Santosh’s Family Vietnam Trip: Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City
Last updated: July 20, 2026
Santosh’s family Vietnam trip ran from the temple gardens of Da Nang to the wide green lawns of the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, with a day up at Ba Na Hills in between. I’m Kevin, and I planned this one end to end — every transfer, every night, every excursion. Supporting Santosh and his family on this journey was genuinely a highlight of my career as a travel consultant, so I wanted to write it down.
- Traveller: Santosh and his family — young and old travelling together
- Places: Da Nang (including Ba Na Hills) and Ho Chi Minh City
- Trip style: a relaxed family holiday, fully organised in advance
- Highlights: the Ba Na Hills day out, the pagoda gardens above Da Nang, and the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City
- Planned by: Kevin, My Viva Tour
Planning Santosh’s family Vietnam trip, message by message
From the very beginning I took a lot of care to make sure every part of the trip was thought through and properly organised. A family holiday has more moving parts than a couple’s trip — different energy levels, different bedtimes, someone who wants the view and someone who wants the air-conditioning — and I wanted the shape of the days to suit all of them rather than a generic template.
Through the whole planning phase I kept close communication with Santosh and his family and answered their questions promptly. That part matters more than people expect. When you’re booking a holiday on the other side of the world, a reply that lands the same day is the difference between confidence and quiet worry.
The practical side was the priority: transfers that turned up on time, comfortable accommodation, and excursions that were actually engaging rather than box-ticking. Get those three right and the family stops managing logistics and starts noticing the country they’re standing in.
Ho Chi Minh City, where the history sits out in the open
In the south they spent time in Ho Chi Minh City, and the photo I keep coming back to is the family standing on the lawn in front of the Reunification Palace — flags up, fountain running, the boys not entirely sure why Dad wanted another photo.
Ho Chi Minh City is a good opener or a good finish for a family. The big sights sit close together in District 1, so you can see a lot without spending the day in traffic, and there’s always somewhere cold to sit down when the heat gets on top of everyone.
Da Nang, and the day up at Ba Na Hills
Central Vietnam gave the trip its other half. Ba Na Hills sits in the mountains above Da Nang and you reach it by cable car, which for most families is half the entertainment before you’ve even arrived. The photo at the top of this post is the whole group at the entrance — three generations in one frame, which is exactly the picture you hope a family gets on a trip like this.
Down at sea level, Da Nang is gentler. They spent time in the pagoda gardens on the hillside, all carved rock, dragons and quiet corners — the kind of place where a family can slow down for an hour without anyone needing a schedule.
“For me, travel is about much more than logistics — it’s about crafting meaningful moments and genuine connections.”
What the family kept coming back to
Here’s the part that meant the most to me. Santosh and his family regularly said thank you — not just to me, but to the whole My Viva Tour team. They talked about the attentive, friendly service they’d had from everyone they dealt with, described the journey as memorable, and praised the team’s professionalism and care.
That’s the review I want. Anyone can sell an itinerary; what a family actually remembers is whether the people around them were warm and reliable when it counted. Knowing I helped make their days easier, and that the trust went both ways, was deeply rewarding.
Kevin’s pick: if you’re travelling with mixed ages, give Ba Na Hills a full day rather than squeezing it around something else. It’s a long way up and there’s more at the top than people expect — rushing it is the one thing families tell me they’d change.
Tips from Santosh’s family trip
- Lock in your transfers. With older travellers and a child in the group, the airport-to-hotel legs are where a holiday is won or lost. Pre-booked and on time beats cheap every single time.
- Pair a central city with a southern one. Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City feel like different countries — beaches and mountains versus boulevards and history — and a short domestic flight links them.
- Pack for two climates. It’s cooler up at Ba Na Hills than it is on the coast, so bring a light layer even if the forecast down in Da Nang says otherwise.
- Comfortable shoes over smart ones. Between the pagoda steps in Da Nang and the walking at Ba Na Hills, trainers earn their place in the suitcase.
- Ask your consultant questions before you book, not after. How fast someone replies while they’re still earning your business tells you how they’ll handle a problem later.
Want a trip like Santosh’s family’s?
If this looks like your kind of holiday, the closest route we run is our Wonderful Vietnam 16-day tour, which spends time in Da Nang — with Ba Na Hills available as a day trip — before flying south to Ho Chi Minh City. If you’d rather take it slower, our Hidden Charm Vietnam route covers the same two cities with more beach time built in. Either way I’ll tailor the pacing to your family — just message me, Kevin, and we’ll start planning.
Over to you: have you already been up to Ba Na Hills with your family? I’d love to hear how you found it — tell me in the comments below. Thank you!
Quick FAQ from Santosh’s trip
Is Ba Na Hills worth a day on a family trip?
For mixed-age groups, yes. It sits in the mountains above Da Nang and is reached by cable car, and there’s enough at the top — gardens, viewpoints and an indoor games centre — to keep both younger and older travellers occupied. On our longer Vietnam routes it runs as an optional day trip from Da Nang.
Can you visit both Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City in one trip?
Easily. They’re at opposite ends of the country but a short domestic flight connects them, which is how Santosh’s family did it. Most of our multi-week Vietnam routes link the two, so you get central Vietnam’s coast and mountains alongside the south’s city life.
Is Vietnam a good destination for a multi-generation family?
It works well when the trip is planned properly. The distances are manageable, the food suits fussy eaters and adventurous ones alike, and Vietnamese hospitality is genuinely warm towards older travellers and children. The thing to get right is pacing — private transfers and a couple of slower days make the difference.
If you’re thinking about a family holiday in Vietnam, browse our Da Nang stories and our Ho Chi Minh City guides for ideas, then get in touch with My Viva Tour and we’ll build the trip around your family.
