Ask any serious golfer which bucket-list golf trip they have not yet taken and Vietnam appears in most answers. Ask any serious traveller which natural wonder they most want to experience and Ha Long Bay is near the top. The ASEAN Links Vietnam North to Coast tour does something no other golf itinerary in the world quite manages: it delivers both in the same trip, without either experience feeling compromised or rushed.

This is a golf trip built around the full breadth of what Vietnam offers - from the ancient trading history of Hanoi's Old Quarter to the 2,000 limestone islands rising from the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, through championship rounds on courses designed by some of the game's greatest names, and finally south along the central coast to Da Nang's beach and dune country.

Hanoi: Where the Tour Begins

The Vietnam North to Coast tour opens in Hanoi, and it is worth arriving a day early to absorb one of Asia's most compelling capital cities. The Old Quarter's narrow streets, French colonial architecture, Hoan Kiem Lake and the extraordinary Temple of Literature have drawn travellers for centuries, and they reward unhurried exploration.

The golf begins near Hanoi at BRG Kings Island Golf Resort, one of the most distinctive layouts in northern Vietnam. Situated on an island in the Dong Mo Lake, the course features a dramatic island setting with water in play on the majority of holes. The course is presented to an excellent standard and offers a very different visual experience from the coastal links-style courses that dominate the central Vietnam circuit. Greens are consistently fast and the par 5s are genuinely reachable in two for longer hitters, making for an exciting scoring environment.

Insider Tip: BRG Kings Island plays differently in morning versus afternoon depending on the wind direction off the lake. The ASEAN Links team schedules tee times to make the most of preferred conditions - one of the practical advantages of playing with people who know these courses across multiple seasons.

Ha Long Bay: Overnight Cruise on a UNESCO World Heritage Wonder

No golf itinerary in Southeast Asia includes an overnight Ha Long Bay luxury cruise. That is not a boast - it is simply a fact. Most Vietnam golf tours concentrate entirely on the central coast and skip the north. The Vietnam North to Coast tour treats Ha Long Bay as a centrepiece, not an afterthought.

The journey from Hanoi to Ha Long takes approximately 3.5 hours by private coach, passing through the Red River Delta's flat agricultural landscape before the dramatic limestone karst scenery begins to emerge from the sea. The bay itself contains an estimated 1,969 islands, most of them uninhabited, and UNESCO granted it World Heritage status twice - first for scenery in 1994, then for geology in 2000.

The overnight cruise experience aboard a quality Ha Long junk is its own art form. Cabins on premium vessels are fitted to boutique hotel standard, with private balconies over the water. Days are spent kayaking through sea caves, swimming in the bay and watching the mist roll through the limestone towers at dawn from the sundeck. Meals are prepared fresh on board - the seafood, sourced daily from local fishermen, is extraordinary.

Waking up on the water surrounded by Ha Long's karsts, with morning mist threading between the limestone peaks, is one of those travel experiences that leaves a permanent impression. This is not an optional addition to the golf trip. It is one of the reasons the North to Coast itinerary exists.

The Journey South: Da Nang and the Central Coast

After Ha Long, the tour connects south to Da Nang via domestic flight - approximately 90 minutes in the air, arriving on Vietnam's central coast in time to settle into beachside accommodation before the main body of championship golf begins.

The central Vietnam golf circuit around Da Nang and Hoi An is the finest concentration of resort-quality golf courses in Southeast Asia. The North to Coast tour plays multiple rounds on this stretch, drawing from the same exceptional venues used in the Da Nang-focused tours:

Playing five championship rounds across this section of the tour, after the Hanoi and Ha Long experience, gives the itinerary a genuine sense of progression - arriving in Vietnam through its northern cultural heart, experiencing one of the world's great natural wonders, and concluding with the golf that put this country on the global course map.

Insider Tip: Laguna Lang Co plays best in the morning before the sea breeze strengthens. The front nine, which runs close to the lagoon, can play 2-3 clubs longer in the afternoon. The back nine, more sheltered by the coastal dunes, is less affected. If you have a preferred starting hole, mention it to the ASEAN Links team and they will arrange accordingly where possible.

Hoi An: The Ancient Town on Your Doorstep

The central Vietnam section of the tour is based in proximity to Hoi An, one of the most perfectly preserved trading port towns in Southeast Asia. The UNESCO-listed Ancient Town is a 15-20 minute drive from the main golf corridor and offers evenings of extraordinary quality: lantern-lit streets, tailors producing custom clothing in 24 hours, riverside restaurants serving Hoi An's distinctive white rose dumplings and cao lau noodles, and a night market that manages to feel genuinely local rather than manufactured for tourists.

For golfers joining the Grand ASEAN Tour 2027, this central coast section forms the middle and longest chapter of a 19-day itinerary that begins in Cambodia and spans the full length of Vietnam's west and east coasts. At AUD $9,498 per person for 19 days and 18 nights, the Grand ASEAN Tour is the most complete version of everything Southeast Asia's golf and travel landscape offers.

Vietnam North to Coast: The Full Picture

The Vietnam: North to Coast tour runs March 2-12, 2027 - 10 days and 9 nights at AUD $5,499 per person. The package is guided by PGA of Australia professionals with 20+ years of golf industry experience and includes accommodation, tee times at championship venues, all land transfers, the Ha Long Bay overnight cruise and professional support throughout.

Golfers from Australia and New Zealand typically fly into Hanoi to join the tour and depart from Da Nang, avoiding backtracking. Singapore and Hong Kong participants can join from either end conveniently. The ASEAN Links team coordinates all pick-up logistics and will advise on the most efficient flight routing for your departure city.

To ask questions or Book Your Place on the 2027 North to Coast tour, contact the team on WhatsApp or at aseanlinksgolf@gmail.com. Guided by Golfers. Not Travel Agents.