We really dislike organized tours.
Being told where to go, what to look at, when and what to eat, and being ushered around with a bunch of interminably obnoxious other tourists as a public spectacle is not our idea of a good time. We will not be herded.
Having said that, there are several instances when organized tours might make sense:
- When the intended destination presents significant logistical challenges that the use of privately arranged transportation can solve,
- When the site to be visited contains esoteric cultural information that would be difficult to decipher without a knowledgable guide, and/or
- When a guide is legally required.
For us, Bai Tu Long Bay fell into the first category. We had read online that the journey there from Hanoi requires several transfers, and the relatively undeveloped tourist infrastructure exacts a financial toll on a cornered market. We only had two days before we wanted to head into the north country, and we just didn’t have the patience to hack our way through the DIY process for a two-day boat ride.
Ramey on the Road 