Collette has unveiled a 12-day small-group program called Journey Through Northern Vietnam, priced from $2,999 land-only. Starting and ending in Hanoi, the tour visits Mai Chau, Ninh Binh, and UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay. Highlights range from jeep-style street-food forays and tai chi at sunrise to an overnight junk Cruise. Guests will also meet a Vietnam War veteran, learn traditional puppet artistry, and cook lunch with a local family. Departures begin in January 2026, with an optional five-night southern extension covering Ho Chi Minh City.
Key Points
- Why it matters: Adds immersive small-group Vietnam option at sub-$3 k, tapping demand for experiential Asia trips.
- 12-day Hanoi round-trip includes Mai Chau, Ninh Binh, overnight Ha Long Bay junk Cruise.
- Hands-on activities: water-puppet workshop, family Cooking Class, tai chi at dawn.
- Optional 5-night southern extension visits Ho Chi Minh City for War history and Mekong cruising.
Snapshot
Journey Through Northern Vietnam falls under Collette's Explorations style, which caps groups at 24 travelers and emphasizes local immersion. The land-only rate of $2,999 covers 24 meals, four-star lodging, internal transfers, and the services of a Vietnamese guide plus a Collette tour manager. Collette includes a night in a Mai Chau eco-lodge, a bamboo-rafting excursion in Ninh Binh's Tam Coc Valley, and deluxe cabins on an Indochinese junk gliding through Ha Long Bay. In Hanoi, guests ride open-air Soviet-era jeeps through the Old Quarter to sample bún chả, egg coffee, and other staples. Daily pacing balances cultural visits with free time, and luggage handling is included.
Background
Vietnam has climbed steadily on American travelers' wish lists since the country reopened fully in 2022, with U.S. arrivals up 27 percent year-over-year by May 2025, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Yet first-timers often combine the north and south in one rush; Collette's product team instead slowed the pace and focused on the north's karst landscapes and deep-rooted cultural traditions. The itinerary dovetails with the operator's responsible-travel framework, directing revenue to community-run homestays in Mai Chau and supporting Tràng An's UNESCO conservation fund through entrance fees. Diana Ditto, vice-president of product marketing and growth strategy, said her team worked closely with local NGOs to avoid Overtourism pinch points and to feature voices such as a Hanoi War veteran who guides guests through Hoa Lo Prison. The program launches as Collette celebrates 107 years of guided travel.
Latest Developments
Hands-On Encounters Replace Passive Sightseeing
Collette says the tour replaces passive bus viewing with participatory moments designed to deepen cultural exchange. Guests visit the private studio of Phan Thanh Liên, one of northern Vietnam's last master water-puppetry artists, to carve and paint a miniature marionette before watching an intimate performance. In Mai Chau, travelers join White Thai villagers in preparing sticky-rice dishes over open flames, then dine in a stilt-house as elders share folklore accompanied by bamboo mouth organs. An open-air jeep ride through Hanoi's Old Quarter doubles as a progressive lunch, each stop revealing another layer of the city's culinary tapestry. At dawn on Ha Long Bay, a tai-chi master leads exercises on the sun deck while fishermen in coracles glide past limestone peaks.
2026 Departures Open, $2,999 Introductory Fare
Departures for Journey Through Northern Vietnam begin January 8 2026 and run twice monthly through April before resuming in autumn, ensuring milder weather and fewer domestic-holiday crowds. Collette is holding the introductory land price at $2,999 for bookings made by December 31 2025, guaranteed regardless of currency swings. Airfare can be added from major U.S. gateways, with Boston and Los Angeles showing lead add-ons of roughly $1,050, including internal Vietnam flights. The five-night Southern Vietnam extension, priced from $1,599, covers Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi tunnels, the Mekong Delta, and a Saigon rooftop cocktail class. A no-risk deposit policy allows cancellations for a full refund up to 60 days before departure.
Analysis
Collette's decision to spotlight northern Vietnam in a stand-alone itinerary signals growing confidence that American travelers are willing to trade bucket-list breadth for richer local engagement. Rival operators such as G Adventures, Intrepid, and Trafalgar sell Vietnam programs, yet most compress the Hanoi-Ha Long-Hue-Ho Chi Minh City trajectory into 13 days, leaving little time for off-radar enclaves. By carving out Mai Chau and dedicating an entire day to the Tràng An Grottoes, Collette positions the package against adventure brands while retaining the creature comforts-porterage, four-star hotels, air-conditioned coaches-that its 55-plus core audience expects.
Pricewise, the $2,999 launch fare is competitive: Intrepid's 12-day Premium Vietnam starts at $3,355, and Trafalgar's 15-day Highlights of Vietnam lists at $3,595 before flights. Collette also exempts single travelers from supplements on the first three 2026 departures, an attractive perk as solo bookings climb across the industry.
Sustainability emerges as a differentiator. Collette promises carbon offsetting and community-owned accommodations on every Explorations tour by 2027. Partnering with the Tràng An landscape complex, a UNESCO model for public-private conservation, adds credibility and aligns with U.S. interest in giving back. The optional southern extension lets time-rich guests tick war-era sites without forcing the core group to sprint south, strengthening Collette's Asia portfolio at a moment when cultural depth is overtaking speed as the new travel luxury.
Final Thoughts
With competitive pricing, immersive experiences, and meaningful community engagement, Collette's newest Explorations entry ticks the boxes that drive American interest in Asia. The itinerary leaves room for spontaneity yet wraps logistics in the operator's trademark hand-holding, appealing to travelers who want depth without DIY hassles. Bookings are now open through travel advisors and Collette's website. If demand holds, the program could become a blueprint for small-group Tours that trade mileage for meaning-proof that less really can deliver more on the Journey Through Northern Vietnam.