How to Choose a Private Tour Operator in Vietnam: 9 Checks Before You Pay

Quick answer

Before you pay a deposit to a tour company in Vietnam, check nine things: the international tour operator licence number, a real office in Vietnam, recent independent reviews, a day-by-day itinerary with named hotels, written inclusions, reasonable payment terms, 24/7 support during the trip, who your guides are, and the cancellation terms. Below is why each matters and the questions to ask.

Booking a private tour in Vietnam usually means sending money to a company you have never met, in a country you have not visited yet. Most operators are honest, but the problems we hear about from travellers who booked elsewhere are always the same: a seller with no licence who disappears, an itinerary that said “4★ hotel” and delivered something else, or extras that appear at the end. These checks take less than an hour and work for any company, including us.

Checks on the company

1. Ask for the international tour operator licence number

In Vietnam, companies that organise tours for foreign visitors must hold an international tour operator licence issued by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. A domestic licence is not enough. Ask for the number in writing, and check that the company name on the licence matches the name on your invoice and bank details. A legitimate operator will send it without hesitation. Ours is 01-1167/2023/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT.

2. Check there is a real office in Vietnam

A street address, a local phone line and staff on the ground mean someone can solve a problem the same day: a delayed flight, a hotel that is not as expected, a guide who is unwell. Some websites resell another company’s tours without any team in the country. That is not necessarily bad, but you should know who actually runs your trip and who answers the phone at 10 pm in Hoi An.

3. Read recent reviews, not only the score

Look at reviews from the last six to twelve months on independent platforms such as Tripadvisor and Trustpilot. A high score with only a handful of reviews tells you little. Read what people say about specific guides, how the company handled something that went wrong, and whether the trip matched what was promised. Replies from the company to critical reviews are also revealing: are they defensive or do they explain what they changed?

Checks on the offer

4. Get a day-by-day itinerary with hotel names before paying

“4★ hotel in Hoi An” can mean a riverside boutique hotel in the old town or a large property far from anything. A good proposal names the hotel (or two alternatives), the room type, the Halong Bay cruise and its route, the domestic flights and the rough timing of each day. If a company will not name hotels before the deposit, ask why.

5. Make sure inclusions are written down

Surprises usually come from the small items: entrance fees, domestic flights, airport transfers, meals, the guide’s language, boat tickets in Ninh Binh or the Mekong, and tips. Every one of these should be listed as included or not included in the quote. For reference, our private tours include hotels with breakfast, a private car and driver, your own guide in each region, domestic flights, cruises and entrance fees listed in the itinerary, and 24/7 support.

6. Understand the payment terms

A deposit to confirm, followed by the balance some weeks before arrival, is normal in Vietnam. Ours is 30% to confirm and the balance 45 days before arrival. Be careful with requests for 100% payment months in advance, payment to a personal bank account, or pressure to pay today to “hold” a price. Paying a licensed company’s business account, by bank transfer or card, protects you.

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Checks on the trip itself

7. Ask who supports you during the trip

You want one contact, available 24/7, who speaks your language and has the authority to change a hotel, a car or a flight while you are travelling. Ask how they can be reached (WhatsApp is the most practical) and what happens if your flight is cancelled late at night.

8. Ask about the guides

Is the guide private or shared with other travellers? Which language do they speak? Will you have a local guide in each region (Hanoi, Hoi An, Saigon), who knows the area well, or one guide travelling with you throughout? Both can work; what matters is that you know before you book.

9. Read the change and cancellation terms

Plans change. Read the terms for changing dates and for cancelling before you pay the deposit, keep a copy, and check whether your travel insurance covers cancellation. A trustworthy operator explains these terms clearly in writing.

A checklist you can copy and send to any operator

1. What is your international tour operator licence number, and is it in the same company name as my invoice?
2. Where is your office in Vietnam?
3. Which hotels and which cruise exactly, and which room types?
4. What is included and what is not?
5. What are the deposit, balance and cancellation terms?
6. Who is my 24/7 contact during the trip, and how do I reach them?
7. Are the guides private, and which language do they speak?

How Metta Voyage answers these questions

We are a Hanoi-based, licensed international tour operator (licence 01-1167/2023/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT) with our head office at Trung Yen Building 1, Cau Giay, Hanoi. Since we started we have operated more than 2,000 international bookings for 10,100+ guests, and we are rated 4.9 on Tripadvisor. Every proposal is free, arrives within 24 hours and names the hotels before you pay anything. If you want to compare, start with what a private Vietnam tour costs or our 14-day itinerary.

Written by the Metta Voyage travel team in Hanoi. Last updated October 2026. Prices are Metta Voyage’s published 2026–2027 “from” prices; your quote confirms the exact price for your dates. Photos: Metta Voyage.