What is the average cost to travel to Vietnam?

Is travelling to Vietnam expensive?

Ugh, Vietnam. Expensive? Nope. Dead cheap, really. Especially compared to, like, Europe. I spent, what, maybe $50 a day last year? That included food, amazing street food, I mean. Pho for days! And beer. Loads of cheap, delicious beer.

Seriously, accommodation is a steal. Homestays are awesome. Tiny, but charming. Plus, the people are so incredibly nice. Way friendlier than most places I’ve been.

Getting around? Buses are dirt cheap. Trains too, I think. I took a bus from Hoi An to Hue and it cost next to nothing. Maybe $5? Crazy.

Okay, so maybe some touristy stuff in Hanoi is a bit pricey but you can totally avoid that, right? Stick to the local spots and you’re golden.

Luxury travel is a thing, of course, but you don’t need that in Vietnam. It’s all about soaking up the culture.

Things I spent money on:

• Loads of coffee. Vietnamese coffee is the best.
• Tailor-made clothes in Hoi An. So cheap!
• Random souvenirs. I regret nothing.
• Entrance fees to a couple of temples and pagodas, nothing major.
• Tons of fruit. Mangoes!

Bottom line: Vietnam is budget-friendly. It’s not free, duh, but if you’re smart about it, it can be incredibly affordable. Don’t worry about breaking the bank! But bring mosquito repellent. Seriously. Those things are vicious.

What I would do differently: learn more Vietnamese phrases before I went. Also, I should have spent more time in Sapa. Heard it’s stunning. Next time!

How much does a 2 week trip to Vietnam cost?

Flights… ugh. Expensive. $800? Round trip. From LAX. No, wait, $900. Hanoi. Yeah, Hanoi. Two weeks… damn. Visa? Need to check that.

Hotels. Cheap there. $20 a night? Maybe $30? Can find cheaper. Definitely. Street food. Love it. Pho. Gotta have pho every day. $2 a bowl. Easy. Beer. Bia Hoi. So cheap.

• Flights: $900 (round trip from LAX)
• Hotels: $30/night = $420 (for 14 nights)
• Food: $20/day (including beer) = $280
• Internal travel: Trains, buses… how much? $100? Should be enough. Ha Long Bay… gotta do that. Junk boat trip. Overnight?

Okay, so maybe more like $1700 total. But could do it cheaper. Easily. Skip fancy restaurants. Stick to street food. No problem. Maybe $1500 then. Yeah. More realistic. Still gotta buy souvenirs. Damn.

• Activities/Tours: $200 (Ha Long Bay, etc.)
• Souvenirs: $100? Bargaining skills. Essential.

$1500… could even do $1200. If I’m careful. Really careful. But $1500 is safer. Buffer. Just in case.

Visa. Ugh. Almost forgot. Need to figure that out.

How much money do you need to travel to Vietnam?

Twenty dollars… thirty… Just numbers echoing. Lying here, 3 AM. Thinking about Hanoi… those streetlights. Remember the pho… steam rising in the cool night air. 2024… went in March.

Cost… yeah. It’s a blur now. Felt cheap there. Like… fifty dollars felt like a hundred here. Could eat well. Good coffee too. Strong. Like the way I felt then. Not now though.

• Budget: Fifteen dollars a day. Possible. Street food. Hostels. Sacrifices, though.
• Mid-range: My trip… closer to forty, I think. Not thirty. Little more comfort. Worth it.
• Luxury: Didn’t do luxury. Not me. Sixty, seventy dollars maybe? For fancy hotels. Didn’t need that.

Remember that motorbike ride… coastal road south of Da Nang. Wind… sun… freedom. Can’t put a price on that. Not really. Wish I was back there. Not here. Staring at the ceiling. Vietnam… so far away now. Just memories.

How much should I budget for a trip to Vietnam?

Vietnam? Fifty bucks a day? Darling, you’re practically royalty! I’ve seen backpackers live like kings on half that. Think street food feasts, not Michelin stars.

$30-40 a day is your sweet spot for mid-range comfort. Like Goldilocks, not too hot, not too cold. Unless you’re craving caviar and champagne cocktails, obviously.

• Accommodation: $10-20 will get you a decent room. Think comfy, not cramped.
• Food: $10-15. Pho for breakfast, banh mi for lunch, something fancier for dinner. Treat yourself!
• Activities: $5-10. A cooking class, maybe? Or a motorbike adventure? The world is your oyster, or rather, your bowl of pho.

Splurges? Well, that’s a different story. A fancy hotel could easily set you back $50+ a night. But let’s be honest, who needs thread counts when you have street food? Just sayin’.

My last Vietnam trip? 2023. Spent around $35 a day, including a questionable karaoke night. Don’t ask. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Minus the karaoke, perhaps.

Pro-tip: Haggle like your life depends on it. It’s a national sport. Trust me. I once got a silk scarf for the price of a baguette. Okay, maybe two baguettes. But still.

How expensive is Vietnam to travel?

Forty-one bucks a day? Vietnam’s practically giving itself away! Like a fire sale for the soul. Mine, specifically, is what I sold for that banh mi. Worth it.

• Budget breakdown (per person):
  • Food: $10 (Pho for breakfast, lunch, and a midnight snack. Don’t judge.)
  • Accommodation: $15 (Luxury, darling. Okay, hostel luxury.)
  • Transportation: $10 (Trains, buses, the occasional cyclo. My knees still ache.)
  • Activities: $6 (Mostly haggling. A sport in itself.)

My backpacking trip spanned three glorious weeks. November 2023. Hanoi’s chaotic charm got me. Hoi An’s tailor shops didn’t stand a chance against my credit card. Ha Long Bay? Breathtaking. But I’m more of a city person, if I’m being frank. Give me the bustle, the street food stalls, the honking.

Extra tips (because I’m generous like that):

• Haggle like your life depends on it. It kinda does. Your wallet’s life, anyway.
• Street food is your friend. Unless you’re allergic to happiness. Then maybe stick to the hotel buffet. Just kidding! (mostly)
• Learn a few basic Vietnamese phrases. Xin chào! See? You’re practically fluent.

Seriously though, Vietnam is a steal. Go before the secret gets out. And the prices go up. Because, you know, economics.

How much cash should I take to Vietnam?

Ugh, Vietnam trip…cash, right? $20-$30 a day? Nah, that’s for backpackers, man. I’m not roughing it in some hostel. No way. I need a decent hotel, you know?

Thinking about the Halong Bay cruise, gotta splurge a bit there. Maybe $50-$70 a day is realistic. That still feels tight. Could easily blow through that on delicious pho alone!

Need to factor in souvenirs, too. My sister’s gonna kill me if I don’t bring her something amazing. And for mom, I haven’t even started thinking about that. Should have been saving better for this trip.

Definitely more than $30 a day. Forget that. $70 is better, possibly $100.

Okay, here’s the breakdown:

• Accommodation: Mid-range hotels, aiming for around $30-$50 a night.
• Food: Mix of street food and nicer restaurants. A daily food budget of $20-$40, realistically.
• Activities: Halong Bay, motorbike trip, maybe a cooking class. This is the wildcard. Could easily be $20-$50 a day.
• Souvenirs: At least $100. Gotta have something cool, right?

So…that’s… a LOT. Damn. Probably need at least $100 a day, maybe more like $150. I’m seriously underestimating this. Need to check my bank account… soon. This whole thing is getting stressful.

Is it best to take cash to Vietnam?

Cash is king, baby. Vietnam? Think crumpled dollar bills stuffed in socks. Okay, maybe not socks, but definitely a money belt. Like, your grandpa’s fanny pack but cooler. Credit cards? Yeah, good for booking fancy hotels. Or maybe that one burger joint in Hanoi with air conditioning. Otherwise? Fugettaboutit.

• Cash rules everything around me: Seriously. Street food, taxis, that sweet little old lady selling mangoes? Cash.
• ATMs are your friends: They’re everywhere, like pigeons in a park. But, pro tip: Check your bank’s fees. Don’t want your mango money eaten by the ATM monster. My bank, First National Bank of Podunk, charges me an arm and a leg. Ridiculous!
• Dollars vs. Dong: Both work. Dong is fun to say. Makes you feel like a boss. But dollars are widely accepted. Like, I bought a banh mi with a five-dollar bill once. True story.
• Haggling is an Olympic sport: Cash makes you a champion haggler. Flashing plastic? Rookie move. Imagine trying to haggle with a credit card. Awkward. I once bartered a bottle of water for a rickshaw ride. Just kidding. But almost.
• Safety first, kids: Spread the cash wealth. Don’t keep it all in one place. Unless you’re really into losing it all at once. Which, you know, not recommended. I once hid emergency cash in my shoe. Don’t tell anyone.
• Big spenders, listen up: Okay, maybe a credit card for big purchases. Like, a motorbike. Or a year’s supply of pho. But even then, cash is often preferred. It’s like a magic key that unlocks better deals.
• My grandma’s advice: She always said, “Cash is king, especially in a foreign land where you don’t speak the lingo.” She was a wise woman. She also collected rubber bands. Different story.