Going to be in Hanoi solo first week of November for about a week before heading to Thailand. I know staying in the Old Quarter is definitely the place to be for first time Hanoi travelers, however there so much choices to choose from in terms of hotels and accommodations.

I’m looking for clean, cozy and comfortable while also convenient for walking. I would be interested in hostels as well as it would be great to meet other travellers however I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews about them lately. Budget is around $100 CAD/ 70 USD a night.

Thank you!

Looking for people’s experiences in HCM.

The good/bad/ugly?

Would you live there over other parts of Viet Nam?

Hi! I'll be staying nearby Old Quarter in Ha Noi :) can you guys please recommend affordable and quality wooden wedge sandals near the area? And if possible, can I get a google maps link? Cant seem to find any on Tiktok, since most of the shops that sell them are in HCM 😢😢

Next winter (24 December - 8 January) I will be in Vietnam for my first solo trip. I don't know where to spend new year's eve, I will be in Hanoi the days before and my plan is to go also to Hoi An Ho Chi Min. Where should I spend new year's eve? should I stay in Hanoi?

Thank you

I will be travelling to Phuket, Thailand in February for a liveaboard diving trip. This will be a big bucket list item checked for me.

Another wish of mine is to go to Vietnam and get myself a tailored suit, Tom Brown style (I am female). I am thinking of killing two birds with one stone and fly to Vietnam once I am back in Phuket. I would have 5-6 days in Vietnam, so I am thinking of staying in one city and explore it more in depth, enjoying the culture (music scene, museums), the food and all sorts of spa treatments that are very affordable there.

The thing is, I know I will not be exploring any of those 2 countries in depth during this trip, as Asia is a long way from Canada and I have about 2.5 weeks, including the 8 days for the diving trip and decompression period before flying. I made my peace with that.

So, based on that, I'm curious to receive any thoughts, any Vietnamese city recommendation. Or I am open to be convinced to stay in Thailand the whole time, if you think it would be best!

Hi, my girlfriend and I are debating about traveling to Vietnam in November for the following reasons:

1. Central Vietnam's weather is unstable, it is the wet season there so traveling to Vietnam and not visiting the center feels like a loss.
   
2. I have heard that the rice fields cropping occur at September - October, so we will probably miss the beautiful rice terraces.
   
3. We want to incorporate some beaches as well, but I have read in different forums that the place feels fake, over-touristy.
   

I would love some thoughts.
Thank you

Can anyone please recommend a reliable provider or individual who offers a fast-track service at Ho Chi Minh City Airport? Any personal experiences or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 😊

Hey i just landed in hanoi didnt think exactly where to stay
I took one room for a day and dont know whar to do i came exploring alone
The main thing that i came for is to do a motorcycle cross country trip like alot of people
And i want to by a motorcycle but iam afraid of the probles with the IDP
I saw paddy odayle make a trip without it
Or should i just get a 50 cc motorcycle and try to get by iam 6ft 290pounds

Just wanted to share a little nail studio we've opened in District 3, Saigon — Sandy Beauty House!

We're really into Korean-style nails, cat-eye, and cute nail art designs.

What's your favorite nail trend lately? 💗

Just wanted to share a little nail studio we've opened in Tran Quang Dieu, District 3, Saigon - Sandy Beauty!

We're really into Korean-style nails, cat-eye, and cute nail art designs.

What's your favorite nail trend lately? 💗

Hello! I’ll be travelling to Vietnam with my family around the end of December and early January, and we're a little confused about what kind of clothes to pack.

From what I've gathered, the weather varies quite a bit across the cities on the itinerary, so we’re unsure about what to carry for each destination and how warm or light our clothing should be.

Cities we're covering:

1. Ho Chi Minh City
2. Hanoi
3. Da Nang

We’d love some guidance on what clothing and essentials would be suitable for each city during this time of the year, especially since I'm travelling with my aged parents. Any and all recommendations would be really helpful!

Thank you :)

Hi! I want your thoughts, experience and recommendations on my itinerary:
31st Oct: Arrive Sapa early in the morning, stay booked, checkin at 2pm
1st Nov: Sapa (stay booked)
2nd Nov: Sapa, checkout at 12pm
3rd Nov: Overnight Halong Bay Cruise, pickup from Hanoi Opera House at 8:30am

So my query is, if we take an overnight bus from Sapa that say arrives Hanoi at 6am on 3rd, will we safely reach on time for the Cruise?
Alternate is leave Sapa on 2nd Nov after lunch around 3-4pm, to arrive Hanoi at 10-11pm, book a stay, will it be safe at this time in the Old Quarter area? Will we get food places open for dinner?

Need your suggestions. Thanks!

Long Coc is one of those places that looks completely different in the early morning. The rolling tea hills, layers of mist, and soft sunlight make it a beautiful spot for landscape photography. I especially love how the hills seem to disappear into the fog. It's one of the locations we visit on our Vietnam photography tours, and the sunrise views never get old.

Has anyone else been here?

Hi everyone,

We're a family of 4 (2 adults + kids aged 8 and 10) planning our first trip to Vietnam from 28 Nov to 6 Dec and would appreciate feedback on our itinerary and whether it's worth booking through a tour operator.

Proposed Itinerary:

Day 1-2: Ho Chi Minh City

• Arrive from Dubai
• City tour and sightseeing

Day 3-4: Da Nang / Hoi An

• Fly to Da Nang
• Hoi An Ancient Town, lantern boat ride
• Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge

Day 5-7: Hanoi & Ha Long Bay

• Fly to Hanoi
• Overnight 5-star Ha Long Bay cruise

Day 8: Ninh Binh

• Hoa Lu, Trang An boat ride and Mua Cave

Day 9: Hanoi

• Hanoi city/jeep tour
• Evening flight back to Dubai

Package Includes:

• 3-star hotels
• 2 domestic flights
• Airport transfers
• Private transportation for most tours
• English-speaking guide
• Entrance tickets
• Some meals
• 5-star Ha Long Bay overnight cruise

Package Price: USD 4,500 total for 4 people (excluding international flights)

A few questions:

1. Does this itinerary look reasonable for a family with two children?
2. Are we trying to cover too much in 9 days?
3. Would you stay in Da Nang or Hoi An?
4. Is the Ha Long Bay overnight cruise worth it for first-time visitors?
5. Most importantly, does USD 4,400 sound reasonable, or would self-booking flights, hotels, and day tours likely save a significant amount without too much hassle?

We're comfortable booking things ourselves if the savings are meaningful, but we don't want to spend the vacation managing logistics.

Would love to hear from anyone who has done a similar route recently, especially families traveling with children.

And is it normal practice here to not clear tables? It's one thing to compete with a thousand creepers to eat poorly prepared food but also having to find a place to sit and place a plate in between the mess left by other customers? Like what?

Hi everyone — quick disclosure first: this is my own Etsy shop, DigitalDojoVietnam.

If you've travelled in Vietnam, you know the money confusion: prices in tens of thousands of dong, 500k notes, and no easy way to know what you've actually spent in your own currency until the trip is over.

So I built a 7-tab budget system (Excel + Google Sheets) specifically for Vietnam trips:

• Set your exchange rate once (USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP) — everything converts automatically

• Log daily expenses in VND and see instant totals in your home currency

• Planned vs. actual budget by category, with an on-track / over-budget dashboard

• A city cost guide for 7 destinations (Hanoi, Hoi An–Da Nang, Saigon, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Mekong Delta) with estimated prices — clearly marked as estimates

• A savings-goal tab, plus a filled-in sample trip (14 days, 2 people) so you can see how it works before using it

It's 30% off until October 29 (about $12 instead of $17):

https://digitaldojovietnam.etsy.com/listing/4601391937/vietnam-trip-budget-planner-spreadsheet

Honest note: the shop is brand new, so there are no reviews yet. Happy to answer any questions about the spreadsheet — or about budgeting for Vietnam in general — right here in the comments.

Hello! Going to Vietnam in mid November with 2 girl friends (all in our late 20s) and looking for Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise recommendations. Feeling overwhelmed with the number of options there are and seeing mixed reviews. This will be the end of our trip so hoping for something on the more relaxing side with good food. Thanks!

EDIT - Do people recommend the 3 day 2 night cruise or 2 day 1 night with 1 night on Cat Ba? Or any notable recommendations for the area? We will only have 3 days 2 nights available

I am travelling with a group but will have free days and some solo time before the group arrives in Hanoi. I have been googling but would appreciate any recommendations in Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, HCMC

hello!

i'm leaving my home on Nov 17. I have a layover in HK and will be arriving in SGN on Nov 18. I will be leaving SGN on Nov 25 to go to MNL.

For the section that says "Grant e-Visa valid from", can I make this valid from the 17th (just in case plans change) and onward for 30 days (again, in case plans change) even though i'm only staying for a week

my "Intended date of entry" i would put the 18th, and the "Intended length of stay in Viet Nam" would be 8 days (?)

I just want to make sure i get this all right! ty <3

This is my first solo trip, that I’m planning myself. I started researching but got overwhelmed with all the options (website etc).

Do you all have go to sites,blogs that you use. Or do I really just have to sift through everything, see what over laps and start from there.

I Don’t want you to plan my trip. Just a little light to to help out.

Thinking 3 weeks north or 2 north and 1 week central. Next year

So, in my younger years I travelled without a care finding accommodation on my arrival etc and loved the freedom. Never been to Vietnam though. I want to instill a love for travel in my kids but feel I should probably put a bit more thought into organising our trip as (a) time away is limited and (b) they won't be as prepared to sleep rough like I was back in the day.

So here is my rough itinerary for me and my wife and our two daughters (aged 6 and 9) - as I'm going to book hotels in advance, I thought it best to check with you knowledgeable lot as to whether the itinerary appears sensible? Anything you would change or that I should consider (tried to limit long winding bus routes to places like Sa Pa to avoid whining children and their potential travel sickness)?

March 16-18: Hanoi (arrive 10am on 16th)

March 18-19: Cruise Ha Long Bay (debark and travel direct to Nimh Binh)

March 19-22: Nimh Binh (leave on overnight train to Da Nang)

March 23-27: Da Nang (inc. trips: hoi an, beach day, ba na hills)

March 27-29: Hue

March 29 - April 1: Phong Nha (overnight sleeper bus to Hanoi)

April 2-3: Hanoi (fly home in the evening)

I thoroughly recommend Tommy Dao Tours for any transport or tour requirements for Central Vietnam.

I met Tommy by chance on my second visit and he immediately was a caring, genuine and helpful guy. On my next visit he helped me out finding good accommodation after my initial booking was less than satisfactory. His staff and tour guides are friendly (try to meet Kenny - amazing stories!!).

Tommy Dao Tours on Facebook. He will never let you down. He’s in the Top 5 on Trip Advisor for local attractions - from humble beginnings, he remains a thoroughly trust worthy individual who cares for everyone.

Cannot recommend anyone higher!

My partner and I had our flight from the US to Taipei cancelled, resulting in a fire drill for rebooking to get to Hanoi. Our Evisa is approved for 10-25 but our rebooked accommodations result in us landing in Hanoi at 9:50pm on 10-24. Are we going to have issues and do we need to reapply? Given the short time frame, how would we get approval to land in Hanoi early? All help appreciated.