The G Adventures Vietnam Hike, Bike & Kayak tour, it struck the perfect balance for us on our delayed honeymoon. Navigating a country where we didn’t speak the language, understand the culture, or know the logistics felt overwhelming for a delayed honeymoon trip. With this trip we’d get the adventure and cultural immersion we wanted without the stress of planning every detail ourselves. The 15-day itinerary promised active exploration through multiple regions, from the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City to the serene waters of Halong Bay, with built-in flexibility and local guides who could provide context we’d never get traveling independently.
Why G Adventures Beat the Alternatives
We wanted to have the best experience – without the hassle. We wanted a guided tour. Both of us loving exploring – from her solo hiking the Jordan Trail to me backpacking Peru and surviving Russian prison cells. We considered several options before settling on this specific trip. We had both done solo trips, thru-hikes, and I once did an REI trip. Independent travel appealed to our sense of adventure, but the logistics felt daunting for a destination neither of us had visited. Vietnam’s transportation network, language barriers, and sheer size made solo planning seem like a full-time job rather than honeymoon preparation.
Other tour companies offered Vietnam packages, but they fell into two camps we wanted to avoid: luxury tours that kept us in air-conditioned buses viewing Vietnam through glass, or budget backpacker trips that prioritized cost over experience quality. At some point you don’t want to figure out how to get into a hostel and she has a friend who motorbiked through Vietnam on his IG – we wanted to be challenged, physically, but someone to bring us to the challenge.
G Adventures struck the middle ground perfectly.
The “Hike, Bike & Kayak” focus sold us immediately. We’re both very active people who’d rather explore on foot or by bike than sit on a tour bus. The itinerary promised genuine physical engagement with the landscape – cycling through the Mekong Delta, hiking in Sapa’s rice terraces, and kayaking through Halong Bay’s limestone karsts.
What sealed the deal was G Adventures’ small group size and local guide approach – primarily, what I knew of G Adventures was this: I had been on a REI trip and was with a bunch of octogenarians, while I saw the G Adventures people heading out for hard hikes and that appealed to me. With a maximum 16 people on a tour, that meant we wouldn’t be herded around like cattle, and the use of local guides rather than foreign tour leaders suggested we’d get authentic cultural insights rather than sanitized tourist experiences.
The age demographic mattered too. G Adventures attracts active travelers in their 20s-40s rather than the retirement crowd common on other tours. I don’t want to hike with my parents (sorry mom and dad). For a honeymoon, we wanted fellow travelers who’d be up for adventures and late-night conversations over Vietnamese beer.
Getting Documentation Sorted
Vietnam requires advance visa planning for US citizens, which became our first major task. We opted for the e-visa system rather than visa-on-arrival or embassy processing. The online application required passport photos, travel itinerary, and proof of accommodations – information G Adventures provided once we booked.
Processing took about five business days, faster than the advertised 3-5 business days. The e-visa allows single entry for up to 30 days, perfect for our 15-day tour with a few extra days built in for flight delays or spontaneous extensions. When you book with G Adventures, you get your invoice, itinerary, and your voucher. Here’s the list of documents you need to have ready:
Passport expiration dates needed checking – Vietnam requires six months validity remaining. My wife’s passport had only eight months left, cutting it closer than comfortable, but we decided against renewal given the timeline.
Travel insurance became non-negotiable after researching Vietnam’s healthcare system and potential adventure activities. For years I have used Allianz World Wide at https://www.allianzworldwidepartners.com/ and they are great. The premium was reasonable. Travel insurance always seems high until you calculate potential costs for medical emergencies or trip cancellations.
Vaccinations required research and advance planning. Our travel clinic recommended Hepatitis A and B, Japanese Encephalitis, and routine boosters. I got none of them, to be candid, neither did my wife. For example, the Japanese Encephalitis series required starting six weeks before travel – I saw no reason to do this, but I’m not a doctor, so – hey, up to you.
Flight Planning and Booking
Flying from Salt Lake City to Vietnam requires accepting you’ll lose a full day to travel and gain it back returning. We chose Delta for their reliability and SkyMiles earning potential, routing through Seattle and Seoul to Ho Chi Minh City. We both had plenty of miles to upgrade to Comfort + traveling internationally and made sure we got the seats together.
The outbound routing worked well: SLC to SeaTac on a morning flight, long layover in Seattle (perfect for grabbing real food), then the 13-hour haul to Incheon. The Seoul to HCMC leg felt manageable after the Pacific crossing. A full day of travel, a lot of videos to make sure I downloaded.
Return routing proved more complex. G Adventures’ itinerary ended in Hanoi, so we flew Hanoi to Tokyo Narita, then the long Tokyo to LAX segment, finishing with LAX to SLC. To our mind, the Tokyo layover gave us a few hours to decompress before the final Pacific crossing. And, incase we got Montezuma’s Revenge, we’d have some time to re-up any medications we’d need.
We are Delta people – we live in a Delta hub, and while booking directly through Delta seemed to cost more than third-party sites, but we valued the flexibility for changes and the ability to select seats together. We upgraded to Comfort+ for the international segments – the extra legroom and priority boarding proved worth every penny on 13-hour flights.
Gear Selection Strategy
Packing for Vietnam’s diverse climates and our planned activities required strategic thinking. The country spans from tropical south to temperate north, with rainy season considerations and multiple activity types.
This is where I would find, when we got to Vietnam – I had messed up majorly. I didn’t count on the humidity. Clothing focused on lightweight, quick-dry synthetics. Here is where I made the mistake – I got some Sitka hunting pants (they got thrown in the trash once we were there) and Vouri joggers. Vietnam’s humidity makes cotton a poor choice except for casual wear in air-conditioned spaces. We packed a layer each for northern Vietnam’s cooler temperatures while keeping most items suitable for tropical heat.
Footwear became crucial given the planned hiking and biking. We both brought Bedrock sandals and she brought some sneakers and I brought my Altra Lone Peak low tops. We each brought the hiking shoes for Sapa’s mountain trails, and sandals for everything else. I’ve learned over the years, sneakers and sandals will get you through almost every instance.
Electronics required careful consideration. Voltage converters, multiple charging cables, and portable battery packs made the list. Vietnam uses Type A, C, and G outlets, so universal adapters were mandatory. We brought backup batteries for cameras given the extensive photo opportunities.
Medical kit preparation focused on digestive issues, cuts and scrapes from activities, and insect bite treatment. G Adventures gives you a big list of things to bring for medical kits, but we decided on a small kit here between the two of us. We also brought imodium, hydration salts, antiseptic wipes, and DEET-based repellent topped our list. We also brought RiptGear mosquito dots, which was a winner once we got in country. We packed one set of prescription medications in original containers with extra supplies in case of loss. And, might I add – a boatload of sunscreen. The weather – the weather is always challenging.
Rain gear couldn’t be overlooked given Vietnam’s wet season timing. Lightweight rain jackets, we each have Arcteryx rain jackets, and had pack covers protected against tropical downpours. I brought my Kuiu Daypack and she brought her Arcteryx pack. Quick-dry pants and shirts meant we could function effectively even if caught in weather.
G Adventures provided specific packing lists, but we supplemented based on our activity preferences. Cycling shorts, Nalgene water bottles, I brought 8 containers of Zyn’s, and some bandanas made our personal additions. The key was balancing preparedness with luggage weight limits.
Money and Communication Planning
Vietnam operates primarily on cash, making currency planning essential. I do NOT like bringing a lot of cash on trips – I bring enough cash to get there and then exchange in country. When I had $500 in US cash taken in Moscow for a ‘bag upgrade fee’, I decided I’d rather have $20 and figure it out. We brought US dollars for exchange rather than relying entirely on ATMs, but we ran out eventually and ended up just going to ATM’s constantly. When we researched it, most banks offered reasonable withdrawal fees, if you are penny-pinching.
Communication setup involved international phone plans and offline map downloads. I have Verizon, she has T-Mobile. Both had international coverage that worked in Vietnam. When you get in country everyone will try to sell you SIM card – you don’t need it, just make sure your phone will work. Most hotels have Wifi, so while we had the offline maps ready for Ho Chi Minh when we arrived, we didn’t need the maps after that.
We researched tipping customs, bargaining etiquette, and basic Vietnamese phrases. Reddit, much as I sometimes hate being on it, what invaluable. I spent a lot of time researching everything on Vietnam. Any question you have, it’s probably on there. While our guides would handle most interactions, showing effort to understand local customs felt respectful and enhanced our experience in the south of the country, while in the North, I was not always looked at very nicely, and she being of Chinese descent, well, we got a lot of looks north of Hanoi.
Final Preparations and Airport Departure
The night before departure, we did final gear checks and confirmed all documents were packed and accessible. Passports, printed visa confirmations, travel insurance papers, and vaccination records went into easily accessible carry-on pockets. We keep photos and docs on our phones, and a duplicate copy each, in a binder, in our bags.
We arrived at Salt Lake City International three hours early for our international departure to hang out in the lounge (lounges are worth the money on international travel). SLC is amazing for Delta – quick check-in got out luggage handled, our boarding passes were paper and digital, and our luggage came in under weight limits despite feeling overloaded.
Now, for the international flight, we made sure we had all of our snacks, our laptops full of downloads, a change of clothes to be comfortable mid-flight and for a freshening up on the layovers.
Sitting at the gate, watching our plane taxi in from its previous route, the reality hit that we were actually doing this. Vietnam had been a dream destination for years, and now we were hours away from landing in Ho Chi Minh City to begin what promised to be the adventure of a lifetime. We were still a little confused by what would happen after we landed in Ho Chi Minh City, but, we’d get through it…more on that next time.
The boarding announcement came too quickly and not quickly enough – we were ready to start our honeymoon adventure in Southeast Asia.