Vietnam
Vietnam20 guides across 3 destinations — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in Vietnam
Practical essentials for Vietnam
Vietnamese đồng (VND)
Vietnamese; English is widely spoken in tourist areas but school-taught proficiency is generally poor elsewhere
Type A/C/F, 220V 50Hz — most sockets accept both flat and round two-pin plugs
The Grab and Be apps cover taxis and motorbike rides in every city and sleeper trains link them; Ho Chi Minh City's Metro Line 1 has been open since December 2024.
Not obligatory but appreciated — round up or leave 5–10% in a restaurant, and a few dollars for a guide or driver.
Tap water is not safe to drink anywhere, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City included — stick to bottled or filtered, even for teeth.
Right-hand side; a 1968 International Driving Permit is required with your national licence to drive a car or a motorbike.
113 police, 114 fire, 115 ambulance
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from Vietnam
Boutique or Grand: Choosing Where to Stay in Hanoi
A colonial landmark by the Opera House or a narrow tube house in the Old Quarter. In Hanoi, the style of hotel you pick decides the city you get.
The Quiet Corners of Hanoi That Locals Love
Hanoi at full volume is famous. Hanoi at a whisper — dawn tai chi by the lake, flower markets before sunrise, a rusting French-era bridge at dusk — is the city locals actually keep for themselves.
First Time in Hanoi: Everything You Need to Know
Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital is intense, beautiful and cheaper than you think. Here is the honest first-timer briefing — from crossing the street to choosing your season.
Three Days in Saigon, Timed Around the Heat
Saigon is awake and eating before six and close to unbearable by noon, so the plan has to follow the clock rather than the map. Three days, an early start, Cholon at seven, and an honest verdict on the tunnels.
Where to Sleep in Saigon Now the Districts Have Gone
Vietnam abolished its districts in July 2025 and the hotel listings still say District 1. A working guide to the four faces of the old centre, the outer neighbourhoods worth the commute, and what quietly ruins a room here.
What Deserves a Day in Saigon, and What Deserves Ninety Minutes
Three days in Ho Chi Minh City ordered by what each thing pays back for the hours it eats: two hours at the War Remnants Museum, ninety minutes on the colonial spine, and the Mekong only if you sleep there.
The Roads Out of Saigon, and How Long Each One Really Takes
Mangrove, delta, dunes and mountain forest are all reachable from Ho Chi Minh City, but only some of them in a day. Here is what each direction actually costs in hours, which trips demand an overnight, and which to refuse outright.
What to Eat in Ho Chi Minh City — and Where
Pho at dawn, the city's most famous banh mi, broken rice sizzling over charcoal: a dish-by-dish guide to eating brilliantly in Saigon.
Hoi An for less: the thrifty traveller's playbook
Vietnam's lantern-lit trading port is already one of Asia's best-value destinations. With a bicycle, an appetite and a little timing, it becomes almost absurdly affordable.
48 Hours in Hoi An: The Perfect Itinerary
Two days among the lanterns — old-town mornings, beach afternoons, riverside evenings, and every bowl of cao lau you can manage.
Breakfast to midnight: eating your way through Hoi An
Cao lau at the market, Vietnam's most famous banh mi, white rose dumplings and riverside sweets after dark — a full day of eating in the lantern town.
Hanoi street food guide: pho, banh mi and the Old Quarter
Where to eat in Vietnam's capital, venue by venue — from a legendary bowl of beef pho on Bat Dan Street to the café that invented egg coffee.