Why go to Vietnam
Vietnam is long, thin and wildly varied, and that is the appeal. You can eat noodle soup on a plastic stool in Hanoi at 6 a.m., be on a limestone river in Ninh Binh by lunch, and cross a lantern-lit bridge in Hoi An the same week. Food is cheap and serious. Distances look short on the map but the country is about 1,600 km from top to bottom, so you will want to choose a route rather than try to see everything.
It is also good value even after prices have crept up. A great meal costs a couple of dollars, a decent hotel room is modest, and domestic flights are often cheap if you book ahead. Check visa rules before you book: many nationalities get an e-visa or a visa exemption, but the conditions change.
What to see: the places worth your time
- Hanoi Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake. The Old Quarter is a tangle of streets, once named after the goods sold there. Walk it early, then circle the lake around 6 a.m. when locals do tai chi and badminton.
- Temple of Literature, Hanoi. Vietnam's first university, with calm courtyards and stone steles. It is a good escape from the traffic.
- Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay. Thousands of limestone islands. Lan Ha, on the Cat Ba side, is generally quieter. Do an overnight cruise if you can, and expect haze in winter.
- Ninh Binh (Trang An and Tam Coc). Rowing boats drift through caves between karst peaks and rice fields. It is the best easy side trip from Hanoi, and greenest in May to June.
- Hue Imperial City. The Nguyen dynasty citadel, plus royal tombs along the Perfume River. Some of it is ruined, but the scale impresses. Hire a bike or a driver for the tombs.
- Hoi An Ancient Town. Yellow-walled merchant houses, tailors, the Japanese Covered Bridge. It is crowded by 10 a.m. and at night, so go at dawn. Then cycle out to the rice fields or An Bang beach.
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang. Some of the world's biggest caves, including Son Doong, which needs a pricey, booked-far-ahead expedition. Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave are the easy options.
- Ho Chi Minh City. The War Remnants Museum is tough and worth it. Add the Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh Market and the old Notre-Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office.
- Mekong Delta. Canals, orchards and the Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho, which is best at sunrise. Overnight rather than doing a rushed day trip.
- Da Lat. A cool highland town of pine hills, coffee farms and waterfalls. It is a calm break from the coast.
Things to do
Take a street food tour in Hanoi or Saigon, ideally on foot or by scooter with a local guide. Ride the Hai Van Pass between Hue and Da Nang. It has great sea views, and a driver can carry your bags. Do a cooking class in Hoi An that begins with a market visit. Trek the rice terraces around Sapa, or ride the Ha Giang Loop if you are confident on a motorbike or happy to be an easy rider with a guide. Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels from Saigon, but pick a small-group morning tour. Finish with a few slow days on the beach at Phu Quoc or Quy Nhon.
How many days and a suggested route
Ten days is the minimum for a north-to-south trip. Two weeks is comfortable. Three weeks lets you add Da Lat, Phong Nha or Sapa without rushing. If you have less time, pick a region: Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long for the north, or Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang for the centre.
A good 14-day plan: Hanoi (3 nights), Ninh Binh (1), Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay (1), fly to Hue or Da Nang, Hue (1), Hoi An (3), fly to Ho Chi Minh City (3), then the Mekong (1). Flying open-jaw, into Hanoi and out of Saigon, saves a lot of backtracking and is often cheaper than you would think.
When to go
Vietnam has three climates, so there is no single best month.
- North (Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long): October to April is the best window. Winters (December to February) can be damp and around 10 to 15°C, so pack a jacket. Summers are hot, humid and rainy.
- Centre (Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang): February to August is driest. September to November brings heavy rain and typhoon risk. Hoi An flooding is common in October and November.
- South (Saigon, Mekong, Phu Quoc): The dry season runs December to April, with the hottest weather in March and April. May to October has afternoon downpours that usually pass quickly.
March to April is often the best compromise for a whole-country trip. Tet (Lunar New Year, late January or February) is fascinating, but transport is packed and many businesses close for several days.
Where to stay
Hanoi: The Old Quarter is the convenient base, though noisy. Hoan Kiem and the French Quarter are calmer and a bit pricier. Tay Ho (West Lake) suits longer stays and has good cafes.
Hoi An: Stay in or near the Old Town if you want atmosphere. An Bang Beach is better for sea and quiet, with a 10 to 15 minute ride into town.
Ho Chi Minh City: District 1 is practical for first-timers. District 3 is more local and often cheaper. Thao Dien is leafy and expat-leaning.
Hostel dorms start from a few dollars a night. Good mid-range hotels with breakfast are common at modest prices. Splurge on a boutique or resort stay in Hoi An, Da Nang or Phu Quoc, where luxury is still relatively affordable.
What to eat and where
Start with phở. In Hanoi, try Phở Gia Truyền on Bát Đàn, where there is often a queue. Then bún chả, grilled pork with rice noodles and herbs, a Hanoi lunch staple. Hương Liên is the famous spot, though many small places do it well.
Try egg coffee at Café Giảng. Central Vietnam has bún bò Huế, a spicy beef noodle soup, mì Quảng and Hoi An's cao lầu. Bánh Mì Phượng in Hoi An is the best-known sandwich, though the filling at a good local stall is just as satisfying. In Saigon, order cơm tấm (broken rice with grilled pork) and a cà phê sữa đá, iced coffee with condensed milk.
Eat where locals do, at busy stalls with fast turnover. Drink bottled water, and skip ice only if you have a sensitive stomach, though most commercial ice is fine.
Getting from the airport and getting around
The main international gateways are Hanoi (Noi Bai, HAN) and Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat, SGN). Da Nang (DAD) is the gateway for Hoi An, and Cam Ranh (CXR) serves Nha Trang.
From Noi Bai, public bus 86 runs to the Old Quarter and train station in about an hour. Grab or a taxi is quicker but pricier, usually 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. In Saigon the airport is close to the centre: Grab takes around 20 to 40 minutes, and public buses (such as 109 and 152) are cheaper. From Da Nang airport, Hoi An is roughly 45 minutes by car.
Grab is the easiest way to move around cities, with set prices for cars and motorbike taxis. For long distances, domestic flights with Vietnam Airlines or VietJet save time. The Reunification Express train is scenic, especially Hue to Da Nang, but slow. Hanoi to Saigon takes about 30 hours. Overnight trains to Lao Cai (for Sapa) and sleeper buses are decent options. Crossing the road takes practice: walk steadily and let scooters flow around you.
Rough daily budget
- Budget: about 30 to 45 USD a day (dorm bed, street food, buses).
- Mid-range: about 60 to 100 USD (private hotel room, restaurants, a few tours, some flights).
- Comfortable: 150 USD and up (boutique hotels, private drivers, cruise upgrades).
Flights, Ha Long cruises and big excursions are the main budget swingers.
FAQs
Is Vietnam safe for tourists?
Generally yes. The main risks are bag snatching from passing scooters, traffic and overpriced taxis. Keep your phone away from the road, and use Grab.
Do I need a visa?
It depends on your passport. Many nationalities qualify for an e-visa or a short visa-free stay. Check the official government portal before you fly.
What is the best month to visit?
March and April work well for most regions. For the north alone, October and November are lovely. For beaches in the south, go December to March.
Can I use credit cards?
In hotels, malls and many restaurants, yes. Street stalls, markets and small shops expect cash in Vietnamese dong, so withdraw from bank ATMs and carry small notes.
Is it worth visiting both north and south?
If you have two weeks or more, absolutely. The food, climate and mood differ so much that they feel like two countries. With less time, stick to one region.
Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Guide updated 21 Oct 2026