Okay so my cousin Priya called me last week – like right when I was in the middle of eating dinner – asking me about Vietnam for her honeymoon. And I’m thinking… Vietnam? For a honeymoon? But then she explained she wanted something that wasn’t just lying on a beach (her fiancé gets bored easily, apparently) but also didn’t want it to feel like a backpacking trip. She wanted both. Romance AND adventure. And I was like, yeah, that’s actually the perfect place for it.

Here’s the thing though. Most people I know who looked at Vietnam honeymoon tours ended up confused because the packages either push you toward the super romantic stuff – you know, candlelit dinners, couples spa treatments, sunset cruises – or they go full adventure mode with trekking and motorbike tours. Finding that sweet spot? Harder than it sounds.

Wait, let me back up a second…

The whole Ha Long Bay situation

So everyone talks about Ha Long Bay for honeymoons. It’s gorgeous, obviously. Those limestone karsts rising out of emerald water, staying overnight on a boat, waking up to that view. Super romantic, check. But here’s what the Vietnam honeymoon packages don’t really tell you – you can ALSO go kayaking through caves there. Like actual caves. My friend Amit did this last year (not honeymoon, just regular trip) and he said paddling through these hidden lagoons felt like discovering something secret. His girlfriend loved it. They did the fancy dinner on the boat deck at night, then spent the morning kayaking. Both things. That’s the balance right there.

But – and I’m probably gonna get hate for this – I think Ha Long Bay is a little… overrated? (Don’t @ me.) It’s beautiful but it’s also super touristy now. Like hundreds of boats. If you really want that romantic isolation vibe, Cat Ba Island nearby is better. Less crowded, same stunning scenery, plus you can go rock climbing if you want. Actual rock climbing on limestone cliffs over the ocean. How is that not the coolest honeymoon activity?

Hoi An is where it gets interesting

This is where Vietnam honeymoon tour packages actually get it right sometimes. Hoi An is ridiculous (in a good way). The old town with all the lanterns at night? Yeah, that’s your romance covered. Walking around at sunset when they light up everything, getting clothes custom tailored together (couples who get matching ao dai dresses made are either super cute or super cringe, haven’t decided which)…

But THEN during the day you can rent bikes and cycle through rice paddies. And I don’t mean like a casual 20-minute ride. I mean actually getting lost in the countryside, stopping at random villages, maybe ending up at some beach that’s not in any guidebook. My colleague Sneha did this and said her phone died halfway through (classic) so they just… kept riding. Found this tiny fishing village where an old lady taught them how to make rice paper. Was that planned? Nope. Did it become their favorite memory? Apparently yes.

Also Hoi An has this thing where you can take a cooking class together. Sounds cheesy, I know. But you go to the market first, pick ingredients, then actually cook Vietnamese food. It’s hands-on, it’s fun, and honestly? Learning to make pho together is kind of romantic in a weird way. Plus you get to eat everything after. (I’m always gonna vote for activities that involve eating, not gonna lie.)

The Sapa situation nobody talks about

Okay this is gonna sound random but hear me out. Sapa – up in the northern mountains – most people skip it for honeymoons because it’s considered too “adventurous.” Trekking through terraced rice fields, staying in homestays, not exactly luxury resort vibes. But some of the Vietnam honeymoon packages are starting to include it and I think they’re onto something.

The trekking isn’t that intense. Like, you’re not climbing Everest here. It’s walking through the most insane scenery – these rice terraces that look fake they’re so perfect – and staying in small villages. The thing is… doing something slightly challenging together when you’re newly married? It bonds you. Sounds stupid but it’s true. You’re tired, your feet hurt, you help each other up the muddy bits, you laugh when you slip. That’s the adventure part.

Then at night you stay in a nice homestay (some are actually pretty comfortable now) and it’s just… quiet. Mountain quiet. Stars everywhere. That’s your romance. It’s different from fancy hotel romance but it works.

Actually scratch that, I’m remembering now – my friend told me there ARE some boutique hotels in Sapa now. So you can trek during the day and come back to luxury at night. Best of both worlds, maybe?

Food tours are underrated (trust me on this)

People don’t think of food tours as romantic but they should. Especially in Vietnam where street food is literally everywhere. Taking a motorbike food tour through Hanoi or Saigon – you’re on the back of a bike (or she is, depends who’s driving), wind in your face, stopping at random street stalls. Is it adventurous? Yeah, you’re eating mystery meat sometimes and dodging traffic. Is it romantic? Also yeah, weirdly. Something about sharing those tiny plastic stools on the sidewalk at midnight eating bun cha…

I might be biased because I’m obsessed with Vietnamese food. But still.

The thing is, most Vietnam honeymoon tours will take you to nice restaurants. Which is fine. But the real experience is street food. And doing it together – trying things you can’t identify, maybe getting a little sick (hopefully not but like, it happens), laughing about it later – that’s memorable.

Beach time without being boring

Okay so Phu Quoc or Nha Trang for beach stuff. Obviously. Every Vietnam honeymoon package includes beach time. But here’s the deal – don’t just lie there for five days. That gets old fast, even on a honeymoon (my opinion, people might disagree).

Do the beach resort thing for like… two or three days. Get the couples massage, do the private beach dinner, whatever. But also? Go diving. Or snorkeling. Vietnam’s underwater stuff is actually amazing and nobody talks about it. Exploring coral reefs together, seeing weird fish, maybe freaking out about a sea snake (they’re harmless apparently but still scary) – that’s adventure. Then coming back to your nice hotel room after – that’s romance.

Nha Trang also has this mud bath thing. Which sounds gross but it’s fun? You sit in warm mud together which is… an experience. Is it romantic? Debatable. Is it adventurous? Sure? It’s definitely something you’ll remember and laugh about.

The Mekong Delta everyone skips

Hot take incoming: the Mekong Delta is actually perfect for honeymoons and everyone sleeps on it. Most Vietnam honeymoon packages either skip it completely or give it like one day. That’s a mistake.

Floating markets at sunrise. Taking a small boat through narrow canals. Staying overnight on an island where they make coconut candy (and you can try making it). Cycling through villages where they still make rice paper by hand. It’s all slower paced, more chill than northern Vietnam, but it’s interesting. You’re doing stuff but not exhausting yourself.

And honestly? Sometimes on a honeymoon you want days that are active but not intense. Where you’re experiencing things together but also have time to just… talk. The Mekong gives you that. You’re on a boat for hours sometimes but it’s peaceful. Good for actual conversation, which apparently matters in marriage (who knew).

The real answer (I think)

So after rambling for like a thousand words… how DO you actually balance it? Here’s what I told Priya:

Pick places that naturally have both. Ha Long Bay (or Cat Ba if you’re cool), Hoi An definitely, maybe Sapa, beach resort but make it active, add the Mekong if you have time. Don’t do a package that’s ALL adventure or ALL luxury. Vietnam is perfect for mixing them because the country itself is diverse. You can trek in the morning and get a couples massage in the evening. You can kayak through caves then have champagne on a boat deck.

The mistake people make with Vietnam honeymoon packages is thinking they have to choose. Adventure people go one way, romance people go another. But like… you’re on your honeymoon. You probably want both? The adrenaline stuff during the day, the romantic stuff at night. Or vice versa, whatever works.

Also – and this is important – leave some unplanned time. The best stuff Priya’s friends told her about were things they stumbled into. Random cafes. Street corners where they sat and watched life happen. A thunderstorm in Hoi An that trapped them in a lantern shop for an hour talking to the owner.

I don’t know the technical term for this but there’s something about having like 60% of your trip planned and 40% just… wing it. That balance works. Too much planning and it feels like a checklist. Too little and you miss the good stuff.

Does that even make sense? I’m rambling sorry.

Anyway Priya booked something that does Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and Phu Quoc. Skipped Sapa unfortunately (she gets altitude sick apparently, who knew). But she added extra days in Hoi An specifically for the biking and cooking class stuff. So she gets it.

So yeah. Vietnam for honeymoons. You can have both. You should have both. Anyone telling you to pick one is selling you the wrong package.

Okay I need to go make lunch, I’m starving. But seriously though – Vietnam works because it doesn’t make you choose. That’s the whole point.