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Le train au Vietnam

Contenu de l'article

1. Les différents types de billets de train Vietnam?

2. train vietnam nord-sud, hanoi lao cai en train et puis bus pour sapa, hanoi dong hoi en train puis bus pour le parc national de phong nha ke bang, hanoi ninh binh en train, hanoi hue en train, ho chi minh ville – phan thiet en train puis bus pour la plage de mui ne, ninh binh hue en train, hanoi da nang en train puis bus pour hoi an, 4. où se trouve la gare à hanoi, 5.1 acheter des billets de train vietnam à la gare.

• Acheter des billets en ligne sur 12go.asia – recommandé
• Acheter des billets sur www.baolau.com – site en anglais

6. FAQ sur le voyage en train au Vietnam:

Comment voyager en train au vietnam.

Le train Vietnam est un moyen de transport sûr et pratique. Il est facile d’acheter des billets de train en ligne et de voyager en train au Vietnam.

Cependant, le train Vietnam est lent. Avec une vitesse moyenne de 40km/h, le trajet de 300km entre Hanoï et Lao Cai dure environ 8 heures.

Carte du réseau ferroviaire du Vietnam

carte du réseau ferroviaire du Vietnam

Comme on peut constater dans la carte ci-dessus, le réseau ferroviaire du Vietnam est simple.

Tous les trains au Vietnam sont opérés par Vietnam Railways, la compagnie d’Etat vietnamienne.

https://vietnam-railway.com/ n’est pas le site officiel de la Vietnam Railways mais celui d’une agence de voyage qui vend des billets chers.

Il y a 4 types de billets de train au Vietnam :

• le siège en bois
• le siège matelassé
• la couchette dans le compartiment de 6 (2nd class sleeper)
• la couchette dans le compartiment de 4 (1st class sleeper)

Pour les courts trajets de quelques heures seulement, seuls les sièges sont disponibles.

Siège en bois

Siège matelassé

Couchettes dans le compartiment de 6 (2nd class sleeper), avec clim.

Il est conseillé de réserver ce type de couchettes pour les longs trajets tels que Hanoi – Hué, Ninh Binh – Hué, Da Nang – Saïgon etc.  On aura plus d’espace pour s’asseoir.

Couchettes dans le compartiment de 4 (1st class sleeper), avec la clim.

Certaines compagnies privées telles que : Livitrans, Violette, Golden train, louent des compartiments de la Vietnam Railways puis les équipent mieux, fournissent des services plus personnalisés et revendent les billets aux touristes.

Elles fournissent aussi des compartiments privés de 2 couchettes molles.

Compartiment du train Violette

ou trains Réunification : Hanoi – Dong Hoi – Hué – Danang – Nha Trang – Saigon

Saïgon est l’ancien nom donné à Ho Chi Minh-ville avant 1975 mais par habitude, la plupart des Vietnamiens préfèrent l'appeler «Saïgon» plutôt que Ho Chi Minh-ville.

En fait, il n’y a pas un train spécifique qui s’appelle “Réunification” mais il s’agit plutôt de la façon dont on appelle tous les trains qui desservent la ligne du nord au sud du Vietnam (la ligne Réunification), de Hanoï jusqu'à Saïgon.

Ces trains s’arrêtent dans les principales villes du Vietnam, telles que: Dong Hoi (pour aller ensuite au parc national de Phong Nha Ke Bang ) , Hué , Da Nang , Nha Trang , Binh Thuan, Saïgon.

Horaires des trains desservant la ligne nord sud Vietnam

Horaires des trains desservis la ligne nord sud Vietnam

Horaires des trains desservant la ligne sud nord Vietnam  

Horaires des trains desservis la ligne sud nord Vietnam

Les trains sont relativement similaires.

Les trains SE19, SE20 ne desservent que la ligne Hanoi Da Nang et vice versa.

3. Les lignes de train les plus populaires au Vietnam

Sapa est l'une des 4 destinations les plus touristiques dans le nord du Vietnam. Avant l’inauguration de l’autoroute Hanoi – Lao Cai en 2014, la plupart des touristes choisissaient les trains de nuit pour aller de Hanoi jusqu'à Lao Cai et puis des bus pour aller ensuite à Sapa (35 km de Lao Cai).

Actuellement, seuls les touristes qui veulent économiser du temps passent la nuit en train. La plupart des voyageurs choisissent des bus express qui relient Hanoi à Sapa en 5 heures.

Vous pouvez consulter les horaires et acheter des billets de trains, de bus pour Sapa ici .

Le parc national de Phong Nha Ke Bang se trouve à 50km de la ville de Dong Hoi. Les train de nuit sont un bon choix pour aller de Hanoi à Dong Hoi. Ils partent le soir et arrivent à Dong Hoi le lendemain matin.

Depuis Dong Hoi, nous pouvons ensuite prendre un bus ou louer une voiture privée pour rejoindre le parc national de Phong Nha Ke Bang.

Consulter les horaires et acheter des billets de trains pour Dong Hoi ici .

Ninh Binh ou “la baie d’Halong terrestre” est l’une des 4 destinations les plus fréquentées des touristes dans le nord du Vietnam. Elle se situe à seulement 2 heures de Hanoï. Le voyage en train de Hanoi à Ninh Binh est pratique et moins coûteux. C’est pourquoi la plupart des voyageurs le choisissent.

Consulter les horaires et acheter des billets de trains pour Ninh Binh ici .

Hué se trouve à 600 km au sud de Hanoi.

C’est la ligne ferroviaire très fréquentée des touristes. La plupart d’entre eux choisissent les trains de nuit qui partent le soir et arrivent à Hué le lendemain matin.

Consulter les horaires et acheter des billets de trains pour Hué ici .

La plage de Mui Ne se trouvent à 200 km au nord-est de Ho Chi Minh ville.

Hormis les bus, les voyageurs peuvent aussi prendre des trains de Ho Chi Minh Ville jusqu’à la gare de Phan Thiet (4 heures) pour aller ensuite à Mui Ne en taxi (12 usd pour 20 km); ou en bus local (bus numéro 9, départ toutes les 20 minutes entre Phan Thiet et Mui Ne).

Les trains SPT1, SPT2, SPT3, SPT4 sont très confortables et recommandés.

Consulter les horaires et acheter des billets de trains pour Phan Thiet ici .

Ceux qui ne veulent pas retourner à Hanoi après la visite de Ninh Binh peuvent prendre le train de nuit dans la ville de Ninh Binh pour rejoindre Hué.

Consulter les horaires et acheter des billets de trains Ninh Binh Hue ici .

Cette ligne est moins fréquentée que les autres car le trajet dure longtemps.

Par exemple, le train SE1 qui part à 19h30 à Hanoi arrive à Da Nang vers 11h40 le lendemain matin. Nous devons prendre ensuite un bus ou un taxi pour Hoi An (30 km de Da Nang).

Les billets d'avion pour ce trajet sont vivement conseillés car les départs se font toutes les demies heures et les billets ne sont pas chers.

Consulter les horaires et acheter des billets de train pour Da Nang ici .

Les trains  partent et arrivent en gare de Hanoï , au 120 rue Lê Duẩn. Elle se trouve tout près du vieux quartier de Hanoï, où se concentrent la plupart des hôtels de la ville .

Il ne faut payer qu'environ $2 pour le trajet entre votre hôtel dans le vieux quartier de Hanoï et la gare.

Gare de Hanoï

5. Comment réserver des billets de trains au Vietnam?

Pour les courts trajets tels que : Hanoi – Ninh Binh, vous pouvez réserver des billets sur place, à la gare de Hanoi avant le départ.

Pour les trajets plus longs et plus fréquentés, je vous conseille de réserver des billets à l’avance. Par exemple : les trains entre Hanoi et Hué; Ninh Binh et Hué; Ho Chi Minh et Phan Thiet risquent rapidement d’être complets. Par conséquent, mieux vaut réserver les billets à l’avance, sur internet.

Par contre, Vietnam Railways ne vend les billets qu’à moins d’un mois du départ .

5.2 Acheter des billets de train Vietnam sur internet

Acheter des billets en ligne sur  12go.asia  – recommandé.

12Go.Asia fournit un excellent service à la réservation de billets de trains en Thaïlande, Malaisie et maintenant au Vietnam.

Il est facile de vérifier la disponibilité des trains, réserver des billets et payer par Paypal ou par carte bancaire sur le site. Voici le tutoriel pour acheter des billets de train au Vietnam sur le site .

12Go.Asia vend des billets des trains de la Vietnam Railways et des compagnies privées Livitrans, Violette, Fansipan, Oriental Express, Golden Trains.

• Les billets de train se vendent normalement 60 jours ou moins avant la date de départ.
• Les frais de réservation sont de 2.4€ par billet. C’est-à-dire si un billet se vend à la gare à 40€, vous le paierez 42.4€ sur le site.
• Après le paiement, vous recevrez le billet électronique par email. Vous pouvez montrer ce billet depuis votre smartphone avant l’embarquement.
• Les enfants qui mesurent moins de 1,2m n’ont pas besoin d’un billet, sauf s’ils veulent leur propre place. Les moins de 10 ans obtiennent un rabais de 25% sur les couchettes et de 50% sur les sièges. Les plus de 10 ans paient le prix total.
• Il est arrivé à certains clients étrangers que leur transaction soit refusée sur le site internet. Ce n’était pas du fait de 12go.asia, mais de leur banque.
• Par défaut, ils mettent votre groupe ensemble dans le même compartiment, sauf si il ne reste pas suffisamment de couchette dans ce compartiment.

Acheter des billets sur  www.baolau.com  – site en anglais

C’est aussi une agence qui permet de réserver des billets de trains, de bus, d’avion, de ferry sur internet comme 12go.Asia.

Ils acceptent des cartes bancaires et ses frais de service sont d’environ $2.

Sinon, les Vietnamiens peuvent réserver des billets de train sur le site officiel de la Vietnam Railways : dsvn.vn.

Mais le site n’accepte pas les cartes bancaires étrangères.

• Puis-je acheter un «billet ouvert », qui me permet de monter et descendre du train à volonté ?

Non. Vous devez acheter des billets séparés.

• Puis-je apporter de grosses valises dans le train ou mettre mon scooter dans le train ?

Oui et oui. Dans le train, il y a des places au-dessous des couchettes et au-dessus des sièges pour les valises. On a d’autres compartiments pour les scooters, vélos ou des marchandises. Il faut apporter le scooter à la gare plus tôt pour payer son billet et puis, sortir l’essence. Parfois, le scooter est chargé dans un autre train qui arrive peut-être plus tôt ou plus tard, mais dans la même gare. Si vous ne pouvez pas le récupérer tout de suite, vous pourrez le faire plus tard, mais des frais de parking vous seront facturés.

Quelles sont les remarques pour le voyage en train au Vietnam?

• Aller à la gare 30 minutes au moins avant son départ
• Si les dates de votre voyage coïncident avec des jours fériés au Vietnam (2/9; 30/1; 1/5, 1/1, Têt…) il faut réserver des billets plusieurs jours en avance.
• Manger avant de monter dans le train parce qu’on sert très très peu de plats à bord.

Choisir le train de nuit ou le bus de nuit?

Personnellement, je vous conseille d’utiliser le train plutôt que le bus couchette au Vietnam dès que l’occasion se présente parce que la plupart des bus couchettes partent le soir et prennent des routes étroites. D’ailleurs, certains chauffeurs de bus de nuit ne sont pas très prudents.

Laissez un commentaire si vous avez la moindre question.

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61 thoughts on “Le train au Vietnam”

Début janvier 2020, nous allons quitter notre hotel à Hanoi pour une croisière deux jours une nuit. Nous serons donc déposer au retour de la croisière à Hanoi le matin. Notre train pour Hué part d’Hanoi à 22 heures le même jour. Que faire de nos valises ? Y-a-t-il un service de bagagerie à la gare d’Hanoi ?

Bonjour, Normalement, vous serez à Hanoï en fin d’après-midi si vous faites une croisière de 2 jours et 1 nuit. Vous pouvez utiliser le service de WhaleLO – Luggage Storage à Hanoï pour faire garder vos bagages: https://whalelo.xyz/

Bonjour, Pouvez-vous m’indiquer quelle est la longueur des couchettes ? Je mesure 1m85 et j’aimerai être sur que je pourrais m’allonger correctement car nous prévoyons de prendre 2 fois le train de nuit (Ninh Binh / Hué et Danang / Saïgon) Merci

Bonjour! Merci pour votre site qui est vraiment très complet et informatif! Je serai au Vietnam de mi-juillet à début août avec mes deux ados. J’ai travaillé quelques mois à Hanoi il y a 20 ans et j’ai adoré… Nous arrivons (du Canada) et repartons de Hanoi. Je pensais aller Jusqu’à Ho Chi Min en train, en arrêtant quelques jours en route pour visiter, par exemple à Hue, Da Nang, Nha thrang, etc. Je prévois revenir à Hanoi en avion. J’ai deux questions: Est-ce réaliste, vu que nous avons 20 jours au total et que nous voulons passer au moins 5 jours à Hanoi et deux jours à la Baie d’Halong? Est-ce que je dois tout réserver à ce temps-ci de l’année (billets de train, d’avion et hotels), ou nous pouvons fonctionner un peu plus de façon spontanée? Merci beaucoup de votre aide, et merci pour votre blog si riche!

Bonjour Andréane, Je pense que c’est possible. Vous ne devez pas réserver des billets de train, d’avion, hotels en avance pendant cette période. Mais à propos de la croisière, si vous préférez par exemple une jonque traditionnelle en bois de taille humaine, qui navigue dans une zone moins touristique, il faut la réserver à l’avance.

scooter dans le train . il est possible , que à la gare lors du paiement le jour meme bien avant le départ du train, que le guichetier dise il n’y a pas ou plus de place pour le scooter . on fait comment pour repartir avec le scooter à la gare d’arrivée si il est vidé de son essence?

Bonjour Hanh Avant tout merci pour toutes vos explications et conseils ! Nous sommes déjà au Vietnam et nous aimerions faire un bout de chemin en train. Pouvez vous me dire quelle portion qui longe la mer à un paysage à voir ? Merci à vous Zoe

Bonjour Merci pour ce super site et pour votre patience …:) Nous sommes 3 mais nous voudrions un compartiment de 4 que pour nous. Je suppose que le mieux est d’acheter 4 places ? Bien cordialement

Oui, bien sûr Florence!

Bonjour, merci pour toutes ces explications. Je souhaite réserver une cabine de 4 couchettes molles pour le 16 juillet 2018 (nous sommes une famille avec 2 enfants de 7 et 10 ans) pour aller de Da Nang à Ninh Binh par le train de 18h45 SE20. Mais ce train n’est pas réservable ni sur 12goasia ni sur baolau… Est-ce complet ou pas encore ouvert à la réservation ou le train est-il supprimé? Merci d’avance pour votre aide et je vous souhaite une très bonne journée.

Bonjour, Les billets de train se vendent normalement un mois avant le départ. Tu dois attendre un peu.

bonjour Hanh… enchante

moi et ma copine on va visiter le Vietnam pour la premiere foi a partir du 31 fevrier au28.

arrive a Saïgon on va rester 3 jours.

notre etappe est Da Nang pendant 5 jours avec visite a Hoi An et Hue,

pour monter apre a Hanoi pour autre 5 jours .

la question a la quelle nous cherchons une réponse c est: train? ou avion? en octobre les prix ete beaucoup moins cher pour les treains… maintenant on est a 75 euros par personne … mai sur 12Go on a aussi des avion a 35 euro par personne … quell est la surprise pour ce prix “pas cher”? 🙂

apre on repart de hanoi a Phu Quoc en avion pour rester 14 jours …

tu peut nous aider a faire notre choix stp? les hotels et l avion de Hanoi a phu Quoc sont reserve et paye …

sof les train/ou avion .

merci beaucoup d avance

by Marcello

Bonjour Marcello, Pour l’étape Ho Chi Minh – Da Nang tu peux prendre l’avion car la distance est grande. Pour le trajet Da Nang – Hanoi je prends souvent l’avion car le prix est très bon. Mais si tu veux voyager en train, qui est plus lent et parfois plus cher, tu pourras prendre le train Da Nang – Hanoi ou Hué – Hanoi. Ce sera une nouvelle expérience.

Bonjour, nous preparons un voyage du 5/22fev.Depart de saigon à Danang en train de nuit, en cabine à 4 vip. 3jours à Danang 3 jours à Hue,1 nuit ou excursion à Hoi an, Puis retour en train a Nha trang . Je désire des sièges confortables avec vue. Je ne trouve pas ces sièges avec 12go. je devrai donc attendre sur place pour reserver? Et la fête du t^eT est 15fev, ce qui coïncide avec mon départ pour Nah Trang. Aussi Dalat à saigon devra se faire en autobus? Merci pour toutes les informations que l’ont retrouve ici.

Bonjour Réjean, Le trajet en train entre Da Nang et Nha Trang dure 9 heures. Vous êtes sur de désirer un siège au lieu d’une couchette molle? Si oui, vous pouvez choisir 2nd Class AC seats only dans le train SE1 sur le site 12go

Premier voyage en Asie pour moi , voyage au Vietnam du 05 février au 05 mars 2018. Je me demandais à quoi m’attendre pour la fête duTêt

Il h a-t-il des endroits fermés ? Problème pour les trains ? Problème pour se loger ? Est-ce possible de participer à cette fête? Quoi voir ? Où aller pour voir fête la plus traditionnelle ?

Durée de cette fête ?

Bonjour Hanh, je souhaite réserver pour après demain une place de train couchette de nuit qui part à 22h50 de Ninh Binh vers Hué. Lorsque je vais sur le site 12go.asia, je ne peux pas réserver de place sur des compartiments à 4 places avec couchage mou, cette option n’existe pas. Or, tout le monde dit que c’est vraiment plus confortable que des compartiments à 6 et sans matelas. Comment faire ? Merci pour votre retour.

C’est peut-être les couchettes dans les compartiments de 4 sont déjà complètes. Je pense que vous pouvez réserver le train SE19 qui part à 22h30. Il reste encore des couchettes en compartiment de 4 dans ce train.

Bonjour, merci beaucoup pour toutes ces informations c’est vraiment super utile !! 🙂

Je pars au Vietnam avec mon copain au mois de septembre. On a prévu de se faire quelques une des routes du vietnam en vélo. J’aimerai donc avoir ton avis sur notre projet si cela ne te dérange pas.

Jour 1 : Hanoi Jour 2 et 3 : Baie d’Halong croisière (en y allant en train depuis Hanoi) Jour 4 : Hanoi – Ninh Binh en vélo : étape de 100km Jour 5 : Circuit vélo vers Ninh Binh avec Tam coc, Hoa Lu et Bich Dong Jour 6 : Train avec le vélo de Ninh Binh à Hue Jour 7 : Vélo aux alentours d’Hue Jour 8 : Hue – Da Nang en vélo : étape de 110km avec pause à la plage de Lang Co Jour 9 : Da Nang – My Son – Hoi An en vélo : étape de 80km Jour 10 : Hoi An – Quang Ngai en vélo : étape de 115km Jour 11 : train avec le vélo de Quang Nai à Nha Trang Jour 12 : repos à la plage de Nha Trang Jour 13 : Train avec le vélo de Nha Trang à Ho Chi Minh Jour 14 : Visite Ho Chi Minh + On essaye de revendre le vélo à Ho Chi Minh Jour 15 : Départ de Ho Chi Minh

Est ce que tu pense que c’est jouable ? C’est pas un projet trop foufou? Les routes sont dangereuses on le sait, mais on sera très prudents. Pour la réservation des 3 trains que l’on va prendre, je suivrai ton conseil et je prendrai nos billets 2 semaines avant. Sais-tu à combien s’élèvent les frais supplémentaires pour les vélos ? Une petite idée peut être ?

Merci encore en tout cas pour ton blog et tes infos ! Et a bientôt j’espère !

Bonjour, Je m’intéresse à ton projet. Je vais t’envoyer un email. Les frais pour les vélos ne coûtent pas chers. Pour le trajet entre Hanoi et Dong Hoi, près de Hué, j’ai payé 90 000VND ~4usd pour mon vélo.

Coucou, tout d’abord merci beaucoup pour cet article très bien détaillés, merci et merci, ça nous aide vraiment dans la préparation de notre voyage. On pars au vietnam en Juillet pour un voyage en moto et je me demandais si tu savais si le trajet Hanoi-Dong Van est souvent complet à cette période? On compte mettre notre moto dans le train. Merci beaucoup, très bon blog au passable, pleins d’infos super utile qui donnent envie de découvrir ce merveilleux pays!

J’étais entrain de regarder pour réserver mon trajet de train sur 12go.asia mais je ne sais pas comment ajouter la moto. Cela ce fait sur place et on paye le supplément à la gare ? Merci 🙂

Bonjour, Oui, c’est vrai. Tu devras aller à la gare à l’avance et payer le frais pour la moto sur place.

Je pense qu’il faut acheter des billets de train quelques jours à l’avance pour assurer qu’ils soient disponibles.

bonjour,pourriez me dire quel train choisir pour relier saigon hanoi le plus rapidement, possible nous somme un couple et voudrions une cabine privée pour deux ,cordialement christian

Bonjour Christian, La distance entre Saigon et Hanoi est de 1700km et ce trajet en train demande près de 2 jours. Un vol intérieur avec Viet Jet Air ou Vietnam Airlines sera beaucoup plus recommandé. Si vous voulez quand même prendre le train, je vous suggère le train SE2 qui part à 19h30 à Saigon et arrive à Hanoi vers 04.50 l’après lendemain. Pour avoir un compatiment privé, vous devez réserver 4 billets pour 2 personnes en compartiment VIP: Train Saigon Hanoi Belle journée,

Au mois de juin je vais avec mes amies au Vietnam et on voudrait savoir si on pouvait prendre un billet de train flexible (par exemple acheter un billet de train qui nous permet de sortir du train de visiter et de reprendre le train ?). Merci beaucoup

Dans ce cas tu dois acheter des billets séparés.

Bonjour Hanh, Je m’appel Sarah. Je suis du Canada. Nous viendrons au Vietnam de mi-janvier a mi-février. Comme tu m’a l’aire fort sympathique, j’ai envie de te demander conseil. Nous atterrirons a Saignon (beaucoup moins dispendieux qu’à Hanoi) et nous voulons faire de la plongé a Phu Quoc et Nha trang. Entre sa plusieurs arrêt m’intéresse. J’aimerais aller jusqu’à Hué maximum et me rendre en avion a Ankor pour la visite du temple. Par la suite, je veux absolument visiter le nord, surtout Sapa ! Je suis allé en Thailande en janvier dernier et j’ai adoré. Par contre, j’ai l’impression qu’au Vietnam, rencontrer les locaux et comprendre leur mode de vie est plus accessible (peut-être je me trompe). Les gens du nord me passionne. Bref, je voulais savoir toi qui y habite, mon itinéraire fait-elle du sens ? Et aussi ou serait le meilleur endroit pour fêter et vivre pleinement la Têt ? Je m’excuse pour la longueur du message mais je suis contente d’avoir la chance de connaitre ton opinion. À bientôt 🙂 Sarah

Bonjour Sarah, Oui ton itinéraire est bon. En fait, en fonction de son budget et de ses envies, on peut construire de différents itinéraires. A partir du centre du Vietnam, tu peux prendre le vol direct Da Nang – Siem Reap de Cambodia Angkor Air ou Vietnam Airlines. La plupart des gens dans les montagnes dans le nord du Vietnam sont sympathiques, agréables et ils aiment les contacts humains. Ils t’invitent souvent à entrer et boire une tasse de thé chez eux. Tu peux passer le Têt à Sapa ou dans une ville animée où il y a plusieurs restaurants et hôtels. L’année dernière, il y avait un programme permettant des étrangers de venir et passer le Têt chez des familles vietnamiennes. N’hésite pas de me contacter par email ou MP sur FB si tu as besoin plus de renseignements. Belle journée, Hanh

J’aimerais beaucoup avoir ton e-mail pour te poser des questions durant mes planifications. Jene sais pas comment sa fonctionne mais je crois que toi tu as le mien :). Merci beaucoup pour ta reponse !! Sa m’aide beaucoup ! C’est tres interessant te lire ! 🙂

OK je viens de t’envoyer un email.

Bonjour Hanh C’est mon premier voyage en Asie et je commence par le Vietnam. Ce pays et les paysages me fascines depuis tout petit, je veux le voir de mes propres yeux. J’arrive le 16 au matin… avec beaucoup d’envie mais aussi un peu d’appréhension. La foule, l’organisation du voyage. Il faut dire que je serai aussi seul pour ce voyage. J’ai réservé mes hotels à Hanoi et Ninh Binh mais pas la suite vers Hué et Da Nang. J’ai vu qu’il y a plusieurs trains par jour, est ce que tu me confirmes qu’il y a bien des trains de Ninh Binh vers Hué, le samedi soir ou le dimanche soir ? Merci d’avance de ton retour et surtout du temps que tu passes pour nous répondre tous. Jules.

Oui bien sûr Jule, il y a des trains Ninh Binh – Hué tous les jours. Bon voyage à toi,

Bonjour Hanh, Je me dois d’aller plus loin pour mieux t”expliquer mes raisons pour ce voyage. J’ai vécu à Hanoi dans les années quarante, oui j’ai 84 ans et j’ai toujours promis à mes enfants de leur montrer la vie de mon enfance. Mais après être retourné au Vietnam ces dernières années tout a tellement changé que c’est devenu dérisoire d’expliquer …ici l’école là ….la maison….bref donc je préfère leur faire visiter le Vietnam. D’ailleurs nous allions en vacances à Samson que j’aurais préféré faire visiter au lieu de Danang . Mes enfants du fait de leur travail ne peuvent pas prendre plus de 15 jours de plus ne peuvent pas choisir une autre période. Tu voies pas très simple tout ça. Si j’ai pensé te demander une aide c’est que les quelquefois ou je suis revenu j’ai été exaspéré par les arnaques permanentes. J’ai vu qu’il y avait des voyagistes qui organisaient des circuits avec guide ,voiture avec chauffeur hôtel etc…qu’en penses tu? As-tu des conseils à ce sujet. Peut être peut-on passer en privé pour éviter des pubs intempestives? Tu as mon email. Merci de bien vouloir te pencher sur mon cas. Claude

Bonjour Claude, Je viens de vous envoyer un email.

Bon encore moi c’est tout bête c’est ici OK ! oublie mon 2eme mel Encore merci si si peux m’aider

ReBonjour Hanh, Je t’es écris ici mais ne sais pas ou ça va ni comment savoir si tu y as répondu peux-tu me donner ces informations sur mon mail ? Merci à toi pour ta gentillesse et le temps efficace que tu passes pour la communauté.

Bonjour Hanh, Je me permets de te tutoyer tu sembles si sympathique. Je prépare un voyage pour février 2018 de 15 jours au Vietnam J’y emmène pour faire découvrir le Vietnam à mon fils et mon petit-fils. Je compte arriver par un billet A/R à Ho Chi Minh remonter jusqu’à la baie d’Halong en faisant escale à Danang ou Nha Tran puis Hoi An – Hué – Hanoï – Ha Long puis retour Ho Chi Minh pour reprendre l’Avion du retour. Tout ça en quinze jours j’aimerai avoir tout réserver avant de partir crois tu pouvoir m’aider à réaliser tout ça le Têt étant le 15 février 2018 bien sûr l’idéal c’est de réaliser ça entre le 1er et le 15 car les prix montent en période de Têt n’est ce pas ? J’aimerais passer 3 jours à Saïgon et Hanoï ailleurs le temps de la visite de l’essentielle. Merci de toute façon pour ton site instructif. Très cordialement à Toi

Bonjour Claude, Si tu voyages par toi-même, je pense que tu peux concerntrer sur le Centre et le Sud du Vietnam, et laisser le Nord pour un autre voyage. Cela t’aide à économiser un vol, de l’argent et tu auras plus de temps pour profiter du Sud et du Centre Vietnam. Tu peux choisir des destinations en fonction de ton gout et de tes envies. Bonne soirée, Hanh

Bonjour hanh , Avec des amis nous partons fin mars au Vietnam et nous aimerions nous rendre au parc national de phong nha ke bang . Quel est le meilleur moyen/ itinéraire de s’y rendre depuis Danang ?

Bonjour, Tu peux réserver le bus Hanh Cafe ou Hung Thanh bus, départ tous les jours de Hoi An à Phong Nha Ke Bang.

Bonsoir Hanh, J’aurais voulu savoir si il était possible de mettre les motos dans le train car je compte faire Hanoi, Mai chau, Nimh binh et descendre vers Hue, Danang et Hoi an avec certainement une escale entre Nimh binh et Hue (si tu as une idée ??) pour remonter j’aurais souhaité prendre le train de nuit et mettre les motos dans le train. Si tu pense qu’il est plus facile de mettre les motos dans les trains à Hanoi, je peux faire se voyage à l’envers. Autre question, penses tu qu’il soit possible de faire la baie d’Halong autrement qu’avec les circuits touristiques ? ( pêcheurs ??) Merci d’avance pour tes réponses. Je pars le 23/02/2017. Bien cordialement, Eric

Bonjour Eric, Oui, tu peux mettre les motos dans le train. J’ai un ami francais qui l’a fait l’an dernier pour remonter de Saigon jusqu’a Hanoi. Si non, certains achètent une moto et après le voyage, ils la revendent. Les bateaux de pêcheurs ne peuvent aller loin et mois surs. Je pense qu’on ne peut éviter les circuits touristiques en baie d’Halong. Bien cordialement, Hanh

Merci beaucoup de tes renseignements. Tu as une ville étape (agréable et avec des jolies choses à voir !) entre Nimh binh et Hue ? Je te souhaite none continuation et encore merci pour ton blog. Amicalement Eric

Phong Nha Ke Bang par la piste d’Ho Chi Minh. J’ai bien aimé ce parc, les gens y sont superbes!

Merci beaucoup Hanh, bonnes continuerions. Amicalement Eric

Coucou Pour les trajets en avion conseilles-tu de prendre les billets en avance sur internet ou peut-on les acheter à l’aéroport pour les avoir à un bon prix ?

Merci pour tes infos

Bonjour Hanh, Merci pour ton formidable blog, qui donne pleins d’informations utiles pour préparer un séjour au Vietnam. Je suis justement en train d’organiser le mien et je compte prendre un train de nuit entre Ninh Binh et Hué le 23 février 2017 (arrivée le 24/02). Je souhaite prendre le S19 (couchette molle). Faut-il que je réserve maintenant mon train (pour être sure d’avoir de la place) ou bien est-ce que je peux attendre et réserver quelques jours avant (j’arrive à Ninh Binh le 21 février; est-ce que je peux voir à ce moment là?)? Je ne me rends pas bien compte de la fréquentation des trains. Et vu que je pars seulement 15 jours au Vietnam, je dirais que mon temps est “compté” et laisse malheureusement peu de place à l’improvisation. Merci d’avance pour ton aide et ta réponse. Bonne journée à toi. Caroline

Bonjour Caroline, Tu peux le reserver quelques jours avant le depart. Si tu ne pourra prendre le train, tu pourras prendre le bus de nuit qui part directement de Ninh Binh a Hue. Bon voyage,

Bonjour, J’aimerai acheter des billets pour le train de nuit pour Hanoi hué, puis hué Hanoi et enfin Hanoi sapa. Je ne trouve pas de sites internet qui me permettent d’acheter ces billets à l’avance. Merci de ta réponse Cordialement Alison

Voici le site web officiel de la socitete ferroviaire vietnamienne: http://dsvn.vn/ Vous l’avez essayé? Je peux reserver des billets, payer par carte bancaire et imprimer les billets de train comme ceux d’avion 😀 Bonne chance,

Bonjour Hahn,

Je pars au Vietnam avec des amis en Janvier. J’aurais aimé savoir comment me rendre Ho-Chi-Minh Ville à Hoi An. Dois-je obligatoirement passer par Hue ? Merci beaucoup pour ton blog qui est très riche.

Bonjour Mara, Non, il faut pas passer par Hue. Tu prends le vol Ho Chi Minh-ville – Danang. L’aeroport de Danang se situe à 30 minutes de route de Hoi An. Tu peux s’y rendre en taxi ou en bus.

J’ai encore oublié !!!!! Je connais tres bien le Vietnam, car j’ai ete, pendant 10 ans, accompagnateur de touristes français …

J’ai oublié : en Janvier.

Merci. J’habite à Kunming, je suis français, et ma femme est chinoise. Nous avons l’intention de faire un voyage de 10jours dans ton pays. Hcmc, delta, nhatrang, hue et retour a Kunming. Je crois que c’est facile. Qu’en penses tu ? Un detail : je souffre beaucoup du dos et je ne peux pas faire de longds trajets en bus ou voiture. Mais en train, pas derobleme.

Bonjour Bigeon, Pourquoi pas, c’est tout à fait possible. Tu voudrais aller de Kunming jusqu’à Hue en train? Dans ce cas, 10 jours sera trop court.

Merci de ta reponse. Kunming saigon et retour nhatrang kunming en avion. La partie train serait uniquement Saïgon nhatrang hue (ou Danang) Sais tu quel est la ville, dans le Delta du Mekong, qui est la plus sympa. Existe t il des endroits, dans les iles du delta, oú on peut louer une chambre chez l’habitant ? 2 ou 3 nuits. L’ideal serait dans une plantation de longan, par exemple. Avec les repas préparés par l’aubergiste ? Est il necessaire de louer à l’avance, ou peut on faire ça à la derniére minute ? Y a t il des agences à Cantho ou VinhLong, ou vaut il mieux faire preparer ça à HoChiMinh city ?

Tu peux rester chez l’habitant a Cai Be, Vinh Long, Ben Tre ou Can Tho, un peu partout :D. Tu peux chercher et jette un coup d’oeil sur la maison Tran Tuan Kiet a Cai Be, c’est une ancienne maison entoure par un verger. Si non “Jardin du Mekong homestay” est aussi un bon choix. Je te conseille de les reserver a l’avance, par internet. Bonne continuation.

Merci pour toutes les informations regroupées sur ton site !

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Vietnam Coracle

Train Travel in Vietnam: A Guide

First published July 2023 |  Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle

Tom Divers is the founder and creator of Vietnam Coracle. He’s lived, travelled and worked in Vietnam since 2005. Born in London, he travelled from an early age, visiting over 40 countries (he first visited Vietnam in 1999). Now, whenever he has the opportunity to make a trip, he rarely looks beyond Vietnam’s borders and his trusty motorbike, Stavros . Read more about Tom on the About Page , Vietnam Times and ASE Podcast .

Train journeys in Vietnam are more than just a means of getting from A to B: they are an experience. On Vietnam’s railways, travellers get a genuine sense of the country and start to appreciate nation-defining characteristics, such as changes in the landscape, climate, food and accent from one region to another. Unlike taking a domestic flight, train travel is richly rewarding, providing travellers with a social, culinary and cultural experience. Taking the train in Vietnam is nothing like it is in Europe, North America, Japan or China: rail travel in Vietnam is low-tech, slow, informal, and exciting. What’s more, train travel is relatively cheap, comfortable, efficient and easy to book. If you enjoy journeys and the act of travel, you’ll almost certainly enjoy travelling by train in Vietnam.

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TRAIN TRAVEL IN VIETNAM

A Guide to Riding the Railways

This guide is intended to provide travellers with a practical overview of how to travel by train in Vietnam and why it’s a rewarding travel experience. I’ve included information about train routes, booking tickets, classes of travel, food and much more in order to paint a picture of what train travel is like in Vietnam. On my map I’ve marked all rail routes and major stations, as well as some of the most scenic sections of track. You can book train tickets directly from this page using the Baolau.com search boxes and links. (For excellent historical information about Vietnam’s railways, read ‘Railways & Tramways of Việt Nam’ by Tim Doling.)

Routes & Schedules

Booking Tickets

Seating & Sleeping

Food & Drink

The Journey

Related Guides

Please Support Vietnam Coracle Make a donation or become a patron if you enjoy this website. Vietnam Coracle is totally free & independent. I do not receive payment for anything I write. Thank you, Tom

[ Back to Contents ]

Train Routes & Stations in Vietnam

ROUTES & SCHEDULES :

Vietnam Railways operates a main south-north line and several spur lines. There are dozens of potential routes and station stops across the nation: use my train map for an overview. Schedules, times and ticket prices are easy to search, browse and book using the Baolau.com search box below, or vnr.com (the Vietnam Railways website), or at any major train station where the national train schedule is displayed on large billboards.

Reunification Express ( Transindochinois ):

Vietnam’s main railway line runs from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in the south all the way to Hanoi in the north, stopping at over 20 stations along the way. Roughly following the coast for over 1,700km, the south-north line connects almost all major coastal cities between Saigon and Hanoi ( see map ). This line is known today as the ‘Reunification Express’, and in French colonial times it was called the Transindochinois . There are at least 6 trains every day in both directions on the ‘Reunification Express’ between Saigon and Hanoi. The journey between the two cities takes more than 32 hours. In addition, several other trains ply specific sections of the south-north main line, stopping at smaller stations as well as major ones. You can easily check schedules, times and ticket prices by using the Baolau.com search box below or vnr.com or at any major train station.

Spur Lines:

In addition to the main south-north ‘Reunification Express’ route, several spur lines branch off to other destinations. These include: Hanoi→Hải Phòng , Hanoi→Lào Cai , Hanoi→Lạng Sơn , Hanoi→Hạ Long, Hanoi→Thái Nguyên, and Saigon→Phan Thiết . However, schedules on these spur line routes are irregular and subject to change, particularly in the post-pandemic period. Check schedules, times and ticket prices using the Baolau.com search box below or vnr.com or ask at the relevant train stations.

* Always book train tickets at least a few days in advance or more if travelling during public holidays or on weekends

SEARCH TRAIN ROUTES & SCHEDULES :

BOOKING TICKETS :

Booking train tickets is now very easy and efficient. You can book tickets directly from this page on almost all train routes in Vietnam by using the Baolau.com search box below. Type in your departure and arrival stations and the date of travel and click ‘Search’. This opens a new page with all train times and prices in all classes for that day and that route. Choose your train time and class then click ‘Book Now’. Next, choose your exact carriage, seat or sleeping birth on the train map, enter your details and make payment online. You’ll receive an e-ticket with a QR code in your email inbox which you can show to station staff on your phone before boarding the train. Your ticket has a carriage number and seat/bed number on it.

Alternatively, you can book tickets in-person at any train station, but not much English is spoken, or you can use vnr.com (the Vietnam Railways website) to make a booking, but their site is not as good or as easy to use as Baolau.com . (Note that there’s a small service charge with Baolau.com , but this is a very small price to pay for the convenience of using their system.)

BOOK TRAIN TICKETS :

SEATING & SLEEPING :

There are 4 ‘classes’ of seating and sleeping on Vietnam’s railways (see below for descriptions and photos of each one). Which class you choose depends on the length of the journey you’re taking and on your budget. Most trains on most routes (even shorter spur routes, such as Saigon→Phan Thiết and Hanoi→Lào Cai ) offer both seating and sleeping compartments. As a general rule, seating is fine for daytime journeys under 8 hours, but sleeping compartments are better for night trains or any journey over 8 hours. The 4 classes are:

• Hard Seat (fan)
• Soft Seat (air-con)
• 6-Bed Sleeper (air-con)
• 4-Bed Sleeper (air-con)

SEARCH TRAIN TICKETS :

[ Back to Classes ]

Hard Seat :

Typically the last couple of carriages on a train, the hard seat class is the cheapest and sparsest available on Vietnam’s railways. The wooden seats are absolutely fine for shorter journeys, such as Hanoi→Hải Phòng or Hanoi→Lạng Sơn . But on longer trips the carriages, which are fan-cooled, not air-conditioned, can become stuffy and uncomfortable. However, the ambience is informal and social: families with kids playing in the aisles, picnics on the floors, and chickens in cardboard boxes. On short hops this can be a good experience; on long-hauls it can be a test of endurance.

Soft Seat :

Soft, coach-style seating on reclinable chairs in an air-conditioned carriage, the soft seat class is ideal for daytime journeys of a few hours or more. Comfortable, cool, bright and spacious, most passengers will be fine in one of the soft seats for any medium-length journey. The windows are large, the ceilings are high and the air-con is effective. Ticket prices are reasonable and more affordable than sleeping compartments, but if you’re travelling overnight, don’t expect to get too much sleep in a soft seat. For daytime journeys on routes such as Huế→Đà Nẵng, Saigon→Nha Trang, Quy Nhơn→Đà Nẵng, soft seat class is all you need.

6-Bed Sleeper :

Separate air-conditioned compartments of 6-beds connected by a common aisle, this class allows passengers to lie down in comfort, but it can feel a little cramped if all 6 beds are occupied. The beds are arranged in two rows of bunks. Try to avoid taking the top bunk bed, which has very little space between the bed and the ceiling and can be mildly claustrophobic on long journeys. On night journeys, the middle bunk is best for sleeping, but on day journeys, the bottom bunk is best for comfort, because you can sit-up or lie-down and see out of the window. In my opinion, 6-bed sleeper class is good for shorter overnight journeys, such as Hanoi→Lào Cai or Saigon→Nha Trang. There is also good potential for social interaction as you are sharing quite an intimate space with 5 other passengers. Clean linen, a blanket and a pillow are provided.

4-Bed Sleeper :

The most comfortable class on Vietnam’s trains, these sleeper compartments have 4 beds in a private cabin arranged in two rows of bunks. The beds are comfy, the air-con is powerful (bring a sweater), there’s plenty of space on the top and bottom bunks, and it’s a cozy place to be for a long rail journey. Clean linen, blankets and pillows are provided, there’s a power outlet and USB charger for electrical devices, and each bed has its own reading light. Although the bottom bunk is slightly more expensive, if your main concern is sleeping, you should opt for the top bunk . This is because when your head is on the pillow on the bottom bunk you can hear and feel every bump on the tracks. My advice is: on a long night train, book the top bunk and enjoy a decent night’s sleep; for long journeys during the day, the bottom bunk is better for looking out the window, sitting at the table and working on your laptop. For long-haul rail journeys in Vietnam, such as Saigon→Đà Nẵng, Hanoi→Huế, or Saigon→Hanoi, the 4-bed sleeper class is by far the most comfortable and romantic.

FOOD & DRINK :

Eating and drinking on Vietnamese trains is nothing like it is on European or North American railways. Vietnam’s dining culture is sophisticated, regionally diverse, highly social, affordable, and oftentimes very informal. This is as much the case on the railways as it is in normal, everyday life. Most trains have a dining car (usually towards the back on the train), food and drink trolleys which regularly ply the aisles in all classes, and a hot water dispenser at the end of every carriage. In addition, passengers are allowed (and the majority do) to bring their own home-cooked picnic food onboard for the journey. If that weren’t enough, vendors board trains at stations, walking up and down carriages shouting their wares – hot, local specialities – for a brief few minutes before the train departs. Finally, all stations have at least one coffee shop, a convenience store and food outlet.

As is the case in most culinary contexts in Vietnam, travellers with an adventurous palate, few dietary quibbles, and an open mind will get the most out of their dining experience on Vietnamese trains. Leave your preconceived ideas of dining etiquette, cleanliness and ‘morality’ at home.

There are several ways to eat and order food on trains. If you bring your own picnic , you may consume it at your seat or sleeping birth, but not in the dining car. The dining cars (some of which are fairly grimy) only seat about a dozen passengers and they can become quite rowdy and cramped at mealtimes. However, there’s something undeniably romantic about railway dining cars. Sit down and order a drink (coffee, soda, beer), a snack (hard boiled eggs with salt and pepper, fresh green, sour mango) or a meal (hot phở or hủ tiếu noodles or steamed rice with stir-fried vegetables, meat, fish and soup) and watch the landscape roll by.

Alternatively, wait for the meal trolleys to reach your seat or sleeping compartment. Fresh rice meals ( cơm ) are served from a large ‘hot trolley’, including a huge vat of piping hot steamed rice and half a dozen dishes to choose from. These are all on display, so passengers can easily point and order. Typically you’ll find the following dishes: stewed pork ( thịt kho ), marinated pork cutlet ( sườn ), pork rolled in aromatic betel leaves ( chả lá lốt ), fried fish ( cá chiên ), and fried spring rolls ( nem rán ). Prices are 50,000-100,000vnd ($2-$4) per meal. Although there aren’t really any vegetarian or vegan options, you can try saying Tôi ăn chay (I’m vegetarian). All the food is freshly cooked, unlike the factory-prepared, vacuumed-packed items sold on UK trains, for example.

In addition, regional specialities are loaded onto the train at different stops along its route and then sold to passengers. This is a remarkable, unique, endearing and very Vietnamese aspect of railway dining. Some examples are: steamed whole corn on the cob at Long Khánh station from the fields outside your window; wonderfully exotic dragon fruit at Bình Thuận station from the plantations you can see from the train; bánh nậm (delicate steamed rice cakes) at Huế station; and nem chua (delicious cured pork sausages) at Thanh Hóa station.

THE TRAINS :

Trains on the main south-north line between Saigon and Hanoi are large and long, usually 10-15 carriages in length with capacity for several hundreds of passengers. Trains on spur line routes are generally shorter, sometimes only 3-4 carriages in length, depending on the route. The trains are pulled along the rails by enormous diesel locomotives resembling the ones you might see in an old Soviet propaganda poster. I don’t know enough about trains to name or date the carriages and engines, but I suspect they’re not particularly modern; many are probably reused carriages from old Chinese and Russian trains, but that’s only a guess.

The carriages, painted white, blue and red on the exterior, are wide, high and spacious and the level of cleanliness is acceptable, if not exceptional. Most of the carriages are functional and coach-like, but sometimes they can be cozy and very comfortable. Some of the dining cars are romantic-looking wooden compartments, like something from the U.S. Pacific Railroad in the 1870s, but others are bleak and utilitarian in appearance. The dining car tends to become the train’s ‘pub’ on long journeys: loud, drunk men, cigarette smoke and a boisterous atmosphere.

Toilets vary considerably from carriage to carriage, regardless of what class you’re in, so it’s worth walking up and down the train to find the ones in best condition. There are both ‘sit-down’ toilets and ‘squat’ toilets. Wash basins are located at the end of each carriage and are fine for washing hands and brushing teeth.

Staff range from young twenty-somethings to old, weathered-looking ‘lifers’, who’ve been working on the rails for 40 years. The railway is state-run and I would guess wages aren’t high, nor is it a glamourous job. It shouldn’t be a surprise, therefore, that some staff, particularly older ones, can be rather brusque with foreign passengers. However, smiling and patience go a long way in Vietnam and I’ve met some remarkably kind, gracious and helpful staff on Vietnam’s trains. The general level of ‘customer service’ is informal, polite and well-meaning.

BOOK YOUR TRAIN JOURNEY :

THE JOURNEY :

Departing from train stations in Vietnam is always exciting, but particularly on early morning departures or night trains. There’s an atmosphere on the platform: the sound of the locomotive humming as if steeling itself for the long journey ahead; the flow of people through the station entrance and into the carriages; the sense of expectation; the hoot of the horn before departure; and the slow, grinding shift of motion echoing from carriage to carriage as the train crawls out of the station. Moving through the city at processional speed everything stops to let the train by, watch it go, honour it as it passes: traffic on the city’s busy arteries comes to a standstill at level crossings, pedestrians look up from their meals, stop their work, look out of windows trying to catch a glimpse of the train as it parades by.

Unlike highways, the railway passes through rural areas without anything between the track and the landscape. On the south-north main line in particular, because of Vietnam’s unique geography with the coastal plains to the east and the Trường Sơn Mountains to the west, the scenery is often sublime. There are moments when the track echoes the coast and the train comes within metres of the ocean; at other times, the railway detours inland through bright rice paddies with purple mountains looming behind. On long train journeys in Vietnam you get a real sense of the size, scale and topography of the nation. The train travels at just 50-80kmph – an ‘understandable’ speed – which allows you to study the landscapes in detail. Whether lying in your sleeping birth gazing out the window at an ocean vista, sitting at a wooden table in the dining car with a coffee as a monsoon shower passes over the train, or reclining in your seat staring at a waterway winding into the mountains, there’s some sensational scenery to be seen on Vietnam’s railways.

Train travel in Vietnam can be a social experience, even if travelling alone. Sharing a sleeping cabin for many hours with several strangers is an inherently intimate situation which lends itself to social interaction with your fellow passengers. I’ve met people on Vietnam’s trains many times. One of the endearing qualities of Vietnamese life is the informality of social situations. The train is no different. Children play in the aisles, teenagers huddle on top bunks with their phones, business people tap away at their laptops, extended families of eight people bundle into 4-bed compartments for a picnic lunch of grilled chicken and sticky rice, while older men stand in the narrow gap between carriages puffing on cigarettes. The charm and social cohesion you often see and experience with Vietnamese street life also takes place on Vietnam’s railways.

Taking the train in Vietnam is much more than a means of transportation: it’s an experience, and one which, for travellers, can begin to illuminate aspects of Vietnamese life and culture. From the landscapes outside the window you get an impression of the terrain and geography of Vietnam; from the passengers that come and go from your cabin you get a sense of different regional accents; from the local speciality food sold on the train at different sections of the route you get an idea of the culinary diversity of Vietnamese cuisine; from the weather – the sun that bakes the carriages, the rain that lashes the train – you begin to understand Vietnam’s complex climate from southern to central to northern regions; and you even get a sense of history from the French colonial-era stations, the Cham temples at Tam Kỳ and Diêu Trì, and the multitude of pagodas and churches you see along the way. All this is in addition to the universal magic of travelling by train, such as lying down in your bunk bed and being rocked to sleep by the rhythmic rattle of the rails and occasional howling of the horn in the night.

BOOK A TRAIN JOURNEY IN VIETNAM :

* Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free and independent. I’ve written this guide because I want to: I like train travel in Vietnam and I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my About Page

RELATED GUIDES :

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Questions, updates and trip reports are all welcome. However, please keep comments polite and on-topic. See commenting etiquette for details.

Im looking to train journey in vietnam.is it possible to get a train journey sllowing me to stop at a town enroute for a few days n continue my journey???thank you

Hi Raymond,

Just buy your train tickets separately for each leg of your journey. For example, buy a ticket from Ho Chi Minh to Danang, then buy your ticket from Danang to Hue, etc.

Hi tom.. many thanks for taking time to reply to me much appreciated. Ray,

Been waiting several weeks for the Baolau prices to load for the dates I want to travel–still says “not yet open”– but they have been up the whole time on the Vietnam Railways website. Also curious, the times and fares differ fairly dramatically from Baolau to VR for the exact same dates and routes. In an email response from Baolau, they said that the times and fares can be different and to check schedules carefully before travelling. I would like to use Baolau based on your hearty recommendation AND the fares appear (who knows why!) to be about 3x cheaper, but I am wary because of the discrepancies. May be best to just book directly through the carrier and not try to get a deal…?

Hi Jennifer,

I’ve never had any problem booking with Baolau before. It is generally more user-friendly than the Vietnam Railways website, especially for travellers without prior experience of Vietnam.

What time period are you trying to book for? If it is a public holiday, then that might be the reason for the discrepancies in fares.

April 13 us quite close to the King Hung holiday, which is April 18 in 2024, so that might be a reason why there’s conflicting information on trains and prices, however that seems unlikely.

Hi, we are an older well travelled couple, I do all the planning and organizing and am thinking of grabbing our backpacks, flying into Vietnam and just hitting the road (tracks)? We both travel light, this sounds like a fun holiday for us. What do others think?

Sounds like a good idea to me!

Thank you for this well written and detailed article. My husband and I are planning our first trip to Viet Nam. As we always try to build trips around train travel, you’ve provided the foundation for our trip.

Thank you! I hope you and your husband enjoy your trip.

There are also a couple of 2 sleeper cabins on SE2 between HCM and Hanoi.

Oh great. I’ve seen the 2 bed sleeper cabins a couple of times, but didn’t know it’s specifically the SE2 train that has them.

Wonderful, well written article – informative, but also conveying so much emotion about the experience

Thank you, Greg! Glad you enjoyed it.

Really nice piece Tom – makes me determined to return to the rails after far too much flying in Vietnam. The train’s are always a memorable experience ! May I recommend that Hanoi – Nanning route which I’ve used several times now if only for the border pantomime !

Thanks, David.

I’ve always wanted to try the rail journey across the border into China, but haven’t done it yet, although I have been to the last stop in Vietnam, at Dong Dang – great station!

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Step Aboard The Vietage

Embark on unforgettable railway adventures through the lush landscapes and spectacular scenery of Central Vietnam aboard The Vietage by Anantara luxury railway carriages. Make your Vietnam railway booking to embrace the epic romance of train travel on exquisite journeys.

From the heritage charm of Hoi An to the sparkling shores of Quy Nhon, or the bustling coastal city of Nha Trang heading north to Quy Nhon, The Vietage by Anantara combines old-world comfort, breath-taking views and gourmet dining experiences to leave you inspired, refreshed and ready for your next destination.

The Vietage has been developed by Anantara to introduce memorable luxury travel journeys through Vietnam. Two separate railway carriages run daily journeys in opposite directions, one departing in the morning from Da Nang to Quy Nhon and then on to Nha Trang and the second leaving Nha Trang in the afternoon to Quy Nhon and then continuing up to Da Nang.

Combination accommodation packages with extraordinary savings and extra perks are available with  Anantara Hoi An Resort ,   Anantara Quy Nhon Villas  or  Avani Quy Nhon Resort  for guests to experience these destinations and can be booked directly with us.

Destinations

Steeped in luxury and inspired by the timeless romance of rail travel, The Vietage by Anantara celebrates the art of the journey. When your adventure ends, you will be arriving at one of three very different, but equally charming, Central Vietnam destinations.

Da Nang & Hoi An

Just a short drive from Da Nang, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An beckons with shophouse-lined alleyways, glowing lanterns, traditional teahouses and perfectly preserved architecture. Anantara Hoi An Resort is a charming luxury hideaway, edging the Thu Bon River, connecting travellers to traditional Vietnamese culture and ancient Champa kingdom treasures, the resort also is located 35 KM from Danang Train Station.

The golden shores of Quy Nhon take you off the beaten track to a place of tranquil coves, verdant national parks and ancient temples. Settle into seaside relaxation or venture out and explore the rich coastal culture of Central Vietnam at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas and Avani Quy Nhon Resort with beachfront basking and adventurous discoveries.

Nha Trang, situated along Vietnam's South Central Coast, is a captivating blend of pristine beaches, cultural landmarks, and vibrant nightlife. With its golden sands and turquoise waters, the city attracts sun-seekers and water sports enthusiasts alike. Explore the ancient Po Nagar Cham Towers or browse the lively Dam Market and indulge in the city's bustling nightlife. Nha Trang's coastal charm, rich history, and modern amenities make it a must-visit destination for a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure.

FAQs About the Vietage

Get all the information you need before your journey aboard The Vietage by Anantara.

The Vietage by Anantara operates daily from Da Nang to Quy Nhon and vice versa from Quy Nhon to Da Nang. Commencing 15 May 2024, we will launch a second luxury carriage connecting Nha Trang and Quy Nhon and vice versa. For the updated timetable for each route, please refer to our official schedule . Tickets for all journeys can be reserved from now.

The Vietage by Anantara consists of two distinct railway carriages, each undertaking daily journeys in opposite directions. The first carriage departs in the morning from Da Nang to Quy Nhon, continuing on to Nha Trang. The second carriage departs from Nha Trang in the afternoon, traveling to Quy Nhon and then up to Da Nang. The average speed of The Vietage by Anantara is 51.9 kilometres per hour.

For the six-hour journeys between Da Nang and Quy Nhon, a pre-ordered three-course gourmet meal will be served. Complimentary snacks, free-flow selected wine, cocktails, mocktails, teas, coffee, and soft drinks are included, plus a 15-minute head and shoulder treatment.

For the five-hour journeys between Quy Nhon and Nha Trang, a luxury afternoon tea experience featuring local caviar, Vietnamese artisanal cheeses, a selection of premium Vietnamese teas from Epicurean Sao and a selection of cold cuts will be served. Complimentary snacks, free-flow selected wine, cocktails, mocktails, teas, coffee, and soft drinks are included, plus a 15-minute head and shoulder treatment.

Our onboard facilities include a sit-up bar, a designated area for head and shoulder treatments, restroom facilities, six private booths with two comfortable seats per booth including power outlets, charging stations, amenity baskets featuring pillows, blankets and additional essentials, plus complimentary Wi-Fi, and a ‘Discovery Book’. Exclusively for the journey from Quy Nhon to Danang, sleeper booths are available, subject to availability.

Both The Vietage by Anantara tickets and accommodation packages can be reserved directly with us through the following channels:

• Official Website:

Visit our official website https://www.thevietagetrain.com/ to make seat reservations.

For combination stays with Anantara Hoi An Resort , Anantara Quy Nhon Villas , or Avani Quy Nhon Resort , reservations can be made through the respective resorts’ official websites.

• Reservations Team:

Contact our reservations team directly via email at [email protected] or by phone at +84 (0) 256 3686 168 to secure your seats or enquire about available accommodation packages.

• Live Chat (Daily from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm GMT+7)

Utilize the Live Chat plugin available on the bottom right corner of our website homepage https://www.thevietagetrain.com/ for real-time assistance, or through social media inbox support https://www.facebook.com/thevietage , or WhatsApp number +84 (0) 912 579 252.

The Vietage by Anantara travels daily from Da Nang to Nha Trang and Nha Trang to Da Nang with a stop in Quy Nhon in each direction. Guests are recommended to book the short journeys between Da Nang – Quy Nhon and Nha Trang – Quy Nhon with a combination stay at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas for the ultimate luxury experience and better combination rates with accommodations. The long journeys between Da Nang and Nha Trang are limited and subject to availability and can only be reserved directly with our Reservations team via [email protected] .

Children of all ages are welcome aboard The Vietage by Anantara. Children under the age of 4 are complimentary when sharing a seat and meal with an adult. Only one child is allowed per paying adult. Children aged 4 years and above will be charged as an adult price.

Guest Reviews

Hoi an to quy nhon in style.

6 hours of complete zen. One of our best travel experiences to date. With a free flow of bubbles, wines and beer parried with a 3 course delicious lunch. We enjoyed every bit and hope to be back in near future. Hats off to the chef to pulled off serving this level of food on a train, and the wonderful staff.

A luxury escape through Central Vietnam!

As we excitingly settled into our seats, The Vietage’s hosts offered refreshments alongside a plate of freshly baked French pastries. Yum! We each opted for a tasty morning coffee as our journey to Quy Nhon was underway! As the train chugged along, we took full advantage of their free-flow wines, beers, soft drinks, tea and coffee on board. We sipped sparkling Prosecco and chatted over glasses of Sauvignon Blanc all afternoon! Around noon, The Vietage’s Executive Chef brought together modern Vietnamese cuisine, French culinary techniques and international flavours to bring passengers an exquisite three-course afternoon meal. Their specially curated menu offers delectable meat, fish and plant-based dishes, which you choose prior to boarding. To start I had ordered the ‘Foie Gras Terrine & Duck Confit,’ for my main the ‘Braised Wagyu Neck’ and for dessert the chocolate ‘Crème Brulée.’ It was truly a meal to remember! Included in our journey was a 20-minute soothing head and shoulder treatment, which was the perfect little massage to fully revitalize us before reaching Quy Nhon!Our 6 hours aboard The Vietage seemed to have flown by. We chatted, laughed and sipped away the afternoon as the beautiful beachy Quy Nhon slowly came into view. To put it simply, my journey aboard The Vietage was a stand out. There is just no comparison to the absolutely incredible time we had aboard The Vietage. Its charm alone speaks to the thrill of travel as a whole and I can only wish the ride was longer!

A timeless experience…

I had the privilege to be part of this exceptional train cruise from Quy Nhon to Da Nang. The experience is wonderful in all aspects : from the comfort of the cabin which is smartly designed with lots of little storage; the food experience on board; the social experience with the other guests coming from all over the world to the nice atmosphere in the bar compartment. I must say that could not be possible without the amazing service provided by The Vietage team.

An elegant luxurious train trip

In life there are a number of bucket list trips that you hope to get too and The Vietage was one of them for us. This trip was part of our honeymoon and from the moment we checked in Da Nang Train Station until we disembarked in Quy Nhon this was a trip that we will long remember. We were greeted warmly and welcomed by the professional, courteous staff and soon settled into our cabin. It was elegantly appointed and every aspect of this trip was filled with elegance and delight. Bao and his team went above and beyond and our cabin steward was attentive and accommodating to ensure we had the most amazing. The food was another experience that will long be remembered and was carefully created by the chefs to offer tastes of French and Vietnamese influence. The bar was a great place to connect with other guests and the view of the countryside is spectacular as we made our way to Quy Nhon.

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Asian Train Guide

Railway Journeys of Asia by Richard Barrow

• Vietnam Railways 🚆

Vietnam Railways

• À propos de l'opérateur
• Itinéraires Populaires
• Commentaires
• Horaire et Emploi du temps

A propos de Vietnam Railways

Voyager en train est un moyen très pratique d'explorer le pays. Que vous recherchiez une expérience à l'ancienne avec un train lent grande distance, ou un express ultra moderne à grande vitesse, le voyage en train vous permet d'arriver à destination avec style, et de profiter au maximum du voyage. Vietnam Railways est l'une des compagnies avec lesquelles vous pouvez réserver un voyage en train. Avant de confirmer votre réservation, pensez à vérifier la date de votre voyage, la classe, le prix et les conditions de votre tarif.

Quelles sont les gares principales de Vietnam Railways ?

Les principales gares couvertes par le réseau de Vietnam Railways sont les suivantes :

• Sapa Lao Cai
• Ho Chi Minh-Ville

Quels sont les itinéraires les plus populaires de Vietnam Railways ?

Voici quelques-uns des itinéraires proposés par Vietnam Railways qui jouissent de la plus grande popularité auprès des voyageurs :

• Hanoï - Sapa
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Da Nang
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Nha Trang
• Da Nang - Hué
• Hanoï - Ninh Binh
• Hanoï - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Hanoï
• Hanoï - Da Nang
• Hué - Da Nang
• Hanoï - Hué
• Nha Trang - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Da Nang - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Sapa - Hanoï
• Nha Trang - Da Nang
• Da Nang - Hanoï
• Da Nang - Nha Trang
• Ninh Binh - Hanoï
• Ninh Binh - Hué
• Da Nang - Dong Hoi
• Hué - Hanoï
• Hué - Ninh Binh
• Ninh Binh - Da Nang
• Ninh Binh - Dong Hoi
• Hué - Dong Hoi
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Binh Thuan
• Dong Hoi - Da Nang
• Dong Hoi - Hué
• Binh Dinh - Da Nang
• Hanoï - Dong Hoi
• Binh Thuan - Da Nang
• Dong Hoi - Ninh Binh
• Da Nang - Ninh Binh
• Da Nang - Binh Dinh
• Dong Hoi - Hanoï
• Hanoï - Hai Phong
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Hué
• Hanoï - Nha Trang
• Da Nang - Binh Thuan
• Binh Thuan - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Nha Trang - Binh Dinh
• Binh Dinh - Nha Trang
• Hué - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Nha Trang - Hanoï
• Hai Phong - Hanoï
• Binh Thuan - Nha Trang
• Nha Trang - Binh Thuan
• Hué - Nha Trang
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Binh Dinh
• Nha Trang - Hué
• Binh Dinh - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Dong Hoi
• Ninh Binh - Nghe An
• Gia Lam - Sapa
• Sapa - Gia Lam
• Nha Trang - Phu Yen
• Nghe An - Hanoï
• Da Nang - Phu Yen
• Hanoï - Nghe An
• Phu Yen - Da Nang
• Nha Trang - Nha Trang
• Ninh Binh - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Nghe An - Dong Hoi
• Dong Hoi - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Dong Nai
• Phu Yen - Nha Trang
• Da Nang - Quang Ngai
• Nghe An - Hué
• Nghe An - Ninh Binh
• Quang Nam - Binh Dinh
• Binh Thuan - Binh Dinh
• Gia Lam - Hai Phong
• Hué - Binh Dinh
• Binh Dinh - Hué
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Quang Nam
• Nha Trang - Quang Nam
• Quang Ngai - Da Nang
• Binh Dinh - Binh Thuan
• Hué - Nghe An
• Quang Nam - Nha Trang
• Dong Hoi - Nghe An
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Ninh Binh
• Phu Yen - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Quang Ngai - Nha Trang
• Dong Nai - Hô Chi Minh-Ville
• Hai Phong - Gia Lam
• Dong Hoi - Nha Trang
• Nghe An - Da Nang
• Binh Dinh - Quang Ngai
• Da Nang - Quang Tri
• Da Nang - Ha Tinh
• Binh Dinh - Phu Yen
• Nha Trang - Dong Hoi
• Phu Yen - Binh Dinh
• Da Nang - Nghe An
• Binh Dinh - Quang Nam
• Hô Chi Minh-Ville - Phu Yen
• Hanoï - Binh Thuan
• Nha Trang - Quang Ngai
• Ninh Binh - Quang Tri
• Binh Thuan - Hué

Quelles sont les classes et prix de train de Vietnam Railways ?

En fonction de la durée de votre voyage et de vos préférences, vous pouvez choisir un billet de première ou de deuxième classe, dans un wagon-couchette pour un voyage de nuit, ou opter pour un siège rigide ou souple si ces options sont disponibles. Notez que le choix des classes de billets dépend à la fois de l'itinéraire et de la durée de votre voyage. En principe, votre train peut comporter des couchettes de première classe, mais vous ne pourrez pas en réserver une si vous ne faites qu'un court trajet de deux heures. En général, les couchettes de seconde classe sont un bon choix pour les longs voyages, et les sièges souples sont adaptés si votre trajet en train est censé durer moins de 4 ou 5 heures.

Avantages et Inconvénients du Voyage en Train

Avantages du voyage en train.

• L’avantage principal du voyage en train est l'absence d'embouteillages. Et cela même aux heures de pointe, pendant les longs week-ends ou la haute saison.
• Le processus de réservation en ligne est facile - vous n'avez pas besoin de vous rendre à la gare, alors que c’était encore le cas il n'y a pas si longtemps !
• Les prix des billets de train sont généralement plus abordables que ceux des billets d'avion, mais pour certaines destinations et certains voyages, la durée totale du trajet peut être presque la même.
• Si le voyage en train est évidemment plus lent que le voyage en avion, les gares sont souvent situées au centre de la ville, ce qui vous fait gagner beaucoup de temps pour vous y rendre et en revenir, alors que les aéroports sont presque toujours très éloignés de la ville.
• Voyager de nuit vous permet d'économiser une nuit d'hôtel et de bien dormir - contrairement à un bus de nuit où même la classe couchette reste un compromis.
• Sur certaines lignes, un service de luxe est disponible.

Inconvénients du Voyage en Train

• Pour les voyages les plus longs, le train prend définitivement plus de temps que l’avion.
• Les trains suivent des horaires, mais des retards sont possibles - et ces retards peuvent être énormes, donc si vous prévoyez une correspondance avec un vol, vérifiez soigneusement l'heure d'arrivée de votre train à la gare et réfléchissez-y à deux fois.
• La propreté est parfois un problème en deuxième et troisième classe, ainsi que dans les toilettes.
• Si votre train fait beaucoup d'arrêts, il est parfois difficile de savoir quand descendre car les arrêts ne sont pas toujours clairement annoncés ou signalés, sauf si un écran électronique est disponible.

Vietnam Railways Itinéraires Populaires

Vietnam railways horaire et emploi du temps, gares vietnam railways, vietnam railways: avis sur la société.

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Because the world is too small for strangers.

The luxury train experience in Vietnam you never knew

11 Sep 2023

By Morgan Awyong

As the global perspective on leisure travel recalibrates following an extended pause, slow travel is emerging as a beguiling option. Offering an unhurried pace for more in-depth discoveries, this form of travel serves as a welcome sanctuary from the world's accelerating tempo, as we gradually return to pre-pandemic normalcy. In line with the time-honoured saying, slow travel isn’t about the destination – it’s all about the journey.

Unveiling the elegance of slow travel: The Vietage odyssey

Taking the concept of opulent travel to heart, The Vietage offers a luxurious railway experience through the scenic vistas of central Vietnam. Initially conceived for the exclusive clientele of Anantara resorts in Hoi An and Quy Nhon, this 12-seater carriage is seamlessly integrated with the Reunification Express, which traverses the distance between Ho Chi Minh City Saigon and Hanoi. 

While the train service originally debuted in 2000, it faced a temporary hiatus due to the global pandemic. Operations joyfully resumed in April 2022, positioning The Vietage as an attraction in Vietnam only a select few have heard about.

The Vietage is Vietnam’s only luxury train service, going between Danang and Quy Ngon. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

Navigating through Vietnam’s scenic canvas: a voyage in grandeur

Clad in woven rattan and soft upholstery, The Vietage is a plush invite for those seeking such slow escapes – particularly if you’re looking for unique things to do in Vietnam. 

It takes you on a six-hour ride through the central landscapes of Vietnam, passing provinces like Quang Nam and Quang Ngai before reaching the coastal city of Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh. Along the way, you will see breathtaking scenes of paddy fields, lotus lakes and long mountains, interrupted by small pockets of township where locals buzz through on their motorbikes. This leisurely voyage captures the essence of romantic train travel through its charming local vignettes, serving as a quintessential and picturesque chapter in any Vietnam itinerary.

Travellers can expect an unadulterated view of the passing scenery through central Vietnam. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

Boasting a thoughtfully-planned journey with curated experiences on board, the luxury train truly lived up to its promise. From dedicated staff greeting you at the railway station to guide you aboard, to small service touches like welcome drinks and pastries, every segment of the rail ride felt expertly tailored to elevate the experience.

The attentive, butler-like approach was not only a delightful treat at the Danang station but proved indispensable at Quy Nhon for the return trip, where the lack of English signage and announcements could otherwise have been a barrier for non-Vietnamese speakers. What stood out most, however, was the impeccable balance the staff maintained throughout the six-hour journey – offering assistance without ever becoming intrusive, a hallmark of truly intuitive service.

The refurbished cabin leads inward to an endless bar in the luxury train. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

Upon boarding, I was gracefully escorted to my assigned seat, which was part of a thoughtfully designed configuration: six pairs of generous, face-to-face seats, divided evenly on either side of the cabin. A small table situated between each pair of seats provided just enough distance for privacy among strangers while also allowing for intimate conversations between couples and friends. Enhancing this sense of seclusion, woven rattan screens tastefully separated each seating area. Under each seat, a comprehensive amenity kit awaited, complete with a blanket, neck pillow, slippers, eye masks, and even a compact freshening-up kit.

An amenity kit below the soft seats aboard the luxury train offered comfort items such as a neck pillow, eye mask, slippers, toothbrush, toothpaste. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

Designing personal havens: the art of travel perfected

Positioned at the very heart of the cabin, the bar serves as an inviting haven for guests, offering an endless flow of meticulously crafted beverages. While gourmet meals are conveniently served at your comfortable seat, you have the flexibility to enjoy drinks either there or at the bar – a lively locus for social interaction and engaging conversations with the amiable staff.

On the return trip, I was particularly delighted to engage in enlightening conversations with Tien and Thao. Both were more than happy to offer insights into the provinces we passed through, as well as to share their own personal experiences. The cabin's design includes windows that span its entire length, ensuring you won't miss any of the captivating scenery even as you indulge in delightful banter or sip your drinks. To my pleasant surprise, nestled within this gently traversing haven, I encountered some of the best cocktails in Vietnam. Observing the staff meticulously muddle and finesse each creation, while savouring the complex flavours against the backdrop of the passing landscape, elevated the experience to something truly incomparable.

The bar on the luxury train serves up craft cocktails, beers, wines, and an enviable list of coffee specialties. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

At various moments during the journey, I would find myself relishing specially-prepared meals right at my seat. Concocted by the resort's expert chefs and freshly prepared onboard, the sumptuous three-course menu showcased local ingredients, creating an intimate connection with the region's unique terroir. It was, without a doubt, a dining experience that will remain etched in my memory.

The inclusive three-course meal is lovingly prepared by resort chefs and plated by staff of The Vietage. Here is the Braised Wagyu Neck with Shredded Carrots, Zucchini and Green Tea, with Sesame Jus. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

Selecting a drink from the speciality menu proved to be a challenge, thanks to its comprehensive range of both international and local flavours. Find regional beers, effervescent bubblies, wines and spirits , the selection also included a tea and coffee menu that could easily outclass any cafe. Among these myriad choices, The Cafe Tonic emerged as a transformative experience for

Feel free to pair the free-flow of drinks onboard The Vietage with the passing scenery. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

Just when you believe the experience has reached its peak, a 30-minute massage awaits you at a time slot tailored to your preference. Conveniently located beyond the bar and before the train's connecting corridor, the intimate therapy room is staffed by a skilled onboard masseur. Settle into the ergonomic massage chair, close your eyes, and let the combination of the train's gentle rocking and the therapist's expert touch lull you into profound relaxation. It's as if you've been invited to indulge in a spacation , without ever leaving the comfort of the train.

Enjoy a mix of sceneries, from rice fields and mountains to small townships in central Vietnam. (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

A confluence of luxuries: beyond the monetary value

At a one-way ticket price of US$350 (approximately S$500), The Vietage offers unparalleled value, particularly when compared to other luxurious train experiences. This wonderful journey serves as an idyllic scenic escape through Vietnam's less-explored regions, complete with an inclusive three-course gourmet meal, a free flow of fine wines, crafted cocktails, and other beverages. Add to that a soothing massage and a series of delightful surprises, which I'll leave for you to discover. Although six hours might initially seem lengthy, the duration felt fleeting amidst the captivating scenery of Vietnam. Even on the return trip, when the evening concealed the vistas, my enriching conversations with the attentive staff continued to make the experience deeply engaging and memorable.

Butler service, an extensive menu, picturesque sceneries in Vietnam - what more could one ask for? (Photo: Morgan Awyong)

Setting a new benchmark for Vietnam’s train travel: a legacy in the making

Although Vietnam may not traditionally be celebrated for its railway services – given that the century-old Reunification Express has seen minimal upgrades – The Vietage by Anantara presents a paradigm shift. This train experience is a national treasure in the making, offering unmatched luxury that promises to redefine perceptions of rail travel within this enchanting country.

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WiFi routers, travel insurance, attraction tickets and more! Specially curated to meet your travelling needs, Changi Recommends offers an extensive range of travel necessities such as WiFi routers, travel insurance and more to help you get ready for your holiday.  Shop now at Changi Recommends!

Best time to visit The best time to visit Vietnam largely depends on what you want to see and do. While the country is delightful year-round, the dry season from December to April is often considered the most comfortable for travelling. This period is excellent for all kinds of activities and offers the clearest skies and pleasant temperatures.

Currency The official currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). You can buy currencies at real-time exchange rates and  collect your currencies at Changi Airport using Changi Recommends FX .

Transportation Getting around Vietnam is relatively straightforward, with options ranging from taxis and buses in the cities to domestic flights for long distances. Trains are also a romantic and scenic way to travel, especially if you're considering The Vietage for an unforgettable and luxurious railway experience.

Book Now Ready to embark on your Vietnam adventure? You can fly into major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Nang.  Book your tickets to Vietnam now  and make sure to check out all the wonderful things to do in Vietnam!

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Vietnam mix tour train & flight from north to south, tour highlights.

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Fill up to get details, enquiry now , small group maximum 15 people, departure date every tuesday , detailed itinerary, day 1 - tuesday: hanoi arrival (d), day 2- wednesday: hanoi fullday (b,l), day 3 - thursday: hanoi - halong bay - overnight on the cruises (b/l/d), day 4 - friday: halong – hanoi (b/br), day 5 - saturday: ninh binh – tam coc - overnight train to da nang (b,l), day 6 - sunday: train through hai van pass – danang – afternoon visit hoi an town(b/d), day 7 - monday: bana hills – golden bridge - da nang (b,l), day 8 - tuesday: flight to ho chi minh city – ho chi minh city tour (b,d), day 9 - wednesday: mekong delta excursion (b,l,d), day 10 - thursday: ho chi minh – departure (b), journey's schedule, tour price excludes.

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Train-couchette du Vietnam :  horaires et tarifs 2024

• Mis à jour le 2 Feb, 2024       Par: Phuong Mai

Il est indéniable que les trains-couchettes sont le véhicule préféré de nombreuses personnes lorsqu'ils voyagent sur de longues distances comme les grands trajets dans ce moyen de transport sont souvent plus abordables et plus confortables que ceux en voiture ou en bus.

Si vous envisagez de vous déplacer en train-couchettes au Vietnam ou si vous êtes simplement curieux d’en connaître plus, il vous est recommandé de lire cet article pour les découvrir.

À propos du train-couchette au Vietnam Raison de voyager au Vietnam en train de nuit Itinéraires de train de nuit populaires au Vietnam Train de nuit de Hanoï à Sapa Train couchette de Hanoï à Hué Train de nuit de Hanoï à Da Nang Train couchette de Hô Chi Minh-Ville à Nha Trang Conseils pour voyager en train de nuit au Vietnam

À propos du train-couchette au Vietnam

Le Vietnam est un pays étendu et la meilleure façon de parcourir ses longues distances est de voyager en train, car il est bon marché et permet aux touristes d'avoir un aperçu des magnifiques paysages du Vietnam tout au long du chemin.

D’ailleurs, le transport ferroviaire au Vietnam est un moyen de mobilité confortable, sûr et abordable, favorise la relaxation et la réduction de la fatigue des visiteurs, surtout lorsqu'ils voyagent sur de longues distances. La plupart des trains-couchettes du Vietnam disposent désormais du Wi-Fi (cependant, les vitesses de connexion ne sont pas pareils).

A cela s’ajoute le côté d’économie comme vous réduisez sûrement les frais d'hébergement si vous prenez les trains de nuit qui vous permettent de vous reposer en même temps de déplacement.

Il existe deux classes de sièges principales dans un train-couchette régulier au Vietnam : la couchette dure et la couchette souple. Et c’est pareil avec le train d’Express de la Réunification, le train public traversant le long du Vietnam, qui vous offre aussi des sièges durs et souples.

Couchette dure : Plus adaptée aux voyages sur de courtes distances, ce type de couchette vous propose un lit superposé en fer avec un matelas fin.

Il y a souvent 6 couchettes dans une cabine dans la plupart des compartiments de classe couchette dure, et le tarif dépendra de l'étage que vous choisissez : le prix le plus cher est réservé à l'étage au plus bas, puis l’étage intermédiaire (s’il y en a) et le plus bas est pour l’étage au plus haut.

Couchette souple : C'est la classe la plus confortable pour les touristes, et il n'y a que 4 ou même 2 couchettes par cabine dans un train-couchette typique de première classe. Toutes les places sont marquées au même prix. La couchette souple est fortement recommandée pour les voyages longue distance car vous pouvez vous reposer confortablement pendant des heures.

Raison de voyager au Vietnam en train de nuit

Prix économique : Il est vrai que se déplacer en train est beaucoup moins cher qu'en avion. De plus, lors d'un voyage en train, certaines personnes bénéficient également de réductions, à titre d'exemple des enfants, des étudiants, des soldats, etc.

Tarifs stables : Si vous voyagez fréquemment, vous comprendrez la complexité de la structure tarifaire de ce type de transport. Cependant, dans une même période, les tarifs des trains ont tendance à être stables. Que ce soit au départ de nuit ou de jour, du lundi au samedi, les billets de train n'ont toujours qu'un seul prix inchangé.

Pourtant, il arrive aussi parfois que le tarif des billets augmentent (pendant les vacances, par exemple) mais la différence n'est pas grande et tend à revenir à l'ancien prix une fois les vacances terminées. On pourrait donc dire que le tarif du train est assez stable.

Grande capacité de prendre des bagages : Il s’agit d’un avantage particulier pour les clients s’ils voyagent longtemps et souhaitent apporter une grande quantité d’affaires. Si vous voyagez en train, vous avez l’opportunité d’emporter un maximum de 20 kg de bagages, tandis qu'un billet d’avion n'autorise que 7 kg en classe économique et 14 kg en classe affaires.

Sécurité : Les trains sont un moyen de transport assez sûr. Surtout grâce à la circulation sur des voies séparées, le risque de collision entre un train et d'autres véhicules est moindre. Ainsi, vous pouvez être assuré que vous arriverez là où vous allez, sans avoir à vous soucier des accidents.

Respect de l'environnement : par rapport aux voitures ou aux avions, les trains émettent beaucoup moins d’émissions. La quantité de GES émise par les trains n’a pas d’effet direct sur la haute atmosphère et est donc moins toxique que les émissions diffusées par des avions.

Notez que le prix correspond au prix du billet par personne, donc si vous êtes moins de 4 mais vous souhaitez réserver la totalité de la cabine à 4 couchettes, vous devrez payer 4 billets.

Itinéraires de train de nuit populaires au Vietnam

Train de nuit de hanoï à sapa.

Si vous souhaitez vous diriger vers les collines de Sapa , le meilleur moyen de vous y rendre est de prendre un train de Hanoï à Lao Cai. C’est parce que Sapa n'a pas de gare ferroviaire, mais elle se trouve à environ 38 km (24 miles) de la gare de Lao Cai et est facilement accessible en bus, en jeep ou en taxi (en 50 minutes environ). En plus, il existe des trains de jour et de nuit entre Hanoï et Lao Cai, la plupart d'entre eux partent de Hanoï vers 21h00 - 22h00 et arrivent à la gare de Lao Cai entre 05h00 et 06h00.

Sur certains trains-couchettes au Vietnam, vous pouvez choisir entre les chemins de fer normaux ou toute une série de trains-couchettes privés d'un niveau plus élevé destinés aux touristes. 

Train couchette de Hanoï à Hué

Le trajet de Hanoï à Hué vous prendra de 12 à 14 heures, il vous est donc fortement recommandé de réserver un billet avec couchette souple. La meilleure option est de voyager en train-couchettes de nuit, c’est-à-dire vous partez le soir et vous arrivez vers l'heure du déjeuner, afin de mieux profiter de la vue, surtout après votre réveil le matin.

Train de nuit de Hanoï à Da Nang

Comme la distance entre la gare de Hanoï et celle de Da Nang est d'à peu près 791 kilomètres et que le trajet associé les deux dure environ 16 heures, le train de nuit est plus populaire avec les habitants ainsi que les voyageurs. Vous avez donc la possibilité de dormir la nuit et d'arriver à destination le lendemain matin. De plus, les trains de nuit permettent d'économiser les frais d'hébergement et de gagner du temps de déplacement.

Par ailleurs, au-delà des repas offerts et les ventes de plats dans des comptoirs de restauration à bord du train, les voyageurs peuvent également profiter de la vue sur la magnifique campagne le long du chemin avant d'arriver à Da Nang. 

Il est noté que si vous êtes un gros mangeur, vous pouvez prendre plusieurs repas et snacks que le train vous offre, ou apporter votre propre nourriture et manger pendant votre trajet. 

Train couchette de Hô Chi Minh-Ville à Nha Trang

Vietnam Railways propose des trains de nuit au départ de Hô Chi Minh-Ville entre 19h30 et 22h30 et arrivant à Nha Trang tôt le lendemain matin.

Avec tous les trains de nuit de Ho Chi Minh Ville à Nha Trang, il est conseillé d'informer votre hôtel de votre heure d'arrivée pour vous assurer que tout est prêt avant votre arrivée, car l'heure du check-in habituelle est après midi, mais avec prévention, vous pouvez parfois vous enregistrer une chambre plus tôt.

Conseils pour voyager en train de nuit au Vietnam

Bien que les trains-couchettes sont moins cher ques les autres moyens pour se déplacer au Vietnam, il y a quelques points que vous deviez garder à l'esprit pour une meilleure expérience :

- Il y aura du drap frais si vous monter depuis les gares de départ. Pourtant, si vous partez à mi-chemin d'un trajet, il se peut qu'ils ne le changent pas faute de temps. Ainsi, si vous êtes sensible à la propreté, il est recommandé d’apporter votre propre drap et votre taie d’oreiller.

- Attendez-vous à partager la cabine avec quelqu'un d'autre quand vous choisissez votre lit. Il est généralement sécuritaire de voyager en train ; cependant, vous souhaiterez peut-être toujours garder vos objets de valeur en sécurité. Le train sera bruyant et un peu tremblant. Apportez vos bouchons d'oreilles ou écoutez de la musique de manière à avoir un sommeil plus profond.

- Les toilettes ne sont peut-être pas à la hauteur de celles que vous avez dans votre ville natale. Alors, il est préférable de ne pas boire trop d’eau, car vous n’aurez peut-être pas envie d’aller aux toilettes de temps en temps. En outre, apportez également des mouchoirs et du désinfectant pour les mains.

- Réglez une alarme pour vous lever 30 minutes avant votre arrêt. Le personnel viendra vous réveiller, mais c'est bien d'avoir un peu de temps afin de ranger vos affaires et de vous préparer.

- Conservez bien vos billets car les contrôleurs pourraient les vérifier à nouveau la nuit.

Vous aimerirez aussi : 

>>  Guide de voyage en train de nuit au Vietnam

>>  Comment se rendre de Danang à Hoi An ?

>>  Circuit Vietnam 14 jours, quoi visiter au Vietnam en 2 semaines?

>>  Circuit Vietnam 15 jours: que faire? Quelles idées itinéraires à savoir?

>>  Quand partir au Vietnam ? Tout savoir sur le climat du Vietnam

>>  Circuit Vietnam : Quel itinéraire ? que faire ? combien de jours ?

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• 3 Other destinations
• 4.1 History
• 4.2 Politics
• 4.3 Economy
• 4.5 Culture
• 4.6 Climate
• 4.9 Holidays
• 4.10 See also
• 4.11 Tourist information
• 6.1.1 Visa-free entry
• 6.1.2 E-Visa
• 6.1.3 Regular visa
• 6.1.4 Dual citizens
• 6.2 By plane
• 6.3 By train
• 6.4.1 Cambodia
• 6.4.2 China
• 6.5 By boat
• 7.1.1 Destinations
• 7.1.2 Seats and carriages
• 7.1.3 Tickets
• 7.2.2 Stay safe
• 7.3 By plane
• 7.4 By bicycle
• 7.5 By motorbike
• 7.6.1 By metered taxi
• 7.6.2 By xe ôm
• 7.7 By cyclo
• 7.8 By boat
• 7.10 On foot
• 8.1 Architecture
• 8.2 City life
• 8.3 Landscapes and nature
• 8.4 Museums
• 9.1 Motorbiking
• 10.1.1 ATMs
• 10.1.2 Credit cards
• 10.1.3 Cashless payment
• 10.1.4 Money exchange
• 10.1.5 Banking
• 10.1.6 Acceptance of other currency
• 10.2 Tipping
• 10.3.1 Tax refund
• 10.3.2 Price discrimination
• 10.3.3 Supermarkets
• 10.3.4 Costs
• 11.1 Dietary restrictions
• 12.2 Coffee
• 12.3 Soft drinks
• 12.4 Wine and liquor
• 16.1 Unexploded ordnance
• 16.3 Corruption
• 16.4 Prostitution
• 16.5.1 Taxis
• 16.5.2 Taxi and cyclo drivers
• 16.5.3 Hotels
• 16.5.4 Restaurants
• 16.5.5 Hostels
• 16.5.6 Copycats
• 16.5.7 Fake monks
• 16.6 Traffic
• 16.7 Nightlife
• 16.8 Wildlife
• 16.9 LGBT travellers
• 16.10 Politics
• 17.1 Healthcare
• 18.1 Politics
• 18.2 The American War
• 18.3 Religion
• 19.1 Electricity
• 20.1.1 Mobile phones
• 20.1.2 Useful numbers
• 20.2 Internet

Vietnam ( Vietnamese : Việt Nam) is a country in Southeast Asia with great food and a wealth of natural and cultural attractions. Despite the turmoil of the Vietnam War (called the American War in Vietnam), Vietnam has emerged from the ashes since the 1990s and is undergoing rapid economic development, driven by its young and industrious population. It remains less developed as a tourist destination than Thailand .

Regions [ edit ]

Cities [ edit ]

• 21.0245 105.84117 1 Hanoi ( Hà Nội ) — Vietnam's capital, a historic city with a wealth of cultural and historical sites
• 10.775556 106.701944 2 Ho Chi Minh City ( Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh ) — Vietnam's largest and most cosmopolitan city, formerly known as Saigon ( Sài Gòn ) when it was the capital of South Vietnam
• 16.069444 108.209722 3 Da Nang ( Đà Nẵng ) — The largest city in central Vietnam
• 11.941667 108.438333 4 Dalat ( Đà Lạt ) — A French colonial hill station in the highlands
• 20.8 106.666667 5 Haiphong ( Hải Phòng ) — The "port city", a major port in north Vietnam
• 15.877669 108.33265 6 Hoi An ( Hội An ) — A well-preserved ancient port, near the ruins of My Son
• 16.456111 107.576389 7 Hue ( Huế ) — The former home of Vietnam's emperors
• 12.245 109.191667 8 Nha Trang — A burgeoning beach resort
• 18.673333 105.692222 9 Vinh — The major city in north-central Vietnam with very nice Cua Lo Beach

Other destinations [ edit ]

• Con Dao — Islands off the Mekong Delta
• Cu Chi — The site of the Cu Chi Tunnels
• Cuc Phuong National Park — Home to some of Asia's rarest wildlife and the Muong hill people
• The DMZ — The ruins of old American military bases, spectacular mountain scenery and rugged jungles
• Ha Long Bay — Famous for its unearthly scenery
• Ninh Binh — Ha Long Bay-like karst scenery along the river
• Phu Quoc — An island just off the coast of Cambodia, known for its beaches, fish sauce and seafood
• Sa Pa — A region to meet native indigenous people in the hills by the Chinese border
• Phong Nha Caves – A World Heritage cave system in Quang Binh province.

Understand [ edit ]

Vietnam, originally a dynasty until 1945, has been a socialist state under an authoritarian system since unification in 1976. The country has about 100 million inhabitants and provides a staggering variety of forest landscapes and a complex cultural history.

History [ edit ]

Vietnam's history is one of war, colonization and rebellion. Occupied by China no fewer than four times, the Vietnamese managed to fight off the invaders just as often. Even during the periods in history when Vietnam was independent, it was mostly a tributary state to Imperial China until the French colonization. Vietnam's last emperors were the Nguyễn Dynasty , who ruled from their capital at Hue from 1802 to 1945, although France exploited the succession crisis after the death of Tự Đức to de facto colonise Vietnam after 1884. Both the Chinese occupation and French colonization have left a lasting impact on Vietnamese culture, with Confucianism forming the basis of Vietnamese social etiquette, and the French influencing Vietnamese cuisine.

After a brief Japanese occupation in World War II (see Pacific War ), the Communist Viet Minh under the leadership of Hồ Chí Minh continued the war of independence against the French. The last Emperor Bao Dai abdicated in 1945 with a proclamation of independence following soon after. The majority of French had left by 1945, but in 1946 they returned to continue the fight until their decisive defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Conference partitioned the country into two at the 17th parallel, with a communist-led North supported by the Soviet Union, and Ngô Đình Diệm establishing a capitalist regime and declaring himself President of the Republic of Vietnam in the South, supported by the United States.

South Vietnam would be plagued by numerous domestic problems, including corruption, nepotism and electoral fraud. Diệm, who was a Roman Catholic, enacted laws that discriminated against the Buddhist majority, which led to the Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức self-immolating in protest at a busy intersection in Saigon in 1963. U.S. economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew during the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the South Vietnamese government. This escalated into the dispatch of 500,000 American troops in 1966 and what became known as the Vietnam War in the West (the Vietnamese refer to it as the American War ). What was supposed to be a quick and decisive action soon degenerated into a quagmire, and U.S. armed forces withdrew following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, on April 30, 1975, a North Vietnamese tank drove into the South's Presidential Palace in Saigon and the war ended. An estimated 3 million Vietnamese and over 55,000 Americans were killed. Vietnam's war against the United States was one of many that they have fought, but it was the most brutal in its history. Most of the nation's population was born after 1975. American tourists will receive a particularly friendly welcome in Vietnam, as many young Vietnamese are admirers of American culture. See Indochina Wars for more on these conflicts.

After unifying the country, the communist government proceeded to root out the remaining capitalist elements in the south. Many business owners were killed while others, known as the boat people, became refugees and attempted to escape to Western countries, resulting in the establishment of Vietnamese communities in many countries, including the United States , Australia and Canada . The ethnic Chinese, long resented by the ethnic Vietnamese for their perceived economic clout, were particularly hard-hit by the purges.

Following the collapse of the state-run economy, the government implemented market-oriented reforms and introduced capitalist elements in 1986 with a policy known as đổi mới . This policy has proved highly successful, as it spurred impressive economic growth and infrastructure development. Discriminatory laws against the remaining ethnic Chinese were repealed, and many have used their business acumen to contribute greatly to the revitalisation of the Vietnamese economy, also regaining some of their previous economic dominance in the process. Relations with the United States have thawed considerably, with formal defence ties having been re-established in 2016. Some former refugees or their descendants, most of whom were raised and educated in the West, have returned to Vietnam to take advantage of new economic opportunities. Today, Vietnam is widely considered to be one of the rising stars of Asia with a young population and vibrant economy.

Politics [ edit ]

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam) is a one-party authoritarian state, with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam as the supreme leader, the president as the head of state and the prime minister as the head of government. The Vietnamese legislature is the unicameral National Assembly , from which the prime minister is selected. In practice, the president's position is only ceremonial, with the prime minister wielding the most authority in government.

Economy [ edit ]

Economic reconstruction of the reunited country has proven difficult. After the failures of the state-run economy started to become apparent, the country launched a program of đổi mới (renovation), introducing elements of capitalism. The policy has proved highly successful, with Vietnam recording near 10% growth yearly (except for a brief interruption during the Asian economic crisis of 1997). The economy is much stronger than those of neighboring Cambodia and Laos. Like most Communist countries around the world, there is a fine balance between allowing foreign investors and opening up the market.

There used to be extreme restrictions on foreigners owning property or attempting to sell. However, a property regulation announced in 2015 allows foreigners to own and lease apartments in Vietnam.

It is very difficult for them to trade without negotiating 'fees'. Business can be done via local partnerships with all the attendant risks.

Power and services is another issue. There are often rolling blackouts at times when there is not enough electricity. For this reason, many shops have portable generators.

According to government estimates, Vietnam saw 12.9 million tourist arrivals in 2017. Just 5% of visitors to Vietnam return for another holiday, compared to Thailand's whopping 50% return rate.

People [ edit ]

Most people in Vietnam are ethnic Vietnamese (Kinh), though there are many minority groups who tend to live in the highlands or big cities. The three biggest minorities are the Tay people, Thais and Muong. Others include the Khmers and Hmong. There is a sizable ethnic Chinese community in Ho Chi Minh City, most of whom are descended from migrants from Guangdong province and are hence bilingual in Cantonese, Teochew or other Chinese dialects and Vietnamese. The Chams, who live in the southern coastal areas of the country, represent the bulk of Muslims in Vietnam.

Buddhism , mostly of the Mahayana school, is the largest religion in Vietnam, with over 80% of Vietnamese people practising it to one degree or another, albeit usually syncretised with Taoism, Confucianism and Vietnamese folk religion. Christianity (mostly Roman Catholicism) is the second largest religion at 11%, followed by the local Cao Dai religion. Islam , Hinduism and local religions also share small followings throughout the southern and central areas.

Culture [ edit ]

Due to its long history as a tributary state of China, as well as several periods of Chinese occupations, Vietnamese culture is strongly influenced by that of southern China, with Confucianism forming the basis of Vietnamese social etiquette. The Vietnamese language also contains many loan words from Chinese, though the two languages are unrelated. Buddhism remains the single largest religion in Vietnam. As in China, but unlike its Southeast Asian neighbors, the dominant school of Buddhism in Vietnam is the Mahayana School.

Nevertheless, Vietnamese culture remains distinct from Chinese culture as it has also absorbed cultural elements from neighboring Hindu civilizations such as the Champa and the Khmer empires. The French colonization also left a lasting impact on Vietnamese society, perhaps symbolised best by the Vietnamese fondness for baguettes and coffee. Southern and Central Vietnam, especially along the coast, have a much stronger Western influence, as compared to the North.

The division of Vietnam during what is locally called the American War has also resulted in cultural differences between northern and southern Vietnam that can be seen today. To this day, northern Vietnamese have a tendency to be more ideological, while southern Vietnamese tend to be more business-minded.

Vietnam is known for several traditional arts, with perhaps the most famous being water puppetry . In modern times, Vietnam has also jumped on the cirque nouveau bandwagon, with AO Show from Ho Chi Minh City perhaps being the best known example. Vietnam is also home to a vibrant pop music scene, with South Korean pop being the biggest influence on modern Vietnamese pop music.

Climate [ edit ]

Vietnam is large enough to have several distinct climate zones.

• The south has three somewhat distinct seasons: hot and dry from Mar-Apr; rainy from May-Nov; and cool and dry from Dec-Feb. April is the hottest month, with mid-day temperatures of 33°C (91°F) or more most days. During the rainy season, downpours can happen every afternoon, and occasional street flooding occurs. Temperatures range from stifling hot before a rainstorm to pleasantly cool afterwards. Mosquitoes are most numerous in the rainy season. Dec-Feb is the most pleasant time to visit, with cool evenings down to around 20°C (68°F).
• The north has four distinct seasons, with a comparatively chilly winter (temperatures can dip below 15°C/59°F in Hanoi), a hot and rainy summer and pleasant spring (Mar-Apr) and autumn (Oct-Dec) seasons. However, in the Highlands both extremes are amplified, with occasional snow in the winter and temperatures hitting 40°C (104°F) in the summer.
• In the central regions the Hai Van pass separates two different weather patterns of the north starting in Langco (which is hotter in summer and cooler in winter) from the milder conditions south starting in Da Nang. Northeast monsoon conditions Sep-Feb often have strong winds, large sea swells and rain. This is a miserable and difficult time to travel through Central Vietnam by motorbike. Normally summers are hot and dry.

Read [ edit ]

• Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham (2000).
• The Quiet American by Graham Greene (1955). Set in 1950s Saigon. A love triangle with a historical backdrop. 2 film adaptations: 1958 & 2002.
• The Lover by Marguerite Duras (1984) (original title: L'amant ). Film adaptation: 1992 starring Jane March, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud.

Watch [ edit ]

• Indochine (French, 1992), with Catherine Deneuve, directed by Régis Wargnier. Set in 1930s French Indochina. A good storyline with some interesting insights on the history and politics of the time. Set around Saigon.
• Cyclo (Vietnamese, 1995). Set in Saigon, a dive into the murky violence and poverty of 1990s Saigon.

Holidays [ edit ]

By far the largest holiday is Tết — the Lunar New Year — which takes place between late January and March. In the period leading up to Tết, the country is abuzz with preparations. Guys on motorbikes rush around delivering potted tangerine trees and flowering bushes, the traditional household decorations. People get a little bit stressed out and the elbows get sharper, especially in big cities, where the usual hectic level of traffic becomes almost homicidal. Then a few days before Tết the pace begins to slow down, as thousands of city residents depart for their ancestral hometowns in the provinces. Finally on the first day of the new year an abrupt transformation occurs: the streets become quiet, almost deserted. Nearly all shops and restaurants close for three days, (the exception being a few that cater especially to foreign visitors; and hotels operate as usual.)

In the major cities, streets are decorated with lights and public festivities are organized which attract many thousands of residents. But for Vietnamese, Tết is mostly a private, family celebration. On the eve of the new year, families gather together and exchange good wishes (from more junior to more senior) and gifts of "lucky money" (from more senior to more junior). In the first three days of the year, the daytime hours are devoted to visiting: houses of relatives on the first day, closest friends and important colleagues on the second day, and everyone else on the third day. Many people also visit pagodas. The evening hours are spent drinking and gambling (men) or chatting, playing, singing karaoke, and enjoying traditional snacks and sweets (for women and children.)

Visiting Vietnam during Tết has good points and bad points. On the minus side: modes of transport are jammed just before the holiday as many Vietnamese travel to their home towns; hotels fill up, especially in smaller towns; and your choice of shopping and dining is severely limited in the first days of the new year (with a few places closed for up to two weeks). On the plus side, you can observe the preparations and enjoy the public festivities; pagodas are especially active; no admission is charged to those museums and historical sites that stay open; and the foreigner-oriented travel industry of backpacker buses and resort hotels chugs along as usual. Visitors also stand a chance of being invited to join the festivities, especially if you have some local connections or manage to make some Vietnamese friends during your stay. When visiting during Tết, it's wise to get settled somewhere at least two days before the new year, and don't try to move again until a couple of days after.

Lesser holidays include 1 May, the traditional socialist labor day, 2 September, Vietnam's national day, King Hung celebration on 10 March of Lunar Calendar, commemorating past kings, and Reunification Day on 30 April, marking the fall of Saigon in 1975. Around those times, trains and planes tend to be sold out, and accommodation at the beach or in Dalat are hard to find. Best to book far in advance.

See also [ edit ]

• Vietnamese phrasebook
• Driving in Vietnam
• Trekking in Vietnam
• Vietnam by motorcycle
• Vietnamese cuisine

Tourist information [ edit ]

• Vietnam Travel website

Talk [ edit ]

The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese ( Tiếng Việt ). Vietnamese is a tonal language that uses a change in pitch to inflect different meanings, and this can make it difficult to master. Travellers may still be surprised to learn that the basic grammar is pretty simple. Verbs are static regardless of the past or future and parts of speech are pretty straightforward. The major difficulties lie in the pronunciation of the various tones and some of the sounds. Vietnamese is an Austroasiatic language that is related to Khmer, though the two languages are not mutually intelligible.

Vietnamese consists of 5 main dialects: the northern dialect spoken around Hanoi, the north-central dialect spoken around Vinh, the central dialect spoken around Hue, the south-central dialect spoken around Phu Yen and the southern dialect spoken around Ho Chi Minh City.

While the Hanoi dialect is the prestige dialect and widely used in broadcasting, there is no legally-defined standard dialect of Vietnamese. Northerners often think that the southern dialect is for "hai lúa" (country folk) and will always recommend that you stick to the northern dialect, but the choice of dialect should depend on where you plan to stay. If you are working in Ho Chi Minh City , the main economic centre of Vietnam, the southern dialect is what you will hear every day. The southern dialect is also more prevalent among Vietnamese communities in the West due to the southern origin of most of the Vietnam War refugees.

Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet (with heavy use of diacritics), and the spelling accurately reflects the pronunciation. However, the pronunciation of the letters is often different from that in English.

Although Chinese characters are no longer used to write Vietnamese, the Vietnamese lexicon continues to be heavily influenced by the Chinese language. Some words are loanwords from Chinese like "hotel" (khách sạn), "children" (nhi đồng), "communist party" (đảng cộng sản); some are formed based on Chinese roots (characters), like "representative" (đại diện) or "bird flu" (cúm gà). Any knowledge of the Chinese language will make it much easier to learn Vietnamese. Chinese characters are sometimes still used for ceremonial purposes, such as in Buddhist and Taoist temples, but in general most Vietnamese are unable to read them. Vietnamese is also full of French and English loanwords. Nowadays, some English words are used directly in Vietnamese: camera, clip, internet, jeans, PC, sandwich, selfie, radar, show, smartphone, tablet, TV, etc.

Although the Vietnamese people appreciate any effort to learn their language, most seldom experience foreign accents. Consequently, learners may find it frustrating that no one can understand what they try to say. Staff in hotels and children tend to have a more tolerant ear for foreign accents and it is not unheard of for children to effectively help translate your badly pronounced Vietnamese into authentic Vietnamese for adults.

Ho Chi Minh City is home to a sizeable ethnic Chinese community, many of whom speak Cantonese . The more remote parts of the country are also home to many ethnic minorities who speak various languages belonging to the Mon-Khmer, Tai-Kadai and Austronesian language families.

Most younger Vietnamese learn English in school, but proficiency is generally poor. However, most hotel and airline staff will know enough English to communicate. Younger upper and middle class Vietnamese generally have a basic grasp of English. Road directional signs are generally bilingual in Vietnamese and English. Vietnamese people are much more adept at using 'Translate' Apps on phones than in neighbouring countries and will readily use these as means of communicating in English as well as other languages.

As a result of its colonial legacy, educated senior citizens are able to speak French . However, English has supplanted French as the main foreign language among the younger generations.

Russian is also spoken by some Vietnamese who have studied, worked, or done business in the USSR or Russia.

In the big cities, some of the big international luxury hotel chains will have staff who can speak other foreign languages such as Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean. At the more popular tourist sites, such as Hanoi's Temple of Literature, guides conduct tours in a number of foreign languages, including German, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean or Japanese.

Get in [ edit ]

Entry requirements [ edit ], visa-free entry [ edit ].

As of 2023/2024, visitors from the following countries, with their passport validity being at least 6 months from the date of entry, do not require a visa and can stay for the following number of days:

• 14 days: Brunei , Myanmar
• 21 days: Philippines
• 30 days: Indonesia , Kyrgyzstan , Laos , Malaysia , Singapore , Thailand , Cambodia
• 45 days: Belarus , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Norway , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , Russia , the United Kingdom (valid until 14 March 2025)
• 90 days: Chile , Panama

No specific waiting time is necessary between exit and re-entry on visa-free or visa-based visits to Vietnam. The visa-free period is calculated anew for every entry.

Further visa-free entries into Vietnam include:

• Any foreigner on a permanent or temporary residence permit.
• Any foreigner travelling in a border economic zone (e.g. Ha Tien ) for no more than 15 days, or in a special administrative and economic zone or a coastal economic zone like Phu Quoc island, off of the southwestern coast, for no more than 30 days. In order to boost tourism, the Vietnamese government has made these changes for Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc International Airport ( PQC  IATA ) receives some direct flights from European airports such as Stockholm-Arlanda operated by Thomson , and flights from destinations in Asia. Also, those flying through Ho Chi Minh City (transit) or arriving by boat will not need to apply for a visa beforehand. Those wishing to travel elsewhere afterwards can apply for a proper Vietnamese visa at the local immigration office.
• Any foreign citizen of Vietnamese origin, who can apply for visa exemption that allows multiple entry for 3 months at a time which is valid for the duration of the passport.

In all other cases a visa in advance is required to visit Vietnam — see below. The previous visa-on-arrival scheme has been terminated.

E-Visa [ edit ]

Visitors from many countries , including most Western ones, are eligible for an electronic visa (e-Visa), which you apply for through the official online portal and print out yourself after approval (twice). It typically takes 3 working days to process, costs US$25 (single-entry) or US$50 (multiple-entry), and is valid 30 to 90 days, depending on you nationality and type of visa.

Don't forget to pay, which is a separate step after confirming your application, otherwise your visa application will be on hold! Also, the automatic email confirmation is not reliable and you have to check for yourself online whether you have received the visa. You must print out two paper copies of your visa once it is approved. You will need to submit one copy to the immigration officer when entering the country, and submit the other one to the immigration officer when leaving. You may also need to show it when checking in for your flight.

E-Visas are valid at major airports and seaports, and most but not all land crossings , e.g. not at the Oyadav–Lệ Thanh crossing between Banlung (Cambodia) and Pleiku (Vietnam). A full list of valid crossings is available on the e-Visa website, though many of them use obscure local names that can be difficult to find on maps.

In theory, entry and exit from the country should be from the same airport, seaport, or land crossing as stipulated on the e-Visa form, but in reality this is usually not enforced on the way out. However, you must enter on the date and at the place stipulated on the visa; you will be denied entry if you arrive on the wrong date or at the wrong port of entry. You will also be denied entry if there are typos in vital data on your eVisa such as your name or birth date.

Multiple entry and extended duration, are available with additional documents and information required.

Regular visa [ edit ]

Those not eligible for an eVisa can apply for a regular visa at most Vietnamese embassies and consulates abroad. The cost of applying depends on your nationality and the embassy or consulate you are applying at, but it will generally cost at least double the price of the eVisa. Check with the Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your country of residence, or the country you are in, for details. Embassies are (oddly) reluctant to announce fees on their websites, as the relatively high visa costs are a tourism deterrent, but nevertheless a source of revenue. Email or, even better, call them to get up-to-date information on prices. Or if you are in the same city, walk in and ask in person.

A regular visa may be required for people eligible for e-Visa, in case you want to enter at a remote border crossing that isn't included in the e-Visa system.

If your country does not have a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, a popular alternative would be to apply at the Vietnamese diplomatic missions in Bangkok , Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh . As of 2019, one of the reportedly cheapest places to get a visa are the Vietnamese embassy and consulates in Cambodia, starting at US$40 for a one-month, single entry visa. You may be able to apply for a visa and get it back later the same day; for example, at the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh. Make sure to inquire about the details, since if you don't complete the application before a certain time of day, you will need to wait until the next day to pick up the visa and your passport.

Dual citizens [ edit ]

If you are a citizen of two foreign countries, you may be entering Vietnam on a different passport (Country A) than the one you have used to leave the previous country on your itinerary (Country B's passport) (e.g. because Country A's passport has a Vietnamese visa or offers a visa-free entry to Vietnam, while Country B's passport has a visa for the previous visited country). In this case, the Vietnamese immigration inspector will likely want to see the exit stamp and/or visa in your Country B passport as well. He may suggest putting the Vietnamese entry stamp into Country B passport as well, so that all your stamps would be in one place. Don't take him up on his offer; make sure that the Vietnamese entry stamp goes into the passport that either has the Vietnamese visa, or offers visa-free entry to Vietnam. Otherwise, you risk having problems when leaving Vietnam; the border control officers at your attempted exit point may declare your entry stamp "invalid" and send you back to your original point of entry to have the error corrected.

By plane [ edit ]

Vietnam's main international airports are located at Hanoi ( HAN  IATA ) and Ho Chi Minh City ( SGN  IATA ). Both airports are served by numerous flights from major cities in East Asia and Southeast Asia , with some intercontinental services to Australia , Europe and the United States .

International airports at Da Nang , Vinh , Nha Trang and Phu Quoc receive flights from neighboring Asian countries. As Da Nang is closer to the historical sites of Central Vietnam than the two main airports, it can make a convenient entry point for those who wish to visit those sites.

The national carrier is Vietnam Airlines , which operates flights into Vietnam's two largest cities from various cities in Australia, Asia and Europe. Vietnam Airlines serves most capital cities of Southeast Asian countries . The largest low cost carrier is Vietjet Air which flies to regional destinations including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Seoul, Singapore and Yangon.

By train [ edit ]

There is a nightly sleeper train between Nanning in China and Hanoi, taking 12 hours, including a tedious 2+2 hours at the border — see Hanoi#Get in for details. Through service are also available from Beijing , but travellers will need to change railway coaches at Nanning.

The old metre-gauge Kunming-Hanoi line has closed, and the simplest work-around is to take the high-speed train from Kunming to Nanning to join the overnight train to Hanoi. Another option is to travel to Hekou North Station in China, walk across the border from Hekou to Lao Cai , then take a Vietnamese train from Lao Cai to Hanoi. Both sides have several trains a day, so a daytime train from Kunming to Hekou can be matched with an overnight train from Lao Cai to Hanoi.

There are no railway links between Vietnam and Laos or Cambodia.

By road [ edit ]

Cambodia [ edit ].

Regarding bribes ; this is still a problem as of 2023, however most people encounter no issues when entering Vietnam by land. Certain border crossings, like the Bavet–Moc Bai crossing between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City , are known for demanding a 100,000–200,000 dong bribe from some people for giving the entry (but also exit) stamp — a claim is that this only applies to e-Visa. If you are one of the unlucky ones, try negotiating it down to 50,000 dong or be bold, put the 50,000 dong into your passport, walk up to the border officer desk in the VIP line, and hand over your passport. Check the reviews of the relevant border checkpoint on Google Maps to understand the situation and how to react. When travelling by bus, most likely the bus company will take care of the border formalities in exchange for a "service fee", so as to not to get stuck at the border. So, any potential bribe will already be included in this service fee or your bus ticket price.

The main crossing with Cambodia is the already above mentioned Bavet–Moc Bai crossing on the Phnom Penh–Ho Chi Minh City road. Buses between the two cities cost US$22–25 and take around 6–7 hr. Passengers are usually taken to a duty free shop for lunch while staff process them through immigration.

The Phnom Den–Tinh Bien crossing just north of Chau Doc . There is no regular boat service from Chau Doc onward towards Ho Chi Minh City or even other parts of the Mekong Delta , but you have to go by road.

Close to the coast is the Xa Xia–Prek Chak (Ha Tien) crossing . The Vietnamese consulate in Sihanoukville issues 30-day tourist visas on a same-day basis. Buses run between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh , and Ha Tien and even Phu Quoc in Vietnam.

The Tro Peang Plong–Xa Mat crossing on the Kampong Cham – Ho Chi Minh City road is not well served by public transportation.

The Oyadav–Lệ Thanh crossing connects Banlung in North Eastern Cambodia and Pleiku in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Vietnam e-Visas are not accepted for entering Vietnam at this border crossing. So, only visa-free nationalities or people with a traditional visa from an embassy/consulate can enter. The Vietnamese entry checkpoint closes to foreigners at 17:30.

China [ edit ]

There are three border crossings between China and Vietnam that can be used by foreigners:

• Dongxing - Mong Cai ( by road; onward travel Mong Cai to Ha Long by sea or by road )
• Hekou - Lao Cai ( by road and/or rail, but no international passenger train services )
• Youyi Guan - Huu Nghi Quan (Friendship Pass - by road and/or rail )

Laos [ edit ]

There are six border crossings between Laos and Vietnam that can be used by foreigners (from north to south):

• Tay Trang (Dien Bien province, Vietnam) - Sobboun (Phongsali province, Laos)
• Na Mao (Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam) - Namsoi (Houaphanh province, Laos)
• Nam Can (Vietnam) - Namkan (Xiangkhouang province, Laos)
• Kaew Neua - Cau Treo (Keo Nua Pass)
• Lao Bao (Vietnam) - Dansavan (Laos)
• Ngoc Hoi (Kon Tum province, Vietnam) - Bo Y (Attapeu province, Laos)

Be wary of catching local buses from Laos to Vietnam. Not only are they often crammed with cargo (coal and live chickens, often underfoot) but many buses run in the middle of the night, stopping for several hours in order to wait for the border to open at 07:00. Whilst waiting, you will be herded off the bus (for several hours) where you will be approached by pushy locals offering assistance in getting a Laos exit stamp in exchange for money (usually US$5+). If you bargain hard (tiring, at 04:00) you can get the figure down to about US$2. The men will take your passports, which can be disconcerting, but they do provide the service they promise. It is unclear whether you can just wait for the border officials to do this. There is also a VIP bus from Savannakhet.

By boat [ edit ]

Boats (4–5 hr) from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc run once a day — see Phnom Penh#By boat . They use the so called Song Tien landport border crossing on the banks of the Mekong River.

This journey between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City can also be stretched into a 2-nights/3-days Mekong Delta tour and provides a more insightful journey between the two cities, starting from about US$60–100. However, the only times on a boat with these tours will be the Phnom Penh–Chau Doc bit, a floating market morning boat tour from any of the overnight towns along the way, and the short Ben Tre – My Tho boat ride — the rest is by bus. For an actual boat tour of the Mekong Delta it will probably require several hundreds if not a thousand US dollars.

Get around [ edit ]

Trains are undoubtedly the most comfortable and an exciting way to travel overland in Vietnam.

Due to the steady increase of tourist bus prices, trains are now an inexpensive alternative to buses. While a night in a sleeper carriage is still more expensive than a sleeper bus, seat carriage prices are very competitive.

Destinations [ edit ]

There is one major train line in Vietnam, the 1,723 km (1,071 mi) trunk between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), on which the Reunification Express runs. HCMC to Hanoi is more than 30 hours, and overnight hops between major destinations are usually possible, if not entirely convenient. It is a good way to see the countryside and meet upper-middle class locals, but unless you are travelling in a sleeper car it is no more comfortable than buses.

In addition, there are shorter routes from Hanoi leading northwest and northeast, with international crossings into China . One of the most popular of the shorter routes is the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai (with a bus service from Lao Cai to the tourist destination of Sapa ).

Seats and carriages [ edit ]

Air conditioned soft or hard sleeper berths are recommended for overnight trains. Otherwise air-conditioned soft seats are sufficiently comfortable to travel in them during the day. If you are sensitive to cigarette smoke try to book a seat closer to the middle of the carriage as people smoke in the areas at the end of the carriages and the doors are often left open.

At least in the sleeper carriages, there are hot and cold water dispensers and paper cups — tea or instant coffee may be a great idea. Toilets in the seater carriages can be squatting ones, whereas toilets in the sleeper carriages are regular ones. So, if possible, head to one of the sleeper carriages if the passage is not locked. There is always a sink separate from the toilet with water to wash your hands, but only the sleeper carriages may have soap and a dryer.

When buying a ticket, also check the sleeper carriages for availability. During day travel, some sleeper berths are priced almost as cheap as seats, the upper berth sometimes even cheaper. Note that the train personnel in Vietnam seems to enforce the bed selection and people are not sitting together on the lower seat during the day like in India. In the worst case, you will have to stay in sleeping position the whole trip, during the day. However, on the lower berth(s), two friends or on your own, with one or two pillows in your back, is a great way to chill and watch the landscapes fly buy. If the seater carriage is fully booked, be assured, so will be the sleeper soon. So, you will most likely have to stick to the selected berth, even if your side of the cabin was empty when you booked it. (In the 6-berth carriage, for more head space put the middle berth up half way and use the foot rest to keep it in that position.)

Tickets [ edit ]

In high season, purchasing as early as possible is a good idea. However, you can simply check the ticket situation online by checking near-future trains (in the next couple of days) to understand how early you need to book.

Booking online is possible through the official Vietnamese Railways website , which has an English version and accepts payments by international bank cards. The process is straight forward and works flawlessly — you will receive an e-ticket for download with a QR code in the end. Printing the e-ticket is not necessary if you got the QR code, but most larger railway stations will have a ticket printing machine anyways, just in case.

Prices fluctuate a little, by 5% or so, but booking early except for assuring a seat is not necessary. Prices for holiday periods are generally higher.

There are commercial websites to book your train ticket with, like Baolau or 12go.Asia . However, if the Vietnamese Railway website is working, there is no real reason to do so. Also, while they will assure you a seat on the train, they might lie about the type of seat, especially if the train is getting full. It happened to tourists in the past that they booked a regular seat but ended up with a sleeper berth, having to lie down the whole journey during daytime. It is best therefore to book directly, which will also ensure you the best price.

Booking at the train station itself is generally safe, but beware of scams by station staff . Prepare a piece of paper with the destination with date, time, no. of passengers and seat class, and, most importantly, know the price.

( It is unclear whether the following information is still relevant as of 2023. ) Popular berths and routes are often bought out by tour companies and travel agents well before the departure time. Being told the train is sold out at a station ticket window or popular tour company office does not mean there are no tickets available; they have simply been bought by another reseller. Unsold tickets can often be bought last minute from people hanging around at the station. A train is rarely sold out for real, as the railway company will add cars when demand is high. Commissions on these tickets will drop away as the departure time draws nearer. As of July 2018 tickets (now termed "boarding passes") do indicate the class of ticket, making scams with falsely promised seat classes less of an issue, although buying your ticket directly online or from the train station remains the best option.

By bus [ edit ]

Public buses travel between the cities' bus stations. In bigger places, you often have to use local transport to get into the city centre from there. Buses are generally in reasonable shape, and you have the chance to interact with locals.

Every major city will have a centralised bus station, and most of the major companies will have ticket offices at the stations. Bus stations are generally well organised, safe and easy enough to navigate even if you don't speak Vietnamese.

As a foreigner, you are likely to get overcharged on local buses, where you pay a conductor during the journey. Find out what the right fare is by looking up the price (it is displayed somewhere, often next to the front door on the outside of the bus; take a photo if you can), or by talking to one of the local travellers. Give the right amount and be prepared to argue your case. Nowadays however, many conductors will issue tickets, making it harder or less interesting for them to overcharge you.

Long-distance buses connect most cities in Vietnam. Most depart early in the morning to accommodate traffic and late afternoon rains, or run overnight. Average road speeds are typically quite slow, even when travelling between cities. For example, a 276 km (172 mi) journey from the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City by bus will likely take about 8 hours.

So called open tour buses are run by a multitude of tour companies. They cater especially to tourists, including door-to-door service to your desired hostel. You can break the journey at any point and continue on a bus of the same company any time later, or simply buy tickets just for the stage you're willing to cover next. If you are not planning to make more than 3-4 stops, it might be cheaper to buy separate tickets as you go. Buses without the journey break option are just called deluxe or inter-provincial buses .

There are seater buses available, especially during the day, sleeper buses , where instead of a seat, you get an angled-flat bunk bed that you can sleep on, and more expensive VIP sleeper bus , in which you get a wider bunk bed, your own cubicle for more privacy, and a personal TV system similar to those in aeroplanes.

Most ho(s)tels and guesthouses can book buses for you. However, they will try to book a more expensive option, because their commission is bigger then. So, you are better off to shop around at travel agents and bus companies directly, as prices will vary considerably on any given ticket or bus company — some buses (even sleeper) are as cheap as a seater railway carriage, e.g. FUTA Bus or Son Tung Bus (Hue and south). Booking with the bus company directly may net you a commission-free fare, but most companies have fixed pricing policies, which can only be circumvented through a travel agent.

If you are traveling with a bicycle , negotiate the extra fee with the driver rather than the ticket counter before buying your ticket. The bicycle fee should be no more than 10% of the ticket price.

Cope [ edit ]

Stop-offs are often at souvenir shops to give the bus company an extra income. You do not have to buy anything, but they always have toilets and drinks and water available for purchase. The estimated time for a bus trip will not be accurate and may be an additional couple of hours sometimes, due to the number of stop offs. Collecting the passengers at the start of the journey can also take quite a while too. Always be at least half an hour early to catch the bus. Try not to drink too much water, as rest stops, especially for overnight buses, may be just somewhere where there are a lot of bushes.

Vietnamese buses are made for Vietnamese people; bigger Westerners will be uncomfortable, especially on overnight buses. Also, many Vietnamese are not used to travelling on long-haul buses, and will sometimes get sick — not very pleasant if you are stuck on an overnight bus with several Vietnamese throwing up behind you.

Even if you are sometimes bus-sick, it is advisable to book a seat at the middle rather than at the front of the bus. First, you will avoid viewing directly the short-sighted risks the driver is taking on the way. Second, you will somewhat escape the loud noise of non-stop honking (each time the bus passes another vehicle, that is about every 10 seconds).

Although the bus company will usually be happy to collect you at your hotel or guest house, boarding at the company office will guarantee a choice of seats and you will avoid getting stuck at the back or unable to sit next to your travelling companions. The offices are generally located in or near the tourist area of town, and a short walk might make your trip that much more pleasant.

The long haul bus companies operate from north to south and back on the only main road (QL1). If you take a bus going further than your destination, the bus will drop you off at the most convenient crossroad for it and not as you may have expected at the bus terminal of your destination. For Hué, this crossroad is 13 km from the city centre; for Nha Trang 10 km. At these crossroads, you will find taxis or motorbike taxis to get you to your ho(s)tel.

Stay safe [ edit ]

A scam that you may encounter is that after arriving at your location, the guides will ask you whether you have booked a hotel. Even though you haven't, say that you have and prepare the name of a hotel. If you say you have not booked one, they will charter a taxi for you and probably drop you at a hotel which they can collect commission. If you decide not to stay, things may get a little ugly, as they will demand that you pay the taxi fare, which they may quote as several times the actual fare for a ten-minute ride.

Be very careful of your possessions on the overnight bus, as people (including bus employees) have been known to look through passenger's bags and take expensive items like electronics and sell them on for profit. Do not fall asleep with your headphones in your ear, as the chances are your phone will be nowhere to be found in the morning. Get a padlock for your hand luggage and lock everything up in there before you go to sleep.

Flights are the fastest way to traverse this long country. Flights between Hanoi and HCMC last only about 2 hours and start at €30–40.

There are many airports connecting with Hanoi and HCMC (north to south).

Northern Vietnam :

• Điện Biên Phủ Airport ( DIN  IATA ) near Dien Bien Phu
• Van Don International Airport ( VDO  IATA ) near Cai Rong
• Cat Bi International Airport ( HPH  IATA ) near Hai Phong , including international connections with South Korea and China

Central Coast :

• Vinh Airport ( VII  IATA ) near Vinh
• Dong Hoi Airport ( VDH  IATA ) near Dong Hoi
• Phu Bai International Airport ( HUI  IATA ) near Hue
• Da Nang International Airport ( DAD  IATA ) near Da Nang , including international connections with South Korea , China , Malaysia , Cambodia , Singapore , Taiwan , and Japan
• Chu Lai Airport ( VCL  IATA ) near Quảng Ngãi
• Phù Cát Airport ( UIH  IATA ) near Quy Nhon
• Tuy Hoa Airport ( TBB  IATA )
• Cam Ranh International Airport ( CXR  IATA ) near Nha Trang , including international connections with South Korea , China , Malaysia , Thailand

Central Highlands :

• Pleiku Airport ( PXU  IATA ) near Pleiku
• Buon Ma Thuot Airport ( BMV  IATA ) near Buon Ma Thuot
• Lien Khuong Airport ( DLI  IATA ) near Da Lat , including domestic connections to Da Nang , Vinh and Hue

Southern Vietnam :

• Rach Gia Airport ( VKG  IATA ) near Rach Gia
• Can Tho International Airport ( VCA  IATA ) near Can Tho
• Con Dao Airport ( VCS  IATA ) on Con Dao
• Phú Quôc International Airport ( PQC  IATA ) on Phú Quôc

Some airports are further away from the next major city or sight. Make sure to know how to get away from the airport without shedding another 500,000 dong for a taxi.

The full-service domestic airlines are flag carrier Vietnam Airlines operating some shorter flights, as well as privately owned Bamboo Airways . The main budget airlines are Pacific Airlines [dead link] and VietJet Air .

By bicycle [ edit ]

Adventurous travellers may wish to see Vietnam by cycling . Several adventure travel tours provide package tours with equipment. Most of the population get around on two wheels, so it's an excellent way to get closer to the people as well as off the beaten path.

Bicycles can be rented cheaply in many cities and are often a great way of covering larger distances. Good spots for cycling are Dalat , Hoi An , Hue and Ninh Binh . On the other hand, attempting to cycle in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is virtually suicide without proper experience of traffic rules (or lack thereof, 'proper experience' in this case means understanding that everyone around you could potentially change direction without signalling and at any moment). A general 'rule of thumb' when on a bicycle or motorbike is 'expect the unexpected'. It's like a school of fish traffic situation.

In cities like HCMC and Hanoi, parking bicycles on pedestrian areas is not allowed and you will have to go to a pay parking lot: 2,000 dong per bike, 5,000 dong for a motorbike.

By motorbike [ edit ]

Some choose to traverse the entire country this way while most are satisfied with a few local day trips — also see below . If you are not an experienced motorbike rider you should reconsider starting to ride here. Riding in the big cities is not advisable unless you are an experienced rider with a very cool head. Traffic is intense and chaotic; "right of way" is a nearly unknown concept.

In small towns and beach resorts where traffic is light, e.g. Pho Quoc, it's a delightful way to get around and see the sights, and much cheaper than taxis if you make several stops or travel any distance. Roads are usually decent, though it's advisable not to ride too fast and always keep an eye on the road for the occasional pothole.

Two main categories of motorbike are available for rent: scooters (automatic transmission); and four-speed motorbikes.

Most places you would want to stop have parking attendants who will issue you a numbered tag and watch over your bike.

If you are in Vietnam during the rainy season , make sure to buy a poncho or a raincoat before you start. They are available for as little as 10,000 dong. However, the traffic doesn't stop, it just becomes more chaotic. If you are hesitant or have not driven in such conditions before, it might be prudent to park and wait.

Beware of thieves: always keep your motorbike in sight or parked with an attendant. Look for rows of neatly-parked motorbikes or signs that say giu xe .

It is illegal for foreigners to ride a motorbike in Vietnam without a temporary Vietnamese motorbike licence , or an International Driving Permit with a valid home country motorbike licence. Nevertheless, many foreigners ride without a valid licence. Make sure to check with your travel insurance company to see if you are even covered to ride.

Crossing the border into Cambodia with a Vietnamese license plate seems no issue as of Dec 2023.

By taxi [ edit ]

Nowadays, the taxi and motorbike taxi market is dominated by the ride-hailing service Grab ( Android , iOS ), which took over Uber's former South-east Asian operations, including that of Vietnam. This means that the price and destination are set upfront and cash is not required; while cash is accepted, the driver may not have enough change should you hand them a large note, so preparing the exact amount is preferred. Depending on the route taken and time, prices will be slightly higher than for a taxi in most cases, but will sometimes be even cheaper. Outside of large cities, Grab arranges taxi rides according to metered rates, which are still paid through the app.

Even if you don't use Grab for booking, the app will help you to get a feeling for the rough price ranges for rides in case you hail a taxi or motorbike taxi directly along the street. Note that there are cases where the Grab driver can charge additional money, e.g. in case he used a larger vehicle. Find out about those cases from Vietnamese people or the TOS so not to be surprised when it happens expecting some kind of a scam.

As of 2023, Xanh SM [dead link] is pushing persistently into the taxi aka ride-hailing market with its EV fleet of cars and motorbikes. According to industry insiders they are supposed to overtake Grab in 2024 on the car side. They often have specials to attract people, so it is a good idea to also download this app (for Android or iOS ) and price–compare against Grab, especially for larger distances and prices.

By metered taxi [ edit ]

Regular taxis are still operating in places where ride-hailing may not be immediately available, like airports, railway stations, or around hotels. The smaller the taxi the lower the flag fall: so a small compact saloon or equivalent will have a flag fall of 5,000 dong, a mid range saloon 9,000 dong and an SUV 11,000 dong. The flag fall fare is for a shorter distance the smaller the car so the 5,000 dong flag fall takes you 500 m, whilst the 11,000 dong will last for 850 m so on journeys longer than 1 km the size of the vehicle makes no difference (somewhat complicated but after a few rides you will understand how the system works). In the evening these flag falls may rise by 1,000 dong.

Few drivers speak more than a few words of English, so staff at your hotel write down the names of your travel destinations in Vietnamese to show the driver. Another option is to show them the destination in Google Maps on your phone. In that case, most drivers prefer to view the complete route instead of just the destination and may even end up using your phone for navigation. It helps to carry one of your hotel's business cards so you can return to the hotel without too much fuss.

In the more touristy destinations such as Sapa and Cat Ba, it is much more difficult to get drivers to use their meters than in the big cities and beach centres. Be prepared to walk away if the driver refuses to use the meter.

Beware of common taxi scams , such as drivers refusing to use the meter and quoting ridiculous fares, or rigged meters than jump at ridiculous rates. However, as long as the meter starts automatically after the vehicle has been rolling for a few metres or the driver switches it on manually, you shouldn't be scammed. To minimise your chances of falling for a scam, try to learn to recognise the reputable large taxi companies — see city articles.

Carry small change and notes for paying fares, since drivers often are or pretend to be short on change.

Many drivers have a good command of the geography of their city and the nearest most passengers will come to being scammed is that the driver may select a slightly longer route than is strictly necessary. Keeping Google Maps open during your journey often prevents this issue.

By xe ôm [ edit ]

Motorbike taxis ( xe ôm , literally "hugging vehicle") are a cheap and reasonable mode of transport for Vietnamese as well as tourists — provided you avoid getting scammed. It's generally not a good idea to grab a random one off the street, as you are much more likely to get scammed as a foreigner. Instead, use one of the before mentioned ride hailing apps if available or use them for negotiating the price, as you are much less likely to get scammed that way. About 10,000 dong should suffice for a 10-minute trip, which should get you anywhere within the city centre. Longer trips to outlying areas should cost about 20,000-30,000 dong.

All riders are now required to wear helmets, a rule that is strongly enforced. Make sure the driver supplies you with a helmet. If he doesn't, find another one, as you'll be the one stung for the fine.

Drivers rarely speak English. As with most things, a tourist will often be quoted an above-market price initially, and you need to be firm, anything over 10,000 dong is a reason to walk away. Occasionally drivers will demand more than the negotiated price at the end, so it's best to have exact change handy. Then you can pay the agreed amount and walk away, end of discussion.

In some cases they will take you wherever they want (tourist attractions or shops you didn't request to go) and sometimes they will wait for you to come back (even if you don't want them to wait) and will ask you for more money for having been waiting. Even if you speak some Vietnamese, this is not useful, since they will cheat you anyway or they will act as if they don't understand even if they do. Again, be firm and walk away.

By cyclo [ edit ]

Not really an alternative to (motorbike) taxis, but an interesting way to see the city, cyclo pedicabs still roam the streets of Vietnam's cities and towns, especially the ones with many tourists. They are especially common in scenic smaller, less busy cities like Hue, where it's pleasant to cruise slowly along taking in the sights. Though the ride will be slow, hot and sometimes dangerous, you will generally need to pay more than for a motorbike for the equivalent distance. On the plus side, some drivers (particularly in the South) are very friendly and happy to give you a running commentary on the sights. Cyclos are slowly being supplanted by motorbikes though.

Cyclo drivers are notoriously mercenary and will always ask for a high price to start with. Sometimes they will also demand more than the agreed price at the end. Japanese tourists, especially women, are most often targeted with this scam since they are more responsive to the threat that the driver will call the police and make trouble for them if they don't pay as demanded. A reasonable price is about 20,000 dong for up to 2 km (1.2 mi), and if the driver disagrees, simply walk away — you won't get far before that driver or another takes your offer.

Prices for a sightseeing circuit with intermediate stops are more complex to negotiate and more subject to conflict at the end. If you plan to stop somewhere for any length of time, it's best to settle up with the driver, make no promises, and start fresh later. Some drivers start with a very low rate to get you into their cycle and then if required to wait for you or otherwise vary the agreed price, bring out a typed up price list of their "standard rates" which are inflated beyond belief. If even slightly unsure ask the driver show you his list of charges. Then negotiate from that point or walk away.

To avoid trouble, it's also best to have exact change for the amount you agreed to pay, so if the driver tries to revise the deal, you can just lay your cash on the seat and leave.

You will be missing a big part of Vietnamese life if you do not spend some time on a boat. Do be careful though because many boats, although seaworthy, are not designed to first world standards. An example is the ferry from Phu Quoc to the mainland. This ferry has one tiny entrance for all passengers to board. When full, which it usually is, there are approximately 200 people on board. In the event of an accident, the chance of everyone getting out of the boat fast enough would be very small. The idea of an emergency exit does not exist there.

Tour boats can be chartered for around US$20 for a day's tour; but beware of safety issues if you charter a boat, make sure the boat is registered for carrying tourists and has enough life jackets and other safety equipment on board. Or you can book a tour through a tour company; but in Vietnam most Tour Agents charge whatever markup they want and therefore the tourist is often paying margins of 30-40% and the boat owner and operator (of anything from a van to a boat etc.) are paid very little of the total amount.

Ha Long Bay is a famous destination for one- to three-day boat trips among its scenic limestone islands. The problem is that all the boats seem to visit the same places - and with high prices, poor quality boats and service real value is hard to come by. Many boats have a US$10 corkage fee, and forbid BYO alcohol, while on-board alcohol and seafood is about the same price as in Europe in some places. If there is rain, mist or low cloud, you may not see much. Try to pick a clear day.

Dozens of small family-operated boats ply the river in Hue taking visitors to the imperial tombs southwest of the city. This journey is long because the boats are slow, taking about 4 hours or so to make the journey in one direction.

Snorkel, fishing or lunch trips are available from Nha Trang , Hoi An , and Phu Quoc to nearby islands. In Central Vietnam northeast monsoon season limits many sea boat tours during the months Sep-Feb; other parts of Vietnam seem less affected.

A 90-minute hydrofoil boat operates from HCMC to the seaside resort of Vung Tau for about 250,000 dong each way, the fastest way to reach the beach from the city.

By car [ edit ]

Traffic moves on the right in Vietnam.

The concept of renting a car to drive yourself is almost non-existent, and when Vietnamese speak of renting a car, they always mean hiring a car with a driver. (After a short time on local roads with their crazy traffic, you will be glad you left the driving to somebody used to it.) Vehicles for rent are widely available. Tourists can hire vehicles through hotels and tour agents found in every tourist area. International car brands have started to surface, offerint chauffeur-driven services. Few drivers speak any English, so make sure you tell the hotel or agent exactly where you want to go, and have that communicated to the driver.

On foot [ edit ]

Traffic is made up of a staggering number of motorbikes and, since import duty was reduced when Vietnam's joined the World Trade Organization, an increasing number of private cars. However it's exceptionally rare to see a motorbike of more than 150cc, and the traffic rarely gets above 20–30 km/hr in central areas.

When crossing roads stay aware, and walk slowly and confidently. Motorbike riders are exceptionally good and will simply move to avoid you, just don't make any sudden erratic moves. Just look for a gap or seam in the traffic, and begin a slow, but steady movement. If you hear a beep coming your way it's likely a motorbike rider is about to enter your personal space. Be alert and prepared to stop putting your foot forward until he passes.

Always look both ways — don't assume traffic only comes from one direction. Give oncoming vehicles ample time to see and avoid you. Never move hastily between rows of waiting cars, often motorbike drivers will use the space between car rows to drive and they won't see you coming, since the cars block their sight.

Adherence to traffic signals is not guaranteed. Drivers tend to use "best judgment". Just remember though that vehicles can always turn right at any time (regardless of lights). Motorbikes often drive in the wrong direction to take a short cut, even against the traffic flow. Crossing roads therefore maybe a challenge for Westerners used to traffic laws and traffic lights.

For navigation make sure to have good (offline) maps and GPS with you. For reliable maps, GPS navigation , comprehensive map information, consult OpenStreetMap , which is also used by this travel guide and by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz .

See [ edit ]

Vietnam will show you sides of Asia that you've dreamed of. Lush rice fields at the bottom of stunningly gorgeous highlands, colourful water markets on the streams of the Mekong Delta and the endless bustling city life of Hanoi, where anything from school children to fridges and huge piles of vegetables are transported on the back of countless motorcycles. Although Vietnam's huge cities are rapidly transforming into modern Asian metropolises, traditional culture is never far away.

Architecture [ edit ]

Numerous ancient buildings remain and are actively maintained in Communist Vietnam, like the old town of Hoi An , but so are the buildings of Communist history, like the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City. Also, the colonial history provides for many architectural delicacies.

City life [ edit ]

Head to Hoi An with its Venice-like canals and beautiful old town for some top sightseeing. Enjoy the old port , wander through its endless winding alleys and take a pick from its countless fine restaurants and shops, or relax on the beach. Once a fishermen's village, this town's now well-protected by preservation laws and has turned into a major hot spot for visitors. Hanoi is of course the summit of Asian city life. It's an incredible myriad of ancient traditions, old and modern architecture, sounds, smells, bustling commerce and famously crazy traffic. It's chaotic and enchanting at once - a great place to discover both ancient and contemporary Vietnam. Most sights are in the Old Quarter , including the famous Hoan Kiem Lake and the beautiful Bach Ma Temple . Spend a day or two in Ho Chi Minh City , or Saigon, the country's largest city. Nowhere are contrasts between old and new more ubiquitous and alive than here, where you'll find ancient pagodas and traditional street life at the feet of giant skyscrapers. Top sights include the Reunification Palace and Giac Lam Pagoda . Also well worth visiting is the former imperial town of Hue , with its beautiful Citadel and the Tombs of the Emperors along the Perfume River . The largest beach city is Nha Trang which spreads out along the beach but also has an interesting city-scape.

Landscapes and nature [ edit ]

Few countries are blessed with landscapes as captivating as those of Vietnam. For many, the country's awe-inspiring limestone scenery, perfect beaches, islands, mountain ranges, rice fields and lakes are its greatest treasures. One of Vietnam's top attractions, Ha Long Bay , boasts thousands of limestone pillars and islands topped with dense jungle vegetation. Among the bustling port life, you'll find floating fishermen's villages, caves, and island lakes. Neighboring Lan Ha Bay is as spectacular, but less busy. Head to Sa Pa and the Muong Hoa valley to get take in the views of local rice fields against a background of bamboo forests. Also in the north is Tam Coc near Ninh Binh . This area is famous for its karst scenery, rice fields, and caves and is best explored by hired boat.

Phu Quoc , off the Cambodian coast, is the largest island in the country. Its delightful palm-lined beaches and tropical forests can compete with any in the world. Most famous in the south is of course the Mekong Delta . Here, the Mekong River empties into the South China Sea via a maze of smaller streams. It's a lush, green region and the source of half of Vietnam's agricultural produce. It offers scenic views of the rivers and rices fields as far as the eye can see. Here, natural landscapes and culture go hand in hand as life revolves around the water. The Mekong streams are a major means of transportation and host floating markets .

Some best picks in terms of natural wonders can be found in the country's national parks. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park , a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its natural caves and grottos, with underground rivers and cave beaches as well as stunning stalagmites and stalactites. For wildlife, try Cuc Phuong National Park .

Museums [ edit ]

For better insight in Vietnam's ancient traditions, culture and history, visit one of the many museums, some with truly excellent collections. The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City will leave a lasting impression, particularly the chilling collection of war photography. Although not exactly neutral in tone, there are English labels. The HCMC Museum is in a building worth seeing on its own, and gives a nice overview of the city's history. For a broader history collection, try the fine History Museum , which has artefacts from several Vietnamese cultures on display. In Hanoi , the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is an excellent place to dive into the life of the country's tribal people. In the centre of town is the Fine Arts Museum has all kinds of arts on display, from high-quality wood and stone carvings to fabulous ceramics and textiles. Descriptions in English. For something completely different try the Robert Taylor Museum of Worldwide Arms in Vung Tau . This is one mans fascinating collection of arms and uniforms collected from around the world.

Do [ edit ]

Trekking Vietnam is an ideal way to enjoy and experience beautiful nature of Vietnam, from the yellow farmers' terraces in harvesting season of the north ( Sa Pa ), to the off-the-beaten-path Central Highlands, or the frenetic activity of the Mekong Delta in the south.

Chinese chess ( cờ tướng ) is a popular game in Vietnam, and you will often notice the elderly having games in the public parks. If you know how to play, this can be an opportunity to befriend the locals. A uniquely Vietnamese tradition pertaining to Chinese chess is human chess ( cờ người ), typically played at temple and village festivals during Tết . As the name suggests, the pieces are played by humans dressed in traditional Vietnamese costumes, usually with 16 teenage boys on one side and 16 teenage girls on the other, and a choreographed traditional martial arts fight between the two pieces always ensues whenever a piece is captured.

Retreats, spas, meditation and yoga are popular in Vietnam, with Hoi An in particular becoming a hub for like-minded individuals.

Motorbiking [ edit ]

Epitomized in an episode of “Top Gear” riding a motorbike in Vietnam has become a goal for many people visiting the country. While riding in Vietnam can be dangerous, it can also be a life-changing experience. You see things from the seat of a motorbike that you don't see while travelling in different type of vehicle.

Motorbiking is popular with locals and tourists alike. Given that motorbikes are the main mode of transport in Vietnam, they can give a particularly authentic view of travelling through the country. Renting or buying a bike is possible in many cities.

Major roads between cities tend to be narrow despite being major, and full of tour buses hell-bent on speed, passing slow trucks where maybe they shouldn't have tried, and leaving not much room at the edge for motorbikes. But there are many good roads and beautiful sights to be seen with the freedom of your own motorbike.

Motorbike tours are the newest addition to the motorbike hype in Vietnam. Three basic concepts exist for that:

• On the most simple "tour", your luggage is taken care of and you ride the distance, e.g. Hoi An to Hue by motorbike and visit all the sights on the way. Price-wise this comes up to the same as a bus ride for the same distance, which is why many people choose this interesting alternative.
• On motorbike adventure tours , you are guided on multi-day drives to remote regions of the country. Most tours include accommodation, petrol, helmets, drivers and entry tickets to local places of interest. Guides usually speak good English or French and offer customised tours if desired.
• Motorbike sightseeing tours are similar but have a more local range specific to one city or area and can focus on food, shopping or sightseeing.

Buy [ edit ]

Money [ edit ].

The national currency is the dong ( đồng ), sometimes denoted by the symbol " ₫ " (ISO code: VND ). Prices are usually shown without a currency notation, e.g. as "100.000", "100k" or "100K", and in speech it's common to drop the thousands completely. Wikivoyage articles will use dong to denote the currency.

Notes are available in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 dong. Smaller bills and coins in denominations up to 5,000 dong also exist, but are rarely seen. While they are legal tender, they are difficult to get rid of if you end up with some.

ATMs [ edit ]

ATMs are common and can be found in most cities and every tourist destination. They will accept a selection of credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Maestro or Cirrus and several other systems. Many ATMs charge a fee per withdrawal, but a few are free. Withdrawal maximums are a problem of the past and withdrawing 5–10 mn dong is not an issue anymore.

The ATMs of the following banks have no withdrawal fee :

• TP Bank . ( updated Nov 2023 )
• VP Bank . ( updated Dec 2023 )
• ACB . European Visa (unclear whether "Union" or continent) and JCB cards only . ( updated Nov 2023 )
• HDBank . Visa cards only . ( updated Dec 2023 )
• EXIMBANK . ( updated Dec 2023 )

The ATMs of the following banks have the listed fee per withdrawal :

• Agribank . 22,000 dong . ( updated Mar 2020 )
• ABBank . 20,000 dong . ( updated Jan 2018 )
• ANZ Bank . 40,000 dong . ( updated Jan 2018 )
• BIDV Bank . 50,000 dong plus 5,000 dong VAT . ( updated Mar 2016 )
• DongA Bank . 20,000 dong . ( updated Jan 2018 )
• HSBC , [email protected] . 100,000 dong . ( updated Apr 2016 )
• Techcombank . 66,000 dong . ( updated Jan 2018 )
• VIB . 50,000 dong (and they don't warn about it!) .  
• Vietcombank . 1.5% fee . ( updated Feb 2020 )
• Vietinbank . 55,000 dong . ( updated Jun 2016 )
• Sacombank . 1.5% fee . ( updated Feb 2020 )

Credit cards [ edit ]

Credit cards are now accepted more and more around the country, especially where there is a lot of tourists present. Credit card purchases are required by law to be charged in dong.

A train ticket is easily payable with a credit card through the official government website for example.

Cashless payment [ edit ]

Vietnamese seem to love cashless payment, and even the tiniest shop will have a QR code to submit the payment. It is unclear however whether foreigners can use this payment method.

At least the cashless payment hype is not yet at a stage where you will have problems paying with cash, like in India for instance.

Money exchange [ edit ]

If you choose to carry cash, jewellery shops and gold shops offer the best rates for all major and hard currencies (EUR, USD, AUD, SGD, GBP, etc.) and least bureaucracy. Weirdly their rates are sometimes even better than the official Interbank rate at XE.com, but generally they are very close and the procedure is straightforward. There is no form filling or passport required. Most don't advertise their service, just ask. This is vaguely illegal, but enforcement is minimal. The best place in many cities in Vietnam to find gold shops that will transact currency exchange is to head for the central food/clothing market. Try to bring the largest denomination banknotes possible (e.g. $100 for U.S. dollars, £50 for pound sterling) in as pristine a condition as possible, as you will usually get a better rate that way.

Unofficial exchange agents like hotels and travel agencies often have a considerable markup over the official Interbank exchange rate, and sometimes they have different rates for different services. Also, US$50 and US$100 notes get a higher exchange rate than notes of lower denominations. Official exchange counters however, e.g. at the airport or in the city centre, have quite competitive buy and sell rates with markups as low as 1–2%, depending on the currency.

When leaving Vietnam , on most land borders connecting to Cambodia, China and Laos there are freelance money changers to take care of your financial leftovers, but be assured they will get the better of you if you don't know the going rate. In Hanoi airport, there are no money changers after you clear immigration, so exchange your dong before you enter the departure hall unless you plan to shop.

It is difficult to find or exchange dong outside Vietnam, with some notable exceptions such as Singapore or Bangkok — if you are not heading to either of those places, you should get rid of any leftovers before leaving the country.

Banking [ edit ]

Traveller cheques of well-known companies are accepted, but usually a small fee is charged. Fees might also be the only thing that would keep you from getting cash advances on Visa- or MasterCard at most banks. Through both ways you can also get hold of U.S. dollars, though there will be even higher fees. There are mentions in some popular travel books about Vietcombank not charging any commission fees to cash American Express travellers cheques. However, this is no longer true.

There are branches of money transfer companies like Western Union, but this is always one of the more expensive ways to get money. However, it's better for larger amounts. A US$800 transfer costs US$5 from America and the exchange rate is quite good. You may also transfer US dollars to

Acceptance of other currency [ edit ]

Prices are sometimes advertised in U.S. dollars, but payment is almost always expected in dong only , especially outside major tourist destinations. It is easier to bargain with dong, especially since dollar prices are already rounded. If paying with dollars, bills in less than perfect condition may be rejected. US$2 bills (especially those printed in the 1970s) are considered lucky in Vietnam and are worth more than US$2. They make a good tip/gift, and many Vietnamese will keep them in their wallet for luck.

Tipping [ edit ]

Tipping is not expected in Vietnam with the exception of bellhops in high-end hotels, and the Vietnamese themselves don't do it, though tips will not be refused if offered. Some establishments which are used to serving Western tourists have come to expect tips, though it is still perfectly acceptable not to tip. In any case, the price quoted to you is often many times what locals will pay, so tipping can be considered unnecessary in most circumstances. To avoid paying an involuntary tip when a taxi driver claims he doesn't have small change always try to carry small denominations.

Shopping [ edit ]

Tax refund [ edit ].

Foreign visitors may claim a VAT refund provided they make the purchase at a participating shop, and leave the country through specific ports of exit.

Price discrimination [ edit ]

As you travel about, you will find there are clusters of shops all selling similar goods, such as 20 sewing machine shops together, then 30 hardware shops all together, 200 motorcycle repair shops in the same block. Prices are competitive.

However, overcharging has long been an issue in Vietnam tourism, and it is an issue both for foreigners and for Vietnamese people whose accents identify them as being from another region. It can happen anywhere on anything from a hotel room, a ride in a taxi, coffee, a meal, clothing, or basic grocery stuff. Your coffee suddenly becomes 100% more expensive and a restaurant may present you an English menu with inflated prices. A friendly local who spent 30 minutes talking with you may also feel like overcharging you on anything.

Vietnamese hold a diverse view on this issue, and the practice also varies somewhat from region to region, but in general it is more common in Vietnam than other neighboring countries to see it socially acceptable to overcharge foreigners. They may argue inflated prices are still cheap and they may blame the cheap cost of living which attracts a lot of backpackers with bare-bone budgets. According to this school of thought, if tourists complain about it, it's because they are stingy. Rich tourists should not have a problem being overcharged.

In general, in the south, while vendors have no qualms overcharging an ignorant foreigner, they will generally allow you to bargain prices down to the local price if you know what it is and insist on it. On the other hand, vendors in the north tend to hold more strongly onto the belief that foreigners should be overcharged, and they will usually refuse to sell items to you unless you agree to pay the grossly inflated foreigner price.

The good news is that standard prices are much more common than in the early 1990s. You will absolutely spoil your trip if you assume that everyone is cheating you. Just try to be smart. In a restaurant, learn some names of common dishes in Vietnamese, insist that you need to read the Vietnamese menu, and compare it. If owners argue that the portion of dishes in the English menu is different, it's definitely a scam so move to another place. Learn some Vietnamese numbers and try to see how much a local pays a vendor. The old bargaining tactic of proposing a price, if you are sure that it is a fair and appropriate price that a local would get, and walking away often does the trick, if you are willing to actually walk away.

Supermarkets [ edit ]

Shopping in supermarkets is much less common in Vietnam than in Europe and North America, or even in China or Thailand. Most grocery shopping for local still happens in traditional street markets.

Nevertheless, there exist supermarkets and convenience stores in most places, and they are constantly becoming more. Foreign companies are pushing into the market, like the Thai supermarket chain Big C, which also sells clothing items and household goods. Other supermarket chains are OK!, WinMart, Circle K, Family Mart, and Bách Hóa XANH — the latter, mostly available in the south and probably the most inexpensive one, popular for its evening fruit, meat and fish specials —, besides many smaller and privately run convenience stores.

Traditional street and covered markets are still thriving though, especially for produces — much as they do in Thailand for example. Supermarkets are generally more expensive when it comes to produces, but can be cheaper for packaged products and beverages.

Costs [ edit ]

Vietnam is cheap by Western standards. A month's stay can be as cheap as €300–350 using basic rooms (100–140,000 dong), local food (100–150,000 dong) and public transportation (50,000 dong).

Eat [ edit ]

Food is at the very core of Vietnamese culture: every significant holiday on the Vietnamese cultural calendar, all the important milestones in a Vietnamese person's life, and indeed, most of the important day-to-day social events and interactions - food plays a central role in each. Special dishes are prepared and served with great care for every birth, marriage and death, and the anniversaries of ancestors' deaths. More business deals are struck over dinner tables than over boardroom tables, and when friends get together, they eat together. Preparing food and eating together remains the focus of family life.

Yelp and Tripadvisor are not widely used by locals in Vietnam, and reviews on those directories are usually posted by tourists. Foody is the go-to restaurant rating directory for the Vietnamese, and also functions as a food delivery and restaurant reservation app. While the interface is available in English, the downside is that almost all reviews are in Vietnamese.

Vietnamese cuisine varies from region to region, with many regions having their own specialties. Generally, northern Vietnamese cuisine is known for being subtle, central Vietnamese cuisine is known for being spicy, while southern Vietnamese cuisine is known for being sweet. There is also distinctive Vietnamese-Chinese cuisine to be found in Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown.

At the same time, the Vietnamese are surprisingly modest about their cuisine. (An old proverb/joke says that "a fortunate man has a French house, a Japanese wife, and a Chinese chef.") High-end restaurants tend to serve "Asian-fusion" cuisine, with elements of Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and occasionally French mixed in. The most authentic Vietnamese food is found at street side "restaurants" (A collection of plastic outdoor furniture placed on the footpath), with most walk-in restaurants being mainly for tourists. Distinct regional styles exist: northern, central, and southern, each with unique dishes. Central style is perhaps the most celebrated, with dishes such as mi quang (wheat noodles with herbs, pork, and shrimp), banh canh cua (crab soup with thick rice noodles) and bun bo Hue (beef soup with herbs and noodles).

Many Vietnamese dishes are flavoured with fish sauce ( nước mắm ), which smells and tastes like anchovies (quite salty and fishy) straight from the bottle, but blends into food very well. (Try taking home a bottle of fish sauce, and using it instead of salt in almost any savoury dish: you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.) Fish sauce is also mixed with lime juice, sugar, water, and spices to form a tasty dip/condiment called nước chấm , served on the table with most meals. Vegetables, herbs and spices, notably Vietnamese coriander or cilantro ( rau mùi or rau ngò ), mint ( rau răm ) and basil ( rau húng ), accompany almost every dish and help make Vietnamese food much lighter and more aromatic than the cuisine of its neighboring countries, especially China.

Vietnam's national dish is phở (pronounced like the fu- in funny , but with tone), a broth soup with beef, pork, chicken or seafood and rice noodles (a form of rice linguine or fettuccine). In the south, phở is normally served with plates of fresh herbs (usually including Asian basil), cut limes, hot chilies and scalded bean sprouts which you can add according to your taste, along with chili paste, chili sauce, and sweet soybean sauce, while in the north, it is usually served only with fried quẩy fritters and chilli sauce on the side. Phở bò , the classic form of phở, is made with beef broth that is often simmered for many hours and may include one or more types of beef (skirt, flank, tripe, etc.). Phở gà is the same idea, but with chicken broth and chicken meat, so is Phở thit lon with pork, Phở tom with shrimp, Phở ca with fish, and Phở chay with tofu and vegetable stock. Phở is the original Vietnamese fast food, which locals grab for a quick meal. Most phở places specialize in phở and can serve you a bowl as fast as you could get a Big Mac. It's available at any time of the day, but locals eat most often Phở chay for breakfast. Famous phở restaurants can be found in Hanoi. The phở served at roadside stalls or informal restaurants tend to be cheaper and taste better than those served in fancier restaurants.

Street side eateries in Vietnam typically advertise phở and cơm . Though cơm literally means rice, the sign means the restaurant serves a plate of rice accompanied with fish or meat and vegetables. Cơm is used to indicate eating in general, even when rice is not served (i.e., An cơm chua? - Have you eaten yet) Though they may look sketchy, street side eateries are generally safe so long as you eat at places popular among the locals and avoid undercooked food. Many street food stalls do not display their prices; those outside tourist areas usually charge foreigners honestly, but ask for the price before you order to be sure.

In rural and regional areas it is usually safest to eat the locally grown types of food as these are usually bought each day from the market. It is not uncommon that after you have ordered your meal a young child of the family will be seen running out the back towards the nearest market to purchase the items.

Most restaurants/cafes in Vietnam will have a bewildering variety of food available. It is very common for menus to be up to 10-15 pages. These will include all types of Vietnamese food, plus some token Western food, possibly some Chinese-style ribs and maybe a pad Thai as well. It is generally best to stick with the specialty of the area as this food will be the freshest and also the best-prepared. As in other South East Asian countries, the menu is often more an indication of what a restaurant can cook and not all items may be available at any given time.

In restaurants it is common practice for the wait staff to place a plastic packet (stamped with the restaurant's name) containing a moist towelette on your table. They are not free. They cost 2,000–4,000 dong. If you open it, you will be charged for it. Also, peanuts or other nuts will be offered to you while you are browsing the menu. Those are not free, either. If you eat any, you will be charged.

Coffee , baguettes , and pastries were originally introduced by the French colonisers, but all three have been localised and remain popular. More on cà phê below, but coffee shops that also serve light fare can be found in almost every village and on many street corners in the bigger cities. Bánh mì are freshly baked baguettes, most commonly filled with grilled meats or liver or pork pâté plus fresh herbs and vegetables as bánh mì thịt , but there are countless variations filled with egg, beef, meatballs, pork skin etc. They are delicious and should be enjoyed at least once during a visit, and can easily be found from the bánh mì carts that are ubiquitous on the streets of Vietnam.

Vietnamese waters are in danger of collapse from over-fishing. Nevertheless, for the moment if you like seafood , you may find bliss in Vietnam. The ultimate seafood experience may be travelling to a seaside village or beach resort area in the south to try the local seafood restaurants that serve shrimp, crab, and locally-caught fish. Follow the locals to a good restaurant. The food will still be swimming when you order it, it will be well-prepared, very affordable by Western standards, and served in friendly surroundings often with spectacular views.

Most restaurants' hours are 10:00-22:00, although places serving breakfast-type items like noodles will open and close earlier. In 24-hour restaurants, there will be two prices. Prices are normal from 06:00 to 22:00, then doubled from 22:00 to 06:00. For example, rice usually costs 10,000 dong, but if you order after 22:00, the price will be 20,000 dong. This policy is government-mandated, to discourage people from eating late. Some dishes are not served after 22:00.

Cuisines other than Vietnamese, as well as fast foods, are increasingly available in the larger cities in the South and Central regions, less so in the North. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Lao and other Asian restaurants are commonplace and Italian, French, German, Mexican, Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian restaurants can be found in most large cities in the South and Centre, as well as British, Irish an Australian food in bars and pubs. There is usually at least one Indian restaurant in most large towns and cities all over the country, many offering excellent quality food. Increasingly more affluent Vietnamese are sampling the different cuisines now available in their country so the chances of eating in a tourist ghetto are diminishing.

Dietary restrictions [ edit ]

Vegetarian food is quite easy to find anywhere in Vietnam due in large part to the Mahayana Buddhist influence, and all Vietnamese Buddhist monks are required to be vegetarian. Vegetarian eateries range from upscale restaurants to cheap and basic street stalls. Any Vietnamese dish with meat can be made vegetarian with the addition of fake meats. Besides the Buddhist influence of two vegetarian days a month, Cao Dai people eat vegetarian for 16 days. Look for any signs with the word chay as a suffix, like cơm chay for vegetarian rice dishes, phở chay for vegetarian pho, or bánh mì chay for vegetarian sandwiches. The words quán chay and nhà hàng chay literally translate as "vegetarian restaurant". It is also helpful to remember the phrase " ăn chay ", essentially meaning "I am a vegetarian". Even if you are not a vegetarian, a visit to a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant will add a few new flavours that you won't find elsewhere. Also vegetarian food tends to be cheap which can help eke out the most hardened meat eaters budget. Be careful at regular stalls and restaurants though, as even dishes that seem vegetarian on the surface can sometimes make use of non-vegetarian seasonings such as fish sauce. As Vietnamese food traditionally does not use dairy products, vegetarian food in Vietnam is usually safe for vegans , but be careful to make sure it does not contain eggs.

Halal food is rare in Vietnam due to the small size of the Muslim community. Halal restaurants are mostly concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi , many of which are operated by immigrants from South Asia, Indonesia or Malaysia. The Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City are also home to Muslim Cham communities, some of whom operate food stalls serving halal versions of Vietnamese street dishes for their respective communities. Kosher food is nearly unknown; if you keep kosher, contact Chabad Vietnam well in advance of your trip for assistance.

Drink [ edit ]

Drinking in a Vietnamese bar is a great experience. One of the interesting things is that during the day, it is almost impossible to see a bar anywhere. Once the sun goes down though, dozens appear on the streets out of nowhere.

Watch out for ice in drinks. Factory-made ice is generally safe, but anything else can be suspect. Factory ice has a hollow, cylindrical shape. Avoid irregular chunks of ice as it may be unclean.

Beer [ edit ]

The main brews are light lagers with a strength of 4.5–4.9%. In supermarkets a 0.33L can of beer starts at 10,000 dong. Some cheap beers in plastic bottles (0.9L) can be had for 15–18,000 dong. "Saigon" in a 0.45L glass bottle starts at 11,000 dong, but sometimes a deposit of 3,000 dong is added. A beer in a bar starts at around 20,000 dong.

The most popular beer (draught, bottle or can) among the southern Vietnamese is Saigon Do (Red Saigon) . For the northern Vietnamese Bia Hanoi (Hanoi beer) is the most popular brand, whereas central Vietnamese prefer Bière Larue from Da Nang or Bia Huda from Hue. 333 , pronounced "ba-ba-ba" is a local brand, but it's somewhat bland; for a bit more flavour, look for Bia Saigon in the green bottle and a bigger bottle than Bia Saigon Special. Bia Saigon is also available as little stronger export version. Locally brewed foreign brands like Tiger and Heineken are also common.

The craft beer revolution has well and truly reached Vietnam and bottled IPAs, brown beers and stouts are available in the major cities. Ho Chi Minh boasts an increasing number of brew-pubs and microbreweries. These brews are available at a fraction of the price they cost in Thailand or Singapore.

Beer in Vietnam is usually served in glasses filled with (and is thus drunk with) ice. This means that the cans or bottles of beer need not be chilled. If you are drinking with Vietnamese people, it is considered polite to top up their beer/ice before re-filling your own drink. It is also considered necessary to drink when a toast is proposed: "mot, hai, ba, do" ("one, two, three, cheers"). Saying "Trăm Phần Trăm" (100% 100) implies you will empty your glass.

Coffee [ edit ]

Coffee is usually served black ( Cà Phê Đen (Đá) ) or with sweetened condensed milk ( Cà Phê Sữa (Đá) ) — usually over ice ( Đá ). Ask for (Cà Phê) Nóng if you want your coffee hot without ice. Some people may add extra water with the hot version (see picture) to make the coffee less strong — the ice version gets less strong automatically. Also, locals tend to drink their Cà Phê Đen incredibly strong with up to 4 teaspoons of sugar. If you want black coffee without sugar, say so.

However, the slow dripping coffee through the metal filter seems distinct for tourist frequented places. Normal Vietnamese don't take or have the time to prepare nor wait that long. Hence, in less touristy places you will have a hard time finding the slow-filter version, they often won't have these filters and just serve already prepared coffee, often with the condensed milk already in the glass. If you want the milk separately, say so.

Take-away coffee ( Cà Phê Mang Đi ) with ice in a plastic cup and straw along the street can already be had for 10–12,000 dong.

In Hanoi , Cà Phê Trứng (egg coffee) is a local speciality.

A late addition to the coffee culture of Vietnam and often served for take-away are Cà Phê Muối (salted coffee) and Cà Phê Cốt Dừa (coconut coffee), basically a Cà Phê Sữa Đá topped with a cool mountain of salty whipped cream or sweet fluffy coconut slush, respectively. These are especially popular with the younger generation, but also tourists enjoy them.

Soft drinks [ edit ]

• Coconut water directly from the coconut is popular all around the country. After drinking the water, let the seller open the coconut, ask for a spoon, and enjoy the sometimes jelly-ish inner coconut meat. (If the coconut is too mature, the meat will be very hard and you are out of luck using the spoon, but the seller will know.)
• Nước Mía , or sugar cane juice , is served from distinctive metal carts with a crank-powered sugar cane stalk crushers that release the juice.
• Sinh Tố is another fabulous thirst quencher, a selection of sliced fresh fruit in a big glass, combined with crushed ice, sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk. You can also have it blended in a mixer. You could place any fruit-type after the word sinh tố , e.g., sinh tố bơ (avocado smoothie) or sinh tố dứa (pineapple smoothie). If you prefer to have orange juice, you won't use the word sinh tố but nước (literally: water) or nước cam if you would like to have an orange juice. Juices are usually without condensed milk or coconut milk.
• Chè Thái (Thai tea), Trà Trái Cây (fruit tea), or Trà Sữa (milk tea) are tea-based ( chè , trà ) dessert mix drinks made with various jellies, assorted tropical fruits, crushed ice, and (condensed) milk — kind of an advanced bubble tea, refreshing and colorful with a variety of textures, but it can be quite sweet if you don't watch it. Various word combinations exist to denominate this kind of drink.

Wine and liquor [ edit ]

Vietnamese "rượu đế" or rice alcohol ( rượu means liquor or wine [not beer]) is served in tiny porcelain cups often with candied fruit or pickles. It's commonly served to male guests and visitors. Vietnamese women don't drink much alcohol, well at least in public. It's not recommended for tourists.

Dating back to French colonial times, Vietnam adopted a tradition of viticulture. Dalat is its centre, and you can get red and white wine . There is a better range and better quality red wines than whites as reds seem to appeal more to the Asian palate. Most restaurant wine is Australian and you will be charged Australian prices as well, making wine comparatively expensive compared to drinking beer or spirits. Vietnamese wine has hit the mass market and is available by the glass or bottle in many restaurants. The quality ranges from the just-about-drinkable Vang Dalat Classic to the more than palatable Vang Dalat Premium. In supermarkets a bottle of Classic can be bought for around 80,000 dong whilst Premium is around 120,000. In restaurants a bottle of Classic costs 120,000–150,000 dong. Premium is less widely available in restaurants and where it is costs around 200,000 dong a bottle.

Imported wines, mainly Australian, French and Chilean are also available in supermarkets and in mid range and high end restaurants at far more expensive prices.

Rice spirits and local vodka is cheap in Vietnam by Western standards. Local vodkas cost about US$2-4 for a 0.75L bottle. Russian champagne is also common. When at Nha Trang, look for the all-you-can-drink boat trips for around US$10-15 for an all-day trip and party with on-board band.

Sleep [ edit ]

Lodging is not an issue in Vietnam, even if you are travelling on a tight budget. Accommodation in Vietnam ranges from 100,000-dong dorm accommodation in hostels to world-class resorts, both in large cities and in popular coastal and rural destinations. Even backpacking hostels and budget hotels are far cleaner and nicer than in neighboring countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Laos). And even cheap hotels that charge as little as 250,000 dong for a double room are often very clean and equipped with towels, clean white sheets, soap, disposable toothbrushes and so on.

Service in many of the very inexpensive hotels is quite good (since the rate that a person pays per night could equal a typical Vietnamese national's weekly pay), although daily cleaning and modern amenities like television may not be provided. In hotels costing a few dollars more (300,000+ dong, more in Hanoi) you can expect an en-suite bath, telephone, AC and television. As with hotels elsewhere in the world, mini-refrigerators in Vietnamese hotels are often stocked with drinks and snacks, but these can be horribly overpriced. You are much better off buying such items on the street. Adequate plumbing can be a problem in some hotels, but the standard is constantly improving.

It is a legal requirement that all hotels register the details of foreign guests with the local police. For this reason they will always ask for your passport when you check in. The process usually only takes a few minutes, after which they will return your passport. However, because non-payment by guests is by no means unknown, some hotels retain passports until check-out. If a place looks dodgy, then ask that they register you while you wait and take your passport with you afterwards. Few people have had a problem with this as it is routine across the country. You might find it helpful to carry some photocopies of your passport (personal data page and visa) which you can hand over to the hotel.

Hotels can be noisy, particularly when local families are staying. Vietnamese is one of the world's more vocal languages, and local tourists are happy to give full vent to it from 06:00 onward with scant regard for fellow guests. There are also a number of other sounds to be aware of when staying in Vietnamese hotels. Vietnam is a country under construction and the chance of the hotel being next to or very close to a building site is high. Also rooms in many small boutique hotels, guesthouses and home-stays are built fronting a central atrium or stairwell and the activities of the reception, common area and kitchen contribute more noises. Finally, there are the room-maids who start work soon after dawn and seem to think that you should be awake by then and consequently feel free to chat with each other at a loud volume and send and receive messages on mobile phones and walkie-talkies. If you are a light sleeper, bring a supply of earplugs.

Learn [ edit ]

If you want to meet local people, stop by a school. In Ho Chi Minh City, visit the American Language School, where you'll be welcomed enthusiastically and invited to go into a class and say hi. You'll feel like a rock star. The Vietnamese love to meet new people, and teachers welcome the opportunity for their students to meet foreigners.

An excellent novel set in modern-day Vietnam is Dragon House by John Shors. It's the story of two Americans who travel to Vietnam to open a centre to house and educate Vietnamese street children.

Former BBC reporter in Hanoi, Bill Hayton, has written a good introduction to most aspects of life in Vietnam, the economy, politics, social life, etc. It's called Vietnam, Rising Dragon , published in 2010.

Vietnam also has numerous universities for people who wish to pursue higher education. The most prestigious among them is Vietnam National University, Hanoi , originally founded by the French as Université Indochinoise in 1906. Other notable universities include Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi University of Science and Technology

Work [ edit ]

You can volunteer as an English teacher through many volunteer organisations. However, if you have a TEFL/TESOL qualification and a degree then it's very easy to find paid teaching work. Without qualifications it's also possible to find work, but it takes more patience to find a job, and often there are concessions to make with payment, school location and working hours (weekends). Most teaching jobs will pay US$15-20 an hour. There are also many you-pay-to-volunteer organisations which allow you to help local communities, such as Love Volunteers , I to I and Global Volunteers . (But you must avoid some organized fraud. Ex: V4D, VTYD, RAKI, VVN...) Vietnam also has a booming tech startup scene, so opportunities may be available for people with expertise in computer science or other closely-related fields.

Legally, a work permit is required to work in Vietnam, although many foreigners do not bother, especially if the intention is to work for only a short period of time. Visa extensions are generally easy to obtain (your school will have to do this for you) although the immigration department will eventually insist on you obtaining a work permit before any more visas are issued. If your aim is to remain for a longer term, then it is possible to obtain a work permit although your school will need to do this for you. To apply, your employer will be required to submit the following: A contract and application letter from your school; a full, medical health check (done locally); a criminal record check (the criteria for this varies from province to province, some requiring a check from your home country, others, a check done solely in Vietnam); a copy of your TESOL/CELTA/TEFL and degree certificates; your 'registration of stay' form; a copy of your passport/visa. Sometimes, you may be asked to pay a small fee although the better schools will generally offer to do this for you. Work permits are valid for 3 years and are renewable for a period of up to 12 years.

Once you have a work permit, it is then a relatively simple process to apply for a temporary residence permit, which will alleviate your visa worries. The validity and procedure for renewal is the same as a work permit.

Vietnam has made a huge leap forward in terms of economic development and tourism, and many of the most feared annoyances are minor concerns. Vietnam is still a poor country, though. Tourists are considered money mules, and milking them is no crime. Nevertheless, outside of tourist hotspots, crime and scams against foreigners are rare.

Unexploded ordnance [ edit ]

As a legacy of the Indochina Wars , much of Vietnam's countryside is still littered with unexploded bombs and landmines, and many locals are still killed or maimed by them. Be very careful about going off the beaten path in rural areas, and ideally do not do so unless you have a guide who knows the area well.

Crime [ edit ]

Vietnam is a relatively safe place for tourists, and especially when travelling in groups. It will also depend on your nationality whether you may encounter issues — large western men are much more intimidating than smaller Japanese women, see cyclo scam.

Tourist areas are hotspots of petty crime. Violent crime towards foreigners is uncommon, but pickpockets and motorbike snatching are not uncommon in larger cities. Thieves on motorbikes snatch bags, mobile phones, cameras, and jewellery from pedestrians and other motorbike drivers. Don't wear your bag on your shoulder when riding a motorbike. Don't place it in the motorbike basket. When walking along a road, keep your bag on your inboard shoulder. If your bag is snatched, don't resist to the point of being dragged onto the roadway.

Reports of thefts from hotel rooms, including upmarket hotels, have been heard occasionally. Do not assume that your hotel room strongbox is inviolable.

Avoid fights and arguments with locals. Westerners may be bigger than Vietnamese, but if you're dealing with 5 or more Vietnamese guys then you're in serious trouble. Yelling is highly insulting to Vietnamese and may prompt a violent response. Vietnamese in general are placid and kind. As a visitor, you should respect local laws and customs. Altercations can be avoided easily by showing courtesy and tolerating cultural differences. Be on your best behaviour when drinking with Vietnamese men.

Corruption [ edit ]

The international monitoring group Transparency International has rated Vietnam as one of the most corrupt nations in Asia. Locals are convinced that the police are not to be trusted.

Motorcycle drivers may be stopped for a variety of reasons such as random checks of paperwork and licences and will fine foreigners around US$20 for each offence (the average traffic fine for locals is around US$5-10). Be polite but resolute, and stand your ground. Traffic officers are required to write traffic violations in their notebook and must give you a receipt for your fine which must then be paid at the station (not to the officer). For some offences (especially missing paperwork relevant to the vehicle you are riding), officers have the right to confiscate and impound your bike. If you have a phone, you could threaten to call your embassy and he may back down, although in most cases, it is often best to prevent any further escalation of the situation by paying the fine.

You generally won't encounter any problems with the police in more remote or rural areas because officers are likely to have a very poor command of the English language. The larger cities and areas that are frequented by tourists have more police who are proficient in communicating with tourists.

Immigration officers at land borders are known to demand bribes to stamp you in or out of the country. Refusing to pay the bribe will usually mean you are denied entry or not allowed to leave. The reputable bus companies will often charge a "border crossing fee" for their international routes, and staff would usually process you through immigration while you wait on the bus, and any bribes are included as part of that fee.

Most government offices will also require a small "gratuity" before processing paperwork. This is most commonly encountered when trying to obtain permits of residence for private accommodation, or work or residence permits.

Prostitution [ edit ]

Despite its seeming abundance, prostitution is illegal in Vietnam. The age of consent is 18. Vietnamese penal law levies penalties of up to 20 years in prison for sexually exploiting women or children, and several other countries have laws that allow them to prosecute their own citizens who travel abroad to engage in sex with children.

Under Vietnamese law, it is illegal for a foreigner to take a Vietnamese national to a hotel room. While this law is rarely enforced, you could find yourself in even deeper water if you report a crime disclosing that you shared a room with a Vietnamese national.

HIV/AIDS is prevalent in Vietnam, and many people go untreated due to the taboo nature of the disease. There is also a danger of theft when taking any unfamiliar woman back to a hotel or guest house. The tale of a man waking up to find his wallet, mobile phone or laptop missing is all too common. Stories also abound of Westerners being drugged while in a hotel room or being led to a dark, quiet place where they are relieved of their possessions by criminal gangs.

Scams [ edit ]

Most scams in Vietnam involve transportation, hotel prices, or the two-menu system practised by some restaurants.

Taxis [ edit ]

If you don't know what a reasonable fare is, it is generally a bad idea to agree on a price in advance. Rule of thumb to detect scammers: if the taxi doesn't have the fare charges written, or drivers name and photo on the dashboard, immediately ask the taxi to stop and get out. It is a definite scam.

As always, it is advisable to walk a hundred meters away from any tourist deposit point (bus arrival, train station etc.), as many taxi waiting here are either scammers or pay a commission to the cartel.

Many taxi drivers in Saigon and Hanoi try to overcharge newly arrived gullible travellers. When leaving the airport, the taxi driver may insist that you pay the airport toll. He might not be very forthcoming with the price, and if you give him cash, he will pay the toll and pocket the rest. The toll is 10,000 dong (July 2018) and having the correct money will avoid you getting fleeced. The toll is quoted along with the fare written on the dashboard of the taxi. You can confidently say "airport toll only 10,000 dong" and refuse to pay anything else such as parking (unless there were more toll roads in between).

Ask your hotel or hostel to arrange taxi services for you. This will ensure that you get a flat quoted rate as well as a trusted driver. Many hotels will be happy to arrange pick up and drop off from airports if you ask. Nevertheless, this can be more expensive than if you arrange it directly yourself, because the hotel will always try to cut into the deal, earning a little extra.

In several other cities of Vietnam, such as Dalat, Hoi An, Nha Trang, etc., do not travel by meter from the airport. The airports are as far as 30–40 km from these places and meter will cost you from 500,000–650,000 dong. However, you can either take a bus from the airport to city centre, or pre-negotiate a rate with the taxi for 200,000–300,000 dong. Pay attention to sides of taxis. Usually a rate for the airport is written on the door. Around town in these cities, metered taxis generally work fine.

If you ever get caught in a big taxi scam (such as rigged meter), you should get out of the vehicle and retrieve your belongings as if everything was all right, then refuse to pay the demanded price and threaten to call the police. Usually they will accept a more reasonable fare, but be prepared to face the driver's anger, so it is better to do this with a few witnesses around.

Taxi and cyclo drivers [ edit ]

Taxi and cyclo drivers may claim that they don't have change when accepting payment for an agreed-upon fare. The best way to handle this is to either carry smaller bills or be ready to stand your ground. Generally, the driver is only trying to get an extra dollar or so by rounding the fare up, but to prevent this scam from becoming more popular it is advised to stay calm and firm about the price.

When you meet an over friendly cyclo driver who says, "never mind how much you would pay" or "you can pay whatever you like at the end of the trip". He may try to show you his book of comments from international tourists. This kind of driver has to be a scammer. If you still want to use his service you should make it clear about the agreed price and don't pay more than that. Just be clear what you are willing to pay. The cyclo drivers are just trying to make a living.

Hotels [ edit ]

Hotel owners may tell you that the room price is 200,000 dong. However, when checking out, they may insist that the price is US$20, charging you almost double. Another trick is to tell customers that a room is a few dollars, but following day they will say that price was for a fan room only and it's another price for an air-con room. These days, legitimate hotel owners seem to be aware of these scams and are usually willing to help by writing down how much the room is per person per day (in U.S. dollars or dong), if it has air-con or not. Staff of legitimate hotels also never ask for payment from a guest when they check in. Watch out if they insist that you should pay when you check out but refuse to write down the price on paper. Otherwise, just book online with one of the common reservations websites, which will guarantee you the right price, and leave a review if something goes wrong.

As of 2019 most of the dollar versus dong scams have ended as almost all hotels now quote in dong and accept dong. Keep your dollar stash hidden and deal only in dong. Also as of 2019 quite a few low- to mid-range hotels do require payment upfront and as long as you get an official receipt there is nothing to worry about in this.

Restaurants [ edit ]

Some restaurants are known to have two menus, one for local people and another one for foreigners. The only way to deal with it is to learn a few Vietnamese phrases and insist that you should be shown only the Vietnamese menu. If they hesitate to show you the local menu, walk away. This scam is very unusual.

Hostels [ edit ]

Some hostels in Vietnam will want you to leave your passport at the reception, insisting even. This is not a legitimate business practice. Never leave your passport as collateral for anything.

Copycats [ edit ]

Besides accommodation and transport, another big scam in Vietnam involves copycat tour companies and restaurants. Anytime a company gets famous, copycats will pop out. A very famous example is the dozens of Sinh Cafes (bus company), which popped up. The real company has since changed its name to TheSinhTourist.

Fake monks [ edit ]

Buddhism in Vietnam generally follows the Mahayana school, meaning that the monks are required to be vegetarian and generally do not go on alms rounds. Instead, the monks either grow their own food or buy their food using temple donations. Monks do not sell religious items (shops selling religious items are staffed by laypersons, not by monks) or ask people for donations. Instead, donations are to be placed in temple donation boxes. It is entirely up to an individual to decide whether or not they wish to donate, and how much they wish to donate, and genuine temples will never use high-pressure tactics to solicit donations. "Monks" who approach tourists for donations are imposters.

Traffic [ edit ]

The first discovery for many tourists who just arrive in Vietnam is that they need to learn how to cross a road all over again. You may see a tourist standing on the road for five minutes without knowing how to cross it. Traffic in Vietnam can be a nightmare. Back home, you may never witness the moment of crash, seeing injured victims lying on the road, or hearing a BANG sound. Staying in Vietnam for more than a month, you will have fair chance of experiencing all these.

Roads are packed. Some intersections in main cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City have traffic lights patrolled by police; most are either non-functional or ignored.

Crossing roads is an art in most of Vietnam, and there are no stop signals that will actually be followed by drivers. The art of crossing the road is fortunately very simple, though scary:

• There are some traffic lights and pedestrian crossings but they are by no means everywhere.
• If it is night time, and you are wearing dark clothes you should cross in a bright area or shine a torch towards the traffic
• If there is a bus, car or taxi, wait until it and its motorcycle entourage passes, as vehicles will not stop for pedestrians
• Ensure you, your fellow travellers and every piece of your luggage form an almost perfect line parallel with the traffic
• There is no 'ideal' time to start although you could pick a time with a little less traffic
• Step a little forward, a little more, and you will see motorcycle drivers to slow down a bit, or go to another way. Make your pace and path predictable to other drivers, don't change your speed or direction suddenly, and move forward until you arrive at your destination. Be aware that motorcycle drivers will swerve to avoid you but might swerve into your path.
• The simplest and best way to cross streets is to make yourself known and be steady. This means spread your arms out and walk at a steady pace. The locals will route around you. They are extremely good drivers and will avoid hitting you; just be sure to walk at a steady pace.
• Cars, buses and trucks can do you far more damage than motorcycles where the odds are much or even. Wait for anything with four or more wheels to pass and then take on the motorcycles.

The simplest way, if available, is to follow a local, stand next to them on the opposite side of the traffic (if you get hit, he will get it first) and he will give you the best chance of crossing a road.

If you are injured, don't expect the local people to help, even by calling an ambulance, because it is not free. Make sure you tell the local clearly that you will pay the ambulance fee. Hospitals will also not admit you until you prove that you can pay the bill.

Highways are risky, with an average of 30 deaths a day, and some locals will not even venture on them if not in a big vehicle (car or bus). Taking a bicycle or motorbike on highways is an adventure for risk takers, but definitely not for a family with children. Having said that, Vietnamese roads are no more dangerous than elsewhere in South East Asia.

Nightlife [ edit ]

• Petty crime in nightclubs is not unknown. Don't escalate an incident: avoid quarrelling with local people as drunks can be violent.
• Clubs are full of working girls trawling for clients. They may also be looking for wallets and mobile phones.
• Walking very late alone on the streets in the tourist areas is safe, but avoid unfamiliar women engaging you in conversation. They may try to touch you, sweet talk you, and then pick your pocket.
• Don't ask taxi drivers to recommend nightspots. Most taxi drivers earn commissions from bars and lounges to bring in foreign tourists. When you walk into one of these places, they will quote reasonable prices, but when you receive the tab, it may include extravagant charges. Do your homework beforehand, tell the taxi driver where you want to go, and insist on going to where you want to go despite their remonstrations. Most nightspots are reputable. Going to those with a mostly foreign clientele is a good practice.

Wildlife [ edit ]

Little wildlife remains, let alone anything dangerous to humans. Venomous snakes, such as cobras, may still be common in rural areas, but virtually everything else has either become extinct or exists in such small numbers that the chances of even seeing one are remote. Tigers may exist in very small numbers in remote areas, but this is unconfirmed.

LGBT travellers [ edit ]

Vietnam is generally a safe destination for LGBT travellers, and there are no laws against homosexuality in Vietnam. Transgender persons are allowed to change their legal gender after undergoing sex reassignment surgery. That being said, same-sex relationships are not recognised by the government, and the Vietnamese can be rather conservative, meaning that LGBT individuals can often be subject to some degree of prejudice. Fortunately, anti-LGBT violence is extremely rare.

Insulting national heroes such as Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap is illegal in Vietnam, and many foreigners have been jailed for doing so.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

Tropical diseases such as malaria , dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis are endemic in rural Vietnam. Malaria isn't as much a concern in the bigger cities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but always remember to take liquid mosquito repellent with you. It may be very useful, especially in the countryside and crowded neighborhoods.

Street food , including blended ice drinks, and food in restaurants is mostly safe to be consumed due to much improved hygiene. Vietnamese are very clean people, there are bins everywhere and interiors/floors are mostly tiled. Use common sense and follow the tips under the Traveller's diarrhea article and you will be fine.

Tap water is not safe to drink.

Contact lens solution is seldomly sold by pharmacies. You will have to find to specialised lens store or an optometrist to get it.

Healthcare [ edit ]

Vietnamese hospitals are generally not up to Western standards. Hospitals are often short of medicines and other supplies, and waiting times can be long, even in acute cases. Outside Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, few doctors speak English. Private clinics in Vietnam, run by foreigners, are therefore recommended as the first port of call. These clinics have both Vietnamese and foreign doctors. In general, hospitals will only accept your case if you can demonstrate the ability to pay for their services.

There are private hospitals in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang that cater mainly to Western expatriates and provide excellent healthcare, with staff members who are able to speak English and French, though you would be paying a steep premium for their services. Vinmec International Hospital is a chain of expatriate-oriented private hospitals with locations in several of Vietnam's larger cities.

Private hospitals in Hanoi recommended for travellers to Hanoi include Hanoi French Hospital, International SOS Clinic Central Building, Hanoi Family Medical Practice.

In Ho Chi Minh City, hospitals recommended for travellers include Franco-Vietnamese Hospital, City International Hospital, Columbia Asia Gia Dinh International Clinic, Columbia Asia Saigon International Clinic, HCMC Family Medical Practice Diamond Plaza, International SOS Clinic Hannam Building, Hoan My Medical Corporation chain.

If you fall seriously ill while travelling, it is advisable to seek treatment in nearby Southeast Asian countries if possible. In serious cases, doctors may even order the patient to be flown to Singapore or Thailand for treatment. When travelling to Vietnam, it is very important to take out comprehensive travel insurance. Please read the terms and conditions of your travel insurance carefully.

In tourist destinations, you can ask for medical services at hotel reception desks or from your tour operator. In many cases, you may have to pay cash in advance to see a doctor. In larger cities, payment can usually be made by debit card. Keep receipts for insurance purposes.

The emergency number for ambulances in Vietnam is 115, but the emergency number usually does not serve in English. Public ambulances can be slow to arrive, so it is usually best to take a taxi, for example. If you call an ambulance, be prepared for a long waiting time. Paramedics do not usually speak English and ambulances are poorly equipped. In large cities, hospitals also have private ambulances, which are usually more efficient than public ambulance services.

In large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are a number of good quality pharmacies. Most private hospitals and clinics also have a pharmacy. Pharmacies are usually well-stocked and most medicines can be bought without a prescription.

Pharmacies in Vietnam are not strictly regulated. If you buy medicines from a pharmacy other than a hospital pharmacy, it is a good idea to check the expiry date of the medicine packs you buy. The packaging, the contents of the packs and any instructions for use should be checked carefully.

Respect [ edit ]

In traditional Vietnamese culture, elders are treated with great deference and respect. While expectations are more relaxed when foreigners are involved, it's a good idea to show politeness, respect and restraint towards those who look older than you.

It's common to be stared at by locals in some regions, especially in the rural areas outside of big cities, and in the central and northern parts of the country. Southerners are usually more used to foreigners. Wherever you are, though, expect some probing questions whenever a conversation starts: How old are you? Are you married? Do you have children? While these might seem nosy in the West, they're perfectly normal, good-natured questions here that help people determine how they should address you. The best thing to do is just play along. You probably don't know much about their culture; it's only fair that locals wouldn't know much about yours.

An Asian woman travelling with a non-Asian man often attracts a more undesirable kind of attention. Probably due to memories of the sexual escapades of GIs during the American War, people will often assume she is an escort or prostitute, and she may be insulted or harassed, even if she has no relationship to the man. These prejudices have lessened somewhat, but they are still present. As of April 2019 these prejudices have almost completely disappeared for 'respectable looking Asian women' and the nearest they will get to a problem is that almost all locals will assume they are Vietnamese and seek to circumvent the English speaking foreigner by speaking Vietnamese to Thai/Chinese/Singaporean/ Australian-never-been-to-Vietnam before-but-looks Asian, wives or girlfriends. The Vietnamese themselves generally do not engage in public displays of affection, even among married couples, as it is considered to be disrespectful, so it is advisable for couples to show restraint while in public.

Vietnamese people tend to be dressed modestly and conservatively, though somewhat less so at bars and nightclubs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where young locals can sometimes be spotted in sexy outfits. But generally, you should try to cover your shoulders and knees, as doing so will earn you a lot more respect from the locals.

Saving face is very important in Vietnamese culture. You should generally avoid pointing out the mistakes of others no matter how minor they might be in order to avoid causing major embarrassment.

As in many other Asian countries, you are expected to remove your shoes before entering people's homes.

When handing out and receiving business cards, always be sure to do it with both hands , as using only one hand is considered to be very disrespectful.

Relations with China are a sensitive issue best not discussed with locals. Tensions boil over periodically over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, called the "East Sea" ( Biển Đông ) in Vietnam — using the former name may offend locals by suggesting that you support China's claims. Possession of maps showing the nine-dash line is likely to elicit negative reactions from Vietnamese; this has also resulted in certain foreign movies and television series such as the 2019 animated film Abominable and the 2023 Barbie movie being banned in Vietnam.

However, China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and source of international tourists, and individual visitors from mainland China should not face any major issues so long as they avoid political discussions. This animosity towards China also generally does not extend to ethnic Chinese from other countries.

The American War [ edit ]

The most surprising thing about the topic of the Vietnam War (the American or Reunification War, as it is called in Vietnam) is that most Vietnamese do not bear any animosity against visitors from the countries that participated, and in the South many Vietnamese (especially older Vietnamese involved in the conflict or with relatives in the war) appreciate or at least respect the previous American-led or French-led military efforts against the North. Two-thirds of the population were born after the war and are quite positive towards the West. Some attractions present an anti-American viewpoint on the war, whilst many are surprisingly restrained.

Be sensitive if you must discuss past conflicts. Well over 3 million Vietnamese died, and it is best to avoid any conversations that could be taken as an insult to the sacrifices made by both sides during the wars. Do not assume that all Vietnamese think alike as some Vietnamese in the South are still bitter about having lost against the North.

Souvenir shops in Vietnam sell lots of T-shirts with the red flag and portraits of "Uncle Ho." Many overseas Vietnamese, particularly in the United States, Canada and Australia, are highly critical of the government of Vietnam, so you may want to consider this before wearing communist paraphernalia in their communities back home. A less controversial purchase if you are American, Canadian or Australian would be a nón lá (straw hat) instead.

Religion [ edit ]

Although the official census claims most Vietnamese are non-religious, you wouldn't know it to see them. Whether they attend services or not, most Vietnamese are in fact strong believers, incorporating a variety of religious traditions, beliefs and rituals into their daily lives.

As in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, the most influential and widespread religion in Vietnam is Buddhism. Buddhism in Vietnam generally follows the Mahayana school, which is widespread in China, unlike the neighboring Southeast Asian countries which follow the Theravada school. This means that monks are required to be vegetarian, and pious individuals seeking a particular blessing will often forgo meat as well. Unlike in other Southeast Asian countries, it is not customary for monks to collect foodstuffs in the streets. Instead, they will either buy their food using temple donations, or grow their own food. Monks who hang out in tourist areas requesting donations are bogus. Similar to China and neighboring countries, Swastikas are commonly seen in Buddhist temples as a religious symbol; they are positive signs representing sacredness and blessing, and have no connection to Nazism or anti-Semitism.

Also, and more than in neighboring countries, Vietnam has a sizable proportion of Christians (11%; 9% Catholic, 2% Protestant). Christianity is especially prominent in major cities, where at least a few churches can be found. It is common for strangers and acquaintances to ask you to come to their church, although offence will not usually be taken if you decline.

Much like the Chinese and other Southeast Asians, Vietnamese people place a strong emphasis on spirits and ancestor worship. You'll see at least one shrine in every Vietnamese home and place of business, where occupants burn incense to honor or placate certain spirits. These are often decorated with statuettes or pictures of sacred figures: for devout Buddhists, this might be Buddha or Bodhisattva; for Roman Catholics, a crucifix or the Virgin Mary; for "non-religious" people, depictions of various traditional deities or spirits. If you see someone's photograph featured on a shrine, it's most often that of a family member who's passed away. Burning joss sticks (sticks of incense) for the spirits of departed family members is generally a token of respect.

Many temples require you to remove your shoes before you enter the temple buildings. As a general rule, you should always enter using the right gate and exit using the left gate (facing inward); the middle gate is traditionally reserved for the emperor and deities. Do not step on a raised doorway threshold when entering or exiting the temple; always step over it. Also be sure to dress conservatively when visiting temples; do not wear sleeveless shirts, and make sure your knees are covered.

Vietnamese are generally quite superstitious when it comes to death and the spirit world, and there are certain taboos you'll want to avoid. Some of these include:

• Placing chopsticks upright in the middle of a bowl of rice : Bowls of rice are arranged in this way next to the body of the deceased at funerals, so it reminds people of funerals. If you eat your rice with a spoon, place the spoon face down in the bowl, never face up.
• Taking photos of an odd-numbered group : The superstition goes that the person in the middle of a group will be singled out by evil spirits. Photos of even-numbered groups (2, 4, 6, or 8 people, and so on) are fine.
• Sitting with your back facing a family shrine : Considered disrespectful to the shrine, and to the spirits of the deceased.
• Climbing onto altars to pose for photographs with the statues : Considered very disrespectful to the deities being venerated.

Electricity [ edit ]

Electricity is delivered at 200 V, 50 Hz in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese sockets are compatible with the 2-pin American Type A, and the 2-pin European Type C, E and F plugs. Some sockets are also compatible with the 3-pin American Type B plugs.

Connect [ edit ]

Telephone [ edit ].

Land-line numbers in Hanoi and HCMC have a sequence of eight numbers, others have seven.

• Vietnam international code: +84
• Hanoi area code : (24)
• Ho Chi Minh area code : (28)

Telephone bills are 30% to 40% cheaper if dialed with 171 or 178 services.

• Domestic call : 171 (178) + 0 + Area code + Number.
• International call : 171 (178) + 00 + Country code + Area code + Number.

Since hotels and guesthouses often charge higher for telephone calls, try to find a post office or any reliable public service.

Mobile phones [ edit ]

Mobile numbers in Vietnam must always be dialed with all 9 or 10 digits (including a "0" prefixing the "1nn" or "9nn" within Vietnam), no matter where they are being called from. The 1nn or 9nn is a mobile prefix, not an "area code", as such and the second and sometimes third digits (the nn part) denotes the original mobile network assigned. As is the case with most mobile numbers, they can also be called within or outside Vietnam using the international format.

There are many mobile networks with different codes:

• Mobifone : 90, 93, 70, 76, 77, 78, 79
• Vietnamobile [dead link] : 92, 56, 58
• Viettel : 98, 97, 96, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38
• Vinaphone : 91, 94, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85

Prepaid account charges vary from 890–1,600 dong per minute. Recharge cards are available in denominations of 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 dong.

Useful numbers [ edit ]

• Fire Brigade 114
• Hospital 115
• General Information 1080

Internet [ edit ]

• SIM cards from all the main providers: Viettel, Vinaphone, Mobifone and Vietnam Mobile can be purchased on arrival in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. 100,000 dong buys 9 GB of data valid for 30 days, which is enough as long as you don't watch too many videos on your phone. If you intend to use your phone a lot, 30 GB data for 30 days costs around 330,000 dong. Providers offer phone packages as well, but for most tourists Facebook/Skype/Line calls are enough to keep in touch with friends and family, and your hotel can usually call taxis and bus companies, tourist informations, and any other place.
• Wi-Fi is now widespread in Vietnam and most hotels, restaurants and bars in the main tourist centres have free Wi-Fi. Ask for the password when you make your purchase. Sometimes the password is printed on the receipt or advertised near the counter. Otherwise, public plazas, most airports and many larger railway stations will also have Wi-Fi — wherever people or tourists frequent the place. Some Internet cafes are still available in tourist spots and rates are fairly cheap, ranging from 2,000-10,000 dong per hour. Connection speeds are high, especially in the big cities.
• Internet censorship is applied to a very small number of Internet services. Most foreign news sites like the BBC and CNN, as well as social media web-sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are usually freely accessible in Vietnam, though they may be temporarily blocked during politically sensitive periods. It may be wise to use a VPN service, which seem to work with most Wi-Fis in Vietnam.

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The Perfect Vietnam Itinerary for 1, 2, or 3 Weeks

• Last Updated: January 25, 2024

If you’re planning a trip to Vietnam for 1, 2, or 3 weeks then you must start with this post to help plan your Vietnam itinerary. 

Vietnam has something for everyone. It’s bursting with history, delicious foods, hiking opportunities, beautiful landscapes, beaches, and of course the wonderful Vietnamese people.  

Our Vietnam itinerary guide will give you an overview of the country, with some great itinerary options depending on how long you plan to visit. 

We have something for everyone with:

• 10 days in Vietnam: Highlights Itinerary – These are the must-see places in Vietnam
• 1 week in Vietnam focusing on the North
• 1 week in Vietnam focusing on the South
• 2 weeks in Vietnam, by combining the two above
• 3 weeks in Vietnam, or longer, by adding our extended options to your itinerary.

READ MORE: Don’t miss our complete guide to travelling in Vietnam !

Table of Contents

Day 1 – Hanoi 

Day 2 and 3 – halong bay, day 4 and 5 – sapa , day 6 and 7 – hue , day 8 – hoi an, day 9 and 10 – explore saigon, and take a full or half-day tour to the cu chi tunnels or the mekong delta, tour options, da nang , day 2 and 3 – ha long bay, day 4 and 5 – sapa, day 6  – hue, day 7 – hoi an, ninh binh (near hanoi), phong nha – ke bang national park (near hue), my son (near hoi an), ba be national park (near sapa), bach ma national park (between dan nang and hue), dong ha – for dmz tour (between dong hoi and da nang), day 1 – nha trang , day 2 – dalat , day 3 – mui ne , day 4 and 5 – ho chi minh city, day 6 and 7 – phu quoc island, cu chi tunnels or the mekong delta , con dao island, cat tien national park, did you find my vietnam itinerary helpful, 1, 2, and 3-week vietnam itinerary options .

We broke this Vietnam Itinerary into three main sections. 

Simply decide how long you have, and use one of our itineraries to guide you to the top things to do in Vietnam!

10 Days in Vietnam Itinerary: Vietnam Highlights

Our 10 days in Vietnam itinerary will highlight the absolute best of North and South Vietnam – from hiking in Sapa , to sinking beer in lively Ho Chi Minh City (more commonly referred to by its former name, Saigon).

This can be the core of a longer 2 or 3-week journey by adding extension opportunities to it.

You can do this trip from North to South, or in reverse.

After flying into Hanoi, you’ll have one day to see this beautiful city, so get ready to hit the ground running. 

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and is full of beautiful architecture, culture, and unique food.  The old city is surrounded by remnants of fortified walls, and most things you will want to visit are in the Old Quarter. 

I would suggest finding a walking tour, so you can learn about the city’s history as you explore the city.

Take a stroll around the Hoàn Kiếm Lake and visit the Temple of the Jade Moutain, and stop to help the locals practice their English. 

Try the local beer called Bia hơi or fresh beer, which is brewed fresh each morning, and doesn’t contain any preservatives. 

One of the best things to do in Hanoi is to have an egg coffee while sitting at a café in Hanoi’s Train Street. 

Then get ready to get out of the way when the train rattles past, so close to you that it takes your breath away!

For dinner, don’t forget to have a regional specialty, called Bun Cha. It’s found all through the old quarter, so you won’t have to go far to find it. 

Where to stay in Hanoi: We recommend staying right in the Old Quarter.

READ MORE: Learn more about what to do in Hanoi with our Hanoi city guide .

Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and is one of the most popular things to see in Vietnam.  

The stunning bay is full of thousands of limestone islands, pristine beaches, caves, and floating villages.  The Vietnamese call it The Bay of the Descending Dragons. 

One of the best ways to visit the islands is by boat. 

You can take one of the many cruises on offer from the tour operators in town, taking you from Hanoi to Halong Bay, spending a night onboard a boat, and returning you to Hanoi the following day. 

Alternatively, make your own way to Halong Bay, and arrange a boat from there. 

Halong Bay cruise options vary depending on your budget.

The cruises normally include kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, swimming, visiting floating villages, and exploring caves.

If you find the Halong Bay cruises a little out of your budget, check out this guide to Halong Bay on a budget . 

Where to stay in Ha Long Bay: Spend the first night at Halong bay, preferably on board a junk boat.  Alternatively, spend the night on Cat Ba Island . Return to Hanoi, and spend the second night there, ready to head to Sapa in the morning.

After a restful night in Hanoi after your cruise, and having enjoyed some more Bun Cha and fresh beer, it’s time to get on a bus from Hanoi to Sapa.

You can also travel by train if you prefer, but buses are the fastest and the best way to get to Sapa from Hanoi. 

Alternatively, you can hire a private car, which will get you there faster, but at considerably more expensive.

Sapa is a region in Vietnam’s northwest and is home to beautiful terraced rice fields, great trekking, and exquisite vistas. 

Sapa has some of the best trekking in Vietnam . 

You can navigate some of these hikes yourself, arrange a private guide, or organize one of the many tours, either from Hanoi or in Sapa itself. 

The most popular attraction in Sapa is the highest mountain in the region, Fan Si Pan .

But unless you take the cable car to the top, you’ll need more time in the area for this hike. 

Some of the shorter day hikes are Cat Cat, and Tả Phìn , which can be done with or without a guide.

Where to stay in Sapa: Spend two nights in Sapa.  Consider a mountain lodge for the true Sapa experience, and then hop on the bus back to Hanoi early the following day.  Then fly from Hanoi to Hue. If you would prefer not to fly, you can take an overnight train or bus from Hanoi to Hue instead, arriving in the morning of Day 7.

Hue is the old Imperial City, and is where the Nguyen Dynasty held the throne for 143 years. 

The last Emperor, Bao Dai, abdicated his throne and power passed to Ho Chi Minh.

During the American War, the North Vietnamese Army captured Hue as part of the Tet Offensive. 

Thus began a battle to regain the Imperial city by the South Vietnamese and the Americans, which lasted almost a month with thousands dead, and the city was mostly destroyed. 

After spending the previous night in Hue, or arriving in the morning by bus or train, visit the Old City with its pavilions, beautiful temples, and the Royal Palace , all protected by high walls, exquisite gates, and moats. 

Hue is also known for the tombs of the Ancient Emperors.  They are all intricate and beautiful.

But don’t miss the Tomb of Tu Duc , or a visit to Tu Hieu Pagoda , which dates back to 1843. 

One of the last things to do in Hue is to try the famous Bún Bò Huế , a local noodle dish with beef and chili oil, washed down with fresh beer. 

Where to stay in Hue: Spend another night in Hue, then head off early on Day 8 to Hoi An.  The most spectacular way is on a motorbike tour through the Hai Van Pass.  The operators will take you on the back of a motorbike, and deliver both you and your luggage to your hotel in Hoi An.

Alternatively, you can take a private car or bus.

READ MORE: Learn more about what to do in Hue with our Hue city guide .

Explore the beautiful city, and enjoy some rest and relaxation at the beach, sitting on beach chairs and drinking cold coconuts. 

The old town is simply stunning. As you walk around you’ll pass stores selling little souvenirs,  great restaurants, and lots of clothes.

Hoi An is the place to be if you want to have some clothes made.  Tailors are everywhere, and prices are affordable. 

Make sure to head out into town at night, as the city lights up with hanging lanterns, and comes alive with markets, street food, and people. 

While out and about visit the wooden Japanese Covered Bridge from the 18 th Century, and take a boat ride up the river to get a better view of the lights. 

Use Grab or take a taxi or scooter and head to the beach.  You can sit at one of the many restaurants, use their lounge chairs and stay all afternoon soaking up the sun!

Where to stay in Hoi An: Spend the night in Hoi An, and fly from nearby Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City the next morning.

READ MORE: Add these things to do in Hoi An to your itinerary !

After experiencing incredible Hoi An, it’s time for one last big effort as we reach the home stretch of our 10-day itinerary. 

Our time allows for one of two tour options, or if you have an extra day, both.

Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh, is a bustling array of buildings, people, food and scooters! 

Saigon is where a lot of ex-pats live as it offers so much variety and, like New York, the city never sleeps! 

These are your last couple of days in Vietnam, and there is plenty to see.  The Vietnam War Museum, Notre Dame (yes they have one too!), the beautiful Central Post Office, and Independence Palace are all must-see destinations while in HCMC.

One of the things to do in Ho Chi Minh City is to head to Bui Ven Walking Street , where all the action happens. 

After dark, this street is packed with people sitting at small plastic tables and chairs sinking beers, eating street food, and people-watching. 

After a few beers and some food, head back to your hotel and get some rest before your flight home.

READ MORE: Consider these 8 day trips from Ho Chi Minh City .

The Cu Chi Tunnels

Even if you’re not particularly interested in Vietnam’s war history, this is an interesting place to visit. 

There are two different locations, Ben Dinh and Ben Doc . 

Most tour companies usually head to the one closest to the city, Ben Dinh, which is also the largest. 

The Tunnels offer an interesting insight into what it was like for the people fighting in the Vietnam/American War, their living conditions, and how they used the tunnels to hide underground during the day and fight the enemy at night.  

Today you can go into some of the tunnels, which have been widened for westerners to fit in. 

You can only visit the tunnels with a guide, which is provided as part of the entry ticket or part of your tour . 

The Mekong Delta Tour

If small little tunnels aren’t your thing and you would prefer to take a pleasant boat ride down the Mekong river instead, there are half-day tours available from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta. 

Mekong Delta tours usually include exploring small canals by a sampan boat, visiting villages and islands, sampling exotic fruit and touring a coconut candy farm. Yum!

Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City: For your two nights in Saigon, stay in District 1 to be right in the middle of everything, District 3 if you’d like a more relaxed stay that’s still only moments away from the action or District 4 for a real local experience.

Extension Option

If you’re able to extend your tour to 2 weeks in Vietnam, you’ll have more time for these excursions. Any 2 week Vietnam itinerary should include these!

Da Nang has lots to offer .  If you are comfortable on a scooter or motorbike, you can ride from Hue to Da Nang (before going to Hoi An), through the Hai Van Pass . 

This route used to be a little dangerous due to all the cars and trucks using the pass.

But since they have built the new freeway and tunnel there is very little traffic, making it a very enjoyable and incredibly scenic ride.  

The best way to do this is by motorbike tour from Hue, to either Da Nang or to Hoi An, or in reverse. 

Setting out from Da Nang, Ba Na Hills is a scooter ride away.  You may recognize the bridge seemingly held up by two large hands.

Between Da Nang and Hoi An lies Marble Mountain , and to the east of Da Nang there’s a large Buddhist temple complex and pagoda called Chua Linh Ung .

If you have longer in Vietnam and would like to explore more of this beautiful country, combine our North and South options below to create a 2 weeks in Vietnam itinerary. 

2 Week Vietnam Itinerary – 1 Week in the North

Start your 2 weeks in Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city, with beautiful architecture, culture, and food. 

While in Hanoi don’t forget to try egg coffee, fresh beer (Bia hơi), and especially the regional dish of Hanoi, Bun Cha .   (See Above 10-day Vietnam Itinerary)

Where to stay in Hanoi: Spend the night in Hanoi.  We recommend staying right in the Old Quarter.

Ha Long Bay, with its beautiful limestone islands, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

It’s a must-see while in Vietnam, with an overnight boat tour to the islands, and other fun activities like SUPing, kayaking, and exploring caves. 

The easiest way to see Ha Long Bay is to organize a tour from Hanoi . (See Above 10-day Vietnam Itinerary)

Where to stay in Ha Long Bay: Spend the first night at Ha Long Bay, preferably on board a junk boat.  Alternatively, spend the night on Cat Ba Island .  Return to Hanoi, and spend the second night there, ready to head to Sapa in the morning.

Think of beautiful rice terraces set high up in the mountains, trekking, and staying in mountain lodges. 

Sapa is located in the northwest part of the country, and best seen by a two-day tour from Hanoi. (See Above 10-day Vietnam Itinerary)

Where to stay in Sapa: Spend two nights in Sapa.  Consider a mountain lodge for the true Sapa experience, and then hop on the bus back to Hanoi early the following day.  Then fly from Hanoi to Hue.

If you would prefer not to fly, you can take an overnight train or bus from Hanoi to Hue instead, arriving in the morning of Day 7.

The old imperial city still has many secrets to uncover. 

Hidden behind towering walls and large gates, you can explore where the last Emperor ruled from before abdicating his rule in favor of Ho Chi Minh.

This is where the North Vietnamese overtook the city, sparking a battle that lasted for almost a month in what was known as the Tet Offensive. (See Above 10-day Vietnam Itinerary)

Where to stay in Hue: Spend the night in town.  Leave your bags at your hotel while you explore the city the next morning, then head to Hoi An after lunch. 

The most spectacular way is on a motorbike tour through the Hai Van Pass .  The operators will take you on the back of a motorbike, and deliver both you and your luggage to your hotel in Hoi An.

Head to the beach during the day and relax on one of the many lounge chairs offered by the restaurants lining the foreshore of Central Vietnam.

In the evening enjoy the magical old town that comes alive at night with lights, markets, food, and more!  (See Above 10-day Vietnam Itinerary)

Where to stay in Hoi An: Spend the night in Hoi An, and fly from nearby Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, or head to Nha Trang to link up with the Southern Vietnam Itinerary below.

READ MORE: Add these things to do in Hoi An to your 2 week Vietnam itinerary!

Extension Options

If you want more time in the north during your 2 week Vietnam itinerary, add on these trips such as Ninh Binh and some cool national parks.

Considered the inland version of Halong Bay, Ninh Binh is best seen by boat, on a pushbike, or scooter. 

We spent two full days in Ninh Binh and enjoyed a pushbike ride in the surrounding area.

We then hired a scooter in Ninh Binh and set out to see more of the beautiful lush hills, taking a boat ride through Tam Coc, and visiting pagodas.

You can easily book an awesome 2-day, 1-night tour of Ninh Binh from Hanoi if you’re not comfortable riding a scooter in the crazy Vietnam traffic.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is home to over 300 caves and grottoes.  This UNESCO World Heritage Site protects the oldest karst system in Vietnam. 

It comprises of a precious ecosystem, limestone forest, and the world’s largest cave, Son Doong . 

The park offers eco-tourism, mountain climbing, trekking, flora and fauna, and caving. 

Some of this can be done independently, but tours are often the best option to get the most out of your time. 

The My Son ruins are another important UNESCO World Heritage site in central Vietnam. 

This temple complex was built by the Champas during their rule, and was influenced by Hinduism. 

The ruins of the brick temples and sculptures are often likened to Angkor Wat in Cambodia or Bagan in Myanmar.

Book a tour of My Son to make the most of your experience.

Ba Be Lake is the centre of the National Park, and of the Ba Be Lake legend. 

People believe that the lake was formed by an enchantress, who cursed the people of the surrounding area for not showing compassion to her when she asked for help.

Legends aside, Ba Be Lake offers a wide range of activities, from trekking, kayaking, motor-biking, waterfalls, caves, and the natural beauty and diversity of the area. 

The highest point of Bach Ma National Park is the 1450m high mountain of the same name. 

The park is known for its biodiversity, with lots of birds, flora, mammals, and primates.

The government finally protected the area in 1962, after the area was greatly damaged due to the use of agent orange during the Vietnam War.

The area is now safe for people to explore and is best seen with a tour guide . 

You can hike the Five Lakes Cascade Trail taking in the waterfalls, visit the monastery, and hike the Pheasant Trail .  

A visit to the demilitarized zone (DMZ), is a great one-day outing for history buffs. 

The DMZ area was the dividing line between North and South Vietnam during the war, and as a result, saw heavy fighting. 

The tour explains the extent of the fighting in this area, and the importance of the location in the Vietnam War. 

2 Week Vietnam Itinerary – 1 Week in the South

Next on your 2 weeks in Vietnam, spend 1 week in the south of Vietnam. You could easily spend 2 weeks in Vietnam in just the north or the south, but you can also spread out your time between both areas.

Our Southern itinerary begins in Nha Trang.  Either fly there from Saigon or Hanoi, or take a bus down from Hoi An if you’re continuing on from our Northern Itinerary.

Nha Trang is the most famous seaside resort in Vietnam and is known for its white-sand beaches, coastal islands, and clear waters with abundant marine life, making it perfect for scuba diving and snorkelling. 

The town itself also offers interesting cultural sites close by, and places where you can pamper yourself with a mud-bath, or enjoy a seafood dinner. 

Where to stay in Nha Trang: Spend a night in Nha Trang, and take a bus or private car to Dalat the next morning.

After a relaxing time on the beach, it’s time to get some more culture in during your 2 week Vietnam itinerary! 

Dalat is heavily influenced by the colonial period from the French occupation, as the French built their holiday homes here to take advantage of the temperate weather.

With beautiful buildings, gardens, interesting architecture, coffee and tea plantation tours, waterfalls, mountain biking, hiking, and canyoning , you don’t want to miss out on this city!

Where to stay in Dalat: Spend the night in Dalat, and take a bus or private car to Mui Ne the next morning.

READ MORE: Learn more about what to do in Dalat with our Dalat city guide .

Three main things are offered in this beautiful resort destination; relaxation, watersports, and sand dunes.

Mui Ne beach is dotted with resorts, hotels, and hostels, and is a great place to just sit and enjoy your surroundings. 

Although Mui Ne is more than just the beach, this area is set up for tourists and has one main street of shops, cafes, bars, and shopping.

Being a beach town, watersports are a big thing here, and just about everything is on offer from kitesurfing to parasailing. 

The Mui Ne sand dunes are popular, and a spectacular sight. 

There are two locations, the smaller, closer, red sand dunes, and the white sand dunes about 26km from town. 

Tours are available for both locations and you can also hire dune buggies, or go sledding! 

Where to stay in Mui Ne: Spend a night in Mui Ne, then shake the sand from your belongings and take a bus or the train to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the next morning.

There’s so much to see and experience in this historic city, including day tours to some pretty important locations, that you’ll need two days .  

On the first day, you’ll head out into Ho Chi Minh City.  It has some great cultural sites, like the Vietnam War Museum, Independence Palace, Notre Dame, and it also boasts some pretty great nightlife too.  

For the second day, we suggest you head out of the city on a day tour.  There are two great options: The Chu Chi Tunnels, or a trip to the Mekong Delta. (See Above 10-day Vietnam Itinerary)

Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City: For your two nights in Saigon, stay in District 1 to be right in the middle of everything, District 3 if you’d like a more relaxed stay that’s still only moments away from the action or District 4 for a real local experience. Fly to Phu Quoc Island on Day 6.

Phu Quoc is a small island off the coast of Cambodia, lined with white sand beaches and palm trees.  

There are many resorts along the southwest coast providing you with ample opportunity for some relaxation time, while you swim, and eat your last fill of tasty Vietnamese food.   

Phu Quoc island is home to mountains, tropical rainforest, hiking and wildlife, all within its National Park. 

Lots of tours are available to explore the island which offers snorkelling as well, or you can hire a scooter and set off by yourself.

Where to stay in Phu Quoc Island: Spend two relaxing nights on Phu Quoc Island, then fly back to Saigon to catch your onward flight!

If you have more time to spend during your 2 weeks in Vietnam, take the ferry to the mainland, and continue overland to some of the extension options listed below, or to Cambodia.

If you have more time for your 2 week Vietnam itinerary, or you want to further explore one area rather than hopping around, here are some ideas!

Depending on what you did in 7 days for our Southern Vietnam Itinerary, if you have time you might like to see the other option best explored out of Ho Chi Minh City.  (See Above 10-day Vietnam Itinerary)

During the French occupation, and later the Saigon regime, this island was used to house political prisoners and prisoners that were considered especially dangerous.

Aside from its harrowing past, the island is known for its natural beauty with over 80% of the island being a National Park. 

These days the island is frequented for its spectacular snorkelling and diving, with abundant coral reefs, beautiful beaches, and hidden lagoons.   

Can Tho is the de facto capital of the delta region and an unassuming city full of life. 

Most of the activity happens around the pier where you can enjoy great food and cold beer. 

Boat rides are available to show you more of the city and surrounding area, and visit some early-morning markets. 

If you’d like a little break from the tourists and are looking to just relax and hang out with the locals, Qui Nhon is the place to come . 

Unspoiled by tourism, this sleepy town has squeaky white sand beaches, snorkeling, swimming, temples, and museums. 

Cat Tien National Park is comprised of two sections Cat Loc, and Nam Cat Tien, the former being the most visited of the two. 

The river by Nam Cat Tien houses an important Hindu archaeological site and temple, where a large number of artifacts have been uncovered and are now in the Dalat museum. 

The national park has spectacular flora and fauna and trekking.

READ MORE: 33 amazing things to do in Vietnam !

Vietnam is a large and diverse country, with a great deal to offer the traveller who goes in with an open mind and heart. 

While we’ve listed what we feel are the main highlights, there is much more to be explored when you visit Vietnam.

Friendly people really make Vietnam a special place to visit.

The itineraries listed above are a bare minimum if you need to get the most out of a short amount of time. 

While doable, if possible it would be a much more relaxing trip if you could pad it out by adding a few days to your Vietnam itinerary, and slow down a little!

We hope you have a wonderful time there!

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Inside The New Luxury Trains From Hanoi To Danang

On 10/20/2023, Vietnam Railways has officially commissioned  two luxury trains from Hanoi to Danang : SE19 & SE20. To meet the ever-increasing demands of international and domestic tourists, these two trains have undergone major makeovers, with amazing interior upgrades.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Linh, Deputy General Director of the Hanoi Railway Transport Company, stated that the company has invested in upgrading 28 units and purchased new interior furnishings for the seating coaches, sleeper coaches, and restroom areas.

In sleeper coaches, apart from new blankets and pillows, cabin walls have been redecorated with floral patterns, and the air conditioning systems now have adjustable air vents to allow passengers to control the airflow according to their preferences.

The train staff, including train managers and service personnel, are chosen for their experience and good English communication skills. Distinctive uniforms were also designed for this train crew.

The coaches are equipped with new hot water dispensers, porcelain washroom facilities, and restroom cubicles. A dining cabin has been furnished for passengers to comfortably enjoy coffee and meals while admiring the scenic views outside. Passengers who wish to buy regional specialties or products served on the train can simply use their smartphone to scan a QR code that provides access to an online shopping website. On this website, passengers can easily select the regional specialties to enjoy on the train or to buy as gifts.

Passengers traveling on the SE19/20 luxury trains from Hanoi to Danang  and certain other high-quality trains will have access to VIP lounges and dedicated station entrances. Additionally, home pick-up and drop-off services are provided.

The ticket prices for high-quality trains remain the same as current rates. Specifically, the highest price for weekday travel is 943,000 VND ($38 USD), and the highest price for weekend travel is 1,650,000 VND ($67 USD). The SE20 train has a maximum ticket price of 950,000 VND ($38 USD).

According to Hanoi Railway Transport Company, the first inaugurated train has already reached a capacity of over 90%, with the majority of passengers being tourists.

These two  trains depart from Hanoi and Da Nang  stations each day. Specifically, train SE19 departs from Hanoi at 19:50 and arrives at Da Nang at 12:28 the next day. In the opposite direction,   train SE20 departs from Da Nang at 18:10 and arrives at Hanoi at 11:30 the following day.

According to Mr. Dang Sy Manh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Railways, the SE19/20 train is one of the solutions aimed at enhancing service quality to provide passengers with the best possible experience. Subsequently, this initiative will be gradually expanded to other railway routes.

Planning your next trip to Danang? Check out some of our tips and recommendations below:

=>  Excursion in Danang

=>  Five destinations in Da Nang for newcomers

=>  7 Special Things About Danang

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Travel the length of Vietnam on a culinary journey through all three regions, sampling and learning how to cook the best of Vietnamese food.

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Traverse the Mekong Delta from Saigon to Chau Doc (gateway to Cambodia), visiting a floating market, ethnic Khmer village, enchanted submerged forest and more.

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Experience this lovely contrast of city and country on a journey through beautiful southern Vietnam.

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Itinéraire Vietnam en 10 jours, entre patrimoine et nature

Vous souhaitez découvrir l’Asie du sud-est dans ce qu’elle a de meilleur ? Le pays en forme de S est une destination idéale pour ses beautés naturelles et culturelles. Le Vietnam en 10 jours vous plonge dans la vie quotidienne des populations locales, entre monuments et paysages uniques. Une fois décidé à y voyager, plein de questions vous viendront à l’esprit : Que faire au Vietnam en 10 jours, que voir et visiter ? 

Voici un récit de voyage de Sophie Ardhuin  qui a effectué un séjour au Vietnam avec son mari et ses amis en avril 2022, juste après la réouverture touristique du pays. 

1. Mon itinéraire Vietnam en 10 jours

2. choses à savoir sur le vietnam avant votre départ .

Que visiter au Vietnam en 10 jours ? De la baie d’Halong à sa version terrestre de Ninh Binh, et des spectaculaires grottes de Phong Nha à la pittoresque cité impériale de Hué et portuaire de Hoi An, vous serez comblés. Vous visiterez les principaux sites, dont la valeur patrimoniale est confirmée par l’Unesco. Avec la possibilité de faire ensuite une extension au Sud du pays ou au Cambodge où se trouvent les magnifiques temples d’Angkor.

Jour 1-2 : Hanoi, tour de ville

Jour 3-4 : Croisière en jonque sur la Baie d’Halong

Jour 5 : Ninh Binh (baie d’halong terrestre)

Jour 6 : Phong Nha, visites des grottes sous terraines

Jour 7 : Hue, l'ancienne capitale impériale

Jour 8 : My Son, l'ancien sanctuaire des Chams

Jour 9 : Hoi An, vieille citée portuaire

Jour 10 : Retour à Hanoi ou poursuite sur Ho Chi Minh-Ville (Saigon)

Entrons dans le détail sur ce que nous avons fait pendant notre séjour Vietnam en 2 semaines

Jours 1 - 2 : Hanoi, tour de la capitale vietnamienne

Après notre atterrissage à Hanoï , nous avons été accueillis par notre guide francophone local, très sympa. Il nous a conduit à l’hôtel, dans le quartier de Hoan Kiem , au cœur historique de la capitale millénaire du Vietnam. Après un petit repos, nous avons pu faire une première visite du centre-ville pour nous défouler les pieds. Cette promenade informelle, pour nous imprégner du charme des lieux, faire partie intégrante d’un "Que visiter au Vietnam en 10 jours ? ".

Dans cet environnement sûr, s’est imposé un tour du petit lac de l’Épée Restituée – qui se dit "Hoan Kiem", nos premiers mots en vietnamien ! Cela nous a pris qu’une heure, tout en admirant le temple du Mont Jade et l’îlot de la Tortue. On se trouvait bien au cœur de Hanoi, tout comme dans l’adjacent vieux quartier des 36 rues, ou s’exerçaient autant de métiers artisanaux autrefois.

Avant de passer notre première nuit à l’hôtel, nous avons aussi eu une bonne mise en bouche, si l’on peut dire, en bénéficiant des conseils du guide. Nous avons dégusté un « phở », l’excellente soupe aux nouilles locale, servie sur un trottoir.

Le jour suivant, notre sympathique accompagnateur – dont le français était excellent – nous a fait découvrir les sites culturels et monuments historiques les plus remarquables de Hanoi. A environ deux kilomètres du lac Hoan Kiem, nous avons tout d’abord visité le Temple de la Littérature , le symbole national de l’éducation.

Puis nous avons rejoint la place de Ba Dinh où se trouvent notamment le mausolée et la maison d’Ho Chi Minh , le père fondateur du Vietnam réunifié. Nous avons pu admirer l’actuel palais présidentiel non loin de là, ainsi que d’autres témoins architecturaux de l’héritage colonial de l’Indochine française, comme la cathédrale Saint-Joseph et l’Opéra .

Puis nous avons été conduits au Musée d’Ethnographie  ; avec sa collection de nombreux objets et photos montrant la diversité des populations vietnamiennes, il nous a donné un avant-gout de la ruralité locale. De même en fin de journée, en assistant au spectacle du théâtre des marionnettes sur l’eau, caractéristique de la région du Fleuve Rouge.

Jours 3 - 4 : Croisière en jonque sur la baie d’Halong - patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO

Le Vietnam en 10 jours ne peut pas faire l’économie d’une visite de la baie d’Halong (ou baie d’Along), le site classé par l’Unesco. Nous l’avons facilement rejoint en quelques heures de route de Hanoi. Une fois arrivé sur la côte, nous avons embarqué à bord d’une jonque traditionnelle, accueillis par son équipage très attentionné.

Cette magnifique croisière nous a permis de graver dans nos têtes les images les plus marquantes de notre séjour. Cet archipel, un des plus spectaculaires de la planète, nous a émerveillé ! Nous avons navigué tout d’abord au nord, dans la zone de Bai Tu Long , pour y admirer les pittoresques îles et îlots aux formes le plus diverses.

On croit voir une voile, un chien, un coq… Les splendides grottes comme Thien Canh Son , abritant des splendides stalagmites et stalactites, ont aussi fait partie de cette exploration aquatique ». Nous avons continué la croisière à Cap La , en faisant une balade en kayak et une baignade dans les eaux sublimes, la météo le permettant.

En fin d’après-midi, dans notre jonque-hôtel de la baie d’Along, nous avons opté pour le farniente sur le pont supérieur en sirotant un jus de coco. Puis nous avons participé à un cours de cuisine pour apprendre à concocter des nems du cru, avant de nous régaler avec un diner de fruits de mer de la région.  Avant de rejoindre mon lit, j’ai également fait un peu de pêche à la ligne nocturne !

Après une agréable nuit sur les flots, dans des lits confortables, nous nous sommes levés dès l’aube pour profiter des premiers rayons de soleil. Ils émergeaient des milliers de pains de sucre de la baie, nous faisant vivre un des moments les plus féeriques de notre voyage.

Puis avant de prendre notre déjeuner à bord, nous avons pagayé paisiblement dans un kayak pour visiter le village de pêcheurs de Vung Vieng . Nous sommes retournés ensuite à Hanoi afin de pouvoir gagner l’autre Baie d’Halong le lendemain, la terrestre dans la province de Ninh Binh.

Jours 5 : Ninh Binh, la baie d'Halong terrestre

Nous avons quitté Hanoi, direction le sud, pour rejoindre en moins de deux heures la région de roches calcaires autour de Tam Coc . J’ai pu constater de mes propres yeux que les pains de sucre ressemblent effectivement à ceux de la baie d’Halong, les rizières, rivières et lacs remplaçant la mer en quelque sorte. Notre premier arrêt a été au mont Mua , dont nous avons gravi les 486 marches de pierre blanche jusqu’au sommet, sans regretter cet effort. La vue panoramique qui nous attendait été probablement la plus spectaculaire de ces dix jours.

Cela nous a donné également un aperçu des environs du village de Tam Coc . Une fois sur place, nous avons fait une très belle balade bucolique à vélo dans la campagne tonkinoise avant d’y déjeuner. L’après-midi, nous avons poursuivi l’exploration de ce site unique avec une excursion en barque sur la rivière Ngo Dong . Elle serpente entre les rizières et les pitons calcaires, et nous avons aussi été épatés par notre rameuse. Elle propulsait notre embarcation avec ses pieds, en effet, et nous a fait passer dans trois tunnels dont on pouvait toucher le plafond.

Le soir, nous avons pris un train de nuit non loin de Tam Coc, pour poursuivre notre avancée vers le sud. Le Vietnam en 10 jours serait quasiment impossible sans ce type de voyage nocturne, dans des cabines que nous avons trouvé confortables.

Jour 6 : Phong Nha, le paradis naturel du Vietnam

Après notre arrivée matinale à la gare de Dong Hoi, nous avons été conduits au parc national de Phong Nha , autre patrimoine naturel mondial de l’UNESCO. Nous avons démarré son exploration en naviguant sur sa rivière souterraine, une des plus longues du monde. Autre moment fort de notre itinéraire au Vietnam en 10 jours !

Nous avons visité ensuite de splendides grottes puis fait une agréable marche sur la montagne calcaire de Ke Bang, avant de reprendre la route pour Hué, l’ancienne capitale impériale. Une fois installés dans notre joli hôtel, nous avons diné en nous régalant avec une soupe de nouilles de riz « cylindrique » au bœuf. Il s’agissait du fameux plat local « bun bo Hué », servi avec un jarret de porc et de la mortadelle, délicieusement aromatisé par des feuilles et herbes de la région.

Jour 7 : Hué, l'ancienne capitale impériale

Après notre première nuit dans la métropole historique du Centre Vietnam, nous avons exploré Hue , la Cité Impériale, des 13 rois de la dynastie Nguyen. Ils y « régnèrent » pendant un siècle et demi, depuis les temps napoléoniens jusqu’à la Deuxième guerre mondiale. Nous avons également visité le mausolée de Minh Mang, l’Empereur devenu célèbre notamment pour avoir eu 142 enfants avec 43 concubines. C’est un autre incontournable des activités à faire au Vietnam en 10 jours.

J’ai adoré aussi la pagode de Thien Mu , très pittoresque avec sa vue sur les rives de la Rivière des Parfums, ainsi que celle de Tu Hieu, plus discrète. On y trouve des tombeaux d’eunuques de la dynastie Nguyen, et nous avons eu la chance d’y être présents au moment des prières des bonzes. Notre découverte de Hué s’est achevée avec le marché de Dong Ba , le plus grand et ancien, où certains de mes compagnons de voyage ont acheté des spécialités de l’artisanat local, des chapeaux coniques et des robes tuniques « ao dai ».

Jour 8 : La côte maritime du Centre et le sanctuaire cham de My Son

Le lendemain matin, nous avons repris le chemin de Hoi An , destination phare située à environ 150 kilomètres au Sud de Hué. Notre Vietnam en 10 jours nous permettait – et nous imposait ! – de faire plusieurs arrêts en cours de route. D’abord au Col des Nuages en tout seigneur tout honneur, avec sa vue sur la splendide côte de la mer de Chine. Nous avons visité aussi la plage de Lang Co et la paisible lagune de Lap An, au pied des montagnes littorales.

Les pittoresques cimetières au bord de la route ne nous ont pas laissé indifférents. Il s’agit de « villages » de tombeaux édifiés comme des demeures à l’architecture asiatique, sculptées finement.

Puis nous avons rejoint My Son, l’ancienne capitale religieuse des royaumes Cham, qui régnèrent sur une civilisation qui prospéra au Moyen Age avant de disparaitre. Il en est resté des vestiges qui nous ont enchanté, comme ces tours et temples au fond d’une petite vallée entourée par des massifs. Ce site archéologique constitue l'un des beaux moments inattendus de notre séjour au Vietnam en 10 jours. En fin d’après-midi, nous sommes arrivés à Hoi An, lieu touristique qui, bien que plus connu, a également dépassé nos attentes.

Jour 9 : Hoi An, une ville au patrimoine exceptionnel

À Hoi An , la matinée a été consacrée à une promenade à pied dans le quartier historique et fluvial de l’ancienne cité portuaire. Des marchands européens, y compris des Français, y séjournèrent à partir du XVème siècle et y bâtirent certains de ses bâtiments les plus marquants. Du sanctuaire de Fujian a la pagode Phuc Thanh et du pont japonais – qui abrite une pagode ! – aux étroites ruelles joliment décorées, il y avait de quoi se délecter les yeux. Le tout dans une atmosphère bon enfant, car voyager au Vietnam pendant 10 jours, c’est aussi les contacts plaisants avec la population locale.

L’après-midi, nous avons découvert en vélo les environs bucoliques de Hoi An, entre rizières verdoyantes, jardins potagers et hameaux où l’on élève même des crevettes. Au village de Cam Chau , nous avons visité une fabrique de lanternes, selon les techniques traditionnelles.

Jour 10 : Hoi An et départ

La veille au soir et au début de cette dernière journée, nous nous sommes occupé à notre guise entre farniente et dernières emplettes. Que faire au Vietnam au bout de dix jours, si ce n’est penser au souvenirs à offrir ? Puis en fin d’après-midi, j’ai pris un vol retour à Hanoi puis la France, tandis que d’autres compagnons de voyage poursuivaient sur Ho Chi Minh-Ville.

>>> Un voyage à la découverte du patrimoine et nature du Vietnam vous intéresse? Consultez ici le circuit:

Le pays en forme de S compte près de 100 millions d’habitants sur une superficie plus petite que la France. Hanoi est sa capitale historique, politique et intellectuelle, mais Ho Chi Minh-Ville (connue sous le nom de Saigon avant la réunification du pays) est sa première métropole économique. On y parle le vietnamien ainsi que de nombreux dialectes pratiqués par une partie de ses 54 groupes ethniques. Celui des Viet (ou des Kinh comme on les appelle aussi) représente plus de 85% de la population.

Le Vietnam est un pays sûr pour s’y déplacer. Il faut juste faire attention aux pickpockets dans certains lieux touristiques, et aux motos en traversant les rues des grandes villes ! Quant à la météo, elle est généralement agréable. Il peut faire frisquet au nord durant les mois d’hiver. En temps de chaleur, les hôtels sont généralement bien équipés en air conditionné et ventilateurs.

Que faire au Vietnam en 10 jours ? Vous venez de lire l’essentiel de ce qu’il faut savoir et êtes fin prêts (ou presque !) pour aller découvrir ce pays. N’hésitez pas, il faut le connaitre pour ses paysages, ses monuments, sa cuisine, et aussi pour ses habitants si bienveillants.

Pour avoir les idées de voyages au Vietnam de 10-12 jours ou un voyage sur mesure Vietnam qui vous convient le mieux, consultez ici:   Circuit Vietnam 10 - 12 jours

Bonjour, vous pouvez vous rendre à Ho Chi Minh Ville depuis Hué .

• En train : Le trajet est long, mais vous pouvez admirer de beaux paysages par la fenêtre (notez que les toilettes peuvent ne pas être très propres). Vous pouvez réserver votre billet de train sur le site web officiel du train Vietnam : https://dsvn.vn/#/
• En bus : Le bus est une option à considérer, mais il n'est pas recommandé en raison de la longueur du trajet et des imprévus possibles.
• En avion : C'est plus sûr et rapide. Quelques compagnies aériennes pour vous:  https://www.vietjetair.com/en/ , https://www.vietnamairlines.com/vn/vi/home .

N'hésitez pas à poser d'autres questions si nécessaire. Cordialement.

Bonjour, un voyage en train est tout à fait envisageable. Cependant, voici quelques conseils pour bien vous préparer : Le voyage en train demande du temps, donc assurez-vous d'avoir un emploi du temps assez flexible. Il est important de noter que les trains au Vietnam ne sont pas aussi rapides qu'ils peuvent l'être dans votre pays ; ils ont tendance à être un peu plus lents. Cependant, cela vous permet de profiter pleinement des magnifiques paysages qui défilent par la fenêtre.

Si vous souhaitez obtenir plus de détails pratiques, nous vous invitons à consulter notre article dédié au voyage en train au Vietnam .

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De l’ancienne Saigon à la capitale d’Hanoi 12 jours

Cet itinéraire 12 jours du Sud au Nord convient parfaitement à ceux qui préfèrent arriver par Ho Chi Minh ville et partir depuis Hanoi. Il permet aux voyageurs de bien se familiariser avec le pays en forme de S en découvrant ses principales richesses culturelles et naturelles.

Découverte du Nord-est, paradis oublié 10 jours

Comprenant les destinations les plus belles de la région montagneuse du nord-est Vietnam, cet itinéraire vous offre des paysages grandioses et époustouflants, des excursions hors des sentiers battus, des rencontres avec la population locale pour enrichir vos expériences au Vietnam.

Incontournables du Nord au Centre & plages de Nha Trang 10 jours

10 jours pour apprécier les saveurs et les richesses du Vietnam, c’est tout à faire possible. Voici nos quelques idées pour réussir votre circuit du Vietnam avec le séjour en bord de mer dans les plages les plus réputées du pays.

Grande traversée du sud 10 jours

De Saigon, la capitale économique trépidante, à Mui Ne avec ses plages de sable fin bordé de cocotiers et ses dunes de sable rouge typique, du mystérieux Haut Plateau jusqu’au fin fond du Mékong au cœur des vergers et des arroyos… Découvrez tous ces paysages envoûtants dans ce circuit Sud Vietnam en 10 jours !

Les essentiels du centre & sud en famille 12 jours

L’été arrive à grand pas et vous êtes en train de vous préparer pour partir en vacances. Ce circuit en 12 jours se concentre principalement sur le thème de vacances en famille en privilégiant des destinations et des activités adaptées aux enfants.

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+84 397541881 (hotline)

5 sites incontournables du Montana

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Grandes Plaines, Rocheuses et lacs glaciaires. Puits de mine, saloons et champs de bataille des guerres indiennes. Au nord des États-Unis, le Montana incarne un Ouest américain rural, sauvage et pittoresque. Entre nature et histoire, focus sur 5 sites incontournables de ce « pays des grands horizons », terre des Premières Nations et de la ruée vers l'or.

1- Le parc national de Glacier

Immense terrain d'aventures au cœur des Rocheuses, à la frontière canadienne, le parc national de Glacier est propice aux randonnées dans un décor à la flore et la faune richissimes, mouflons d'Amérique et chèvres des montagnes en tête. Icônes du parc, ces dernières grignotent les herbes le long des sentiers, indifférentes à toute présence humaine. Il faut suivre la splendide route panoramique « Going-to-the Sun » pour admirer les plus beaux points de vue sur cet écrin de reliefs ciselés, de forêts denses et de fragiles glaciers. Profondeurs émeraudes, reflets laiteux, eaux bleu électrique, les lacs rivalisent de beauté. Pour une immersion dans cette nature reine, et si vous vous laissiez tenter par les magnifiques lodges historiques, tout de bois vêtus, qui jalonnent le parc ?

2- Le parc national de Yellowstone

À la frontière du Wyoming, l'arche inaugurée à Gardiner par Théodore Roosevelt en 1903 symbolise l'entrée nord du parc national de Yellowstone. « La meilleure idée que l'Amérique ait jamais eue », selon l'expression de l'écrivain Wallace Stegner, pour protéger le patrimoine naturel.

Sur ces terres volcaniques découvertes en 1807 par John Colter, membre de l'expédition Lewis et Clark, la visite va de merveilles en merveilles : terrasses fumantes des Mammoth Hot Springs, chutes torrentielles de la Yellowstone River, geysers de Old Faithful, sources chaudes d'Upper Geyser Basin... Et à chaque saison ses atouts, dans ce monde un peu lunaire où bisons, wapitis, grizzlis et autres coyotes sont rois. Le printemps dévoile cascades et fleurs sauvages. L'été rime avec randonnée, pêche et observation des étoiles. L'automne habille les arbres de sublimes couleurs. L'hiver invite à profiter des sports de glisse dans un décor enneigé majestueux.

3- Les Badlands du Makoshika State Park

Les fossiles de dinosaures foisonnent dans les Badlands. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Thescelosaure... Plus de 10 espèces de dinosaures ont été découvertes dans les 4 450 hectares du Makoshika State Park, le plus grand parc d'État du Montana et l'endroit rêvé pour admirer les formations insolites de la région : caprocks, hoodoos et autres ponts naturels modelés depuis des millénaires. Profitez d'une magnifique balade dans cette nature exceptionnelle au parfum de pin, sauge et genévrier, mentionnée dans le journal de William Clark comme les « collines de Birnt ». Puis rendez-vous au Frontier Gateway Museum, à Glendive, et au centre des visiteurs, pour tout savoir de la vie préhistorique et admirer des fossiles et des expositions géologiques.

4- Little Big Horn

À 1 heure de route de Billings, c'est dans les collines d'herbe sèche fouettées par le vent du célèbre champ de bataille de Little Big Horn, tout près de la frontière du Wyoming, que des milliers de guerriers Sioux Lakotas et Cheyennes, dirigés par Sitting Bull et Crazy Horse, infligèrent une écrasante défaite au lieutenant-colonel George Custer et son 7 e régiment de cavalerie en juin 1876. Ces tribus natives étaient en guerre pour conserver dans leur Grande Réserve sioux la région des Black Hills, convoitée par le gouvernement américain suite à la découverte d'or. Ne manquez pas le Spirit Warriors Monument, particulièrement émouvant, et découvrez l'art moderne, les bijoux et les ouvrages de perles des Indiens Crow et Northern Cheyenne au Custer Battlefield Trading Post and Cafe. Sans oublier de goûter les hamburgers de bison.

5- Miles City

Atmosphère rodéo et art de vivre western à Miles City. C'est ici, au confluent des rivières Tongue et Yellowstone, que la cavalerie établit son camp après la campagne de 1876 visant à « rassembler les Indiens hostiles ». Leur commandant, le colonel Nelson A. Miles, a donné son nom à la ville. Centre du commerce des chevaux et du bétail, Miles City organise toujours des foires hebdomadaires de bétail et, une fois par an, la Bucking Horse Sale, vente aux enchères trépidante de chevaux sauvages. L'occasion d'assister à des rodéos, des tractions de tracteurs, des danses de rue et barbecues typiques.

Ne manquez pas de visiter le Range Riders Museum, qui présente une vaste collection d'armes, de voitures, chariots et équipements agricoles d'antan, et le quartier historique de Main Street, qui illustre la croissance de Miles City depuis l'arrivée du Pacifique Nord en 1881, avec ses immeubles commerciaux en brique de l'époque victorienne côtoyant l'Art déco et le moderne.

COMMENT Y ALLER ?

Avec Les Maisons du Voyage, animées par le désir de partager plus de 30 ans d'expériences et de passions. Leurs itinéraires rares, authentiques, privilégient la curiosité intellectuelle, la rencontre et la vision d'un tourisme responsable. Dédiés à chaque région du monde, les experts des Maisons vous offrent un service personnalisé : une promesse de qualité dont témoigne une clientèle exigeante.

Découvrez tous les voyages au Montana des Maisons du Voyage sur https://www.maisonsduvoyage.com/amerique/etats-unis/ouest-americain

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