20 Days Vietnam highlights 4WD Tour combine off-road adventure with deep cultural immersion, taking you to remote regions that standard buses cannot reach. Typical expedition contents feature guided or self-drive 4x4 trails, village homestays, all meals, and permits for restricted mountainous areas. Vietnam 4WD (4x4) tours provide a rugged, immersive alternative to standard tour buses, allowing travelers to reach isolated villages, mountainous passes, and rugged coastlines...
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre (The Coconut Kingdom Trail) ( L , D )
- Morning Drive: 8:30 AM Depart Ho Chi Minh City southwest toward Long An. Turn off Highway 1A early onto local dirt lanes flanking the Vàm Cỏ Đông River. Navigate tight bends, water hyacinth-choked canals, and rustic wooden bridges.
- Afternoon Terrain: Cross the Tiền River via a non-tourist vehicle ferry to enter Ben Tre province. Engage 4WD to traverse single-track dirt lanes winding through dense coconut and cacao plantations.
- Cultural Stop: Visit an artisanal coconut candy kitchen deep inside the orchards where machinery cannot easily pass.
- Night: Overnight at a riverside hotel
Day 2: Ben Tre to Sóc Trăng via Trà Vinh (Khmer Culture & Dike Drives) ( B, L , D )
- Morning Drive: Drive through the backroads of Mo Cay to the Cổ Chiên River ferry crossing. Enter Trà Vinh province, home to a large ethnic Khmer community. Drive your 4x4 along sandy trails and tracks lined with ancient Ba Om trees.
- Afternoon Terrain: Navigate the high dirt dikes surrounding regional shrimp farms and aquaculture networks. Head toward Sóc Trăng along coastal tracks, tackling muddy ruts or sandy pathways depending on the season.
- Cultural Stop: Explore the intricate, brightly colored architecture of the Khmer-style Chùa Dơi (Bat Pagoda).
- Night: Stay in a local boutique hotel in Sóc Trăng town center.
Day 3: Sóc Trăng to Cần Thơ via Bạc Liêu (The Coastal Plains & Canals) ( B , L , D)
- Morning Drive: Drive southwest into Bạc Liêu province. Navigate narrow paths slicing directly through expansive, reflective coastal salt pans.
- Afternoon Terrain: Turn north toward Cần Thơ, driving on unpaved dikes along the Hậu River canal system. Test your 4x4 vehicle's suspension on bumpy, unsealed agricultural paths winding through vast rice paddies.
- Cultural Stop: Tour the historic Bình Thủy Ancient House, showcasing a unique blend of French-colonial and traditional Vietnamese architecture.
- Night: Check in to a premium riverside hotel or 4-star resort along Ninh Kiều Wharf in Cần Thơ.
Day 4: Cần Thơ to Đồng Tháp / Sa Đéc (Floating Markets & Flower Villages) ( B , L , D )
- Morning Activity: Wake at 5:00 AM for a private motorized boat cruise through the bustling Cái Răng Floating Market to see wholesale river trading at sunrise.
- Afternoon Terrain: Drive northwest toward Sa Đéc (Đoồng Tháp province). Drive through the flower plantation pathways of Sa Đéc, choosing narrow dirt tracks alongside the river dikes.
- Cultural Stop: Visit the French-Chinese Huỳnh Thủy Lê Ancient House, made famous by Marguerite Duras' novel The Lover.
- Night: Stay in a colonial-style guest house or a boutique homestay tucked away in Sa Đéc
Day 5: Đồng Tháp back to Ho Chi Minh City (The Plain of Reeds Challenge) ( B , L )
- Morning Drive: Head into the Plain of Reeds (Đồng Tháp Mười) wetland ecosystem. Drive your 4WD vehicle through challenging clay and dirt tracks cut through dense Melaleuca forests.
- Afternoon Terrain: Navigate the final rural leg via Long An's labyrinth of sugarcane fields, avoiding major highways until you reach the outskirts of Saigon.
- Drop-off: Return to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City by late afternoon.
Day 6 : Ho Chi Minh City to Mũi Né (220 km) ( B , L )
- Morning: Depart Saigon early via the Cat Lai by pass the main highway. Drive through the coastal rubber plantations of Bà Rịa and hit the unpaved coastal tracks running parallel to the beaches of La Gi.
- Afternoon: Engage 4WD to tackle the deep, shifting red sand tracks of the DT716 route near the White Sand Dunes.
- Night: Stay at a beachfront surf resort in Mũi Né.
Day 7: Mũi Né to Đà Lạt via Omega Pass (160 km) ( B ,L )
- Morning: Spend the early morning exploring the spectacular coastal sand dunes. Head inland on the DT728, transitioning from coastal scrubland to the base of the mountains.
- Afternoon: Climb the spectacular Omega Pass (Đèo Khánh Lê). Navigate through dense mountain fog, cascading roadside waterfalls, and steep, unsealed gravel switchbacks ascending to 1,500 meters.
- Night: Stay in a French colonial villa hotel in the pine forests of Đà Lạt.
Day 8 : Off-Road Exploration in Đà Lạt & Bidoup Nui Ba ( B , L )
- All Day: A dedicated 4x4 trail day. Permit required. Head deep into Bidoup Núi Ba National Park. Engage low-range 4WD to tackle muddy logging tracks, technical clay ruts, and shallow river crossings hidden deep under the pine canopy.
- Night: Second night in Đà Lạt.
Day 9: Đà Lạt to Buôn Ma Thuột via Lak Lake (210 km) ( B , L , D )
- Morning: Drive north along the rugged QL27. This road features broken asphalt, dirt bypasses, and steep gradients winding through remote rural villages.
- Afternoon: Arrive at Lak Lake. Swap your vehicle for a traditional dugout canoe to visit the lakeside M'Nông ethnic minority villages (M'Lieng village is highly accessible via dirt dikes).
- Night: Stay in a lakeside longhouse homestay or a luxury tented camp.
Day 10: Buôn Ma Thuột to Pleiku via Coffee Trail Tracks (180 km) ( B , L, D )
- Morning: Drive into the heart of Vietnam's coffee capital. Navigate a labyrinth of red basalt dirt tracks that slice directly through expansive coffee and rubber plantations.
- Afternoon: Stop to see the roaring Dray Nur and Dray Sap waterfalls, accessible via bumpy, unpaved basalt rock paths.
- Night: Stay in a hotel in Pleiku town center.
Day 11: Pleiku to Hội An via Violak Pass (290 km) ( B , L )
- Morning: Drive through Kon Tum to visit the unique 100-year-old Wooden Church. Turn onto the QL24 and prepare for the long, winding descent through the Violak Pass.
- Afternoon: The pass drops sharply toward the coast, offering dramatic views of terraced rice fields. Navigate tight hairpin turns, loose shale rockfalls, and slow-moving local agricultural trucks.
- Night: Stay in a boutique hotel near the lantern-lit streets of Hội An Ancient Town.
Day 12 : Hội An to Huế via the Hải Vân Pass (130 km) ( B , L )
- Morning: Enjoy a relaxed morning exploring the historic streets of Hội An. Drive north toward Da Nang and begin the iconic ascent over the Hải Vân Pass (Ocean Cloud Pass).
- Afternoon: Descend the pass to Lập An Lagoon for a fresh seafood lunch. Continue to Huế and spend the afternoon touring the vast grounds of the Imperial Citadel.
- Night: Stay in a historic riverside hotel along the Perfume River in Huế.
Day 13 : Huế to Khe Sanh via the DMZ Route (170 km) ( B , L , D )
- Morning: Drive north along QL1 before cutting west along Route 9 into the historic Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Stop at the Hien Luong Bridge on the 17th Parallel.
- Afternoon: Drive into the rugged mountains bordering Laos. Explore the historic Khe Sanh Combat Base, navigating the abandoned airstrip surrounded by coffee-covered hills.
- Night: Stay in a simple mountain guesthouse in the remote town of Khe Sanh.
Day 14: Khe Sanh to Phong Nha (Ho Chi Minh Trail West - 240 km) ( B , L , D )
- All Day: This is the most isolated, breathtaking, and technical driving section of the entire journey. This single-lane concrete and gravel shelf twists through Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park along the Laotian border. Expect steep 15% gradients, zero gas stations for a 200km stretch, and frequent rockfalls.
- Night: Stay at a rustic riverside hotel in Phong Nha.
Day 15: Rest & Expedition Day in Phong Nha Caves ( B , L , D )
- All Day: Give your vehicle a rest. Take a motorized riverboat to explore the massive chambers of Phong Nha Cave or trek into Paradise Cave (Động Thiên Đường) to see the world's longest dry cave passage.
- Night: Second night at your Phong Nha riverside lodge.
Day 16: Phong Nha to Tân Kỳ along the Historic Trail (270 km) ( B, L , D)
- Morning: Drive north along the Ho Chi Minh Highway (Eastern Branch). The road transitions into rolling green hills and pristine karst landscapes.
- Afternoon: Arrive in Tân Kỳ (Nghệ An province). Visit the "Milestone Zero," the official historic starting point where the Truong Son strategic supply trail began during the war.
- Night: Stay in a local hotel in Tân Kỳ.
Day 17: Tân Kỳ to Mai Châu (230 km) ( B , L, D)
- Morning: Drive northwest along unpaved rural tracks crossing Thanh Hóa province, passing remote sugarcane fields and bamboo forests.
- Afternoon: Climb into Hòa Bình province via narrow, winding mountain tracks. Drop down into the breathtaking Mai Châu Valley, completely surrounded by towering emerald-green limestone cliffs.
- Night: Stay in a traditional wooden stilt house homestay run by the White Thai ethnic minority.
Day 18 : Mai Châu to Cúc Phương National Park (140 km) ( B , L , D)
- Morning: Drive along the unsealed, rocky dirt trails cutting through the lush Pu Luong Nature Reserve.
- Afternoon: Arrive at Cúc Phương National Park, Vietnam’s oldest nature reserve. Navigate your 4x4 along the narrow, moss-covered single-tracks cutting through the primary rainforest canopy. Visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Center.
- Night: Stay in a jungle bungalow inside the national park grounds.
Day 19: Cúc Phương to Ninh Bình (Tràng An Dike Drive - 60 km) ( B , L , D )
- Morning: A short, highly scenic drive out of the forest toward Ninh Bình. Engage 4WD to drive directly along the dirt dikes flanking the Ngo Dong River and towering limestone karsts.
- Afternoon: Swap your steering wheel for a traditional bamboo rowboat ride through the water caves of the Tràng An Landscape Complex.
- Night: Stay in a luxury eco-resort nestled among the Ninh Bình karsts.
Day 20 : Ninh Bình to Hà Nội via Rural Deltas (110 km) ( B , L )
- Morning: Avoid the chaotic highway. Drive along the winding dikes of the Red River Delta, passing through local handicraft and traditional pottery villages.
- Afternoon: Cross the historic Long Biên Bridge or navigate the chaotic urban traffic to arrive in the heart of the capital.
- Drop-off: Conclude the 20 day cross-country expedition at your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter by late afternoon. (Say goodbye your team - Our car and driver 3 days back to Ho Chi Minh city ) .
Tour price : Contact us
Departure all around the year
Tour Inclusive :
– Accommodation based on twin sharing occupancy at hotel,guesthous 19 nights.
– Meals as indicated in program,B=Breakfast , L=Lunches ,D=Dinner,
– Professional English speaking guide ( Sit with clients car )
– Boat , Ferry trip mention in itinerary,
– 4wd pick up car
– Fuels for the car
–Water, snacks and fruits for riding day
– All entrance fees for sightseeing as indicated in the program,
– Service charges, rooms tax and handling fees,,,
Tour Exclusive :
– Travel assurance ,Visa stamping fee,
– Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks,
– Additional transport required due to any emergency situation,
– Tips for guides and drivers
– Personal expenses and other services which are not mentioned in the program.,
– Any fines for traffic violations and the costs involved in traffic accidents.
– Accommodation in Ho Chi Minh before the tour and Hanoi
– Meals and drinks not mentioned in the program,
– Optional excursions
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