Booking Terms
Last updated: September 25, 2026
These terms apply to every tour booked on duonglamancientvillage.com, operated by Duong Lam Ancient Village (“we”, “us”), Duong Lam, Son Tay, Hanoi, Vietnam. By completing checkout or confirming a booking on WhatsApp you accept these terms.
1. What you are booking
All tours are private, for groups of 1–4 guests, priced per group. The price shown at checkout is final and includes everything listed on the tour page: private car and driver, a licensed local guide who speaks fluent English, hotel pickup and drop-off in central Hanoi, entrance tickets, the tea and tastings, and the lunch on the full-day tour. Personal purchases and optional tips are not included.
2. Sample itineraries and tailor-made days
The itineraries on this site are sample days, and every tour can be tailored on request. Tell us what to add, skip or spend longer on, and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing before you book; a tailored day can cost more or less than the sample. On the day, your guide can adjust the order and pace within the time booked.
3. Operation and licensing
Tours are designed and sold by us and operated together with a licensed Vietnamese tour operator. Your guides hold valid tour-guide cards. Your booking contract is with us, and we remain your single point of contact before, during and after the tour. We are an independent operator, not affiliated with the Duong Lam Ancient Village Management Board, Thay Pagoda or any government body.
4. Payment
You can pay in one of two ways. In full online: the whole price in USD by card, at our secure checkout or through a secure payment link we send on WhatsApp. 30% online, the rest in cash: a 30% deposit paid online to confirm the booking, and the remaining 70% in cash to your guide on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong; your confirmation states the exact balance due.
Your booking is confirmed when the online payment completes and you receive a written confirmation with pickup time and guide details.
5. Cancellation and refunds
Free cancellation up to 3 days (72 hours) before your scheduled pickup time — everything you have paid is refunded to your original payment method, normally within 5–10 business days depending on your bank.
Within 3 days of departure, including no-shows, 30% of the tour price is charged, because the car, guide and host family are already committed. If you paid in full, we refund the other 70%; if you paid the 30% deposit, the deposit covers the charge and nothing more is due.
Rescheduling is free up to 3 days before departure, subject to availability.
6. Weather, closures and changes by us
Duong Lam is a lived-in village: families may be out, and pagodas close their halls for ceremonies without notice. If a highlight is unavailable we tell you before departure where possible and offer a comparable substitute — another old house, another family kitchen — a new date, or, if the day cannot reasonably go ahead, a full refund. Water puppet shows at Thay Pagoda take place only during its festival and are not part of any tour. We never quietly downgrade an itinerary.
7. Your responsibilities
Please be ready in your hotel lobby at the confirmed time; your guide waits 20 minutes and will call or message you on WhatsApp. Late starts shorten the itinerary rather than extend the day. You are responsible for travel insurance, for dressing respectfully in pagodas and shrines, and for telling us about dietary needs, allergies or mobility limits when booking.
8. Children and accessibility
Children are welcome. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest. Duong Lam is flat, with uneven old brick paving; at Thay Pagoda there are a few steps, and the path up Sai Son is steep and optional. Tell us about strollers, wheelchairs or mobility needs and we will plan around them.
9. Liability
We operate with a licensed partner and insured vehicles. To the extent permitted by Vietnamese law, our liability for any claim is limited to the amount paid for the booking. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.
10. Contact
WhatsApp +84 368 938 081 (24/7) · [email protected] · Duong Lam Ancient Village, Duong Lam, Son Tay, Hanoi, Vietnam.