Vietnam
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Votes for VietnamThe short answer
March, April, October and November. The country is long, so no month is good everywhere, but those four come closest.
The north and the south have opposite seasons. If Hanoi is cold and grey, Ho Chi Minh City is warm and dry, and the flight between them takes two hours.
When to go
Best months: Mar to Apr, Oct to Nov
What a day costs
Per person, not counting flights.
- Guesthouse$10
- Street food$10
- Buses and trains$10
- Hotel$40
- Eating out$15
- Transport$15
- Good hotel$120
- Restaurants$40
- Flights and drivers$30
What your whole trip would cost
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Votes for VietnamHow far it is
- London to Hanoi12h
- Dubai to Hanoi6h 40m
- Singapore to Hanoi3h 15m
- Getting aroundCheap domestic flights and sleeper trains, because the country is long
- When to avoidThe north in January, cold and grey, and the centre during the autumn typhoons
Nonstop times from a few big hubs, to give you a sense of the distance. We have no idea which airport you are actually leaving from. Fares move weekly, so we leave those out.
When you land
- Airport to townBus 86 runs into the Old Quarter for very little, and Grab is cheap enough to skip the fare argument entirely.
- Cash or cardStill largely a cash country. The notes have a lot of zeros, so count them twice.
- Getting onlineViettel has the best coverage and a tourist SIM costs a few dollars.
- What catches people outCrossing the road. Walk slowly and predictably and the scooters flow around you. Stopping suddenly is what gets people hit.
What not to miss in Vietnam
- Pho on a plastic stool at seven in the morningIt is breakfast food, not dinner food. The good places sell out by ten.
- Ha Giang by motorbikeThree days of mountain road in the far north. The best thing in the country and most people miss it.
- A night on the water in Lan Ha BayThe same limestone as Ha Long with a fraction of the boats.
- Hoi An after the day trippers leaveTailors, lanterns and an empty old town from about six in the evening.
Still deciding?
🧳 Plan your trip to Vietnam
Good to know
Curated with 
Nemo
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.