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FRVietnam Destination Management (DMC)
Pickleball group travel in Vietnam
Short answer: Vietnam is now one of the most active pickleball countries in Asia. In 2025–2026 it hosted PPA Tour Asia events in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, the Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, and in July 2026 it founded a national federation. A travelling club no longer asks whether there are courts. It asks where the group plays, how many courts it holds at once, and how play fits around a multi-city tour.
Written for tour operators and sports travel companies planning club trips for 20–100 players. For groups where competition is the main purpose, see Pickleball tournament trips to Vietnam.
Operational review by
Dong Hoang Thinh (Mickey)
Founder of Dong Thi Co., Ltd., operating Dong DMC under International Tour Operator Licence 79-168/TCDL-GPLHQT.
Editorial scope: group execution, venue verification and operational feasibility in Vietnam.
Definition
Pickleball group travel is a club or community group of twenty to a hundred players touring a destination together, with scheduled play sessions built into the itinerary. The sport is the reason the group forms; the trip itself is a holiday, with culture, food and sightseeing between sessions.
In Vietnam this usually means two or three cities, three to five play sessions, and one or two optional extras: a friendly match against local players, or a small in-house tournament on the last playing day.
Requests come from two directions. Clubs from North America and Australia travel long-haul and usually stay seven to ten nights. Clubs from the Philippines and Indonesia fly in under four hours, which makes a four- to six-night playing trip practical and allows more play per day.
Two ways to build the trip
| City tour with club sessions | Resort with its own courts | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the group stays | City hotels, moving between cities | One beach resort for the playing days |
| Where it plays | A professional club, booked for the group’s hours | Courts inside or next to the resort |
| Strength | Better courts, covered play, local players to meet, more of Vietnam seen | Walk from room to court; nothing to organise each morning |
| Trade-off | A short transfer to each session | Play is limited to one stop; court count decides the group size |
| Typical route | Hanoi, then Da Nang and Hoi An | Da Nang, Hoi An or Ho Tram, combined with a touring leg |
Most programmes Dong DMC is building for 2027 follow the first model: Hanoi for the opening days, then Da Nang, with play at a covered professional club because the courts, lighting and seating are of a standard that experienced players notice. The resort model remains the right answer for groups that want a beach week with less movement.
Where groups can play
Court counts below are as published by each venue or reported in national media, checked in October 2026. Venues open, expand and close quickly; Dong DMC confirms the court count, surface and cover for the group’s dates before quoting.
| City | Venue | Courts | Notes for groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | Cau Giay Cultural & Sports Centre | 25 | Described as the capital’s largest complex; hosts national team events |
| Hanoi | Dai Kim Pickleball Complex | 9 | Lit courts; has hosted organised tournaments |
| Da Nang | FPT Pickleball & Coffee Club | 8 | Covered, acrylic surface, lighting and spectator seating |
| Da Nang | Furama Pickleball Club | 14 | Opened March 2025 within the Furama and Ariyana beachfront complex; indoor and outdoor courts |
| Da Nang | Courts next to Grand Mercure Danang | 8 | Covered, LED lighting; free for hotel guests |
| Hoi An | Hoiana Resort & Golf | 8 | Mix of indoor and outdoor courts |
| Ho Tram | The Carmelina Beach Resort | 15 | All outdoor |
| Ho Chi Minh City | GoPick Sports Complex, Thu Duc | 12 | One of the largest dedicated venues in the city |
Why verification matters. A 22-court complex that opened in Hanoi in March 2026 was demolished a month later for land-use violations. Groups booked on the strength of a listing would have lost their venue. Holding a group on a court cluster means checking the venue itself, not a directory.
How many courts the group needs
Four players occupy one court in doubles. What matters is the share of each session a player spends on court.
| Courts held | On court at once | Group of 40 | Group of 60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 16 | 40% of rounds | 27% |
| 8 | 32 | 80% | 53% |
| 12 | 48 | 100% | 80% |
An eight-court club puts 32 players on court at once: a group of 40 rotates with a few players resting each round, and a group of 60 or more plays in two shifts. The full arithmetic is on How many pickleball courts does a group need?
When to travel
| City | Best for outdoor play | Plan covered courts |
|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | October–November, then March–April | December–February (cool, drizzly) and summer heat |
| Da Nang and Hoi An | February–May | September–December, rain peaks October–November |
| Ho Chi Minh City | December–April (dry season) | May–November afternoons |
A route that pairs Hanoi with Da Nang has no single best month for both cities. March and April work well for both; outside that window, a covered venue in at least one city is the practical answer.
What the DMC arranges
- Court blocks for the group’s hours, so players are not sharing courts with walk-in players
- A covered alternative for every outdoor session, decided before departure
- Session design: level-based groups, rotation so court time is equal, early starts before the heat
- Equipment: the right ball for indoor or outdoor courts, spare paddles, water and towels courtside
- Local players: a friendly match or mixer with a Vietnamese club, if the group wants one
- Transfers between hotel and club, timed so the session starts on time
- A parallel programme for partners who travel but do not play
- An optional in-house tournament on the last playing day: draw, scoring, awards. See tournament trips
The rest of the trip is a conventional group programme — hotels, flights between cities, guiding, meals and a cruise or culture leg — and is usually where most of the budget sits. Court hire is one of the smaller lines in the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tour group play pickleball in Vietnam?
Yes. Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City all have dedicated venues large enough for groups, and several beach resorts have their own courts. Sessions are built into the itinerary like any other activity.
Which cities are best for a pickleball group trip?
Hanoi and Da Nang are the most common pairing: Hanoi has the largest complexes, and Da Nang has covered professional clubs and resorts with courts, close to Hoi An.
How many courts does a group of 40 need?
Ten courts let all 40 play at once in doubles. On eight courts, 32 play and eight rest each round, which most social groups accept. Larger groups hold more courts or play in two shifts.
What happens if it rains?
Play moves to covered courts. For each outdoor session, a covered venue is agreed before departure so the session is not lost.
Can the group play against local players?
Yes. A friendly match or social mixer with a local club can be arranged on request, subject to the club’s schedule.
Knowledge framework
1. Pickleball programmes
- How many pickleball courts does a group need? — capacity arithmetic
- Pickleball tournament trips to Vietnam — when competition is the purpose
2. Group coordination
- Vietnam Group Travel — the coordination model
- Vietnam Group Logistics — transfers, timing and contingency
- Vietnam Hotel & Rooming Coordination
3. Destinations
4. Budget and partners
- Vietnam Group Travel Cost
- US and Canada partner desk · Philippines partner desk · Indonesia groups
- Or send a brief to the Dong DMC partner desk