vietnam travel app

19 Best Vietnam Travel Apps To Use During Your Vietnam Vacation

If you’re planning a trip to Vietnam and wondering how to make your vacation to Vietnam go smoother, consider adding these Vietnam travel apps to your smartphone or tablet. 

From transportation, food, and activities, to accommodations, we put together this list of the 19 best travel apps that you need when traveling around Vietnam . Many of the apps are free to use. The list includes links to where you can download the app via iOS or Android. 

We’re constantly testing out new travel apps as we live in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for over 5 years . So, you’re getting insider tips on the following apps. 

If you’re planning a long-term stay in Vietnam, there is an app for everything and that will make your life so much easier!

Check out our other Vietnam posts to help you with your Vietnam travel plans:

• How to spend 2 weeks in South Vietnam
• Visit Vietnam in 7 Days 
• Visit Central Vietnam
• Fun things to do in Vietnam
• Souvenirs to Buy in Vietnam

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on them and make a purchase, we receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. Appreciate the support.

Things to Know about Travel Apps for Vietnam 

Before thinking about apps, read this post on things to know before traveling to Vietnam for your first time , check if you need a tourist e-visa , and things to pack .  

When you’re using any of these apps, you’ll need to use a local SIM card . 

You can pick one up when you land at the airport or pre-purchase one via Klook (one of the apps we recommended below) for a cheaper price. 

The popular mobile companies are MobiFone, Viettel, and Vinaphone.  The SIM card will have 3G, 4G, or 5G access, and the data plan will be for 2 weeks and up to 1 month. There is a daily allotment of the amount of data you can use per day, such as 2 to 6 GBs per day. SIM cards also provide a limited amount of minutes for calls. 

The cost of a SIM card starts at 250,000 VND ($10.60 USD) if you buy it at the airport. 

Buy a SIM card & pick-up at Hanoi Noi Ba Airport.

Buy a SIM card here & pick-up at Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Airport. 

Buy a SIM card & pick-up at Danang Airport.

You can also consider getting an e-SIM card for your phone here. 

Note: If you plan to stay in Vietnam long-term, you’ll need to visit the nearest MobiFone, Viettel, or Vinaphone stores, and register the phone number. You must bring a passport with you for the registration. 

If you’re looking for an international phone plan and are based in the U.S., consider signing up for the Google Project Fi phone plan . We love Google Project Fi and have used it during our travels since 2016. It’s currently in over 200+ countries, including Vietnam, and you have access to data and calls. 

Every month, you pay for the amount of GB you use ($10 per GB). In the end, it’s the same cost if you’re abroad and getting a SIM card. 

Click here to learn more and try it for free. 

READ MORE: Traveling Around Vietnam on a Budget

Best vietnam travel apps for general travel, 1. google maps.

It comes as no surprise that Google Maps is on the list! It’s one app that you’ll use every day when you’re in Vietnam and daily basis in your hometown. 

Google Maps is a comprehensive app where you can save places you want to visit, create your own maps, use map functionalities, and find places or restaurants near your current location. (We love using the “restaurants near me” search.)

You can also save an offline version of a map in case you don’t get reception in certain areas. 

Luckily Google Maps works in most of Vietnam, even on the islands . 

The driving distance is accurate and will tell you when there are traffic jams . In Ho Chi Minh City , Google Maps also lists the bus stop locations and the routes.

The only time that we’ve had issues with Google Maps is in the remote and less touristy areas (ie: outside of Quy Nhon ) and where there aren’t designated roads so you’ll go off the path to get to some places. 

Download Google Maps Here: iOS / Android  

2. Google Translate

Google Translate is helpful when you’re communicating with someone who only speaks Vietnamese. 

The app is quick and easy to do a translation , even though the translation from English or your native language to Vietnamese is not accurate. We took Vietnamese classes for a year and noticed that the grammar in Google Translate is a bit different than what we learned in class. 

Regardless, the person reading the translation can get the gist of what you’re talking about or asking about. Since our Vietnamese speaking skills are elementary, we still use Google Translate to communicate with others.

Plus, you can use Google Translate to take a photo of something in Vietnamese and do a “live translation.” This is helpful if you’re reading a menu or looking up ingredients on a package. 

As a caveat, this only works for printed text. If something is handwritten, the AI system won’t be able to detect the language. 

Download Google Translate Here: iOS / Android  

Best Vietnam Travel Apps for Language

3. ling learning.

If you want to practice Vietnamese before arrival, check out the Ling Learning app. This app offers other languages such as Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, German, and more.

We like this comprehensive app since it has lessons for basic subjects such as Vietnamese sentence structure, numbers, food, activities, how to order food, etc. Quizzes are included in the app. There are intermediate and advanced lessons as you progress with your learning. 

You can also practice hearing and speaking Vietnamese phrases . 

The app uses a Northern Vietnamese accent. While the written language is the same, you’ll notice how the accents are different from North to South. The Northern accent is different from Central or South as there are more “z” sounds, while the South has more “y” sounds.

You earn points for completing as many lessons as possible, yet, we haven’t redeemed any points. We’re not sure what the points are for. 

Tip: We recommend that you practice Vietnamese 1 month before your arrival for the basic lessons. But you can get around the touristy areas of Vietnam with English.  

If you’re wondering about Duolingo’s Vietnamese lessons , we suggest that you skip it. The Vietnamese lessons focus on vocabulary rather than grammar and it’s not as organized as Ling Learning.

Download Ling Language Here: iOS / Android

Youtube has a variety of videos to learn Vietnamese. You can spend some time searching through various videos and choose videos based on your interest (general conversations, food, etc) and practicing along with them.

Here is a catchy video to learn numbers in Vietnamese: 

Or, if you want to learn how to say various animals in Vietnamese, check out this video . 

Download Youtube Here: iOS / Android

Best Vietnam Travel Apps for Accommodations

If you need a place to stay in Vietnam, then Booking.com is the right choice. 

The app is easy to use as you can choose your location, the type of accommodation you want (hotel, guesthouse, apartment), price range, and other amenities that you’re looking for. You can also check out the reviews of the places you’re looking at. 

With Booking.com, you’ll know the final price including taxes and other fees of the room when you search. So, the final cost will not be a surprise when you checkout and reserve a room. 

TIP: If you’re a Genius member, a loyalty rewards program, you may receive even a cheaper price than what is listed. It’s recommended to log into Booking.com to see the final pricing. 

You can also use the app to track your reservations . Some of the hotels require a deposit or prepayment, so read the fine print before booking a room. 

You may need to refer to your Booking.com reservation number if you need to contact Booking.com for issues.

We’ve used Booking.com numerous times as they have accommodation options around the world . Many of the accommodations do not require payment in advance as it’s accepted on arrival. Plus, you can edit and/or cancel your reservation as needed. 

Download Booking.com Here: iOS / Android

Agoda is owned by the same company as Booking.com, and it’s a popular app to find and reserve accommodations in Asia. 

The interface is similar to Booking.com where you can input the dates of your stay, number of rooms, number of people, and any other customizable filters in your search. 

Compared to Booking.com, Agoda does not list the final cost of your room until you go to the checkout page. 

In our opinion, the interface is clunky and not as user-friendly. Also, the pricing varies, especially if you use the computer and search with different Internet browsers. 

Download Agoda here: iOS / Android

For unique places to stay in Vietnam, consider using Airbnb . 

While we love using Airbnb’s website to search for accommodations, the app is easy to use. Find the perfect accommodations by filtering by location, price, and other needs. 

You can also read reviews from other reviewers . Positive reviews on Airbnb tend to be higher than on other booking sites due to the reciprocation method. The reviewer gives feedback on the host’s accommodation and the host reciprocates with a review to the reviewer. Read the reviews with a grain of salt. 

The app is helpful to talk directly with the host . The host may provide information on the Airbnb location, check-in process, and more through the app. 

Airbnb recommends all guests communicate with the host within the app. Otherwise, Airbnb cannot assist if alternative accommodations or any other requests are made outside of the app’s messaging service.

You may see overlap between accommodations from Booking.com and Airbnb so you’ll need to compare pricing. 

With Airbnb, you need to pay for a cleaning and service fee, which is a percentage of the room cost. If you’re a solo person, the cost of an Airbnb room may be higher versus stay at a guesthouse. 

Download Airbnb Here: iOS / Android

Best Vietnam Travel Apps for Transportation

When visiting larger cities, there are more opportunities to take public transportation and/or ride-hailing options. 

Check out our guide on how to travel around Vietnam for more information. 

For a local and cheap way of traveling, consider taking the local city bus. 

BusMap app is currently available in Hanoi, Danang , Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong. It’s also available in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

This app provides accurate information on bus routes, time of arrival, and bus station locations . You can input a starting and ending location and a suggested bus route shows up. 

It’s recommended to use this app if you stay within the city . 

If you’re looking to do a day trip from the main city, such as Ho Chi Minh City , the app will not provide a route so you’ll need to find a different way to get to your destination. 

Tip: The front of the buses has a route number. If you see your bus arriving at the bus stop, wave your hand to signal the driver. Otherwise, the bus will not stop. 

Download BusMap Here: iOS / Android  

Grab is the most used ride-hailing app in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam’s larger cities, Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City. Uber does not exist in Vietnam. 

You’ll recognize this Singapore -based company with motorbike drivers wearing green helmets and jackets. 

Grab is one of the cheaper ways to travel around Vietnam . You’ll often find it more cost-effective to use Grab versus a taxi. 

You can hire either a Grab motorbike, car, or SUV . We use the car option often in Ho Chi Minh City, especially during the rainy season . 

The app is easy to use as you input your starting and ending location and it lists the cost. No bargaining is necessary!

Plus, you can input your credit card information so it can be a cashless transaction . If you do decide to use cash, it’s recommended to have the exact change. 

You can track your driver’s location and the driving route on the app. 

Tip: Before entering the vehicle or motorbike, check the license plate! You want to make sure that you have the correct driver and vehicle. 

Besides ride-hailing, Grab is also a great app for food delivery . While you may not need to do food delivery during your Vietnam itinerary, it is an option if you don’t want to leave the hotel. 

We use the Grab app almost every day for food delivery since they’re generous with offering coupon codes from 50,000-80,000 VND ($2.15-$3.45) off your total cost. Plus, we can track the driver’s location through the app. 

Download Grab Here: iOS / Android

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Grab VN (@grabvn) on Oct 4, 2019 at 8:03pm PDT

Gojek (formerly Go Viet) is an Indonesian-based ride-hailing company that is available in Vietnam. The company’s color is also green so it can be a bit confusing with Grab. 

Motorbikes and car rides are offered through Gojek . We haven’t used Gojek but have seen the motorbikes around Ho Chi Minh City.

Gojek also offers food and parcel delivery through the app. 

Download Gojek Here: iOS / Android

Best Vietnam Travel Apps for Food

Besides using Grab to order food , you can consider these apps if you want food delivered to your hotel or guesthouse. 

11. Baemin or Andale.vn

Baemin is one of the order food delivery to use in Ho Chi Minh City. They took over the Vietnammm.com food app.

You’ll recognize Baemin with drivers wearing teal-colored jackets and helmets. The company’s logo is a delivery person on a teal motorbike.

We haven’t used it yet but have heard that there are limited restaurants to choose from.

Download Baemin Here: iOS / Android

A new and upcoming food delivery app is Andale.vn . Right now, it’s currently for Ho Chi Minh City’s restaurants.

There are a variety of popular restaurants listed from pizza , burger joints , and other Western food.

New restaurants are joining the platform weekly! The app is in development and will get launched soon.

Foody is an interactive app where users search for nearby restaurants and submit restaurant reviews and photos . 

It’s Vietnam’s version of Yelp so you’ll see plenty of local Vietnamese providing their recommendations. 

Many locals use Foody for food delivery services. The former food delivery service, Foody Now, has been integrated into the Foody app.

Currently, the app is available in the following cities: Hanoi, Hai Phong, Danang, Nha Trang , and Ho Chi Minh City.

If you would like to use the website version of Foody, you’ll need to register for an account. Otherwise, you won’t be able to see a close-up view of restaurant photos. 

Download Foody Here: iOS / Android

13. Happy Cow

If you’re a vegetarian or vegan traveling throughout Vietnam , Happy Cow is the perfect app for you. 

The app is similar to Foody where reviewers provide feedback about vegetarian and vegan restaurants and restaurants that offer vegetarian options and add photos. You can also find restaurants near your location.

Vietnam is a vegetarian and vegan-friendly place as many people practice Buddhism. Therefore, finding a vegetarian and vegan place to eat is very easy!

Related: Vegetarian & Vegan Places to Eat in Ho Chi Minh City

This app is available in many international countries such as the U.S ., Australia , Germany, New Zealand , South Africa, Thailand, and much more. 

Download Happy Cow Here: iOS / Android

Find Vietnamese vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants by using the Happy Cow app.

Best Vietnam Travel Apps for Attractions and Tours

14. tripadvisor.

If you’ve used TripAdvisor ’s website to find out new places to visit such as attractions and restaurants and to check out reviews, then the app version is for you. It’s a quick way to find the same information in the palm of your hand. 

The app has opportunities for you to book tours, check out flight schedules, and find hotels/accommodations. You can also find your “saved” restaurants or attractions that you want to visit. 

Since TripAdvisor is used internationally and loved by tourists, many of the reviews and listings are of “touristy” locations. Be cognizant when reading through the reviews as there are fake reviewers. 

We haven’t used this app for booking tours, but have heard that it’s easy to use.  

Download TripAdvisor Here: iOS / Android

Klook is one of our favorite apps to find discounted tickets to attractions, transportation, food, and SIM cards . It’s available in over 100 countries, especially in Asia, so you’re bound to find an activity to experience.

What is fabulous about Klook is that you get the opportunity to save money by purchasing tickets ahead of time. 

It’s easy to redeem your voucher with the Klook app. You show your app at the attraction and/or at the ticket pick-up location and then receive your physical ticket. Read the fine print to determine where the pick-up is as it may be different than your attraction location. 

The app also has all of your reservations and receipts. 

When you make a purchase, you earn credits that you can redeem for future purchases . You’ll also earn more credits when writing reviews of your experience. It’s a win-win situation to earn more discounts! 

We used this app several times in Vietnam. For example, when we were in Danang , we purchased tickets to Ba Na Hills theme park and Danang Wonders theme park , and reserved a car transport to/from Ba Na Hills . The process was seamless.  

Download Klook Here: iOS / Android

Klook is one of the best travel apps to use in Vietnam. We bought discounted tickets to Ba Na Hills to see the Golden Bridge.

Related: Vietnam Theme Parks to Visit

16. get your guide.

Get Your Guide is similar to Klook, where you can buy discounted tickets to attractions and restaurants, and arrange transportation and tours for over 150 countries. 

The app is easy to use as you can find attractions and tours by location. You can also read current reviews from other guests. 

Once you buy something, your order information is saved in the app. You can retrieve the order confirmation at any time or when you need to redeem it. 

Note: It’s recommended to compare the pricing between Klook and Get Your Guide attractions. Sometimes Klook is cheaper compared to Get Your Guide for the same attraction. 

Download Get Your Guide: iOS / Android

Best Vietnam Travel Apps for Chatting

17. whatsapp.

WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, is our go-to app to stay in contact with friends and family in the U.S. 

This app is used often in Vietnam to communicate with others through chat and video calls. You can also use a web version of WhatsApp on your computer here .

Remember how we hired a driver to go to Ba Na Hills in Danang? 

Klook contacted us directly via WhatsApp to arrange the driver pick-up time and to confirm the location of our hotel. We used the app to stay in contact with our driver when we were done exploring the theme park. 

Download WhatsApp Here: iOS / Android

18. Messenger

Facebook is heavily used to promote restaurants and services in Vietnam (versus having a website). 

Since Facebook’s website already has an internal chat functionality, it makes sense to also have the Messenger app to contact places directly. Or, you can use Messenger to set up video calls. 

We like to use Messenger to ask questions or make a reservation directly to the restaurants. Depending on the restaurant, you can also place a direct food order through Messenger.

Download Messenger Here: iOS / Android

Zalo is a popular Vietnamese chatting app that has video calls and group chats. It’s a mixture of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. 

If you use the chatting functionality and send photos, all the photos will be in HD so no compression loss, unlike other apps.

Restaurants and other service companies will include their direct phone number, Messenger handle, and Zalo phone number in their contact information. 

Unfortunately, the app is in Vietnamese and there isn’t a Google Translate option. The best way to resolve this issue is to copy and paste messages into Google Translate.

Download Zalo Here: iOS / Android

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed reading through this list of the best travel apps to have in Vietnam. 

If you’re planning to visit Ho Chi Minh City in the future, please let us know . We’d love to meet you and show you around the city. 

Have you used any of these apps? Which one would you recommend to other tourists? Share in the comments below. 

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I'm Jackie - world explorer, hiker, and wanderer. I love planning things whether it is a trip or an upcoming event, exploring nature, hiking up mountains, and seeing new places. I'm notorious for getting lost, so you may see me circling a place a few times.

18 Amazing Reasons to Travel to Vietnam at Least Once!

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I love how you categorised each app so we can clearly see which travel app is best to use in Vietnam . Airbnb would definitely be a good shout as would a language app.

Thank you Ana! Hope you get a chance to use these apps on a future visit to Vietnam.

Great tips! I especially love hearing about the local transportation/ride sharing apps. It’s so important to know how to get around locally!

Thank you Alanna. Using the Grab app is a lifesaver when traveling around the larger cities of Vietnam. Glad you enjoyed this post.

Wow. I use Trip Advisor a lot, but I never would have thought about having to get a local SIM card. Great advice.

Thank you Donna. We love using Trip Advisor as well during our travels. Glad you enjoyed the tip on using a SIM card on your future visit to Vietnam. The data plan is so affordable in Vietnam!

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Vietnam Jack

Travel and discover the best things to do in Vietnam!

Best Apps for Vietnam Travel: 10 Essential Apps for Your Trip

Traveling to Vietnam, with its vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and bustling cities, is an adventure awaiting every foreign visitor. To navigate this enchanting country with ease, having the right apps on your smartphone can be a game-changer. In this guide, we’ll explore the must-have apps for foreigners traveling in Vietnam, ensuring you make the most of your journey from bustling Hanoi to the picturesque Mekong Delta.

Google Maps – Navigate with Precision

Google Maps is your virtual compass for exploring Vietnam’s cities, towns, and rural landscapes. From locating landmarks to finding the best eateries, this app provides real-time navigation, public transport options, and offline maps for areas with limited connectivity. Ensure you never get lost and optimize your travel routes with this indispensable tool.

Grab – Effortless Transportation

For seamless and safe transportation, Grab is the go-to app in Vietnam. Whether you’re in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Nang, Grab lets you book a ride, be it a car or a motorbike taxi, with just a few taps. No haggling over fares, and the app provides transparent pricing, making it a hassle-free way to navigate the bustling streets of Vietnam.

Google Translate – Bridge the Language Gap

Vietnamese can be a challenging language for many travelers, but with Google Translate, communication becomes more accessible. This app can translate spoken and written words between English and Vietnamese, helping you decipher menus, signs, and engage in basic conversations. A valuable tool for breaking down language barriers and fostering meaningful interactions.

XE Currency Converter – Stay on Budget

To keep track of your expenses and understand the local currency, XE Currency Converter is indispensable. It provides real-time currency exchange rates, allowing you to convert your home currency into Vietnamese Dong and vice versa. Stay informed about the cost of goods and services, ensuring a budget-friendly and informed travel experience.

VietnamWorks – Explore Job Opportunities

For those considering more than just a vacation, VietnamWorks is a valuable app for exploring job opportunities. It’s particularly useful for expats looking to work or settle in Vietnam. The app features job listings across various industries, providing insights into the local job market and helping you plan an extended stay in this dynamic country.

Traveloka – Book Flights and Accommodations

Traveloka is a one-stop app for booking flights, hotels, and activities in Vietnam. With a user-friendly interface and a wide range of options, you can find the best deals on flights and secure accommodations that suit your preferences and budget. Make your travel planning a breeze with this comprehensive travel companion.

Agoda – Discover the Best Accommodations

Agoda specializes in providing a vast array of accommodation options in Vietnam . From luxurious hotels to cozy guesthouses, the app offers detailed reviews, photos, and competitive prices. Find the perfect place to stay, whether you’re in the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City or the tranquil landscapes of Sapa.

HappyCow – Navigate the Culinary Scene

For travelers with dietary preferences or restrictions, HappyCow is a lifesaver. This app helps you discover vegetarian, vegan, and veg-friendly restaurants in Vietnam. With reviews and ratings from fellow travelers, you can confidently explore the rich culinary scene without compromising your dietary choices.

Weather Underground – Stay Weather-Ready

Vietnam’s climate can vary significantly between regions, so staying weather-aware is crucial. Weather Underground provides hyper-local weather forecasts, ensuring you’re prepared for any weather conditions. From the bustling streets of Hanoi to the coastal charm of Hoi An, this app helps you plan your activities with the current and forecasted weather in mind.

Vinasun and Mai Linh – Trusted Taxi Services

While Grab is prevalent, Vinasun and Mai Linh are two of the most reputable taxi companies in Vietnam. Their apps allow you to book traditional taxis with established reputations for reliability and safety. For those who prefer the familiarity of a traditional taxi service, these apps provide a trustworthy alternative.

Best Apps for Vietnam: Enhancing Your Adventure

Equipping your smartphone with these essential apps ensures that your journey through Vietnam is not only seamless but also enriched with local insights. From navigating the bustling streets to savoring authentic cuisine, these apps cater to various aspects of your travel experience, helping you make the most of your time in this captivating country. Embrace the technological tools available, and let your Vietnamese adventure unfold with convenience and cultural immersion at every step.

Featured Image: View of Cat Ba Island, Vietnam | Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh

28 Free Must-Have Apps for Vietnam Travel 2023

This website contains no sponsored content. The content is written entirely on my own and is based on my personal experience and extensive research. This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the  disclaimer  for more information.

Traveling to Vietnam soon? In this post, I am going to share with you a list of must-have apps for Vietnam travel. All the Vietnam apps that I would be mentioning in this post are based on my personal experience of traveling to Vietnam.

I would be sharing exactly what apps to use for what purpose, the advantages of using the app as well as a few important tips to help you get the most from these apps.

Go through this list of Vietnam travel apps for a smooth trip. These apps will help you

• book your tickets,
• plan internal commute,
• navigate through the crazy roads and traffic
• book excellent accommodation
• plan your meals and find the best restaurants
• save money on tours and attractions
• stay connected with the world
• communicate better with locals
• make seamless payments

Basically, these apps for Vietnam travel are guaranteed to make your trip smoother. Read on to learn more about all these Vietnam trip apps.

Table of Contents

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read the  disclaimer  for more information.

Important note on using apps in Vietnam

Many of the apps listed below require you to get a local SIM card with a good data plan. SIM card rates in Vietnam are not standard and differ from shop to shop. My husband had a bad experience when he bought a Viettel SIM card from a local shop as the data expired much sooner than committed to us by the shopkeeper. It was probably a pre-used SIM.

But the SIM card that I bought from an official store worked seamlessly throughout the tip. I highly recommend you buy a SIM card from an official Mobifone, Viettel, or Vinaphone store.

If you don’t know where to look for an official store, pre-order your SIM Card here to get it delivered to the airport of your choice .

I recommend pre-ordering one of these local SIM cards

Best Apps for Vietnam Travel – A Detailed List with Tips

In this section, I will enlist all the apps for Vietnam travel that you need to download. I will divide the apps into categories for easy understanding. Each Vietnam app would be loaded with generous tips and insights on how to use it. So make sure you go through the full list even if some of the apps on the list seem fairly self-explanatory.

Some quick global facts about the list below

• All the apps are free. Some apps have in-app purchases but I didn’t use the paid version of any app.
• All the apps are available on Android and iOS.

App #1: Google Maps

– Google Maps has all the data marked out for most major cities in Vietnam. We used it all through Hanoi, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Some points to remember when using Google Maps in Vietnam are

– Google Maps does not show roads closed for pedestrians on weekends. This is a common practice in Hanoi on weekends when the roads around Hoan Kiem Lake are closed to vehicular traffic. Google Maps will make you go around in circles. So if you find barricades set up, park your vehicle and walk to the venue. Google Maps works seamlessly for walking navigation.

– In countryside regions, network coverage may be limited. Download an offline version of the map before leaving.

– Make it your default navigation app to quickly start navigating when driving through the traffic.

App #2: Maps.me

If you love visiting offbeat places, hiking, and going on paths set by other travelers, Maps.me would serve you better than Google Maps.

Maps.me is also better suited for offline use. Its offline downloadable maps are also more user-friendly. I found it to be particularly useful when navigating the countryside area around Hoi An.

Some points to remember when using Maps.me are

– Get acquainted with the app’s user interface before reaching Vietnam as the app may seem slightly confusing if you are new to it.

– See how its offline function, downloadable maps, and magic ruler work before you reach Vietnam. Download the maps for each of the cities you would be visiting beforehand.

Personally, Maps.me is not my go-to app as Google Maps offers excellent coverage. But for offline usage, Maps.me beats Google Maps for ease of use.

Local Commute

Commuting within a city is a huge challenge in Vietnam as locals tend to overcharge tourists and the language barrier poses additional challenges.

App #3: Grab

Grab is a highly popular app that works exactly like Uber.

You can book a cab in minutes and be assured that the rate charged would be the same as that charged to locals.

The app lets you prepay using your credit card or even pay later in cash.

The only problem is that the navigation available to the driver doesn’t work well at times. So if the driver calls, you will find it hard to communicate with him and direct him as almost nobody in Vietnam speaks good English.

Book a Grab either with the assistance of a local or have a local around you to help give directions to the cab driver.

App #4: GoJek

GoJek is a bike taxi that helps you navigate through the crazy Vietnamese traffic faster than you would in a car.

It is excellent for solo travelers. Grab also has a bike option but Gojek works equally well. In fact, GoJek’s are more readily available than Grabs and make it one of the best apps to use in Vietnam for solo travelers.

Use GoJek to

– navigate through the lanes of Hanoi’s old quarter – visit District 4’s street food areas in Ho Chi Minh City – move faster through traffic on weekends

Want to try out the food in Vietnam? Want to look for vegetarian options? Want a hotel delivery? Want to check out prices? These apps will help you navigate the food scene in Vietnam

App #5: Foody

Foody is the #1 food ordering app in Vietnam. It enlists a wide variety of restaurants, cafés, and takeaway outlets. Its operation is similar to that of Zomato or Swiggy.

You can check out the menu of the various places around, order what you need, and have the same delivered to your hotel, hostel, or homestay.

In some places, you can even make dining reservations using the app.

Its English interface works perfectly well too.

A quick note – Foody is great if don’t know what to order or where to order from. Use the user reviews to get an idea of what to expect from a place, what its best-sellers are and to eat food that local Vietnamese love.

App #6: Happy Cow

Ever since Happy Cow was launched, I have been a happy user of the app.

The app is a life-saver for people who only eat vegan or vegetarian food.

Most Vietnamese restaurants serve ‘chay’ or vegetarian or vegan food. But those dishes still, at times, include fish oil, prawn crackers, butter, cheese, etc.

If you don’t want to accidentally end up eating food you don’t eat, it is best to head to a vegan or vegetarian restaurant.

Happy Cow is the best app to find such places around you. I have used it extensively while traveling through Vietnam!

Extra Tip: Grab/GoJek

Grab and GoJek work as Vietnam delivery apps for food as well. In fact, the network of delivery agents on both these apps is so high that many times you get your food delivered to you faster through these apps than you would with Foody.

So don’t just use these apps for internal commute, use them when you’re hungry as well!

Tour booking is often a major challenge for those traveling to Vietnam. Local agents tend to overcharge tourists. Many agents can’t speak the language properly and explaining exactly where you want to travel can also prove to be difficult given the language barrier.

To avoid this problem, it is best to book most of your tours online on any of the websites below. These websites also have their own apps.

App #7: Klook

Klook is the most popular trip-booking app for Vietnam. The best part about Klook is that it offers many attractions at a cheaper rate than the official ticket price.

Plus, it lets you pay in your own currency.

It allows you to go through various tour options and pick one with great reviews or with an itinerary that matches your requirements.

I highly recommend booking the following tours using Klook as they prove to be much cheaper

• Ba Na Hills – 4.7+ star rated tour with over 500k+ bookings ( Check details here )
• Cu Chi Tunnels or Cu Chi Tunnels with Mekong Delta – multiple 4+ star rated tours options ( Check details here )
• Ninh Binh Daily tour – 4.8+ star rated with 10k+bookings ( Check details here )

In addition to this, if you have read my article on things to do in Hanoi in 1 day – you would know that I highly recommend you to book the Hop-on Hop-off bus using Klook for a better deal. In fact, not just in Hanoi, but Hop-on hop-off buses across Vietnam prove to be cheaper when booked using Klook.

App #8: Viator

Even though Klook is more popular in Vietnam, Viator is not far behind. Viator also offers plenty of amazing tours all across Vietnam.

In fact, if you find a tour unavailable or fully booked on Klook, you can always jump over to Viator and check out its availability.

While both Klook and Viator are comparable in respect of tours and tickets to attractions, I felt that Viator had better options for airport pick-ups and drops . On the other hand, Klook had better SIM card options than Viator.

App #9: GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide is a giant tour provider in many countries. But in Vietnam, the pricing for many local tours and attractions seems a bit more expensive than Klook and Viator.

But for cultural tours, food tours, and multi-day tours it still serves incredibly well.

App #10: TripAdvisor

Every travel question that occurs to you is often asked by someone else on a forum on Tripadvisor. Likewise, all the local agents that you find are reviewed on Tripadvisor.

I feel Tripadvisor is an excellent platform to take last-minute travel decisions or reach out to a community of people who have already ‘been there done that’

Having said that, I don’t prefer using it for making actual bookings of tours or accommodations as its user interface doesn’t match up to the other tour or accommodation apps listed in this post.

Communication

Everyone I knew who had been to Vietnam had warned me that people in Vietnam don’t speak English. And yet, the reality of it only hit me once I landed. Nobody speaks good English in Vietnam. So talking to shopkeepers, cab drivers, tour agents, waiters, SIM card sellers, etc. is a massive challenge.

App #11: Google Translate

I have never used Google Translate while traveling as much as I have used it in Vietnam.

But some things to bear in mind are

– Don’t use the web version. Download the app. It’s handier that way. – Set the default to English to Vietnamese (or whatever is your first language to Vietnamese) – Put the app somewhere on your home screen for quick access.

The only downside is that it only works when you have access to the internet.

App #12: Translator

Translator is yet another nifty translation app that also works offline.

Its paid version lets you play the audio of the translated version. But I didn’t use it as I only needed Translator when I was in no-network areas.

But, in any case, it’s a useful app to have on your phone.

Air Tickets

I am putting this section a bit later because the apps mentioned here are pretty known to most frequent travelers. But Vietnam being a long country, internal travel by air is a part of most people’s Vietnam itinerary and so it is best to know which apps serve the purpose well.

App #13: Skyscanner

I am a huge fan of the Skyscanner app. I use it all the time to find cheap flights to various parts of the world.

Vietnam was no exception. I used Skyscanner to decide on the month and the exact dates of my trip. So if you are traveling on a budget, and want to get the most bang for your buck, use Skyscanner to book your flight tickets.

App #14: Bamboo Airways

For internal air travel within Vietnam, I highly recommend Bamboo airways . It’s one of the best airlines in Vietnam. The flights are affordable. The staff is friendly. The flights are on time and unlike Vietjet Air and Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways hardly cancels flights.

I am so glad I chose Bamboo Airways for internal air travel instead of Vietjet Air.

• Read the full review of my experience with Vietjet Air here .
• Now read my full review of Bamboo airways .

But the reason why I am recommending Bamboo Airways as a separate app is that its flights are not listed on Skyscanner or other aggregators. Many travelers to Vietnam end up booking Vietjet for that reason and miss out on the awesomeness of Bamboo Airways.

Use the app to book tickets, complete web check-in formalities and get flight updates.

A quick note on other aggregators : I have nothing against Expedia, MakeMyTrip or EaseMyTrip, or other airline aggregators. I love Skyscanner for its user interface and the ease it offers for finding cheap tickets. If price is not an issue, use an aggregator of your choice or book directly through the airline’s website or app.

Train or Bus

If you have enough days on hand, the best way to explore the various towns and cities of Vietnam is by bus or train. These apps are the best suited for that.

App #15: 12Go

Booking an internal train or bus can seem confusing if you try to navigate the official websites. Most websites are in Vietnamese with poor translation functionality.

For that reason, the go-to bus, ferry, and train booking app when in Vietnam is 12Go.

You simply need to insert your departure and arrival towns and it will show you a list of options for trains, buses, and ferries if available.

In many cases, the e-ticket is also recognized and you don’t have to worry about getting a ticket printed.

The app also features reviews from other users. These reviews are excellent to find out if a train would be spacious, what the different classes would offer, whether the toilets would be clean etc.

App #16: Book A Way

Book A Way is similar to 12Go as this app also enlists train and bus options of commuting between two places.

Its user interface is pretty straightforward. The app also shows photos of the various buses and trains enlisted.

Even this app has user reviews but since the app is less popular, the number of reviews is lesser compared to 12Go. Likewise, it issues a voucher upon booking that doesn’t work as seamlessly as 12Go’s e-ticket.

For general booking, 12Go is excellent. Use Book A way only if you want to hunt for deals and discounts.

Accommodation

The accommodation apps listed below are all commonly used. But yet I have a few observations that could help you use the right ones for the right reasons.

App #17: Booking.com

I have mainly used Booking.com for my trip to Vietnam. The reason for that? Massive discounts.

I normally compare the results across multiple platforms and I have scored some terrific deals using Booking.com that I didn’t find on other accommodation platforms.

E.g: I got to stay at the award-winning Hanoian Central Hotel & Spa for about 60% lesser price than the price on its official website.

Plus the no prepayment policy for Booking.com is a great boost when you want to enjoy flexibility till the very last minute.

App #18: Agoda

Even though I found better prices on Booking.com in Vietnam, I noticed that Booking.com hadn’t listed many properties that Agoda had.

That’s why you must not dismiss Agoda when you are in Vietnam. If no prepayment is not a deciding factor for you, booking through Agoda is often more reliable. The reviews on Agoda seem more genuine than those on Booking.com.

App #19: Airbnb

We all know that Airbnb is the best app for finding apartment rentals and homes. Exploring Vietnam by living in a home instead of a hotel is a far more enriching experience.

Plus the rates of homestays are so much more affordable than hotels, especially in touristy towns like Hoi An.

Staying Connected

App #20: whatsapp.

Whatsapp is the most used communication platform in Asia and Vietnam is no exception. Use Whatsapp to connect with locals, drivers, hotel owners, shopkeepers, tour operators, tour agencies, etc.

Use it both for chatting as well as calling.

Audio & video Whatsapp calls work in Vietnam, unlike other countries like Egypt.

App #21: Zalo

I had no idea what Zalo was until I reached Vietnam. Turns out, it is one of the most popular messaging apps in Vietnam .

Everyone that you would want to connect with or communicate with would probably be active on Zalo.

App #22: FB Messenger

Before our trip to Vietnam, the one platform that I used to communicate the most with Vietnamese people was FB Messenger.

Vietnamese people seem to be quite active on FB Messenger. So if you want to get in touch with a tour agent, a local, a taxi driver, or anybody that you don’t really know but want to contact – starting out with Facebook Messenger is the best.

But how do you know whom to contact?

Join multiple Vietnam travel groups. Get your doubts cleared by asking questions. If you need more help, reach out to the people commenting on your posts over DMs. In fact, you would be surprised to see many local agents reaching out to you.

Entertainment

App #23: vpn app.

Many entertainment apps like Hulu don’t work in Vietnam. So you need a VPN service on your phone to watch your favourite series and movies from your home country.

I love Express VPN the most. But honestly, you can easily choose one of your choices.

App #24: Youtube

Youtube is a savior when you want to get a quick preview of the places you are going to visit on your trip.

It helps you quickly decide if a sightseeing tour, an attraction is worth your time and money or not.

I have also used Youtube when the food menu in front of me is in Vietnamese and I want to know how a particular dish would look like and how it’s made.

Many don’t consider Youtube to be a travel app. But it is one of the best ones out there.

App #25: Youtube Kids with offline downloads for flights

The best way to keep a bored toddler engaged while traveling is by handing the toddler a tablet or a phone with Youtube Kids on it.

To be honest, I am not a big advocate of using screen time to entertain kids on a trip. But you could use it strategically when nothing else is working.

I found having Youtube Kids with a few offline downloads useful on

• turbulent flights where its difficult to explain what’s going on to a scared kid
• days when you are exhausted from all the travelling and need a quick rest to recharge and your toddler refuses to calm down.

If you are traveling with a kid, read my detailed post on how to travel with a baby based on my vast first-hand experience.

App #26: Paypal

When we were in Vietnam, we could easily use our credit cards at hotels and restaurants. But we did come across a few foreign travelers whose cards weren’t getting accepted.

That’s when they had to use their Paypal accounts to make payments for their hotels at the time of checkout.

Keeping it installed and ready to use could prove to be a lifesaver!

Other Useful in-built Apps

These are apps that we have on our phones and still forget about them because we don’t quite associate these with travel.

App #27: Calculator

The only way that I could shop in Vietnam was because of the calculator.

Language is a huge barrier and all the bargaining had to be done by flashing amounts typed into your calculator or on the physical calculator they have.

The other reason why I heavily relied on it was to quickly convert the crazy large VND denominations into INR or USD. I know there are conversion apps for it. But if you know a general rate, you could simply use your in-built calculator.

App #28: Weather

Weather conditions in Vietnam fluctuate like crazy. We experienced uncommon weather conditions throughout our time in Vietnam.

• Hanoi was rainy in November (November is a dry month in Hanoi)
• Hoi An was sunny for two days and then rainy thereafter in November and December. (Hoi An experiences rains and storms in October and November)
• Ho Chi Minh City was rainy in December (December is a dry month in Ho Chi Minh City)

But it was only thanks to the weather app that we could chalk out a favorable itinerary where in we visited Halong Bay when the sky was clear. Likewise, we picked a rare sunny day to visit Ba Na Hills only thanks to the predictions on the Weather app.

So don’t rely on the general climatic seasons. Use your app throughout your time in Vietnam to plan and finetune your itinerary to make the most of your time in Vietnam.

Traveling to Vietnam? Read more helpful articles

24 hours in Hanoi – An easy-to-follow guide

Vietnam Vs. Bali – Which one’s better

See all Vietnam articles

TOP TRAVEL RESOURCES

Here is a list of our favorite travel resources- the ones that I absolutely swear by when planning almost every trip. Go through this list to plan a hassle-free trip and save a lot of money!

Flight Booking: Check the availability of tickets, the best time to fly, and the cheapest fares on Skyscanner . You may also find a cheap flight via CheapOair

Accommodation: I absolutely love booking through Agoda . In most countries and particularly in Asia, I often find the best fares on Agoda. But I also love the no prepayment and no cancellation fee policy of Booking.com . For cheap accommodations and hostels, nothing beats Hostelworld .

Car Rentals: You may find and rent an appropriate car via RentalCars . It’s hassle-free and reliable.

Guided Tours: I absolutely love GetYourGuide for local sightseeing tours, walking tours, history tours, and food tours. The booking process is seamless, and the tours are super affordable. But in Asian countries, I prefer Viator or Klook for their affordably priced tours.

Lounge Access : Get Priority Pass – my personal favorite card that gives me unlimited access to premium airport lounges all over the world

Hey, if you found this post helpful, share it with more people or buy me a coffee !

Vrushali Ketkar is a lawyer turned travel blogger. She has travelled to 14 countries. She travels like a regular working woman with family. Her lawyer-level research skills make her a destination expert and help her get the most out of my trips. Today, her travel articles and videos help thousands of people across the world plan their trips to various parts of the world.

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21 Useful Mobile Apps for Traveling Around Vietnam

" Imagine the number of struggles travelers had before the smartphone and globalization era! It was more complicated to navigate, understand a different language, figure out the accommodation or tour options, and ordering food online was just a dream. Luckily for us, we’re living in a technology era where almost everyone has a smartphone and access to high-speed internet is everywhere - even you can connect in the most remote areas!

These luxuries back then, are today normal life commodities which make our traveling and exploring so much easier, without stressing out about planning and organizing things.

There are countless mobile apps that are extremely useful for travelers who’re exploring Vietnam.

In this article, we’re going to provide you with the list of mobile apps that will make your exploration of Vietnam much easier since you won’t need to focus so much on logistics. Focus on exploration and experience and don’t forget to install these apps before setting your foot in Vietnam!

Table of Contents

•  Accommodation
•  #1 Booking.com
•  #2 Agoda
•  #3 Airbnb
•  Transportation
•  #4 Grab
•  #5 Skyscanner
•  #6 BusMap
•  #7 Foody
•  #8 Vietnammm.com
•  #9 Lozi
•  Tours
•  #10 Klook
•  #11 TripAdvisor
•  Navigation
•  #12 Maps.me
•  #13 Google Maps
•  #14 Coc Coc Map
•  Social
•  #15 Tinder
•  #16 Zalo
•  Communication
•  #17 Google Translate
•  Exchange/Budgeting
•  #18 Toshl
•  #19 XE exchange
•  Stay Connected
•  #20 WiFi Finder
•  Banking
•  #21 Timo

Accommodation

When it comes to booking the accommodation, there are few reliable apps that work like charm in Vietnam (and everywhere else).

#1 Booking.com

You probably already heard for Booking.com even if you've just started with traveling. This app covers almost every country in the world ( 228 countries and territories ) and it’s very intuitive to use. All you need is set up a profile (you can connect your Facebook account too) and fill the basic information about the preferred accommodation in the search like date, number of travelers, and place.

That’s it! There is a very good filter option that can help you in filtering the accommodation by your preferences. Not to forget, the community is amazing and people usually leave the reviews, so don’t forget to read some before booking your stay through the platform.

Booking.com has an interesting program for trusted members and you can get good discounts on your account after booking a few stays.

It’s called a Genius program and it’s very genius when you realize you get a 10 - 20% discount on selected accommodation.

Another amazing thing about Booking is that for the majority of options, you don’t have to do a prepayment, instead pay on the site!

It’s amazing for people who don’t like the accommodation once they come and see it by themselves. Go ahead, install the app, create a profile, and pick among the best accommodation options in Vietnam!

Platforms: iOs and Android

Price: Free

Basically, the same platform as Booking.com, but when it comes to scoring the cheapest deals, nothing can compare to Agoda. The listings at Booking and Agoda are almost the same, but the huge difference plays when it comes to price. Agoda usually gives their users best deals and discounts when it comes to accommodation options.

For example, the hostel is almost fully- booked, but there are still a few beds available and the company wants them all booked. They usually put their listings at Agoda and provide travelers with cheaper price than on other platforms; so-called last-minute deals. Many times, we stumbled on the same accommodation option, but totally different price.

If you’re traveling on a strict budget, it won’t hurt to have Agoda installed just for a backup when checking the prices of stays!

Airbnb is another very commonly used platform among travelers who’re looking for more comfort and also ready to pay for it. The platform is working on the same principle as two platforms above, but the options are mainly related to apartments or houses. Airbnb is an amazing platform when you’re traveling with a group of people and you’re looking for a comfortable stay to recharge your batteries.

If you’re traveling alone, booking the place through Airbnb won’t be the cheapest thing, but when you’re sharing the costs, then you can find amazing options like villas in the mountains or stunning homestays with local families.

Create a profile and start searching the options! Definitely a platform to give a try!

Transportation

Don’t worry, there are many options when it comes to transportation without being ripped off.

Grab is a very convenient app for getting the fastest and cheapest transportation near you. At the beginning of 2018., Grab bought Uber in the SEA region and it became the biggest transportation company in that region. It’s very easy to use and the options for transportation are endless. You just create a profile and connect the app with your phone number so drivers can reach you out.

The app provides you with the map and different options around you. It’s very amazing how flexible Grab is since the app for Vietnam has the option of GrabAbike - you just call the motorbike taxi which is perfect for solo travelers.

There are many other options including a car for two, four, and up to 9 people. You set up your destination and depending on your driving option, you’ll get an exact price before even getting to the car.

Such a good way to travel around huge cities!

#5 Skyscanner

There is a huge possibility that at some point on your trip you’ll decide to take an internal flight around the country due to many reasons. There are many apps that are listing the flight options of different flight carriers, but we found Skyscanner the best and most reliable option. Using the app gives you the option to plan your timing, the budget, and much more when it comes to flying around the country and abroad.

Our tip is to always get the information about the flight on Skyscanner, but don’t forget to check the official flight company when booking the flight, since we had the experience that prices usually differ in the advantage of official flight companies .

Did you know that Saigon has more than 100 official bus lines that stop to about 2,000 places around the city? Navigating and figuring out the bus lines can be a real hustle in a busy Saigon. BusMap is an innovative app that helps the user to organize and navigate their trips around the city using public buses.

The app has many interesting features including calculating the shortest time to reach the destination. It can also suggest you which bus numbers to take to shorten your commute time.

Don’t worry about the time table anymore since the app has an integrated time table of every bus line in Saigon. Unfortunately, the app currently only supports Saigon bus lines, but there is a huge possibility you’re going to explore stunning Saigon, so it’s smart to have that app in mind. The bus fares range between 5,000 - 7,000 VND which will save you a lot of money for exploring and experiencing the beautiful, often too busy city.

Platforms: iOs, Windows and Android

Also, the food is extremely fresh and cheap on the street, but sometimes, people simply choose other options than the street. Sometimes, you just don’t feel up for finding a new local food spot or the weather isn’t in your favor, so it’s easier to just order your food, relax and wait for it!

When it comes to food ordering in Vietnam, the first app that comes to our mind is definitely Foody. The app has amazing user experience and it’s relatively easy to figure out how to use it. The biggest problem is the abundance of options, so sometimes you can spend much time figuring out which type of food you’d like to order. You can connect with social profiles or phone number to the app.

When it comes to ordering, you just write the type of food or location or category of food you’d like to eat and you’ll get the countless options.

Every place has the presented menu with the checkout prices , so you know how much you pay and also, the delivery cost is relatively low. The app has an amazing community of people who constantly share the reviews and the photos of the food, so before ordering anything, you can check out what other foodie lovers think!

Platform: iOs and Android

#8 Vietnammm.com

Another food app we really like has a very creative name - Vietnammm. The app has an amazing search engine that enables you to pick the location and even district (in bigger cities) and based on your inputs, you get the list of the restaurant options in the area. You can connect with social profiles and receive stamps and milestones which leads to great deals, coupons, and discounts.

When it comes to payment, you can pay by cash, credit cards, or even PayPal which makes the app very flexible for foreign travelers. The community is huge, so there are many pictures and reviews from people who tried food from certain restaurants. People who’re real foodie lovers will find this app amazing since restaurants provide detailed information about each dish which can enrich your knowledge about Vietnamese culture.

Lozi is less of the app, but more a food-related social media. Lozi is a huge community of foodie lovers who’re sharing interesting tips, reviews, and main photos of food from different places . You can connect with other people, talk about food, organizing food tours around the place, and much more. Such a great way to immerse yourself in the rich Vietnamese cuisine.

Klook is an amazing app that is very handy when it comes to organizing your trip or learning about the destination you’re traveling to. The platform provides you with organized tours, discounted prices for attractions and much more. We were mainly using this app when it comes to getting tickets for museums or attractions since you can score pretty good deals on the platform.

Also, the community is very active there, so you can find amazing reviews of the services with pictures that can be very helpful.

#11 TripAdvisor

When it comes to anything travel-related, either eating in the restaurants, doing activities, booking tours, visiting attractions, TripAdvisor is the app to go with. The platform is very popular and you can basically find any information about any place you’d like to visit. It’s a very good way to get the expectations in order before going to any place.

The huge community is very helpful since people write detailed reviews with the pictures and videos which can help you in clearing any doubts. We always use this app when it comes to planning our itinerary in any place since it’s packed with useful information.

Don’t have internet access, don’t worry since the map apps provide you with the offline maps and navigation that can definitely go handy, especially when traveling around remote areas.

#12 Maps.me

The first map app that comes to mind is definitely Maps.me. This app is incredibly easy to use and intuitive and it’s a proper competitor to Google Maps. We used this app on our trip more often than Google Maps since you can use it offline and you can also download maps from other travelers with marked locations which gave us the information about off-the-beaten-path in some locations.

T here is also a GPS and many more roads than in Google Maps since the community updates the map continually which means you can even see the hiking trails and small paved roads on the maps.

#13 Google Maps

Good old Google Maps! We think there is not much to add when it comes to this app and probably every traveler used this app once during the travels! It can work offline too, but you can download the maps of the area first. We used this app occasionally around Vietnam, but we prefer Maps.Me. It’s very reliable to use this app when you’re driving between the cities or places, but once you’re navigating around the big cities, the app can be a real hell. When trying to find specific places around the cities, the app will sometimes navigate you to a completely different part of the town. It can be very frustrating, especially when you have to be on time.

Anyway, it’s a very good navigation app that can help you in planning your route around the country. A good thing to know is the estimated time of the route Google Maps provide you. For instance, during the whole trip, our estimated time was constantly double than the estimation on this app. Many travelers share the same experience, so plan accordingly!

#14 Coc Coc Map

When traveling around Vietnam, it’s crucial that you have detailed information about the place you’re currently traveling to. Other map apps provide a decent level of information about the places, but there is not an app that can compete with Coc Coc Map when it comes to details. The reason? All of the places are updated by the locals and drivers who use the camera feature to update the current database with the places.

Currently, the app has more than 1 million places including ATMs, restaurants, gas stations, attractions, and much more in the database and the number is growing with each hour.

Want to explore the place like a local? Download the app and find the beauty in each place!

Platform: iOs, Windows and Android

We constantly use social apps for connecting with new interesting people when getting to new locations.

Probably everyone heard about Tinder as there are about 50 million active users of the app worldwide . It’s usually seen as a dating app, but don’t be one-dimensional since Tinder has many benefits and good ways to use it when it comes to networking and socializing. Of course, you can use the app solely for a dating purpose, but also, you can connect with people who’re currently staying at the same place you’re in and who’re sharing the same interests as you.

That’s a perfect way to spend your time in the city and share your experiences and knowledge. You can easily connect Tinder with Facebook or your phone number and import pictures from Instagram or other social apps. Invest some time to get your profile ready, put your interests, and start swiping.

Zalo is an amazing and lightweight social app commonly used in Vietnam. The app doesn’t have the best-looking user interface, but once you get used to the app, it becomes effortless to use it. It’s a messaging app with many features like voice calls, video calls, group chats and calls and much more.

You can connect your social profiles like Facebook and Google+ to import your personal data. Also, it’s a good app for meeting new friends around you sharing the same interests. The community using the app in Vietnam is huge ( we’re talking about 100 million active users ), so it can be an amazing way to meet new interesting people!

Communication

#17 Google Translate

When it comes to translation, the first app that comes to everyone’s mind is by far Google Translate. It’s a lightweight and easy-to-use app that will most likely help you in communicating and breaking the language barrier. Don’t put all of your bets on this app since the translations aren’t so accurate and sometimes it can give the people different meanings.

The language barrier is just one of the culture shocks you will experience in Vietnam. Learn about other culture shocks and prepare yourself for what's coming !

But anyway, in many cases, people will get the context and will be able to understand what you’re looking for. The app has an interesting feature where you can point your camera to a certain picture and get the translation of the picture. It really helps a lot when eating in local restaurants without the translation on the menu.

Exchange/Budgeting

It’s of utmost importance to keep track of your spending and currency exchange rates as it will definitely help you in not getting ripped off.

Toshl is an interesting and interactive app that helps you in having your spendings in check. The app is a budget manager where you can input all of your spendings and categorize them. You can go in details when it comes to categorizing which means you can also add your own categories. It definitely helps a lot when it comes to budgeting and can help you with your spending habits.

The app has the statistics option where you can see the graphs of your spendings which go very handy when analyzing where your money is going.

David was tracking his spendings during a 30-day motorbike trip and here’s how much it costs to travel around Vietnam on a budget !

#19 XE exchange

This lightweight app is totally intuitive and easy to use. There are not many options, but the name tells the purpose - checking the current exchange rates. You just put your desired rates and the app will return you the current and updated exchange rates for given currencies. This is a very crucial app have especially when exchanging money to VND or paying in the restaurants or for other services in a foreign currency.

Have in mind that locals will always give you a different rate, but at least the app gives you an edge when it comes to bargaining since in Vietnam people even bargain on the currency exchanges!

Stay Connected

If you decide not to get a SIM card or a data plan, don’t worry, since the WiFi is on almost every step!

#20 WiFi Finder

The app that helped us tremendously during our trip is WiFi Finder. Sometimes, you can’t access your data internet, so you have to rely on WiFi. What makes this app so useful is the amazing user-experience and only checked networks. The map in the app is updated almost every day which means new, fast, and reliable internet hotspots for you.

All of the hotspots are verified and speed tested, so you don’t need to do any manual work when it comes to checking the specifications of the network. The amazing feature is the offline map; you just download the map of the city and you get all the WiFi information even when you’re offline!

Timo is the first digital bank in Vietnam powered by VPBank. It’s an amazing alternative for travelers who’re staying in Vietnam for a long time as you don’t have to worry about the fees that can add up pretty fast. Creating Timo account requires literally 30 minutes and after a small process your account is set up and you have a physical card in your pocket.

The app is very user-friendly as you can plan your budget, make savings, check out the ATMs, and CDNs (where you can put the cash on the card). It’s not all since you can top up your phone, paying the bills and much more using the app. Ah, not to forget, the creation of the account is totally free and you can withdraw money on any ATM in Vietnam without paying a single Dong on fees. Create your Timo account now and enjoy the benefits!

We truly hope that the list of 21 mobile apps will make your trip around Vietnam much easier and better!

Feel free to share the mobile apps you were using during your trip to make this list more helpful and complete for upcoming travelers!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Antonio Gabric

Antonio is a long-term traveler with a deep passion in exploring off-the-beaten-paths around the world. Currently, he’s living in Da Nang city and when he’s not busy pushing the new content, he enjoys taking his motorbike around Vietnam or Laos. Some of the most remarkable experiences were teaching English in a remote village located in central Laos countryside, Nakai town. Or, living in a rural Nghe An Province while helping a local community with their English. Or, driving with the worst ‘Honda’ Win around the country experiencing daily breakdowns. Or, just read a few stories on our blog to get more information about our journey and adventures.

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PRIVACY POLICY

---------------------------

Article 1: General information about Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT)

The Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), as an agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, takes the responsibility of assisting the Ministry in performing and exercising its power in tourism-related aspects.

Headquarter: 80 Quan Su Str., Hoan Kiem Dist., Ha Noi

Tel: (84-24) 3942 3760

Fax: (84-24) 3942 4115

See more: https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/en/post/6700

Article 2: Commitment of the VNAT regarding the protection of personal data

VNAT commits to comply with the following principles in processing users' personal data:

- User personal data is processed legally, transparently and in accordance with applicable laws;

- User personal data is collected for specific, explicit, legitimate purposes and will not be processed other than the purposes stated in this Policy and in accordance with applicable laws;

- User personal data is stored in an appropriate and relevant manner and are limited to what is necessary to the purposes for which they are processed, in accordance with the applicable laws;

- The user's personal data is accurate, kept up to date and all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that inaccurate data, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay, in accordance with the applicable laws;

- VNAT implements technical and organizational measures in accordance with applicable laws to ensure the security of personal data at an appropriate level, including measures to protect against unauthorized or unlawful access personal data and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.

VNAT commits to comply with other principles prescribed by law on personal data protection, specifically concerning the rights conferred on data subjects.

Users are also responsible for securing and storing activities while using digital platforms provided by the VNAT, including passwords and accounts. Users are responsible for promptly notifying about illegal abusive behavior, security and storing violations on registration information and account passwords for timely cooperation and handling.

While using digital platforms if notice unusual signs, users should stop using them immediately to avoid possible damage and notify us for timely handling. We will check and fix abnormal signs as quickly as possible after knowing or being notified.

Article 3: Type of personal data which may be collected and processed

1. Personal data

While using VNAT's digital platforms, we may ask users to provide certain personally identifiable information. This information is used to contact or identify users when using digital platforms next times. Personally identifiable information may include:

❖  Account registration

- To use some features of the application, we may require users to register for an account and provide information such as email address, username, and password.

- This information will be used to authenticate the account and provide account-related services.

❖  Access camera and photo library

- The app requests access to the camera and photo gallery to allow users to take photos or videos, and upload photos from their library.

- We are committed to only use this access to perform related functions and not collect or store photos/videos without the user's permission.

❖  Access location

- Apps may request access to the user's location to provide location-based services such as displaying the user's location on tourist map.

- Location information will only be used when requested by the user and will not be disclosed to any third parties.

❖  Device information

- We may collect device information such as device type, operating system version, and device ID to provide updates and notifications to users.

- This information will only be used to improve the service and will not be shared with any third parties.

❖  Comply with the usage regulations of the libraries (Software Development Kit - SDK) and general policies of Google

Our application uses libraries (SDKs) from third parties to provide features and services to users. We are committed to complying with usage rules of SDK developers and general policies of Google, including:

- Google Play Developer Program Policies : We are committed to complying with all Google Play Developer Program regulations and policies to ensure our applications comply with quality and safety standards.

- Google advertising policies : Where we use in-app advertising, we will comply with Google's advertising policies to ensure advertising is delivered fairly and without disturbing users.

- Google Privacy Policy:  We are committed to complying with Google's Privacy Policy on the use of personal data, as well as protecting user privacy when using Google services.

-  SDKs from third-party : We confirm that the SDKs from third-party that are integrated into our application comply with the usage regulations and developer policies, and do not violate any regulations related to security and privacy.

We are committed to providing a safe, reliable and privacy-respecting user experience. If there are any issues related to the use of the SDKs or any feedback from users, we are happy to support and resolve any issues quickly and effectively.

2. Usage data

Individuals and organizations using digital platforms developed by the VNAT agree to let us use the collected information (IP address, URL, pages visited) when the individual or organization voluntarily fill out forms or perform actions on digital platform pages. We may also collect information that users’ browser sends whenever users visit our digital platforms or when users access digital platforms by or through a mobile device.

Collected information is only used for non-commercial purposes, serving state management of tourism and improving user experience. We apply necessary measures to secure the personal data collected. We are committed not to provide personal data to third parties, only providing it to law enforcement upon request.

Article 4: Methods of personal data collection

VNAT  collects personal data mentioned in Article 3 of this Privacy Policy through digital platforms provided by the VNAT when customers use and experience the service.

Article 5: Purpose of personal data   collection

The personal data provided by users is mainly used to serve the interests of users when using services on digital platforms released by the VNAT. Therefore, we collect and process users' personal data for the following purposes:

❖  Customer care

We use personal data to provide customer care services as follows: (i) receive information, feedbacks, suggestions and complaints from users to improve service quality, (ii) contact to resolve requests from users, (iii) perform statistical analysis to develop and improve services and incentives based on personal data and user requests, and (iv) provide faster user support as well as improve content, website design and mobile applications of VNAT, (v) resolve customer’s complaints.

❖  Contact users

VNAT  uses personal data to contact users as well as respond to users' inquiries or resolve users' complaints.

Article 6:  Period for personal data retention

VNAT will retain personal data provided by users on the VNAT's internal system in the period of services provision or up to fulfilling the purposes for which it was collected or in so far as such data is necessary to the compliance with statutory obligations and to solve any dispute or until the information proivided are required to be deleted by users.

Article 7: Personal data protection

VNAT will protect users' personal data by maintaining reasonable security arrangements, including physical, technical and organizational measures to prevent unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, processing or similar risks. However, please be especially aware that although we take many security measures to protect user information, nothing on the internet is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of users' personal data.

If we experience a data breach involving personal data, to the extent required under applicable law, we will directly or indirectly notify users through our channels to provide users with full information about such data breach and will endeavor to protect personal data from misuse.

Article 8: Personal information of children

The services of the VNAT do not handle any cases of users under 13 years of age. We do not intentionally collect personal identifiable information from anyone under 13 years of age. If the user is a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided personal data to us, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from anyone under 13 years of age without parental verification or consent, we will take steps to delete that information from our servers.

Article 9: Adjust and update privacy policy

From time to time, VNAT may amend this Privacy Policy to keep up to date changes in laws and regulations, user usage practices on our digital platforms, or improvements in technology. In the case that the above modifications result in a change in the way we collect or use users’ personal data, we will:

- Provide notice of any such adjustments by means of a general notice posted on digital platforms or otherwise sent to the email address established in the user's account;

- Post newly updated amendments to this Privacy Policy and the effective date will be noted at the end of the Privacy Policy;

Users continue to use VNAT’s digital platforms, communicate with us or access and use of the services after any amendments to the Privacy Policy will constitute users’ acceptance to this Privacy Policy and all amendments thereto.

Article 10: Support and assistance

If you have any questions or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or if you wish to access and/or correct Personal Data, please contact:

TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (VIET NAM NATIONAL AUTHORITY OF TOURISM)

Add: No. 33, alley 294/2 Kim Ma Str., Ba Dinh, Ha Noi

Tel/zalo/viber: 0906 150276

Hotline: 0862 10 10 10 or 1900 6888

Email: [email protected]

This Privacy Policy is last updated as of March 2024.

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Vietnam upgrades its Safe Travel app

HANOI, 3 September 2021: The “Vietnam Safe Travel” application has officially integrated the “Health Declaration” feature Vietnam’s Ministry of Health reported earlier this week.

The declared data is directly linked to the Health Declaration Management System of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

The app feature allows users to fill in a health declaration without switching to another platform. The new integrated service makes it easier and faster for users to complete the form online and helps authorities improve the effectiveness of the Covid-19 response.

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism launched the first version of the Vietnam Safe Travel App in Vietnamese and English in October 202O

Now almost a year later, in addition to the health declaration feature, the application has been upgraded and integrated with many other features, including the Covid-19 safety declaration for tourism business establishments and a safe travel digital map. It also integrates features such as health record tracking, travel insurance, e-tickets, booking services, Covid-19 safety verification for tourism services providers, Covid-19 vaccine certification, digital map for safe travel, health records, travel insurance, and e-tickets according to the country’s Tourism Information Technology Centre

The health declaration service is now integrated into the mobile app ‘Du lich Viet Nam An Toan’ in Vietnamese or ‘Travel Vietnam safely’ in English. It allows users to fill in health declarations without switching to other platforms.

The app was developed by TITC under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

As travel restrictions and border closure remain in place to curb Covid-19 spread, international tourist arrivals in Vietnam in the first eight months of 2021 dropped 97.2% compared to the same period last year. VNAT reported just 105,000 foreign visitors, most of whom are foreign experts and workers, according to the General Statistics Office.

(Source: VNAT)

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The Most Useful Travel Apps for Vietnam

Vietnam is a spectacular country but can be a difficult place for even the most seasoned traveler to navigate. Apart from the notoriously difficult language, understanding and using the currency and getting directions are also consistent pains for most visitors.

The pervasiveness of smartphones and helpful travel apps has made exploring abroad much more straightforward than in the past. In Vietnam, it’s now easier than ever to order taxis, avoid scams and avoid common problems from miscommunication. This article will introduce some of the most useful travel apps for Vietnam you should consider using when visiting this beautiful country.

  Table of Contents:

(Please click on the links below to jump directly to the topic you want to explore)

• Vietnam Travel Guide App
• Vietnamese English Translator
• Xe Currency Converter
• Mai Linh Taxi
• Trip Advisor
• Google Maps

  Vietnam Travel Guide App

The Vietnam version of this international travel app provides an in-depth guide to key tourist destinations across the nation. Aside from the larger cities it also has listings for some of the smaller and less frequented areas too. 

This useful app is designed by the innovative design team at Triposo. Unique algorithms search websites and online reviews on the most interesting and best attractions. It collates this information based on the user’s specific location and highlights the best:   

• Monuments and cultural attractions
• City parks and beaches 
• Museums and art galleries
• Accommodation
• Restaurants 
• Tour options

This handy travel platform is ideal for providing inspiration to explore new areas and bookmark various sites you wish to visit. It’ll encourage you to see what else there is outside the usual tourist traps but just as interesting. The quality of listings on Vietnam Travel Guide is uncomparable to others making it a must-have travel app for anyone planning a trip to Vietnam . 

This app also has some other great features such as maps, a currency converter and a basic translator. However, there are other platforms dedicated to these services which offer much better functionality.

[BACK TO CONTENTS]  

  Vietnamese English Translator 

The Vietnamese language has six tones and remains one of the world’s toughest to try to wrap your tongue around. One of the best things about trying to speak this language is that it uses the Latin alphabet. This makes it much easier to read compared to other Asian languages. This free travel app will allow you to hear it’s accurate pronunciation and help you attempt to speak ‘Tieng Viet’.

There are other translators available that do a decent job when translating Vietnamese. Google Translate is probably the most popular translation app but it still makes more errors than this platform which is dedicated to Vietnamese. This translator app lacks some of the more advanced features found it other apps but it’s much quicker and simpler to use than the competition.

Modern foreign language apps are amazing tools but it’s important to be aware of potential pitfalls. Translating single words rarely cause problems but longer phrases and concepts will sometimes be misunderstood. Vietnamese people are in general very patient and understanding so don’t be too concerned about offending. 

[BACK TO CONTENTS]

  Xe Currency Converter

Everyone who comes to Vietnam needs time to adjust to the local Vietnamese Dong. The large numbers and similarities between notes can make currency confusion pretty common. It’s important to know the current exchange rate and the value of the notes in your hand.

Xe Currency Converter is the world’s most popular and trusted app for comparing values and trends of global currencies. T his popular platform makes easy to know how much Vietnamese Dong you’re spending  and maintain your travel budget. Knowing exactly what you’re paying also means you’re less likely to be overcharged.

This useful travel app has moved beyond its role as a simple converter and can be used for travel, shopping and international transfers. It’s super easy to use and packed with helpful features that allow you to:

• Monitor up to 10 different currencies
• Access live rates from all global currencies, crypto and precious metals 
• Read historical charts 
• Set alerts and receive notifications
• Access to daily currency news and
• Analyse market trends. 

If you don’t want to have to enter every single transaction into a currency app and just need approximations of how much things cost, we recommend saving a currency conversion table as a screensaver on your phone to use as a reference. You can find convenient currency conversion tables for the top 10 foreigner currencies used in Vietnam here:  https://xotours.vn/blog/vietnam-dong-exchange-rate-tables/

  Grab 

After Uber’s relatively early exit from the Vietnamese market, Grab has become synonymous with urban travel in Vietnam. The Malaysian-founded company is now Vietnam’s most popular ride-hailing app.

The brand prides itself on simplicity and trustworthiness of its booking system. Simply confirm your location, select your destination and form of transport and the app will find the nearest driver. Price is predetermined by the app’s algorithms and once a driver (or rider) accepts they will then come to collect you. 

The cost of the journey can vary depending on the time of day or weather conditions. In an afternoon downpour riders are much less likely to want to be out and about. Cars tend to increase in price at these times. 

Both cars and motorbikes are available from the same easy-to-use platform. The cars tend to blend into the city’s traffic but the fluorescent green uniforms of the motorbike taxi are easily seen. The app allows you to monitor the driver’s whereabouts so you know when they arrive. 

  Mai Linh Taxi 

Another handy transportation app is from one of the few reputable taxi companies in Vietnam. It’s not a ride-hailing app, nor is it as user-friendly as Grab, but it’s a good alternative. Many people turn to Mai Linh when Grab has left them waiting too long for a driver or in places like Hoi An where Grab does not operate.

Through this app you can choose several different car options and it connects you directly to the driver. The program also allows you to track the taxi on its way to collect you and provides you with an estimation of the trips final cost. 

The apps most important services are available in English but the language barrier may still be an issue. The driver may not speak your language but the software will make sure they’ll still be able to find you and know the way to your destination. 

  TripAdvisor

No travel app is as synonymous with global travel as this digital behemoth. The massive amount of reviews, photos and travel suggestions alone make this one of the best international travel apps. Most locations in Vietnam are well covered by now and many restaurants in touristy areas are well aware of the value of a good ranking. 

Aside from reviews the app also allows you to organize your plans, find great hotel and flight deals and book a tour. Don’t forget that the app also provides a platform to ask questions and also to share your own photos, experiences and opinions of a particular spot.  

It should be noted that the ratings on Tripadvisor are sometimes heavily biased, sometimes fake and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Particularly the ones which are inconsistent with other reviews. Use the app as a guide only and not as the literal truth in every situation. 

  Google Maps

Without a good map, it’s hard to know where you’ve been, where you are, and where it is you want to go. Google Maps is free and arguably one of the best apps ever.

It’s great for travellers who like to walk or cycle and rather go themselves than simply be taken. The app makes it a breeze to plot points, plan a trip and even share it with others. It’s also handy to explore the area in much more detail from above using the satellite map option. 

Vietnam doesn’t have the latest and greatest features such as traffic prediction or indoor imagery yet. Nor does it have access to an extensive street-view network. However, this doesn’t matter. There are no other apps that can match Google for its details, ease of use and offline accessibility.

It should be noted that the updates for the IOS app versions tend to lag behind those for Android apps.  

  Coc Coc

Another travel map app but this time from a Vietnamese developer. Not only does it provide directions but it also pinpoints thousands of cafes, noodle stands and gas stations. All urban and rural areas in Vietnam are well serviced by this software. 

Small businesses in Vietnam are constantly changing owners, names and the services they provide.  Coc Coc ensures their data is up to date and claims it can keep up better with the rapid change of pace compared to larger multinational apps. This is probably why it’s an extremely popular app with Vietnamese.

  Foody 

Vietnamese cuisine is some of the best in the world so I wouldn’t worry too much about not being able to find tasty food. However, if you want to find a decent restaurant, bakery, bar or even street stand then the Foody app is your best friend. If you want to stay in your hotel then they offer delivery services.

The app provides the user with photos, reviews, addresses and maps of over 300,000 places to eat in Vietnam. Almost all cities and provinces are covered in Vietnam. Through the Foody app you can also reserve tables, order delivery and even access some generous discounts. 

The app has recently and surprisingly branched out into the delivery of groceries and clothing. These features aren’t popular at the moment and definitely not aimed at tourists. Foody still remains the go-to and best food delivery app service for hungry locals and travellers.      

  Zalo 

Zalo is Vietnam’s most popular chat app and its popularity of dwarves the competition. With over 30 million registered users the Vietnamese developed Zalo is the communication go-to for most locals.

The app prides itself on the fast speed of it’s messaging and notifications, expressive emoticons and means of group messaging. It also allows you to get in contact with people nearby to you and can be integrated with other popular social networks.     

It’s far from the best calling app but its pervasiveness in Vietnam sees it make this list. Its usefulness may also depend on how long you plan to stay in Vietnam. Keep in mind that if you befriend and wish to stay in contact with locals then you’re probably going to want to download this useful chat app.  

A few international and local apps will go along way to enhancing your stay in Vietnam. They’ll make dealing with money and communicating with locals much easier and rewarding. It’ll also mean you’ll be able to find the best food and some interesting places you might otherwise have missed. 

Related posts:

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The 13 Most Useful Apps for Traveling in Vietnam

The best apps for traveling in Vietnam – Index

• Apartments, hostels and hotels: Agoda
• Offline maps: Maps.me, Google Maps, Tom Tom Go
• Taxis and public transportation: Grab and Bus Map
• Flights, trains and buses in Vietnam: 12go.asia and Baolau
• Guides to the best restaurants (and delivery): Foody
• Traveling with a local tour guide: Showaround
• Shopping online: Lazada
• Sending money abroad and exchange rate: Tranferwise and XE Currency

Before we start

How many times have you left for a trip without knowing how to get around, where to eat, or how to send and receive money abroad?

If you’re about to embark on a trip to Vietnam and are afraid of running into difficulty, you’ve found the right article: I’ll tell you about the best apps to use in Vietnam to make your trip easier.

These are apps that can be easily downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Store, divided into categories and order of usefulness.

1. Agoda: Apartments, hostels and hotels

Agoda is the first app that I feel I should suggest for traveling in Vietnam, yet it’s extremely useful in all of Asia.

This app works like Booking.com , which you perhaps already know and that we wrote about in this article about the most useful apps for traveling in Thailand .

On Agoda, you can search by destination city, then insert your dates to check room or bed spaces available in apartments, hostels and hotels. You’ll find daily discounts, just like on Booking.com, but much more convenient.

Often bookings are paid for in advance and are non-refundable, so only book with Agoda if you’re really sure that you’re going to stay in that city.

Before reserving accommodations, I suggest that you also check with Booking.com and compare the two platforms to find the best offer. But as was already mentioned, in Vietnam Agoda usually offers the best price.

Moreover, they usually have more properties compared to their competitors. Besides lodging, on Agoda you can also check on city attractions, transportation costs and even organized tours.

Once you make the booking, you’ll receive a receipt right on your smartphone so you won’t have to print it.

2. Maps.me, Google Maps, Tom Tom Go: Offline maps

Maps.me is a gps navigator that provides free detailed maps. This app allows you to download maps of all the cities in the world to use offline without an internet connection and therefore without having to use your cell data.

In addition you can save all the searches you make on Maps.me. This will help in routing and even for figuring out the trip from one place to another. The app has a system of reviews tied to Booking.com and even the main attractions in the area.

Similar to Maps.me and perhaps even more well known, there’s obviously Google Maps which allows users to download maps for navigating offline without a problem.

To conclude I should point out Tom Tom Go , the most well-known navigator in the world.

This last one, besides an offline connection, also allows you the chance to see touristic places and monuments in 3D. The pay version also includes traffic information which is very useful if you plan on getting around by car for long trips.

3. Grab and Bus Map: Taxis and public transportation

In this section I’ll talk to you about some useful apps for getting around by taxi or bus.

Grab is the equivalent of Uber in Southeast Asia and is used for booking taxi rides at good prices. It’s a simple app to use, and in some cities that are extremely disorganized, you’ll find it very useful.

To use the app all you have to do is download it, register, locate yourself and indicate your starting and arrival points. At this point you’ll have to choose which form of transport you want to take. The uniqueness of Grab is, in fact, in its choice of transportation: motorbikes, minivans, SUVs and even luxury cars.

After booking your ride and desired means of transport, the system will search for a driver in the area and his information will appear on your smartphone: name, photo, price and wait time.

Finally, when you get to your destination you can pay the driver directly in cash or through an online transaction using the credit card that you have tied to the app.

You can also accumulate points for discounts on your next booking.

With Grab you’ll spend much less on your travels since you’ll avoid scams and tourist prices. Grab has acquired Uber in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.

In Vietnam buses are the cheapest and most convenient means of transport for travelers, thanks to a well developed countrywide bus network that also allows the possibility of sleeping on the bus.

Bus Map is the app that will let you check times and stops for using public transport and reaching your destination. Like other apps, after downloading it, you’ll have to register and locate yourself.

At this point Bus Map will show you the available options based on wait times, trips and distance between various stops for getting to your desired destination.

You usually pay for your ticket right on the bus.

4. 12go.asia and Baolau: Flights, trains and buses in Vietnam

In Vietnam you can travel by train to cross the country from north to south , and vice versa, without trouble.

Even though they’re not apps, when traveling in Vietnam, I recommend that you take a look at 12go.asia , for domestic flights, flights to neighboring countries and trains.

Just fill out the interface with dates and destinations to see the best results among the various companies, even low cost ones like Air Asia. 12go.asia is an online travel agency where you can book trains, buses, hotels, day trips, etcetera.

Baolau , lastly, is a fundamental site for your trip to Vietnam, which is also active in China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. With Baolau you can book all your flights, trains and buses by choosing your departure date and city, your destination and seat.

Here you’ll find a detailed map of Southeast Asia’s rail network.

5. Foody: Guide to the best restaurants (and delivery)

Foody is a virtual guide to the restaurants in Vietnam, but also an app for ordering food to go. Used by both locals and travelers, Foody was founded in 2012 with the purpose of providing reviews and photos of various restaurants.

Specializing in food courts, it provides menu details, prices, and information about parking and wifi. You can either book a table or order food to take away. The app contains more than 205,000 points of interest spread around the country.

Besides restaurants, Foody also recommends places for shopping, entertainment, cash machines, laundromats, wellness centers, cinemas, and karaoke based on reviews from other users on the basis of your interests.

It’s mostly used by the Vietnamese and this is a good thing since the places reviewed by locals are more authentic and tasty.

6. Showaround: Traveling with a local tour guide

Showaround is an app, active in many countries, which will let you book a tour with local people who will show you the best of their country, giving you advice on the best things to do according to your interests.

In Vietnam there are more than 800 locals enrolled in the platform. Many have enrolled just for the pleasure of making themselves available for travelers, not looking for payment but just wanting to practice their English. Others prefer some payment but we’re talking about paltry sums.

So if you’re in Vietnam and need a guide, Showaroud is the right option: it works like the other apps listed above. All you have to do is download it, register, and choose the city and dates of stay.

At this point the app will tell you which are the locals available in your area to accompany you in learning about the city. It’s a unique experience shared with local people who turn into guides on occasion.

7. Lazada: Shopping online

Launched in 2012, Lazada is the number one e-commerce service in Southeast Asia owned by the Alibaba Group, the colossal Chinese e-commerce company. It’s active in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and even in Vietnam.

How does Lazada work? You have to download the app and you’ll have access to an endless supply of products, from novelties to appliances, jewelry, beauty products, toys and sports equipment.

You can place orders anywhere and deliveries come rather quickly, with the only difficulty being reading the label from the original country, at times without an English translation.

8. Tranferwise and XE Currency: Sending money abroad and exchange rate

With Wise (formerly Transferwise) you could easily transfer money abroad and lower bank costs which often ask for high commissions to carry out this transaction.

Sending money to and from abroad will allow you to travel in peace because the app is very simple, offers extremely advantageous commissions on wire transfers and works anywhere in the world.

XE Currency , instead, is an app that will let you know the exchange rate between two currencies (for example, Euros to Vietnamese Dong VND), with just a few clicks. In practice, enter the amount you want to convert and the app will show you in real time the corresponding amount in VND.

Choose the app that works for you and have a great trip : )

Photo Credits: Photo by Pexels on Pixabay

About The Author

Elena Muscas

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Vietnam opens its door widely to welcome visitors all around the world! Starting from 15th August 2023, Vietnam extends e-visa validity to 90 days and unilateral visa exemption will be valid in 45 days! We are more than happy to welcome you all here and admire our stunning landscapes, free your soul on white sandy beaches, experience our unique and beautiful culture and meet the people in the most friendly country. Particularly, to indulge in our scrumptious cuisine at Michelin rated restaurants or to join us in outstanding mega culture, music, sports and tourism events! Let’s live to the fullest in Vietnam!

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+84 938 3143 86 ( whatsapp / wechat ), top 10+ essential travel apps you need for a trip to vietnam.

These days, technology has become an important part of any trip to another country. Sharing your nice photos on social media, searching places on Google Maps, find the bus stop and bus route, translate a phrase into another language are useful functions of applications on your smartphone. Besides Google Maps, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Google Translate, TripAdvisor, there are many other useful apps any traveler who comes to Vietnam should install on his smartphone or tablet. Graduated from the Information Technology Department and have been working as a mobile programmer, I have used lots of perfect travel apps and would like to share with you the best of them. The top 10+ Essential Travel Apps you need for a trip to Vietnam are listed as follows.

Travel Guide

Table of Contents

Vietnam Travel Guide App by Triposo

Leave your travel guide books at home, bring your smartphone and Vietnam Travel Guide App by Triposo instead. Triposo delivers up to date detailed maps and intelligent recommendations for over 40,000 tourist destinations in 200 countries. Vietnam Travel Guide App provides useful information for travelers about 50+ travel destinations in the country including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Da Nang.

The highlights of this app include:

• Offline data so that you do not need Wifi or 3G/4G to use it.
• Each travel guide has a sightseeing section with all popular tourist attractions, eating out section with greatest restaurants, bars, pubs & nightlife section.
• A phrasebook with the most popular Vietnamese phrases.

Google Maps

At this time, Google Maps is the top navigation app in Vietnam. You may be familiar with using Google Maps in your country so that there is no need to write so much about it. On your trip to Vietnam, you should get real-time GPS navigation, traffic, and transit information, search for tourist attractions, shopping places, places to eat, drink and go, ATMs, petrol stations. Street View has been launched in many big cities. However, Google Maps is not very helpful in catching bus, train or ride-share.

Cốc Cốc Map

Cốc Cốc Map is created and used by Vietnamese people. It contains more than 1,000,000 places including restaurants, hotels, stations, ATMs, gas stations, hospitals with detailed information including website, address, phone, Facebook fan pages, ratings and reviews in 63 provinces. The app supports GPS navigation for driving or walking.

A local navigation app contains more detailed information that is frequently updated, more places including less-known and hidden places is sometimes more helpful than the global Google Maps app. If you can not find a place or a route on Google Maps, use your Cốc Cốc Map app.

Warmest Greetings To All from Tracy Do! If you have any questions about Vietnam, including Vietnam tours, do not hesitate to contact me.

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Tracy’s team is proud to provide excellent Vietnam tours and Vietnam travel services to thousands of guests for 10 years. Let us have a chance to show you Vietnam to the fullest.

Xe Currency Converter & Money Transfer

XE app puts all your currency needs into one app. Since 2009, XE Currency has provided reliable exchange rates and historical charts for the past 10 years for free. It also compare prices to be sure you’re getting the best deal at today’s rate. In Vietnam, the exchange rates at gold shops and some currency exchange shops are higher than in banks. The exchange rates are different at different banks. Many tourists usually exchange their money into Vietnamese currency at airports after going through immigration. It is not a good deal at any airport in Vietnam. XE is very helpful in case a vendor or tour sale calculates wrongly the total amount of money you have to pay for an item or a service. The app saves the last updated rates when offline. XE Money Transfer helps expats and foreign tourists to send and receive money globally with highly competitive exchange rates.

Just enter the amount in US dollars or your currency, the app will tell you the amount in Vietnamese Dong based on the current exchange rate.

Xe supports more than 100 currencies. It provides charts of exchange rates in the past 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years.

If you travel to Vietnam for a long period of time, an E-wallet (digital wallet) which is used for transactions made online through your smartphone or computer. You do not need to withdraw money, exchange money many times and carry lots of money while traveling and sometimes are rewarded.

There are more than ten digital wallet in Vietnam: ZaloPay, Momo, Airpay, Moca, Payoo, ViettelPay, VTC Pay, TrueMoney, BankPlus, VinID, Bao Kim, Ngan Luong, SenPay, 123Pay. The first five wallets are the most popular, accepted at many supermarkets, convenience stores and shops. Momo is my favorite one thanks to its popularity, Moca is Grab’s partner, ZaloPay is a product of the same company as Zalo. Momo in English is in beta version, ZaloPay does not support English, Moca supports English.

Customers pay by Momo wallet at a Circle K store.

Moca supports English language.

In addition, the world-wide PayPal is sometimes useful in Vietnam. For example, some tour agencies accept Paypal.

Some tour operators allow customers to pay with Paypal.

Transportation

Bad news for you, there is no Uber in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam. Fortunately, we have many alternatives such as Grab, Vinasun Taxi, Mai Linh Taxi, GoViet. Grab specializes in car and motorbike rides, food delivery, delivery service and many other services. GoViet specializes in motorbike ride and food delivery. Using Vinasun and Mai Linh apps, you can book reliable taxis as quickly as possible.

At this time, Grab is the number 1 ride-hailing app, food delivery service and cashless payment solution. After entering the pick up location and the destination, the app shows you different choices including a car ride and a bike ride at different fixed fare so that you can choose the most suitable one. After booking, you can contact directly with your driver. The food delivery service of Grab works smoothly, you will not be hungry if you can not go out for eating. The Moca wallet may help you to make payment online. Other services such as Market, Delivery, Bills which are useful to people who live in Vietnam for long period of time.

Grab is an all-in-one app, providing useful services, the most popular of which is hailing rides by car or bike. Searching for GrabCar and GrabBike, users can choose one of the rides and book it.

Food delivery service Grab.

GoViet is an app for your daily needs from bike hailing, food delivery to package delivery. GoViet is the biggest competitor of GrabBike in Vietnam.

GoViet provides services such as GoBike, GoFood, GoSend. After a few clicks, users can book a bike ride.

Hundreds of restaurants, street food stalls and coffee shops on GoViet.

Vinasun Taxi

Vinasun Taxi is the official app of Vinasun Joint Stock Company – the number 1 taxi company in Vietnam. You can book a ride and set the pickup time, the fare is estimated and there is no cancellation charge. In the past, tourists must have receptionists, tour guides, Vietnamese friends to call the general line of Vinasun to book a ride or wait on the streets to catch taxis. In recent years, booking a taxi is completely easy with the app.

Vinasun Taxi has the largest number of taxis in Vietnam so that you can see many taxi around you when you start the app. After booking, you will see full name, taxi’s vehicle registration plate and can call him.

Mai Linh Taxi

Mai Linh Taxi app has the same function as Vinasun Taxi App. The most important reason why we choose one of them is the quality of the service. In Vietnam, we call Vinasun, Mai Linh traditional taxis and Grab is called electronic taxis. There is a fight between two types of taxis in the country. Grab sometimes offers attractive promotions but the prices, when demands increase, are very high. The fares of traditional taxis are generally a little higher than GrabCar but never change.

Mai Linh Taxi’s user interface looks simple but very friendly.

Bus Map provide all travelers needs of public transit including bus, railways, MRT, skytrain in Vietnam and Thailand. At this time, the app covers Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang City, Hanoi. The app is offline 100%. The most useful features include:

• Search for detailed bus route: stations, timeline, route paths, etc.
• Smart direction by bus: BusMap can provide you the best ways and detailed instructions for you to go by bus from one location to another location in the city.
• Real-time bus tracking: View the real-time bus’ waiting time at each station, user can even view where the bus currently is.

The bus data in Ho Chi Minh City is provided by Ho Chi Minh City Management Centre Of Public Transport,Department Of Transportation. The bus data in Da Nang City is provided by Danang Public Services Contact Center 1022.

With a friendly user interface, Bus Map is easy to use.

Lists of routes in Ho Chi Minh City (left picture) and detailed information about route 5.

The app provides direction from one location to another location, which buses to take to reach the destination.

Moovit: Timing & Navigation for all Transit Types

Moovit has been used by more than 720 million users in over 3000 cities in the world. The data of bus times and train times, transit maps, and, where available, real-time line arrivals are up-to-date. Moovit has been rewarded as the best apps of the year in 2016 and 2017 by the Google Play and App Stores. With Moovit, you can get train and bus times, maps, live navigation and real-time schedules with ease so you can plan your trip or travel Vietnam with confidence. Highlights of the app include:

• Live Navigation: step-by-step directions of optimal route bus, train, metro, bike, scooter or a combination of them.
• Real time arrivals helps to avoid wasting time guessing train times or bus times.
• Real time alerts if your bus time or train time changed.
• Users reports, favorite lines, stations, and places.
• Maps view: view all stations, routes, and lines on the subway or bus map. Maps are available in PDF for when you’re offline, or underground on the subway.

Browse all routes in Ho Chi Minh City.

Search for directions from your location to a destination.

With the help of Skyscanner, you can find the best value flights. It suggests lots of flights operated by different airlines, times and prices for you to choose after you input the date you would like to fly, from where and the destination. In addition, the app also supports booking the right hotels and rent cars.

Search for flights on Skyscanner.

Lots of flights operated by Jetstar, Bamboo Airways, VietJet Air (left picture), flight details (right picture).

Foody app is to “search” and “review” thousands of food locations in most of the provinces and cities in Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Nha Trang, etc. Foody is the top 1 food, places to eat and drinks and other places community in Vietnam. With the clear classification and a large number of reviews, photos, videos which help you easily find and consider where to enjoy. If you do not want to go to a restaurant to eat, just order the foods with the app. Foody usually offers many promotions to attract customers.

Foody provide information (address, opening hours, photos, videos, menu, ratings, reviews) about locations, food delivery, reservation.

At some restaurants which are favorite places of foreigners, the menus are written in English. In case the menu is written in Vietnamese, you can see the photos and prices in Vietnamese Dong. Some foreigners write reviews in English, a large number of reviews are in Vietnamese. You can learn about the restaurant ratings.

Browse KFC and order two portions with Foody app.

Baemin app has a very cute design. As described by Baemin, it is super-easy to find the food you like, with crazy discounts. Baemin has just joined the Vietnam food delivery market so that dozens of promotions are offered every day.

The cute design and the ease of use make Baemin different.

Social media and Messenger

Facebook and Instagram are two famous apps that most of the people should install. Keep in contact with your family and friends, share nice photos and many things about your trip on these social media apps. Whatsapp should be installed on your smartphone because you can contact tour operators, hotels and get responses as quickly as possible. In Vietnam, lots of tours and services can be books simply by messaging them on Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger. Fewer people use Viber but 80% of the local smartphone users have Zalo accounts. Zalo reached the 100 million users milestone in May 2018 and it is considered the answer of Vietnam to Whatsapp.

Zalo is the new market-leading messaging app with amazing features including messaging your friend or a group of friends in a snap, receiving notifications the moment they reply back, expressing your emotion with fun and cheerful emoticons and stickers, sending voice messages. Most Vietnamese people use this app so that you should install it and keep in touch with your friends and people related to your trip.

In addtion, Zalo provides other features including shopping, timeline, transport, game, bank, hotel, ZaloPay, food. Find features that are helpful for you on the trip.

List of messages, list of contacts.

Group and timeline.

Shop and transport.

Vietnam English Translator

Not all Vietnamese people speak English fluently, a large number of them speak limited English. You may need a help from a person who do not understand and speak English. With this translator you can easily translate words and text from Vietnamese to English and from English to Vietnamese. Believe me, this small and simple app will help you so much.

Google Translate

In comparison to Vietnam English Translator, Google Translate app can do more and has smarter features including offline translation, instant camera translation, camera mode, phrasebook.

Vietnam English Translator (left) and Google Translate (right).

Travel Community

TripAdvisor

The Tripadvisor app is the ultimate travel planner which help you to plan your vacation and book an amazing trip, with millions of travel recommendations and reviews from travelers like you on hotels, must-do experiences, top places to eat and other nearby less-known gems. It helps you book a table at restaurants and compare low prices when booking hotels and flights for your next trip. The large volume of data about reviews and ratings of people in the largest travel community is the advantage of TripAdvisor.

Find nearby hotels, things to do, restaurants, rentals, flights, join forums.

Read reviews about Cu Chi Tunnels – one of the top tourist attractions in Vietnam.

OTAs (Online Travel Agency)

AirBnb, Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels.com, Klook, Traveloka and Expedia are popular systems on which you can easily find and book hotels, experiences, tickets, airport pickups and other tourism services at good prices. Coupons, vouchers, promotions are provided by OTAs in order to attract customers. I would like to recommend you to use their apps on your trip.

AirBnb has become one of the must app on smartphones of many travelers these days. AirBnb opens a new era of easy and cheap, travel, connect tourists with locals and make your trip more interesting. This app can help you save lots of money whether you travel alone, with your family or a group of friends. With AirBnb app, a traveler can:

• Book last minute travel accommodations or long term rentals, travel experiences.
• Save your favorite ones and invite friends and family to plan the trip with you.
• Add experiences and events to your itinerary.
• Contact with your host and get directions to the accommodation.

Search for experiences on AirBnb.

Agoda has a large number of accommodations, over 55734 hotels, homestays, guest houses, resorts and many others for you to search, filter by prices, stars, locations, best deals, read ratings and reviews posted by users who have stayed at the hotels. Agoda Rewards membership and its benefits are highlights of this OTA.

It is easy to enter locations, check in and check out dates, number of rooms, adults and children, Agoda shows you lots of good rooms and dorms sold at good prices.

As Vietnam’s largest WiFi sharing community, Wifi Chua offers you nearby free wifi and hotspots with passwords shared by our users with just one click. This app saves your money on 3G/4G data by connecting you with over 2.000.000 Wifi hotspots in Vietnam. Wifi Chua ensures safety and privacy so that you feel free to use it on your trip to Vietnam.

Wifi Chua suggests a long list of Wifi hotspots around you and all passwords are shared with you.

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About the author.

Hi everybody! I would like to say thank you for reading my blogs whether you are planning your trip to Vietnam, expats who live and work in the country, students and researchers who would like to find information about Vietnam, especially Vietnamese culture, foodies who are interested in delicious Vietnamese foods and recipes and others. My friends call me Tracy and I am living in Ho Chi Minh City. Having a huge passion for travel and a master's degree of Information Technology, I have launched some travel projects including Athena Travel Vietnam, Vietnam Trip Advice, Hidden Travel Vietnam, OXO Tour, Scooter Saigon Tour, Ao Dai Saigon Food Tour after graduating from abroad. Thousands of trav elers use our services and 99% of them are satisfied. What are my hobbies? Traveling, going to pagodas, museums and studying beautiful architectural works, visit tourist attractions. I have loved writing since I was a child. Writing blogs as well as sharing travel tips, tourist attractions and lots of hidden places are my top thing to do with my free time. Why are my blogs different from others? Ease of reading is the number one highlight. I have tried my best to use simple structures and vocabulary so that readers feel comfortable and convenient and find it easy to read. You may tend to read articles and blogs written by journalists of famous travel magazines, newspapers, travel websites or big travelers who travel around the world and have their own blogs. My blogs are written by a local so that you have a chance to learn more about less-known things, untold tips, hidden gems and foods. If you like my blogs, just share it on your social media. If you have any question relating to Vietnam, just comment or contact me via live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook. If you are going to travel to Vietnam, give our team a chance to show you Ho Chi Minh City and South Vietnam. Tracy's team can handle all of your needs including Ho Chi Minh city tours, Ho Chi Minh scooter (motorbike) tours, Ho Chi Minh food tours, Saigon unseen tours, Mekong Delta tours, Cu Chi Tunnels Tour, Ho Chi Minh City transfer services, Ho Chi Minh City shore excursions.

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Vietnam Travel-Du lich Vietnam 17+

Tourism, tourists, tourism information technology center, designed for iphone.

• 3.4 • 5 Ratings

iPhone Screenshots

Description.

Change the application icon, remove the icon to celebrate the new year 2024 Vietnam Tourism Application is the official application of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and developed by Vietsens Technology Group. The application is built to accompany tourists from searching for information, booking services (air tickets, hotel rooms, sightseeing tickets ...), electronic payments, directly connecting tourists with agencies management through the function of evaluating and reflecting on service quality right on the application. Vietnam Travel application has outstanding features such as: - Tourist digital map: Search and look up information of reputable service points easily and quickly - My tours: Manage tours that have been and are participating, interactively connecting with Tour Guides. During the tour, if there are any problems, they can be reported directly to the travel agency and the management agency. - Reflect: Submit and track the processing status reflected to Tour Operators and Management Authority - Call for service Support booking services such as: Air ticket booking, Hotel reservation, Sightseeing ticket purchase .. - Automatic narration Provide visual information about artifacts and antiquities at monument attractions, through images, text and audio files with automatic explanations. If you encounter difficulties during the installation process, use the functions or have suggestions to improve the application, please contact the hotline 1900 6888 for advice and support.

Version 5.35.1

Change the application icon, remove the icon to celebrate the new year 2024

Ratings and Reviews

App privacy.

The developer, TOURISM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

English, Vietnamese

• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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Quản trị và Kinh doanh Du lịch

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Best Fare Finder

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• Flights from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City
• Flights from San Francisco to Ha Noi
• Flights from San Francisco to Da Nang
• Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang
• Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi
• Flights from Hanoi to Da Nang

Top Destinations

• Ho Chi Minh city

Popular Countries

• Flights to Vietnam
• Flights to Japan
• Flights to Cambodia
• Flights to Thailand
• Flights to Taiwan China
• Flights to Singapore
• All Countries

Timetable & Route map

• Worldwide route map

The experience

• Business class
• Premium Economy class
• Economy class
• Inflight entertainment

• Baggage calculator
• Hand baggage
• Free checked baggage
• Excess baggage
• Special baggage
• Restricted baggage
• Baggage claim

Online check-in

• Kiosk check-in
• Telephone check-in via hotline
• Airport check-in

Airport & Transit

• Airport guides
• Lotus lounge
• SkyPriority

Travel Guide

• Travel document
• Entry and exit/transit regulations

How to book a flight & make payment

• How to book air tickets online
• Payment methods
• How to refund tickets
• How to change tickets
• How to cancel bookings

Book a flight & Manage booking

• Book a flight
• Manage booking

Fare conditions

• Fare types & rules
• Taxes, fees, charges & surcharges

Additional services

• Vietnam Airlines Sky Pass
• Advance seat selection
• All additional services

Special services

• Travelling with pets
• Special meals
• Infants and children
• Unaccompanied minors
• Passengers with disabilities
• Pregnant passengers
• Passengers with medical conditions
• Special service charges

Member benefits

• Introduction
• Membership benefits
• Membership eligibility
• Lotusmiles Enrollment
• Manage my account
• Family account
• LotuSociety
• Vietnam Airlines
• Airline Partners
• Banking and Finance Partners
• Other partners
• Claim your miles
• Spend and Earn
• Accumulated miles redemption
• Purchase tickets by cash and miles
• Miles redemption for award tickets
• Redeem miles for baggage awards
• Redeem miles for upgrade
• Other miles usage
• Donate miles

Buy & Transfer miles

• Buy qualifying miles
• Buy & Transfer bonus miles

Products & Offers

• Lotus lucky number
• Lotus insurance
• Lotus offers
• Search Vietnamairlines.com
• Vietnam Airlines' App

Experience with Vietnam Airlines App

Traveling is easier than ever with Vietnam Airlines App - the travel assistant available at your fingertips.

Outstanding features

Passengers can quickly look up, update the flight schedule, and select a suitable flight itinerary.

Interactive real-time airport maps make it easy for passengers to find amenities at 10 Vietnam domestic airports and 65 international airports.

Buy tickets & ancillaries

Purchasing tickets or ancillaries on the Vietnam Airlines app is extremely quick and convenient.

Promotion/special offers

Passengers will get notifications of special offers via our mobile app. The function of displaying discount codes according to flight information enable passengers to search and use the codes easily when purchasing tickets.

VNA Chatbot

VNA Chatbot is available 24/7 to assist and answer any passengers' queries about travel information, tickets, payment, etc.

Passenger information administration

The passenger information administration function (My profile) is beneficial to:

• Save time for passengers and companions to enter information with the system capacity of information identification and integration; • Track your flight history and buy ancillaries.

Passengers can not only check in online with ease, but also save their boarding pass in the form of QR code. With our mobile app’s function of sending check-in time notifications, passengers can be active in check-in and planning for their upcoming trips.

Entertainment program

Vietnam Airlines app offers passengers a wide range of entertainment options:

• Unlimited recreation with the FPT Play exceptional entertainment app

• Elevate your reading experience with the Press Reader app that offers the world's top 7,000 newspapers and magazines in 60 languages.

Manage Lotusmiles account information such as changing password, changing app interface color according to the membership card tier.

Quickly check the current accumulated miles and submit request for miles accumulation.

Redeem miles for tickets, tech gifts, home appliances, and other useful products with just a few clicks.

Purchase additional miles or qualifying flights, buy & transfer miles, and renew & restore bonus miles.

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