Hello Vietnam started over a beer in 2016, when Linh realized most tourists were seeing her country through a tinted bus window. Ten years later, we've hand-built 18 trips across Vietnam — all led by people who grew up here.
We skip the tourist traps. We pay our guides fairly. We eat lunch on the same tiny plastic stools as our guests.
Linh quits her bank job. Starts leading food tours for backpacker friends.
Tuan joins after driving Linh through Ha Giang on a whim. The loop is born.
Pandemic hits. We pivot to online cooking classes and stay connected.
We open a Hanoi office. Still just a room above a bánh mì shop.
2,400+ travelers later, we're still on plastic stools.
If it's in every guidebook, we're not taking you there. Period.
Every vendor we work with is a neighbor. Every guide earns a real wage.
Small groups, reusable everything, and trips that leave places better.
Since 2019, we've helped build two classrooms and funded 47 scholarships in Ba Be Province. Our partner, the Ma Pi Leng Learning Initiative, is run by former guide Minh.
Read the impact report