Vietnam Travel Guide: Visa and Best Places for 2026

Your Vietnam travel guide starts with one practical step: confirm how you will enter the country. Most nationalities need a visa, and Vietnam now offers three clear routes: the e-visa applied for online, visa on arrival at the airport, or visa-free entry for qualifying passport holders.

Beyond the entry paperwork, Vietnam has a strong case: street food that costs under USD 2 a bowl, limestone bays you can sleep on overnight, ancient UNESCO towns lit by paper lanterns, and a train line connecting Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City across 1,700 km of coastline. This guide covers visa options, the best destinations, the ideal travel season, and what to budget for your trip.

Vietnam travel guide in brief:

Do You Need a Visa for Vietnam?

Every Vietnam travel guide should start with entry requirements. Most visitors do need a visa. Vietnam grants visa-free access to 45 nationalities as of 2026, including Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and most ASEAN countries. Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, and India are not on the exemption list and must apply in advance.

If your country is not visa-exempt, you have two options for tourist entry.

Vietnam E-Visa

The Vietnam e-visa is available to citizens of all 192 UN-recognized countries. Apply at the official government portal evisa.gov.vn and receive approval within 3-5 working days.

Requirements:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months from your planned entry date
• Scanned .jpg copy of your passport bio page
• Passport photo: 4x6cm, white background, no glasses
• Valid credit or debit card for fee payment

Fees:

• Single entry, up to 90 days: USD 25
• Multiple entry, up to 90 days: USD 50

The e-visa is accepted at all international airports, 16 approved land border crossings, and 13 seaports. See our complete Vietnam e-visa application guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Visa on Arrival

Visa on arrival is an option for travelers flying into Vietnam who prefer to handle the process through a service provider.

1. Submit an application to receive a pre-approved visa letter.
2. Receive the approval letter by email in 3-5 working days.
3. At your Vietnam arrival airport, present the letter at the immigration counter.
4. Pay the visa stamping fee in cash: USD 25 (single entry) or USD 50 (multiple entry).

Note: Visa on arrival is for air travel only. It is not available at land border crossings or seaports.

Visa-Free Entry

Citizens of 45 countries enter Vietnam without any prior application. UK, French, German, Italian, and Spanish passport holders get 45 days visa-free. Most ASEAN nationals receive at least 30 days, and several (including Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand) get longer periods.

Check the full Vietnam visa exemption list to confirm your nationality's eligible duration.

Best Places to Visit in Vietnam

This Vietnam travel guide follows the classic north-to-south route, which is the standard itinerary for first-time visitors with two weeks available. For destination details and local conditions, the Official Vietnam Tourism Website maintains up-to-date information on each region.

Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

Hanoi is where most northern itineraries start. The Old Quarter's narrow streets, organized by trade since the 15th century, still run silk, lacquerware, and paper shops alongside pho stalls and ca phe trung cafes. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Temple of Literature are within walking distance of each other.

Ha Long Bay is 4 hours east by road: 1,600 limestone karsts rising from the Gulf of Tonkin. An overnight cruise of 2-3 nights lets you kayak through sea caves and watch sunrise from the water's edge without another boat in sight. Day trips from Hanoi exist but are rushed.

Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hue

These three stops sit within 100 km of each other in central Vietnam. Hoi An's UNESCO Ancient Town is a walkable grid of yellow-painted merchant houses, tailors open until midnight, and lantern-lit restaurants along the Thu Bon River. Da Nang has white-sand beaches and the Marble Mountains 10 km south of the city center. Hue, Vietnam's former imperial capital, has a moated citadel and royal tombs spread along the Perfume River.

Central Vietnam's best weather runs from February to August. Avoid October and November, which bring typhoon rains to this coastline.

Ho Chi Minh City and the South

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is Vietnam's commercial capital. The War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace give direct context on 20th-century Vietnamese history. Cu Chi Tunnels, the wartime network used by the Viet Cong, are 70 km northwest of the city and take a half-day to visit.

South of the city, the Mekong Delta offers floating markets, rice paddies, and narrow river channels accessible by road or boat. Phu Quoc, a beach island 45 minutes by domestic flight, is Vietnam's main seaside destination with long white-sand beaches on the west coast.

Best Time to Visit Vietnam

Vietnam's climate divides by region, and the country is long enough that somewhere is always in good condition.

North Vietnam

Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and Sapa are most comfortable in September-November and March-May. Winters (December to February) are cool and dry in Hanoi but can bring fog over Ha Long Bay, reducing visibility on the water. Summer heat runs from June to August and is manageable for most travelers.

Central and South Vietnam

Central Vietnam (Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue) is dry and warm from February to August. October and November see typhoon rains on the central coastline.

South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc) is dry from November to April. The wet season (May to October) brings afternoon showers that clear within an hour and rarely disrupt a full day of travel.

This Vietnam travel guide recommends November as the single best month for a full north-to-south trip: the south is dry, Hoi An is clear, and Hanoi is crisp and cool.

Frequently Asked Questions