6 day tour in Da Nang/ Hoi An/ Hue
My family and I spent 8 days in Da Nang. Altogether there was 4 of us. Xuan Tu organized a 6 day itinerary for us, and 2 free days for us to do our own thing. On our first day they had someone to come to the airport to pick us up and drop us off at the hotel. Later on in the afternoon we started our evening food tour around Da Nang. My and 3 other team members came to pick us up at the hotel and we each got on a scooter and began our tour. We stopped at 4 places trying foods such as banh mi, Vietnamese pancakes, rice flour dishes and dessert. They then took us to the night market, where we had a chance to buy souvenirs and food, the dragon bridge and merdragon statue. The highlight was definitely riding on the scooter and being able to see the Da Nang night view and lights, while feeling the buzz as many other scooters pass you. Day 2 was a full day tour in Hoi An. We visited local families that made rice paper/noodles and bamboo mats. We were able to try making them ourselves and it was a very enjoyable experience as we were able to learn more about their culture and understand their hardships. We made our own rice paper/noodle and ate it afterwards. What I also liked about Xuan Tu’s company is that instead of visiting commercial places like the silk village and pottery village, we are visiting rural families, and a part of our money that is paid for the tour is given to these families as a way to help them. We were able to stop by at some shops to make a customized leather jacket and backpack and they did not make us feel rushed for time. Our tour guide, Lam, also helped us negotiate with the seller so that we would be paying a fair price. We also stopped for a brief lantern workshop even though I had suggested it last minute. Though we felt it was a bit rushed as the ladies were wanting to close up the shop so we were only there for maybe 20min. At night we visited the Japanese bridge and set some paper lanterns onto the river. Day 3 we visited the marble mountain and Bana Hills. We arrived in Bana Hills at around 1pm and left at after 7pm. We were on the cable car and visited the Golden Bridge, the gardens, French village and the amusement centres. We paid 750,000vnd for the entry ticket, but didn’t realize that it included unlimited rides and games in the amusement area until near the end of the day. There is a luge we went on once which we enjoyed very much. If we had time we would have loved to go on it a few more times. If you enjoy amusements and games I would suggest spending a full day at Bana Hills to make the most of the ticket. We saw videos on their TV of live performances within the area but we were not able to watch any ourselves. Also, Vietnamese working hours can be a bit casual, so you might find them closing earlier than the actual time stated if it gets quiet. If you wish to visit everything including the pagoda, Debay Cellar, Fantasy Park, Try Vu tea corner and Spiritual zone at a comfortable pace, come earlier. For the price of the ticket it would have been nice to be able to see everything. By the time we rode the cable car (about 20min one way) and queuing for the rides and the luge, we did not spend too much time around the whole area. However, we did find it helpful to come with a tour guide as there are multiple cable car stations and various levels. I think we would have spent some time getting lost if we had came by ourselves. Our tour guide did not rush us when we wanted to spend some more time at the amusements. It was not as busy when we arrived in the afternoon, which was their plan, however, that also meant that we lost a lot of time that could have been spent around the rest of Bana Hills. Day 5 we had a full day tour in Hue. Lam was very knowledgeable of the history behind it so we found it very interesting. We also made a stop at the Hai Van pass along the way to take beautiful pictures of the mountain view. Day 6 we returned to Hoi An for a basket boat tour along the river which we thoroughly enjoyed. Afterwards we got to meet a farmer and his buffalo and he allowed us to ride it. We then went to visit My Son late afternoon, which was great as it was less busy and less hot. Day 7 they had a driver to come pick us up and drop us off at Nui Than Tai, which we spent around 7hrs there. The driver had waited for us the whole day and only came to collect us at the entrance when we told him we were finished. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our trip in Vietnam with the help of Xuan Tu and her team. We were able to travel at our own pace and in comfort. Our tour guide Lam was very knowledgeable of the history of the architecture, great company and made sure we had a relaxed trip. For lunch each day we were able to try the local area’s delicacy such as the Hoi An banh mi, Cao Lau, Hue’s Bun Bo noodles, the best place for Quang noodles, and even salty coffee in Hue. Other tours would have you eat a buffet of generic European/Vietnamese food that tasted mediocre, but we loved that we were eating food that local Vietnamese would normally eat, which tasted delicious. On top of that, Lam went
My Son and Hoi An
We wanted to see My Son and the lanterns in Hoi An on the same day. Xuan Tu set up an itinerary for us and her colleague, My, met us at the hotel just before noon. My is a sweet young lady and a wonderful guide. She asked for our food preference and took us to a nearby restaurant for a quick lunch before the one hour’s drive to My Son. We knew it would be hot but luckily there was a mild breeze. We watched a music and dance performance and toured part of the UNESCO site. My told us the history and took many pictures for us. We left for Hoi An around 3:30 and spent quite a bit of time touring the old town. It was more crowded than we thought but My always managed to find a quieter spot to explain things and take more pics. She knew we wanted to try banh mi and took us to a branch of the stall which was made famous by Anthony Bourdain’s visit. The banh mi was really good! My also helped us bargain during souvenir shopping at the night market. Xuan Tu’s tours may be a little more costly than other private tours but we think it’s worth every penny. From the very first email communication to the tour on the day, the service was prompt and outstanding. Thank you, My and Xuan Tu! — Traveller: HChan from Tripadvisor
Bana Hill’s private tour with Xuan Tu Tours Danang
We had a fantastic private tour for our group of 8 through Xuan Tu tours. Due to some of our group having mobility difficulties it was important for us to have a guide who could minimise walking. Lam from Xuan Tu tours was just excellent. Met us at our hotel in Hoi An, he was kind, informative and knowledgeable. We enjoyed a fantastic day, the cable car rides were amazing. It is a huge place with a lot going. We could not have seen as much as we did without Lam’s guidance. He also knew the great positions for the best photo opportunities and took great photos of our group. We are all extremely grateful to Lam and Xuan Tu tours – highly recommend this company. — Traveller: Lauren K from Tripadvisor
Excellent guide
Xuan Tu is a terrific guide and our tour of the world heritage listed My Son sanctuary was one of the highlights of our honeymoon. We can’t speak highly enough of this company. The driver Cong was a very safe driver and his car was brand new with plenty of space. My Son is a peaceful and beautiful slice of Vietnam and a must see for those visiting Hoi An or Da Nang. We learnt about the history and architecture of the complex and much much more about Vietnamese life. Thank you Xuan Tu!! — Traveller: danielhP7235EW from Tripadvisor
Ba Na Hills Tour, Hoi An Tour and Street Food Tour
There were 6 of us in the group. Personally, it was my 1st time in Da Nang. Lam is our tour guide for the tour to Hoi An and Ba Na Hills. Tina took us for the street food tour. Both are very good tour guides. Good English and knows their ways around very well. Enjoyed the street foods Tina took us, she is very professional and considerate throughout the tour. Constantly checking that we are being taken care of and ensuring we get to taste all the street foods she has arranged for us without us overeating and ordered smaller portions for us. There was a super long queue at the cable car station going up Ba Na Hills. Lam is good and he managed to assist us to a shorter way to the cable car. He is also good at avoiding the big tour groups and we managed to cover the attractions smooth and with minimum wait. He also managed to be in “Priority” queue for the popular Banh Mi shop at Hoi An, we got our Banh Mi in less than 10mins, where normal guys need to wait at least 20mins. He sure knows his ways to make our tour a pleasant one! Overall, we enjoyed the 3 days tour we have booked with them and I will definitely recommend my friends to use their services when they are in Da Nang! Kudos to the guys at Xuan tu Tours! — Traveller: Alsw4912 from Tripadvisor