Vietnam Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors

Vietnam is one of the most rewarding countries in Asia for first-time visitors: affordable, safe, endlessly varied and home to some of the best food you will ever eat. It is also long — over 1,600km from north to south — which is the single fact that should shape your plan.

Choose your route first

Most travellers go north to south or the reverse: Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Hue → Da Nang and Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Mekong Delta.

The mistake first-timers make is trying to do all of it in ten days. A more honest way to scope it:

1. Under 10 days — pick one or two regions. North (Hanoi, Ha Long, Ninh Binh) or centre (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An).
2. Two weeks — north plus centre, or centre plus south, with one internal flight.
3. Three weeks or more — the full north-to-south run at a pace that leaves room for a beach and a slow day.

Vietnam is not a country you finish. Choosing what to leave out is the plan.

Visas

Most nationalities need an e-visa, applied for online in advance. A few have short-stay exemptions.

Getting around

• Domestic flights are cheap and fast, and make the long north–south hops practical.
• The north–south railway is slower but scenic. The Da Nang–Hue section over the Hai Van Pass is one of the great train rides in Asia — book a seat on the correct side for the sea views.
• Sleeper buses are the budget option and cover routes trains don't. Berths are short; that matters if you're tall.
• Grab (ride-hailing, cars and motorbikes) is the easiest way to move around cities, and it removes any argument about the fare.

Money

Vietnam uses the dong, which runs to large numbers — take a moment to get familiar with the notes, as several look similar. ATMs are widespread in cities; withdraw larger amounts less often to reduce fees. Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants, but street food, markets and small cafés are cash. Carry small notes.

Weather and when to go

Vietnam has three climates at once, so there is no single best month:

• North — cool and misty December to February, hot and wet in summer.
• Centre — driest roughly February to August; heavy rain and typhoon risk around September to November.
• South — warm year-round, with a wet season roughly May to October (usually short afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain).

What to eat

Pho for breakfast, banh mi for lunch, bun cha in Hanoi, cao lau in Hoi An, com tam in Saigon, and coffee everywhere — egg coffee, coconut coffee, or a simple cà phê sữa đá with condensed milk over ice.

Safety and etiquette

Vietnam is generally a safe country for travellers. The realistic risks are traffic and opportunistic bag-snatching rather than violent crime.

• Cross roads slowly and predictably — do not stop or run. Traffic flows around you.
• Keep phones and bags on the side away from the street.
• Wear a helmet on any motorbike, and only ride one if you hold the correct licence and your insurance covers it.
• Dress modestly at temples and pagodas: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off where indicated.