All Northern Vietnam Tours & Excursions in 2026 - page 2

We had a fabulous experience with our guide Minh. What stood out most was his integrity and genuine passion for Vietnamese food and culture. Instead of simply taking us to trendy spots or places popular online or recognized by Michelin, he introduced us to eateries and dishes he truly believed represented the best of local food. Every stop felt thoughtful and authentic, and you could tell he deeply cared about sharing the real culinary soul of Vietnam with us. Beyond the amazing food, he was incredibly entertaining and engaging, bringing Vietnam’s history, culture, and people to life through his stories and conversations. This was so much more than a food tour, it felt like being shown around by a passionate local friend. Highly recommended for anyone wanting an authentic and memorable experience.

Easy 5 stars. My wife and I were paired with Kom and driver Vivi, with Danny tagging along as a trainee. All were quite knowledgeable about the route, the local flora and agriculture, and the history of the Karen people whose villages we rode through. They went the extra mile to get us a seasonal fruit we’d never heard of called longsat as well as lychee from a roadside stall on our way to the route. At one point Vivi identified some wild mangos and cut them up as trail snacks, and hunted down some mini wild bananas which we tried. The planned snacks included watermelon, bananas (full size) and grilled sticky rice with banana or sweet potato inside (great “energy bar”). Vivi followed us in the car for the whole journey and provided ice cold water/cola as needed, so a very luxurious ride by mountain biking standards. The route itself was 25km of 90% paved roads through beautiful countryside studded with fruit trees, rice paddies, livestock farms and small villages backed by lush green mountains. You definitely need to be in shape to have a good time, but not particularly good at mountain biking. It’s more of a road ride with occasional gravel, the most difficult aspects are tackling the bigger hills in the hot and humid climate, not technical biking. My wife had never mountain biked before and was able to handle it, with the periodic walking break when she got winded. Overall it was an excellent reprieve from the touristy feeling of Chiang Mai’s premier neighborhoods, a great way to experience picturesque countryside and beautiful mountain scenery while breaking a sweat, if you’re into that kind of thing.

This one day trip was really great value for money. Our guide Key was very knowledgeable and I learned heaps from him. A highlight for me was cycling around the rice paddy fields - amazing scenery! I also enjoyed the 2 hour Trang An boat ride. This tour was well organised and the bus was comfortable. I would highly recommend this day out and it is one that I will never forget.