Go on a Vietnamese Food Tour

Next to Thailand, Vietnam is on the top of the list of favorite places for street food in Southeast Asia. The best thing about it is the street food is dirt cheap with a bowl of authentic Pho starting at a mere $1.

If you’re unsure about what to eat while in the country, we highly recommend going on a food tour to get you introduced to all the local Vietnamese delicacies. Listed below are a few of our top food tour recommendations in most of the cities.

• Hanoi Guided Street Food Tour - If you’re looking for an authentic guide to take you around some of the best street eats in Hanoi, we highly recommend this tour. It’s fun, interactive, and really takes you to some pretty unique places.
• Ho Chi Minh Scooter Food Tour - If you want to do as the locals do, travel around on a scooter to 5 local food joints with a local guide as they take you to sample the best of Saigon’s street food and beer.
• Hoi An Night Food Tour - Hoi An is a beautiful city with tons of delicious food. Discover them all with a local guide as you sample your way to some of Hoi An’s specialty cuisine.

Take a Vietnamese Cooking Class

Vietnamese cuisine is remarkably diverse and one of the many highlights of a visit to this incredible country. There are lots of cooking class options in Hanoi, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh. Make sure to pick a class with a market-visit so that you can experience the local market as part of the process.

Buy a Motorbike and Travel from North to South Vietnam

The best part about buying a motorbike was being able to stop in smaller, less touristy towns and really interact with locals. In 2013 we bought Jerry for around $400 and sold it for almost the same price a month later. If you’re an avid motorbike person or if you simply want to take on this once in a lifetime adventure, check out our posts on travelling around Vietnam on a motorbike.

If you don’t know how to drive a motorbike (or are not properly licensed or insured), you can opt for a motorbike tour along some of the best routes. Listed below are a few of our recommendations.

• Dalat City Easy Rider Tours – If you’re in the area, we highly recommend going on one of these motorcycle tours. Not only are the guides amazing (old Vietnamese veterans) but the roads around the area are top-notch! This tour is best booked ahead as they do fill up.
• Discover Saigon with a Local – If you want to see Ho Chi Minh City through the eyes of a local, hop on a motorcycle and zip around some of the best places in the city.
• Hai Van Pass Motorcycle Tour – If you want to experience some of the most scenic roads in Vietnam, then this tour is a must. Featured in Top gear and other popular shows, this tour allows you to enjoy the scenery while being safely driven by experienced riders.
• Hai Van Pass Jeep Tour – Alternatively, if you’re not comfortable on a motorcycle, you can also do this tour on an open-air jeepney which just adds to the fun of it.

Explore Hoi An

Hoi An in Vietnam is one of our favourite towns in Vietnam, mainly due to its incredible food and atmosphere. The best way to explore is by renting a bicycle and make your way around the old town and to the nearby beaches. If you have room in your bag you can have quality garments custom-tailored in a day or two. Hoi An can be a bit overwhelming as the town is almost a theme-park like and some sellers can be a bit pushy but it is an incredible place to experience first-hand.

Explore the City of Hanoi

Hanoi feels a little bit more relaxed compared to Ho Chi Minh. Some of the best things to do in Hanoi is just to stroll around the scenic Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter. From Hanoi, you can easily arrange trips to Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, and Sapa. In Hanoi, beer is cheaper than water which makes can for some fun evenings. Although Hanoi has loads of trendy clubs and restaurants, if you want a more authentic experience, grab a stool at one of the many curbside local Vietnamese eateries and wash your food down with some cold local beer on tap. There’s absolutely nothing like it and it's what locals do on a daily basis.

Hike in Sapa

By far, one of the best things to do in the north of Vietnam is to go hiking in Sapa. You can opt for a 2-day trek with a homestay experience or a bus/trekking combination tour which also takes care of your transport - making the entire experience easy and convenient.

Go on a Halong Bay Cruise

Although we really enjoyed our trip to Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island, next time we would opt to go to other locations a bit further as the immediate Halong Bay area can be very busy. Alternatives would be to rather opt for a cruise aboard a ship that heads to Cat Ba Island, Lan Ha Bay, and Bai Tu Long Bay. As these parts are much further away from the busy ports, waters are much less crowded and dirty, actually allowing you time to take in the beauty of the incredible limestone cliffs.

Explore Ho Chi Minh City

If you can get over the chaos, the hooting and the constant barrage of motorbikes coming from every direction, the metropolitan city of Ho Chi Minh can be pretty interesting. It sports some lassy rooftop bars, an emerging craft beer movement, and an incredible array of food options.

In Ho Chi Minh you can visit the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, and the Notre Dame Cathedral for a taste of local history and culture. Take your time, explore on foot, and seek out Pham Ngu Lao (the Vietnam version of Khao San Road), for some cheap street food and even cheaper beer! The best part about Ho Chi Minh is its accessibility to day trips to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong River.