Walking Vietnam: Paths of Wonder from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

This is a wonderful way to experience the diversity of the whole country from intense cities to quiet mountain villages to waterways and the sea. The activity level is no joke! There is some true hiking with significant elevation gain and loss, so i had to sit out or take an alternate route on a couple of adventures. But our guide was truly wonderful, with great knowledge of and pride in his country. Through his choice of experiences, his talks on the bus between places, and his kindness and accommodation, I feel I had an authentic experience of Viet Nam.

The adventure was more rewarding and fulfilling than I could have imagined. Thank you!

Highly recommend this program. Tuan is an excellent leader, knowledgeable and organized and responsive to the various needs of the participants. It's amazing how much of Vietnam can be experienced through this program. We managed to see quite a variety of the country's regions and experienced so many facets of its culture.

As usual, Road Scholar provided an excellent tour. Our guide, "Zoom", was amazing - knowledgeable, attentive, friendly, accommodating, and a great singer. The other reviews cover all the positives that need to be said. I will add that southern Vietnam is very hot and humid, which when combined with jam-packed days, can be very taxing. I logged around 100 miles of walking during the trip. Considering this is a sampling of Vietnam from north to south, one needs to be prepared for an intense itinerary. The cheap, cold beer at the end of the day will taste great!

If you want to learn about Vietnam, this is the trip.

This is a great program that gives you a first hand view of contemporary Vietnam across multiple arenas. It's a very active program, allowing exploration of rice paddies, rural villages, large cities, bustling markets, enormous caves, with multiple types of transportation including buses, planes, and boats!

This is a wonderful "survey course" on Vietnam, with a wide variety of activities and experiences. The accommodations are first rate. And I cannot overemphasize the benefits of touring the country with our program guide, Tuan Trinh.

Our group leader Tuan was spectacular! He was a wealth of information and he handled every situation with grace and professionalism. Thank you for sharing your fascinating country with us.

The Walking Tour of Vietnam was very interesting and worthwhile. We had an excellent group leader Taun Trinh, who I highly recommend.

This trip was very fast paced, taking us to many cities. If you like to be on the move, this trip is for you. The group leader, Tuan, is organized and patient. He did not waste a minute of our time. We saw so much that it felt like we had been in Vietnam much longer than two weeks. Much of the walking is on busy city streets with many motorcycles. Just be aware of that. Hiking clothes with SPF 50 were the best outfits to wear plus a good hat and a cooling neck cloth. Pack light as there is inexpensive quick laundry service in every hotel. A highlight was the wonderful food in impressive restaurants.

Our tour leader really made the trip. He knows Vietnam inside and out.

Now I think of Vietnam as a country of welcoming people, not a war.

Tuan was such an outstanding group leader! Through his great leadership, patience, and flexibility, he ensured the participants’ maximum safety, comfort, and enjoyment. I had a wonderful time in Vietnam and learned so much about this beautiful country.

A fantastic, well-rounded, lively and engaging experience in a country that has changed so much since it was on the nightly news in the US fifty years ago. This tour covered all the bases: history, culture, nature, modern life.

We have always wanted to see Vietnam and decided on Road Scholar because it took us to the places we had wanted to experience. We were blown away by our experience. The trip was full of cultural experiences with real people. We visited areas where there were no other tourists. Our guide was not only an expert but a delight. He shared his family stories which made Vietnams geopolitical history come alive. Every detail in the trip was perfectly orchestrated. Accommodations five star and meals excellent in almost every location. We came away with a much better understanding of the place.

With our guide's excellent insight and knowledge of his country along with a wide scope of experiences he led us on in county-side and in city, on land and on boat, exploring ancient cities and modern, I came away with such a wonderful sense of knowing so very much more about Vietnam than I began with. Many, many thanks, Tuan and Road Scholar.

A comprehensive journey through Vietnam with a variety of activities and experiences presented in a well organized way. It is one of the best RS trips I have taken and I recommend it highly.

Tuan Trinh was the PERFECT leader for our trip! This is a great itinerary and Vietnam is a wonderful country to visit.

Thanks to our stellar guide Tuan, this trip far exceeded my expectations. Vietnam as shown to us by Tuan was an extraordinary experience. Your head will be spinning every day with the sights and sounds of this chaotic and fascinating place, and from the knowledge and subtle perspectives shared by Tuan. Take this trip if you are avid to learn.

A wonderful introduction to the country of Vietnam. A great variety of activities in both urban and rural environments. The program was intense, but I enjoyed each and every experience. I hope you will offer more programs in this fascinating country!

If you're undecided about this trip, know that you won't be disappointed if you go. The fact that in our short time there we were able to see the country from top to bottom was a feat. Our guide, Tien, made all the difference.

Don’t let road scholar make your travel arrangements! You will regret it!

If you are looking for a trip that covers the best highlights of Vietnam in 2 weeks, look no further! We saw the rural, city, rich and poor sides of Vietnam and each part was amazing. This program was by far the most amazing first program with Road Scholar that I could have hoped for. Tuan was the most amazing guide, always was able to answer questions and give suggestions (cannot recommend Tuan enough!!). We also had a great group of people to travel with! Vietnam was a place my family had always intended to go and this trip turned out to be the best way to do it. I traveled with my parents. My father is a Vietnam vet and returned for the first time in over 50 years. This trip was a hard but healing trip for him. He keeps stating how glad he is that he went. We learned so much about the people, food and culture. There was never a dull moment, the accommodations were lovely, food was always delicious and people were friendly. If you are even remotely considering this trip, say yes! You will not regret this adventure! Happy travels from our family to yours!

My husband and I just returned from the Walking Vietnam trip and I can't say enough good things. The guide, Tuan, was just excellent! He had so much knowledge about his country and would offer information of practical and personal interest without hesitation. He had the kindest, most humble and pleasant personality. He would solve problems quickly and anticipate issues before they arose. He was a very clear communicator and laid out each day at the beginning. The group was so compatible and we thoroughly enjoyed each other without exception. The places we visited were beautiful and well chosen. The activities were appropriate and meaningful (cooking lessons, hiking in mountain rice paddies, boating into caves, overnighting in Ha Long Bay, boating into the Mekong Delta to name a few.) We felt very safe in every location and didn't mind going out on our own. I give this adventure 5 stars.

We had an absolutely wonderful trip to Vietnam. Our guide Tuan was perfect. He was knowledgable, organized, entertaining and had a lovely demeanor throughout the entire adventure. I especially appreciated his continuous effort at making certain that everyone in our group was accounted for and that no one was left behind. He was a delight and made us feel so welcomed into his lovely country. We felt the trip had wonderful variety and and each day provided a new experience for us to enjoy. We enjoyed our occasional free times and were given great directions for the options open to us. This free time allowed those who were interested to explore more about the period of the American/Vietnam war. We also enjoyed our group very much. It was a great mix of folks from all over the country. I am already looking forward to planning our next trip with Road Scholar. Please feel free to share this review as I would love for more people to make this trip to the amazing country of Vietnam.

This is an excellent program that attracts physically fit individuals. If you are unable to walk at least two miles in an hour of climb at half that rate, this may be the wrong program for you. Establishing that, I had a wonderful trip with an interesting and eclectic group. None of us had been to Vietnam before and we all were most pleased with our guide, Tuan, who anticipated almost every need and seemed to be on duty 20 hours/day. Many of us were amazed at how pleasant, honest, welcoming and helpful were the people we met on the street, in the classroom, and on our hikes and climbs. I enjoyed every aspect of our trip and marveled at the delicious food we had all day, every day. The hotels varied from city centers in Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon to an international-quality resort in Ninh Binh and excellent elevated bungalows bordering rice fields nestled among karst peaks in Mai Chau. We happened onto a parade of elegantly dressed women as part of a celebration in a Hanoi park. On a visit to a temple, we found ourselves observing a Buddhist wedding and were invited to participate after the ceremony. Hiking in Mai Chau in the north eastern highlands, we walked through preparations for a week of wedding celebrations and were invited to attend. We attended a water puppet show and, as a group, separately attended a Cirque de Soleil-type uniquely Vietnamese performance in the Saigon opera house. I love to dance and found a very lively and eager 84 year old partner dressed in an embroidered coral-colored silk pants suit aboard a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. I had three friends who served in Vietnam during the war and died from agent orange-related cancers and a cousin who died on shipboard during naval maneuvers. This trip offered me the chance to reflect, meditate, and honor their memories and to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who died or were crippled as the result of our undeclared war on Vietnam. I highly recommend this trip to the fit.

This program presented a diverse yet well-balanced exposure to the people, places, and culture of Vietnam, conducted in a way that took us into the obligatory tourist hot spots but more importantly exposed us to people and places off the beaten path. An incredibly rewarding experience!

The trip was great and was what I had anticipated. Lots of walking at multiple locations to view so much of Vietnams history and current status. Fellow travelers were all very friendly and easy to chat with and spend 14 days with. Road Scholars onsite Vietnamese tour guide was terrific and provided lots of history and actual tales of the people. He is a great attribute to Road Scholar in providing a well scheduled and pretty active plan. Its challenging getting hotels, boats, buses, site entrances, et al while keeping us closely informed and coordinated in a very friendly approach. Especially considering this was Road Scholars first return in about 3 years to Vietnam everything turned out well and infact very well with special thanks to our Vietnamese guide The hotels were upper tier very nice and so many varied meals at so many locations were terrific-no one went hungry on this trip. it's hard to have a favorite day or event when it was all pretty special, fun, and active. I would promote this trip to anyone wanting a fairly inclusive snapshot of Vietnam and getting lots of "trekking" exercise each day. This is my second RS trip and on both I have been positively surprised at how well the travelers commingled with each other and the local folks.

I am 69 years old and 13 days on a "WALKING" tour of Vietnam ended up being 65 miles of walking for me (a little more for my lady). Some days that was 9 miles each day. We also climbed 500+ steps up a Karst (as in the sharp cliffs in the latest King Kong movie) and then 500+ steps down. And another 500 steps in the cave in Hoi Long Bay. Hiking sticks, knee supports and compression sleeves for the legs helped a lot and so did aspirin. Even with all the incredible food and beer I think I lost a couple pounds as taking off my belt at airport security meant risking my pants falling off which they did not do at the start of the trip. Temperatures ranged from high 70's in the north of Vietnam to 100+ in the delta. I can not believe the volume of water we drank, and are still catching up on more. Our guide was wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly. Man was incredible and the new photo sharing app that lets all the group members share their photos with each other is working really well and is easy to use. If you don't enjoy the trip for anything other then the food you will still be a winner. And the hike to the top of the Karst (see the opening of the latest King Kong movie) is a real cardio workout, and I lived to brag about it.

This is one of the best of any of the 25 Road Scholar trips we have been on.It is a tremendous value, with great guides, accommodations, scenery, and an enormous range of unique experiences including boat rides, hikes, cooking classes, talking with locals, dinner cruises, etc. You will learn and tremendous amount and enjoy it all.

This is an active trip with activities starting daily at 8 am and often lasting until dinner time with only short breaks. The food and especially the accommodations exceeded my expectations and are probably the best I’ve had on more than 25 Road Scholar trips. I learned a lot and I’m inspired to go home and learn more about Vietnam. I was most surprised at how welcoming the Vietnamese people are to Americans. Thuyen was a terrific guide. One of our best.

This trip was fascinating. It included many different types of experiences and never got monotonous. Physically it was sometimes more challenging than I had expected, which was perfect for my husband and me, but this trip is definitely not for someone who isn't prepared for some vigorous hiking. We added on the Cambodia extension, and I would recommend that to everyone. It was a very different experience, and the contrast with Cambodia really enhanced our Vietnam program. This was our first Road Scholar experience and we were very impressed.

The people of Vietnam, the country itself, the educational part and the guide all were great and the program exceeded my expectations. Great job!

I just returned from "Walking Vietnam: Paths of Wonder from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City," and I have to say it lived up to the other reviews I had read. Be aware that a great deal of time is spent traveling from one location to another, which means lengthy bus rides. However, the walking portion balances out this aspect beautifully. I am so glad I chose this trip for experiencing Vietnam as it offered an incredible variety of experiences. In some respects it was a grueling adventure as you spend just two nights in most locations. Having one of the best guides ever, however, made for a well orchestrated and jam packed adventure. Our guide, Man, offered wonderful commentaries, insights, advice, instructions, and leadership throughout our two weeks together. Also, for three on site visits we had amazing guides: the cooking school(Bo),on our organic farm visit, and on the Mekong River excursion (Hung). All three of these brilliant guides spoke beautiful English and showed an unsurpassed enthusiasm for their subject matter. Tour guides can make or break a memory of one's group travels, and this trip was marked by four of the highest caliber guides one could hope for. The group size was also an amazing asset to this unforgettable journey. The last thing that I would mention though for those "on the fence" about whether to travel to this country, is that the air quality is not very favorable. So, that said, I would give this trip 5 stars for itinerary, experiences, and the delightful Vietnamese culture and its people. If you are active, curious about this southeast Asian culture, love food, embrace coffee, and can overlook the environmental issues, then go on this journey soon! Staying an extra night before and after the trip would also be advisable, even though my recommendation to Road Scholar was to add these two days to the itinerary now! It would make this trip all the better.

I have been on a number of Road Scholar trips - this was one of the best and most memorable. I would rate the trip a '10' out of '5'. Thuyen, our trip coordinator and guide was outstanding - he is not only a good trip leader, but he is also extremely knowledgeable of the history and culture of his country. He is very proud of his homeland and this showed every day the trip. The trip itinerary is wonderful blend of cities and small towns/villages and natural settings. I like going to out of the way places, walking neighborhoods, hiking in the mountains and villages, meeting local people, eating local food. This trip exceeded my expectations! I felt like I learned a tremendous amount about Vietnam, its struggles, its people and culture. I have come home wanting to learn more. The trip is active with a fair amount of walking, hiking, climbing steps, etc. Also,the food on this trip was excellent with good regional variety, which made the experience very enjoyable. Overall, I highly recommend this trip.

In order to "see" the things most of us would like to see, we have to deal with some semi-difficult situations, i.e. difficult walking conditions. Participants need to accept this and "deal with it".

This was a wonderful, eye-opening, mind changing experience. To be honest, I hadn't thought about going to Viet Nam, I hadn't considered taking a tour with Road Scholar, it just happened that I had family members who were going and they invited us along and so my wife and I joined in at the last minute. It was awesome in every aspect. Our group of fellow travelers were interesting and fun, the accommodations were top notch, the food was always excellent (more on that later), but best of all our group leader and guide was phenomenal! From our first introductory meeting, to our sad farewell dinner, and even the next day shepherding us through the airport to our next adventure, Nguyen Kim Long; Long for short; educated us, watched over us, laughed with us, introduced us to once in a life time experiences, and became our good friend. His ability to connect us with the cities, the people, the land, and the history of Viet Nam truly lifted this trip into one of the best of a lifetime. I really enjoyed the fact that this was a walking tour, as it allowed us to get out into the reality of the cities, with their markets and people going about their daily lives, the hustle and bustle. Or the different reality of the countryside, whether it was the mountains of the north, Halong Bay, or the Mei Kong Delta, the amazing beauty along with the chance to interact with the remote villagers of the mountain tribes, the fishing village in the bay, or the delta farmers. I want to comment on how easy Road Scholar has been to work with and how comfortable they made it for us to travel. As stated earlier we joined at the last minute, causing them to refigure and recalculate accommodations for the entire tour. Also I have strict dietary requirements that they were always super aware of, making sure that every meal was safe for me. Truly outstanding!

Walking Vietnam was a terrific program. There are many different cities and experiences, and I really enjoyed it. Our guide, Thuyen, was excellent. The people were very warm and friendly, and magnanimous in spite of having been at war with the USA. The country has made an impressive recovery from the devastation of war, though there is still clean up to do from Agent Orange, etc. I'd like to concentrate on the packing mistakes I made so that you can avoid them. Usually, we arrive a few days early to avoid fatigue etc, but didn't this time because with the Cambodia extension we were going to be away a long time. Big mistake because our flight was delayed for 19 hours, and we missed 1 1/2 days in Hanoi. Fortunately, RS worked with us through this process--make sure you get the insurance. Because there is mention of crossing a stream and getting wet, I took Goretex sneakers. We didn't get wet because there is a little bridge over the stream, and I was stuck wearing sneakers that were hotter and smellier than I needed. Skip the Goretex. Make sure you take clothes that can go to the laundry. The humidity is so high that clothes don't dry in your room, even those technical quick-drying ones, and the laundry charges are very low, eg $1 for a blouse or shirt. So do take the linen and cotton suggested, the laundry will take good care of it. Ladies, include a skirt for the times you don't need trousers. When you are in the city, it is a great relief to be a bit cooler. Also, take more bras than you usually do for a trip, or ones that you don't mind being put in a dryer and losing elasticity if you send them to be laundered, because you will have a lot of trouble getting them dry in your room. There is a speed boat ride from HCM City that can be very smelly. Consider taking something like Vick's Vaporub to mask the smell. Don't be put off by my advice. This was a wonderful program with an incredible variety of experiences, all of them enjoyable.

I am a Viet Nam Vet. It did my heart good to return. The people are very friendly, the food is great and the accommodations were first rate. The country has progressed and overcome many problems that decades of war and famine produced. Our GUIDE MASTER: Nguyen, Van Thuyen was terrific! He was helpful, informative, knowledgeable, very friendly and attentive. I felt like we were old friends. The itinerary was amazing we even got to take part in an economics lecture at university, including one on one talks with the lecturer and students.

My wife and I enjoyed the Vietnam walking tour. We saw cities and villages and were able to interact with the people. We are 77 and 76 years old and were able to keep up with the younger participants. The accommodations and food were great.

AMAZING guided and well organized trip to North & South Vietnam and Cambodia. My wife and I had never been to ASIA and we both enjoyed this experience and very not only satisfied with food and accommodations, but also the educational and walking element of the tour. Well worth the tour price, better then any cruise!

By walking almost everyday of our program, we observed and interacted with everyday people in Vietman. It is a trip more about the dynamic current day Vietman than about the past.