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FAQ
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Our tours grew out of Vespa road adventures we used to embark on ourselves from Saigon. We've long known that it's impossible to truly experience a place - its culture, its geography, its smells and tastes, and most of all its people - from behind the dirty windows of a crowded bus, stopping only where package tours drop off gawking 'travelers' every hour of every day of the year. So we made our trips spontaneous events, believing fully that the journey is much more important than the destination. We bring that same sense of spontaneity and discovery to our tours with Vietnam Vespa Adventures - the idea of letting these trips happen to us, instead of forcing them to fit a set schedule and itinerary.
We typically spend four hours a day or less riding; the rest is open to our guests' whims and suggestions, our guide's recommendations, and to those serendipitous events and happenings that can't possibly be planned. We like to say that at Vietnam Vespa Adventures we have set destinations, but not set tours.
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Like much of the rest of Southeast Asia, Vietnam has only two seasons: wet and dry. In southern Vietnam, that means that May through October usually get an hour or two of rain every day (peaking in September). November through April, on the other hand, are typically dry and warm. The temperature is normally between 27-35 degrees (80-95 degrees Fahrenheit), regardless of the season, though in the central highlands around Dalat, it can get quite cool, especially at night.
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The HCMC half-day tour usually runs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am-12:30pm, but we can accommodate other times with a little advance notice. For the Mui Ne and Nha Trang tours, we prefer to work with our guests to arrange a departure time that best suits their travel schedule. We understand that itineraries can be tight when traveling abroad, and we do our best to work within them.
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It's a very good idea to have motorbike riding experience, even better to have driven a manual clutch before (motorbike or automobile). Before departing Saigon, we'll spend some time orienting all riders on the proper and safe operation of the Vespas. We reserve the right to qualify each rider on a Vespa for your own safety. For those guests uncomfortable with driving a vintage, manual-clutch scooter, we will happily make automatic scooters available instead. Your safety is our highest priority.
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Are the highways in Vietnam dangerous? I've heard the motorcycle traffic there is not for the faint of heart.
There are 80 million Vietnamese people in the country and approximately 40 million motorbikes. The vast majority of those riders are clustered in the big cities, which can certainly make a ride through Saigon or Hanoi a hair-raising experience. But we don't like heavy traffic any more than the next person. Our multi-day tours are well outside these high-traffic centers. And rather than taking the busy (and unsightly) Highway 1, we keep to back roads and non-commercial routes on our trips. This results in not only a much more pleasant and scenic ride but a much safer one.
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To begin with, remember that, unlike other Southeast Asia countries, in order to enter Vietnam you'll need to secure your entry visa before you arrive at the airport or border. We'll take care of just about everything you'll need on the tours. But you may wish to make sure you bring some good driving sunglasses, closed-toe shoes, jeans or cargo pants, long sleeve shirts, a light jacket for the hills, and a high SPF sunscreen.
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Helmets are required by law in Vietnam, and we provide certified, open-faced motorcycle helmets for all our guests.
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The half-day HCMC tour is 37 USD per person
The three-day Mui Ne tour is 485 USD per person or 850 USD per couple
The one-week Nha Trang tour is 1200 USD per person or 2000 USD per couple
We try to fill scheduled tours with additional travelers once a date is booked, so we may offer slightly discounted rates on existing tour dates for those guests who can be somewhat more flexible in their travel arrangements. Check our tour page for discounted rates!
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A better question might be, What doesn't the tour price include? The HCMC tour includes lunch, our road crew, drivers, and tour guide, petrol, and a full morning of pillion-style riding through greater Ho Chi Minh City and a visit to the surrounding countryside.
The Mui Ne and Nha Trang tours include two and six nights (respectively) of hotel/resort accommodation, all food and drink, our road crew and tour guide, a support van, Vespa rental, petrol and several days worth of spectacular scenery and memories to last a lifetime. (Airfare and alcohol are not included).
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A minimum 20% deposit on the total tour coast for all travelers is required at the time of your booking in order to lock in your tour date. The full balance of the tour must be paid no less than two weeks prior to the date of your arrival in Vietnam (unless you're paying in cash, in which case you may finalize payment at the time of the tour).
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What if someone in my group wants to ride pillion instead of driving their own Vespa - can you reduce the price?
Nearly all our costs on the tours go toward accommodating our guests, not the Vespas themselves, which we own. Therefore our rates, which are already a great bargain anywhere in the world, won't be reduced significantly if a guest wishes to ride only pillion with another guest. (This is true also of guests who wish to accompany a Vespa-driving partner by remaining in the support van.)
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We're happy to provide current-model automatic scooters for those who prefer a less 'vintage' option.
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All the Vespas on our tours are 1960-1970 original, collectible-quality Italian scooters. Each of these classic 150cc motorbikes has been restored to near perfection. We ride these bikes ourselves every week, and a support crew is available to repair any minor mechanical problem we may encounter.
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We usually drive for no more than four hours (roughly 120-150 km) per day. We stop often for photos, conversation, leg-stretches, drinks, road-side lunch, and almost anything interesting or unusual.
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Our tours are shadowed by a support van at all times. Guests are welcome to keep their luggage in the van while they're riding. The van's also a popular place for sunburned riders, chatty riders, tired riders, and hungover riders...
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You don't need a Vietnamese driver's license, but some form of driving license issued by your country of residence is necessary.
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All riders must have personal travel insurance, including medical evacuation insurance. (You can usually get this through your insurance broker or travel agent.) We recommend World Nomads, but you're free to choose any you like (make sure it covers motorcycling). Aside from medical care, travel insurance can protect you in the case of lost or stolen luggage and personal effects, flight cancellation, personal liability, emergency dental treatment and evacuation back to your country of residence. We also ask each guest to sign a personal liability waiver prior to riding on a scooter.
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We run our trips with a minimum of four and a maximum of eight guests (though exceptions can be made), along with our guide and crew. Tours are often comprised of more than one group, so prepare to make some new friends along the way.
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Click right here. We require a 20% deposit to lock in a group and date, payable via PayPal or any major credit card (VISA, Mastercard, American Express). The deposit is fully refundable up to two weeks before the tour if you choose to cancel for any reason. The remainder of the balance is due no later than two weeks before your arrival in Vietnam (unless you're paying with cash, in which case you can finalize payment at at the time of the tour).
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Please don't hesitate to contact us.
If you wish to speak to us in person, you can call us at:
3920 3897 (within Vietnam)
(08) 3920 3897 (if you're using a mobile phone within Vietnam)
+84 3920 3897 (outside of Vietnam)