Vietnam Family Trips

Culinary Vietnam for Families

Every traveler knows the best way to get into the heart of a place is to experience the food (and is also what can make or break a travel experience). And as as you may have already heard, anyone who has traveled to Vietnam will mention three things that stood out most: the people, the scenery... and especially Vietnam's delightful food culture. This trip emphasizes all of these with sightseeing from the vantage point of an insider.

On this ultimate family culinary adventure trip, enjoy the cultural and natural highlights of Vietnam, with a focus on cuisine from some of the most amazing street food to formal dining, for — as many of our past traveler's have said — the culinary experience of a lifetime.

Vietnam features some of the most delicious and innovative cuisine in the world, and our local culinary guides and guest chefs will reveal the hidden delights of Vietnamese food. There are few culinary adventures on par with Vietnam, and this trip will highlight the distinctive cuisines of each region with a mix of activities, including hands-on cooking, kitchen and market visits while canvasing the best of Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon, including thousand year-old Old Quarter in Hanoi, the sublime Imperial Capital, Hue, ancient port town, Hoi An, and south along Vietnam's scenic coastline to the country's premier beach town, Nha Trang before climbing into the Central Highlands to enjoy the high-mountain views of Dalat, a former French-colonial hill station. At trip's end, marveling at big-city Saigon, discovering some of Vietnam's finest cuisine.

Vietnam Photography

Have a budding photographer in the family? Vietnam is one of the most visually dynamic destinations in the world, from aged French colonial architecture, surreal karst landscapes of Halong Bay, sublime terraced rice fields, to bucolic desolate beaches coves. Even more impressive are the Vietnamese, engaging, fascinating, and always on the move, in busy markets, pedal-powered schools of traffic, and streets filled with all manner of vendors.

Enjoy access to the most intriguing sites at optimal shooting times, and important person portraits facilitated by your specialist guide. We have over twenty years of organizing trips for professional and amateur photographers, and can address your specific interests as well.

At trip's end, spend one to two full days photographing the magnificent ruins in neighboring Cambodia.

Arts & Culture

Artists and musicians are the ideal cultural ambassadors, a bridge to their country's ancient traditions and customs, and this is especially true in Vietnam where many prominent artists have exhibited abroad, are fluent in English, and are astute observers of their own culture.

We're always happy to make introductions with artists in Hanoi, where many of the country's leading artists are based and most we know personally from our long experience, organizing the very first arts tour of Vietnam in 1994, when artists were only beginning to emerge from a long post-war slumber and stagnant economy.

What a difference a couple of decades makes! Vietnam's artists have since claimed the world-stage and the arts scene is Hanoi is one of the most vigorous in Asia. Meet privately with the country's most renowned artists and musicians and learn of new mediums, including lacquer and thread art, or to play the <i>dan bau</i>, a mesmerizing single-string traditional instrument. The artists we private plan visits with are wonderful with children of all ages and will explain and show them hands-on how their work is created.

Vietnam World Heritage

Explore Vietnam's renowned UNESCO World Heritage sites, each unique aand worth basing any trip to the country around. From stoic Hanoi staying at the legendary Metropole, sublime cruising on Halong Bay on private luxury "junk," Hue's ancient tombs, to the finest beach resort in Vietnam at Hoi An, a small, old port town that is typically everyone's favorite stop in the country, these four comprise the very best of Vietnam. Enjoy these destinations to the fullest with our unique activities, encounters, and sights away from the crowds in each place.

Vietnam with Kids

Vietnam is no longer a challenging place to travel with kids, and our Vietnam family tours that were pioneered in the early 90's mean with our long experience, local knowledge, meticulous planning, and in-country offices, your trip will not only be a smooth one, but educational, thrilling, and delightful one.

We've escorted kids of all ages on our Vietnam family tours, organizing biking, kayaking, light trekking, camping out in hill tribe villages, with unique activities such as performing with the Hanoi traditional opera troupe, learning traditional water puppets theater from a master, and private artist encounters where your children will learn hands-on how to produce lacquer paintings in the ancient style. Our staff, and in fact you'll discover almost all Vietnamese are, "kid crazy" and your children will enjoy one of the most remarkable family trips they've ever had.

Consider us for our geographic focus and location in Vietnam along with our unmatched experience in the country. Contact us for detailed information about a private Vietnam family adventure in Vietnam. We are honored to be an in-country partners for premier family travel companies and agents including My Little Swans and Ciao Bambino.

Family Highlights of Vietnam

Vietnam remains very much a divided nation, not but in geopolitical terms, but very much culturally and even geographically. In Hanoi, one will discover a stoic people in a rustic French capital, while on the central coast, ancient traditions, such as farming still dominates, and further south, the hyper commercial capital, Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City the full rush of modernization is one. Further out, in Vietnam's remote, mountainous areas, encounter colorful, traditional hill tribes, seemingly from another century.

Striking too are the difference in geography, from the magnificent karst wonderland of Halong Bay, endless emerald green rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, the largest caves complex in the world, jagged mountain peaks along the border areas, pearl-white sandy coastal lagoons along the rugged central coast, and tropical island paradise in the far south.

Vietnam with Teens

There are few destinations in the world more fascinating or thrilling for teenagers than Vietnam. A young country, it seems everything in Vietnam operates at the high-energy of a teenager. Our most popular tours of Vietnam are family trips with teens and we organize some exceptional experiences, including meeting with artists and war veterans in Hanoi, teaching English in a local school, cruising rivers by sampan, watching a soccer game at the central stadium, kayaking on Halong Bay, cooking street food, cycling to the Royal Tombs in Hue, and much much more.

Multi-Generational Trips

Enjoy the trip of a lifetime that allows everyone to relax and enjoy a break from planning and a hassle-free trip as indulgent and relaxing for parents and grandparents as it is exciting, educational and fun for children of all ages. A wide range of unique and private activities only we arrange and tailor to adult's preferences and to the age of your children. These activities include game drives, walking excursions, and a seasonal half-hour scenic helicopter ride across the Marshes between April – November.

Anyone that has been to Vietnam will mention it was the people who were the highlight of their travel there. The Vietnamese are at all once engaging, fascinating, funny, friendly and curious. Encounter not only locals along the way in villages, farms, school visits, and monasteries, but also privately with premier artists, historical figures, and notable personalities, such as former PBS journalist Nguyen Qui Duc.

Along the way, experience also unique places and activities few other travelers even hear about, such as hiking the terraced rice fields into remote Hmong villages and learning to fish with locals in Halong Bay.

Indochina with Thailand

Add the Land of Smiles to your Indochina trip with a stopover in cosmopolitan Bangkok, renowned elephant camps in the Golden Triangle, and bucolic island resorts.

Big city adventures awaits in Bangkok, Asia's boldest and most exotic megalopolis. Split in two by the famed Chao Praya River, the capital featuring some of the best cuisine in Asia, vibrant markets, river life, and Muay Thai, the country's most popular sport—kick boxing.

Thailand's legendary resorts offer extensive children's programs in a tropical paradise, including junior cooking classes, elephant encounters, water sports, and kick boxing (below).

Thailand's renowned elephant camps have moved towards more humane practices, including volunteer programs to learn and care about the friendly giants (below).

Vietnam Family Adventure

Vietnam is no longer as challenging place to travel with kids, and our luxury Vietnam family tours that were pioneered in the early 90's mean with our long experience, local knowledge, meticulous planning, and in-country offices, your trip will not only be a smooth one, but educational, thrilling, and delightful one.

We've escorted kids of all ages on our Vietnam family tours, organizing biking, kayaking, light trekking, camping out in hill tribe villages, with unique activities such as performing with the Hanoi traditional opera troupe, learning traditional water puppets theater from a master, and private artist encounters where your children will learn hands-on how to produce lacquer paintings in the ancient style. Our staff, and in fact you'll discover almost all Vietnamese are, "kid crazy" and your children will enjoy one of the most remarkable family trips they've ever had.

Our family tours spice up typical luxury travel in the region, and nowhere is more fascinating than Vietnam. We've escorted kids of all ages since 1994, organizing biking, kayaking, light trekking, camping out in hill tribe villages, with unique activities such as hands-on rice planting or learning hands-on how to create traditional lacquer guided by a leading artist. Our staff, in fact you'll discover almost all Vietnamese, are "kid crazy" and your children will enjoy one of the most remarkable trips they've ever had. Contact us for detailed information on your family's adventure in Vietnam.

Take in a bit of history just outside Saigon, where you can visit the incredible Cu Chi Tunnels where South Vietnamese fighters lived in these underground tunnels for years during the Vietnam War, and even had doctors and stores set up under the ground. This is a sobering and educational reminder of the dangers and hardships of war. We'll also expose you to living history, meeting with a fighter pilot in his Hanoi Old Quarter home to hear of his dogfights above Hanoi during the war, and in Hanoi, explore a flourishing arts scene, hands-on, learning to craft fine lacquer with premier artists or learn to play traditional instruments.

For a more light-hearted trip, we'll head to the mountains in Sapa in the far north of the country. Here you can trek through emerald-green rice terraces and meet friendly local groups who still retain their unique culture and traditional ways. If your family enjoys active travel, will love kayaking through the stunning karst landscapes of Halong Bay. Just two and a half hours outside of Hanoi is one of the world's most incredible geological settings. Here, you can paddle past towering limestone karst formations and traditional Vietnamese wooden boats. The waters are very calm here, and a pleasant for boating and kayaking with children of all ages and ability.

Vietnam Family Biking, Hiking and Kayaking

We pioneered multi-sport tours in Vietnam way back in 1994 through our adventure wing, VeloAsia, including our popular culinary cycling and kayak trips, Iron Chef Vietnam. Since then we've hosted hundreds of friends, small groups, and families for, as many say afterwards, was the most thrilling trip of their lives. Even if you are not a cyclist, we can recommend where to blend in a few leisurely rides during your trip in places that are wonderful on two wheels.

For longer trips, days are not spent in a hurried ride from point to point (although you are welcome to plan a tour with doing just that—we've hosted many pro cyclists over the years). In the places we travel, we believe the diversions along the route often outshine the destination. Local perspective is provided not only with chance encounters, but with locals who provide insight into language, history, handicrafts, cooking, culture and arts.

One day it's a lecture about a town we're visiting, the next there's a cooking lesson, others may be chance visits to a cooperative farm or vocational school. We also stay moving off the bike with city walking tours, snorkeling, swimming, and hiking. To help you prepare, an extensive pre-tour packet is mailed to you. Filled with practical, historical, and medical information, it is a valuable resource for enhancing the enjoyment of your tour.

Service and Volunteering in Vietnam

Make your trip one with purpose and one that will have an impact on others in a positive way. For conscientious travelers we can organize a variety of ways to enjoy spending time with and helping Vietnamese and ethnic hill tribe peoples. Blend in a few activities, such as donating books and other supplies to schools and villages, or spend longer periods teaching, working with NGOs, or on projects. If you are a nurse, consider volunteering with the University of San Francisco's Vietnam Nurse Project, whom we have partnered with since 2007. [Read More About USF's Nursing Project]

For teens and young adults, we can arrange for impromptu school visits and teaching during your family trip, or longer periods of volunteering at local schools.

Outdoor Adventure in Vietnam's Hilltribe Country

Trekking in Sapa , caving in Song Doo, cycling in Mai Chau —these are only a few options for a thrilling, active exploration of Vietnam's most ancient and traditional areas populated by a colorful diversity of hilltribes.

The Splendors of North Vietnam

While the south rushes to modernize, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) now awash with construction cranes, there remains historic and fascinating places untouched by progress in the north, including the stoic capital, Hanoi, magnificent karst landscapes of Halong Bay, and in the remote valleys of northwest Vietnam, where you will discover life as it has existed for thousands of years.

Teen Indochina

Embark on the ultimate teen family tour of Indochina!

We have always believed the world's most exciting and fascinating destination for teens is Indochina and after more than two decades of organizing family trips here, we still do more than ever. Explore Halong Bay by kayak, visit an aged bomb shelter in Hanoi, explore the Laotian jungle with your own elephant, ride bicycles through colorful hilltribe farms and villages, zip-line through the jungle in Angkor, Cambodia, and more.

Zip lining through jungles of Cambodia

The Grand Tour

Embark on the ultimate personalized family adventure through Southeast Asia, divided among five of the region’s most unique and captivating destinations.

Design your own Grand Tour itinerary, choosing where to go and how long you'll explore each location. Explore Hanoi, Asia's most fascinating capital, sublime Halong Bay, bucolic Laos, magnificent ruins at Angkor, and gilded temples and renowned elephant camps of Thailand.

Discover the landscapes, cuisine, and hill tribes of north Vietnam, explore the ancient treasures of Siem Reap's Angkor temple complex, the heart of serene Luang Prabang, float by balloon over the ancient temple's of Bagan, followed by an escape to the sun-kissed beaches of Koh Samui. Wherever you choose to go, lifelong memories are guaranteed.