Vietnam is a beautiful tourist destination with great food, breathtaking landscapes, and heroic national history. From the awe-inspiring scenery of Sapa and the tranquility of Ninh Binh to the beauty of Hoi An and the bustle of Saigon, Vietnam truly offers something very new and very different for visitors. If you are planning to travel to Vietnam but have a tight budget, don’t worry because the Vietnam trip cost is extremely affordable compared to countries in Southeast Asia. Read our article to find out the details!
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The Vietnam trip cost
Flight ticket cost to Vietnam
Spending on international travel tickets can be the most expensive part of your journey. Vietnam is quite far from North America and costs can be quite high. To be able to buy tickets at a cheaper price, buy tickets a few months before the date you plan to go and be careful to avoid the holiday season. Tourists often book tickets to Ho Chi Minh City to enter Vietnam, because going there is the cheapest. Or you can also choose to fly to Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam.
Accommodation costs in Vietnam
You can choose from a wide variety of accommodations in Vietnam, which is a nice perk. You will undoubtedly find something to cover your Vietnam travel expenses in the many places throughout the nation, regardless of whether you are on a strict budget or prefer to holiday in luxury.
- Hostels: Hostels in the North area range from only $6 to about $40 a night. In the central regions, hostel prices in Vietnam range from $15 to $60 a night (a bit higher along the coast). On the south side, prices will be higher at $20 to $80 per night.
- Mid-range Hotels: You can find mid-range hotels with full amenities and affordable prices in Northern Vietnam from $15 to $60 a night. In the central regions, the price is also similar to the North. Note that prices will be slightly higher for hotels located along the coast and in densely populated areas. In the South around Ho Chi Minh City, the budget is a bit more at $20 to $80 per night.
- Luxury Resorts: Luxury resort prices vary considerably depending on the facility. In general, you can prepare from $100-$600 for standard 5-star hotels located in beach resorts. As we mentioned, resorts in the North are a bit more affordable than around Ho Chi Minh City.
Transportation costs in Vietnam
The cost of your vacation to Vietnam will also be significantly influenced by your transportation arrangements in addition to your lodging. While most transportation costs in Vietnam are quite affordable, they might vary greatly depending on the supplier, just like hotel costs do.
Taxi: Charged metered taxis abound throughout Vietnam’s cities and are a safe, inexpensive means of traveling short distances. In addition, it is also quite convenient to book a car on the Uber or Grab application. you can know the exact price of the trip as well as the estimated time of arrival.
Bus: Buses are also quite a popular means of transport in the city. Although it is quite cheap, this model often runs on fixed routes and time frames, so it may not be very convenient because you will have to wait a long time at the station.
Motorbike Taxi: Motorbike taxis, known as Xe Om, are available throughout Vietnam and if you agree on a price before getting in, can even be cheaper than a taxi.
Cyclo: Today, there are only a small number of cyclos in Vietnam around famous tourist attractions. Cyclo is certainly not the fastest and most cost-effective means of transport, but if you want to have a peaceful time gently walking through each street to admire the scenery, then cyclo is definitely the perfect choice.
Train: If your journey will go through many provinces and cities in all 3 regions of Vietnam, then the train is a good choice for you. There are many types of trains, seats or beds. If your trip is quite long, then we recommend choosing a bed. These compartments will have 4 (soft beds) or 6 (hard beds) for each compartment. While firm beds are cheaper, there’s less room and the mattress is thinner. On the contrary, cushy beds with cushions are much more comfortable and give you enough room to get comfortable, and leaving all your belongings next to you will cost more.
However, trains in Vietnam move quite slowly, so you can spend that time reading a book, watching a favorite movie, or enjoying the beautiful scenery where the train passes. Below we list some of the most popular train routes across Vietnam, their costs, journey times, and distances. You will imagine how much you will have to spend if traveling by train:
- Ha Noi – SaPa: $15-$65 for 8 hours (320km)
- Ha Noi – Ho Chi Minh: $35-$65 for 35 hours (1700km)
- Da Nang – Hue: 46-$12 for 9,6 hours (495km)
- Ho Chi Minh – Nha Trang for 9 hours (411km)
Plane
Even the most frugal travelers will find domestic flights in Vietnam to be extremely reasonable. A well-timed traveler can cross the entire country in a few hours rather than a day on a bus thanks to flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City that start at roughly $30USD. When planning your trip, keep in mind that while flying is quick and inexpensive, you won’t save money on lodging like you would by taking an overnight bus or train.
Food & Drink cost in Vietnam
In general, the food in Vietnam is very good and reasonably priced. Vietnam has three regions stretching from the North to the South, so the cuisine is extremely diverse and rich. The tip is that you should eat the local specialties of each region to fully explore. If you eat at street stalls, the price of food is very cheap but also extremely delicious, only from 43 to $5. For mid-range restaurants, prices typically range from $15 to $30 per day. If you come and enjoy meals at luxury restaurants, the spending level is about $60-$200 per day. That’s pretty cheap, isn’t it? Some famous dishes in Vietnam that you must try include:
- Pho: Pho is the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine, especially in Hanoi. An average bowl of pho with girls is $3.
- Banh Mi: Banh mi is an extremely popular breakfast in Vietnam. With convenient features that can be taken anywhere, it is loved by the majority of locals. Its price is also extremely cheap, only about $ 1.
- Bun Cha: This is also a specialty of the capital with rich broth served with char siu, vermicelli, raw vegetables, and herbs. The average pay is around $4 for a portion.
- Banh Xeo: This is a familiar dish of Central Vietnam with the filling of fresh seafood combined with a crispy crust. The price of this dish is about $1 a piece.
Fruits sold on the roadside of Vietnam are also extremely cheap and fresh. Sellers often cut for customers on the spot with extremely quick and professional operations. For non-alcoholic drinks like coffee, tea, fruit drinks, and bottled water, each drink will cost you around $0.30 to $0.80. Beer usually costs $0.25 to $2.5 depending on the type and location. The price of beer will certainly not affect your Vietnam trip cost too much.
Activities cost in Vietnam
Whether you desire to participate in thrilling activities or immerse yourself in local culture and history, Vietnam has it all for you. Here are some of the most popular attractions so you can estimate how much you can spend each day depending on your preferences:
- Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi ($1.5): This is an eye-opening and moving experience. The prison was formerly used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later in North Vietnam for American POWs during the Vietnam War.
- Trang An Cave, Ninh Binh ($8.5): Get on a boat and enjoy the scenery on both sides of the river along with an interesting and fascinating cave discovery journey.
- Mekong Delta: Floating market and many fruits and seafood. Free.
- Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh ($20): A pretty famous historical site that was hand dug during the war.
- Sapa Rice Terraces ($30): Admire the lush green terraces stretching as far as the eye can see.
Another cost
Everyone wants to purchase a souvenir while traveling to give to family or friends. You won’t have trouble finding presents and souvenirs in Vietnam because there are many local markets and shopping centers filled with a variety of goods, from clothing and cards to arts and crafts and souvenirs. memories to jog your travel memory. This is simple to do because such basic things are extremely reasonably priced in Vietnam. To give you a broad sense of how much to spend, the following are some of the most popular souvenirs:
- The Ao Dai: The Ao Dai is the national costume of Vietnam with gentle tenderness and honors the lines of the traditional Vietnamese woman, similar to the Korean Hanbok or the Japanese Kimono. On average, a shirt costs about $30.
- Palm-left conical hat: a type of head hat made of palm leaves, usually with a pointed cone shape. Conical hats usually come with ao dai and girls from $2 to $5.
- Guoc Moc: Traditional wooden clogs worn during the festival. Prices range from $5 to $10.
- Traditional Silk: from $20 to $30 depending on fabric or color.
To sum up, we have detailed the Vietnam trip cost for you in today’s article including travel, food, accommodation as well as other expenses. Think carefully about our recommendations when planning activities to fit the duration and cost of your trip. In short, Vietnam is a destination not to be missed in Southeast Asia with beautiful scenery and diverse cuisine in all three regions. Not only that, the prices for the services here are extremely affordable. So as long as you plan ahead and make smart choices, you can fully explore Vietnam at a reasonable cost. Hope the article brings a lot of useful information and you have an enjoyable trip with many good memories.
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