How Much Does it Cost to go to Vietnam? – Money We Have

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Do you want to know how much does it cost to go to Vietnam? You may be surprised at how inexpensive it can be since Vietnam is one of the most visited destinations in Southeast Asia. With delicious food, a rich history, and stunning scenery, Vietnam is one of the most popular destinations in Asia.

For the purpose of this article, I am going to suggest a two-week itinerary to see the highlights of Vietnam. This sample itinerary can start or end in either Ho Chi Minh City or Hoi An and will include the following stops: Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, the Hai Van Pass, Hue, Hanoi, Sapa, and Halong Bay. Please note that this guide is based on the costs for a single person. If you are travelling as a couple, make sure to double these estimates (except for hotels).

Estimated cost

Airfare$800

Accommodations$550

Local transportation$300

Attractions$500

Food and drink$280 ($20 X 14 days)

Random spending$100

Total$2,530 USD

The above estimate is in US dollars, so please use XE.com to find out the average costs with the exchange rate in your home country.

If you’re Canadian, you may want to consider applying for one of the best travel credit cards in Canada to help offset your costs by collecting points. For example, the American Express Platinum Card gives you a generous welcome bonus that’s often worth more than $900 (potentially more if you transfer your points to Aeroplan or Marriott Bonvoy). There’s also the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card that has no foreign transaction fees, and it comes with airport lounge access.   

Airfare

International airfare will likely be the most expensive part of your trip. Vietnam is quite far from North America and the costs can be quite high. To get the best deal, start shopping in advance and avoid the main holiday season. With that in mind, I have estimated international airfare to cost approximately $800 per person, though travellers from the west coast of North America can expect to pay less.

Ho Chi Minh City will probably be the cheapest to fly into, but don’t forget to check flights to Hanoi as well. It may also be worth seeing if you can fly into one and out of the other to save you the time of having to backtrack to your starting destination.

Accommodations

Accommodations in Vietnam can range from a couple of bucks a night for a backpacker hostel (dorms or private rooms) to a few hundred for a luxury hotel. This is one of the areas where it’s really easy to save or, if you feel like it, splurge a little. For the sake of this article, I have estimated accommodation costs based on a mid-range hotel. For two weeks in Vietnam (assuming you are flying rather than relying on the overnight buses), you can expect to pay about $550.

If you are looking for recommendations, I suggest the following:

Ho Chi Minh City

Hoi An

Hue

Hanoi

Sapa

If you have the right credit card, you can save a fair amount of money on hotels. Americans should strongly consider the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card since you can earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and $300 back at U.S. restaurants as a welcome bonus.

Canadians should consider the Marriott Bonvoy American Express which gives you up to 55,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. That’s enough points for a few free nights at some hotels which could easily have a value of over $500.

Local transportation

Getting around Vietnam is a bit of an adventure. In the cities, I suggest walking as much as possible as the transit systems (if available) can be confusing. If you do take a taxi, remember to set a price ahead of time or you will be taken advantage of. You can also use car services such as Uber or Grab Car in parts of Vietnam.

In terms of getting around the country, you have a few options. Buses are the cheapest option and you sometimes have an overnight route option which takes care of both transportation and accommodation. However, the buses in Vietnam are not always the safest and can be pretty stressful. More than one traveller has had to get off early because they have felt unsafe or unwell.

For this reason, I suggest flying with a local airline to get to the main cities when possible. So, Ho Chi Minh City to Hue (Danang Airport), Hue to Hanoi, then Hanoi back to Ho Chi Minh City for your return flight (or vice versa if you are starting and ending in Hanoi). Flights within Vietnam are quite affordable with some planning. If you book well in advance you can get one-way tickets between these cities for $50 or less.

To get to Sapa you will need to take either an overnight train or a bus from Hanoi. I suggest the train as it is a little safer, but it is more expensive and you also need to take a shuttle bus for the last leg (about 1 hour). A roundtrip ticket with a sleeping berth shouldn’t cost you more than $100 (this includes buying the mini-bus ticket when you arrive).

Getting to and from Halong Bay will be included in the price of the Halong Bay cruise that I have included in the itinerary.

Attractions

Vietnam has plenty to see and do but what you end up deciding on really depends on your interests. I always recommend buying your tickets and tours in advance through Klook as you can often save a bit of money and skip the lines. Here are a few must-see attractions which are absolutely worth your money.

Finally, I highly recommend taking a Halong Bay cruise. Halong Bay is truly magnificent and is worth spending the money on a two-night cruise to really experience it and escape some of the crowds. Cruise costs include all food, transportation to and from Hanoi, accommodation, and some additional activities such as kayaking. There are a number of different cruise companies offering different activities and different levels of comfort. I personally recommend spending a bit more on these cruises as you really do get what you pay for.

I’d say these are the basics but would also add an extra $100 or so for any museums, tours, or shows you may be interested in.

Food and drink

The cuisine in Vietnam is the highlight for many. The food is delicious, changes across the country, and is incredibly affordable. No matter your travel style, the best way to eat in Vietnam is to take advantage of the street food- which has the added bonus of being the cheapest option as well. However, I also recognize that for some meals, especially dinners, a proper sit-down at a local restaurant is a nice option. 

With that in mind, I suggest budgeting for street food type food (pork and noodles in broth, banh mi) for breakfast and lunch, and spending a bit more for dinner which means your costs will look something like this:

• Breakfast – $2
• Lunch – $4
• Dinner – $12

Please note that you cannot drink tap water in Vietnam so will also have to budget an extra couple of dollars per day for drinking water. Alternatively, beer is relatively inexpensive. So, I’d estimate about $20 USD per day for all of your meals and drinking water. This can easily be dropped if you stick with just street food, or increased for those who would prefer to eat in cafes and restaurants.

It’s also worth noting that there are many food tours available in Ho Chi Minh City which are worth splurging on.

Random spending

When it comes to random spending in Vietnam, your expenses won’t be very high. I’d say an extra $100 is more than enough for some small souvenirs, laundry, snacks and drinks. However, Hoi An is known for its custom tailored clothing, so if that is on your list to do you will likely want to add a couple hundred more depending on what you are hoping to get made.

Insider tip: If you want custom clothing, allow for at least three days in Hoi An and visit the tailor first thing to get your purchase on time. They work quickly, but you also want to make sure you give them adequate time for fittings. For a reliable, quality, and ethical tailor I recommend BeBe tailors.

If you’re Canadian, you may want to consider applying for one of the best travel credit cards in Canada to help offset your costs by collecting points.

Vietnam trip cost

So, how much does it cost to go to Vietnam? For a two-week trip, your Vietnam travel budget should be about $2,530 per person based on my suggestions and itinerary as indicated above. Vietnam is an amazing country and one of the most affordable places for budget travellers. I’ve aimed this itinerary at the sort of mid-range traveller who keeps an eye on their wallet but also values comfort. That said, using some of my tips in this article, you can further reduce these estimated costs even more. Check out other travel guides including Southeast Asia, Dubai, Jordan, Disneyland, Tokyo, Europe, Rome, and Ireland.

Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand?

Vietnam is cheaper than Thailand. This is most notable when you compare the prices in Vietnam to those in more popular and bigger Thai cities, such as Bangkok or Chaing Mai, but many travellers say that Vietnam is even cheaper than rural Thailand. Granted, the price differences aren’t huge but budget backpackers will notice the difference. If you are worried about the cost of Vietnam, don’t stress too much. It’s a pretty cheap country. It’s also about the same cost as visiting Cambodia.

How much money do you need per day in Vietnam?

If you are looking to travel through Vietnam on a comfortable/ mid-range budget you can get by with about US $75 per day in Vietnam. You may find you spend less in some places, but it also gives you a little wiggle room to spend more if needed elsewhere.

What is the best way to get around Vietnam?

The fastest and most comfortable way to travel around Vietnam is by plane. This may seem silly taking short 1-hour flights on budget airlines. However, the alternative is often night buses for any longer journeys and those have very mixed reviews. Many travellers in the past have reported feeling sick while on board as some of Vietnam’s roads can be a little intense. If you have your motorcycle license and are looking for a more independent way to get around, renting a motorbike is also a popular option but it is only advised for experienced riders. In the end, it depends on where you’re headed. From Da Nang to Nha Trang, there are multiple ways to get around.

What is Vietnam famous for?

Vietnam is known for its food, especially dishes like Pho which is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Hoi An, an ancient city in Vietnam, is known for custom tailoring businesses where you can get custom suits, dresses, shirts, jackets, and even shoes made for you in just a couple of days. In the north, the rice fields of Sapa are well known as a hiking destination and Halong Bay is an iconic Vietnamese location that definitely should be on your must-see list.

What should I avoid in Vietnam?

Vietnam is a pretty safe country, but Ho Chi Minh City in particular is known for robberies so be extra careful with your purse, phone, or wallet in the street here. If you decide to get custom clothing made in Hoi An, do some research ahead of time. Some tailors operate as sweatshops, so do your research (I recommend BeBe Tailor if you need a suggestion). Also, as cool as it may sound to explore Vietnam by motorbike, do not attempt this if you have no experience. The roads in Vietnam can be very dangerous.

Do I need a visa for Vietnam?

Visa requirements are dependent on what country you are from but most countries do require one (Canada and the USA included). You can get one ahead of time through the Vietnamese embassy in your country or through an online visa service. Additionally, if you are already in SE Asia there are many places in Thailand and Laos that can help set you up with a visa as well.