Visas and entry
Vietnam runs an electronic visa scheme open to most nationalities, applied for online before travel, and a short visa exemption for a number of European and Asian passports. Both change from time to time, sometimes at short notice.
- Apply for an e-visa yourself on the official government portal — no agent is required and none should charge you a fee for access
- Check that your passport has at least six months' validity beyond your arrival date and two blank pages
- Print the approval letter and carry it; immigration still asks for paper at some crossings
- If your route enters Laos or Cambodia and returns, you need a visa that permits re-entry
Money
The dong is a closed currency: you cannot buy it before you arrive and you should spend or change it before you leave. Cards are accepted in hotels and city restaurants; almost nothing else takes them.
- Withdraw from ATMs on arrival rather than changing cash at the airport
- Carry small notes — a market seller cannot change a 500,000 note at eight in the morning
- Keep some US dollars as a backup, though you will rarely need them
- Tipping is not obligatory and is increasingly expected in tourism. We give guidance rather than a fixed rule, per trip
Getting around
Distances are longer than the map suggests. Hanoi to Saigon is 1,650 km, and the road between them is not a motorway for most of its length.
- Internal flights are cheap and frequent between Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue and Saigon, and save whole days
- The reunification railway is slower but genuinely enjoyable, especially the Hue to Da Nang coastal section
- Night trains to Lao Cai for Sapa save a day at each end; the tourist soft-sleeper cabins are comfortable
- We do not arrange self-drive motorbikes or cars: licences, insurance and the accident rate all make it a bad idea
- Every transfer on our trips uses our own vehicle and driver, with seat belts and air conditioning
Health and safety
Vietnam is a low-risk destination for a healthy traveller, and the most common problems are heat, stomach upsets and traffic.
- See a travel clinic six to eight weeks before departure for routine vaccinations and current advice
- Drink filtered or bottled water only; we supply filtered water and refill points on every trip
- Eat at busy places with high turnover — that matters more than how the stall looks
- Bring any prescription medication in its original packaging with a copy of the prescription
- Take out travel insurance that covers medical evacuation, and send us the policy number before you travel
Staying connected
Mobile data is fast and cheap. A local SIM or eSIM costs a few dollars for a month with a generous data allowance, and coverage reaches most of the places on our itineraries — including, surprisingly often, the middle of the Pu Luong valley.
- Buy a SIM at the airport or ask your guide to arrange one on day one
- Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and most cafés
- Homestays and cave camps have limited or no signal, which is generally the point
What to pack
- Light layers plus one warm layer — the north gets genuinely cold from December to February
- A rain shell rather than an umbrella if you are travelling in the wet season
- Walking shoes with grip for any trekking day, and sandals you can get wet
- Modest clothing for temples and pagodas: shoulders and knees covered
- A reusable water bottle, which we will keep filled
- Insect repellent, high-factor sun cream and a hat