Emily Luxton traveled throughout Vietnam for 45 days. She survived crossing the streets in chaotic Hanoi, sailed a boat in magical Halong Bay and visited the chilled-outPhu Quoc island in the south. But, how much does it cost to travel Vietnam? Take a look at Emily’s detailed spendings overview to find out!
This article is part of theMoney Mattersseries in which we asktravelers to keep their expensesfor Bunch of Backpackers. Real travelers, real expenses.
COSTS 45-DAY VIETNAM TRIP: 929EURO (1010 USD)
DAILY TRAVEL EXPENSES VIETNAM*:20,65 EURO (22,44 USD)
*These daily travel expenses are per one person per day. Including all tours, domestic flights, souvenirs, lodging, food, drinks, entrance fees, tips etc. Excluding international flights.
EXAMPLES OF PRICES IN VIETNAM:
These prices are per person unless stated otherwise.
Standard Vietnam expenses
One night in a hostel (6-p dormitory): 4,00euro (4,34 USD)
One night in adouble room in a simple guesthouse: 8,00euro (8,70 USD)
A short 10-minute taxi ride: N/A
A bottle of water (0,5L) at the store: 0,25 euro (0,27 USD)
A local beer at a bar/restaurants:0,80 euro (0,87 USD)
A glass of coca cola in a restaurant:0,80 euro (0,87 USD)
Lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant:2,00 euro (2,17 USD)
Dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant: 3,00 euro (3,26 USD)
Notable Vietnam expenses
Flight ticket from HCMC to Hanoi:53,00euro (57,61 USD)
Flight from Danang to HCMC: 31,00 euro (33,69 USD)
Flight from Phu Quoc to HCMC:33,00 (35,87 USD)
Taxi to and from Hanoi Airport:29,00 euro (31,52 USD) (Emily had to go to and from Hanoi airport to collect lost luggage)
Full day motorbike tour to the DMZ from Hue:33,00 euro (35,87 USD)
Please note that Emily also visited Halong Bay. However, this trip was sponsored, so depending on the type of cruise you should add this to the total costs.
SOME DETAILS ON THIS BACKPACKING TRIP:
About the backpackers:Emily Luxton, a 27-year-old travel blogger and her boyfriend.
Destination and travel period:Vietnam in November 2014for 45 days
Visited places:Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Danang, Ho Chi Minh, Vung Tau, Phu Quoc
Type of trip:Couple, independently
Accommodation*:Budget (mainly hostels / guesthouses / budget hotels)
Transportation*:Budget with the cheapest available modes of transportation (with exception of the domestic flights)
Food*:Standard (food in medium priced local restaurants and western restaurants).
Currency rate:1 USD = 21290 VND
*4 options: basic, budget, standard and luxury
VIETNAM BUDGET TIPS BY EMILY LUXTON
- Budgeting tips – don’t book any tours or transport through your hotel or hostel as they mark up the price to include a big commission. Especially for transport – it’s much cheaper if you go to the train station or bus station in advance (important to book trains especially a few days in advance) and buy tickets there, rather than though an agent or at your hotel. Sometimes half as much!
- Eat in the local markets and at sidewalk cafes as it can be a lot cheaper – but always confirm the price before you order (we got caught out a few times that way!).
- Don’t forget to haggle. Vendors generally ask for about 3 times the amount they’re willing to accept, so it’s important to haggle if you’re trying to save money. My tip is to turn it into a game: always be friendly and joke about it, rather than let it stress you out. The classic ‘walk away’ usually works, or you could try just holding out the money you want to pay until they take it – a method I saw work very well a few times! Haggling can lower you costs to travel Vietnam significantly.
- You definitely shouldn’t miss a trip to Halong Bay and a cruise is a very lovely way to do it – but there are cheaper options. If you take a bus to Halong City you can take the ferry to Cat Ba island and there are hostels here – much more expensive that those you’d find on the mainland but still cheap enough compared to a cruise!
- My budget travel tip is to rent a motorbike or scooter whenever you can. It’s usually around $6 USD for the day, plus a tank of gas (maybe another $3) and it’s a great budget way to explore long distances or get off the beaten track. Don’t be scared to try it out, it’s great fun – just make sure you get decent insurance. And don’t drive of sand roads – we made that mistake and I still have the bruises about eight weeks later!
- Don’t miss Ninh Binh just a couple of hours south of Hanoi – I loved it. Very chilled out backpackery town with amazing scenery – they call it the ‘inland Halong Bay’
EXTRA VIETNAM TIPS BY BUNCH OF BACKPACKERS
- Don’t miss the War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi tunnels in/near Ho Chi Minh City
- Try to eat Banh Beo (steamed cake), Pho (noodles), Banh Mi (Vietnamese baguette) and Banh Xeo
- My favorite Vietnam hostels to have fun and meet other people include: Vietnam Backpackers Original in HanoiandMui Ne Backpackers Village in Mui Ne.
- I truly loved Sapa! It’s easy to reach by sleeper train from Hanoi. In Sapa you can do one- or multiple day trekkings.
- Vietnam is a relatively safecountry for travelers, however there are occasionally cases of petty theft and scams. To avoid this, check out this article with safety tips for travelers.
- One of my favorite coastal places was Mui Ne. There is not much to do, but it has some great sea food restaurants, cool little cafe’s and a relatively quiet beach (compared to Nha Trang).
Feel free to pin this post!
Emily Luxton is a fellow travel blogger who blogs at EmilyLuxton.co.uk.
Check out her useful guide to backpacking in Vietnam:)
Do you plan to visit other countries in SE Asia as well?Check out the costs of three months backpacking in SE Asia!
Or are you looking for a party? Check out this article on best party places in Southeast Asia!
–> Like this article :)? Book your next accommodation throughHostelworld.comorBooking.com! Booking through these links won’t cost you anything extra, but it will get me a small commission to keep this website up and running (and ad free)! ~ Thanks! Manouk
Have you traveled to Vietnam? Can you relate to these travel costs?
