Is Vietnam Cheap? Vietnam Travel Costs
Jump To:
- How Much Does it Cost to Travel Vietnam?
- Example Costs in Vietnam
- Where We Travelled
- Cost of Accommodation in Vietnam
- Should I Book in Advance?
- Transport in Vietnam
- Eating on a Budget in Vietnam
- Budget Activities in Vietnam
- Additional Expenses
- Haggling in Vietnam
- Is Vietnam Expensive?
How Much Does it Cost to Travel Vietnam?
2 Weeks in Vietnam Cost: $336 / £256 / €300
Daily Travel Expenses in Vietnam: $24 / £18 / €22
This was our travel budget for two weeks backpacking in Vietnam. This includes accommodation, 3 meals per day, local transport and activities. This travel budget does not include international flights.
Note: Vietnamese Dong is expressed in large denominations. In the infographic below, Vietnamese Dong is shortened by three decimal places. For, example 10,000 VND is shown as 10 VND and 100,000 VND is shown as 100 VND.
Costs in Vietnam:
Here is a breakdown of the Vietnam prices. We’ve given the average costs per person for daily expenses such as the cost of water, a beer and a meal in Vietnam. We’ve also included the costs for some of the most popular trips in Vietnam, such as Halong Bay and trekking in Sapa.
Everyday Expenses in Vietnam:
| One night in a budget hotel (double room) | $11 / £8.40 / €10 |
| Transport between towns | $5 / £3.7 / €4.2 |
| Lunch/Dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant | $2.2 / £1.6 / €1.8 |
| Bottle of water | $0.3 / £0.22 / €0.25 |
| Vietnamese coffee | $0.8 / £0.6 / €0.5 |
| Local beer | $0.9 / £0.7 / €0.8 |
Big Expenses in Vietnam (per person):
| Halong Bay Boat Trip (2-day cruise) | $110 / £84 / €98 |
| Trekking in Sapa (with guide) | $19 / £14 / €16 |
| Vietnamese Cooking Class in Hoi An | $30 / £22 / €25 |
Where We Travelled
We travelled from the north to the south of Vietnam over 24 days from November – December. We stopped off in a total of 10 places: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa, Hue, Hoi An, Dalat, Yok Don, Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Ho Chi Minh City.
If you’re travelling around Vietnam, don’t miss our full Vietnam backpacking route from north to south. We travelled to all of the places on this backpacking route during our 4-week trip in Vietnam on our $24 budget per day.
How Teaching in Taiwan Prepared Me for Long-Term Travel
Cost of Accommodation in Vietnam
The cost of accommodation in Vietnam varies but it’s possible to get cheap dorm beds and cheap private rooms. As a couple, we found that a double room in a guest house was cheaper than two single beds in a dorm room. Travelling solo may mean a slightly increased cost of accommodation. You can still get extremely cheap dorm beds and sometimes hammocks, if you’re not fussy about your hostels.
Budget accommodation is generally of an okay standard. We had ants in our room once and bare floorboards another time, but the accommodation where we stayed was always clean and had a decent bathroom. I should say that we’re not fussy about our travel accommodation, as long as it’s clean and there’s wifi. Many places also throw in a breakfast of banana pancakes as well.
Airbnb wasn’t as widespread as it is now when we were travelling in Vietnam, and so we mostly stayed in guesthouses. Now though there are a lot of great Airbnbs. You can get $48 off Airbnb bookings by clicking here.
Where We Stayed in Vietnam
| 1st Thu Giang Guesthouse | Hanoi | This guesthouse was recommended in Lonely Planet. It was a basic guesthouse which is owned by a husband and wife couple. There’s 1st Thu Giang Guesthouse which is looked after by the husband. Around the corner is the cleaner and more orderly 2nd Thu Giang Guesthouse, run by the wife. The place was cheap and we liked it. The only downside was the smell of wet dog in 1st. We paid $7.45 per night. |
|---|---|---|
| Luong Thuy Family Guesthouse | Sapa | We struggled to find anything really cheap in Sapa. We picked this lovely guesthouse because it had a hot crackling fire and it was freezing cold outside! This family guesthouse was homely and warm. Rooms are quite large. At the very top of the hotel is a tiny, wooden breakfast room selling hot bowls of noodle soup. It has an incredible view of the rice terrace. We paid $16.80 per night. |
| Hoang Huong Guesthouse | Hue | There’s a small alley of budget accommodation in Hue, including Hoang Huong Guesthouse. When we were there, the guesthouse was run by one very little old lady. She was really welcoming and smiley, and made us banana pancakes for breakfast. The downside here is that the rooms have some damp walls. We paid $6.73 per night. Unfortunately you also cannot book online. |
| Hop Yen | Hoi An | Hop Yen is an immaculate looking hotel downstairs but there are much cheaper rooms the further upstairs you go. We stayed at the very top in the attic rooms which were all bare floorboards and a crappy shared shower room. The plus side was that it was our cheapest accommodation in the whole of Vietnam. We paid $6.91 per night. |
| Stilt Houses | Yok Don | Accommodation options are limited in Yok Don. These local-style stilt houses are next to tourist information (and sadly also the chained up elephants that are poorly treated) are located. The houses themselves are basic with just a mattress on the floor, but they have a nice view of the field and it’s an authentic experience. We paid $6.73 per night. |
| Zen Valley Dalat | Dalat | We heard about Zen Valley after we left Dalat and wished we’d heard about it before! Other travellers said this hotel was peaceful and beautiful with lush views of the mountains. |
| Ngoc Thao Guesthouse | Ho Chi Minh City | Our most expensive room of the trip was in Ho Chi Minh City. We booked online before arriving because we wanted to be sure about where we were staying the night before our flight. This guesthouse was absolutely immaculate, comfortable and run by a really lovely family. We paid $19.91 per night. |
Most Expensive Sleep: Ngoc Thao Guesthouse in Ho Chi Minh City – $19.91 per night
Least Expensive Sleep: Hop Yen in Hoi An – $6.91 per night
Traditional stilt house we stayed in at Yok Don.
Should I Book in Advance?
When we turned up in Hanoi, we had booked only our first and last night’s accommodation and nothing else. We heard it would be cheaper to get accommodation when you were already in the country because haggling over prices is common. Turns out this was true!
It’s better not to book in advance because you can get a better deal by negotiating in person when you arrive. You have to barter for your accommodation, but you’ll find prices are always cheaper in-person than on online booking websites. Prices are not fixed in Vietnam! However, if you don’t want the hassle of negotiating or want to secure a certain accommodation, it’s better to book ahead.
It is common for travellers to book their first night or two nights before arriving. This is to avoid having to negotiate as soon as you step off the plane. Be careful on your first day as you may not yet be used to bartering. Locals may realise that you don’t yet know what a fair price looks like. When you’re tired and hungry, you’re more likely to pay above the odds.
It is also common for travellers to book their Halong Bay tour in advance, especially if you’re travelling in high season. It’s also important to read reviews online and to be sure you are travelling with a trusted tour agency. I recommend booking through Get Your Guide. They feature local tour agencies with customer reviews and often provide cancellation cover.
Transport in Vietnam
We mostly travelled by sleeper bus because it’s the cheapest option. I have to admit that it’s definitely not something I would do again. If you’re thinking about taking a sleeper bus, How to Survive Vietnamese Sleeper Buses in Vietnam is an essential read. We travelled by train on a few occasions as well and it was much more pleasant and comfortable. The price is only very slightly higher, so it’s worth looking into.
You can also save money by booking buses and trains in advance. Avoid booking via your hotel and hostel if you can as they may add an extra markup to take for themselves. Instead, go straight to the bus station or train station to book your tickets.
The overnight bus
Eating on a Budget in Vietnam
Vietnam is a top travel destination for food lovers, even if you’re on a budget. If you want to eat cheap and keep the cost to travel Vietnam down, stick to local Asian eateries and street food. We had a lot of delicious and cheap vegetarian street food. That said, beef noodles are the most commonly found. Noodle soups, rice and crusty bread rolls are the most common Vietnamese dishes.
Food gets expensive if you plan on trying to eat in more tourist-orientated restaurants or any Western food establishment. Avoid Western food as it is always over-priced and won’t be anything like what you’re used to at home. Plus, Vietnamese food is incredibly delicious. I’m not sure why you’d ever want to eat Western food over it anyway!
Most Expensive Eat: Tamarind Cafe in Hanoi – $16.80 for two people
Least Expensive Eat: Breakfast rice with shredded coconut from a street vendor in HCMC – 91¢ for two people
French baguettes are a popular lunchtime street food costing $1.5
Budget Activities in Vietnam
You’ll read that there are a lot of “must-do” activities in Vietnam. At the top of that list are a Halong Bay cruise and a Sapa trek. We did both a Halong Bay cruise and a Sapa trek and loved them. However, a “must-do” depends on what activities you most enjoy whilst travelling. For Halong Bay trips, make sure you shop around and haggle well. There are loads of tour operators out to rip tourists off so it’s important to compare prices.
Despite not being one of the “must-do” activities in Vietnam, our favourite activity was a Vietnamese vegan cooking class in Hoi An. There are loads of great cooking classes in Vietnam. We learned to make different vegan versions of Vietnamese food and cooked with local produce.
If you want to keep the cost to travel Vietnam very low, then there are lots of free activities. These include visiting temples and pagodas and walking around the city.
On a side note, unethical elephant riding is a problem in Vietnam. Many elephants are mistreated and worked too hard in poor conditions. Don’t include this in your Vietnam activities.
Most Expensive Activity: All-inclusive 2-day Halong Bay cruise – $110 per person
Least Expensive Activity: Ticket to the temple on the lake in Hanoi – 45¢ per person
What I Didn’t Include in the Vietnam Travel Budget
ATM withdrawal charges, gifts for our families and clothes we had tailored in Hoi An are not included in this Vietnam travel budget. These expenses are non-essential and would give a skewed perspective of the cost of travelling in Vietnam.
If you want to keep the cost to travel Vietnam down, then I’d recommend avoiding buying any tailored clothing in Hoi An. Souvenirs tend to be cheap but costs can easily stack up depending on how many people you want to buy gifts for!
Gifts for Christmas: VND 560,000 ($25.72) on 5 gifts
Tailored clothes in Hoi An: VND 2,380,126 ($110.18) on 1 pair of boots, 1 pair of jeans, 1 skirt
ATM Withdrawal Charges: £31.50 (£5 / $8 per withdrawal, maximum withdrawal of £86 / $138 per day)
Vietnamese lanterns from Hoi An are a popular gift to take home.
Haggling in Vietnam
Vietnam is probably the tightest travel budgeting we’ve ever done. We kept track of our expenses meticulously and bartered for absolutely everything. We haggled especially hard to get cheap deals on our accommodation.
Don’t forget that in Vietnam, you must haggle. You should haggle for accommodation and buying souvenirs, gifts and clothes. Bartering is all part of the ‘fun’ in Vietnam – it’s the way that local people do things. Always approach haggling as a friendly exchange. Steer clear of being aggressive (because that’s no fun). Some Vietnamese are more harsh with their haggling. Remember that nearly everyone in Vietnam is selling the same goods, so if one person is too tough or unpleasant to haggle with then just move on.
When you’re haggling, you can usually aim to get the price down by about 25%-50% of the originally quoted price. Sometimes you can get this down much further on items like clothing and accommodation – it all depends on how high they start! It’s a good idea to engage in haggling for the same or similar item with a couple of different people. This will give you a better idea of whether the price they are offering you is a fair one. Bear in mind that you should be looking to pay a fair price. The Vietnamese will be much worse off than you and often appear brash because they really need the money to get by.
![How Much Does it Cost to Travel Vietnam on a Budget? [Infographic]](https://charlieontravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_2151-e1396614027985.jpg)
Vietnam Flights
Vietnam is well-connected with many international airlines flying into Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. We booked our flights through STA Travel and were able to get a discount on flights because we were under 25 at the time.
Cheap Flights Tip! We use Skyscanner to check prices and book our flights. When you search on Skyscanner, select “full month” to see which dates have the lowest prices.
Is Vietnam Cheap?
Vietnam is cheap to travel for most backpackers, and a cheap holiday to Vietnam is very possible for couples and families. Travelling Vietnam is cheap if you pay attention to your travel budget and haggle well. Vietnam is an incredible country to travel if you’re looking for a rich cultural experience but have a tight travel budget. Vietnam is one of our top budget travel destinations still today!
If you’re interested in moving to Vietnam as an expat, then read our article on the cost of living in Vietnam.
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How much did it cost to travel Vietnam when you went? I’d love to hear if you managed to beat our travel budget!
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About Charlie & Luke
We’re Charlie and Luke — UK travel bloggers, adventurers and storytellers. We travel slow and write about sustainable travel. We want to make responsible travel choices and help you do the same. Get to know us.
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agnesstramp
Great cost breakdown. We found Vietnam very cheap to travel around, but we were cycling the full length of the country so it was much easier for us to find great deals on accommodation and we did not have to use public transport at all. You did a great job. Food is so cheap there and yet so delicious.
Charlie on Travel
Public transport ended up totally a fair chunk, especially overnight buses. We would have loved to cycle, but we also would’ve needed more time to get to all the places we wanted to see and we wanted to be home for Christmas. I’d definitely think about it another time though. How long did you travel in Vietnam for?
Kellie
We are heading to Vietnam in a few weeks thanks so much for your travel budget. However, we have cheated and booked flights for our destinations and not the sleeper bus. (cheats) We have skimmed on budget accom though.
nushka
How long did that take to cycle through
Rob
I’m curious did you rent a bicycle or did you buy one when you got there?
jasteck
I’ve always wanted to travel to Vietnam. Thank you for the detailed summary. Now I’ll know how best to plan the trip. I’ll be following along on your upcoming adventures. :)
Charlie on Travel
I hope that you make it to Vietnam! And thanks very much :)
Anna
Cen You tell me something about fly there. They quiet expensive.what is the best way to find it cheaper? Whit advance? Or any airlines?
Charlie Marchant
Hi Anna – When we first flew to Vietnam, we travelled with STA Travel and were able to get a young person’s discount because we were under 24 at the time. Now, we mostly use Skyscanner to search for flights and set up flight price tracking. We also tend to visit countries, including Vietnam, in low season when flights are cheaper. Flights also tend to be cheaper mid-week as well.
francaangloitalian
What a detailed post with some very useful info and cost breakdown. I haven’t been to Vietnam yet, but it looks like the food is incredibly cheap. Thanks for sharing!
Charlie on Travel
Thanks, Franca :) Vietnam is awesome, I hope you get there one day. And yes, food is so so cheap!
ben
Wow! that’s so cool. I could budget my money now :) Vietnam is a great place. Full of historical places.
Charlie on Travel
Yes, it really is. Glad you found the post useful!
TravelDoIt
It’s so great of you to share your breakdown, it’s not only interesting to read, but also helps many other travellers plan for their own around the world trips.
Charlie on Travel
I’m glad you found it interesting. I’m never sure if people are interested to read stats and budgets – I guess it depends on the person though! Thanks for the comment :)
Heather
We’re guilty of splurging quite a bit in Vietnam. Even the “luxury” items (like a nice hotel) were a relative bargain!
Charlie on Travel
Yes, a nice hotel really isn’t much of a step up in price for sure! We had one (unintentionally) at the end of our trip in Saigon, and it was significantly nicer than the other places we stayed.
Sam
Just found this great breakdown…me and my partner have booked the same number of days in Vietnam, as well as the same route – leaving in just a couple of weeks.
I found that most budget guides on the internet were from about 2008, so are fairly outdated…This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, so helpful and current!
Charlie on Travel
Hi Sam! That’s awesome, I’m glad that you found it helpful :)
Have an excellent trip around Vietnam, and send me an email if there’s anything I can do to help you out.
Tiffany
Love this detailed write up and the chart with all the prices, so helpful! I really miss the absolutely delicious and inexpensive food in Vietnam, it’s probably my number one reason for wanting to go back.
Charlie on Travel
Thanks, Tiffany :) Yes, me too, it was really good, even for vegetarians! I miss the coffee the most though!!
Marek Bron
This is a really great breakdown… I’m going to have to link it from my Vietnam page! I always forget to take notes on my expenses, but I know how useful this can be to anyone in the planning stages.
Got to love the cheap and delicious noodles in Vietnam, not to mention the beer being as cheap as water. (Though I will never again drink that supposed ‘Fresh Beer’ they sometimes give away for free :)).
Charlie on Travel
Hey Marek, thanks and I’m really glad that you thought my breakdown was useful.
I’m actually really meticulous about keeping my expenses recorded because I stick to a pretty tight budget. Sometimes it really annoys my boyfriend haha.
Cheap noodles were the best! and so delicious! :)
sandra kelman
Which tour operator did you use for the halong bay trip sou d’s very good value?
Charlie on Travel
Hi Sandra – We actually booked it through the place we were staying in Hanoi – Thu Giang Guesthouse. They were a lovely and honest family. I can’t remember the exact name of the tour people, I think it was ATN Travel, or a similar acronym. Also, we were booking in November 2013, which is rainy season in Vietnam, not sure if that makes a difference. And, in our experience, booking anything over the internet beforehand costs more than just going to a place in Vietnam and asking (and then telling them you want it cheaper).
Denise
Hi! where did you book the halong bay cruise?? the ones that I saw on internet are all more expensive.
Thanks =)
Charlie on Travel
Hi Denise – We actually booked it through the place we were staying in Hanoi – Thu Giang Guesthouse. They were a lovely and honest family. I can’t remember the exact name of the tour people, I think it was ATN Travel, or a similar acronym. Also, we were booking in November 2013, which is rainy season in Vietnam, not sure if that makes a difference. And, in our experience, booking anything over the internet beforehand costs more than just going to a place in Vietnam and asking (and then telling them you want it cheaper).
Denise
Thank you!!!!
Lisa
Exactly, what I was looking for. Such a nice summary and also all your other posts are wonderful. I live in HCMC and study here but I’m done at the beginning of Feb and then my boyfriends visiting me and we start the BIG TOUR. We have to be faster than you were, don’t have so many days for all the destinations. We’ll see, if it works out. And I hope to find a possibility to go to Mai Chau instead of Sapa.
Charlie on Travel
Thanks, Lisa :) That’s awesome. I thought HCMC was a pretty manic place compared to the rest of Vietnam though, so go you! Shame that you have to be even faster than us as I really feel our time was tight. Mai Chau might also be a good shout as I believe it’s only 3 or so hours from Hanoi? So if you need it could probably be a day trip even, whereas Sapa is a whole overnight 12 hour bus ride..
Good luck with your travels, I look forward to hearing all about them afterwards! :D
Sarah
Hey Charlie,
Loving your articles and budget breakdowns on Vietnam. I’m planning on travelling there solo this June after some time in Japan. Just wondering if you have any advice on solo female travel and whether there’s anywhere that should be avoided etc. Looking at spending about 2-3 weeks there with options open to Cambodia, Laos and Bangkok/Chiang Mai. Any information would be much appreciated.
Many thanks!
Ryan
Great info beautifully presented. We traveled Vietnam for 22 days and averaged $20.50/day. If you can cut back on taxis you can reduce your transportation costs. Sometimes we would take a bus for 3 hours, then get off and take a taxi to our hotel for 10 minutes, and the two rides would cost the same. You can have a look at our cost breakdown here: http://www.itchyfeetonthecheap.com/2013/02/26/vietnam/
Charlie on Travel
Hey Ryan, great tip! I don’t think we actually ever took a taxi while travelling in Vietnam – we just never needed one. We took the bus and then were always able to walk :) Will check out your cost breakdown too!
clare
Can you reccomend the company you did the halong bay cruise with? I read that it’s best to avoid the cheaper ones?
Charlie on Travel
Hi Clare – a couple of people asked me this question and I replied with details in the above comments.
Here’s what I said:
We actually booked it through the place we were staying in Hanoi – Thu Giang Guesthouse. They were a lovely and honest family. I can’t remember the exact name of the tour people, I think it was ATN Travel, or a similar acronym. Also, we were booking in November 2013, which is rainy season in Vietnam, not sure if that makes a difference. And, in our experience, booking anything over the internet beforehand costs more than just going to a place in Vietnam and asking (and then telling them you want it cheaper).
In terms of price, I think that you don’t want to go too cheap and end up with a terrible tour, but also you don’t want to go too expensive and get ripped off. Mid-range seems to be the safest bet and make sure you ask exactly what’s included and what you can expect when you book the tour.
Deniz
Hi thanks for this post! How much do you reckon one person would spend (in USD) for three weeks in Vietnam, including everything?
Charlie on Travel
Hi Deniz. This budget breakdown is for 2 people who spent 3 weeks in Vietnam, travelling on a tight budget. If we spent $20 each per person, I expect one person travelling solo would expect to pay roughly $20-25 per day as well.
Ria
I have been in Vietnam for 2 weeks in April (didn’t wrote about this trip:)) I felt in love with Vietnam. Somebody told me that Indonesia (where I live) is quite expensive country compering with Thailand, Vietnam…but I found out that in Vietnam prices almost the same like in Indonesia. in Vietnam for 2 weeks I spend ~ 450 EUR (but it with souvenirs and etc.) so I don’t know if I spend a lot? Similar amount I spend traveling in Lombok island (Indonesia) for 3 weeks:)
Natalie
Hi Charlie,
We are off to Vietnam over Christmas and into Jan 16.
Taking the train from HCMC to Hanoi and wanting to stop off in Hoi An, would you mind sharing where you stayed in Hoi An? We are the budget conscious type too!
Kind regards
Charlie on Travel
Hey Natalie,
Wow, exciting! I’m sure it will be a beautiful Christmas trip.
Sure, we stayed in the Thu Giang Guesthouse. I think a double room was around $10 per night, but maybe we had it for a little lower (like $8) because we stayed for 3 nights (and asked if we could have it cheaper). It’s run by a really friendly family. There are two buildings, about a 10min walk from each other. One half is where the wife and daughter run, and the husband runs the other half.
Do let me know if you have any other questions! :D and have fun!
davis george
nice writings… wanna spend my honeymoon trip in vietnam on coming december.. wats your suggestions?
Zanil Hyder
It was interesting to read you blog especially because of the prices. It would have been more helpful if you had the prices mentioned in local currency, as you have done it for some.
Charlie on Travel
Hi Zanil, thanks for the feedback! I’ll bare it in mind for future blog posts :)
Daniel Baker
I am travelling to Vietnam for 24 days between November and December, this is probably the most useful guide I have read so far. Thank you
Charlie on Travel
Thanks, Daniel! Your comment is much appreciated. I hope that you have an awesome time in Vietnam :) Let me know how you like it!
Daniel thornton
Hi Charlie,
Enjoyed reading your post . My wife and our two girls 6,8 are heading off traveling for 8 months or so .
Heading to Thailand for a month or so then maybe Vietnam. Any tips or ideas you can suggest for us traveling in Vietnam ?
Am sure it would be but still ask do you feel Vietnam is a family friendly place to travel ?
Thanks
Dan
rebecca
Heading to vietnam soon and was researching prices when I found this. Great resource, thanks.
Charlie on Travel
Awesome, glad it was useful! Enjoy Vietnam :)
Jake
This was very useful in planning before heading back, one of the more accurate ones too. Me and my partner ended up compiling all of our expenditures whilst there and found it to be close to what you outlined. Of course, the pound was a lot stronger when you published this so that would be the main difference!
https://jakeselixir.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/vis-value-vietnam/
Charlie on Travel
Glad it was useful, Jake! Definitely true about the date and strength of the pound – there will always be some discrepancies based on that! How was your trip to Vietnam?
Jake
It was marvelous thank you, our favorite country in South East Asia by far!
Tim
Hi Charlie,
I was in Vietnam March 2016 for only 2 weeks with my wife, who was born there but hadn’t been back for 25 years, I fell in love with the country, we mostly stayed around HCM, with a 4 day tour of Hanio and Ha Long Bay, we are headed back for 2 months, January and February to tour the whole country, from south to north by motor bike, I will be doing a blog on the whole trip and be posting our adventures,
Charlie on Travel
Hi Tim. So great to hear that you loved the country! Where in Vietnam was your wife born? Hope that you have a really awesome adventure in January and February. Do come back and share your blog with me when you’ve posted it :)
Fragriver
It came as a bit surprise to me – a Vietnamese girl to see how a backpacker does some budgeting to their travel in Vietnam. For travel in Vietnam next time, you may consider some places like Quang Binh, Da Nang and Ninh Thuan. (I myself really enjoy these places in Vietnam. For bus travelling, I recommend using vexere.com, a very convenient website for seeking the bus operator as well as the bus fare (which is quite cheap).
Charlie on Travel
Thanks for the tip! :)
Menno & Janneke
A fairly old post, but useful and interesting. We are leaving for Vietnam in June, and hope to be able to provide useful info from the perspective of older backpackers. Check out our travels on http://www.midlifebackpackers.com
Hope to be following in your footsteps Charlie, as I think you value the experiences we would value less than the many “party backpackers” around. We are doing South to North, for 1-2 months. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Sunny
Thank you for posting all those details! This absolutely helped me out to organize the plan to Vietnam :)!
Jane
Hi,
travelling to Vietnam in a few months and have found your guides very helpful, thank you!
Can I ask, did you have to buy bottled water throughout the trip? I’m against single use plastics and tend to refill a bottle as I go but is this possible in Vietnam?
Thanks
Charlie Marchant
Hi Jane. We were often able to refill out water bottles from water tanks at our hotels/hostels, but in a few cases we did have to buy water bottles as well.
Melanie weston
Hi there. Our two kids have been backpacking in Vietnam and from the photographs they were sending home, we were truly envious. We have now decided to go ourselves but can afford a better class of hostel than they stayed at. We want the flexibility of staying somewhere for a couple of days and moving on but probably will just have a couple of weeks at the most to travel around. Is there a particular area that we parents should visit as a must in Vietnam. We would be travelling end of Jan 2018. Thanks for help.
Menno & Janneke
I love following Charlie.However, what always amazes me is when travelers conveniently leave out the biggest expense of all, ie, flights and getting there. it would seem like it’s only those who can concoct the cheapest travels that get a following. Those who count the actual cost are not as popular. I suppose it’s all about what today’s generation want. To hear that which they like, rather than that which is reality. When you get older, you tend to become more of realist and actually calculate what these travels really cost. That way, no surprises.
Menno & Janneke
Charlie Marchant
Hey Menno & Janneke – Thanks for your comment and I’m glad you enjoy following my travels. It’s common practice for bloggers to leave international flights out of travel budgets. This is because where you are coming from and where you’re going to would impact the budget figures. Everyone is travels to and from different places when they visit a country, so adding in these figures would skew the costs and give an inaccurate representation of the cost of travel within a particular country. For example, on this trip, I flew into Vietnam from Taiwan, and I flew out of Vietnam to Hong Kong. Those flight prices would be very different from a traveller who is flying from the UK and back again, or from the USA and back again. I also calculate the full cost of my travels. I meticulously record all my expenses of travelling a country in a travel budget spreadsheet, which is the data that I use for creating these posts. I hope that makes sense as to why I decide not to include international flight prices in the daily travel budget breakdown :) Very best and happy travels.
Menno & Janneke
Hi Charlie
Yes, I agree. Getting from “home” to a destination would vary for everyone. Do you however agree that for example travelling in SE Asia, that “local” flights are important to take into account. Those taken between say Bangkok, Ho Chi Min, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, where relevant?
Charlie Marchant
Hey Menno and Janneke. I think that it’s important to include all internal flights within the transportation costs for a country-focused travel budget. For example, an internal flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, I would include in a travel budget. However, for Vietnam, we didn’t take any internal flights – only buses and trains. In my Thailand travel budget, I included an internal flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in the transportation costs. I would still exclude international flights of neighbouring countries (such as Bangkok to Hanoi) from country-focused travel guides. I agree though that I would include those if it was a South East Asia Travel Budget that covered multiple countries.
Magda
Great description! Thank you so much for sharing. Could you advise on the weather in late November, We are thinking to go soon but not sure if it won’t rain too much!
Charlie Marchant
We travelled in November and the weather was good. Though often cloudy, it hardly rained. I would check the weather forecast online though as it will vary.
Ashlee
I got offered a 10 day trip to Vietnam from Australia including flights, accommodation, 11 meals (mostly breakfast) and an overnight cruise at Halong Bay for $1600AUD. Do you think this sounds like a reasonable price for what is included or do you think I could do better on my own? By the sounds of it, you got away with it very inexpensively!!
Charlie Marchant
Hi Ashlee. You could definitely do better on your own, but I think it depends on how much you want to organise. Vietnam is very cheap to travel and if you enjoy doing it DIY, then I’d recommend it. I would do some research before going with such a high tour price though.
Chirag
Hi Charlie,
I am from India and will be traveling on a round trip to Thailand and Vietnam for 5 days each.
Also, visiting the Son Doong caves for a day is a must for me.
Could you please suggest any tips or itinerary as my trip is quite short!.
Thanks in Advance
Charlie Marchant
Hi Chirag,
How exciting, hope you have a great adventure! Your time is short, and what you do would really depend on what interests you most and where you’re flying into.
Thu Ngo
Hey Charlie, I saw a picture of you posting in front of Hue Citadel. However, I did not see your budget hotel recommendation in Hue. I can suggest a few names equivalent with the budget you wrote above: The Time Hotel ($8-$11), An Homestay (lovely host) and Lavin Home ( a home-stay full of decorative paper flower by a lady named Nhan).
Did you have a good time in Hue? I am a native from that town. Eating in Hue is cheap and delicious, too! Like $0.5 average for a dish.
You have a nice blog by the way!
Charlie Marchant
Hi Thu,
Thanks for the recommendations, those are great! I think the guesthouse where I stayed sadly shut down. At the time (back in 2014), it was run by a very elderly woman. We absolutely loved Hue, though it rained a lot when we were visiting. I’d love to go back again.
Aasiya
Hi guys. The information is amazing!! Do you think the prices are the same in 2019. Most places of interest charge you a fee to visit and they are not modest rates for foreigners. Also the intercity travel rates are quite high. So is it still possible to backpack within 20$ a day which includes entrance fees for most attractions?
Thanks
Murray
Hey, thanks for the great information, that really helps me in planning the upcoming trip in December this year. I was just wondering if it’s better to book on my own or through a travel agency, and this post helps me made the decision! thanks again Charlie