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Vietnam 🇻🇳

backpacking Asia Vietnam 🇻🇳Motorbike passes, river caves and curbside noodles along a very long country.

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Backpacking Vietnam in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
Traveling in Vietnam: what to expect

Backpacking Vietnam
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 18, 2026

Distance eats more Vietnam trips than any scam ever will. The country stretches roughly 1,650 kilometers from the Chinese border to the Mekong Delta, and the train between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City runs well over 30 hours. Travelers who try to cram the full length into two weeks spend half of it staring at a sleeper bus ceiling.

Pick one or two regions instead. Swing a motorbike through the limestone switchbacks of the Ha Giang Loop, wade into the river caves of Phong Nha, then wander Hoi An’s lantern-lit lanes after the day-trippers clear out. Food threads through all of it. My first proper meal in Hanoi was bún chả on a stool barely higher than my ankles, charcoal smoke stinging my eyes while pork patties spat fat onto a grill a meter away. The challenges are plain. Overnight buses rattle, motorbike traffic swarms every crossing, taxi meters sometimes run fast, and you need an e-visa sorted before you land.

Compared with Thailand, Vietnam is louder and less packaged, with fewer island bungalows and far more street-level chaos. Laos moves slower and quieter; Vietnam keeps you moving. It suits travelers who love eating at the curb and riding mountain passes, and who can laugh off a little friction. If you want hammock days on calm islands or English spoken everywhere, you will burn more energy here than you might like.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Vietnam

Hanoi and the North (Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay)

Northern Vietnam kicks off in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where scooters claim the sidewalks and you slurp bun cha on a stool barely higher than the curb. Buses and trains reach Ninh Binh in about 2 hours. Rent a bicycle, pedal between the limestone towers of Tam Coc, then drift by sampan past rice paddies at golden hour. Ha Long Bay lies 2.5 to 3 hours east by expressway. First-timers wanting a loud, walkable city with easy side trips belong here.

Northern Mountains (Sapa, Ha Giang, Cao Bang)

Up near the Chinese border the roads twist hard and the air turns cool. Sleeper buses climb from Hanoi to Sapa in 5 to 6 hours, where Hmong and Red Dao guides lead muddy treks through terraced valleys and homestay hosts pour corn liquor at dinner. Ha Giang, 6 to 7 hours north, is the bigger thrill: a three-to-four-day motorbike loop, solo or riding pillion behind a local driver, cresting the Ma Pi Leng Pass above the jade-green Nho Que River. Bring strong legs and a taste for cold mornings.

Central Coast (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An)

The middle of the country is the easiest stretch to fall for. Flights from Hanoi land in Da Nang in about 80 minutes; the train grinds down in roughly 16 hours. Spend a day biking between Hue’s walled Citadel and its royal tombs, then ride the Hai Van Pass over the mountains to Da Nang’s long beach. Hoi An, 45 minutes south, hangs lanterns over its old town after dark, and tailors cut a suit overnight. Couples, families and slow travelers thrive here.

Dalat and the South-Central Coast (Dalat, Mui Ne, Nha Trang)

Climb to Dalat, 1,500 meters up, and the sticky heat gives way to pine forest, strawberry farms and a night market grilling rice-paper “pizza” over charcoal. Buses from Ho Chi Minh City take 6 to 8 hours, or you fly in about an hour. Canyoning down waterfalls is the adrenaline hit. On the coast, Mui Ne’s red and white sand dunes catch the sunrise, while Nha Trang runs on dive boats and seafood. Suits anyone chasing cool nights and active days.

Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta (Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Cu Chi Tunnels)

Saigon moves faster than Hanoi: rooftop bars, District 1 street food at midnight, and traffic you cross by walking slowly and steadily so riders flow around you. The Cu Chi Tunnels sit 1.5 to 2 hours northwest; squeeze through a stretch and the war becomes physical. Buses reach Can Tho in 3.5 to 4 hours. Board a boat at dawn for the Cai Rang floating market and eat noodles cooked on a rocking hull. Food lovers and river wanderers, this corner is yours.
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Why go?What draws travelers here

Scenery

Vietnam packs mountains, karst and coastline into one long, skinny country, so the landscape keeps shifting … read more 👉
Vietnam packs mountains, karst and coastline into one long, skinny country, so the landscape keeps shifting under your wheels. In the north, terraced rice fields stack up the hillsides around Mu Cang Chai and Sapa, flooded silver in spring and gold before harvest. Ninh Binh pushes limestone towers straight out of the paddies, and you glide between them in rowboats steered by women pedaling the oars with their feet. Further south, the Central Highlands roll into coffee plantations and pine ridges, while the Mekong Delta flattens into a maze of coconut-fringed canals. I would skip the midday boat tours in Ninh Binh and climb the 500 steps of Hang Mua at sunrise instead, when mist still hangs in the valley.

Backpackers

Backpacking Vietnam comes with one of Southeast Asia’s liveliest hostel circuits, and it forms a natural … read more 👉
Backpacking Vietnam comes with one of Southeast Asia’s liveliest hostel circuits, and it forms a natural chain from Hanoi to Saigon. Dorms are social by design, with free beer hours, family-style dinners and staff who will rope you into a group heading to the same next stop. The Ha Giang Loop has become a rite of passage: a crew of strangers on motorbikes, many riding pillion behind local drivers, bonding over mountain passes and karaoke at the homestay. Hanoi’s Ta Hien Street packs travelers and locals onto tiny stools around bia hơi, the fresh draft beer brewed daily. Hoi An draws the slower crowd, Da Lat the adrenaline seekers. Travel north to south or the reverse and you will keep bumping into the same faces, which turns a solo trip into a rolling party fast.

Food

Vietnamese food is fresh, cheap and endlessly regional, which makes every new town a fresh menu to work … read more 👉
Vietnamese food is fresh, cheap and endlessly regional, which makes every new town a fresh menu to work through. Hanoi wakes up to steaming bowls of phở with clear, spiced broth. Hue cooks fiery bún bò Huế thick with lemongrass, Hoi An serves chewy cao lầu noodles you won’t find done the same way anywhere else, and Saigon lives on cơm tấm, broken rice with grilled pork chop. Bánh mì appears on every corner, crackly and stuffed with pâté, herbs and chili. The key is the herb plate: mint, perilla, sawtooth coriander and lime, tossed in by hand. Eat where the stools are low and full of locals at lunch hour, and order whatever the stall specializes in, since most cook one dish and cook it well.

Low cost

Backpacking Vietnam stays easy on your wallet because the everyday essentials are priced for locals. … read more 👉
Backpacking Vietnam stays easy on your wallet because the everyday essentials are priced for locals. A typical daily average runs around US$20 to 35 (roughly 520,000 to 910,000 dong) for a dorm bed or simple guesthouse room, three meals of street food, a couple of cold beers and local transport. Street dishes usually cost less than a coffee back home, and a glass of bia hơi barely registers. Comfort upgrades are cheap too: a private room with air conditioning in a smaller town often costs only slightly more than a city dorm. Spend your savings where it counts, such as a guided cave trek in Phong Nha or a good tailor in Hoi An. Carry small notes, since vendors rarely break large bills, and confirm prices before you order at tourist-facing stalls.

People

People in Vietnam are direct, curious and quick to laugh. Expect questions within minutes: how old are … read more 👉
People in Vietnam are direct, curious and quick to laugh. Expect questions within minutes: how old are you, are you married, how much do you earn. It’s friendly sorting, a way to work out how to address you, so answer with a smile. Kids shout hello from doorways, and older men drinking bia hơi will wave you over, pour you a glass and lead the toast with một, hai, ba, dzô! before you know their names. Humor runs dry and teasing, and a playful haggle at the market often ends with both sides grinning. Learn a handful of words, especially cảm ơn (thank you) and xin chào (hello), and watch faces light up. Sit at a street-side table instead of indoors, and conversations come to you.

Architecture

Vietnam layers its history in brick, timber and concrete, and you can read each era walking down a single … read more 👉
Vietnam layers its history in brick, timber and concrete, and you can read each era walking down a single street. Hue’s Imperial City, the Nguyen dynasty’s walled citadel, spreads moats, gates and throne halls across a huge riverside site, and its royal tombs sprawl through the pine hills outside town. Hoi An keeps wooden merchant houses and Chinese assembly halls from its trading-port days. The French left ochre villas, Hanoi’s Opera House and Saigon’s Central Post Office, with its iron-vaulted hall. Then come the tube houses: impossibly narrow, four or five stories tall, painted in every color. Head to Tay Ninh to watch a noon ceremony at the Cao Dai Holy See, a temple mixing Asian and European styles in candy colors. Visit Hue’s tombs by bicycle in the early morning, before the tour buses arrive.

Beach life

Vietnam’s coastline runs over 3,000 kilometers, so you can always find a stretch of sand that matches … read more 👉
Vietnam’s coastline runs over 3,000 kilometers, so you can always find a stretch of sand that matches your mood. An Bang near Hoi An mixes beach bars with fishermen launching round basket boats. Quy Nhon offers long, quiet bays and seafood shacks grilling scallops with scallion oil. Nha Trang handles the party crowd and the diving, with dive shops running reef trips to the nearby islands. Mui Ne turns windy enough for serious kitesurfing, while Phu Quoc in the south draws sunbathers to calmer, clearer water. For snorkeling with turtles and almost no crowds, Con Dao is the best choice. Check the season before you commit: the central coast churns rough with storms from September to December, while the south dries out from late November, so shift your beach days to whichever end of the country is calm.

⭐ HighlightsWhat not to miss along the way

  • Hoi An Ancient Town: By day the yellow-walled merchant houses swarm with shoppers and tailors measuring inseams; by dusk the Thu Bon River fills with paper lanterns floated by kids selling them for small change. The air smells of incense and frying dough from the street stalls, and the best move is a bicycle ride out to the rice fields toward An Bang before dinner.
  • Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: A narrow entrance high on a forested hillside drops you into a chamber so large the wooden boardwalk shrinks to a thread. Stalagmites rise like melted candles under soft lighting, and the temperature falls noticeably the moment you step below. The cave runs over 30 kilometers; the public section alone takes an hour to walk.
  • Lan Ha Bay: Kayak out from Cat Ba Island and the cruise-ship crowds of Ha Long Bay fade behind you. Limestone islets rise straight out of jade water, floating fishing villages bob with barking dogs on their decks, and you can paddle into tiny lagoons where the
… read more 👉
  • Hoi An Ancient Town: By day the yellow-walled merchant houses swarm with shoppers and tailors measuring inseams; by dusk the Thu Bon River fills with paper lanterns floated by kids selling them for small change. The air smells of incense and frying dough from the street stalls, and the best move is a bicycle ride out to the rice fields toward An Bang before dinner.
  • Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: A narrow entrance high on a forested hillside drops you into a chamber so large the wooden boardwalk shrinks to a thread. Stalagmites rise like melted candles under soft lighting, and the temperature falls noticeably the moment you step below. The cave runs over 30 kilometers; the public section alone takes an hour to walk.
  • Lan Ha Bay: Kayak out from Cat Ba Island and the cruise-ship crowds of Ha Long Bay fade behind you. Limestone islets rise straight out of jade water, floating fishing villages bob with barking dogs on their decks, and you can paddle into tiny lagoons where the only sound is your own paddle dripping.
  • Ma Pi Leng Pass: The road between Dong Van and Meo Vac clings to a cliff above the Nho Que River, which glows an unreal emerald far below in the Tu San Canyon. Wind whips across the pass, Hmong kids herd goats along the shoulder, and every bend tempts you to stop the bike again.
  • Hanoi Old Quarter: Streets here still carry the names of the guilds that once worked them, and Hang Ma glitters with paper votive offerings and festival decorations. On weekend evenings the roads around Hoan Kiem Lake close to traffic, families take over the asphalt, and you can sip a thick egg coffee while scooters hum past the edges.
  • Trang An and Tam Coc, Ninh Binh: Rowers take small boats along rivers between limestone towers, through low caves and past rice paddies and island temples. Trang An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and lies about 2 hours south of Hanoi.
Off the map, Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Ba Be Lake and Ban Gioc Waterfall see a fraction of the visitors, and I would head to Pu Luong first for its bamboo water wheels and stilt-house homestays.
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🧭 RoutesSuggested travel routes through Vietnam

The 7-Day Northern Capital and Karst Route


One week in northern Vietnam that goes from the capital’s noodle stalls to limestone towers rising out of rice paddies and sea. It suits a first trip: short transfers, no flights, and plenty of time to sit and watch the street.
  • A morning among Hanoi’s royal and revolutionary landmarks
  • Rowing through caves in the Trang An Landscape Complex
  • Kayaking into the bays off Cat Ba Island

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day South to Center Route


Two weeks that start in the motorbike-filled south and climb into pine-scented highlands before ending among lanterns and royal tombs. It balances city energy with slow river mornings and beach afternoons.
  • Saigon’s war history and colonial landmarks
  • A dawn boat to a Mekong Delta floating market
  • Cool-weather trekking around Dalat
  • Hoi An’s old town and the Cham ruins of My Son

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Full-Length Route


Three weeks covering Vietnam from the Chinese border to the delta, with time for the mountain … read more 👉

The 7-Day Northern Capital and Karst Route


One week in northern Vietnam that goes from the capital’s noodle stalls to limestone towers rising out of rice paddies and sea. It suits a first trip: short transfers, no flights, and plenty of time to sit and watch the street.
  • A morning among Hanoi’s royal and revolutionary landmarks
  • Rowing through caves in the Trang An Landscape Complex
  • Kayaking into the bays off Cat Ba Island

👉 explore this 7-day route

The 14-Day South to Center Route


Two weeks that start in the motorbike-filled south and climb into pine-scented highlands before ending among lanterns and royal tombs. It balances city energy with slow river mornings and beach afternoons.
  • Saigon’s war history and colonial landmarks
  • A dawn boat to a Mekong Delta floating market
  • Cool-weather trekking around Dalat
  • Hoi An’s old town and the Cham ruins of My Son

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Full-Length Route


Three weeks covering Vietnam from the Chinese border to the delta, with time for the mountain roads most trips skip. Expect motorbike passes, giant caves, imperial ruins and village homestays, all at a relaxed pace.
  • Three nights on the Ha Giang Loop
  • The caves of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
  • Painted fishing houses at Tam Thanh Mural Village
  • Quiet canal life outside Can Tho

👉 explore this 21-day route

🌤️ When to go?Weather, seasons, and timing

March and April are the best months for backpacking Vietnam, because they’re the only stretch when the north, center and south are all dry and warm at once, after the Tet travel rush and before the summer domestic holidays push prices up.
The country runs about 1,650 kilometers from top to bottom, so each region keeps its own calendar. Hanoi and Sapa get a real winter, Hue and Hoi An take their heaviest rain from September to December, and Saigon and the Mekong Delta split cleanly into a dry half and a wet half.
  • Cool dry season (December to February): The south is sunny and around 26 to 32°C, with calm water off Phu Quoc. Hanoi sits at roughly 14 to 20°C under gray skies, and Ha Long Bay views are often hazy. Central Vietnam is still drying out from its monsoon until about late January. Tet (late January or February) is the year’s biggest domestic travel rush: trains and buses sell out, many family-run shops close for three to seven days, and rooms can cost 20 to 50 percent more.
  • Spring shoulder (March to April): Dry and warm almost everywhere, with the beaches at Da Nang and Nha Trang settling into clear water. Foreign visitor numbers are high, but domestic travel stays quiet until the 30 April and 1 May holidays, when beach towns fill and room rates jump.
  • Hot wet season (May to August): Afternoon downpours hit the north and south, and Hanoi pushes 35°C with heavy humidity. Central Vietnam is the exception: dry, very hot and good for swimming, though Vietnamese families pack its resorts in June and July. Elsewhere, guesthouses discount.
  • Storm season (September to November): Typhoons and floods target the central coast, with Hoi An’s old town going underwater most years. The north turns dry and clear, the best trekking weather of the year, and coastal rooms are at their cheapest.
I’d build any route around the weather of the region you care about most, then fly over the one that’s getting rained on; a domestic flight usually costs less than two wasted days.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: good for travelingFEBFebruary: good for travelingMARMarch: excellent for travelingAPRApril: excellent for travelingMAYMay: good for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: fair for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: good for traveling
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💰 Costs (as of 2026)Travel costs in Vietnam

Backpacking Vietnam costs a budget traveler about US$25 to 35 a day if you sleep in dorms, eat street food and take sleeper buses between cities. Travelers pay in Vietnamese dong, and most small purchases are cash-only. Prices here are similar to Cambodia and Laos, and usually 20 to 30 percent lower than Thailand, especially for beds and food.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$4 to 10 per nightA bed in a Hanoi Old Quarter hostel runs about US$5 to 8, often with breakfast and a free beer hour. In Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, plan on US$5 to 9. Hoi An and Da Lat dorms often start around US$4 to 6. You pay less if you book directly at the front desk for stays of three nights or more. A comparable dorm in Bangkok costs US$8 to 15.
MealsUS$5 to 10 per dayA bowl of pho in Hanoi costs US$1.80 to 3, and a banh mi in Hoi An costs US$1 to 1.50. A plate of com tam (broken rice with grilled pork) in Saigon is about US$1.50 to 2.50. Cooking for yourself rarely saves money here: instant noodles at a WinMart supermarket cost about US$0.25, but bread, fruit and yogurt add up to more than a street-food meal.
Local transportUS$3 to 10 per day on averageSleeper buses are the cheapest
… read more 👉
Backpacking Vietnam costs a budget traveler about US$25 to 35 a day if you sleep in dorms, eat street food and take sleeper buses between cities. Travelers pay in Vietnamese dong, and most small purchases are cash-only. Prices here are similar to Cambodia and Laos, and usually 20 to 30 percent lower than Thailand, especially for beds and food.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$4 to 10 per nightA bed in a Hanoi Old Quarter hostel runs about US$5 to 8, often with breakfast and a free beer hour. In Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, plan on US$5 to 9. Hoi An and Da Lat dorms often start around US$4 to 6. You pay less if you book directly at the front desk for stays of three nights or more. A comparable dorm in Bangkok costs US$8 to 15.
MealsUS$5 to 10 per dayA bowl of pho in Hanoi costs US$1.80 to 3, and a banh mi in Hoi An costs US$1 to 1.50. A plate of com tam (broken rice with grilled pork) in Saigon is about US$1.50 to 2.50. Cooking for yourself rarely saves money here: instant noodles at a WinMart supermarket cost about US$0.25, but bread, fruit and yogurt add up to more than a street-food meal.
Local transportUS$3 to 10 per day on averageSleeper buses are the cheapest way to travel long distances. Hanoi to Ninh Binh costs US$5 to 9, Hanoi to Hue US$12 to 20, and Hoi An to Nha Trang US$12 to 18. In cities, a short Grab motorbike ride costs US$1 to 2. Renting a motorbike costs US$6 to 10 per day.
ActivitiesUS$0 to 15 per day on average, plus big one-off costsTours make up most of the spending. A two-day Ha Long Bay cruise costs US$100 to 200. The Ha Giang Loop with an easy rider driver runs US$250 to 350 for three to four days. Entry to Hue’s Imperial City is about US$8. I would skip the cheapest Ha Long day trips and spend the money on Ha Giang with a local driver, which is where your budget goes furthest in the country.
MiscellaneousUS$2 to 5 per dayA glass of bia hoi (fresh draft beer) costs US$0.40 to 0.80, a 500 ml bottle of water US$0.20 to 0.40, and a tourist SIM with 30 days of data US$8 to 12. The single-entry e-visa costs US$25. That is higher than a Thai visa exemption, which costs nothing, but cheaper than Cambodia’s US$30 visa.
Total Daily BudgetUS$25 to 35 per dayUS$25 covers a US$6 dorm, three street meals for about US$7, city rides and a few beers. US$35 includes one sleeper bus and an entry ticket. For a similar trip, budget US$35 to 50 in Thailand and US$25 to 35 in Laos.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutVietnam Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (422 pages) contains:
✅ 118 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 7, 14 & 21-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
✅ Offline-friendly for travel without Wi-Fi
👉 Click to see all 30+ guide features

📅 Plan smarter in minutes, not weeks
✅ Month by month travel advice
✅ Festivals & national holidays
✅ Budget expectations

🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
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🛏️ Where to stay?Choosing the right base for your trip

Vietnam has one of Southeast Asia’s densest hostel scenes, with dorm beds typically running 120,000 to 250,000 VND (about US$5 to 10) a night and private rooms in family-run guesthouses from around 300,000 VND (US$12). In Hanoi, the Old Quarter puts you within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ta Hien beer street, but scooter horns and late bars carry on well past midnight. In Ho Chi Minh City, Pham Ngu Lao around Bui Vien in District 1 is the cheapest and loudest base, where you should keep a hand on your phone, while Hoi An’s rice-field homestays near An Bang beach and Da Nang’s An … read more 👉
Vietnam has one of Southeast Asia’s densest hostel scenes, with dorm beds typically running 120,000 to 250,000 VND (about US$5 to 10) a night and private rooms in family-run guesthouses from around 300,000 VND (US$12). In Hanoi, the Old Quarter puts you within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ta Hien beer street, but scooter horns and late bars carry on well past midnight. In Ho Chi Minh City, Pham Ngu Lao around Bui Vien in District 1 is the cheapest and loudest base, where you should keep a hand on your phone, while Hoi An’s rice-field homestays near An Bang beach and Da Nang’s An Thuong area by My Khe beach trade nightlife for quiet nights and a short bike or Grab ride to the sights.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Vietnam


Best quality hotels in Vietnam

🚌 Getting aroundWhat moving around is really like

Vietnam runs about 1,650 kilometers from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, so the big call is whether to fly the long legs in two hours or grind them out overnight on buses and trains for less money and more scenery. Most backpackers mix both: one or two flights for the dull stretches, ground transport where the coast and mountains are worth watching.
  • Sleeper buses cost roughly 250,000 to 500,000 VND (US$10 to 20) for Hanoi to Hue (12 to 14 hours), around 120,000 to 250,000 VND for Hue to Hoi An (3 to 4
… read more 👉
Vietnam runs about 1,650 kilometers from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, so the big call is whether to fly the long legs in two hours or grind them out overnight on buses and trains for less money and more scenery. Most backpackers mix both: one or two flights for the dull stretches, ground transport where the coast and mountains are worth watching.
  • Sleeper buses cost roughly 250,000 to 500,000 VND (US$10 to 20) for Hanoi to Hue (12 to 14 hours), around 120,000 to 250,000 VND for Hue to Hoi An (3 to 4 hours) and 100,000 to 150,000 VND for Hanoi to Ninh Binh (about 2 hours). You get a reclining berth about 1.7 meters long, which feels tight if you’re tall. Book through your hostel, at the bus office or on an online booking platform. Shoes come off at the door and go in a plastic bag, and your daypack belongs under your legs, never in the luggage hold. You get to roll into a new town at dawn without paying for a night’s bed.
  • Reunification Express trains run the whole coast. A soft sleeper berth in a four-bunk cabin from Hanoi to Hue takes 12 to 14 hours and costs about 800,000 to 1,300,000 VND (US$32 to 52). Hue to Da Nang takes 2.5 to 3 hours from around 100,000 VND in a seat. Book on the official Vietnam Railways site (dsvn.vn) or at the station, and pack snacks since the trolley mostly sells instant noodles and coffee. Sit on the left heading south and you get the Hai Van Pass coastline unrolling below the tracks.
  • Domestic flights on VietJet, Bamboo Airways and Vietnam Airlines cover Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in about 2 hours for 900,000 to 2,500,000 VND (US$35 to 100) booked a few weeks out. Budget fares include only a 7 kg carry-on, so add checked luggage online, where it’s cheaper than at the counter. Around the Lunar New Year, fares can triple. You trade a 30-hour ride for a free day on the beach.
  • Motorbikes rent for 150,000 to 250,000 VND (US$6 to 10) a day for a semi-automatic. Legally you need a motorbike license plus an International Driving Permit valid in Vietnam, and many travel insurers won’t pay out without one. Hiring a local rider for mountain loops like Ha Giang sidesteps that. You get switchback passes and village coffee stops no bus will make.
  • Grab handles city hops: a motorbike ride across central Hanoi or Saigon runs 15,000 to 40,000 VND, a car 50,000 to 150,000 VND. Fares are fixed in the app, payable in cash or by card, and the driver hands you a helmet. You skip haggling and land straight at the noodle stall.
My advice: book a flight into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City, then fly the boring southern stretch and save the train for Hue to Da Nang, where the window seat earns its price.
In Vietnam, the cheapest airport transfers are public buses that cost under US$2 and reach the backpacker districts in 30 to 60 minutes, while a Grab car runs about US$4 to 14 depending on the city.
Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi (HAN): about 28 km (17 miles) north of the Old Quarter.
  • Bus 86 (Airport Express) (45 to 60 minutes, 45,000 VND / about US$1.80): the orange bus leaves from outside the arrivals halls of both terminals, stops near Hoan Kiem Lake on the Old Quarter’s edge before ending at Hanoi Railway Station, takes cash from the onboard conductor, and runs roughly 6:30 am to 11 pm.
  • Bus 17 (60 to 80 minutes, about 9,000 to 10,000 VND / under US$0.50): this city bus ends at Long Bien bus station, a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Old Quarter, and you pay the conductor in small notes.
  • Bus 90 (60 to 70 minutes, about 9,000 to 10,000 VND / under US$0.50): it runs to Kim Ma bus station west of the center, which suits you if you are staying in Ba Dinh or Dong Da, and fares are paid in cash on board.
  • Taxi (40 to 60 minutes, 350,000 to 450,000 VND / about US$14 to 18 including tolls): use the official rank outside arrivals and stick to Mai Linh, G7 or Taxi Group, confirming the price or the meter before you load your bag.
  • Grab or Xanh SM ride-hailing (40 to 60 minutes, 250,000 to 350,000 VND / about US$10 to 14): book in the app once you have airport Wi-Fi or a local SIM, then walk to the marked pickup lanes in front of the terminal, paying by card in the app or in cash.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City (SGN): about 7 km (4 miles) north of District 1.
  • Bus 109 (30 to 50 minutes, 15,000 VND / about US$0.60): the yellow airport bus picks up outside the arrivals level, stops at Ben Thanh Market and ends at the 23/9 Park bus station a short walk from Pham Ngu Lao, takes cash on board, and runs until around midnight.
  • Bus 152 (40 to 60 minutes, about 5,000 to 6,000 VND plus a small luggage fee / under US$0.50): this slower city bus stops in front of the terminals and rolls into central District 1 near Ben Thanh, with cash paid to the conductor, and it quits running in the early evening.
  • Taxi (20 to 40 minutes, 150,000 to 250,000 VND / about US$6 to 10 including the airport surcharge): take a Vinasun (white) or Mai Linh (green) cab from the official queue, insist on the meter, and ignore anyone offering a ride inside the arrivals hall.
  • Grab or Xanh SM ride-hailing (20 to 40 minutes, 100,000 to 180,000 VND / about US$4 to 7 by car, roughly half that by motorbike): book in the app and follow the signs to the ride-hailing pickup zone in the parking area across from arrivals, paying by card in the app or in cash.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: low)Is Vietnam safe to visit?

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Vietnam is one of the safer countries in Southeast Asia for solo travelers, with violent crime against tourists rare and the main risks being bag and phone snatching by thieves on motorbikes (especially in Ho Chi Minh City), petty scams and chaotic traffic. Solo women generally travel here without serious problems, though it’s wise to watch your drink in backpacker bars, use Grab rather than unmarked taxis at night and choose female-only dorms if you prefer. For LGBTQ+ travelers, same-sex relationships are legal and the ban on same-sex weddings was lifted in 2015, though such marriages aren’t legally recognized; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have open gay scenes and Pride events, while rural areas are more conservative. Keep your phone away from the curb side of the street, wear a helmet on every motorbike ride and carry travel insurance that covers riding.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
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✈️ VisaUnderstanding entry rules

Many nationalities, including citizens of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Nordic countries, Japan and South Korea, can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days, and most ASEAN citizens get 14 to 30 days. Everyone else, including travelers from the United States, Canada and Australia, needs an e-visa, which is open to all nationalities, valid for up to 90 days with single or multiple entry, and costs US$25 (single) or US$50 (multiple). Apply only on the official Vietnam Immigration portal at least a week before travel, upload a passport scan and photo, and print the approval letter to show on arrival.
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?What you'll need while traveling

Packing for Vietnam means packing for several climates at once, since the country stretches over 1,600 kilometers. Hanoi and the northern mountains get properly cold from December to February (Sapa and Ha Giang can drop near freezing), while the south stays hot and humid all year, and the central coast gets heavy rain and typhoons from roughly September to December. Lightweight, quick-drying clothes work best, with a warm layer and a solid rain jacket or poncho for the north and the wet season. Temples and pagodas expect covered shoulders and knees, so keep something modest handy even in beach towns. Travel light with a backpack rather than a suitcase: sleeper buses have small luggage holds, and you’ll be hauling your bag down narrow alleys and onto motorbike taxis.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

View the full list 👉

🙋 FAQTravel questions about Vietnam

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Vietnam can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Vietnam itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are required to enter Vietnam unless you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, in which case a yellow fever certificate is needed. Health authorities recommend being up to date on routine vaccines (MMR, tetanus-diphtheria, polio, flu) plus hepatitis A and typhoid for most travelers. Hepatitis B and rabies are advised for longer stays, motorbike trips or rural travel, and Japanese encephalitis is worth considering if you’ll spend weeks in rural farming areas. Malaria risk is low and limited to remote forested and mountain regions, but dengue is common nationwide, so mosquito repellent is a must. See a travel clinic 4 to 8 weeks before departure.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Vietnam, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

In Vietnam, take off your shoes before entering homes and many temples, and cover your shoulders and knees at pagodas, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and other sacred sites. Do pass and receive things, especially money and gifts, with both hands, and do accept tea when offered. Don’t touch people on the head, point your feet at altars or people, or leave chopsticks standing upright in a rice bowl, which resembles incense at a funeral. Losing your temper or shouting in public causes loss of face for everyone and rarely gets results, so keep disputes calm and smiling. Avoid criticizing the government, Ho Chi Minh or the Communist Party in public. Public displays of affection are frowned upon for all couples, more so in rural areas, so same-sex couples are best keeping things low-key outside the bigger cities. Women may be asked not to touch monks, and modest dress draws less unwanted attention in conservative areas.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Vietnam.
  1. Phở: Rice noodles in a clear broth simmered for hours with beef bones, star anise and cinnamon, topped with beef (phở bò) or chicken (phở gà). Born in northern Vietnam, it’s the country’s signature breakfast, eaten at sidewalk stalls from early morning.
  2. Bánh mì: A crisp, airy baguette stuffed with pâté, cold cuts or grilled pork, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, chili and mayonnaise. It’s a direct legacy of French colonial bread, reworked into Vietnam’s favorite cheap street snack for around 20,000 to 40,000 VND.
  3. Bún chả: Hanoi’s lunchtime classic of smoky grilled pork patties and pork belly in a sweet and sour fish sauce dip, served with cold rice vermicelli and a pile of fresh herbs. Grills fire up on sidewalks around midday, and the smoke is how you find the good ones.
  4. Cơm tấm: “Broken rice” topped with a grilled lemongrass pork chop, a fried egg and pickles, with sweet fish sauce on the side. Once a cheap use for cracked grains, it’s now the defining everyday meal of Ho Chi Minh City.
  5. Bánh xèo: A crackling turmeric-yellow rice flour crêpe filled with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts. You tear it up, wrap it in lettuce and herbs (or rice paper) and dip it in fish sauce, which makes it a hands-on, shared table dish, especially in central and southern Vietnam.
  6. Bún bò Huế: A spicy, lemongrass-heavy beef noodle soup from the old imperial capital of Hue, with thick round noodles, beef shank and often pork knuckle. It’s bolder and hotter than phở, and locals in central Vietnam swear by it.
  7. Gỏi cuốn: Fresh spring rolls of rice paper wrapped around shrimp, pork, vermicelli and herbs, dipped in peanut-hoisin sauce. Light and unfried, they show the Vietnamese love of raw herbs and balanced flavors.
Tap water in Vietnam is not safe to drink, even in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, because of aging pipes and inconsistent treatment. Locals boil it or use home filters, and travelers should stick to bottled or filtered water, which costs about 5,000 to 15,000 VND per bottle. Many hostels and cafés offer free or cheap refill stations, so a reusable bottle saves money and plastic, and ice in restaurants is usually made from purified water.
The main language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Vietnamese skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Vietnam includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

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English in Vietnam is easiest in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and tourist hubs like Hoi An, where hostel staff, tour operators and many café workers speak it well enough for bookings and directions. Younger Vietnamese, especially students, often speak decent English and are keen to practice it. In rural areas, small towns and at most street food stalls, expect very little English, and older people rarely speak any foreign language. Download Google Translate with the offline Vietnamese pack (the camera mode reads menus) and learn a few words like xin chào (hello), cảm ơn (thank you) and bao nhiêu (how much).

Money & Payments

The local currency of Vietnam is VND (₫).
ATMs are easy to find in Vietnam’s cities and tourist towns, though rarer in remote mountain villages, so withdraw before heading to places like Ha Giang. Most banks charge foreign cards a fee of about 20,000 to 110,000 VND per withdrawal with limits of roughly 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 VND per transaction, while a few banks such as TPBank have been known to charge no local fee, and you should always decline the ATM’s currency conversion. Cards are widely accepted at hotels, hostels, supermarkets, chain cafés, malls and for flights or Grab, but street food, markets, local buses, small guesthouses and most shops run on cash. US dollars are the most useful backup currency (bring clean, undamaged bills, since torn notes get rejected), while euros are exchangeable in big cities but at weaker rates. Exchange money at banks or licensed gold and jewelry shops in city centers, which often offer the best rates, and avoid street changers and the airport counters for large amounts.
Tipping in Vietnam isn’t traditionally expected, but it’s appreciated, especially in tourist areas where service workers earn low wages. At local street food stalls and small restaurants no tip is needed, while in sit-down restaurants without a service charge leaving 5 to 10 percent or rounding up the bill is a kind gesture. Tour guides typically receive 100,000 to 200,000 VND per day and drivers around 50,000 to 100,000 VND, and hotel porters about 20,000 VND per bag.

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📸 PhotosMoments captured along the way

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

We 💚 feedbackFinal notes for travelers

Come to Vietnam for the food. Nowhere else in the region puts so much flavor in reach of a plastic stool, from a breakfast phở to late-night snails in Saigon, and eating your way across the country is half the adventure. The drawback is the noise and the hustle: motorbike horns, touts and a few inflated prices can wear you down, especially in the first week. My advice is to cut your route in half. Three weeks covering two or three regions properly beats a frantic run from Hanoi to the Delta, because the best moments here come when you stay long enough for the noodle lady to start your order before you sit down.

✈️ When did I visit Vietnam?
I have backpacked through the northern part of Vietnam all the way back in 1998. Since then, this guide is regularly updated based on feedback from locals and recent backpackers (last update: 18 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Vietnam, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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