How to check a VN tour company

We've been operating since 2000 without a serious complaint from any of the thousands of visitors who chose to travel Haivenu-style. Don't take our word for it, though - use the information below to check our credentials.

How to check a Vietnamese tour company's licence status
A legitimate company should have details of its international operating licence and its ‘bond’ account number on its web site. Our licence code is 0086/2002/TCDL-GP LHQT. Our bond account is held by the Vietcom Bank: the account number is 0010000240122.

If the details of the company in which you are interested match the above format, it’s probably legitimate. If the information is missing, or if you’re not sure it's genuine, you can easily check with the Vietnam National Tourism Authority (VNAT) by e-mail,

‘phone or fax:Vietnam National Tourism Authority (Tourism Department)
web site: www.vietnam-tourism.com
e-mail: vnat@vietnam-tourism.com
tel: (0084 4) 822 3744
fax: (0084 4) 942 4115

Make sure the company you use is properly licenced
All Vietnamese travel companies must have a licence to operate tours in Vietnam and/or elsewhere. There are two levels of licensing: ‘Domestic’ and 'International'. For customers, the difference between the two is highly significant!

Domestic Tour Operators
Domestic tour operators in Vietnam are not legally liable to compensate clients should anything go wrong with a tour.

Typically, domestic tour operators arrange short trips and visits in Vietnam. They are often referred to as ‘café tours’ - many domestic operators are located in cafés and ‘backpacker’ hotels. The majority offer 'open tours' (i.e. regular group tours - customers buy a ticket a day or two in advance, or just turn up).

According to Vietnamese law, a Domestic Licence only allows a tour operator to trade and offer tours to people who are already in Vietnam either as residents or visitors. It cannot offer tours to people in other countries, nor operate tours in any country other than Vietnam.

Travelling around Vietnam via café tours is popular, but itineraries are mostly confined to the main tourist destinations. Tours are usually cheap, but their quality varies wildly from operator to operator. If you're looking for a low-budget, no-frills experience of Vietnam, we can point you towards a few reliable domestic tour operators.

International Tour Operators
International tour operators in Vietnam are legally bound to compensate clients if the company fails to fulfil its obligations.

To obtain an International Licence, a company must supply a comprehensive business plan, supported by comprehensive documentation, conform to all relevant regulations and meet stringent quality standards.

A key regulation in obtaining an international licence is a requirement to set up a secure account at a state bank and deposit a substantial cash bond to be used solely for the purposes of compensation. The Vietnam National Tourism Authority is a compulsory signatory, so no withdrawals can take place without VNAT's official permission.

'Rogue' Companies
Although it's illegal, practical difficulties in policing the industry means that some domestic tourism companies offer Vietnam tours to customers abroad. If a customer books a tour with a company without an international licence, he or she would have no protection whatsoever were the company to mislead you, overcharge or fail to meet its obligations.

Nobody likes being cheated!
The majority of Vietnamese tourism companies are above board and, like us, will do their utmost to make sure your Vietnamese adventure is everything you want it to be, and even more. It’s in everyone’s interest to make sure that the few unscrupulous companies that try to bend or break the rules are not allowed to succeed.