21 daysVietnamAges 18–40
21 days · Ha Giang, Ha Long Bay & Hoi An
Vietnam Complete is a 21-day group trip for solo travellers aged 18 to 40 who want to see the whole country in one trip. You ride the Ha Giang Loop behind a local easy rider, sleep a night on a boat in Lan Ha Bay, cross by sleeper train to the caves of Phong Nha, cross the Hai Van Pass to lantern-lit Hoi An, then fly south to Saigon and the Mekong Delta. Your Trip Host is with the group from the first dinner to the last breakfast.
Updated
From, per person
$2,650 / £1,980 / €2,325 / A$3,770 / CA$3,750 / NZ$4,670 / ₹2,54,000
Free to reserve
Sarthak's best travel memories come from going solo: hostel dorms, a new activity most days, new cultures and new food. SoloNomads grew out of that.
Sarthak travels with every group, from the first day to the last, so there's always someone on hand to sort things out when plans change and to make sure nobody gets left out.
In every country, a licensed local agency and licensed local guides look after the ground services, so you get local know-how too.
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, 15 stops in 21 days.
15 stops
21 days
Day 1
Arrive whenever your flight lands. The Trip Host meets everyone at the hotel in the late afternoon for introductions and a run-through of the whole three weeks. Then we head into the Old Quarter with a local guide for a street food walk: noodle soups, grilled skewers, fresh spring rolls and a stop for a cold beer on a plastic stool. That's your welcome dinner.
Day 2
A morning walk with a local guide: round Hoan Kiem Lake, into the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, and through the Hoa Lo prison museum. We stop for egg coffee on the way. The afternoon and evening are yours to rest before the road north: a water puppet show, a nap, or bia hoi at the beer corner.
Day 3
We leave the Old Quarter at 7am and take our own van north, about six hours with a lunch stop, so you arrive rested instead of stepping off a night bus at 4am. In Ha Giang you meet your easy rider, check that your helmet fits and go through the safety briefing. Dinner is together in town, and it's an early night.
Day 4
We ride out of Ha Giang over Bac Sum Pass, with the valley dropping away below the road, and stop at Heaven's Gate for the classic view over Quan Ba. The riding today is easier than what follows, about three hours in the saddle with plenty of photo stops, and we're in the pine hills around Yen Minh by mid-afternoon. Dinner is home-cooked at the homestay.
Day 5
The longest sightseeing day of the loop, with about three and a half to four and a half hours in the saddle plus stops. We visit the century-old Vuong family palace at Sa Phin and walk through Lung Cam village, then climb to the Lung Cu flag tower at the very top of Vietnam, close enough to see the Chinese border. From there it's on to Dong Van, the old stone quarter where we spend the night.
Day 6
The riding highlight of the loop. We're on the Ma Pi Leng Pass road early for the light, with the Nho Que River a thin green line far below, then ride down to the dock for a boat into Tu San canyon, one of the deepest in Southeast Asia. After heavy rain the boat doesn't run and we skip it. Lunch is in Meo Vac, then the road turns rougher on the way to Du Gia, a quiet valley village where we spend the night. It's a long day, eight hours or more door to door.
Day 7
A morning at the waterfall below the village, with a swim if the water tempts you, then the last riding of the loop back to Ha Giang for a final lunch with the riders and a chance to say thank you. A private van takes about six hours back to Hanoi, arriving in the evening in time to check into the hotel and sleep in a real bed.
Day 8
A morning drive of about three to four hours by road and ferry takes us to the pier for Lan Ha Bay, south of Ha Long, where far fewer boats sail. We board in the early afternoon and have lunch as we cruise out among the karst islands. The rest of the day is for kayaking, swimming when the weather allows and a floating fishing village. Watch the sunset from the top deck, then have dinner on board.
Day 9
Tai chi at sunrise for anyone who wants it, a last paddle, and brunch as the boat heads back to shore. A private van and a ferry take about four to six hours to Tam Coc, a village among the rice fields and limestone peaks of Ninh Binh, with a lunch stop on the way. Depending on when we arrive, we ride bikes along the flat back roads between the karsts, and if there's enough daylight we climb the stone steps at Hang Mua, about 500 of them, for the view over the river and fields.
Day 10
We're at the Trang An wharf at 7am, before the tour buses. A local rower takes each boat of four along the river for about three hours, through low caves and past small temples. Lunch is Ninh Binh's specialities, goat and crispy rice, then the afternoon is free before a private van takes us to board the sleeper train south, a 4-berth soft sleeper cabin, in the evening.
Day 11
The train reaches Dong Hoi early in the morning, between about 5 and 7am, and a private van takes 45 to 60 minutes to Phong Nha, in time for breakfast. The rest of the morning is for resting, and in the afternoon we head to the Dark Cave: a zipline across the river, a headlamp walk through the cave, a chest-deep mud bath and a swim back out. Bring a swimsuit and a change of clothes.
Day 12
After a climb of about 500 steps to the entrance, a boardwalk of about a kilometre runs through Paradise Cave, one of the largest dry caves in the country and lit just enough to see the scale of it. The rest of the day is free: cycle the farm roads of the Bong Lai valley, take a boat trip on the Son River, or just rest before the road to Hue.
Day 13
A private van takes about 3.5 to 4.5 hours to Hue, Vietnam's old imperial capital on the Perfume River. In the afternoon we visit the Imperial City, the walled citadel of the Nguyen dynasty, then take a dragon boat along the river to Thien Mu pagoda for sunset. The evening is free for Hue's own street food, starting with bun bo Hue, the spicy beef noodle soup.
Day 14
A morning visit to the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh, then we set off south on the scenic route over the Hai Van Pass, with stops at Lap An lagoon and the summit itself, where old military bunkers look out over the coast. The drive takes about three and a half to four hours in all, plus the stops, and we aim to reach Hoi An in time for an evening walk through the lantern-lit old town.
Day 15
An early start at the market to buy ingredients with the cooking school's chef. Then we paddle in round basket boats through the water coconut palms at Cam Thanh, early, before the crowds and loudspeakers arrive. Back at the school you cook three or four dishes and eat them for lunch. The afternoon is free for the old town, a tailor or a nap.
Day 16
A day with nothing booked. Cycle out to An Bang beach for a swim, get a silk lantern made at a small workshop, have a first tailoring fitting, or just sit by the river. The Trip Host can point you to a favourite spot for each. In the evening the group gets together for a farewell dinner before we fly south.
Day 17
A free morning in Hoi An before a van of 40 to 50 minutes to Da Nang airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, about an hour and twenty minutes and included with a checked bag. In the afternoon we visit Independence Palace, the former South Vietnamese presidential palace kept as it was in 1975, and the War Remnants Museum. The content is heavy in places; it's there for anyone who wants to see it.
Day 18
The morning is free for Ben Thanh Market or a rooftop coffee looking over the city. In the evening we go out on the back of a motorbike for a food tour through Saigon's back streets and food stalls.
Day 19
A private van heads south of the city to Ben Tre, where we take a rowing sampan through narrow water-coconut canals and stop at a coconut-candy workshop. From there it's on to Can Tho, the biggest city in the Mekong Delta, where we check into a homestay in time for dinner.
Day 20
A private boat leaves the homestay at 5.30am for the Cai Rang floating market, the biggest in the Mekong Delta, though with far fewer boats than a decade ago. It's busiest between about 5.30 and 8.30am, while the boats are still loaded with fruit and vegetables. We stop at a rice-noodle workshop on the way back, then a private van takes about three to three and a half hours to return the group to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon. In the evening the group gets together for a last dinner.
Day 21
The trip ends after breakfast. The new Long Thanh airport is due to open on 1 December 2026, with long-haul flights planned to move there from 28 March 2027 instead of Tan Son Nhat, so check which one your ticket uses and allow extra time to get there. Staying on? The Trip Host can suggest where to go next.
Prices are per person, and reserving is free. A date goes ahead once about 10 travellers have joined. You pay nothing until then. Once it's confirmed, we send you an invoice for the full price, and you have 7 days to pay it (or until the trip starts, if that's sooner).
17 Feb – 9 Mar 2027
AvailableTet (6 Feb) is over. The Ha Giang highlands are cold in winter, about 3 to 12°C with thick fog on the passes, on the riding days (Sat 20 to Tue 23 Feb). Hanoi is about 16 to 22°C and the bay can be misty. The centre and south are dryMax 16 people
Price
$2,650 / £1,980 / €2,325 / A$3,770 / CA$3,750 / NZ$4,670 / ₹2,54,000
17 Mar – 6 Apr 2027
AvailableMild with some drizzle on the loop (Sat 20 to Tue 23 Mar), mist can still hang over the bay early in March, and the centre and south are dry. Hoi An's lantern night (Sun 21 Mar) falls on Day 5, while the group is in Dong Van, so this trip misses itMax 16 people
Price
$2,650 / £1,980 / €2,325 / A$3,770 / CA$3,750 / NZ$4,670 / ₹2,54,000
12 May – 1 Jun 2027
AvailableThe loop (Sat 15 to Tue 18 May) is in its wet season, with a higher risk of landslides and slippery roads. Hanoi and the centre are hot, and the south's rains are starting. Hoi An's lantern night (Wed 19 May) falls on Day 8, while the group is on the bayMax 16 people
Price
$2,650 / £1,980 / €2,325 / A$3,770 / CA$3,750 / NZ$4,670 / ₹2,54,000
You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Once enough travellers have signed on, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees, and the price shown for each date is what you pay. Reservations close 7 days before the start.
No, Vietnam Complete is sold as one 21-day trip so the van, boat, train and flight bookings work for the whole group. If you only have a week or two, look at Vietnam Express, Northern Vietnam Mountains or Ha Giang Loop Adventure instead. Book as soon as you can: each departure is limited to 16 travellers and can fill early.
Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some come with a friend. The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 16.
The Trip Host travels with the group for all 21 days, looks after every transfer, ticket and check-in, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. Local guides and easy riders lead the parts of the trip that need one.
It starts at our hotel in Hanoi on the afternoon of Day 1, and we send the address when you book. It ends in Ho Chi Minh City after breakfast on Day 21. Fly into Hanoi (HAN) and home from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN, or Long Thanh once long-haul flights move there, planned from 28 March 2027).
March and April give the best mix across the whole country: mild in the far north, dry and sunny in the centre, calm on the bays and dry in the south. The Ha Giang Loop itself is best in October and November and again in March and April, but October and November are when central Vietnam floods, so one trip that covers both needs March or April. Our February departure is cold in the mountains (about 3 to 12°C in the highlands, with thick fog on the passes), and our May departure falls in the loop's wet season, when landslides and slippery roads are more likely. We don't run this trip from June to December.
It depends on your passport. UK, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Swedish passports get 45 days visa-free. US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Irish and Indian passports need an e-visa, US$25 for a single entry or US$50 for multiple entries, and you should apply only on the official site, evisa.gov.vn. The free pre-arrival QR form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn is encouraged at the main airports. Rules change, so check our Vietnam visa guide before you book flights.
Hotels in Hanoi, Ha Giang, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, homestays in the mountain villages of Yen Minh, Dong Van and Du Gia, a guesthouse in Ninh Binh, Phong Nha and Hoi An, and a homestay in Can Tho. You also sleep one night in a cabin on the boat in Lan Ha Bay and one night in a 4-berth soft-sleeper cabin on the train. 27 meals are included. Street food costs about 30,000 to 80,000 dong a dish, and a local beer about 20,000 to 40,000 dong. Budget roughly 400,000 to 600,000 dong a day for the food, drinks and local transport that aren't included. If you're vegetarian, vegan or have allergies, tell us when you book and we'll pass it on to each place.
Layers. You'll go from cool mountain mornings in Ha Giang to a warm boat deck in the bay and heat in Saigon, sometimes in the same week. Bring a warm layer, clothes that cover shoulders and knees for temples, sandals and shoes with grip for wet cave floors and mountain trails, swimwear, a refillable water bottle, sunscreen and a waterproof phone pouch. For the loop, one soft bag of about 20 to 30 litres travels on the back of the motorbike, and the Trip Host will confirm before you travel where the rest of your luggage waits in Ha Giang. A helmet is compulsory in Vietnam and is fitted on Day 3, and the Trip Host will confirm what other protective gear the operator provides. Bring closed shoes you don't mind getting dusty and a buff or scarf for the road.
Travel insurance is a condition of joining. It must cover medical treatment and evacuation, including from the mountain roads around Ha Giang, so check that it covers you as a motorbike passenger. You need to be averagely fit and comfortable sitting on the back of a motorbike for up to about four and a half hours of riding time on the longer days, on roads with drops and switchbacks, plus cave walks, some steps, a kayak session and general walking at every stop. You don't ride yourself: riding legally in Vietnam needs a motorbike licence plus a 1968-convention International Driving Permit, so we don't offer it on this trip.
It carries real risk. On 29 March 2026 a 19-year-old British traveller was fatally injured in a crash while riding as a passenger on the loop, and died on 2 April. In April 2026 the province said only licensed travel agencies may run or sell these tours, with roadworthy bikes, helmets and protective gear. We only book through a licensed operator, and you can ask your rider to slow down at any time. If a road is closed by a landslide or a section is unsafe in heavy rain, the Trip Host and the local operator change the day's plan rather than push on.
Boats stay in port when the local authorities order it for a storm or rough seas, and nobody sails against that. If it happens, the Trip Host changes the plan and tells you as soon as it's known. A tourist boat capsized in a storm in Ha Long Bay in July 2025, and a wooden boat caught fire there in February 2026 with everyone on board evacuated. Quang Ninh tightened its rules for Ha Long Bay boats afterwards, but Lan Ha is run by Hai Phong, so those rules aren't the same. Our guide to the bay suggests a steel hull, a recent inspection and tracking and radio equipment on board, and you're welcome to ask us about the boat before you book. The crew and Trip Host decide on swimming and kayaking according to the weather.
Ask here and someone on the team will email you back within 1 to 2 business days.
From
$2,650 / £1,980 / €2,325 / A$3,770 / CA$3,750 / NZ$4,670 / ₹2,54,000