Details
Important
Before you decide to travel with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the program information on this page. Our programs are quite adventurous, and we find that travelers who review the full trip details are happier with their experiences.
Trip Notes & Expectations
ACCOMMODATION
Our program fees are based on double-occupancy accommodation (see "Single Travelers" below if you do not have a travel companion and would be interested in a private room). Our accommodations are chosen to provide a safe, conveniently located place to sleep. While you may be pleasantly surprised, please don't expect luxury, as we prioritize keeping our programs affordable.
In some major cities in Vietnam and Thailand, hotel rooms may not have windows , and not all accommodations are air-conditioned . We recommend bringing a small travel fan or cooling towel to help stay comfortable.
TRANSPORTATION
We use a mix of transportation that gets our guests from location to location safely. Sometimes you will have full days and nights of transportation as our trips tend to cover a lot of ground. The transportation will often be an adventure in itself.
HEAT & COMFORT
On very hot days, air conditioning on transport may not be able to keep up. In some hotels, A/C may be weak, not functioning well, or not available at all. To stay comfortable, plan to dress in light, breathable clothing, drink plenty of water, and consider bringing a travel fan or cooling towel. You may also want to bring electrolyte supplements and buy (on site) a UV umbrella for sun/rain protection. Summer is also the wet season, so be prepared for regular and significant rain.
LOCAL DRESS
In Asia the dress standard is more conservative than it is back home. When packing try to pick loose, lightweight, long clothing that will keep you cool in the usually hot and humid climate of Asian summers. In predominately Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim countries we ask that you dress respectfully and avoid very short shorts/skirts and singlets/tanktops when visiting temples or mosques or other holy sites.
ACTIVITY LEVEL & PACE
This trip includes plenty of walking and some light hiking, and requires at least an average level of fitness. On the more active days, expect to walk quite a bit. The heat and humidity are the biggest physical challenges. Make sure you stay hydrated! Please make sure you have thoroughly read the itinerary and can handle the group activities, which sometimes include day hikes with your daypacks. We recommend always carrying snacks with you as meals can sometimes be far apart.
GROUP LEADER
All GEEO/G Adventures trips are led by a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), whose role is to take the hassle out of travel and help you get the most from your trip. They’ll share information about the places you visit, suggest activities and restaurants, and introduce you to our local friends. While not traditional guides, CEOs have broad knowledge of the region’s history, culture, and daily life. On some excursions, local guides are used for deeper insight—giving you the best of both worlds.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Single Travelers
Traveling solo? You’re in good company—about half of our participants do the same.
Shared room by default. The program fee covers one person in a twin room. We’ll pair you with a roommate of the same gender if you don’t have a travel companion.
Want a private room? Most trips offer a
“My Own Room” (single-supplement) upgrade. Check the price in the
Extra Services section, then email travel@geeo.org to reserve it. You pay the single-supplement only if you request it.
My Own Room Exception: Receive private accommodation every night except night 2 (overnight train) and night 9 (homestay).
Emergency Contacts
Should you need to contact G Adventures during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS:
After office hours emergencies:
From outside Thailand +66 (0) 92 338 9222
From within Thailand (0) 92 338 9222
If you are experiencing complications with your Bangkok airport transfer that was booked through G Adventures, please call: +66 86 321 0729 (086 321 0729 from within Thailand) or +66 82 450 2777 (082 450 2777 from within Thailand)
If for any reason you are unable to reach the G Adventures local office, please call the numbers listed below to connect with their Sales team, who will happily assist you.
Toll-free, North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from UK: 0344 272 0000
Calls from Germany: 0800 365 1000
Calls from Australia: 1 300 796 618
Calls from New Zealand: 0800 333 307
Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999
Packing List
See our blog post of
staff recommended gear to help you pack for your upcoming travels. You must be able to carry your own luggage—up stairs, on and off of transport, and during 15 to 20 minute walks. Bring
one small or medium backpack or rolling bag (22-30lb) and
one daypack for daily items. Space is limited on transportation, so oversized bags cannot travel.
Internal flight restrictions: Each passenger is allowed
one checked bag (max weight 15 kg/33 lbs). Any charges for additional bags or excess weight are the responsibility of the traveler.
As you prepare your packing list, we recommend checking average weather conditions for your destination on a site like
Weather Spark for the time of year you will be traveling.
SuggestedOptionalDocuments
- Light windproof/waterproof jacket or umbrella
- Sun hat
- Personal clothing for hot weather – t-shirts, shorts, etc.
- Daypack
- Sturdy walking shoes
- Sport sandals or flip-flops
- Sunblock
- Sunglasses
- Watch or alarm clock (or use your phone)
- Clothes for religious sites – knees and shoulders must be covered
- Toiletries – your hotels will have soap and shampoo
- Camera (or use your phone)
- First-aid kit, including: lip salve, Aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking
- Travel pillow
- Light weight silk sleep sheet
- Money belt
- Water bottle
- Phone/tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
- Chargers for electronics as well as converters/adapters, if needed
- AirTags or Tile trackers
- Packing cubes
- Earplugs
- Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can also buy snacks when you get there too, so don’t go crazy
- Ziplock bags for wet clothing
- Reading/writing material
- Hand sanitizer/baby wipes
- Passport (with photocopies)
- Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
- Travel insurance ID card
- Flight itinerary/boarding pass(es)
- USD/EUR cash
- Credit/debit card
- G Adventures vouchers
- GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent a few days before departure
: Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge, or you can ask your tour leader where the nearest laundromat is located. In case you want to do your own laundry, we suggest you bring your own non-polluting/biodegradable soap.
Passports and Visas
Travelers are responsible for securing all required travel documents and meeting the entry requirements for every country on their itinerary, including applicable transit/layover countries.
PASSPORT
All travelers must have a passport valid for
at least 6 months beyond your trip dates with enough blank pages for stamps.
Need to apply or renew? Start here.
ENTRY/VISA REQUIREMENTS
Visa rules change frequently—always verify the latest requirements on the
U.S. State Department Country Information Pages. Non-U.S. passport holders should verify requirements with your country's official government resources. Use the tool below to see entry requirements for your specific itinerary.
Entry information below is provided by Sherpa, a third-party service and trusted G Adventures partner. You must search each of your destination countries separately; “Add connection” solely searches transit visa requirements. Additional fees apply if you choose to purchase any services through Sherpa.
Money Exchange
Currency: The local currencies are the
Thai baht (THB), the
Laotian kip (LAK), and the Vietnam is the
dong (VND). For current exchange rates, visit
www.xe.com.
Credit/Debit Cards: Credit cards (especially Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at many hotels, shops, and restaurants, but not everywhere. Some vendors may also charge an international transaction fee, so check with your bank before you travel.
Cash: For small purchases, tipping, or places that don’t take cards, we recommend using ATMs to withdraw local currency while traveling. If you bring U.S. dollars to exchange, the bills must be new, unmarked, and in excellent condition—damaged or older notes are often rejected.
Emergency Funds: Bring
at least $200 USD (or the equivalent in local currency) in cash for emergencies in case of ATM or card issues. Always carry more rather than less to avoid feeling short of funds while traveling.
See the Estimated Trip Costs section at the bottom of this page for budgeting guidance.
For more advice, see our post,
Smart Travel Finances: Your Guide to Money, ATMs, Fees, and Safety Abroad
Tipping
Tipping is optional but appreciated and goes a long way for the people who look after you on the trip. If you are happy with the service, use these ballpark amounts and adjust as you see fit
(tip in the local currency where possible):
- Service providers/Waiters:
10% of the bill.
- Local guides and drivers:
$1-2 USD per person per day.
- G Adventures tour leader (CEO):
$20-25 USD per person per week.
(We suggest pooling contributions in an envelope and presenting it as a group)
Tipping Kitty: On some trips, your CEO may suggest a
“tipping kitty” where everyone contributes at the start of the tour, and the CEO uses that pooled amount to tip service providers for the group as a whole (not including your CEO). If your CEO doesn’t mention it and you’d like to use a kitty, we recommend asking about it early in the trip. Your CEO will advise the suggested amount and preferred currency for the kitty.
Vaccinations
GEEO cannot provide any medical advice, so it is very important to consult your doctor or a travel clinic about which vaccinations you will need for your trip. We recommend contacting
Passport Health, which has travel clinics located throughout the United States. You can also check the
CDC's recommended vaccinations for your destination. Please take this seriously!
Flights
Wait for official trip confirmation via email from GEEO before booking your flights. Prices tend to be lowest 90–120 days out, but that window varies by route and year. Neither GEEO nor G Adventures bear responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed.
This program
begins in Bangkok and
ends in Hanoi. Check the itinerary for the required arrival date. Aim to arrive no later than mid-afternoon for the 6 p.m. Day-1 welcome meeting, and consider arriving a day or two early to buffer flight delays and see more of Bangkok. You can depart from Hanoi any time on the final day of the program, or stay later to see more of the city.
Plugs and Converters
Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam use a combination of both American and European
Type A and Type C plugs, and the voltage is
220-240V. To use your electronics safely, you’ll need to consider:
1.
Adapter (plug shape)
Adapts your U.S. plug to fit another type of socket. See our recommended
all-in-one travel adapter in our Gear Recommendations post.
2.
Converter / transformer (voltage)
Steps the outlet voltage down to 120V for U.S. appliances that can’t handle higher voltage.
How to know which you need: Look at the fine print on the plug or power brick. An
“Input 100-240 V” means the device is dual-voltage and works worldwide with only an adapter—phones, laptops, and most camera chargers fall into this category. If the label shows
“Input 120 V” (hair dryers, curling irons, some shavers), it could be damaged on high voltage. Pack both an adapter and a travel voltage converter. Converters are inexpensive and sold online or in the travel aisle of many stores.
Weather
In parts of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, the wet season runs from around May to October. The wet season is characterized by a downpour for a few hours each day rather than all-day torrential downpours. The advantages of this season are somewhat lower temperatures, cleaner air, and smaller crowds.
Advice From Past Participants
Activity Recommendations: “I would recommend a cooking lesson at the ‘Little Hanoi’ cooking school; it is amazing. Our guide recommended it to us and it was phenomenal, one of the highlights of the trip, and we stumbled into it on the last day. It’s run by a small family, and ‘Tin’ is their head chef.”
Physical Difficulty: “Even though this trip is rated for a person of average fitness, some of the days were fairly challenging, and I am reasonably fit. I was fine, but some people in the group struggled. I would just mention that you should make sure you can climb a steep hill (embarking and disembarking from the Mekong) and lug your bags around.”
"You will be very hot. I am used to southern US heat, but it is even hotter."
Packing: “Stress packing light. Those people who didn’t really regretted it! Mention how HOT is, so people pack appropriately. Women need appropriate clothes for visiting temples. Make sure you bring sunscreen and bug spray!”
"Bring a lot of bug spray. Bring a sleeping bag or something for the homestay. Bring lots of reading materials and a power bank."
"You will need your shoulders and knees covered more often than you think. Shorts or dresses below the knee are needed. No low cut dresses even if your knees and shoulders are covered. One person had to buy additional covering or not be allowed in since her top had a low scoop neck."
"There will be a lot of rain."
