Are you heading to Vietnam this year? Then this article is for you! A lot has changed and travelling in Vietnam today is not the same as it was a couple of years back. From food to places to stay, everything has changed. During our 10-day trip to Vietnam, we encountered many good and bad and wanted to share our experience with you. So here are 19 Vietnam travel tips you need to know in 2025.
Before we begin, here are more Vietnam articles we wrote for you:
Vietnam Travel Tips in 2025
Apply for eVisa in advance
We had an awfully long wait (1 month!) for the eVisa due to a sloppy agent but you must know that Vietnam eVisa takes about 3 days up to 2 weeks. The good news is that they have a new government portal for the Vietnam eVisa application (Beware of fake websites) which is much easier than the old one.
You can pretty much do it yourself. But if your form has errors or discrepancies, they'll keep returning the application until you fill it out perfectly.
We advise you to apply at least 3 weeks ahead of time. You can check which countries need an eVisa to enter.
Avoid Random Influencer-Promoted Cafes
If you're big on TikTok or Instagram, you'll see plenty of aesthetic cafés with indoor gardens hyped by influencers. From our experience, most are overpriced, cater mainly to tourists, and serve just-average food. Unless you’re an influencer yourself or love posting, skip these to save time and money.
We do recommend the Apartment cafe though - a unique concept, however, if you want to use the elevator, you must pay the guy at the front. If not, you can take the stairways.
Local Google Reviews are mostly Fake
In Vietnam, you’ll see restaurants, spas, money exchange spots, and even hotels with tons of five-star Google reviews - often short, vague, and written by locals. These are usually paid reviews. Always check actual tourist reviews before visiting to save yourself time and money. It made a huge difference for us.
Take the 2-Day Ha Long Bay Cruise
The day trip to Ha Long Bay is honestly a rip-off. No matter what type of package you buy, you end up in the same type of boat as everyone else. We booked our tour last minute through a travel agent in Hanoi. She convinced us to get the luxury one, and we bargained and paid 65$.
Later we met a fellow traveller in our group who had bought the same package for 45$, and another traveller who had bought the regular package, and was in the same boat with us.
On the contrary, the Luxury cruise looked great. If we had more time, we would've taken the 2-day cruise.
Book your Train Trip & plan your Hotel stay AHEAD!
Transport in Vietnam is a whole other adventure. If you want to travel by Train between the major cities, please plan and book ahead! Berths sell out fast, and if you're a couple or a solo female traveller, you don’t want to end up spending 17+ hours locked in a cabin with random strangers. Book early to secure a spot you’re comfortable with.
And the train travel time between destinations is crazy long, the last thing you want after a tiring train journey is to be stranded in the middle of a new city figuring out which hotel to book next.
Don't Book your Return Air Ticket from the Same Airport
As we said earlier, the distances between destinations are huge, and it makes no sense to come back all the way to the same airport to fly home. You can save time and explore new places by booking a return ticket from another city.
You can book your Train Tickets & Domestic Air Tickets within the country from third-party platforms like 12Go Asia or Baolaou. We got ours reserved from Baolaou and it was a smooth experience.
Pro Tip: Start from the South (Ho Chi Minh City), and go to the North (Hanoi). The people in the South are very friendly and you'll be able to easily fit in and get familiar. Money exchange spots are also ample in the South.
Gold shops offer better currency exchange rates.
The exchange rate difference between airports, agents, and gold shops isn’t huge, but if you're exchanging a lot of cash, we recommend Gold Shops.
However, if you're travelling to Hanoi as your last destination, please exchange money before you get to the city. There are very few gold shops and all the money exchange agents keep a higher margin.
Get familiar with the currency beforehand.
If you're not good with numbers, you will have some struggles getting familiarised with the Vietnamese Dong currency. The smallest note you'll use is 1000 Dong and the biggest is 500,000 Dong. The notes 100,000 and 10,000 looks almost the same, and if you come across a skilful scammer, you'll surely get scammed if you're not careful enough.
Get your chopstick game on
Similar to many Southeast Asian countries, Chopsticks are the main utensils used in day-to-day life. Even if you're staying at a hotel, you will try street food or local hotspots and many of the local places still don't offer Western cutleries. Spare the awkwardness and try practising eating with chopsticks, you'll thank yourself later.
Hoi An Old Town Entrance Ticket is not Mandatory
While it's not mandatory to buy the entrance ticket to enter the Old Town in Hoi An, tourists are recommended to buy one. It costs 120,000 Dong (about 4.50$) and allows you to enter 5 of the 22 attractions in the Old Town. After all, the funds go to preserving the old town for future generations, so we advise you to buy a ticket.
Drink Yakult If you're planning to survive on Street Food
Street food can go terribly wrong for some people. Luckily we didn't face any food poisoning, mainly because we drank pro-biotics daily to keep our gut healthy. Yakult is widely available everywhere in Vietnam and if you're planning to eat street food, this can help reduce the chances of getting severe food poisoning.
'Michelin Selected' is probably a fake advert
We walked into a shabby local crab restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City District 1 and saw a big signboard saying 'Michelin Star Selected'. The prices were regular, and there were many locals too. The food was great, but in terms of hygiene, ambience and presentation, everything looked average. Later we found that many local restaurants use this signboard as a decorative item.
Grab is relatively expensive
Everyone talks about how cheap travel is in Vietnam - but they’re not talking about mainstream taxis. Grab is reliable, safe, and comfortable, but it can be pricey if you're on a budget. Some friendly locals may offer cheaper rides, but be cautious. As for road taxis, only use them if you're familiar with the area (especially in Ho Chi Minh City) and know the base fares to negotiate.
Chicken is available in all restaurants but double-check
One of the main reasons Muslim travellers hesitate to visit Vietnam is the heavy use of pork in local cuisine and the lack of halal restaurants. It's true that pork is almost everywhere and you will rarely come across 'fully halal' restaurants unless you're visiting the areas of Muslim communities, but the locals are very polite, and understanding and will accommodate your food requirements without a fuss.
But make sure you always double-check before buying.
Wear flip-flops in Hoi An (Trust us!)
Hoi An's dry season is from February to August, but it can rain and flood anytime. Walking in soggy shoes is the last thing you need when exploring a beautiful city, and all the locals wear flip-flops. We are big walkers, and opted for shoes in Hoi An, biggest regret ever! My pretty pink Adidas were damaged beyond any wash.
Dong Xuan Market is better than Ben Than Market
Some may not agree, but we found much better choices and cheaper clothes in Dong Xuan Market, Hanoi than we did in Ben Than Market in Ho Chi Minh City. While the latter is surely an experience in itself, we recommend you to shop at Dong Xuan Market for clothes. It can be a little overwhelming and stuffy but you'll find almost everything there. Make sure to bargain though.
Coconut Coffee or Not;
We love coffee. If you think our article provided you with useful information, help me create more informative content like this by buying me a coffee.
Staying in the right area helps you save A LOT of Time
All the main sites and experiences are generally located in and around one area. So it makes sense to find your accommodation in that particular area to save time spent on travelling. This is one of our key Vietnam travel tips for you.
Ho Chi Minh City - District 1 (Close to Saigon Center, Nguyen Walking Street, Bui Vien Night Street, Ben Than Market & Metro)
Hoi An - Old Town (Close to the lake, but do not cross it) - Prices would be somewhat on the higher side, but it's still worth it.
Da Nang - My An (Close to the My Khe Beach)
Hanoi - Old Quarter (Close to Hoan Kiem Lake) - We wish we had known this before cause we booked a hotel bordering the Old Quarter but still, we had to walk about 20 minutes to get to the heart. All the fun happens close to Hoan Kiem Lake.
The Tipping Culture is intense in certain places
While many Asian countries don’t expect tips, it’s generally a nice gesture to leave something at local restaurants. However, in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, some restaurants, spas, and nail salons require you to tip before paying the bill. They’ll usually bring a receipt, ask for feedback, and have you tick a tip amount.
We went to this one spa in Saigon that gave us a pretty average massage but still forced a minimum tip of 50,000 Dong. A similar thing happened at a nail salon in Hanoi.
We don’t mind tipping, but travellers should be aware and always keep some extra cash handy for these unexpected add-ons.
Certain Adult Entertainment Activities are a BIG No!
In case you were not aware, Vietnam is very strict with its laws related to adult entertainment. While we did notice certain places accommodating them, the majority of hotels and clubs don't encourage certain adult entertainment activities. The authorities can take action against the use of illegal substances and escort services, so we advise you to respect the law and have fun.
Wrapping Up;
These are some of the key Vietnam Travel Tips we figured were important to any traveller visiting the country. If you have any doubts about your plan to Vietnam, ask away in the comments below and we'll be happy to help!
Comments