Visas & entry
For U.S., Canadian, Australian and most other passport holders, Vietnam’s standard entry route is the official online e-visa: single or multiple entry, valid for up to 90 days. Apply only via the government portal, print the approval, and check passport number, dates and the nominated entry point exactly; allow at least 3–5 working days and travel with six months’ passport validity. Several European and Asian nationalities have visa-exemption arrangements, but rules change—verify your passport’s current terms before booking.
Getting in
- Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport: The main northern gateway for Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long/Cát Bà, Sapa and Hà Giang. Use it for a north-focused trip or an open-jaw route southbound.
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam’s busiest southern gateway, best for Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta and onward flights to Phú Quốc. It is the natural finish or start for a north–south itinerary.
- Da Nang International Airport: The practical central-Vietnam gateway for Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Huế. It is the sensible shortcut between north and south rather than enduring long overland transfers.
- Phu Quoc International Airport: Useful mainly for a resort or beach-led finish on Phú Quốc, with domestic links and some international service. Do not use it as a substitute for seeing the mainland south.
Getting around
Vietnam is long enough that domestic flights are the rational choice between Hanoi, Đà Nẵng and Ho Chi Minh City when time matters; leave a buffer night before an international connection. Use trains for selected scenic or overnight legs, especially Đà Nẵng–Huế over Hải Vân Pass, not for the 35–36-hour Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City marathon. Buses, vans and private cars handle most regional links; a car is often worth paying for around central Vietnam, while self-riding a motorbike is a poor first-timer strategy unless properly licensed, experienced and insured.
Money
The currency is the Vietnamese đồng (VND). Cards work well at mid-range and upscale hotels, restaurants and city businesses, but cash remains essential for street food, markets, small towns and many drivers; carry small notes. Tipping is not compulsory, though rounding up, leaving small change, or tipping guides and drivers for good service is appreciated.
Daily budget · VND (Vietnamese đồng); US$ equivalents are useful for planning.
- Value
- 900,000–1,150,000 VND (about US$35–45)
- Mid-range
- 1.8–2.8 million VND (about US$70–110)
- High-end
- From 4.3 million VND (about US$170), though US$250–400+ is more realistic with top resorts, private drivers, alcohol, premium cruises or cave expeditions.
- These are national daily averages per person, excluding international flights. Value covers a dorm or simple private room, street food, local restaurants, sleeper transport, Grab rides and low-cost admissions.
- Mid-range assumes a good three- or four-star room shared by two, regular restaurant meals, some private transfers, paid activities and domestic flights averaged across the trip.
- Hotels are the biggest day-to-day variable. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hội An beach hotels and Phú Quốc cost more than much of the country.
- Tết and public holidays can sharply raise room and domestic-flight prices. A one-way domestic flight typically runs about 700,000–2.5 million VND.
- Ha Long overnight cruises and Phong Nha cave expeditions can blow up an otherwise economical itinerary; budget for them separately rather than assuming the daily average will absorb them.
Eating well
- Northern food is generally less sweet and less spicy than southern food; central food, particularly in Huế, is more assertive with chili, fermented pastes and sauces.
- Eat phở early, bún chả at lunch, and mì Quảng at breakfast if possible. Good specialists often close as soon as they sell out.
- Do not overvalue huge tourist menus. A crowded single-dish stall is usually a better bet than a restaurant trying to serve every Vietnamese classic.
- Markets are useful for grazing and ingredients, but not automatically the best version of every famous dish.
- Ordinary local restaurants rarely need reservations. Book ahead for destination fine dining, hotel restaurants and popular cooking classes.
- For bia hơi in Hanoi, treat it as a cheap, sociable fresh-beer ritual, not a craft-beer pilgrimage.
Book before you land
- Do not plan Vietnam as if it were compact: Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is a full-day flight process or roughly 36 hours by train. Under nine days, stay in one region; three regions need roughly two weeks plus domestic flights.
- During Tết (Lunar New Year, late January or February), transport and hotels fill early while many small restaurants and shops close for several days. Book far ahead or avoid cross-country moves during the core holiday.
- Use Grab where available for transparent car and motorbike-taxi pricing; agree fares before taking conventional taxis or informal rides, and avoid unmetered airport touts.
- Traffic is the main daily hazard. Cross streets slowly and predictably rather than darting; for long motorbike journeys, use a reputable driver rather than treating the Hà Giang Loop as a casual scooter ride.
- Eat at specialist stalls with high local turnover and short menus. Breakfast and lunch noodle shops may sell out and close early; the first taste of a broth should be before adding lime, chili or sauces.
- Weather is regional: central-coast flooding and storms can disrupt Huế/Hội An from roughly September into January, while summer rain and storms can affect northern mountain roads and Ha Long cruises.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
December–February
Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong and Phú Quốc are dry and reliably warm, while Hanoi, Ha Long and Sapa can be cool, grey and misty; Huế and Hội An are still wet or only beginning to emerge from it.
This is a popular international season, Phú Quốc prices rise, and the north may deliver drizzle and haze rather than clear karst or mountain views.
March–May
Northern weather clears, central Vietnam is dry and bright, and the south remains largely dry, though late April and May bring serious urban heat.
By May, midday sightseeing is punishing; start early and use the hottest hours for beaches, cafés or air-conditioned museums.
June–August
Hanoi and the south are hot, humid and rainy, often with short intense afternoon downpours, while Huế, Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Nha Trang usually have their best beach weather.
It is very hot everywhere, and wet, slippery mountain roads make northern trekking and road trips less appealing.
September–November
The north becomes cooler and often clearer after the summer rains, with photogenic rice landscapes, but central Vietnam—especially Huế and Hội An—faces heavy rain, storms and possible flooding.
Do not build a central-coast itinerary around Huế or Hội An in this period; weather disruption can be substantial.
Events worth planning around
Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) · Late January or February, depending on the lunar calendar. · Nationwide
Flights, trains and buses sell out well ahead, accommodation can rise, and many independent restaurants, shops and small services close for several days. Book transport and stays early, or avoid moving between regions during the core holiday.
What to eat
Vietnam is not one cuisine: eat by region rather than ticking off phở and bánh mì everywhere. Favor specialist stalls with one or a few dishes, short menus and local turnover; north and central Vietnam reward breakfast and lunch eating, while southern stalls often run later.
Hanoi and the north: Phở bò and phở gà · Bún chả · Bún thang · Chả cá — turmeric fish with dill · Egg coffee and bia hơi
Huế: Bún bò Huế · Cơm hến — rice with tiny clams · Bánh bèo, bánh nậm and bánh lọc · Chili, shrimp paste and layered dipping sauces
Đà Nẵng and Hội An: Mì Quảng · Cao lầu · Central-coast seafood · Fish- and shrimp-paste-led sauces
Ho Chi Minh City and the south: Cơm tấm · Hủ tiếu · Bánh xèo · Late-night street food and busy bánh mì stands
Mekong Delta: Cá kho tộ · Freshwater fish and vegetable hotpots · Coconut-based dishes · Seasonal tropical fruit, including mangosteen, longan and dragon fruit