Home Group Tour Travel Blog in Hanoi Recommendation for your first trip to Vietnam

Recommendation for your first trip to Vietnam

1. Visa or no visa?

Vietnam allows passport holders from the following countries to visit Vietnam without a visa:

30 days visit: Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand

21 days visit: Philippines

15 days visit: Brunei, Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Finland, Russia, Sweden and Japan

Other countries are required to obtain a visa. There are two ways of getting a visa to Vietnam:

You can apply for a visa at the Vietnamese embassy in your country. Each country’s requirements will vary slightly, so be sure to check the visa application procedure with the embassy beforehand – and leave enough time to get everything completed before your trip!

You can get a visa on arrival in Vietnam – as long as you have pre-registered before travelling. This can be done via a travel agency, and you will only need to fill in a form (and a fee). They will then send you an approval letter that will allow you to process the visa when you arrive into the country. Be sure to take this letter with you as you may be denied boarding if you do not have a copy! When you arrive into the country you will be able to pay for your visa and have the

document issued.

2. What to pack

You should bring summer clothes and comfortable shoes/sandals. Ho Chi Minh city is hot all year round, while Hanoi can get really hot in the summer but is cooler during autumn. In winter time, sometimes it gets cold in Hanoi and other northern regions, so if you’re travelling at beginning of the year, be sure to bring a winter sweater and a coat!

It is not compulsory to wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees when visiting temples and pagodas as it is in Thailand, but it is advisable to wear polite clothes.

Prepare a small bag for storage of your passport and cash. You shouldn’t leave them in the hotel room, but most hotels do have a safe where you can store things during your stay.

Each airline has different checked-in and carry-on luggage policies, so check carefully before travelling from your home country to Vietnam.

If you are taking a domestic flight inside Vietnam with a budget airline such as VietJet Air or Jetstar, you need to pay extra for check-in luggage as it is not included in the airfare. Vietnam Airlines allows you to travel with 20kg of check-in which has been included in the airfare.

3. How to travel in a city

In most cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city or Hoi An, walking is the best way

Motorbike taxis (“xe ôm”) are offered everywhere in Vietnam and can also be very convenient if you’re too tired of walking. Make sure the driver give you a helmet to wear as it is illegal to not wear a helmet on a motorbike, and be sure to agree on a price beforehand!

Rent a scooter if you know how to drive one before. Although this is not advisable due to the chaotic traffic in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city, many travellers find this a fun and memorable experience. Make sure you get an automatic scooter, wear a strong helmet and drive slowly.

Taxis are fairly cheap in Vietnam. Make sure to tell the drivers to turn the meter on. If they don’t, just get out of the taxi and get another one.

4. How to travel around Vietnam

Flights and trains are preferable for long distances travel.

Buses and cars can be used for shorter distances, such as from Hanoi to Halong Bay, from Da Nang to Hue, from Ho Chi Minh City to Mekong Delta.

Many adventurous travellers challenge themselves by riding motorbikes, but as roads in some regions can be in a poor state of repair, it is not advisable to travel by motorbikes from one city to another.

vietnam-tours

5. Shopping in Vietnam

Shopping in open markets in Vietnam is more popular than in malls as Vietnam has markets everywhere.

Bargaining is allowed when buying at shops or in the market, except in shopping malls.

If you have a calculator, it would be very convenient for bargaining, to avoid the language difference issues.

Food markets are open very early in the morning and have very few tourists!

Other markets open at around 10am, but it is advisable not to shop in the morning. Start shopping after lunch when shop keepers are more happy to bargain! If you bargain in the morning, shopkeepers believe it will be bad luck for their business.

Shopping malls open from 9.30am until 9pm.

Tax return is not yet common when shopping in Vietnam, except when you purchase goods in luxury shops.

6. International calls and Internet

You can purchase a Vietnamese Sim card to use with your mobile phone. The major mobile providers in Vietnam are VinaPhone, Mobifone and Viettel. Prepaid sim cards can be purchased in convenience stores or phone shops. Make sure to ask the sellers to activate the sim card to be able to call internationally.

Internet Wifi is available everywhere in major cities in Vietnam. Most cafes, restaurants, hotels have free Wifi, simply ask for the password to connect by your devices.

7. Exchange rates

Vietnam currency is Dong (VND). 1 USD is equivalent to 21,000 VND. 1 Euro is equivalent to 28,000 VND. 1 GBP is equivalent to 32,000 VND.

8. Dos and don’ts in Vietnam

Pointing your finger is seen as offensive. Try to gesture using your whole hand instead.

Refrain from public displays of affection, they are considered offensive.

Always remove your shoes when entering a temple or a pagoda

Nude sunbathing is considered completely inappropriate, even on beaches.

Remove your hat when entering a religious site, addressing the elderly or encountering esteemed people such as monks.

It is improper to pat children on the head.

When using a toothpick, it is polite to cover your open mouth.

Don’t leave chopsticks sitting vertically in a rice bowl as it looks very similar to incense sticks that are burned for the dead.

When passing something to another person, use both your hands together or just your right hand. Never use just your left hand.