Is a 4 or 5 day tour adviseable in Vietnam?

Question

We are arriving in Ho Chi Minh City Jan. 4 and will be in Vietnam for approx. 2 weeks. We have heard it is very inexpensive to vacation (hotels, food, transportation). Would we see more on a guided tour and what price would we expect, or is it far cheaper going on our own. What are the pros and cons of tour versus going alone. Any tour recommendations, actually any advice appreciated.

Answer 1

Don't worry about the tour situation. once you get here you will have many choices and usually your hotel will set you up. No need for a guided tour. You are going to want to see Sapa and Halong bay while you are in the north. 2 days in each should be more than enough.
Take the night train to Sapa with soft sleeper. Stay at the Mountain View Hotel. $10 a night and great views. Central location.
For the bay there are many choices of boats to stay and tour on. from cheap to very expensive.
Make sure to stop by Hoi An in central Vietnam. Its near Danang and is a World Heritage Old Town. Beautiful!!!
you are going to have a ball. Here is a blog that I give first timers about Vietnam.

This is an easy one. Vietnam is the new place to go. The country is absolutely beautiful. With miles of white sand beaches, cool mountain hideaways, Great city night life and cozy country inns. It’s very inexpensive. You can get nice hotel rooms for $10 and beer is 15 cents a glass. The people are wonderful. I have traveled just about everywhere and I ended up buying a home here because I like it so much. Flights from almost any where are around $1000 USD. You more than make up the difference with the inexpensive lodging etc. Also, you are close to Thailand, Cambodia , (Angkor Wat) Lao, Hong Kong, A ticket to Kuala Lumpur is about $50, Lots to do and plenty to see. Check it out.
You will never regret it if you come to Vietnam. . Great food, amazingly wonderful people. We stopped our bikes at the end of the road by the river the other day. Out in the middle of no where. In minutes we were surrounded by kids saying "hello, Where you from?" the mothers came out a few minutes later and they are bringing out food and laughing. A few minutes later the men came out bringing the rice wine. We had a full on party going and didn't understand much of what was going on. But... we knew that they were really friendly and they treated us like Rock Stars. Just amazing. Don't miss Vietnam. It will be your best trip ever. I promise.
Source(s):
Currently living in Hoi An Vietnam. Don't miss Hoi An, It’s just wonderful.

Answer 2

Well heres a couple things about with guides and with out.

With guides:
You will be able to learn a lot more about the history and actual culture you will be able to get to places that you would never have a chance to find doing it on your own.

With out:
You wont be able to communicate at all really with the locals and have a very limited chance to learn about peoples families and way of life here.

Guide Rates a good english speaking guide will run you about 30 USD a day if you do it on your own but if you are traveling it will be best to pick up a diff guide at each location it is to costly to lug him/her with you throughout Vietnam.

Hotel Prices:
Just like any place you can get some extremely expensive places and some reasonable and even some amazingly cheap rooms(but watch out when going on tours you do get what you pay for!)

Though some will find my advice suspect due to the fact that i own an agency, but 2 weeks is just enough to get the quickest glimpse of Vietnam to see what you like and then come back on a later day.
You wont have a lot of time in any one place and more than likely you will have to either cut out the Mekong Delta or the Far North i dont feel that you would have enough time for both.

Usually the must dos are starting from Saigon: Cu Chi Tunnels, to Nha Trang for the Beach and scuba, to Hoi An for an ancient port City, to Hue for the ancient capital of Vietnam before Hanoi, to Ninh Binh to see Hoa Lu Tam Coc cave and water system then to Hanoi to see Ho Chi Minh and the capital of Vietnam, then to Halong Bay and finally to Sapa where you will get a chance to meet many of the Minorities of Vietnam and amazing trekking and picture oppertunities.

Answer 3

well i went to ho chi minh city for a 4D 3N tour last year and it was fab! i'd recommend going with a guide though, since the whole language barrier thing really gets in the way sometimes... our guide was excellent! he was totally helpful and even taught us some key vietnamese words that we would need for shopping! hehe.. enjoy your trip!