Vietnam Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors

I have a confession. The first time I landed in Hanoi, I stood outside the arrivals hall for a full ten minutes with my phone in my hand, no data, and absolutely no idea which of the forty motorbikes honking at me was my ride. I had planned the flights carefully and the hotels sensibly, and I had skipped everything in between. That ten minutes taught me more about travelling in Vietnam than any guidebook did: the country rewards people who sort out the small practical things before they leave, and then it rewards them again with some of the best food, scenery and hospitality in Southeast Asia.

This guide is the one I wish I had held on that pavement. It is written for first-time visitors, and in particular for travellers from Singapore, because the short flight, the visa-free stay and the weak-but-friendly dong make Vietnam one of the easiest big trips we can take. You will find how to get in, when to go, what the regions are actually like, how to move between them, what to eat, what things cost, and a day-by-day plan you can steal. I have tried to be honest about the bits that are tiring or overrated, because a guide that only says nice things is not much use at 6 a.m. in a bus station.

A quick note on how this page is built. Wherever I mention an activity, the link goes to a live listing on HolidaySG where you can read the full details and check dates. Prices shown as “from” are the starting price for the cheapest option on that listing and can change by date, so treat them as a guide to scale rather than a quote. Tickets and confirmations follow our usual process: every booking is checked by our team first, and e-tickets are emailed after our team confirms your booking.

Vietnam at a glance: what first-timers need to know

Vietnam is long and thin, roughly the shape of an S laid on its side, and that single fact explains most of your planning problems. Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south are about 1,600 kilometres apart, which is a two-hour flight or a thirty-hour train ride. Danang and Hoi An sit in the middle. Each region has its own weather, its own accent, its own signature dishes and, frankly, its own personality. Northerners are a touch more reserved, central Vietnam is quietly romantic, and the south is loud, sweet-toothed and fast.

For a first trip, the classic route is north to south (or the reverse) with three or four stops. Anything more and you spend your holiday in transit. I have seen plenty of itineraries with six cities in nine days, and they all end the same way: a very tired person in a very nice hotel they barely saw.

The time difference is small enough to ignore, and the flights are short enough that a long weekend is realistic. That said, I would not try to see more than one region in under a week.

Visas and entry: Singapore passports, eVisa and the paperwork people forget

This is the section where I slow down, because getting it wrong is the one mistake that can end a trip at the airport. The rules below come from the official sources we track and were last verified in August 2026, but visa policy changes, so always confirm against the current official notice before you book flights. Our visa requirements checker shows the latest facts for your passport and destination.

If you hold a Singapore passport and plan to stay under a month, you do not need to apply for anything, but the officer at immigration will still look at your passport validity and your onward travel. Which brings me to the thing people forget: proof of onward travel. Airlines can refuse to board you for Vietnam if you cannot show a way out of the country. If you have not bought your return or onward ticket yet, or you need a flight plan to attach to an eVisa application, our flight reservation service prepares a manual reservation for visa applications. To be clear, that is a reservation document, not an issued airline ticket, and it does not promise that any embassy or immigration officer will accept it. Read what it covers on that page before you rely on it.

Tip from the road: Photograph your passport photo page, your eVisa approval and your hotel confirmation, and keep paper copies in a different bag from the originals. I have needed the printout twice, once when a phone died and once when an airline desk wanted to see it.

Two small points that catch people out. First, scammy lookalike sites charge much more than the official fee for the same eVisa, so only use the government portal or a service you trust. Second, enter your name exactly as it appears on the passport, with no shortcuts. A single mismatched letter is a reason for trouble at the gate.

When to go: the weather is different in every region

People ask me for the best month to visit Vietnam as if the country has one climate. It has three. Our own destination notes put the broad sweet spots at February to April and October to December, and the rainy months at May to November in the south and September to December in the centre. The north has a real winter, with cold, grey, drizzly weeks around January that surprise a lot of travellers who packed only shorts.

If you can only travel in the middle of the year, do not cancel the trip; just plan around the weather. Pick the south and the islands carefully, expect afternoon rain, and keep mornings for outdoor sightseeing. If you are going in Singapore school holidays in June, the north is hot and humid and the centre is at its best for beaches. In December, the reverse is true. The Tet holiday (Lunar New Year, usually late January or February) is wonderful if you want to see the culture and awful if you want to move around: transport sells out, shops close for several days and prices rise. Book early or avoid it.

Getting there and getting around

Singapore has direct flights to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and a few other airports. I usually look at an open-jaw route: fly into Hanoi, finish in Ho Chi Minh City, and avoid the back-tracking. It often costs about the same as a return and saves a whole travel day.

Domestic flights

For the long hops, flights are the sensible choice. Hanoi to Danang or Ho Chi Minh City to Danang takes around an hour and a half and usually costs less than the time you would lose on the ground. Book a morning departure where you can; delays pile up through the day.

Trains and buses

The north to south railway is a trip in itself, with sleeper berths and slow, beautiful coastal stretches. I would take it for one leg, say Hue to Danang, which is among the most scenic short rail rides in Asia, and fly the rest. Buses are cheap and frequent. Sleeper buses are fine for a night if you are short, but I am not going to pretend a bunk the size of a coffin is for everyone. If you want a more comfortable transfer, you can arrange a shared bus such as the Danang to Hue bus transfer, from about S$13.00 on current listings, or a private car for the scenic Hai Van Pass.

Ride-hailing and taxis

Grab works well in the big cities, both for cars and for motorbike taxis. It saves you the haggling and the language barrier, and the fare is shown before you go. Use it for airport transfers where possible. If you hail a street taxi, stick to the well-known companies and make sure the meter is on.

Crossing the road

Everyone writes this paragraph and everyone is right. Walk slowly, confidently and in a straight line. The traffic flows around you like water around a stone. Do not stop suddenly and do not run. It feels terrifying for the first day and normal by the third.

Hanoi and the north: old streets, karst boats and noodles at dawn

Hanoi is my favourite city in Vietnam, and it is not an easy favourite. It is noisy, chaotic and sometimes grimy, yet the Old Quarter at seven in the morning, with steam rising from pho pots and old men playing chess on plastic stools, is the thing I think about when I think about Southeast Asia. Give it three nights. Stay near Hoan Kiem Lake so you can walk everywhere.

If you do one organised thing in Hanoi, make it a food walk. The Hanoi street food walking tour with a water puppet show (from about S$30.29) puts a local guide between you and the menu, which matters because most stalls have no menu at all. You taste bun cha, fried spring rolls, sticky rice and egg coffee, and finish with the water puppet theatre. If you only want the show, the Thang Long water puppet ticket starts at around S$7.39 and the performance lasts about 50 minutes.

For a first look at the main sights, a full-day city tour is sensible if you are short on time. The Highlights of Hanoi full-day city tour from about S$36.89 covers the big names without you having to work out queues and taxis.

On your own, wander the Old Quarter’s 36 streets, each historically named after the trade sold there. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake early, when locals do tai chi. Sit on a tiny plastic chair with a cup of egg coffee. Visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, which is calm and shaded. At night, the weekend walking streets are full of families and street performers. If you like cooking, the Hanoi market tour and traditional cooking class is a good way to bring home a skill rather than a souvenir.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is the postcard: nearly two thousand limestone islands rising from emerald water. It is also the place where I see the most disappointment, usually from people who booked the cheapest day trip and spent six hours on a coach for two hours on a boat. Be realistic. The drive from Hanoi is about three hours each way, so a day trip is a long day. An overnight cruise lets you see sunset and sunrise on the water, which is when the bay is at its best.

For a first visit, the Ha Long Bay day tour (from about S$54.14) is the straightforward option and the four-hour cruising day tour includes a cave, kayaking and a seafood lunch. If you have a spare night, look at the overnight options in our Ha Long listings instead. Note that bad weather can cancel boats, so keep a buffer day in your plan.

Ninh Binh: the quiet favourite

Two hours south of Hanoi lies Ninh Binh, sometimes called Ha Long Bay on land. Rowers take you through caves under limestone cliffs on the Trang An river, and the scenery is the real thing. The Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An boat day trip (from about S$46.94) bundles Vietnam’s largest Buddhist complex with the boat ride, while the Hoa Lu and Tam Coc day trip trades the pagoda for the ancient capital and a rice-field boat ride. I rate Tam Coc for photographers, and Trang An for caves.

Sapa and Ha Giang

Sapa’s terraced hills are as beautiful as the photos, but it is a long way: about six hours by road from Hanoi. A short two-day Sapa tour is possible, though it is the priciest listing in this guide at around S$319.32, because it includes transport and an overnight stay. Honestly, give Sapa at least two nights if you can. Ha Giang, in the far north, is for adventurous travellers who want winding mountain roads and few crowds; the three-day package from Hanoi exists, but it is not a casual add-on.

Central Vietnam: Hue, Danang and Hoi An

If I had to choose one region for a first trip, it would be the centre. The beaches are excellent, the old town of Hoi An is made for wandering, the food is some of the best in the country and the distances between sights are short. Fly into Danang and base yourself between the city and the old town.

Danang and the Golden Bridge

Danang has a long clean beach, a big bridge-lit riverfront and a fast-growing food scene. The most famous attraction nearby is Ba Na Hills, where a giant pair of stone hands holds up the Golden Bridge. It is crowded and theme-parky, and I still enjoyed it, because the cable car ride up is spectacular. Go as early as you can, before the tour buses arrive. The Sun World Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge tour (from about S$63.83) includes transport, which saves you working out the logistics.

In the evening, take a boat on the Han River. The Han River night cruise by dragon boat from about S$10.22 is relaxed, mildly cheesy and fun with kids. For snorkelling, the Cham Islands are an hour out by speedboat, and the Cham Island underwater walking and snorkelling trip (from about S$65.40) is a good family option because you do not need to be a strong swimmer.

Hoi An

Hoi An is the town people fall in love with. Yellow-washed merchant houses, silk lanterns reflected in the river and tailors who can copy a shirt in a day. By day it is hot and busy, by night it glows. My advice: arrive in the late afternoon, eat, wander, sleep, then walk the empty lanes at seven the next morning before the day groups arrive. Do not buy a lantern boat from the first person who offers; walk further along the river and compare.

If you want to see My Son, the ruined Cham temple complex in the jungle, a car with a driver is the easiest way. The full-day private car from Danang to My Son and Hoi An (from about S$67.30 listed) lets you start early to beat the heat and still end the day in town.

Hue

Hue was the imperial capital, and its citadel is vast, faded and quietly moving. Two hours north of Danang by road, it works as a day trip or an overnight. A guided Hue city tour (from about S$53.00) is worth considering because the history of the royal tombs makes much more sense with a guide. Try bun bo Hue, the spicy beef noodle soup, and banh khoai, the crispy pancake.

South Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong and the coast

Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by almost everyone, is fast, sweaty and addictive. Walk the colonial centre to see the Opera House, the Central Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Visit the War Remnants Museum, which is confronting and important. Tour the Cu Chi tunnels in the morning. Eat everything. Rooftop bars, speakeasies and night markets keep the city going until late.

Day trips into the Mekong Delta show you a different Vietnam: canals, floating markets, fruit orchards and coconut candy workshops. A one-day tour is a taster; two days is better. Leave early, because the best floating-market action is over by mid-morning.

For a beach add-on, Nha Trang has the long bay and the diving. If you want clear water and a lively boat day, the coral reef snorkelling day in Nha Trang (from about S$31.02) is a popular pick, and certified divers can look at the scuba diving tour. Phu Quoc, off the south-west coast, is the island for resorts and sunsets. Da Lat is the cool-climate choice, with pine forests, waterfalls and a French-colonial feel.

Tip from the road: Do not stack too much in the south. Ho Chi Minh City needs two to three nights, the Mekong one, and that is already a full programme. If you want sand, fly to Nha Trang or Phu Quoc rather than going overland.

What to eat: a first-timer’s shortlist

Vietnamese food is the reason a lot of people go back. It is fresh, herb-heavy and balanced between sweet, sour, salty and spicy, and it is mostly cheap. The trick for a first trip is to eat where the locals eat: look for a stall that has a queue, a single dish and plastic stools. You will not need a menu.

Water and hygiene: stick to bottled or filtered water, ask for drinks without ice if you are unsure, and eat food that is cooked hot in front of you. Most travellers have no problems. Pack a small stomach kit anyway, and keep hand sanitiser in your bag. Coffee deserves its own mention. Vietnamese coffee is strong and usually served with condensed milk, either hot or over ice. Try it at least once as a coconut coffee in the afternoon. And if you are a vegetarian, learn the phrase “an chay”. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are common and very good.

What it costs: a realistic budget in Singapore dollars

Vietnam is cheaper than Singapore by a wide margin, but the amount depends on your style. Our notes put a typical day at roughly 500,000 to 2,000,000 dong per person before large tours, which is about S$27 to S$110 depending on the exchange rate that day. The figures below are my own rough planning numbers, not quotes. Use them to see the shape of a budget.

Tour and ticket prices vary by season and group size, so I would not build a spreadsheet around my numbers. What I would do is decide which two or three paid experiences are the highlights, book those, and leave everything else flexible. If you love saving money, remember to carry some small notes: sellers often cannot break big bills, and the difference between a 20,000 dong note and a 500,000 one matters.

Tipping is not obligatory, but it is appreciated for guides and drivers. Bargaining is expected in markets, though it should be good humoured; start at about half the first price and settle near two-thirds. Fixed-price shops, restaurants and tours do not bargain.

Staying connected: the first thing to sort out at the airport

Back to my ten minutes on the pavement. A working data connection fixes about half of the problems a new arrival has: you can call a Grab, translate a menu, open an offline map and message your hotel. You have three realistic choices.

An eSIM is what I use now. The Vietnam unlimited 4G/5G data eSIM starts around S$12.45, and there are cheaper per-day plans in our eSIM listings if you only need a few days. Install the profile on Wi-Fi at home, switch it on at arrival and you are done. If you want a physical card, there are 5G SIM pick-up options at the main airports. Whatever you choose, download offline maps for each city before you go.

Sample itineraries you can copy

These are the routes I send to friends. Each one is built around the weather and the distances, with a rest day built in. Swap cities around as flights allow.

5 days: Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

Day one, arrive in Hanoi, walk the Old Quarter, eat bun cha. Day two, the food walk and water puppet show. Day three, a Ha Long Bay day trip or overnight cruise. Day four, back in Hanoi with a lazy morning and the museum or the temple. Day five, fly home. This works well as a long weekend extended by a day and keeps the logistics tidy.

7 days: Danang, Hoi An and Hue

Fly into Danang and spend the first two nights on the beach. Day three, Ba Na Hills early, then back for the Han River at dusk. Days four and five in Hoi An with a cooking class and a morning at My Son. Day six, a transfer to Hue for the citadel. Day seven, fly out of Hue or Danang. It is the best first-trip week in my experience because nothing is more than two hours from anything else.

10 days: north to south

Three nights in Hanoi, one or two for Ha Long or Ninh Binh, then fly to Danang for three nights covering Hoi An, and finish with two or three in Ho Chi Minh City. It has a fair amount of flying, but you see the best of each region without rushing. Add the Mekong if you have a day spare.

14 days: the full line

Everything above plus Sapa or Da Lat and a beach finish in Nha Trang or Phu Quoc. This matches the 14-day trip length our destination notes recommend for a relaxed look at all three regions.

Packing, safety and etiquette

Pack for the region you are visiting and the season. Light breathable clothes, a rain jacket, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent will cover most of the trip. If you are going north in winter, add a warm layer. For temples and pagodas, shoulders and knees should be covered. Our destination notes also suggest a reusable water bottle, a power bank and swimwear, and I would agree with all three.

Vietnam is generally safe for visitors. The most common problems are petty: bag snatching from passing motorbikes in busy cities, taxi meters that run suspiciously fast and overpriced tours. Keep your phone away from the road edge, carry your bag on the side away from the traffic, and use a ride-hailing app. Keep valuables in your hotel safe and a copy of your passport with you. Travel insurance with medical cover is sensible; many first-timers skip it and regret it after a motorbike scrape or a stomach bug.

A few cultural pointers go a long way. Take off your shoes when entering a home and some small shops. Do not touch people’s heads. Dress modestly at temples. Be polite when bargaining. Learn xin chao (hello) and cam on (thank you), which earn smiles every time. And do not rent a motorbike unless you are experienced and licensed: it is the most common way tourists get hurt.

How to book it all without the stress

My own method is boring and works. First, check entry rules against your passport. Second, fix your dates and book flights, using open-jaw routing if it suits. Third, book the first and last hotel, and one or two flexible ones in between. Fourth, pick two or three signature experiences and book them online for the dates you will be there, so you are not hunting for a tour desk while your holiday ticks away. Fifth, sort out your phone connection.

On HolidaySG, you can browse Vietnam tickets, tours and transfers in one place, and the listing pages show the options and the dates. Remember that every booking goes through a check by our team, so allow time and do not leave time-critical tickets to the last minute. If you need paperwork for a visa application, our visa pages and the flight reservation service are there to help, and our team can answer questions through the chat.

Tip from the road: Build your plan around one big day per city, and leave the rest open. The best moments I have had in Vietnam were the unplanned ones: a stranger inviting me to share a table, a boat man pointing out a cave, a coffee that turned into an afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

Featured experiences in this guide

Bus Transfer Da Nang - HueFrom S$13.00 Book →Hanoi Market Tour and Vietnamese Traditional Dish Cooking ClassFrom S$33.38 Book →Halong Bay Day Tour with 4 Hours Cruising. Cave, Kayak, Seafood LunchFrom S$39.33 Book →Han River Night Cruises By Dragon Cruise | Da NangFrom S$10.22 Book →Full Day Private Car Da Nang - My Son Holy Land - Hoi AnFrom S$67.30 Book →HUE CITY TOURFrom S$53.00 Book →Discover Coral Reef With Scuba Diving TourFrom S$63.34 Book →