ULTIMATE VIETNAM TRAVEL GUIDE
Vietnam is a country located in the Southeast Asia. Hanoi is the capital, a city that offers an abrupt introduction to a fascinating country. Our Vietnam travel guide is here to take the guesswork out of your planning.
After many years of war and closure to the outside world, Vietnam opened its doors completely to tourism in 1997 and since has worked hard to develop its tourism industry.
The country has recovered into a diverse, beautiful destination with great food, natural wonder and overwhelming culture.
After talking with friends who had visited, we weren’t sure we would like Vietnam. So we headed in with plans to only spend a week. Well, we stayed for 3 weeks and can’t wait to get back!
Vietnam turned out to be one of our favorite countries in Southeast Asia.
DESTINATIONS
TRAVEL TO VIETNAM: QUICK TIPS
Do you need a visa? US Citizens must obtain visa letter in advance to receive Visa on Arrival for $45 at the airport
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Climate: Tropical, humid and very warm
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Local Languages: Vietnamese
Etiquette Tips: Do not touch people on the head, especially children, dress modestly and don’t point at or touch things with your feet, do not give money to begging children, do not ride elephants, do not wander off hiking trails or roads
WIFI: Available in most, if not all, accommodation throughout the country. Many restaurants and tourist offices offer free WIFI too.
SIM Cards: If you have an unlocked phone, it is possible to pick up a local SIM card at any Vietnam airport on arrival. This will enable you to have data like you would at home. Another alternative is a universal SIM card that works in multiple countries.
Travel Insurance: With all travel, we highly recommend you take out a travel insurance policy when you book your trip. This will cover your trip in case of any unforeseen events happen.
DON'T VISIT VIETNAM WITHOUT:
UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTER
GET A GUIDEBOOK
REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
Start planning your trip!
WHERE TO STAY IN VIETNAM
Below you will find some of the places we have stayed during our travels in Vietnam. These are individual properties that we enjoyed and would recommend to other travelers.
Royal Palace Hotel 2 (Hanoi)
Sea Pearl Cat Ba hotel (Halong Bay)
Orchid Hotel (Hue)
Sunshine Hotel (Hoi An)
Grand Hotel Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
Mango Bay Resort (Mekong Delta)
TOP VIETNAM TOURS
Classic Vietnam: Hanoi to HCMC
10 Days Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Visits: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An & Ho Chi Minh City
15 Days Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Visits: Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An & Ho Chi Minh City
13 Days Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Visits: Hanoi, Mai Chau, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, & Ho Chi Minh City
Traveling on a budget?
TRAVEL TO VIETNAM: BOOKING RESOURCES
Skyscanner - A fantastic flight search engine that searches a lot of different airlines, including many of the budget carriers that larger sites miss. Every single flight search we do starts here.
Airbnb - A great accommodation alternative for renting out apartments, condos, townhouses and rooms while traveling. (If you’re new to Airbnb, get $35 off your first stay!)
Hotel Seach Engine – Our custom-built hotel search engine allows you to search hotels all over the world and compare prices before booking. It pulls the best prices from all the major online travel agents, such as Expedia, Priceline, Booking, etc. to one place.
Discover Car Hire - Allows you to search car rentals across multiple rental agencies worldwide.
Viator - The best trips are made up of multiple smaller tours to really dig in and get to know the places you are visiting. Our preferred place to book day tours, day trips and shorter multi-day tours is Viator.
G Adventures – If you want to do a group tour around Vietnam, go with G Adventures. They offer great small group tours that use local operators and leave a small environmental footprint. If you go on a tour with anyone, go with them.
World Nomads – We don't travel without insurance and you shouldn't either!
VIETNAM TRAVEL GUIDE: RELATED ARTICLES
Looking for more info? Check out all the articles we’ve written on Vietnam travel and start planning your dream trip.
