Private 14-day family route · map not to scale
At a glance
- Nights
- 13
- Hotel changes
- 5
- Travel
- Private car; 2 domestic flights quoted separately
- Best for
- Families with children over ten
- Budget
- From 1,960 USD per person (14 days × 140, 2 travellers, 4★)
The short answer
A good Vietnam family tour gives teenagers something to do with their hands every day and gives everyone their own space at night. My 14-day route covers Hanoi, Sapa, two nights on Lan Ha Bay, four in Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. It is from 140 USD per person per day, so from 1,960 USD per person for two at 4★, confirmed in your written quote.
This route is for parents travelling with children over ten, and especially with teenagers, who want a private trip that keeps everyone interested. It mixes one easy mountain walk, two nights on a ship, a long stay in Hoi An with hands-on workshops, and a short, lively finish in the south.
My view on a Vietnam family tour is that the rooms and the rhythm matter more than the sights. Teenagers need their own space at night and something to do with their hands every day; parents need one afternoon off in each base. The route below is built on those two needs.
Vietnam family tour: my sample 14-day route
Thirteen nights: three in Hanoi, two in Sapa, two on the bay, four in Hoi An and two in Ho Chi Minh City. Two domestic flights; the rest is by private car with your own guide.
| Day | Where | What we do | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi | Arrive; easy walk through the Old Quarter and its markets | Hanoi |
| 2 | Hanoi | Ho Chi Minh Complex and Temple of Literature; water puppet show in the evening | Hanoi |
| 3 | Sapa | About four hours by car; afternoon walk to Cat Cat village, home to Hmong families | Sapa |
| 4 | Sapa | Downhill walk through the Muong Hoa Valley to Lao Chai and Ta Van; shorter route on request | Sapa |
| 5 | Hanoi | Drive back; cyclo ride through the 36 streets of the Old Quarter | Hanoi |
| 6 | Lan Ha Bay | Private car to Tuan Chau; board a family-friendly ship, lunch, caves by rowing boat or kayak | Cruise |
| 7 | Lan Ha Bay | A full day on the water: swimming, kayaking, squid fishing in the evening | Cruise |
| 8 | Bay to Hoi An | Tai chi at sunrise, car to Hanoi airport, afternoon flight to Da Nang | Hoi An |
| 9 | Hoi An | My Son sanctuary in the morning; free afternoon at the pool | Hoi An |
| 10 | Hoi An | Early old-town walk, then a lantern-making or pottery workshop | Hoi An |
| 11 | Hoi An | Free day: beach, cooking class or bicycles through the rice fields | Hoi An |
| 12 | Ho Chi Minh City | Flight from Da Nang; Reunification Palace, Opera House, Central Post Office | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 13 | Mekong Delta | Day trip to Ben Tre: motorboat on the river, fruit farms, coconut workshops | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 14 | Departure | Optional Cu Chi Tunnels morning if your flight is late; airport transfer | — |
It follows the shape of Metta Voyage’s 14-day family tour, with a second night on the bay instead of the beach days at the end. If you would like Angkor as well, the published 14-day Vietnam and Cambodia family tour ends in Siem Reap, and my own version is the Vietnam and Cambodia route.
Price from
A 14-day private family tour is from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing at 4★, so from 1,960 USD per person, confirmed in your written quote. Most families travel as four, which brings the rate to from 133 USD per person per day.
| Trip | Per person per day | Per person, whole trip |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days, 2 travellers | from 140 USD | from 1,960 USD |
| 14 days, group of 4 (−5%) | from 133 USD | from 1,862 USD |
| 14 days, group of 6 (−8%) | from 128.80 USD | from 1,803.20 USD |
Rates are per person; your quote shows the figure for each traveller and the room set-up at each stop. How the group discount works for families and friends travelling together is in groups of four and six.
Domestic flights are not included; we quote them separately once your dates are fixed. Payment is a 30% deposit, with the balance due 45 days before arrival, plus a non-refundable 100 USD per traveller holding fee (kept even if you cancel early), separate from the 30% deposit; your quote shows how it is applied to the final invoice. Card payments carry a 3.5% fee.
Where I’d stay
For each stop I choose one of three set-ups: connecting rooms, a family villa, or a family suite on a ship. The details are in how I book family rooms.
- Hanoi and Sapa. A central 4–5★ hotel with connecting rooms, named in your quote.
- Lan Ha Bay. Capella Cruise has two family suites that sleep five, interconnecting suites, a rooftop pool with jacuzzi and an inflatable waterslide. For larger families, Paradise Grand has 39 cabins with balconies and runs a two-night program.
- Hoi An. NHAAN Resort & Spa Hoi An has 19 pairs of connecting rooms and on-site pottery, lantern-making and woodcarving workshops. Four Seasons The Nam Hai has eight family villas, multi-bedroom pool villas and a family pool alongside an adults-only quiet pool.
- Ho Chi Minh City. A central 4–5★ hotel with connecting rooms, named in your quote.
Why private, and how I’d adjust it
A private guide can turn a temple visit into a story for a fourteen-year-old, or cut it short when attention fades. In our experience, families enjoy Vietnam most when each day has one fixed activity and the rest is left open.
- Younger teens. Keep the Sapa walk short and add a cooking class; our guides know the shorter village paths.
- Older teens. Add a bicycle day around Hoi An or a longer walk in the valley. Ideas are in keeping teenagers engaged.
- Three generations. Swap Sapa for Ninh Binh, which is flatter, and book a multi-bedroom villa in Hoi An.
- A beach ending. Add three nights at a Da Nang resort such as InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula, which includes the Planet Trekkers kids’ club for guests.
- School holidays. We recommend booking ships and family villas well ahead for the busy holiday weeks.
Mistakes I see most often
- One room with extra beds for three weeks. Teenagers need a door that closes.
- A museum or temple every morning. One a day is plenty.
- Night trains with tired children; a daytime drive to Sapa is calmer.
- Leaving family suites on the ship until the last minute; there are only a few on each boat.
Sources
Vietnam National Authority of Tourism – Weather and climate
Checked and updated 11 November 2026. — David, for The Metta Voyage team.
Questions about this trip
How much does a private Vietnam family tour cost?
From 140 USD per person per day for two travellers at 4★, so 14 days is from 1,960 USD per person, confirmed in your written quote. A family of four pays from 133 USD per person per day; domestic flights are quoted separately.
How long should a family trip to Vietnam be?
Fourteen days works well for families with teenagers: enough for the north, the bay, Hoi An and the south with a free afternoon in each base. With ten days we leave out Sapa or the south.
When is the best time to travel to Vietnam with children?
It depends on your school holidays and on the region, because the north, centre and south have different weather in the same month. Our team checks your dates and adjusts the route order or the beach stay to suit.
Are domestic flights included?
No. This route has two domestic flights, Hanoi to Da Nang and Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, and they are quoted separately.
Can you change the route for our family?
Yes. We change the walks, the activities, the room set-up and the number of nights to suit your children's ages and interests, and confirm it all in a written quote.
