August 2023 Update: the Vietnam authorities has launched a brand new 90-day e-visa that allows you to enter Vietnam rather more simply and keep longer than was doable earlier than! You can discover the newest particulars underneath the visa part.
Vietnam is likely one of the hottest backpacking locations in Asia — and with good motive.
Its epic pure websites, mouth-watering meals, insanely bustling cities, distinct tradition, and low value have drawn backpackers and holidayers alike for many years.
But it’s value planning your Vietnam journey properly, particularly if you wish to have a extra genuine expertise!
The sincere fact is that Vietnam has a little bit of a status for vacationer traps and a few overcommercialized areas. But it additionally has among the most wonderful and genuine experiences in all of Asia. How you journey will massively have an effect on your impressions of this lovely nation.
I’ve completed two month-long journeys in Vietnam, each following a north-to-south route. My first journey adopted kind of the standard Vietnam itinerary, whereas my second journey (a couple of years later) was extra targeted on going off the overwhelmed monitor.
While my first journey made me consider Vietnam as a bit too commercialized in locations, my second journey gave me an entire different perspective, simply turning it into one among my favourite locations on the planet.
Plan your Vietnam backpacking journey
How to plan a route
There are a lot of locations to discover in Vietnam. In this map under, I sketched out a couple of of the commonest journey locations:
By the way in which, Vietnam is larger than you would possibly understand!
Its size is just like that of Japan or virtually the entire West Coast of the USA. Driving from the very north to the south tip of Vietnam in a steady method would take at the least 40 hours.
Keep these distances in thoughts when planning your journey. Night buses and in a single day trains are a typical option to effectively cowl extra floor, one thing I’ll speak extra about later.
Despite its dimension, many vacationers attempt to cowl the entire size of the nation in a single journey. To do such an itinerary justice I believe you want at the least 3 weeks (however ideally 4 weeks).
Popular stops on such a grand backpacking tour of Vietnam embrace the capital Hanoi, the archipelago of Ha Long Bay (fashioned of quite a few limestone islands), the lovable riverside city of Hoi An, the imperial metropolis of Hue, and the cosmopolitan southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.
Even when you’ve got 3 or 4 weeks to spend, you’ll most likely have some powerful selections to make on what to incorporate in your route.
Places to go to in Vietnam
Vietnam has a number of locations which might be extremely popular and that most individuals find yourself together with of their itinerary.
There’s Halong Bay, a set of hundreds off small limestone islands of the coast which you could see as a part of a crusing journey. The city of Sapa within the north is legendary for its rice terraces and mountain treks. Hoi An is a touristy however very atmospheric city with many issues to do and that a number of backpackers charge as their favourite. And lastly, within the south is the Mekong Delta area, the place you’ll be able to see floating markets on the river, the place a great deal of little boats converge to promote vegatables and fruits.
Besides these, you’ll most likely additionally wish to go to one or each of the key cities (Hanoi and Saigon).
Many backpackers cease by the seaside resorts of Nha Trang or Mui Ne. These locations typically get combined evaluations, however they are often enjoyable unpretentious locations to celebration or dangle by a swimming pool. Want one thing quieter? Then I fairly just like the seaside city of Qui Nhon.
But my very own private favourite locations embrace Hue, a metropolis with many pagodas and temples, Ninh Binh (typically known as the Ha Long Bay on land), Phong Nha (residence to the world’s largest caves) and Ha Giang Province (an incredible mountain area).
Planning a shorter journey
If you’ve got solely one or two weeks in Vietnam, then think about specializing in simply the north + middle, or the middle + south.
There’s no disgrace in doing fewer issues however doing them correctly! Not everybody has infinite time accessible, or perhaps you’re visiting Vietnam as a part of a bigger Southeast Asia journey and nonetheless have many different nations to go to.
On my first one-month backpacking journey in Vietnam, I really didn’t see a lot within the north. It was nonetheless very chilly and misty there in December, so I skipped fully over some fashionable locations within the north like Sapa.
On my second go to a couple of years later, I skipped loads within the south as an alternative. I simply felt extra like seeing the northern mountains than the southern seashores. In each instances, I had an incredible time.
All I’m saying is that you simply don’t essentially want to incorporate every little thing to have an unimaginable journey. It is feasible to create a visit that’s targeted on simply part of Vietnam.
Heading north or south?
When you meet backpackers in Vietnam, one of many first questions you’ll certainly hear is “are you going north or south?”.
Because of its elongated form, it simply is smart to journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (a.okay.a. Saigon) or the opposite manner round.
Personally, I want going north-to-south. That’s partially as a result of the north is only a excellent spot to begin. The climate may even get extra tropical as you go south, so you’ll be able to reward your self with some seashore time in the direction of the tip of your journey.
By the way in which, the topography of Vietnam makes it an incredible place for a solo traveller. Broadly talking, individuals transfer in solely one among two instructions, so it’s simple to make mates and proceed to see acquainted faces as you progress both north or south.
Recommended hostels in Vietnam
Getting your Vietnam visa
Vietnam used to have one of the convoluted vacationer visa techniques in Southeast Asia. This part used to element all of the various kinds of entry permits you could possibly think about, every with totally different limitations and validities.
I’m joyful to report the scenario has been massively streamlined!
As of August 2023, you’ll be able to enter Vietnam on an e-visa with a validity of 90 days. Travellers of any nationality can apply for e-visa.
With an e-visa you’ll be able to:
- Apply instantly on-line on the Vietnamese authorities web site
- Stay in Vietnam for as much as 90 days
- Enter Vietnam a number of instances utilizing any airport or overland border
You can apply for an e-visa right here. (Be positive to change the location to English within the prime menu.) There are nonetheless some companies that may provide help to with conventional visa requests, however this gained’t be obligatory for e-visa.
The authorities payment is $25 for a single entry and $50 for a multiple-entry visa. Be positive to get the latter possibility for those who plan to, say, make a side-trip to Laos or Cambodia after which circle again to Vietnam to proceed your journey there.
For a choose group of nations, there may be additionally a visa exemption. For instance, travellers from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK don’t want a visa in any respect and may keep visa-free for as much as 45 days. You can test the complete checklist of visa-exempted nations. If that you must keep longer, you may get the e-visa as an alternative.
In some instances, you should still want an old-school paper visa from a Vietnamese embassy (pictured under) however most travellers will now be capable to enter Vietnam simply utilizing the e-visa or the exemption.
Avoiding the vacationer traps
Okay, time for a brutal fact: Vietnam can typically really feel a bit like a tour manufacturing facility. And this could actually give some individuals the mistaken impression of Vietnam. I’ve typically heard unfavourable issues mentioned about Vietnam that don’t really mirror what the nation is admittedly like.
At least, that’s for those who journey Vietnam in a very customary manner. I did this the primary time and Vietnam form of subjectively felt like a 7/10 vacation spot. Not the worst, however not likely wonderful both. Then I did it in several methods on my second go to and it simply turned a 9/10.
Some of the favored experiences in Vietnam have actually been packaged for the plenty, specializing in amount over high quality. These native excursions will be disappointing as you get shuffled round like cattle, combined in with different teams, or led round by impatient and humorless guides. The most touristy places additionally have a tendency to draw scammers or different annoyances.
Luckily, by exploring independently or taking various excursions, you’ll typically have a a lot higher time.
And chances are high, you’ll get to know a far more welcoming and pleasant aspect of Vietnam.
The following suggestions might help you keep away from Vietnam’s foremost vacationer traps. I believe these would possibly really be an important journey suggestions I can share!
Mekong Delta excursions
The Mekong Delta area is an enormous maze of rivers, rice paddies and riverine islands in southern Vietnam. Loads of organized excursions can take you round there.
These excursions normally embrace a quick go to to the floating markets of Can Tho, a staged photograph alternative the place you put on a conical hat whereas paddling by way of a little bit of bamboo forest, in addition to a couple of different touristy sights. It’s enjoyable, however not that genuine. You could find yourself having an excellent expertise, however for those who look on websites like TripAdvisor you’ll sometimes discover complaints concerning the ‘conveyor belt’ nature of a few of these journeys. If you do them as a day journey from Ho Chi Minh City, additionally they contain a lot of driving, which can be fairly tiring.
A greater option to do it: make your option to the town of Can Tho and keep an evening within the Enjoy Mekong Hostel or discover different lodging there. The hostels can prepare early morning boat excursions (beginning at 5 AM) only for the floating markets. This manner, you’ll beat all of the daytrippers and can expertise the true hustle and bustle of the market through the early hours.
In the afternoon, you’ll be able to hire a motorcycle or bicycle and discover the rice fields by your self. You’ll get a real style of rural life in Vietnam and the riverine landscapes of the Mekong Delta!
Tam Coc boat rides
The karst landscapes of Ninh Binh are typically known as the ‘Ha Long Bay on land’. While the mountains are a bit smaller (and, clearly, on land) I believe the world right here is likely one of the actual highlights of Vietnam.
That mentioned, the favored riverboat trip in Tam Coc is understood to be a foul vacationer entice with a number of scammy behaviour from the boat drivers. Every backpacker has some totally different story about how they had been compelled to purchase issues or acquired a ton of grief for not giving extra money. It’s a kind of basic ‘Vietnam tour factory’ locations that may result in a unfavourable expertise.
A greater option to do it: ignore the Tam Coc vacationer entice and go for the higher Trang An boat trip. This one begins about 20 minutes additional north (and never contained in the city), nevertheless it’s value getting there. Choose the longer Route 1 and with some luck you’ll have the entire place to your self, as most day-trippers and teams take the shorter Route 2 or Route 3. It’s an incredible expertise with not one of the problem.
Halong Bay cruises
Nearly everybody on their first go to to Vietnam needs to see Halong Bay, so there are tons of corporations operating excursions there of various high quality. The location is magnificent and undoubtedly value it, however the general expertise will depend upon the tour firm. Since it’s on the water you can also’t do it independently; you have to go on an organized boat tour or cruise. This limits your choices a bit, however there are nonetheless some methods to have a barely totally different Ha Long Bay expertise.
A greater option to do it: Inform your self concerning the tour choices and their routes. Consider excursions that embrace Bai Tu Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay. These bays are a bit additional out in order that they don’t have as many boats. You might additionally select to remain on Cat Ba Island (the large island close to Halong Bay) and take a day-trip from there within the morning — you would possibly beat the push of vacationers coming in from additional away like Hanoi.
Most vacationers agree that Halong Bay is value seeing, however know that it’s getting busier yearly. As lengthy as you don’t count on to be alone, you’ll certainly benefit from the expertise.
How to get round in Vietnam
Getting round in Vietnam normally isn’t too tough. It has an incredible bus community and the Reunification Express railway operating from Hanoi to Saigon additionally enables you to simply cowl a number of miles.
That’s to not say your journeys will all the time be snug although; native buses will be sluggish and most night-buses have awkward bunk beds with not a lot leg house. Sometimes it’s value spending a bit extra on a 1st class prepare ticket or ‘VIP’ bus service for a bit extra consolation when you’ve got the price range.
How to e-book buses or minivans
Bus companies in Vietnam are run by a whole bunch of various corporations. This means timetables should not all the time full and never each bus will be booked on-line.
You can normally e-book transportation simply by way of your resort or hostel reception (who will make a name for you) or at any of the small ticket brokers that you simply’ll inevitably discover in anyplace that any vacationers go.
Some websites have made reserving on-line simpler lately, which settle for worldwide fee strategies corresponding to PayPal or bank cards.
The finest reserving websites for buses, trains, ferries, or minivans are 12Go Asia and Baolau.com,
Do remember there may be no centralized reserving system in Vietnam. The websites providing on-line reserving principally must arrange plenty of separate partnerships with among the a whole bunch of bus operators. When you e-book on their websites, they typically nonetheless must manually name the bus operators to verify. Unless it particularly says ‘instant confirmation’, you’ll have to attend a couple of hours to obtain the precise ticket.
How to e-book trains
The trains in Vietnam do have a central reserving system as of late, making it very simple to e-book them. In reality, now you can solely e-book trains on-line.
Trains are slower and considerably costlier than buses however, for those who ask me, they’re additionally rather more snug. I’ve caught much more sleep on evening trains than on any of the buses. They’re additionally a cool option to journey!
After reserving your ticket you’ll be despatched a PDF doc with a QR code and your carriage and seat quantity. You can merely present this in your telephone to the attendant. Every carriage has its personal attendant, so there’s all the time somebody that will help you discover your seat.
Note that you simply can’t e-book trains instantly with Vietnam Railway as they nonetheless solely settle for Vietnamese fee strategies, so you must e-book with a reserving platform like 12Go Asia (which cost a 40,000 dong fee).
It’s finest to e-book trains at the least one or two days forward of time, as they do refill fairly rapidly. There aren’t any hop-on-hop-off tickets for the prepare, so that you’ll have to purchase particular person tickets for every a part of your journey.
The wonderful web site Seat61 has a wealth extra details about trains in Vietnam.
Traveling at evening – is it value it?
Yes, I believe it’s typically value it. It’s frequent for backpackers in Vietnam to journey in a single day, which is smart given among the distances concerned. There are many evening buses and the Reunification Express operating from Hanoi to Saigon gives a spread of sleeper carriages.
Night journey can prevent money and time: you’ll spend fewer waking hours in transit and also you get to save lots of an evening’s lodging. But not all evening journey can be that snug.
Normal evening buses: Vietnamese evening buses sometimes have 3 rows of bunk beds stacked two ranges excessive. The beds have a plastic casing round them which is kind of restrictive particularly in case you are tall. There are normally no bogs, so the bus has to take common rest room breaks that interrupt the journey. At the again there may be normally a big flat mattress house that can accommodate about 4 individuals. These could appear to be prized spots at first, however the lack of obstacles will make you progress always and should result in involuntary spooning of some unwashed stranger.
What I’m saying right here is that the common evening buses aren’t all that nice. But… they’ll get you there.
VIP/luxurious evening buses: Unless you’re touring on a decent price range, you should definitely preserve a watch out for any upgraded ‘VIP’ buses, which function between just some locations. I took one among these from Hanoi to Ha Giang, for instance. For simply $8 extra I acquired myself a personal cabin with a comfortable therapeutic massage mattress, USB chargers, snacks, A/C, and extra. I believed this was completely value it.
Night trains: There is a alternative from varied courses of seats and beds on the Reunification Express. The 2nd class berths have 6 beds in them. They’re fairly cramped and there’s not sufficient room to sit down upright. They additionally might need individuals sleeping on stretchers within the hallway outdoors and I’ve additionally seen sure six-legged bugs crawling across the 2nd class carriages (sorry… I believed it is best to know). The 1st class (tender sleeper) carriages have 4 beds and are much more snug and clear. 2nd class might be positive for a price range backpacker, however the 1st class improve is value it for those who can spare only a bit of additional dong.
Hop-on-hop-off buses – are they value it?
There are a number of operators promoting hop-on-hop-off bus passes for Vietnam. This means you’ll be able to journey the complete size of the nation (between Hanoi and Saigon) on one ticket and going in a single course.
Even although that sounds handy, it does scale back your flexibility loads. Friends of mine did this however felt always restricted during which buses they might use. They had been additionally unable to change to trains or minivans for specific legs of the journey the place these would have been extra handy.
I’ve all the time booked my transportation one step at a time. Even if the hop-on-hop-off ticket is barely cheaper general, it’s not so nice to must lock your self in. In my opinion, this makes them not likely value it.
Motorbiking in Vietnam
Arguably one of the simplest ways to discover Vietnam is by motorcycle. The feeling of freedom you’ll get is wonderful. You’ll additionally be capable to go off the standard journey circuit, getting you a lot nearer to the actual nation of Vietnam.
There is an energetic second-hand market with vacationers (and locals) shopping for and promoting motorbikes. It’s not too tough to seek out one in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, the frequent beginning factors for a journey.
Some corporations even particularly goal motorcycle vacationers with rental or tour companies. One of the primary corporations to do that was Easy Rider (and there are actually many copycats with comparable names). If you don’t know how one can drive, you’ll be able to hire motorbikes with drivers.
Even for those who’re not doing a grand tour of Vietnam, it’s nice to hire motorbikes for a couple of days right here and there in every location. Scooters (by which I imply small motorbikes) are the commonest mode of transportation in Vietnam and so you’ll be able to hire them just about all over the place. This normally prices round 100,000 VND per day, nevertheless it will depend on the kind of bike.
Several scenic routes are particularly fashionable with self-drive vacationers. Consider for instance the unimaginable Ha Giang loop within the north, or the Hai Van move in central Vietnam. The native weblog Vietnam Coracle is a unbelievable useful resource describing many extra various routes. You’ll additionally discover many suggestions in our information to motorbiking in Vietnam.
Taxis & native transportation
Local taxis are cheap by Western requirements — however do keep watch over the meter, as not all drivers are sincere! An simple option to e-book taxis or motorbikes is the Grab app. It may even assist with the language barrier as you’ll be able to merely kind in your vacation spot. With Grab you continue to pay in money, however hail taxis by way of the app in a fashion just like Uber or Lyft.
Finding hostels & motels
Accommodation is very low-cost in Vietnam. You can already get an incredible personal room for round $20 per evening, or a dorm mattress for $10. And for those who’re not too choosy, you may get price range choices for even half these quantities.
Hostelworld is all the time the most effective web site to test for those who’re intending to remain in backpacker hostels. The finest resort reserving websites, for my part, are Booking.com and Agoda, as they checklist a number of smaller and cheaper locations.
One vital factor: phrases like ‘homestay’ or ‘eco resort’ are used fairly liberally in Vietnam. Often that is simply empty advertising and marketing utilized by common motels or guesthouses. For instance, whereas there are actual family-style homestay experiences, some ‘homestays’ are simply business motels or bungalows. And nothing may be significantly ‘eco’ about a spot besides that it’s simply close to some nature. Check the descriptions so you recognize what to anticipate.
Best time to go to Vietnam
You can’t go to Vietnam anticipating the climate situations to be ‘perfect’ for those who’re going to journey all of it.
There’s no manner getting round the truth that the local weather is simply very totally different within the north, middle, and south, that are very geographically separated.
While a lot of the nation is tropical, remember the north is in a temperate zone. Expect the mountainous north to be a bit chilly in winter. Even in autumn or spring it may be a bit chilly at evening. Pack a hoodie, and perhaps a jacket for winter. If you’re getting in summer time, count on it to be extremely popular and humid.
The north additionally tends to be fairly cloudy and misty for a lot of the 12 months (due to each climate and smog). The finest probability of clear skies in Halong Bay is in April to June, and September/October.
For central and south Vietnam, the moist season is one thing to bear in mind. For central Vietnam (e.g. Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang) that is in October / November. In the south (e.g. Ho Chi Minh City) it’s May till October.
Best seashores in Vietnam
If you’re hoping for tremendous dreamy seashores that look straight out of a journey journal, then Vietnam is perhaps not the primary place to look. While the seashores are good, for my part they’re nothing just like the unspoiled and exquisite seashores you’ll be able to extra simply discover in Malaysia, Indonesia, or The Philippines.
Not to sound unfavourable — it’s simply my sincere opinion. If you’re coming for Vietnam simply for seashores perhaps it’s not the perfect place to go, however for those who simply wish to add some stress-free seashore time to a cultural journey in Vietnam, then there are lots of nice seashores to select from.
The prime seashore locations are likely to focus loads on large-scale tourism. Phu Quoc Island is a large resort island (with large motels, golf programs, its personal airport, and many others.) which perhaps isn’t the vibe you may want as an impartial traveller. Mui Ne has solely a skinny strip of a seashore, a lot of it paved with concrete blocks to forestall erosion. Nha Trang in the meantime primarily targets Russian and Chinese bundle vacationers, although it may be a enjoyable place to celebration.
I just like the seashores of Qui Nhon, which have extra of a laidback vibe. Other travellers have really helpful to me the island of Con Dao. The seashores close to Hoi An are additionally nice, albeit crowded.
If you’re an intrepid traveller, you’ll find a whole bunch of seashores all through Vietnam the place you’ll be able to chill out and get away from all of it. In my opinion, they do lack a few of these funky seashore hostels or the type of Balinese contact that make the coasts in Indonesia or Thailand so charming, however you’ll be able to nonetheless discover some very nice spots in Vietnam.
As far as snorkelling or scuba diving goes, in Vietnam it’s sadly simply OK. There’s not a number of life on account of overfishing and visibility can go away loads to be desired, at the least in comparison with different spots round Southeast Asia. Leave your scuba diving price range for different nations, until you’re simply doing all of your coaching dives.
Food in Vietnam
Vietnamese meals is just wonderful. But you’d be mistaken to imagine it’s solely about pho noodle soup or spring rolls! Yes, these are issues it’s possible you’ll already be aware of from Vietnamese eating places, however there’s a entire different world of Vietnamese meals to style.
I’ve seen that many backpackers find yourself ordering solely bland or generic ‘chicken stir fry’ or ‘noodle soups’ from vacationer menus. There’s nothing mistaken with these per see, however there’s a great deal of different scrumptious stuff to attempt in Vietnam.
Parts of the nation even have their very own specialities. One of the most effective issues you’ll be able to in Vietnam is to take a guided road meals tour in Saigon or Hanoi, as this offers you an unimaginable crash course in all that’s there on provide. You may additionally wish to take a look at our very personal information to the finest Vietnamese road meals.
Backpacking Vietnam: my impressions
I had a good time on each my journeys by way of Vietnam. The first in 2013 supplied an incredible introduction to Vietnam, although as a much less skilled traveler I did face varied challenges. It was this journey that I used to be most likely scammed probably the most I’ve ever been, together with by a taxi driver making an attempt to cost $80 value of dong for a 5-minute journey (and getting aggressive once I refused), a restaurant switching their menu for one more one with a lot increased costs, and plenty of different such shenanigans. As a consequence, Vietnam felt much less welcoming.
I had no such difficulties in any respect on my second journey in 2019; actually, I found how type and welcoming the Vietnamese really are. Maybe I knew higher how one can keep away from such annoyances, or it’s doable Vietnam has merely chilled out much more lately now that its financial system is booming. Technology has helped too: for those who use apps like Grab, drivers will be unable to overcharge you. There are some older weblog posts on the market complaining about Vietnam however I believe this can be a distinct Vietnam from the previous.
All in all, I imagine Vietnam is likely one of the most fun locations in Asia, particularly from a cultural, culinary, and journey standpoint. It perhaps doesn’t have the most effective seashores, however backpacking in Vietnam is about so many different issues than that.
Consider locations not but touched by mass tourism like Ha Giang area, Phong-Nha, and the seashores round Qui Nhon. Or go on a homestay in Sapa, go to the nationwide parks, embrace the chaos of Hanoi, or go on a motorbiking journey by way of rural Vietnam. They’re among the finest experiences you’ll be able to have in all of Asia.
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