Most Vietnam travel guides are itineraries: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, the Mekong Delta, usually in that order. This page covers the part that goes wrong once you’re there. Which visa you actually need, which banknotes look alike in a dark taxi, who expects a tip, and why “the best month to go” has three different answers in a country that runs about 1,650 km from north to south.
We sort every country on the site into the same six lines we use for Japan. Vietnam has five guides so far, spread over four of those lines. If you’re traveling to Vietnam for the first time, read them in the order below. Each one lists its official sources at the bottom, and we re-check them when the rules move.
Vietnam at a glance
- Visa: the e-visa covers every nationality, for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, from US$25
- Visa-free: 45 days for a list of European passports, including the UK, France and Germany. US, Canadian and Australian passports need the e-visa
- Currency: Vietnamese dong (VND), roughly 26,000 to the US dollar. Prices are quoted in dong by law
- Emergency: 113 for police, 114 for fire, 115 for an ambulance
- Power: 220 volts, with sockets that take two round pins (type C) or two flat pins (type A)
- Tipping: not expected at street stalls, normal for guides, private drivers and spa staff
- Driving: on the right
Start here: five guides for a first trip to Vietnam
Five guides, and between them they answer the questions people ask before booking a flight. Read the visa one first. It’s the only one where getting it wrong can stop you at the airport.
- Vietnam e-visa: the official site, the fee, how long it takes, and which passports can skip it.
- Best time to visit Vietnam, month by month for the north, the centre and the south.
- Vietnam currency: the dong, the notes people mix up, ATMs, cards and where to change money legally.
- Tipping in Vietnam: who expects it, how much in dong, and when a service charge is already on the bill.
- Vietnam eSIM or SIM card: the three networks, airport prices, and the face check for new SIMs since April 2026.
A · When to go: three climates in one country
Hanoi in January is around 17°C and grey. On the same day, Ho Chi Minh City is in its dry season and well over 30°C. Central Vietnam, around Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An, gets most of its rain from September to December, which is the opposite of the other two regions. So the honest answer to “when should we go?” is another question: where are you going?
If the trip covers the whole length of the country, February to April is the closest thing to a nationwide sweet spot. Just watch the calendar. Tet, the lunar new year, falls on 6 February 2027. Trains and flights fill weeks ahead, and plenty of family-run restaurants close for several days around it.
- Best time to visit Vietnam, month by month and region by region, with the rainy season, typhoon risk and Tet dates.
B · Money and payments
Vietnam still runs on cash more than its neighbours, and the dong has a lot of zeros. A coffee costs tens of thousands, a hotel night can run to a million or two, and the 20,000 and 500,000 notes are both blue. People swap them by accident all the time, usually in the back of a taxi. Cards work in hotels, malls and most restaurants that cater to visitors. Street food, markets and small guesthouses want dong.
One rule surprises people: changing money anywhere other than a bank or a licensed exchange counter is an offence in Vietnam, even if the jeweller down the street offers a better rate. It’s rarely enforced against tourists, but the rate isn’t worth the argument.
- Vietnam currency guide: every note, today’s bank rate, ATM withdrawal limits and the customs declaration threshold.
- Tipping in Vietnam, with a table of amounts in dong for guides, drivers, spas and hotels.
D · Staying connected: eSIM, SIM card and Wi-Fi
Data is cheap and fast in Vietnam, with 5G on all three big networks. A travel eSIM installed at home gets you online the moment you land, but it’s data only: no Vietnamese number, and no way to dial 113, 114 or 115. A local SIM from the airport counter costs a few dollars for a month and comes with a number. Since 15 April 2026, registering one means a passport scan and a face check, so skip the pre-activated SIMs sold on the street.
- Vietnam eSIM vs SIM card: Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone, what a tourist SIM costs, the 2026 registration rules and the apps that want a number.
F · Entry and documents: Vietnam travel requirements
Almost everyone ends up on the e-visa, including US, Canadian and Australian travelers. Since August 2023 it’s open to every nationality and valid for up to 90 days. Apply on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn, not on the lookalike agency sites that charge several times the US$25 fee. Allow three working days, more in the run-up to Tet. Your passport needs six months left on it and two blank pages.
A number of European passports, the UK, France, Germany and Italy among them, get 45 days without a visa. If you’re on that list and staying longer, or planning to leave and come back, the e-visa is still the safer choice.
- Vietnam e-visa 2026: the official site, the fee, processing time, the 45-day exemption list and the entry points that accept it.
Vietnam travel tips we’d give a friend
None of these needs a whole guide, but each one saves a small headache.
- Break big notes early. Handing a 500,000 note to a street vendor at 7 a.m. is a problem for both of you, so use it at the hotel or a supermarket.
- Crossing the road, walk at a slow, steady pace and don’t stop or run. The motorbikes are reading your speed and will flow around you.
- Install a ride-hailing app like Grab before you land. The price is fixed before you get in, which settles the one argument taxis are known for.
- Read the bill before you tip. Some restaurants and most hotels already add a service charge line.
- Keep a photo of your e-visa on your phone and a printout in your bag. Airline check-in staff sometimes ask for it before immigration does.
Vietnam travel checklist: what to do, and when
Sorted by lead time. The e-visa is the only item with a hard deadline, but Tet can make the first line just as urgent.
| When | Do this | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 months ahead | If your dates touch Tet (6 February 2027), book trains, flights and hotels now | Best time to visit |
| 2 weeks ahead | Apply for the e-visa on evisa.gov.vn. It takes about three working days | Vietnam e-visa |
| Before you fly | Check your passport: six months of validity and two blank pages | Vietnam e-visa |
| Before you fly | Install a travel eSIM, or plan to buy a SIM at the airport with your passport. Set up Grab while your home number gets texts | Vietnam eSIM |
| Before you fly | Pick a card with no foreign transaction fee and check its daily ATM limit | Vietnam currency |
| On landing | Withdraw dong from a bank ATM in the airport, then break a large note | Vietnam currency |
| At the table | Look for a service charge on the bill before you add a tip | Tipping in Vietnam |
What’s next for Vietnam
Two lines are still empty for Vietnam: transport and luggage, and local rules. They’re the next guides we’re working on, starting with getting around by train, bus and ride-hailing. This page gets a new entry each time one goes live.
Other countries on the network
Combining Vietnam with a neighbour? Our Japan travel guide is the most complete, with guides across all six lines. The Thailand travel guide and the South Korea travel guide are built like this one. For everything we’ve published, newest first, see all guides.
Data checked: 2026-09-28