Vietnam Travel Guide

Explore Vietnam

Use this interactive map to discover the different regions of Vietnam and plan your journey.

Click on locations to see more information about the destinations featured in the articles.

From the mountainous north to the Mekong Delta in the south, Vietnam offers diverse landscapes and experiences.

HOW to VIETNAM – Travel Essentials

Here’s a compact guide with practical tips for travels across Vietnam.

Basic Facts

  • Travel Time: Best from November to April (dry season).
  • Language: Vietnamese is the official language. English is spoken in touristy areas but limited elsewhere.
  • Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND).
  • Time Zone: Indochina Time (UTC+7).
  • Electricity: 220V at 50 Hz. Plug types A, C, and D. (no adapter needed for europeans)

Personal Tips

. Best way to explore vietnam: Rent or buy a motorbike and travel through the country

  • Download vietnamies for google translater: Using Google translater for conversations is common (so do not worry about english barrier)
  • Have a Facebook account: Many accomondations or local tourist activites you can find on google maps do not have a website, but a facebook page, so it is common to message the people on Facebook.

ATMs

Fees:

  • ✅ Vietcombank, TP Bank, ACB Bank, Kienlongbank — no fee
  • ⚠️ BIDV — charges fees

The withdrawl limits veries between 2 Mil. and 5 Mil. VND. However you can just withdrawl many multiple times from the same atm.

I used the DKB Debit Card which worked for all ATMs (no fees from DKB for active members)

SIM Cards

Physical SIM

  • Viettel (~145,000 VND/month for 1.5GB/day. Top-up: 95,000 VND/30 days)
  • Available at Viettel stores (or kiosks, airports). Passport needed
  • Available for 1 Month with monthly top up or 3 or 6 months
  • Recommended for travelers cause of good coverage through the country

eSIM

  • Saily (30 days/5GB for $12 — $5 off with code JULEEN6349 Saily link*)

Transport

  • Grab app for motorbike taxis and cars (cheap & reliable)
  • Futa sleeper buses and trains for long distances (compftable and offer pickup and drop of from/to your accomondation)

Accommodation

  • Budget: Hostels and guesthouses (~5–15 USD/night)
  • Mid-range: Hotels and homestays (~20–50 USD/night)
  • Platforms: Booking.com, Agoda, Hostelworld, Airbnb, many homestays only have a facebook page (you can find them with a google maps search)

Vegetarian Food

  • Veg/Vegan options available (HappyCow helps or searching on maps for vegetarian restaurant)
  • Not to easy to find outside main tourist areas, try restaurants close to buddist tempels or ask at a restaurant if they have rice or noodles with vegetables or egg, works better then asking for vegetarian dishes
  • Asking at banh mi shops for banh mi without meat and with egg and vegtables also works

Vietnam Articles