Vietnam Trip Advice Needed

Lnickgonzalez91 on 10/06/2025 - 01:40

Hi everyone! I’m planning my first big solo trip in a while and could use a bit of perspective. I’ve narrowed things down to two Vietnam group tours, both look fantastic, but I’m not quite sure which one is the better fit for what I’m after.

A bit about me: I’m a 34-year-old Aussie teacher looking to shake things up a bit post-breakup. I’m not super experienced with Southeast Asia, so I’m leaning into a guided tour to make things a bit easier. I’m pretty easygoing, I like a bit of activity, good food, beautiful places, and getting to know people without it turning into a party bus. I’m definitely budget-conscious but not roughing-it level basic. A real bed, a shower, and a bit of air-con go a long way.

Here are the two trips I’m considering: 1. Essential Vietnam (Intrepid Travel – 12 Days) Younger crowd (18–35), more adventure-y. Includes cycling, kayaking, and two overnight sleeper trains. Accommodation is a mix of hotels, one lodge, and the trains. Looks immersive and energetic, just unsure if the pace and rougher nights will wear me out.

  1. Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (G Adventures – 10 Days)

Bit more structured and comfort-focused, still includes a sleeper train and a junk boat night, but otherwise standard hotels. Feels slightly more laid-back and maybe a bit more balanced in terms of pacing and comfort.

I’d love to hear: • Has anyone done either of these? • Are there big differences in group dynamics or quality between Intrepid and G Adventures? • Would you recommend a different trip entirely based on what I’ve shared? • Any general tips for a Vietnam trip in September-November?

Appreciate any insights, I’m just trying to find the right vibe for a trip that’s a bit of a reset. Thanks in advance!

Travel Asia Vietnam

Comments

  • SShannonAU on 10/06/2025 - 08:21
    +1

    I've did Treasures of Vietnam in October 2023. The good thing about Intrepid is that they have a max group size of 16. Found the tour guide to be very knowledgable and everything was well organised. I haven't done any of their 18-35 trips despite being in that age group, might be worth having a look at the reviews.

    Just an FYI - Vietnam is a very intense country if you haven't been to Asia before. Crossing the road in places like Ho Chi Minh City is very difficult due to the constant stream of traffic / motorbikes. Take a look at videos on YouTube to see what I'm talking about. Also be weary of scams, unfortunately during my first day in HCM before meeting with the tour group, I was scammed by a shoe shiner, where he ripped my shoe off my foot while sitting down and proceeded to clean it even though I didn't want the service, they proceeded to ask for 1 million dong (about $40 AUD). After managed to haggle the price down a tiny bit but it definitely left a sour taste in my mouth.

    The weather in HCM was hot and humid around October but Hanoi was quite pleasant, still some humidity but quite cool and not as intense with the heat.

    • jellykingdom on 10/06/2025 - 08:57
      +2

      Ditto re the scam. We arranged for a rickshaw ride for a written amount, and as soon as we hopped off, he decided to try to shake us down for 100x the amount. It would have been around $200 AUD. After i refused to pay him, he followed us around for about 30min shouting at us until we finally decided to hop into a normal taxi and went to other side of town for the day.

      • trapper on 10/06/2025 - 16:12
        +1

        Just use Grab. Takes all the hassle away and makes getting around cheap, painless and comfortable.

        Maybe not as fun as a rickshaw ride - but you can book a ride on the back of a scooter!

  • [Deactivated] on 10/06/2025 - 08:23
    +3

    You are going solo, too, this must be new trend!

    • elgrande on 10/06/2025 - 21:04
      +1

      The only difference is that this OP is single before going, the other OP will be single after..

  • wetsandwich on 10/06/2025 - 10:25
    +3

    As above, Vietnam is very very scammy. All SE Asian countries are to a small extent, but it's so bad there I don't think I'd go back (and I did go twice, so I certainly gave it a chance). You just can't walk 100 meters down the road without someone coming up to 'practice english' which was the start of a long con scam every time I let it run. Or selling something you don't need like shoe shining or wallets or fake watches.
    So if you must go there, spend an hour reading up on all scams, and remember, if anyone approaches you in the street it is 100% definitely a scam (the only exception is if you are in a park in the evening, university students may legitimately approach in groups to practise English). Mostly it's just a $20-40 con of some sort, but if they start to lead you to other locations, it can get a lot more sinister and expensive.

    I would recommend Thailand personally, as it has very straightforward tourist infrastructure - you can stay in hostels, take things at your own pace, and organise tours etc from your hostel. There is also a bus station in every town/city where you can just rock up, say "I want to go to XYZ place" and you'll be sitting in a bus on the way within an hour. Some places there are very touristy/hustley as well, but this stuff is mostly quarantined in the walking/redlight street in each place and easily avoidable.

    I wouldn't want to be stuck in a strict tour group in the sort of place that is very hot, exhausting, hectic and where you can quickly hit a wall and need to do nothing for a day to recuperate.

    • jellykingdom on 10/06/2025 - 10:37
      +1

      i don't regret going to Vietnam, once i got over that initial shock of the attempted scam and generally felt pretty unsafe, I was perfectly fine. Just don't engage with anyone essentially and you'll be fine haha, and we tended to stick to using a certain brand of taxi which was recommended by people we knew who had visited before.

      I didn't find it dramatically worse than most of Europe or India, i think i was just a noob to that country and it shocked me a bit

      • dtc on 10/06/2025 - 14:05
        +1

        I didn't find it dramatically worse than most of Europe or India, i think i was just a noob to that country and it shocked me a bit

        Once you have been to India I think dealing with crowds and scams and noise in other countries is pretty easy.

        • jellykingdom on 10/06/2025 - 15:35

          I don't really remember people trying to scam me in India. Maybe trying to rip me off, but not outright steal from me. I've been 5x so maybe i'm just being forgetful

          I still vividly remember all the scammers in Paris, all the pickpockets in Barcelona, all the dodgy types in Rome

    • bargaino on 10/06/2025 - 12:36
      +2

      Great advice to go to Thailand instead. Travel a bit independently but book local tours.

      A great way to meet people and you won't be stuck with the wrong ones.

    • trapper on 10/06/2025 - 16:10

      As above, Vietnam is very very scammy.

      Himm… what area was this? I found the north and Hanoi to be really nice. No issues with scams at all. People actually seemed quite honest.

    • Sawtell on 11/06/2025 - 00:08

      I wouldn't want to be stuck in a strict tour group in the sort of place that is very hot, exhausting, hectic and where you can quickly hit a wall and need to do nothing for a day to recuperate.

      This is the only part of your post I agree with.

  • bargaino on 10/06/2025 - 12:34
    +2

    For transport, just use Grab. Motorcycles in the cities and cars in the country. That'll avoid most of the scams and hassles of haggling.

  • dtc on 10/06/2025 - 14:04
    +2

    Either will be fine, both do a great job and especially if you arent a person who 'needs' 4*+ hotels and travel. The make up of the individual groups is a lottery - the younger crowd may end up 'more social' aka wanting to drink every night, but of course you dont have to participate every night. Sometimes the younger tours do have people who say 'just want to stay at the bar rather than go to that optional temple' or whatever, whereas the all ages tours tend to have people who are happy to see more culture than more bars (my experience is that older people who choose Intrepid/G Adventures are almost always very understanding of what is involved and are often well seasoned travellers and can add a lot to the group).

    Which doesnt help; I think you have picked the differences between the options and you have to decide whether you want something more full on or something a bit more relaxed. The Intrepid one has a lot more travel time, but overnight trains arent too much of an issue (I enjoy them) and trains (vs buses/cars) are usually not too much of a problem.

  • Drakesy on 10/06/2025 - 14:17
    +1

    Have done a G-Adventures 21 day Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam tour and it was the best group trip i've ever been on.

    Either way you can't go wrong.
    I was 20 and the average group age for me would've been mid 30's, was terrific. The whole group enjoyed watching the loud Americans get frowned upon everywhere they went (they were oblivious to everything as well).

    • RockyRaccoon on 10/06/2025 - 21:33
      -1

      I would have thought rather than observe other tourists, looking at the local stuff would have been more enjoyable

  • kiwijunglist on 10/06/2025 - 17:22
    +2

    I didn't get hassled at all in vietnam by scammers, i've found other countries worse.

    Don't forget to get your tourist visa done. (for last minute you can do VOA).

    As others have said, use grab taxi or grab motorbike taxi
    (definitely use motorbike for rush hour just be aware that someone on a different motorbike could try and grab your belongings from the motorbike)

    If the price is not listed then you need to enquire the price before you buy food etc.

    You can use google translate (download the language pack prior).

    Getting a local sim or an e-sim is a good idea (the travel agent might buy you one in advance if you ask, but it's possible they want you to buy it so you can use your own passport).

    • dasher86 on 10/06/2025 - 22:15

      I thought last minute VOA disappeared.
      Real easy to do online now through official website.
      Or you can pay +10-15usd for an agent to do it for you.

      • kiwijunglist on 27/06/2025 - 18:26

        Yes you might be right.

  • Nutrino on 10/06/2025 - 18:27
    -3

    You gonna get scammed, run over or food poisoned. Pick your pill.

  • dasher86 on 10/06/2025 - 22:36
    +1

    Go hard.
    Just book yourself into a busy Hostel (private room) in HCMC and go from there.
    They'll have day trips, local tours and 100% you'll find some people heading North to travel with and do your own thing. Best is if you get sick of the group you're with find another at the next location.

    Nothing wrong with tours but Vietnam is super easy to travel. Almost as easy as Thailand these days.

    Re: scams only ever had problems with taxis (like every where in the world- just use grab), and scam hotels in the North (hotel under reno but we have a room for you elsewhere - but I've experienced this elsewhere as well).

  • McSquintus on 11/06/2025 - 10:47
    +1

    Vietnam is great and fun to explore; you will have a good time. Yes there are scams like people reaching down to your shoes to make a hole and will say 'see you need me to glue it' and such, just use Grab and Gojek for transiting, don't be afraid to explore away from the tour. I went without a tour and had a great time. Only other tip is to note down places you want to visit or see so when you get time away from the tour or get bored, you know what to do at that moment.

  • dinhoecotour on 16/08/2025 - 18:42

    In my opinion, Intrepid travel is good for a tour group.
    Otherwise, you can do it yourself (Book a group tour with your accommodation in each place you visit).

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