Vietnam

The one thing to get right first is your own entry category, because it varies by nationality. Twenty-four countries — the UK and much of the EU (in two tranches), plus Japan, South Korea and others — are visa-free for 45 days under schemes running to 2028. Everyone else, notably US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders, needs the e-visa: open to all nationalities since 2023, valid up to 90 days, single or multiple entry.

Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (a .gov.vn address), where it costs roughly US$25 (single) or US$50 (multiple) and processes in about three to five working days. The web is thick with agency lookalike sites charging two to five times as much for the identical document — avoid them. Carry a passport valid six months beyond arrival whichever route applies.

Sort your Vietnam entry category first, because it varies by passport. Twenty-four countries — the UK and much of the EU, plus Japan, South Korea and others — are visa-free for 45 days; everyone else needs the 90-day e-visa, applied for on the official government e-visa portal a few days ahead (not one of the many paid copycat sites). Check which bucket you’re in before you book flights.

The north (Hanoi, Ha Long, Sapa) has a genuine cool, grey winter December–February and hot, stormy summers, so spring and autumn are best. The centre (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, the Phong Nha caves) is dry February–August but turns wet September–December, with typhoons peaking September–October and Hoi An’s old town flooding in October–November. The south (Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong) is warm all year, dry November–April.

Because the zones peak at different times, you plan the route around the season rather than the other way round:

• September–December (central typhoon & flood season)SkipHue, Da Nang and Hoi An — the old town floods in Oct–NovGothe south (HCMC, the Mekong, Phu Quoc), dry and warm then
• The northern winter (Dec–Feb), cool and greySkipexpecting beach weather in Hanoi or Ha LongGothe far south, warm year-round — or come north in spring/autumn
• Tet week (around 6 February in 2027)Skipintercity travel — transport and hotels fill and prices jumpGostaying put in one city to witness it, or shifting your dates

A first trip usually strings together one or two zones rather than all three: Hanoi with Ha Long Bay and Sapa in the north; the trio of Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An in the centre, with the Phong Nha caves a detour inland; and Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta and the beach island of Phu Quoc in the south. The classic full run is Hanoi to Saigon (or the reverse), flying the long legs and lingering in the centre.

On riding yourself: for most Western tourists a rented motorbike means riding unlicensed and uninsured (see the FAQ), and the traffic is the real danger of a Vietnam trip. Decree 168 (2025) raised fines sharply — a motorbike red-light offence is now 4–6 million dong (~US$160–240), no helmet 400,000–600,000 dong. A Grab or Xanh SM motorbike-taxi does the same job legally.

Ha Long Bay is the icon and is heavily overtouristed — millions of visitors and hundreds of boats a year — so many travellers now choose the quieter karst alternatives of Lan Ha Bay / Cat Ba or Bai Tu Long; cruises are booked as one- or two-night packages. Inland, Hoi An’s lantern-lit old town uses a heritage ticket (now two tiers) covering a set of monuments including the restored Japanese Covered Bridge, and Hue’s Imperial Citadel anchors a scatter of ticketed royal tombs. The beaches of Da Nang and the island of Phu Quoc round out the coast.

Ha Long cruises vary enormously in quality for the price — book a reputable one- or two-night package ahead rather than arranging on the spot, and consider Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long, which carry a fraction of the boats.

Beyond the traffic, the hazards are small and avoidable: rigged taxi meters (use a ride app, or Mai Linh and Vinasun), street-vendor overcharging, and the odd photo-prop scam in Ho Chi Minh City. Dengue is present year-round (worse in the wet season), so use repellent; malaria is a rural-only, low risk and absent from the cities. And when you cross a road, the trick is to walk slowly and steadily at a predictable pace — the motorbike swarm flows around you; sudden stops or sprints are what cause accidents.

The currency is the Vietnamese dong, which runs to a lot of zeros (around 25,900 to the US dollar) — watch the 100,000 and 500,000 notes, which look alike and are an easy mix-up. Vietnam is still a heavily cash economy outside the big cities, though QR payments are spreading fast; ATMs often cap withdrawals low (around 3 million dong a time) and charge a per-transaction fee, with VPBank and ACB the friendliest. It remains exceptional value — among the cheapest countries in Asia: a bowl of pho runs 35,000–60,000 dong (US$1.40–2.40), a budget room a few dollars. Tipping isn’t traditional but is appreciated in tourism, and not expected in ordinary local eateries.

Vietnamese is the language, with English common in the tourist areas and thinner in the rural north. Plugs are Type A/C at 220V (US flat pins fit the sockets, but 110V-only devices need a converter). Don’t drink the tap water — bottled or boiled only, and skip ice at the cheapest places. At temples and pagodas, cover shoulders and knees and remove your shoes at the sanctuary threshold.

The street food is a headline in itself — pho, banh mi, bun cha, the egg coffee of Hanoi — and the safest bet is a busy, high-turnover stall where the food is cooked in front of you. Weighing Vietnam against its obvious neighbour-rival? See Thailand vs Vietnam, measured.