Vietnam is home to some of the most unique landscapes and seascapes as well of the world. From lush mountains, bustling cities to golden sand beaches, from old features to new patterns, Vietnam has so many things for tourists to discover.
If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, these are the steps that you should follow to free your mind from one of the most challenging things.
1. Brainstorm your trip to Vietnam
To start planning a trip to Vietnam, you should ask yourself:
1.1. How much time are you spending in Vietnam?
The answer to this question will partially let you know where you should visit in the S-shaped country.
There is no “right” amount of time enough for discovering the country. If you just have a few days, it’s fine, just visit the major destinations of the country like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, but if you have 1 or 2 weeks or longer, just make a tour throughout the country to see its beauty and diversity as well.
1.2. How much is the budget for your trip in Vietnam?
Vietnam remains a very budget friendly destination among the Asian countries but you can find luxury kinds of stuff as well, from five-star hotels, resorts to restaurants and shopping malls. So, it’s important to budget your travel, otherwise, you will be easily overspending.
As shared by many travelers, you can travel in Vietnam on a backpacker’s budget of $50 or less per day, or enjoy a more comfortable trip for $70 to $120 per day. For a five-star experience in Vietnam, it’s best to budget $250 or more per day.
1.3. Who are you traveling with?
Are you traveling solo or with your partner, friends, or families? Are you going with kids? This is an important factor to decide what type of travel you should join.
If you are a solo traveler, it’s best to rent a motorbike for a trip from the North to South of Vietnam or join shared tours to make new friends and share experiences. You can also join adventurous activities to try all aspects of the country.
But in case you are with kids, you need to find the places easy, safe and sound for them. Your ideal activities should be cooking classes, staying at beaches, etc. Your ideal means of transport in this case should be taxi or bus.
2. Choose your destinations in Vietnam and know what to do there
Deciding where to go in Vietnam is perhaps one of the most challenging stages in your trip planning process. But, we are sure that if you find the answers for the questions above, you may know where you should go.
In the North, there are many places to choose from Hanoi with a great combination between the old and the new, Halong Bay – a magnificent seascape, Sapa – a unique hill station town and Ninh Binh – the land of mesmerizing landscapes, etc.
In the Central, you may visit Hoi An – the ancient town of the country with fusion of indigenous and foreign cultures, Da Nang that brings the natural beauty of mountains, national parks and beaches. You can also choose to visit Nha Trang to see why they are considered the Riviera for the East Sea or Quang Binh with magnificent caves and grottoes, etc.
If you wish to spend your days in the South of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat and Mekong Delta should not be missed.
After deciding the destinations, you also should figure out where to visit and what to do in each site.
3. Check your passport and Vietnam visa requirements
To ensure a smooth entry into Vietnam, you need to make sure the following 02 items:
your passport, that should be valid for at least 06 months following your date of entry and has at least 02 blank pages for immigration stamps
Vietnam visa if you are not eligible for a visa exemption.
Regarding the latter, you are recommended checking before every trip to Vietnam as the Vietnam visa policy may be changed from time to time.
You should check Vietnam visa requirements here as it provides the visa requirements for citizens of over 200 countries around the world, as well as how they can get the visa for Vietnam if required.
4. Book your flight and stay
The best tip to book flight and accommodation at the best prices is to book them at least 3 months in advance. After choosing your destination, you should consider booking your flight and accommodation accordingly.
For flight tickets, you can go to skyscanner.com; while for hotel room reservation, you can visit agoda.com or booking.com.
Now, it’s time to go and experience Vietnam!
