Crowds cross a decorated golden bridge hung with red lanterns above the Hoi An river at dusk.

Tours

What this actually costs, line by line

Every quote we send is itemised at supplier level, because a total with no breakdown cannot be compared with anything. This page shows the ranges before you write to us, and explains which lines move when the number moves.

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The ranges, per person per day

Land only, two people sharing, excluding international flights. These are the ranges our quotes actually land in rather than a marketing floor.

Style	Vietnam	Cambodia	Laos	What you get
Simple	USD 150 – 220	USD 140 – 210	USD 160 – 230	Three-star town hotels, guide on key days, some transfers shared
Our usual standard	USD 230 – 360	USD 220 – 350	USD 240 – 380	Four-star and good boutique, private vehicle throughout, guide most days
Top end	USD 380 – 700+	USD 370 – 680	USD 390 – 700	Heritage and resort properties, private boat charters, guide daily

Where the floor really is

Below about USD 120 per person per day the only lever left is guide days, and a trip through three countries without guides is a transfer service. We do not quote under that figure rather than sell you a hollow version of the trip.

What the money is actually buying

Typical supplier costs in this region, before our margin. Every quote we send breaks out these lines, so you can change one instead of rejecting the whole trip.

Line	Typical cost	Notes
Three-star town hotel, double	USD 45 – 80 per night	Breakfast included almost everywhere
Four-star or good boutique, double	USD 90 – 180 per night	The band most of our trips sit in
Heritage or resort property	USD 220 – 600 per night	Highest in Luang Prabang and coastal Vietnam in high season
Private car and driver	USD 90 – 140 per day	Includes fuel, tolls and the driver's own costs
Licensed English-speaking guide	USD 60 – 95 per day	Higher in Laos, where the licensed pool is small
Overnight boat cabin, Lan Ha	USD 150 – 340 per person	Full board; private charter is a different number
Domestic flight	USD 55 – 150 per sector	Passed through at cost, reconciled before final payment
Angkor three-day pass	USD 62 per person	Set by the authority, not by us

The five things that move a quote

In order of how much they move it. The first one is worth more than the other four together.

How many of you there are. A car and a guide cost the same for two people as for six. Going from two travellers to six typically cuts the per-person price by a quarter.
How many guide days you want. Seven guided days in a twelve-day trip is our default. Twelve adds roughly USD 400 per couple; four saves about the same and costs you most of the context.
Hotel band, and season. The same room in Hoi An in July and in February differs by half. Moving one week can be worth more than downgrading a hotel.
Flights versus roads. Each internal flight replaced by a drive saves USD 60 to 140 and costs most of a day. Sometimes that is the right trade; usually it is not.
What the boats are. A cabin on a shared boat and a private charter of the same boat differ by a factor of three, and it is the single easiest line to misread when comparing two quotes.

What we do not include, and why

Four things we leave out on purpose rather than bundle in at a markup.

Travel insurance. We require you to hold it and we do not sell it. A policy bought in your own country covers you properly; one resold here usually does not.
Most dinners. Eleven nights of pre-booked group dinners is the fastest way to eat badly in this region. We include the meals where the location makes eating out impractical, and leave the rest to you with suggestions.
Visa fees. They are paid to a government, change without notice, and we will not add handling on top of them.
Tips. Not included, not expected as a fixed percentage. We will tell you what is normal if you ask, and nothing is loaded into the price to cover it.

How a quote gets to be 25 per cent cheaper

A cheaper quote for the same route is not usually dishonest. It is usually one of these five, and each is checkable before you pay anyone.

Fewer guide days

The itinerary still lists the same places, but the guide appears on four days instead of eight. Count the days, not the destinations.

Hotels named by star rating only

Three-star in Hoi An covers a range of about USD 60 in real price. If a quote will not name the property, it is not a quote.

Flights swapped for night buses

A Hanoi to Hue sector becomes a sleeper bus. That is a legitimate choice, but it should be a choice you made.

Shopping stops paid on commission

Two hours at a lacquer workshop is not sightseeing, and the commission is why the headline price works.

A boat described but not identified

A forty-six cabin boat and a twelve cabin boat can be described in exactly the same words. Ask for the boat's name.

Fixed costs you should budget separately

International flights to the regionUSD 600 – 1,400 return from Europe, more from the Americas

VisasRoughly USD 25 – 60 per country, paid to the government

Travel insuranceUSD 60 – 200 per person depending on age and cover

Personal spendingUSD 25 – 60 per person per day covers meals out, drinks and entrance fees not in the plan

TipsUsually USD 5 – 10 per person per day for guide and driver combined

How payment works

Thirty per cent deposit to hold the trip, balance thirty days before arrival. Bookings made inside thirty days are paid in full. The full schedule, including what happens when you cancel, is on the booking terms page, and the payment page carries the bank details.

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Get a quote with the lines showing

Send your dates and rough plan. The first outline comes back inside two working days with a price range attached.

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Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Why is your quote higher than the one I have from another operator?

Usually one of three reasons: we have quoted more guide days, we have named hotels in a band the other quote left open, or the other quote passes a domestic flight at a marked-up fare while we pass it at cost.

Send us the other itinerary. We will tell you line by line where the difference is, and if it turns out they are offering the same thing for less, we will say so.

Do you mark up domestic flights?

No. They are booked at cost, shown as their own line, and reconciled before your final payment. If a fare drops between quoting and ticketing, the saving is yours.

Is the price fixed once I accept it?

Ground costs are fixed once the deposit is paid. Domestic airfares and government fees are passed through, so they can move slightly in either direction until tickets are issued.

Do you offer a discount for a larger group?

It is not a discount, it is arithmetic: the vehicle and guide cost is divided by more people. Our price table shows the per-person figure at two, four and six travellers so you can see exactly where it lands.