If you ask my family of five where our favorite vacation of all time has been, I have no doubt that we’d all give you the same answer:
Vietnam.
We loved Vietnam so much more than we ever expected to, and we still talk about the trip all the time. In fact, we loved it enough that we can’t wait to go back.
This was also a pretty big trip for my kids. It was their first international flight and their first flight longer than three hours. And, that flight was a doozy, but the second we landed in Saigon, we knew it was worth it.
We spent 15 days traveling through Vietnam with our three kids, visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba Island and Hanoi.
And we did it without spending a fortune.
Our total cost for five people was $4,373.44, or about $58.32 per person per day.
Here’s exactly where we went, what we did, what we loved, and what our Vietnam family trip actually cost.
Our 15-Day Vietnam Family Itinerary
Our route took us from the south to the north:
Ho Chi Minh City > flight to Hoi An > train to Ninh Binh > van to Ha Long Bay > car to Cat Ba Island > bus to Hanoi
It was a busy two weeks, but it gave us a great mix of cities, history, beaches, nature, food and some pretty unforgettable experiences.
And yes, we moved around quite a bit, but that’s one of the things we loved about Vietnam. There was always something completely different waiting for us around the next corner.
Ho Chi Minh City- 2 Nights
We flew into Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, and spent our first two nights there.
After that long flight, I wasn’t sure how we’d feel about jumping right into exploring, but we were actually very excited. Ho Chi Minh City is vibrant, busy and full of life, and the people we met were incredibly kind and caring.
Did We Feel Safe Traveling in Vietnam With Kids?
This is probably the first question people ask when I tell them we took our three kids to Vietnam.
Yes, absolutely. We felt very comfortable traveling through Vietnam as a family.
In fact, there were times when we felt safer there than we do at home in the United States.
Of course, normal travel precautions still apply, but overall, safety was not a concern for us.
What We Did in Ho Chi Minh City
We only had two nights, but we packed quite a bit into them.
Some of our favorite stops included:
- War Remnants Museum– This is a must-do, although I’d recommend considering your children’s ages and interests before visiting. It is heavy and sad.
- Independence Palace
- The Cafe Apartments– because obviously we had to have Vietnamese coffee! Oh, the coffee!
- King Koi Cafe– The kids loved feeding the fish and having lunch here.
- Manicures for the girls– One of their favorite experiences! The manicures were such a fun little luxury for my tween girls. It’s not something they typically get to do at home, so getting inexpensive manicures in Vietnam felt like a special treat.
Hoi An- 3 Nights
From Ho Chi Minh City, we flew to Da Nang and transferred to Hoi An, where we spent three nights.
We walked around the city just exploring and drank approximately eleventy billion cups of coffee. We just tried to soak it all in.
What We Did in Hoi An
We visited My Son Sanctuary, which was fascinating. Just make sure you dress appropriately- you’ll want your knees and shoulders covered.
We also:
- Took a lantern boat ride
- Spent time at the beach
- Enjoyed several spa treatments
- Explored Hoi An’s Old Town
- Ate at Banh Mi Queen- so delicious!
The lantern boat was definitely touristy, but touristy things are usually touristy for a reason.
A Surprisingly Great Hoi An Travel Tip
If you wear prescription glasses, consider stopping at an optical shop while you’re in Hoi An.
My daughter got prescription sunglasses, and they were much less expensive than they would have been at home. It was one of those unexpected travel wins, and next time we’ll all take advantage of this travel perk!
The Overnight Train to Ninh Binh
Next came one of the experiences my family still talks about today: The overnight train from Da Nang to Ninh Binh.
Because we’re a family of five, we couldn’t simply book one private sleeper compartment. Instead, we reserved two private sleeper rooms- one two-person room and one four-person room.
The total cost was $493.55.
Was that more than we’d normally spend on transportation? Absolutely.
Was it worth it? Also absolutely.
This is one of those travel experiences that becomes part of the story, and we’d happily do it again.
Ninh Binh — 2 Nights
If you’ve never heard of Ninh Binh, put it on your list.
Ninh Binh is beautiful.
Actually, beautiful doesn’t do it justice.
We spent two nights here and loved the slower pace after our time in the cities.
We:
- Explored Hoa Lu Old Town
- Took the Trang An boat tour
- Rode bicycles around the area
- Paddleboarded
- Swam at our homestay
- Ate delicious local food
- Enjoyed the INCREDIBLE scenery
The limestone mountains, rivers and greenery make Ninh Binh feel completely different from the cities we’d just visited.
Ha Long Bay- 3 Days, 2 Nights
From Ninh Binh, we hired a van to take us to the Ha Long Bay cruise port, where we boarded the Erina for a three-day, two-night cruise.
At $1,342.57, this was definitely a splurge for our family.
But once again…
Worth every penny.
A Ha Long Bay cruise had been one of the experiences I really wanted our family to have, and it did not disappoint.
During the cruise, we got to:
- Kayak
- Swim
- Squid fish
- Bicycle
- Take a boat tour
- Explore the incredible scenery around Ha Long Bay
- And so much more!
It was one of those experiences where we kept looking at each other thinking, Are we really here?
I’ve also included our Ha Long Bay cruise in my list of 10 bucket-list experiences my kids want your kids to experience, if you want to read more about it.
Cat Ba Island- 1 Night
After the cruise, we spent one night on Cat Ba Island.
We took a tour of Hospital Cave, which was incredibly interesting and definitely something I’d recommend adding to your itinerary.
We also:
- Swam at the homestay pool
- Visited the beach
- Ate an amazing meal at a local homestay
- Walked around Cat Ba Town
Our visit to Hospital Cave made this stop worth it, but this is one place that I probably would not revisit.
The locals seemed a little less welcoming, and the beach was too dirty to swim. In fact, there was a dead dog floating in the water. Of course it happens, but it’s hard to witness when you’re a kid.
Hanoi- 3 Nights
Finally, we took a short ferry ride and then the Cat Ba Express to Hanoi, where we spent our final three nights.
By this point, we’d already fallen completely in love with Vietnam, and Hanoi was the perfect place to end our trip.
We did some of the more typical tourist activities, including:
- Watching a Water Puppet Show
- Visiting the Old Quarter
- Walking around Beer Street
- The Note Cafe
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- Getting coffee at Railway Cafe on Train Street
- Eating. A LOT.
Vietnamese food was easily one of the highlights of the entire trip. And did I mention the coffee?!
Our Favorite Hanoi Memories
Some of my favorite memories from Hanoi weren’t even the big tourist attractions.
My daughter wanted to go to a photo booth. I really, really did not, but we went anyway.
And now I’m so thankful we have those photos. Those are the moments I know I’ll treasure years from now.
And then there was the Harry Potter Cafe.
We went multiple times because my kids thought it was great.
Honestly, I wasn’t going to argue.
So, How Much Did Our Family of Five Spend in Vietnam?
This is the part I know I would want to read before planning a family trip to Vietnam.
We spent $4,373.44 total for five people over 15 days.
That works out to approximately:
$291.56 per day for our family of five
or
$58.32 per person per day.
And that number includes every cent we spent while we were in Vietnam.
Even the 76-cent bottles of water.
Because if I’m going to tell you what it really cost our family to travel through Vietnam, I’m going to give you the real number.
What Isn’t Included?
Our international flights to and from the United States are not included in that $4,373.44.
We paid for most of our international airfare with points, so including the cash value of those flights wouldn’t accurately represent what we actually paid.
Everything else? Included.
Transportation. Hotels. Food. Activities. Little treats. Drinks. Random purchases. All of it.
I love keeping track of our travel spending so I can show others what it looks like, but more importantly, it keeps me on budget.
It’s one thing to read that Vietnam is an inexpensive country to visit.
It’s another thing to see what a real family of five actually spent.
Was Vietnam Worth It for Our Family?
Without question.
Vietnam was one of those trips where we arrived not really knowing what to expect and left already talking about when we could come back.
Our kids got to experience a completely different culture, try new foods, ride an overnight train, cruise through Ha Long Bay, explore ancient ruins, swim at beaches, ride bicycles through the countryside and drink approximately a million cups of coffee.
And we got to experience all of it together.
Would We Go Back to Vietnam?
In a heartbeat.
We spent 15 days in Vietnam, but could have stayed so much longer. There is still so much of the country we haven’t seen.
For a family that wasn’t sure what to expect from traveling to Vietnam with three kids, we came home with a new favorite vacation. And hopefully, someday soon, we’ll get to do it all over again.
Five people. Fifteen days. Six stops. One unforgettable adventure.
And yes…
We’d go back tomorrow.
This post contains affiliate links. If you book or purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of Always Take the Kids!
One comment