Vietnam
Visas & entry
Most visitors need a visa or visa exemption depending on passport; Vietnam’s e-visa system covers many nationalities, while some passport holders have visa-free stays. Rules, permitted entry points and stay lengths change, so verify on Vietnam’s official immigration portal before booking non-refundable travel.
Getting in
- Hanoi – Nội Bài International Airport: The main northern gateway for Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hạ Long/Cát Bà and the mountain north. Best arrival point for a north-to-south open-jaw trip.
- Ho Chi Minh City – Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport: The main southern gateway for Saigon, the Mekong Delta and southern islands. Best departure point after starting in Hanoi, or the logical arrival airport for a south-focused trip.
- Đà Nẵng International Airport: The practical central-Vietnam gateway for Hội An, Huế and the central coast. Useful for travelers prioritizing beaches and central food-and-history stops, but not a substitute for seeing both north and south.
- Cam Ranh International Airport, Nha Trang: A useful direct entry option when a central-coast beach holiday is the point, particularly for Nha Trang and nearby resorts; it is not a general-purpose gateway for a first countrywide trip.
- Phú Quốc International Airport: Useful for a beach-first itinerary or an island finish. International connections are more limited and seasonal than Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, so do not build a complex itinerary around it without checking schedules.
Getting around
Fly the long north–south jumps: Hanoi–Đà Nẵng and Đà Nẵng–Ho Chi Minh City are sensible flight sectors, and an open-jaw international ticket avoids retracing them. The Reunification Express is atmospheric rather than efficient—Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City takes 30-plus hours—so use rail selectively, especially the scenic Huế–Đà Nẵng stretch. Buses, private cars and Grab cover local and regional transfers well; do not assume a map-distance journey is quick, particularly to mountain areas, Phong Nha, the Mekong or islands.
Money
The currency is the Vietnamese đồng (VND/₫). Cards work well at mid-range and upscale hotels, malls and many urban restaurants, but cash remains essential for street food, small shops, markets, rural areas and many local transport costs; carry smaller notes. Tipping is not compulsory, but rounding up or leaving a modest tip for guides, drivers and good service is appreciated.
Daily budget · VND (₫). Planning bands exclude international flights.
- Value
- ₫900,000–1,500,000 per day
- Mid-range
- ₫1,800,000–3,500,000 per day
- High-end
- ₫5,000,000–10,000,000+ per day
- Value means dorms or simple guesthouses, local food, buses/trains and Grab, with shared rooms and restrained drinking. The old '$25 a day' Vietnam is now a bare-bones backpacker proposition, not a realistic moving-around budget.
- Mid-range assumes a good private 3–4-star room shared by two, a mix of proper restaurants and street food, Grab or occasional private transfers, and an organized activity every few days.
- High-end covers boutique, heritage or five-star hotels, private guides/drivers, premium Hạ Long cruises, upscale dining, spas and domestic flights. Beach resorts can push this well above the range.
- The largest budget swings are accommodation in Hội An, Hạ Long cruise cabins, Phú Quốc and Côn Đảo; domestic flights once checked baggage is added; solo private transfers; cave expeditions or multi-day treks; and Tết, domestic long weekends, and Christmas/New Year resort dates.
- Spend intelligently: fly the long north–south leaps rather than wasting holiday time on 16–30+ hour rail journeys, but use rail selectively for scenic routes such as Huế–Đà Nẵng. Private transfers become good value only when shared; otherwise use trains, buses and Grab.
Eating well
- Do not order the same national greatest hits everywhere: regional contrast is the point of eating in Vietnam.
- Have phở bò in the morning, when it is at its most natural in the northern eating rhythm.
- Use Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for broad food exploration; use Huế for a concentrated regional food stop.
- In the Mekong, stay overnight rather than relying on a rushed tour if food and agricultural life are part of the reason for going.
Book before you land
Sơn Đoòng Expedition (Phong Nha): tightly permitted, physically demanding multi-day expedition with very limited departures; reserve far in advance. · Other limited-capacity Oxalis cave expeditions in Phong Nha, if a specific trek is central to your trip. · Premium overnight Hạ Long Bay/Lan Hạ Bay cruises during Tết, major Vietnamese holidays and year-end peak dates.
- Treat Vietnam as three weather zones, not one forecast: March–April is the strongest all-country window; central Vietnam is the risky link in September–November because storms and flooding can derail Huế, Hội An and Đà Nẵng.
- Avoid traveling casually around Tết. Flights, trains, buses and good hotels book out, prices rise, and many family-run businesses close or reduce hours.
- Use Grab for metered car and motorbike rides in cities where available; confirm the pickup point and vehicle plate in the app, and avoid negotiating vague street-taxi fares when a ride-hailing option exists.
- Crossing traffic is a skill: walk slowly and predictably rather than darting or stopping suddenly. Motorbikes generally flow around you, but intersections still demand full attention.
- Do not rent a motorbike for Hà Giang or mountain roads unless you are an experienced, licensed rider with suitable insurance. A reputable driver/guide is the safer choice.
- ATM withdrawals are routine, but banks often impose per-transaction limits and fees. Keep a backup card and enough cash for smaller towns, island travel and overnight transport.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
January–February
The north is cool, grey and sometimes misty, with genuinely cold mountain weather; central Vietnam improves by February but January can stay wet around Huế and Hội An, while the south is hot, sunny and at its dry-season best.
Ho Chi Minh City and the MekongPhú Quốc beachesHanoi food and urban travelcool-weather northern cities
Tết falls in late January or February depending on the year, bringing full flights and transport, higher prices, and widespread reduced hours or closures.
March–April
Northern skies clear and temperatures are still manageable, central Vietnam is generally dry and beach-friendly, and the south becomes hotter, especially in April.
first north-to-south tripsHạ Long or Cát Bà cruisesNinh Binh cyclingHuế, Hội An and Phong Nha
This is the strongest nationwide window, so better hotels, cruises and domestic flights see higher demand; the April 30–May 1 holiday can sharply raise domestic crowds.
May–August
The north is hot, humid and rainy, and the south is in its wet season with heavy but often brief afternoon downpours; the central coast is usually the country’s sunniest, hottest beach zone.
Đà Nẵng and Hội An beachesQuy Nhơn, Nha Trang and Phan Rangcentral highlandstravelers comfortable with tropical rain
Hanoi and northern sightseeing can be punishing at midday, storms can disrupt northern bays and mountains, and southern humidity is relentless.
September–October
The north improves markedly, with September useful for rice terraces and October often cooler and clearer in Hanoi and Ninh Binh; the south remains wet in September but often improves in October.
Hanoi and Ninh Binhnorthern mountain sceneryrice-terrace travelsouthern cities from late October
This is central Vietnam’s danger period: storms, flooding and heavy rain can disrupt Huế, Hội An and Đà Nẵng, especially in October; keep central-coast bookings flexible.
November–December
November is one of the north’s best periods—cooler, clearer and less humid—while the south enters dry season; central Vietnam can remain wet in November and becomes more reliable, though not guaranteed, in December.
Hanoi and the northHo Chi Minh City and the MekongPhú Quốccooler city and food-focused trips
Northern mountains turn cold in December, central-coast weather remains less dependable than spring, and December pushes beach resorts and better hotels into international holiday pricing.
Events worth planning around
Tết / Lunar New Year · Late January or February, depending on the lunar calendar · Nationwide
Vietnam’s one reliably trip-shaping festival: domestic flights, trains and buses sell out, prices rise, and many family-run businesses close or operate reduced hours. Reserve transport and accommodation far ahead and expect limited spontaneity.
Reunification Day and Labor Day holiday · April 30–May 1 · Nationwide, especially beaches and domestic-flight routes
A major domestic travel break that crowds beach towns, raises airfares and fills intercity transport; avoid leaving key bookings to the last minute.
National Day holiday · September 2, often creating a long weekend · Nationwide
Domestic leisure travel creates short, sharp pressure on flights, trains, buses and popular resorts; book around the holiday if your dates overlap.
What to eat
Treat Vietnam as three distinct food countries, not a phở-and-bánh-mì checklist. Eat north-to-south if you can: the north is restrained and broth-led, central Vietnam is chili-forward and shaped by Huế’s imperial kitchen, and the south is sweeter, more herb-heavy and more tropical, with coconut, sugar, river produce and seafood.
Phở bò — northern beef noodle soup; seek it at breakfast rather than treating it as an all-day generic meal.Bún chả — Hanoi-style charcoal-grilled pork and patties served with rice noodles, herbs and dipping broth.Bánh mì — worth eating, but do not let it stand in for the country’s regional cooking.Huế imperial cooking — refined small dishes and bolder, chili-friendly central flavors.Southern cooking with coconut, sugar, abundant herbs, river produce and seafood.
Hanoi and the Red River Delta: Phở bò · Bún chả · Broth-driven, comparatively restrained northern cooking · Coffee culture alongside serious everyday street food
Huế and central Vietnam: Imperial cooking · Bolder, chili-friendly dishes · A food culture substantial enough to justify Huế as more than a historical stop
Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta: Sweeter, herbier southern food · Coconut-rich and tropical flavors · River produce and seafood · Southern food exploration in Ho Chi Minh City; agricultural context in the Mekong
Researched Oct 23, 2026