How much money do I need for travelling Vietnam?

1. Accommodation
Similar to other tourist destinations in the world, Vietnam has few main types of accommodation: budget, mid-range and luxurious. Over the last decade, hotels in Vietnam have grown at a quick pace, with new hotels opening throughout the country every couple of months. Most of the budget accommodation is around $15 - 30 per night with acceptable standards. The tight budget backpackers can even find dorm bed at hostel with just around $5 - 8 per night. The mid-range hotels fluctuate around $40 - 60 per night with spacious room and buffet breakfast included, while the luxurious ones are more various with the average price more than $60 per night.

In major city like Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, there is a large selection of accommodation with all price ranges while in smaller destinations, there is a good mix of budget and mid-range hotels.

2. Transportation
It is pretty easy now to travel around Vietnam. For travelers having a short time for Vietnam Customized Holidays, flying seem to be the best way with fares for domestic flights vary around $60 - 150 per flight based on airlines and distances. Traveling by train is a good option for travelers who are seeking for the insight experience of travel in Vietnam though it may take longer time. Train fares are around $5 - 60.

Buses sleeper buses are by far the cheapest way to travel around Vietnam, but can be less comfortable and pleasant due to the low infrastructure and busy traffic of the country. Bus fares vary from $4 - 50 for interprovincial traveling.

The recommended transportation inside cities for foreigners are taxis with average price from VND8.000 - 10.000/kilometer ($0.4 - 0.5). With apps on smartphone like Uber or Grab, it is so easy to book taxi in Vietnam and avoid being scammed when price and distance are displayed.

3. Food
In Vietnam, the cost for food is relatively reasonable though sometimes it can range from incredibly expensive to very cheap like any other country. For saving and having the best local experience on a Vietnam Customized Holiday, eating street food and at local restaurants are highly recommended. With the common Vietnamese dishes, the cost is really low at around $1 – 5 per dish and the most special food of a destination is certain to be charged higher based on the rareness and availability. Generally, the food expense in Vietnam is roughly around $8 – 15 per person for main meals (lunch, dinner) and $1 – 4 for breakfast per person.

Vietnam also has many restaurant serving international food like Italian, Indian or Mexican food, but the prices in these eateries are normally more expensive than local restaurants.

4. Other expenses
They can be entrance fees to tourist attractions, souvenir expenses or costs for joining must-do activities in Vietnam. Those expenses can be hard to estimate the amount of money should be spend. However, the entrance fees in Vietnam are normally less than $5 per person; small souvenirs are worth about $1 – 10 per item (need to bargain); and activities like trekking in Sapa may cost $20 – 30 or overnight Halong Bay cruise is from $64.

5. Suggested daily budget
- A friendly budget for backpacker is in the range of $40 – 50 per day. This is enough for covering food, drinks, sight-seeing activities and a comfortable accommodation though your luxuries will be limited. Most of the meals will come from street food stalls and local restaurants instead of Western cafes or eateries.

- The mid-range experience suggests a budget of $60 – 100 per day. This is okay for paying a room at 3 or 4 star hotel, eating in restaurants and visiting most attractions and activities.

- For luxurious experience in Vietnam, the budget should be at minimum $150 per day. A 5 star hotel may cost $80-130 for a room per night, even more than $200 per night if you plan to stay in the very luxurious, international hotel brand.

Though prices are getting more expensive in Vietnam due to its rapid growth, it is still an affordable destination for most travelers. The costs of traveling here are comparable to neighboring countries like Thailand or Cambodia, although certain things can be cheaper or more expensive.

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