Quick answer
How long: plan at least two weeks – 12–15 days covers the north, centre and south and makes the long flight worthwhile. Flights: the only nonstop is Vietnam Airlines San Francisco–Ho Chi Minh City (about 16 hours 20 minutes); from other US cities you fly one stop via Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong.
Price: our 14-day North to South private tour starts from US$2,014 per person for the whole tour, based on 2 travellers sharing in 4★ hotels; the final price is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
Talk to us from the US: +1 929 491 2828 (call or WhatsApp) or WhatsApp our 24/7 team in Vietnam on +84 812 247 572.
Price as listed on the tour page, checked 26 October 2026. Flight times: schedules change, so check with the airline.
Vietnam is a long way from home, and that is exactly why the planning matters. Get the flights, the season and the paperwork right, and the first morning in Hanoi feels like the start of a vacation rather than the end of an ordeal. Here is what American travelers need to know, checked in October 2026.
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Flights | One nonstop: Vietnam Airlines San Francisco–Ho Chi Minh City. From other US cities, one stop via Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong. |
| Flight time | About 16 hours 20 minutes nonstop from San Francisco; roughly 16–20 hours in total from the West Coast and 20–26 hours from the East Coast and Midwest, including the connection. |
| Time difference | Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of New York in winter (11 in summer), 13/12 ahead of Chicago and Houston, 15/14 ahead of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Vietnam has no daylight saving time. |
| Visa | US citizens need a visa: the official e-visa from evisa.gov.vn, valid up to 90 days. |
| Currency | Vietnamese dong (VND). Check xe.com for today's USD rate. |
| Plugs | Most sockets take US Type A flat pins; voltage is 220 V, so 120 V-only appliances need a converter. |
| Best months | Spring (March–April) and fall (October–November) suit a full north-to-south trip; December–March is the dry season in the south. |
| Our US hotline | +1 929 491 2828 (call or WhatsApp) · [email protected] |
Bay Area travelers have the easiest start in the country. Vietnam Airlines flies nonstop from SFO to Ho Chi Minh City – the only nonstop between Vietnam and North America – with an average flight time of about 16 hours 20 minutes. The flight leaves late in the evening and, because you cross the date line, you land two calendar days later by the clock. Check the current days of operation on the airline's site before you lock in your dates.
Our tip: fly in nonstop to Ho Chi Minh City, travel north at an easy pace, and fly home from Hanoi with one stop in Tokyo, Seoul or Taipei. Starting in the warm south also eases you into the trip; the cooler north comes later, when you have found your rhythm.
From LAX, the reliable choices are one-stop itineraries via Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong or Manila, with total journey times of roughly 16–20 hours. Some Southern California travelers prefer a short hop up to San Francisco to catch the Vietnam Airlines nonstop – worth comparing if you value one long flight over two shorter ones.
Our tip: on a one-stop ticket, book an "open-jaw" – into Hanoi, home from Ho Chi Minh City (or the reverse). It saves a full day of backtracking inside Vietnam.
From JFK or Newark there is no nonstop, so expect one connection and roughly 20–24 hours door to gate. The smoothest routings go west over the Pacific via Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong. Routings via Istanbul are another option; Gulf hubs such as Doha and Dubai have had repeated airspace disruption in 2026, so treat them as subject to current schedules.
Our tip: with Vietnam 11–12 hours ahead, East Coast travelers arrive close to a full day-night flip. We keep your first day in Hanoi deliberately light – a late breakfast, a gentle walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, an early dinner – and save the big sightseeing for day two.
From O'Hare, one-stop connections via Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong take roughly 20–23 hours in total. Midwestern travelers often find the Asian stopover a useful break: a night in Tokyo or Taipei on the way out turns a punishing day into two manageable ones.
Our tip: if you are traveling during Chicago's winter, pack for two climates. Hanoi and the north are cool from December to February (a light sweater and jacket in the evenings), while Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta stay warm.
Vietnam is long and narrow, with different weather in the north, center and south, so there is always a region in good shape. The trick is matching your vacation dates to the right route. Our month-by-month guide goes into detail; here is how the main US holiday windows line up.
Visa. US citizens are not on Vietnam's visa-exemption lists, so you need a visa. Apply for the official e-visa only at evisa.gov.vn: up to 90 days, with a government fee of US$25 for single entry or US$50 for multiple entry, and about three working days to process. If you plan to pop over to Cambodia and come back into Vietnam, choose multiple entry. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond arrival with blank pages. Our e-visa guide walks through each step.
Money. The currency is the Vietnamese dong; check xe.com for the current dollar rate. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted at 4–5★ hotels and upscale restaurants. Keep some dong in small notes for markets, small-town cafés and tips; ATMs are easy to find in the cities, though withdrawal limits and fees vary by bank.
Power. Good news for American plugs: most Vietnamese outlets accept two flat pins (Type A), and many also take round pins. The voltage is 220 V, 50 Hz, so check your chargers – phone and laptop chargers marked 100–240 V are fine; a 120 V-only hair dryer or straightener needs a converter. Some sockets are ungrounded, so a three-prong plug may need an adapter.
Time. US daylight saving time ends on November 1, 2026 and returns on March 14, 2027 (timeanddate.com); Vietnam stays on UTC+7 all year. Our team answers overnight your time, so replies are usually waiting when you wake up.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City from 2027. The city's new Long Thanh International Airport (LTH) is expected to take long-haul flights from 2027 – check which Ho Chi Minh City airport is on your ticket (Tan Son Nhat, SGN, or Long Thanh, LTH). We adjust your transfer either way.

In our experience as trip planners, travelers flying in from the US rarely want a whistle-stop tour. After a flight this long, 14 days is a sensible minimum and 16–20 days lets you add Cambodia or Laos without rushing. Private guides make a real difference here: a historian's walk through Hanoi, a street-food evening with someone who knows which stall makes the best bun cha, and visits to war-history sites such as the Cu Chi Tunnels explained with care and context rather than spectacle.
Prices are the "from" prices listed on each tour page; tour-page prices are based on 2 travelers sharing unless noted, and your final price is confirmed for your dates. International flights are not included. Every trip is private and can be reshaped around your pace, hotels and interests.

Ready to start? Call or WhatsApp our US number +1 929 491 2828 – no international dialing – or email [email protected]. Tell us your dates, your home airport and who is traveling, and we will get you a free tailor-made itinerary.
Flight, visa and holiday information checked October 2026. Airline schedules and entry rules change – confirm before booking. Sources: Vietnam Airlines (SFO–SGN) · Vietnam e-visa portal · NYC Public Schools calendar · US federal holidays · Long Thanh Airport (VnEconomy) · WorldStandards (plugs).
Yuri Tokiwa
Wonderful Jeep Tour in Cam Tin!
...It was a magical afternoon indeed! We did so much – we visited an incredible 200-year-old wooden house where the owner, an 84-year-old wood carver recognized by the Government of Vietnam for his contributions, welcomed us with open arms and shared his amazing home full of generations of history... Everyone we met in the Hoi An countryside greeted us with such warmth and hospitality—it truly touched our hearts...
Brian Spickett
Total confidence
We booked a tour through a U.K. operator and Metta Voyage was out Asia based travel guide. The guides supplied the trip organisation was truest brilliant. Best of all was our total confidence in our Asia contact Quynh Nguyen when we posed a question or needed clarification the response was almost immediate. Fantastic service.
Steven N
Brilliant fantastic and such well organised holiday.
We have just returned from a trip covering Hanoi / ha long bay (1 day) / mai chau / siem reap and hoi an over a 2 week period and have had a truly amazing time. Quynh Nguyen has been brilliant - always sending reminders before of pick ups and asking after each how it went. Day trips and tours were all included and transfers. Everything went 100% well. Having a 2 year old boy gave us some concerns at the amount of travelling about but it all went so well!! I can’t recommend them enough.
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Private 4–5★ journeys with your own guide and driver, run by our team in Hanoi since 2019 · Tripadvisor 4.9/5 · licensed international tour operator.


The short version: fly nonstop from San Francisco or one stop from anywhere else, pay in US dollars to our account in the United States, and call us on a US number. Here is how that works in practice, updated 26 October 2026.
| From | How you fly (as of 26 October 2026) | Time |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (SFO) | Vietnam Airlines nonstop to Ho Chi Minh City – the only nonstop between the US and Vietnam | about 16 h 20 min |
| Los Angeles, Seattle | One stop via Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul or Hong Kong | about 17–20 h in total |
| New York, Chicago, Houston, Washington | One stop via Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong (or via San Francisco) | about 20–26 h in total |
Sources: Vietnam Airlines (SFO–SGN). Schedules change – confirm with the airline before you book.
Our consultants work from Hanoi, 08:30–18:00 Vietnam time (UTC+7), Monday to Saturday. Messages that arrive outside those hours are answered the next Vietnam morning. Once you are travelling, our on-tour line +84 812 247 572 is answered 24/7.
| Where you are | Vietnam is… | Our Hanoi office hours (08:30–18:00 Vietnam time) in your time |
|---|---|---|
| New York, Boston, Miami (ET) | 12 h ahead | 20:30 the evening before – 06:00 |
| Chicago, Houston, Dallas (CT) | 13 h ahead | 19:30 the evening before – 05:00 |
| Denver (MT) | 14 h ahead | 18:30 the evening before – 04:00 |
| Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle (PT) | 15 h ahead | 17:30 the evening before – 03:00 |
Times from 1 November 2026, when US daylight saving time ends. From 14 March 2027 Vietnam is one hour less ahead. In practice: message us after dinner and the reply is often there before you go to bed or when you wake up.
Call or WhatsApp our US number +1 929 491 2828 – no international dialing – or our 24/7 team in Vietnam on +84 812 247 572.
You can pay your deposit and balance in US dollars by ACH transfer or domestic wire from any US bank account – no international wire and no overseas transfer fees from your bank.
| Account name | METTA VOYAGES COMPANY LIMITED |
|---|---|
| Bank | Community Federal Savings Bank (United States) |
| Account number | 8485287649 |
| ACH routing number | 026073150 |
| Fedwire routing number | 026073008 |
| SWIFT | CMFGUS33 |
Payment reference: your name and booking number. Payment terms: 30% deposit to confirm, balance 45 days before arrival. A small currency-handling fee may apply – your consultant confirms the exact amount before you pay.
Before you transfer: call or WhatsApp your consultant to confirm these details. Fraudsters sometimes send fake emails with changed bank details; we never change our bank details by email alone. The account holder is always our company, METTA VOYAGES COMPANY LIMITED.
US citizens need a visa. Apply for the official e-visa only at evisa.gov.vn (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry; government fee US$25 or US$50), ideally two to three weeks before you fly, and read the US State Department’s Vietnam page before you go. Checked 26 October 2026; rules can change, so check again before you fly.
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy-aware meals are arranged on request: we brief every hotel, cruise and restaurant on your list before you arrive. Tell us about any allergy in writing so your guide carries a note in Vietnamese.
Prices are the “from” prices on each tour page on 26 October 2026, per person, based on 2 travellers sharing in 4★ hotels (5★ on request), excluding international flights; your final price is confirmed in your tailor-made quote. Itineraries open in a new tab.
“It was amazing unforgettable organized full of activities special thanks to Emma who organized my tour.”
5★ review on Tripadvisor, September 2026 (read it on Tripadvisor). Metta Voyage is rated 4.9/5 on Tripadvisor, with 2,000+ international bookings for 10,100+ travellers. We only quote reviews you can check at the source; this is the most recent one we could verify when we updated this page.
Yes. You can pay by ACH transfer or domestic wire to our company account in the United States (Community Federal Savings Bank). Confirm the details with your consultant by phone or WhatsApp before you transfer.
Yes, one: Vietnam Airlines flies nonstop from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City in about 16 hours 20 minutes (as of 26 October 2026). From other US cities you fly one stop via an Asian hub.
Yes. Apply for the official e-visa at evisa.gov.vn: up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, government fee US$25 or US$50.
Our Hanoi office is open 08:30–18:00 Vietnam time, which is the evening and night before on the US East Coast and the late afternoon and night on the West Coast. You can also call or WhatsApp our US number +1 929 491 2828; on tour, our line +84 812 247 572 is answered 24/7.
Our 14-day North to South private tour starts from US$2,014 per person, based on 2 travellers sharing in 4★ hotels, excluding international flights. The final price is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
Call or WhatsApp our US number +1 929 491 2828 – no international dialing – or our 24/7 team in Vietnam on +84 812 247 572. A travel consultant replies within 24 hours with a day-by-day plan and a full price.
Plan further: Best time to visit Vietnam · All private Vietnam tours · Why book with a licensed local operator · Other countries
Updated 26 October 2026 by the Metta Voyage team in Hanoi (licence 01-1167/2023/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT, verify).
A Hanoi-based DMC running long, private 4–5★ journeys across Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, for travellers and for the agencies who send them.
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Licensed by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism · International Tour Operator Licence No. 01-1167/2023/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT (verify on the national register) · Tax code 0109041780
Head office: 2nd Floor, Trung Yen 1 Building, Trung Yen Urban Area, Cau Giay, Hanoi · Hanoi office: 132 Quan Thanh Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi · HCMC office: 358/21 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 11, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
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