{
  "$schema": "https://schema.org/Dataset",
  "name": "Vietnam Tour Price Index 2026",
  "description": "Group and private price bands in USD for 40 of Vietnam's most-booked tours and day trips in 2026 — Ha Long and Lan Ha cruises, Ninh Binh, Sapa treks, the Ha Giang loop, Cu Chi, the Mekong Delta, My Son, the Hue tombs and DMZ, the Phong Nha caves including Son Doong, the Cham Islands, Mui Ne jeeps, Da Lat canyoning, Nha Trang island hopping, Phu Quoc snorkelling, cooking classes, street-food walks and city tours. Each row records duration, what is typically included and excluded, whether the trip is realistically do-it-yourself and at what cost, a plain verdict, a confidence rating and per-row sources. USD converts at 26,100 VND per dollar.",
  "publisher": "Day Trips Vietnam",
  "publisher_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com",
  "source_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-tour-price-index-2026/",
  "methodology_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-tour-price-index-2026/#methodology",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "temporal_coverage": "2026",
  "spatial_coverage": "Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba and Lan Ha Bay, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Ha Giang, Hue, Phong Nha, Hoi An, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and the Mekong Delta, Mui Ne, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc (Vietnam)",
  "updated": "2026-09-04",
  "version": "2026.1",
  "suggested_citation": "Day Trips Vietnam, \"Vietnam Tour Price Index 2026\" (September 2026), https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-tour-price-index-2026/",
  "headline": {
    "tours_priced": 40,
    "cheapest_row": "Hoi An basket-boat ride at Cam Thanh, about $3-7 a head",
    "most_expensive_row": "The Son Doong expedition, a fixed 80,000,000 VND (about $3,000) for six days",
    "price_range_multiple": "about 430x from the cheapest row to the dearest",
    "typical_group_day_trip_usd": "25-60",
    "private_premium_over_join_in": "About 1.9x per person at two travellers, where both are published",
    "widest_channel_spread": "Hanoi street-food walking tour: $20 direct, $35 at a retailer, $37-70 on OTA listings",
    "note": "Booking-channel spread runs in both directions. Direct is markedly cheaper on low-ticket, locally-owned products such as walking food tours and cooking classes, but platforms are reported 5-15 percent cheaper on commoditised day trips, and rate parity means many operators charge the same everywhere."
  },
  "methodology": {
    "collection_window": "2026-08",
    "what_counts_as_a_tour": "A guided or operated experience sold as a product, priced per person unless the row's private_basis says otherwise. Bare admission tickets are excluded and covered by the Vietnam Entrance Fee Index 2026, except where the ticket is the unavoidable core of the product, as with the Ba Na Hills cable car.",
    "how_bands_were_derived": "Web research in August 2026 across direct operator sites, published fixed price lists, Vietnamese-language operator pages, government tourism portals and this site's own sourced cost guides. Where several operators publish comparable products, the band spans the lowest and highest credible published rates rather than an average. Where a single operator holds a licence and publishes a fixed price, the band collapses to that figure. Outlying promotional and clearly stale figures were excluded.",
    "group_vs_private": "group_usd is the join-in or shared-departure rate per person. private_usd is per person unless private_basis states a per-vehicle or per-boat basis. Several products — Mui Ne jeeps, the Phong Nha river boat, Hoi An lantern boats, Hue dragon boats and Hai Van transfer cars — are genuinely priced per vehicle, and comparing those to per-person rates is the main arithmetic trap in this dataset.",
    "exchange_rate": {
      "vnd_per_usd": 26100,
      "note": "USD figures use a rounded 26,100 VND to the dollar. The dong traded at 26,124.5 per USD on 21 August 2026 (Trading Economics). Tours quoted in dong move with the currency; tours quoted in dollars do not.",
      "source": "https://tradingeconomics.com/vietnam/currency"
    },
    "confidence": "high — several independent published rates, or a single licensed operator's fixed published price. medium — two or three published rates, or one channel only. low — a single source; no rows at this level were retained in the published forty.",
    "known_limits": [
      "No prices were verified on Klook, GetYourGuide, Viator or TripAdvisor: all four blocked automated access. This is a direct-from-operator index and probably reads low against platform booking prices.",
      "Inclusions, not operator margin, drive most of the apparent spread. My Son at $10 against $48 is almost entirely the 150,000 VND ticket plus lunch.",
      "The Trang An boat fare is quoted at 250,000 VND on some 2026 sources and 300,000 on others; a rise appears to be mid-propagation.",
      "Tet and public-holiday surcharges of 25 to 56 percent were observed across several operators and are not reflected in the bands.",
      "Oxalis has published forward price rises effective 15 November 2026, so the Phong Nha cave rows have a known expiry."
    ]
  },
  "tours": [
    {
      "tour": "Ha Long Bay day cruise",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "cruise",
      "duration": "1 day (11-13 hours door to door)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 40,
        "max": 75
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 130,
        "max": 220
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, party of two",
      "includes": "Round-trip road transfer from Hanoi, boat, buffet or set lunch, guide, bay sightseeing levy, one cave and a short kayak or bamboo-boat session",
      "excludes": "Drinks, kayak upgrades, tips, hotel pickup outside the Old Quarter zone",
      "diy_realistic": "Not realistic. Boats will not take independent walk-ups on the main routes and the road transfer alone eats the day.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Fine as a sampler, but the day route stays in the busiest water. The overnight is a different bay.",
      "verdict_short": "A sampler; the overnight is a different bay",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Viator listings start near $23 for the barest coach-and-boat product; the honest standard band is $40-75. Luxury day boats reach $90-120.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cost-of-halong-bay-cruise-2026/",
        "Quang Ninh Department of Tourism bay-entry tariff, 260,000-600,000 VND by route"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ha Long Bay overnight cruise, budget 3-star",
      "base_city": "Ha Long / Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "cruise",
      "duration": "2 days / 1 night",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 105,
        "max": 160
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Steel-hull boat, en-suite cabin 12-18 sqm, all meals as buffet, group activities, bay levy, usually the Hanoi shuttle",
      "excludes": "Drinks, tips, cabin upgrades, single supplement",
      "diy_realistic": "Not realistic.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The floor of the market. Named operators at this tier include Cozy Bay, Garden Bay and Cristina Diamond.",
      "verdict_short": "The floor of the market",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Below about $105 the saving comes out of the boat's maintenance and the food, which is where the bad-cruise stories come from.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cost-of-halong-bay-cruise-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ha Long Bay overnight cruise, mid-range 4-star",
      "base_city": "Ha Long / Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "cruise",
      "duration": "2 days / 1 night",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 145,
        "max": 250
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Balcony or French-balcony cabin 20-28 sqm, plated multi-course meals, included kayaking and Tai Chi, sundeck bar, guide, bay levy, Hanoi shuttle",
      "excludes": "Drinks beyond welcome offering, spa, tips",
      "diy_realistic": "Not realistic.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The best value point in the whole index. The $50-100 step up from budget changes the boat, the food and the passenger count.",
      "verdict_short": "Best value in the index",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Bhaya Classic, Paradise Sails Premium, Swan, Le Theatre and Indochina Sails sit in this band.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cost-of-halong-bay-cruise-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ha Long Bay overnight cruise, luxury 5-star",
      "base_city": "Ha Long / Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "cruise",
      "duration": "2 days / 1 night",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 250,
        "max": 450
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Cabin 28-40 sqm with private balcony, fine-dining menus, some beverage packages, spa minutes, bay levy, transfer",
      "excludes": "Full beverage packages on most boats, gratuities",
      "diy_realistic": "Not realistic.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Buys space and food, not a different bay. Paradise Elegance, Heritage Binh Chuan, Ambassador and Era operate here.",
      "verdict_short": "Buys space and food, not scenery",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Ultra-luxury vessels (Stellar of the Seas, Dragon Legend, Au Co) run $450-980 and above.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cost-of-halong-bay-cruise-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Lan Ha Bay day cruise with kayaking",
      "base_city": "Cat Ba",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "cruise",
      "duration": "6-8 hours",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 17,
        "max": 25
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Boat, lunch, kayak, Ba Trai Dao beaches, Dark and Bright caves, floating fish farm",
      "excludes": "Cat Ba transfer from Hanoi, drinks",
      "diy_realistic": "Partly. You can hire a private boat at Ben Beo pier, but shared departures are cheaper for one or two people.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The best-value boat day in northern Vietnam, and it is not close.",
      "verdict_short": "Best-value boat day in the north",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "450,000-650,000 VND typical, lunch included. Lan Ha carries a fraction of Ha Long's boat traffic.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/destinations/cat-ba/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ninh Binh full-day tour (Trang An, Mua Cave, Hoa Lu)",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "day trip",
      "duration": "1 day (about 12 hours)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 42,
        "max": 60
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 60,
        "max": 90
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, party of two",
      "includes": "Round-trip transport, buffet lunch, all entrance fees, the Trang An boat, guide",
      "excludes": "Rower tip (30,000-50,000 VND per boat), drinks, Bai Dinh buggy",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, and it is the strongest DIY case in the country.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 29,
        "max": 44
      },
      "verdict": "Worth booking if you want it done in one day. Worth skipping if you can sleep in Tam Coc instead. Note that scooter checkpoints on the Hang Mua road stepped up in 2026 and a 1968-Convention permit is enforced.",
      "verdict_short": "Fine, but sleeping in Tam Coc beats it",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Join-in listings cluster at $45-55; the same operators price a private day at $88-89 per head for two, a 1.9x multiple. Entries are near-fixed: Mua Cave 100,000 VND and Hoa Lu 20,000, with the Trang An boat quoted at 250,000 on some 2026 sources and 300,000 on others, a rise that appears to be mid-propagation.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cost-of-ninh-binh-day-trip-2026/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-entrance-fee-index-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Sapa trek, 2 days / 1 night, booked from Hanoi",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "trek",
      "duration": "2 days / 1 night",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 77,
        "max": 175
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Round-trip sleeper bus or limousine from Hanoi, local guide, homestay bed, all meals, village permits",
      "excludes": "Fansipan cable car, guide tip, drinks",
      "diy_realistic": "Partly. The walking is unguided-able but hiring a village guide directly is both cheaper and the better outcome.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 10,
        "max": 15
      },
      "verdict": "The transport is most of the price. Ten listings cluster at $125-169, and adding the Fansipan cable car moves a package only $10-17.",
      "verdict_short": "You are mostly buying the bus",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "Ten join-in listings across two retailers span $77-175. Booking the bus and the guide separately is cheaper, and the guide is the part that matters.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.bestpricetravel.com/sapa-tours/",
        "https://vietnamtypicaltours.com/location/sapa-tours/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Sapa day trek, Muong Hoa valley with a local guide",
      "base_city": "Sapa",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "trek",
      "duration": "1 day (4-6 hours walking)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 10,
        "max": 30
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "A local guide for the day; some include a village lunch",
      "excludes": "Transport back from the valley, entry tickets to some villages",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. Lao Chai to Ta Van is a flat 4 km on an obvious track.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 0,
        "max": 5
      },
      "verdict": "Hire directly in the village. Agency day treks cost triple for the same route.",
      "verdict_short": "Hire the guide in the village",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "$10-15 a day for a women-led local guide against $30 and up through a tour company.",
      "sources": [
        "https://sapaochau.org",
        "https://sapasisters.com",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/backpacking-vietnam-40-dollars-day-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ha Giang loop, easy rider (you ride pillion)",
      "base_city": "Ha Giang",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "motorbike",
      "duration": "3 days / 2 nights",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 170,
        "max": 220
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Local rider-driver, bike, fuel, two homestays, all meals, helmet; several packages include the Hanoi transfer",
      "excludes": "Rider tip, drinks, travel insurance covering pillion riding",
      "diy_realistic": "No, by definition. The DIY equivalent is the self-drive row.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The correct choice for anyone without a 1968-Convention IDP, and for most first-timers.",
      "verdict_short": "Right call without a 1968 permit",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "The loop is 400-450 km of mountain switchbacks. Riding it yourself without the right licence voids most travel insurance.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cost-of-ha-giang-loop-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ha Giang loop, self-drive (no tour)",
      "base_city": "Ha Giang",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "motorbike",
      "duration": "3 days / 2 nights",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 90,
        "max": 130
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Nothing bundled. This is the all-in DIY cost.",
      "excludes": "Guide, meals arranged for you, roadside recovery",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, for experienced riders holding a 1968-Convention IDP.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 66,
        "max": 131
      },
      "verdict": "Cheapest by $60-90, and the row where the saving carries real risk.",
      "verdict_short": "Cheapest, and the saving carries real risk",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Honda Wave rental $7-10 a day, petrol $15-25 over the loop, dorm homestays $5-8 a night. Backpacker all-in $66-107; private-room version $86-131.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cost-of-ha-giang-loop-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hanoi street-food walking tour",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "food",
      "duration": "3-4 hours, evening",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 20,
        "max": 35
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 23,
        "max": 40
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, sliding with party size",
      "includes": "English-speaking guide, six to eight vendors and about ten tastings, bottled water, a local beer, egg coffee, rice wine and a dessert",
      "excludes": "Tips, transport to the meeting point",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, but the point is the vocabulary, not the food.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 6,
        "max": 12
      },
      "verdict": "One of the few tours worth booking on day one rather than day five. It pays for itself in what you order afterwards.",
      "verdict_short": "Book direct, and book it on day one",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "The clearest channel spread in the index. Two Hanoi operators publish the identical 3-hour product at $20 direct in a group of ten; a retailer sells it at $35 and OTA listings run $37-70. Private tiers are published: $40 solo, $30 for two or three, $25 for four to six, $20 at ten.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.hanoistreetfoodtour.com/walking_street_food_tour.html",
        "https://www.hanoistreetfoodtours.com/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/best-street-food-hanoi-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hanoi Vespa evening food tour",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "food",
      "duration": "4-4.5 hours, evening",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 69,
        "max": 89
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 75,
        "max": 120
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, one to three travellers",
      "includes": "Vintage Vespa and a driver, helmet, English-speaking guide, all food and drinks including a bar stop, local insurance",
      "excludes": "Tips (about $3-5 a head is standard), a $10 surcharge at Tet and on national holidays",
      "diy_realistic": "No. The point is the riding.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Expensive against a $20 walking tour, and one of the few products where the platform price and the direct price are almost the same.",
      "verdict_short": "Fun, but four times the walking tour",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Direct operator rates span $49 for a 2.5-hour daytime ride to $89 for the flagship evening tour. Female-rider variants run $16-20 cheaper than the equivalent mixed tour, which is unusual and worth knowing.",
      "sources": [
        "https://hanoivespatours.com/",
        "https://vespaadventuretours.com/tour/hanoi-night-vespa-food-tour/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hanoi cooking class with market visit",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "cooking class",
      "duration": "3-4 hours",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 34,
        "max": 60
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Old Quarter transfer, market walk, four dishes hands-on, the meal you cook, unlimited local wine, recipes",
      "excludes": "A 30 percent surcharge applies at Tet and on public holidays; alcohol beyond the included pour",
      "diy_realistic": "No meaningful equivalent.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Fairly priced direct, badly distorted on platforms. One Hanoi school's class appears at $34, $35, $37, $39, $46 and $57 across different platforms with no product difference.",
      "verdict_short": "Fair direct, distorted on platforms",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Direct operator rate is about $45 for a four-hour class. The Tet and public-holiday surcharge of 30 percent is the largest seasonal uplift found anywhere in this index.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.bestpricetravel.com/hanoi-tours/hanoi-cooking-class-half-day.html",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/data/street-food-atlas-2026.json"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hanoi full-day city tour",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "city tour",
      "duration": "About 8 hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 29,
        "max": 50
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 70,
        "max": 70
      },
      "private_basis": "per person",
      "includes": "Shuttle bus or limousine, English-speaking guide, one-time entry to each listed site, lunch, bottled water. The circuit is the Ho Chi Minh complex, One Pillar Pagoda, the Ethnology Museum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison",
      "excludes": "Cyclo ride ($5), water-puppet show ($5), lunch drinks, tips; hotel pickup on the cheaper listings, which start at the Opera House",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. Every site on the circuit is cheap and central; the Temple of Literature is 70,000 VND and Hoa Lo 50,000.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 8,
        "max": 18
      },
      "verdict": "Reasonable value for a first day if you want the map filled in fast. The limousine upgrade is exactly 150,000 VND over the shuttle, which is the cleanest upgrade price in the index.",
      "verdict_short": "Reasonable for a fast first day",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "750,000 VND by shuttle bus and 900,000 by limousine, with children aged four to eight at 675,000 and under-fours free.",
      "sources": [
        "https://hopon-hopoff.vn/tour/hanoi-luxury-city-full-day-join-group-tour/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-entrance-fee-index-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Perfume Pagoda day trip",
      "base_city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "category": "day trip",
      "duration": "1 day (9-11 hours)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 32,
        "max": 60
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Transport, rowed boat on the Yen stream, entrance, lunch, guide",
      "excludes": "Cable car to the Huong Tich cave, rower tip",
      "diy_realistic": "Possible but awkward; the boat and ticket system is set up for groups.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Worth it in the February-March festival season, thin outside it.",
      "verdict_short": "Good in festival season, thin outside it",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "60 km from Hanoi, about 1.5 hours.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/best-day-trips-from-hanoi/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "My Son Sanctuary half-day tour",
      "base_city": "Hoi An",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "heritage",
      "duration": "Half day (5-6 hours), sunrise or morning",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 10,
        "max": 48
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 50,
        "max": 50
      },
      "private_basis": "per person; transfer-only private car about 750,000 VND",
      "includes": "Transport, pickup within about 5 km of Hoi An, guide, the on-site electric buggy",
      "excludes": "The 150,000 VND ticket on budget tiers, lunch, drinks, tips; a Tet and public-holiday surcharge of about 100,000 VND",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. Scooter or Grab from Hoi An plus the 150,000 VND ticket.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 8,
        "max": 18
      },
      "verdict": "Worth it only on the sunrise departure. By 9 a.m. the basin is a shadeless 32°C with coaches in it.",
      "verdict_short": "Only worth it at sunrise",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "The widest band in the index, and almost none of it is operator margin. A $10-11 hotel-desk sunrise tour excludes the ticket and lunch; a $48 listing includes both. Entry is 150,000 VND for foreigners against 100,000 for Vietnamese, one of only two documented dual-priced sights in Vietnam.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/my-son-sanctuary-2026/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-entrance-fee-index-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hue royal tombs and citadel circuit, car and driver",
      "base_city": "Hue",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "heritage",
      "duration": "1 day (6-7 hours)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 44,
        "max": 50
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 30,
        "max": 70
      },
      "private_basis": "$30-60 per car excluding fees, or about $70 per person all-inclusive",
      "includes": "On the join-in tour: minivan, guide, dragon boat, set lunch and all entrance fees. On the cheap private car: a driver and nothing else",
      "excludes": "On the private car, every entrance fee and all meals; on both, tips",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. Grab bike or a rented scooter covers the same 7-12 km circuit.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 20,
        "max": 30
      },
      "verdict": "Hue inverts the usual rule: the cheap group tour bundles everything and the cheap private car bundles nothing. A $30 car plus two 530,000-VND combos costs about $71 for two, against $140 for the same day on a $70-a-head private product.",
      "verdict_short": "Cheap car, expensive tickets; buy the combo",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Join-in full days run 1,150,000 VND, about $44, including fees and lunch. Entry combos are 420,000 VND for citadel plus two tombs and 530,000 for citadel plus three, valid two days. The citadel alone is 200,000 and each major tomb 150,000.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.huesmiletravel.com/tours/hsg0-hue-city-group-tour-full-day/",
        "https://hueprivatecars.com/tour/hue-city-tour-1-day-private-car/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-entrance-fee-index-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hue DMZ and Vinh Moc tunnels day tour",
      "base_city": "Hue",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "history",
      "duration": "1 day (10-12 hours)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 53,
        "max": 71
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 50,
        "max": 170
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, from eight travellers down to one",
      "includes": "Transport, English-speaking guide, all entrance fees and lunch on almost every operator",
      "excludes": "Drinks, tips; lunch at one named operator",
      "diy_realistic": "Not realistic. Dong Ha is 70 km north and Khe Sanh about 100 km, with no useful public transport between sites.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Worth it if the war is why you came. Five to six of the twelve hours are spent in the vehicle.",
      "verdict_short": "Worth it if the war brought you",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "One of the few Hue categories where the headline price is close to the true all-in cost, because fees and lunch are bundled at both group and private tiers. The published private ladder runs $170 solo, $115 each for two to four, $70 for five to seven and $50 at eight or more.",
      "sources": [
        "https://vietfuntravel.com/tour/dmz-vinh-moc-tunnels-1-day-tour",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/day-trips-from-hue-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hai Van Pass transfer tour, Hue to Hoi An",
      "base_city": "Hue",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "scenic drive",
      "duration": "7-9 hours including stops",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 57,
        "max": 57
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 69,
        "max": 99
      },
      "private_basis": "per car one-way: $69 sedan, $79 SUV, $99 twelve-seat van",
      "includes": "On the easy rider: rider, bike and petrol, all entrance fees including Marble Mountains, helmet and protective gear, damage insurance and 20 kg luggage transfer. On the car: the driver only",
      "excludes": "On the car, Marble Mountains entry (40,000 VND), the lift (15,000 VND) and every optional stop; on both, lunch",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, by rented scooter, but only with the luggage sent ahead separately.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "One of the few transfers worth tour money, because it replaces a bus you were taking anyway. Counter-intuitively the dearer-looking motorbike option is the more inclusive one.",
      "verdict_short": "Replaces a bus you were taking anyway",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "The easy rider is about 52 euros, roughly $57 a head, with every fee inside it. A private car is $69-99 for the whole vehicle, which is $23 a head at three and $8 at twelve, but excludes all fees. The pass is a 21 km coastal climb peaking near 500 m.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.easyridersvietnam.org/tour/easy-rider-hue-to-hoi-an-hai-van-pass-1-day/",
        "https://hueprivatecars.com/tour/hue-hoi-an-1-day/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Phong Nha mainline cave day (Paradise plus Dark Cave)",
      "base_city": "Phong Nha",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "caving",
      "duration": "1 day",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 56,
        "max": 71
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Transport, guide, both cave tickets, caving equipment, lunch, water, insurance",
      "excludes": "VAT at some operators, gratuities",
      "diy_realistic": "Partly. You can scooter to both gates and buy the tickets yourself for about 720,000 VND.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 28,
        "max": 34
      },
      "verdict": "The packaged tour adds $28-43 over the raw tickets for transport, lunch, a guide and margin. Reasonable if you have no scooter.",
      "verdict_short": "Worth it for Dark Cave alone",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Paradise Cave is 250,000 VND plus a 20,000 VND buggy, a 1 km boardwalk into a 31 km system up 519 steps. The Dark Cave package is 450,000 VND for the zipline, mud bath, kayak and gear, a figure five operator price lists agree on exactly. Direct operators sell the day at $56-62 against about $71 aggregated.",
      "sources": [
        "https://phongnhacave.org/tours/",
        "https://phongnhalocals.com/phong-nha-entrance-fee/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/phong-nha-caves-guide-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Phong Nha Cave river-boat trip",
      "base_city": "Phong Nha",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "caving",
      "duration": "2-3 hours",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 30,
        "max": 47
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": "the pier boat is chartered per vessel for up to twelve, most commonly 700,000 VND",
      "includes": "On the packaged tour: transfer, guide and lunch. At the pier: the boat and the cave ticket",
      "excludes": "Tien Son cave (+80,000 VND), food, guide at the pier",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, and it is the normal way to do it. Buy at the boat station.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 8,
        "max": 33
      },
      "verdict": "Do not book this as a packaged tour. The pier price collapses with group size and the packaged version is a 2-4x markup for a transfer.",
      "verdict_short": "Buy it at the pier, never packaged",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Six sources agree the cave ticket is 150,000 VND a head. The boat is chartered per vessel for up to twelve, most commonly 700,000 VND with an observed 550,000-750,000 range. That is about $33 solo, $19 for two, $12.50 for four and $8 at twelve.",
      "sources": [
        "https://junglebosstours.com/explorer/tourism-blog/phong-nha-cave-boat-station-guide",
        "https://culturephamtravel.com/phong-nha-entrance-fee/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Tu Lan Cave Experience, one day",
      "base_city": "Phong Nha",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "caving",
      "duration": "1 day",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 75,
        "max": 75
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Licensed guide and safety team, helmet and headlamp, swim-through cave sections, lunch, park fees",
      "excludes": "Transport from Dong Hoi, insurance upgrades",
      "diy_realistic": "No. Tu Lan is a licensed-operator system and cannot be entered independently.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The best-value wild caving in Vietnam and the entry point to the system. Note the naming trap: the similarly named Tu Lan Cave Encounter is a three-day tour at 7,700,000 VND, about $292.",
      "verdict_short": "Best-value wild caving in Vietnam",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Oxalis lists 2,000,000 VND, capped at twelve guests aged sixteen to seventy, running mid-November to mid-September. Includes a guide, two safety assistants, a chef, all food, safety gear and insurance to 10 million VND.",
      "sources": [
        "https://oxalisadventure.com/tour/tu-lan-1-day-experience/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hang En cave trek and overnight camp",
      "base_city": "Phong Nha",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "caving",
      "duration": "2 days / 1 night",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 333,
        "max": 333
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Oxalis guides, porters, safety team, camp on the cave beach, all meals, helmets and caving headlamps, insurance to 10 million VND, VAT, national park entry and environmental fees",
      "excludes": "Meals beyond the fixed menu, personal comprehensive travel insurance, transport to Phong Nha",
      "diy_realistic": "No. Licensed operator only.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The realistic Son Doong substitute at a ninth of the price. Hang En is the world's third-largest cave by volume.",
      "verdict_short": "The realistic Son Doong substitute",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Oxalis lists 8,800,000 VND, about $333, rising to 9,500,000 VND (about $358) from 15 November 2026. Maximum sixteen guests, ages sixteen to seventy, three or four departures a week from December to mid-September.",
      "sources": [
        "https://oxalisadventure.com/tour/hang-en-cave-adventure/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Son Doong expedition",
      "base_city": "Phong Nha",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "caving",
      "duration": "6 days / 5 nights",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 3000,
        "max": 3000
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Dong Hoi transfers, a cave expert, guides, safety assistants, chefs and porters, all food, one night at Commander Lodge, three nights camping inside the cave, one night at Chay Lap Farmstay, safety gear, insurance to 50 million VND, VAT, and $620 of disclosed park and environmental fees",
      "excludes": "Everything outside the park, and the years of waiting",
      "diy_realistic": "No. Oxalis has been the sole licensee since 2017.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Forty times the median Vietnamese day tour and nine times the next-priciest cave product. The only row in the index with a fixed, non-negotiable, publicly itemised price.",
      "verdict_short": "The top of the market, fixed and sold out",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "80,000,000 VND, a maximum of ten guests, January to August only, capped at 1,000 permits a year. Oxalis states 2027 is fully booked and 2028 has limited availability.",
      "sources": [
        "https://oxalisadventure.com/tour/son-doong-cave-expedition-4d3n/",
        "https://oxalisadventure.com/booking-information-for-son-doong-expedition/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Cham Islands snorkelling day trip",
      "base_city": "Hoi An",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "island",
      "duration": "1 day (March to September only)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 30,
        "max": 52
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Hotel pickup, pier transfer, speedboat, life vests, snorkel mask, beach entry at Bai Chong or Bai Lang, seafood lunch, guide, and the 70,000 VND marine conservation fee inside the boat ticket",
      "excludes": "Drinks, tips, insurance; scuba ($75) and the Seatrek underwater walk ($80) are separate products",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. A round-trip boat ticket is 350,000-600,000 VND depending on hull, and undercuts the packaged day by about 40 percent.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 14,
        "max": 24
      },
      "verdict": "Season-dependent and worth it in clear water. Rough seas close the route more often than price changes it.",
      "verdict_short": "Good in clear water, cancelled often",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Wooden ferry 350,000-400,000 VND return, speedboat 500,000-600,000, both including the conservation fee. Packaged days run $30 base to $52 with a VinWonders add-on.",
      "sources": [
        "https://culaochamtour.com/en/cham-island-1-day-tour",
        "https://junglebosstours.com/explorer/tourism-blog/cham-island-ferry-travel-guide"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hoi An cooking class with market and basket boat",
      "base_city": "Hoi An",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "cooking class",
      "duration": "3-5 hours",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 23,
        "max": 59
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 53,
        "max": 53
      },
      "private_basis": "per person",
      "includes": "Hoi An pickup, guide and chef, Central Market tour, a basket boat or Thu Bon sampan, hands-on cooking, the lunch you cook, recipes, water and tea",
      "excludes": "Alcohol, tips, a Da Nang pickup surcharge of about $15 each way",
      "diy_realistic": "No equivalent.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The cleanest reseller experiment in the index: the identical Red Bridge half-day class is $35 booked direct and $40 at two separate resellers, a 14 percent markup and nothing more.",
      "verdict_short": "Honest pricing; direct saves 14 percent",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Red Bridge tiers are $23 for the evening class, $35 half-day and $59 deluxe with the Tra Que herb gardens. Hoi An now has more than 40 commercial cooking schools against eight to ten a decade ago.",
      "sources": [
        "https://redbridge.visithoian.com/",
        "https://culturephamtravel.com/tours/red-bridge-cooking-class/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/data/street-food-atlas-2026.json"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Hoi An basket-boat ride, Cam Thanh coconut village",
      "base_city": "Hoi An",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "boat",
      "duration": "45-90 minutes",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 3,
        "max": 7
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Forest entrance, the coracle and its rower, life jacket, a hat or umbrella, a cold drink and the boat-spinning show",
      "excludes": "Hotel pickup, meals, and a rower tip of 20,000-50,000 VND that is quasi-expected",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. At the gate it is a 30,000 VND forest entry plus 150,000 VND for a boat carrying two.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 3,
        "max": 6
      },
      "verdict": "The cheapest line item in the index and genuinely fun. It is also routinely bundled as stop one of a $35 cooking class at no marginal cost, so do not pay for it twice.",
      "verdict_short": "Cheapest row here; often already bundled",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Operator all-in rates are about 90,000 VND an adult and 45,000 a child. Cash on arrival; there is effectively no online channel.",
      "sources": [
        "https://hoianbasketboats.com/basket-boat-tour",
        "https://langduaxanh.com/blog/coconut-boat-hoi-an-price/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge day tour",
      "base_city": "Da Nang or Hoi An",
      "region": "central",
      "category": "day trip",
      "duration": "1 day",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 85,
        "max": 93
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 81,
        "max": 149
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, from ten travellers down to one",
      "includes": "Round-trip air-conditioned transfer, city-centre pickup, guide, the round-trip cable-car and entry ticket, buffet lunch, water",
      "excludes": "Skip-the-line, the wax museum and Debay wine cellar (100,000 VND each), the alpine coaster, a 100,000 VND holiday surcharge, tips",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. A Grab is about $12 each way from Da Nang and the ticket is sold at the gate.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 40,
        "max": 62
      },
      "verdict": "Worth exactly one visit, on the 8 a.m. first cable car. The gate ticket alone is about 40 percent of a $93 join-in tour, so any Ba Na price under $50 is a stripped product.",
      "verdict_short": "One visit, on the first cable car",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Da Nang's city tourism portal confirms 1,000,000 VND for out-of-province and foreign adults, 650,000 for Da Nang residents, and that from 1 January 2026 the ticket is valid three consecutive days with unlimited cable-car rides. Most operator copy has not caught up.",
      "sources": [
        "https://danangfantasticity.com/en/news/from-2026-cable-car-tickets-at-sun-world-ba-na-hills-will-be-valid-for-up-to-three-consecutive-days",
        "https://hoiandaytrip.com/ba-na-hills-golden-bridge-day-tour/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/ba-na-hills-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Cu Chi Tunnels half-day group tour",
      "base_city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "history",
      "duration": "Half day (5-6 hours)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 11,
        "max": 28
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 27,
        "max": 60
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, sliding from ten travellers down to two",
      "includes": "Air-conditioned bus, English guide, District 1 hotel pickup, water, cassava tasting and the film; entry included on mid-tier operators only",
      "excludes": "The entrance ticket on the cheapest desks, lunch (about $5-6), the shooting range (50,000-100,000 VND per bullet), tips",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. Public bus 13 then bus 79, plus the gate ticket.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 6,
        "max": 10
      },
      "verdict": "The most misreported price in Vietnam. The famous $6-10 tour is a bus seat with the ticket and lunch stripped out.",
      "verdict_short": "The most misreported price in Vietnam",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "The Sinh Tourist sells the half-day at 299,000 VND, but excludes entry and lunch; add the gate ticket and the honest floor is about 434,000 VND, roughly $17. The gate is 125,000 VND, confirmed on two independent 2026 sources and inclusive of an English-speaking guide, though some operator price lists show 135,000 by itemising a service component. Ben Duoc is quieter than Ben Dinh and about 30 minutes further out.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.thesinhtourist.vn/tour/sg/to-sgcc-01/cu-chi-tunnels-12-day-morning",
        "https://saigonadventure.com/cu-chi-tunnels-tour-price",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cu-chi-tunnels-tours-compared-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Cu Chi Tunnels by speedboat",
      "base_city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "history",
      "duration": "About 6 hours",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 85,
        "max": 99
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Speedboat up the Saigon River, light breakfast, riverside lunch, unlimited soft drinks, guide, all entrance fees, hotel transfer",
      "excludes": "Shooting range (about 75,000 VND per bullet), tips",
      "diy_realistic": "No.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Roughly five times the budget bus tour for the same tunnels, and it buys you the river instead of the highway. Whether that is worth $75 is a genuine question.",
      "verdict_short": "Five times the price for the river",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Les Rives lists 2,399,000 VND for an adult, about $92, capped at fifteen passengers.",
      "sources": [
        "https://lesrivesexperience.com",
        "https://saigonadventure.com/cu-chi-tunnels-tour-price"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ho Chi Minh City half-day city tour",
      "base_city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "city tour",
      "duration": "3-4 hours",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 10,
        "max": 25
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Air-conditioned bus and an English guide",
      "excludes": "Museum tickets at the budget tier, lunch, tips",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, easily. Central District 1 is walkable and the museums are cheap.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 3,
        "max": 6
      },
      "verdict": "Skip it. The War Remnants Museum is 40,000 VND and Reunification Palace 65,000, both a short walk apart.",
      "verdict_short": "Skip it and walk District 1",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "The Sinh Tourist charges 249,000 VND, about $10, but the itinerary is Cholon and Binh Tay rather than the war sites, and entries are excluded. Small-group operators charge $21-25.",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.thesinhtourist.vn",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/vietnam-entrance-fee-index-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Mekong Delta one-day group tour (My Tho or Ben Tre)",
      "base_city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "day trip",
      "duration": "1 day (10-11 hours)",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 17,
        "max": 38
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 35,
        "max": 190
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, from eight travellers down to one",
      "includes": "Coach, guide, motorboat and rowed sampan, coconut-candy and bee-farm workshops, fruit and honey tea, lunch, one water",
      "excludes": "Drinks, tips, insurance, drop-off outside District 1",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, by Futa bus to Ben Tre, though the boat is the point and is easier arranged locally.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The most commonly regretted tour in Vietnam. It reaches the workshop circuit, not the delta.",
      "verdict_short": "The most regretted tour in Vietnam",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Big-group departures of 25 to 30 people go for about $17; twelve to fifteen people costs about $26. No day trip from Ho Chi Minh City reaches Cai Rang, which trades from about 5:30 a.m. and thins before 8 a.m.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/best-day-trips-from-ho-chi-minh-city/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/mekong-floating-markets-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Mekong Delta two-day tour with Can Tho overnight",
      "base_city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "multi-day",
      "duration": "2 days / 1 night",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 84,
        "max": 140
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 155,
        "max": 470
      },
      "private_basis": "per person, from eight travellers down to one",
      "includes": "Transport, guide, all boat trips, entrance fees, two lunches, a dinner and a breakfast, one night in Can Tho",
      "excludes": "Single supplement, drinks, tips, the first evening meal on some operators",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, and far cheaper: the bus to Can Tho is 150,000-200,000 VND each way and the market boat is a direct hire.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 45,
        "max": 90
      },
      "verdict": "The only version of the Mekong worth doing, because it is the only one that reaches the working market at dawn.",
      "verdict_short": "The only Mekong worth doing",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "The price ladder is a hotel ladder: about $84 at The Sinh Tourist, $104 mini-hotel, $116 homestay or superior, $124 three-star, $140 four-star. Canal homestays booked direct run $25-45 including dinner, breakfast and a boat.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/mekong-delta-without-a-tour-2026/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/mekong-floating-markets-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Cai Rang floating market sunrise boat",
      "base_city": "Can Tho",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "boat",
      "duration": "2-3 hours from about 5:30 a.m.",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 2,
        "max": 10
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 8,
        "max": 15
      },
      "private_basis": "whole sampan for two to four people",
      "includes": "Sampan from Ninh Kieu wharf and the market circuit",
      "excludes": "Breakfast on the water (about 25,000 VND for a bowl of hu tieu), guide",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes. This is a direct hire at the wharf and there is no pier or entrance fee.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 2,
        "max": 10
      },
      "verdict": "The cheapest genuinely great experience in the index by a wide margin, and the only cost is sleeping in Can Tho the night before.",
      "verdict_short": "Cheapest great experience in the index",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "A shared boat is 50,000-100,000 VND per head; a private sampan is 200,000-400,000 VND for the boat, negotiable. Guided combo tours from Can Tho start around $30 and add little.",
      "sources": [
        "https://revitrip.com",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/mekong-floating-markets-2026/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/destinations/mekong-delta/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Ho Chi Minh City street-food tour (walking or scooter)",
      "base_city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "food",
      "duration": "3-4 hours, evening",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 25,
        "max": 82
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "All food and most drinks, guide, and on the scooter version a rider, helmet and accident insurance",
      "excludes": "Hotel pickup outside Districts 1 and 3, tips, extra alcohol",
      "diy_realistic": "Yes, though the scooter version genuinely reaches places you would not find.",
      "diy_usd": {
        "min": 6,
        "max": 14
      },
      "verdict": "The cheap scooter tours undercut every walking tour and reach further. The $80 tier buys a smaller group, not more food.",
      "verdict_short": "Take the scooter, not the walk",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Walking tours run $49-65 at named small-group operators capped at six to eight people. Scooter tours span $25 at the budget end to $82 for the flagship evening food ride.",
      "sources": [
        "https://saigonstreeteats.com",
        "https://xotours.vn",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/best-street-food-saigon-2026/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Saigon cooking class",
      "base_city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "cooking class",
      "duration": "3-4 hours",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 38,
        "max": 56
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Market visit on most classes, three to four dishes, the meal, recipes",
      "excludes": "Transfers, alcohol",
      "diy_realistic": "No equivalent.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Priced above Hoi An for a comparable product, largely on District 1 real estate.",
      "verdict_short": "Fine, but Hoi An does it cheaper",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "The Sinh Tourist lists 999,000 VND, about $38, and TNK $39. Saigon Cooking Class at Hoa Tuc has moved to enquiry-only pricing, so the premium tier is unverifiable.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/data/street-food-atlas-2026.json"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Mui Ne sand-dune jeep tour",
      "base_city": "Mui Ne",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "day trip",
      "duration": "4-5 hours, sunrise or sunset",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 7,
        "max": 20
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 23,
        "max": 26
      },
      "private_basis": "whole jeep for two to six people, not per person",
      "includes": "Open jeep and driver, Mui Ne hotel transfer, White Dunes, Red Dunes, Fairy Stream and the fishing harbour, entrance fees at the four stops, water",
      "excludes": "ATV ride (300,000 VND), sand sledge (50,000 VND), self-drive ATV (800,000 VND), an English-speaking guide, which is a paid extra at some operators",
      "diy_realistic": "Partly. The Fairy Stream and harbour are walkable or scooter-reachable; the White Dunes are 25 km out.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Cheap and genuinely fun at sunrise. The cash add-ons are where the value collapses: a $9 tour plus one ATV ride is a $20 tour.",
      "verdict_short": "Cheap and fun; skip the ATV",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "The only inverted channel in the index. Local operators charge per jeep, about 600,000 VND, while OTAs sell join-in seats from $7. For one or two people the OTA seat is cheaper; from three up the local jeep wins.",
      "sources": [
        "https://muinejeeptour.com",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/destinations/mui-ne/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/data/adventure-atlas-2026.json"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Da Lat canyoning",
      "base_city": "Da Lat",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "adventure",
      "duration": "Half or full day",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 52,
        "max": 91
      },
      "private_usd": {
        "min": 105,
        "max": 128
      },
      "private_basis": "per person",
      "includes": "Transfer, certified guides, all technical gear with wetsuit and shoes, permits, picnic lunch, water and fruit, first aid, liability insurance, photos and video",
      "excludes": "Personal medical and evacuation insurance, which is never included, tips, alcohol",
      "diy_realistic": "No, and it must not be attempted. Three British tourists died at Datanla Falls in February 2016; a Sheffield coroner found they had not been adequately warned and that the deaths were preventable.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "The one row where price should not decide anything. Book a licensed operator, and carry your own medical cover.",
      "verdict_short": "Never shop this one on price",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Direct operator rates are 1,350,000-1,650,000 VND, about $52-72. The same tours sell at $61-91 on platforms, the sharpest OTA markup in the index at roughly 30 percent. The operator responsible for the 2016 deaths was fined 100 million VND.",
      "sources": [
        "https://vietchallenge.com",
        "https://dalatcanyoning.com",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/data/adventure-atlas-2026.json"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Nha Trang four-island boat tour",
      "base_city": "Nha Trang",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "island",
      "duration": "1 day",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 13,
        "max": 32
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Air-conditioned transfer, guide, wooden boat, lunch, snorkel gear, fruit and water; some island entries",
      "excludes": "Tri Nguyen Aquarium (60,000 VND), Tranh Beach (30,000 VND), alcohol, jet ski and parasailing",
      "diy_realistic": "No. Boat access only.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Better value than its reputation. Recent reviews are broadly positive; the complaints are about it being loud rather than about it being overpriced. It is mis-sold, not bad.",
      "verdict_short": "Mis-sold rather than overpriced",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "350,000-500,000 VND typical on the wooden-boat product. Speedboat and cruise versions jump to $98-113, and the itinerary called four islands varies a lot between operators.",
      "sources": [
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/destinations/nha-trang/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tour": "Phu Quoc An Thoi three-island snorkelling day",
      "base_city": "Phu Quoc",
      "region": "south",
      "category": "island",
      "duration": "1 day",
      "group_usd": {
        "min": 25,
        "max": 44
      },
      "private_usd": null,
      "private_basis": null,
      "includes": "Air-conditioned pickup from Duong Dong hotels, guide, boat, snorkel and fishing gear, lunch on board",
      "excludes": "Extra drinks, towels, tips, pickup from remote resorts ($5-20)",
      "diy_realistic": "No. Boat access only.",
      "diy_usd": null,
      "verdict": "Book the speedboat version, not the slow boat. Adding the Hon Thom cable car roughly doubles the price to $63-78.",
      "verdict_short": "Take the speedboat, skip the cable car",
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "A two-island day is about $25 and three islands about $32-44. The cable car and Aquatopia bundle reaches $63-78.",
      "sources": [
        "https://phuquoctrip.com",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/destinations/phu-quoc/",
        "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/is-phu-quoc-worth-it-2026/"
      ]
    }
  ]
}