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Vietnam

From the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay to the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An and the river life of the Mekong Delta, one of Asia's most rewarding and affordable journeys.

  • Currency ₫ Vietnamese Dong (₫)
  • Language Vietnamese
  • Best time February – April, August – October
  • Visa Visa-free (up to 45 days)
Why visit

Why Vietnam

From the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay to the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An and the river life of the Mekong Delta, one of Asia's most rewarding and affordable journeys.

  • Halong Bay cruise
  • Hoi An lantern town
  • Hanoi Old Quarter
  • Mekong Delta boats
Read more

Vietnam unfurls the length of a coastline, from the jade waters and limestone karsts of the north to the teeming river life of the Mekong Delta. Add lantern-lit Hoi An, the imperial citadel of Hue and a buzzing coffee-and-banh-mi culture, and you have one of Asia's most rewarding, affordable trips.

For 2026, cities like Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City have grown into bleisure and digital-nomad hubs, with fast connectivity and co-working spaces that let travellers blend work with cultural exploration.

Beyond the icons, Vietnam is opening up second-tier regions like the mountains of Ha Giang, backed by community-led, low-carbon travel and gentle soft adventure through terraced highlands and river deltas.

A pillar, not a footnote

Eat your way through Vietnam

The single reason many travellers come back — the food culture worth reshaping a trip around, and the dishes to seek out region by region.

Vietnam

Herbs by the fistful, broth simmered overnight, and a country that eats best on a plastic kerbside stool.

Dawn in Hanoi and the phở stall is already busy — a vat of beef broth that has simmered all night, ladled over rice noodles, brightened with a fistful of herbs, a wedge of lime and a slick of chilli you tear and add yourself. You eat it hunched on a plastic stool barely off the pavement, and it may be the best thing you eat all trip.

Vietnamese food runs on balance — salty fish sauce, sour lime, sweet, hot, and the green freshness of herbs, all held in tension on every plate. Travel the length of the country and it shifts under you: fierce, imperial cooking in Huế; the sweeter, coconut-rich south; and everywhere the legacy of France reworked into something better, the bánh mì — a crackling baguette packed with pâté, pickles and coriander. Grab a stool, point at whatever smells good, and let the kerb feed you.

Dishes to seek out
  • phở (beef noodle soup)
  • bánh mì (filled baguette)
  • bún chả (grilled pork & noodles)
  • gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls)
  • bún bò Huế (spicy beef noodles)
  • cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee)
Things to do

Nature, culture & hidden gems

Editorial content coming soon

We're hand-picking the standout places, hidden gems and can't-miss activities in Vietnam. Meanwhile, the cities above are a great starting point.

Plan your trip

Curated Vietnam itineraries

Browse all Vietnam trips →
  • Hanoi's Old Quarter, the karsts of Halong Bay and lantern-lit Hoi An — a 7-day Vietnam itinerary 6 Nights

    7 Days in Vietnam: Hanoi, Halong Bay & Hoi An Itinerary (2026)

    Two days in Hanoi's Old Quarter, a night on a junk in Lan Ha Bay among the limestone karsts, then three days in lantern-lit Hoi An — one internal flight, no backtracking.

    Price on enquiry

    View trip
Where to stay

Hand-checked places in Vietnam

Browse all Vietnam stays →
When to go

Weather & timing in Vietnam RIGHT NOW 28° drizzle

Best Jan–Mar · Shoulder Apr, Nov–Dec

  1. Jan 6° / -4°
  2. Feb 8° / -2°
  3. Mar 12° / 2°
  4. Apr 18° / 8°
  5. May 24° / 14°
  6. Jun 28° / 18°
  7. Jul 30° / 20°
  8. Aug 28° / 18°
  9. Sep 24° / 14°
  10. Oct 18° / 8°
  11. Nov 12° / 2°
  12. Dec 8° / -2°

Best time to visit

February – April, August – October

Best for
  • Halong Bay
  • Street Food
  • Old Quarters
  • Mekong
At a glance
Sunshine 7 hr/day (est.)
Rain days 8 days/mo (est.)
Wettest December · 60mm
Driest June · 10mm
Part of Southeast Asia →
By season
Spring (Mar–May)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 18°C with overnight lows near 8°C, and it stays largely dry.

What's best — Mar is among the best time to visit — good weather with manageable crowds. Apr also works well.

Summer (Jun–Aug)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 29°C with overnight lows near 19°C, and it stays largely dry.

What's best — Peak heat and the biggest crowds — many travellers prefer spring or autumn.

Autumn (Sep–Nov)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 18°C with overnight lows near 8°C.

What's best — Nov is comfortable, with thinner crowds.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 7°C with overnight lows near -3°C.

What's best — Jan and Feb are among the best time to visit — good weather with manageable crowds. Dec also works well.

A little context

A little history

To read what you're looking at — the empires and eras that shaped Vietnam's food, art and streets.

A thousand years resisting and absorbing China left the chopsticks, the noodle soups and a Confucian streak
a century of French Indochina gave the baguettes, the coffee and the faded colonial towns
the imperial citadel at Huế and the lantern-lit port of Hội An preserve the old order
the war and 1975 reunification are recent memory, now overtaken by fast, open growth
Before you book

Know before you go

The practical back-matter — safety, drones and the essentials, in one place.

Safety

Low risk FCDO advice →

Official UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guidance is the definitive source — check it close to your travel dates.

Drone rules (sub-250g)

  • Vietnam
    Effectively unflyable for casual visitors. Vietnam treats a camera drone as a surveillance device under Ministry of Defence control: flying one needs an MoD permit applied for around 14 days ahead through a Vietnamese sponsor (roughly US$350–700 a day), the sub-250g exemption covers only camera-free flight, and drones must be declared at customs and may be impounded on arrival. ⚠ Military zones, government buildings, airports and border regions are off-limits, and the density of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long Bay puts them out of bounds without a specific permit. Rules checked: Jul 2026

National parks, protected sites and religious/heritage venues often have their own rules and permits — always check the specific site before you fly.

The essentials

Plug & voltage Type A/C/D · 220V
Daily budget Budget-friendly
Region South-Eastern Asia