What About Vietnam – S1-8 – The big decision: Join a Packaged Group Tour or DIY? – Which Suits You Best?

Let’s get real about travel planning to Vietnam.

If you're heading to Vietnam, there’s one big decision you’ll need to make early on:
Should you join a packaged group tour… or plan your own trip?
Do you map it out yourself—or get expert help?

This isn’t a simple yes-or-no answer. It’s one of the most personal choices you’ll make in your travel planning—and one that can completely shape how you experience Vietnam.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on both options, sharing the honest pros and cons, and helping you figure out which style fits you best.
No fluff, no sales pitch—just personal and professional insights from years of experience as both a traveller and a travel advisor to Vietnam.

Because I consider this decision one of the biggest you’ll make in setting the tone for your trip, I break down these key elements:

• The structure and convenience of group tours—and when they shine
• The freedom and deeper connection that individually planned travel can offer
• Why group tours can sometimes feel like a blur of bucket-list stops
• The trade-offs of a tightly scheduled itinerary versus one you design yourself (or with guidance)
• Real talk: what people loved (and didn’t) about both styles

If you follow this show, you’ll know from other episodes: the best trips happen when your travel style matches who you are. 

Whether that’s with a group or through your own custom plan—choose what fits you.

I truly believe that if you give Vietnam the thought it deserves, it will give you everything you’re looking for—and more.

Link to Food and Textiles Sml Group tour spoken about on show - https://www.brunswickkitchen.com.au/food-and-fabric-tours-vietnam-2025-2026

The best way to connect with me is not via text, it is through the website www.whataboutvietnam.com website and email.

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Transcript

Kerry Newsome :Xin chào and welcome to the What About Vietnam podcast. My name is 

Kerry Newsome and I am your host. And for today, I'm going to be your host and your only guest speaker as I've got a subject I want to take on and kind of tackle myself and share my thoughts with you as I've wanted to put a show together about this subject for quite some time and I think or I hope it's going to be helpful to you in your trip planning and your thoughts around how you want to experience Vietnam. So the subject I want to talk to you about fits in with series one. 

When I started the podcast back in 2020 really as a COVID baby I wanted to begin the series I mean at that time I actually didn't know how many series I would do but I certainly wanted series one to be pretty much the series that holds episodes, in helping people design or decide how they want to experience Vietnam. Because that makes a big difference to your takeaway, to what you get out of Vietnam, in my opinion. and I've had a lot to do with putting plans together and working with companies who do group tours etc over the last you know 14 or so years. So I think I've got a fair bit to share with you today and I hope so in the way that I can deliver it so that you can decide for yourself which is the best way to go. 

So, this is going to sit in Series One and we're going to talk to you today about the how is the best way to experience Vietnam. Is it via a group tour that you participate? And I think that's one category and that's one category I'm going to break down and talk to you about the pros and cons. And then there is the Individual Traveller. In some circles in the industry we call that the FIT Traveller, Free Independent Traveller. And in that category there's to me two types. One, you're the do-it-yourself person where you take on the whole job, the whole conception, the whole planning, the whole booking. You do all the bookings, whether they're direct or whether they're online or whatever. 

Or there's the individual tour situation where you want to have control over what you want to do, but you want to book it privately. and you want to do that with a travel agent or a travel advisor, someone who really knows the lay of the land and can book everything for you through a destination company or tour operator that can facilitate all that for you. But it's private and it's personal to your budget, your preferences. that's what today's going to be about. 

I just want you to sit back, let me be the person to kind of feed your thoughts, feed you some information to help you make some decisions. And sometimes these decisions are not made just alone, they're made with a partner, with your family, with a group. You know, you might be sitting around a dinner table and everybody says, hey, let's all go to Vietnam. You know, and I want this show to be fuel for you to help make the wisest decision because It's a real mixed bag as far as feedback from trips in the sense that some people go on a set tour and come back and they're just exhausted. You know, they just like Vietnam just went by in a flash and they don't really come away with that. Yeah, I really want to go back there thing. And then there's some people go oh I should have done this, I really should have got more advice, it was probably not the best time of year to go, I would have liked to have known about these activities. And you know that do-it-yourself person just couldn't deal with the overwhelming swell of information to try and find the best things. to do and best ways to book it, etc. Had they gone to an advisor or a travel agent, that travel agent might have been able to help them to do that. Okay, so let's talk about group tours. Now, my involvement with people who have been on group tours has been extensive. I've also been involved with creating and curating tours for companies to on sale. So over the last 14 years 

I can really put my hand on my heart and say to you I've had a lot to do with group tours to understand the psychology behind them, the methodology behind them, the processes and you know some of the pros and cons. And one of the pros for group tours that just hits you like right off the bat is probably the sense of connectivity and the ability to meet people, like-minded people who want to visit the country. So, if you would like to go on a holiday where you get to meet people, travel with them extensively for the trip and do it in a set period of time, then group tours might be just the perfect thing for you. 

One of the things to add to that would be that group tours are almost always strictly run on set dates. So, you know, as long as you're happy to fit into the dates that they're operating, once again, that's perfect for you; they always include you know set time periods. So you're going to see advertisements for you know 12 days in Vietnam and they will probably run those twice a month or three times a month on set dates. 

As you know the plan, you will be able to plan in that set date on that set budget for those periods of time and those places listed in the tour program. So, for the group option, you have to kind of be a person that you really want to go and you want to be with people and you want to do it the way the tour operator has designed it. and you don't really want to fashion your own kind of experiences out of it. You really like the idea that the tour company that you're going to book with has pre-organized everything from your flights to your accommodation to your activities to literally everything. You know what your budget is, you know what you've paid for, what your inclusions are going to be. So, usually in that set, the only thing you're probably going to think about is the occasional free day that you have and, you know, how you might like to fill in that. And you're also going to, you know, have very limited need for any extra spending other than maybe some souvenirs and some eating, etc. 

So like it's all there for you and that's very, very attractive for people. And when I talk to people who've done a group tour, It's a real mixed bag about people's enjoyment factor or the feedback that I get from people. And I've even participated as a mystery traveler on some tours, et cetera, so that I can gauge how well the tour is going, whether people wanted to do something differently. There's some people saying, hey, this was really great. They really should promote this as something really special. So, I think the thing that I get mostly from group tours that worries me is that they go, yeah, well, we went to Vietnam and yeah, well, you know, we're done. And I go, well, so would you like to go back? Is there anything? Oh, you know, maybe, I don't know. We probably could have had some more time in Hoi An. We didn't get to kind of further northern regions of Vietnam. Probably would have liked to add in the Sa Pa part. Yeah, could have done without this. But they're not jumping out of their skins to go back. The biggest thing that… And I see this a lot, is they're generally exhausted. Their opinion of Vietnam is a little bit on a flash card. You know, eight days to see a whole country. I don't know, it'd be like me saying, you know, you've got eight days to see all of Italy. Good luck with that. So, from the person who is willing to maybe use it as a bit of a reconnaissance situation, I definitely would think it would be the go. But getting back to the original of, hey, you just want to see Vietnam in a group situation where everything is organized and you want to keep it within a minimum budget, there is tons out there. They are generally cookie-cutter kind of trips that will include the major destinations. So that's, you know, from top it'll be Hanoi, central it will be Hoi An or Da Nang or both, and then going south it will be Saigon, Mekong Delta. And there will be traditional spots. 

You can choose tours that offer small groups to large groups. And once again, depending on where you're coming from, if you're coming from the Northern Hemisphere, you've got to add in a couple of days of travel to get to Vietnam. you know you're going to be able to manage your time and fit a lot in in it in that space of time. So it's all going to be pre-planned for you, you don't have to search, you don't have to research, you don't have to book other things or add-ons, you just need to get there, pick up the travel manager and the tour operator as he will then take it over from the get-go right through to the finish. 

Now, I just want to add to this when we're talking about groups that A couple of things that you want to be a little bit aware of is the structure. And one aspect of the structure of these tours is that it's all predestined, it's all pre-planned. There's no changes or revisions to that unless, you know, weather or something happens, et cetera, and it has to be rearranged. But generally they are set plans and you're going to be given a complete itinerary which is full of everything and all the information that you need to do those. and they're also done in strict time plans. So no matter whether or not you've had a big night out the previous night or you are tired or whatever you need to be the kind of person that works well with stringent timings. So, when you need to be out the front to meet the bus or you need to have your bags ready for the bus the next day, then you certainly are suitable for this type of tour. If you're not however and you'd rather luxuriate over your free breakfast that you know would come with your hotel possibly, then you know you're going to struggle. You're going to struggle with the structure and the stringent time frames because you can't think as an independent. You can't think as you know just what you'd like to do because you have to think as part of that group. You are traveling with a group with a group goal and you know whether or not you'd like to do something different in that city, would mean you having to say to the tour operator I do not wish to participate in today's activity and they would kind of have to sign you off to say okay. But you would not get any refund or anything like that for denying those activities for the day as you had pre-purchased them. But it would enable you to you know go off and do your own thing. 

And I've kind of stressed this to some people who've done group tours and have felt like, you know, they were a little bit like they were back in school and rounded up and having to, you know, be here at this time and back by this time and all this kind of thing. It really started to bug them. And, you know, they then said, you know, we had to do it. And I went, no, you didn't actually. You could have asked the tour operator for, you know, a leave of absence, be naughty, be the one that says no I don't really want to do that activity that's not an activity that is something that I'm really keen on but you know I'm happy for the rest of the group to go and I'll meet you back at five o'clock or whenever the the one is that you're happy to start again. So, the key things for groups and certainly price is another issue because the company is usually able to negotiate really good rates. and you're going to get you know your flights and your accommodation and all wrapped up together with guides and transfers and things like that. You're usually going to get that at a pretty good price because they're buying it on volume and they're buying it on structure and reliability of facilitating those tours. And then you're going to be buying that group on the brand. What do you know about that brand for the kind of travelers that they are attracting to their tour company, to their experiences? Some companies cater to a younger audience, some cater to a more mature audience, some cater to different budgets, different lengths of stays and different accommodation levels. You know, are you a three-star traveller, a four-star traveller or a five-star traveller? Do you travel alone or will you be traveling with someone so that you can share the accommodation and share the twin share? So there's all these kind of things that you will get from group travel. 

And I honestly I want you to think about that very carefully in the sense that if you know on your pros and your cons columns there's more pros because you know that's just where you're at in life, that's just where how you want to do it. You know you did a group tour to Morocco or you did a group tour to Italy or you're a Contiki lover and you love those group tours and the activities and the joys and fun of meeting a whole group of people on the buses and things like that. You know it's definitely the go but if you struggle as I said with the busyness, the structure, the stringency around time slots and the pace of it is just too too stringent that you're not going to get to kind of just muse a little bit, relax a little bit, then maybe the group tour is not for you. And while people say yeah but you know I want to buy it because you know I'm not going to be able to get that tour for that price. Well that bit you don't know about until you try and that's where the independent and the individual travel options come in. where you get to plan your own trip and devise the trip that you want and, you know, maybe pick some of those places that are in the group tours, maybe not all of them, but maybe spend longer periods of time in some places than others, maybe do different things or maybe do nothing. Maybe do Nothing. Plan in nothing. Lie by the pool. Walk the beach. Have a long coffee in a coffee shop and just sit by and people watch. I think the private or the do-it-yourself traveler is probably the space I've had more to do certainly in the last couple of years. As I said, prior to that, I was more working with companies and helping them design some of these group tours. But, you know, I've found more joy with working with people to get what they want in the do-it-yourself space, in the individual traveler space. However, in saying that it takes some considerations and I want to put a bit of a caveat here in saying that you know if you're confident in doing things online sure you can do it all yourself but you're going to take some risks in the sense of you're depending on the research quality of the networks that you're doing research on to get the right information. And if you feel you aren't able to do that, well, go for it. 

The other option then is to use a private travel agent where they're going to organize a private tour. Now, when I say private tours, I mean that this tour is going to be just for you, you and your travelling companion or your family or whatever. You're not going to be on a public group tour. You're not going to be joining a group. There's going to be one person meeting you at the airport and taking you in a private car and that's going to be a transfer. Not a bus, not a sign up that says you know the brand and the brand group is to meet on pillar 10 and you're all going to go off together and you're going to follow the flag which is what a group tour does. No, no, no. In a private situation you're going to have a person yes will have your name on it but you'll be in a private car. And you know for some of us that sounds like a bit luxurious but in Vietnam it's amazing you can get some really nice luxuries but not have it break the bank and you can't self-drive in Vietnam so you're not going to see a whole heap of companies offering cars and car hire because that's just not available to you in Vietnam. You can however hire a driver and the driver will be driving a beautiful air-conditioned, very new car. But you're not going to get that advantage of joining a group of people immediately. you're going to have to make an effort at the places that you are visiting to meet other travelers, you know, kind of as part of your travel. 

The advantage of having someone help you organize this and provide you insights is that if you relate to that person and you feel confident with that travel agent, you know, you're going to be able to form a relationship with them. And you know the important factor that this person has to be able to give you is confidence, that they know what they're talking about, that they have been there, touched that or they know somebody that has. If they don't know they're going to find out for you because the care factor is where the differentiator is, is because this travel agent wants to give you a private tour and a private experience of Vietnam, but in a way that you're going to enjoy it at your own pace and to include the kinds of things that you want to do. 

Now for me, know I don't want to go to Saigon and then go out to the Cu Chi Tunnels; when I'm there it's too hot and the thought of me going underground touching snakes or you know experiencing any of that kind of fun stuff that other people think is fun is just not on my radar. I don't want to do that. But if that's included in the group tour, that's what the group does. So you're obliged to do it. You don't have to, as I mentioned, but you can reallocate your time to do something different. You know, I might choose to go and find, you know, a crazy cafe that I heard about, you know, out in the suburbs. Or I might want to check out a place that teaches you how to make your own perfume. as in design your own perfume by different scents and make up a bottle to take home. That's just something I might want to do or I might want to go and get pampered or I might want to go and try a Michelin restaurant. That's kind of some of the things that I want to do in Saigon. Or I might want to do a tuk-tuk tour. Or I might want to go on the back of a Vespa and check out all the street food with the guidance of a tour operator that runs around on Vespas. So I want the individuality, I want the personality that I have with my group, with my family, with whoever I'm traveling with to be the determinate of what I experience.

So for you, when you're thinking about your private tour, You know, all of these things can get priced and put together in a package, which is kind of all wrapped up. So it's your transfers, your airfares, your accommodation. And that would be spoken about with you, tailored to the kind of hotel and where you want that hotel to be. Do you care whether or not it's far away from, you know, anything or would you like it in walking distance to the old town or be in District 1 or, you know, have certain views or do you want it to include some wellness aspects to it? You know, all of these things can get discussed and plugged in and form the part of your travel experience that you want to have. an individual. It can still as I said get wrapped up into a package so it's a price right at you know the end which is all-inclusive a bit like a group tour but this one is tailored to you. This is one where you have entrusted your your experience to the travel agent that is advising you or you've trusted yourself and your own instincts to know no this is the way I want to do it, somebody's told me about this place they said it's good, you're going on good airlines so you're trusting those airline networks and you can book that online And you feel confident that in the stay that you've decided on, the dates that you've chosen, that you've got yourself covered as an individual traveler and traveling on your own or in your own party. So the reason I wanted to talk about these two is because of the outcomes from either of them. And where I've found the most joy will surprise you I think in the sense that While the group tours do offer, you know, that headache-free, stress-free, don't have to think, budget-minded traveler, there's not the real levels of joy that I hear about versus the person who has been an individual traveler and traveled in their own steam under the guise of a private travel agent or they've booked everything themselves. And I think there's a lot of logic to why the individual traveler gets more out of Vietnam in specified time slots like the 12 days or the 14 days. is because they've really thought about the kind of holiday they want to have and been able to match that to the trip design. You know, if you are a person who, sure, you want to experience a lot, but you've recognised that, you know, it's going to be December as the only time you can go and while you love hiking and you love all that, You know it's going to be too cold to do that in northern Vietnam so for this trip you're going to design it more in the south and you're going to do a different kind of things and maybe have an island hop to Phu Quoc in that because you recognize and you've got information to hand that's reliable to say, you know, it's just not going to be ideal for you to have that hiking experience and get the best out of the north on that trip. However, you might prefer to do another trip at another time of the year when it's going to be perfect to experiencing that. So you might, you know, come back in September the following year or in a couple of years time. And you can still tailor and make it to what you want to experience. I hope that in this episode I've been able to give you some thoughts to help you design your trip. I hope I've given you some thoughts about how you want to spend your time according to your own preferences, your own timing, your own pace and your own personality. Don't knock your own personality out of the park as far as designing your own holiday. It is a holiday. It's the time you get off in a year to go away. So, you know, even if it's, Kerry, can you find us a place where we can attend mass on a Sunday? We're going to be away two Sundays. Can you find us a good place? And the mass times? Yes, yes, I can. Yes, we can do that. Kerry, you know, we're traveling with three children and, you know, these are teenage girls. They're all into shopping. They're all into, you know, we went to Southeast Asia a couple of years ago. They're “pagoded” out. They want to hear about this vibrant city and this vibrant country and can you show us some of the great, real, trendy places for my teenage daughters to go in Saigon? Yeah, we can do that. I think, you know, trip planning is one of those things that people kind of gloss over as not having much value. But when you're traveling with people or, you know, you're trying to sell internally to, you know, your wife or your family members or your kids or whatever that, yes, we're going to go to Vietnam, we're going to have a great time. If you can get to plan it the way you want it to be you've got a much better chance of having a better outcome. You know people go back and forth to lots of countries and I can name Spain, Italy, Thailand because they've been able to generally in the past experience the country the way they wanted to. They were able to go to the country more as individuals, less as tours. 

I mean, if the tour into Vietnam is a small group tour and it's around a specific concept, I know some great people that do offer very specialized tours. You know, one group in particular that offers, and I'll put a link to it in the show notes, you know around food and textiles. Now that might be your thing. 

I know another group that does them as a writer so you can go and get writing skills and so might be that time of life where you want to get a bit creative and you want to do it in an environment that inspires creativity. You know this might be the kind of tool but it's because of your personality and because of your likes, desires and the things that you want to experience and you're matching that to Vietnam. Don't try and you know I think make Vietnam match you, you match yourself to Vietnam. You find the kind of experience and if you have to come back a couple of times well wahoo do it. You know I would rather you come back a couple of times to experience different levels of Vietnam rather than try and smash it down and tick that bucket list and go, yeah, we saw Vietnam, got it over and done with. Yeah, 12 days we were done. I don't know whether or not you would have got the full grasp of Vietnam according to its full scope on offering to you if you had done that. Sure, you would have got the glimpses, and you would have still seen the beautiful Halong Bay, and you would have got to have egg coffee in Hanoi. But there's so much to Vietnam. To me, unless you've got extensive time in that first visit, it's a lot to experience in one visit, and especially in limited time. 

Now, if you are wanting to get some more advice around different options or you've got some questions to ask, please reach out. You know where to go. Whataboutvietnam.com is the website where you might even be listening from because it is free, advert free. You can obviously find this on all your pod channels. But if you want to reach out, just reach out to me at whataboutvietnam@gmail.com. I'm happy to answer any questions and of course I'm happy to do the trip planning for you all inclusive and tailored to you. 

Happy traveling folks and I'll see you in Vietnam.