Vietnam vacation packages have been the primary method of travel here since the country first opened to Western tourists sometime in the 1990s. Few, other than intrepid young people looking for hostels and the cheapest place to unroll their sleeping bags, traveled independently in this communist country. Even though there were great travel deals to Vietnam for individuals, it was a difficult country to get around in on your own. This is still true to some degree today, and vacation packages to Vietnam remain among the best ways to see this enchanting country.

Almost all Vietnam travel packages include sightseeing tours in at least one of the two largest cities, Ho Chi Minh City in the south and Hanoi in the north. One of the reasons for this is the fact that almost all international visitors must arrive in or depart from one of these cities. Vietnam vacation packages that include both cities often are fairly all-inclusive grand tours of the entire country, giving a little taste of almost everything the country has to offer.

Vietnam Map

Some vacation packages to Vietnam concentrate on a certain area or experience. An example of this would be river cruises in the country’s Mekong Delta region or ocean cruises in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay. The mighty Mekong River flows from China through Burma (now called Myanmar), and then into Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand before spreading out in the vast alluvial delta in Vietnam. Some package deals allow you to cruise on this great river through more than one of these countries. And, you can do it on deluxe river cruise ships of the same fine standard found on the rivers of Europe. These are usually on smaller more intimate ships and are fairly all-inclusive vacations that include shore excursions in the most interesting ports as well as all meals. These kinds of cruises are also available in Halong Bay, often utilizing deluxe traditional junks.

A Vietnam beach vacation is, perhaps, one of the most popular of all. The country has more than 2,000 miles of pristine tropical coastline in addition to thousands of offshore islands, each with their own beaches. A great Vietnam family vacation is one kind of trip possible on these miles and miles of pristine white powder beaches. Families also will enjoy cycling tours that are both economical and are enjoyable vacations to Vietnam for all ages. If you want more challenging cycling, you might consider Vietnam vacations in the mountains of the far north.

You can enjoy a Vietnam beach vacation in numerous places from one end of the country to the other, and that’s a long distance. If the mainland doesn’t appeal to you, you might consider Phu Quoc Island. This is the country’s largest island, located in the southwest off the coast of Cambodia. Part of the appeal of a Vietnam beach vacation here is how many other attractions the island has to offer. There are wonderful jungle-covered mountains and waterfalls in the interior that are quite accessible if you have motorbike transportation. And, you can rent a motorbike almost everywhere on the island.

You might also consider golf vacation packages to Vietnam around the little city of Dalat at one of the world-class golf courses that have been open since just after World War I. The Dalat Palace Golf Club actually hosted international tournament play in the late 1960s during the American Vietnam War. Cycling tours, especially in the Mekong Delta and the highlands around the northern mountains, have become increasingly popular in the last few years. There are great travel deals to Vietnam if you are interested in seeing the country from the seat of a bicycle.

Some of the best diving in all of Asia can be found in the waters south of Da Nang, where the legendary Jacques Cousteau first discovered his passion for the sea. There are also good Vietnam vacation packages that concentrate on this underwater sport. Some excellent travel deals to Vietnam can be had at very luxurious beach resorts if you avoid the busiest high season periods. The high season periods are dependent both on when to go for the best weather as well as certain countrywide events like the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) festivals.

There are many Vietnam vacations available, and they come in many different forms to fit budgets of all sizes, diverse interests, and tastes, from a family vacation to a beach holiday. You can enjoy vacations to Vietnam from the seat of a bicycle or from the balcony of your deluxe cabin on a ship in beautiful Halong Bay, or your river cruise ship in the vast Mekong Delta. You can even enjoy mountain biking in the mountains of the north, and combine that exciting activity with stays in the homes of families from villages of the remote Hmong, Dao, or Tay hill people.