seven days up to a month — the key is aligning your itinerary with how you like to travel, not packing in as many places as possible.
Vietnam's long, narrow shape means the answer is different depending on where you're going — which is one of the things that makes planning it tricky. February to April is the most reliable window for a north-to-south trip: dry across most of the country, warm but not punishing, and the landscapes at their most vivid. November and December work well for the south and central regions. July and August are peak season and perfectly fine, but busier and more expensive. The wet season brings daily rain — often just a few hours in the afternoon — but also lush green countryside, fewer crowds, and significantly lower prices. We factor your timing into the itinerary design so you're always in the right part of the country at the right time of year.
Most nationalities can obtain a Vietnam e-visa online before travel. We provide up-to-date guidance on the visa process for your specific passport when you enquire, and flag any requirements that have changed recently. Vietnam's visa policy has been evolving, so we always double-check the current rules for you.
Vietnam is one of the safest countries in Southeast Asia for all types of travellers. Petty theft can occur in busy tourist areas, as in any country — we brief you on the few things worth knowing before you go. Families with young children travel Vietnam very comfortably; we have firsthand experience with this and design accordingly.
It depends on your itinerary. For north-to-south trips, domestic flights save significant time and are inexpensive. Overnight trains work beautifully for certain routes and are a great experience. Private drivers offer the most flexibility for day trips and regional travel. We arrange all transport and always choose the option that best fits your pace and budget.
Vietnam is one of the world's great value destinations — and that's true at every level of travel. The cost of living is low, which means your money goes significantly further here than it would in Europe, Australia, or North America. A genuinely excellent meal costs a few dollars. Boutique guesthouses that would command luxury prices elsewhere are remarkably affordable. Even high-end private guides, boats, and experiences are a fraction of what the equivalent would cost in other parts of the world. The result is that Vietnam tends to deliver more than people expect, whatever their budget. As for what a custom trip costs with us — that depends entirely on who's travelling, for how long, and what kind of experience you're after. We don't work from a price list, and we'd rather have that conversation with you directly so we can design something that fits. Flexible payment plans are also available — just ask. For a detailed breakdown of day-to-day spending in Vietnam, see our Vietnam spending money guide.
Absolutely. Vietnam pairs naturally with Thailand and the Philippines for a broader Southeast Asia itinerary. Vietnam and Thailand work particularly well together — the contrast between Vietnam's long coastal geography and Thailand's islands and jungle interior gives a trip real variety. Vietnam and the Philippines is a less common combination but an extraordinary one for those who want to add genuine island time. We design multi-country Southeast Asia itineraries regularly and will advise honestly on what's realistic for your timeframe — we'd rather give each destination the time it deserves than rush through too many places.

Let's Start Planning

Ready for your
Vietnam trip?

Tell us about your vision and we'll build an itinerary around it. Or just reach out — we're always happy to talk it through first.

Flexible payment plans available — just ask.

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