Is Vietnam worth visiting? Yes. Yes it is. It is actually one of the best countries to visit in South East Asia due to how affordable it is, how kind and helpful the locals are, and because of all the stunning landscapes and architecture you won’t want to miss.
Here are the best places visit in Vietnam, specifically, northern Vietnam:
- Hanoi
- Ha Long Bay
- Ninh Binh
How much does it cost?
Vietnam is so affordable. In most of the cities you can find places to stay for as low as $10 a night (hostels) up to about $50 a night for a nice hotel. Eating the incredible food Vietnam has to offer is easy to do because each meal was around $3-$8. This includes a water bottle, smoothie, and dish. We were so happy with how far our money went! For one full week in Vietnam, I only spent about $380 (food, tours, drink, shopping, accommodation.)
How To Pack
Packing for a South East Asian trip is pretty simple: clothes you can sweat in and swimsuits. Be sure to bring a comfy pair of shoes. I brought tennis shoes for the airport and hikes (exact pair linked here:) https://amzn.to/3NAbQ2E, as well as a pair of sturdy sandals to wear to the beach. Exact pair here: https://amzn.to/3NGBItH
I pack with packing cubes that compress because I am a backpacker. This means I only take a backpack on my back (35 liter Osprey) and a smaller backpack for day to day adventure. I 10/10 recommend this method of travel! Here are the packing cubes I use: https://amzn.to/41y8Idi
I traveled around SE Asia for 3 weeks and packed: 3 tank tops, 3 t-shirts, 1 sweater, 1 black jean short, 1 athletic short, 1 legging, 1 flowy pant, and a rain jacket. Know that you can shop for way cheaper prices in SE Asia so I intentionally didn’t bring a dress or too much to make sure I could bring more home. The dress I ended up buying was only $8 and I love it.
Visa Required to Visit Vietnam
You need a visa to get into Vietnam. Out of the 4 of us traveling, only 1 of us made it to Vietnam without having issues with our Visa. I am not trying to scare you, just warn you so you don’t make the mistake I did! My biggest advice to avoid the stress is to make sure every single number, punctuation, and letter is correct on your visa application.
Why was My visa denied?
Mine was incorrect by one number regarding the date my passport expires, and due to this they almost didn’t let me fly to Vietnam. My friends upon arrival were denied entry due to similar errors, and they were able to purchase a new Visa in the airport. Always double check that all of your information is correct!
Here is the link to the Vietnamese Visas via the U.S. Embassy which has the link to the e-visa I applied for: https://vn.usembassy.gov/vietnamese-visas-and-entry-exit/
Flying to Hanoi
Flying into Hanoi is a good choice. Our tickets were more affordable than if we would have flown into a smaller, non international airport, and Hanoi is located in a great spot to continue exploring.
How to get from the Airport to Hanoi City
Noi Bai International Airport is a short 30 minute drive to the city. We were able to get a ‘limo’ transfer at the airport for about $3 each in USD. These transfers are what we majorly did in Vietnam since they were very affordable and comfortable. We did need Vietnamese Dong immediately for this transfer, so make sure to bring some cash and exchange it at the airport. The rate won’t be the best at the airport, but you will need cash almost everywhere you go.
What to do and see in Hanoi
We were so happy walking all around Hanoi! The city is clean and beautiful. We thought it was extremely walkable. Quick tip for navigating large cities like this; get an e-sim. It’s really easy to get one. Connect to wifi, google e-sim Vietnam, and follow the process to turn it on in your cellular settings. Download google translate.
Temples & good walking/shopping streets
Find temples all around Hanoi and see beautiful architecture like the Tran Quoc Pagoda, Den Ngoc Son, Thap Rua and more. We enjoyed seeing stunning hanging flowers around Hang Bac district which was walkable distance from where we stayed in the Ly Thai To district at the Alisa Hotel & Spa. Get a massage because it will likely cost around $20 for an hour long one! Hang Buom had some great shopping, and Trang Tien had lovely cafes.
Train Street / Kham Thien
Do not miss the train street! We had such a fun experience here. Find the Coffee 17 Train Street and order some tea to enjoy while waiting for the train. Definitely arrive at least 30 minutes to an hour early to get a spot sitting! By the time the train came, hundreds of people were gathered around. Be careful because the train comes in so hot. We laughed by the end of the experience because it may have been illegal for those teas to be sold to us. The police came by and the owners were taking our table down to hide that we were there. Either way, it was a very unique experience you don’t want to miss!
Ha Long Bay & Lan Ha Bay + Cat Ba ISland
Staying in Ha Long Bay is one option, or you can book an overnight cruise through Ha Long Bay. Find those cruises on Trip Advisor and other booking services. We stayed in the town Ha Long on the Bay rather than booking an overnight cruise. We booked an entire villa for an extremely affordable price that was luxury. It had a pool we enjoyed very much as well as a restaurant. The resort is called Premier Village Ha Long Bay.
Boat Tour Through Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay + Kayaking
The best way to tour around Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay is by booking a guided trip through Trip Advisor or another similar 3rd party booking app. I recommend this because: 1. you can read a ton of reviews to see if it is as good as it sells itself to be, 2. you can message the operator questions. 3. you are guaranteed a way home because most if not all tours are round trip pricing. As I stated above, we stayed in Ha Long which is on the main land. Our tour we booked began on Cat Ba Island (I realized after I booked the non refundable option.) We messaged the operation and they were able to send a speed boat to us before the tour to transfer us to the island. It was easy and convenient for us!
Tour Booking information
The tour we booked included a tour of a floating fish village, swimming around the boat and optional to a temple, lunch (if you’re vegetarian like me let them know before hand) kayaking through caves, another swimming opportunity, and of course the entire time we were cruising through the bays. Here is the exact day tour we booked for just under $40 a person: https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionBookingDetails-a1084032123-a_reservationId.DBCa__2D__3525GQZL292Z4-a_reservationToken.28hw36s5rctmqjgwyz16niw3n
Ninh Binh
Staying near Ninh Binh was a very unique experience compared to the other cities we traveled to. Ninh Binh is quiet and peaceful, nestled among the mountains. We stayed near the Trang An Eco-Tourism Complex where you can book a boat trip. Our hostel had free bikes so we biked to Trang A Boat Tours.
Trang An Eco Tourism Complex Boat Tours
We chose the 3rd boat tour option which included floating through a 1000 meter cave through the mountain. We entered a couple other aquatic caves as well. The Eco-Tourism Complex has so much cultural significance like incredible temples (no photos allowed,) and just as many views that will make your jaw drop to the floor. A small local woman paddled us along to different floating temples and pagodas. It was a truly stunning experience that took about 2.5 hours. Here is more information on the complex: https://www.vietnamlocalguide.com/destinations/trang-an-eco-tourism-complex.html
Mua Caves
We then visited Mua Caves, although less for the cave and more for the hike! The stunning hike leads you up a steep staircase overlooking Tam Coc with an amazing view of the lush green mountains around, as well as views of 2 pagodas and the lotus field. The hike is just over a half mile long and is called the Hang Mua lookout. Expect it to take just shy of 30 minutes to accomplish. My biggest advice for Hang Mua Lookout is to go at sunrise, not sunset. The amount of people will differ greatly, and when it was crowded it wasn’t as easy to enjoy.
Booking Link to Green Mountain Homestay (Affordable Hostel)
Here is the highly rated Green Mountain Homestay (extremely affordable) we enjoyed staying at: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g14562343-d15153601-Reviews-Green_Mountain_Homestay-Truong_Yen_Hoa_Lu_District_Ninh_Binh_Province.html
Places I didint get to visit, but will go back someday to See
Sapa: rolling rice terraces and stunning mountains, Sapa looked incredible. I heard from other travelers the shopping was better than in Hanoi because the locals were making the products right there in front of you. Lots of hiking here as well as really neat sculptures.
Ha Giang Loop: this insane experience involves riding a motor bike for days on end. We heard from others it’s very worth it! You’ll see more stunning mountains and valleys over the course of the journey.
Cao Bang: originally I had this place in our plans, however, it appears it isn’t quite tourist friendly. It’s safe and there are places to stay, there just aren’t a ton of restaurants or easy ways to get around here. There is though, the most incredible waterfall in Vietnam that boarders China. I will return someday to photograph this place!
Have an amazing trip to Vietnam! I fell in love with the culture, the beautiful people, the shopping, and of course; those stunning views.
Here is the link to the newer version of the backpack I’ve taken to over a dozen countries now: https://amzn.to/3H1QcAl
This linked makeup bag is so amazing. It fits my dry shampoo, leave in conditioner, face wash, deodorant, brushes, all my makeup and lotion: https://amzn.to/3TBOMnG
Here is the link to those flowy wide leg beach trousers I wore: https://amzn.to/3TAAhk4
I got this tank top with a built in bra for the trip and it is now my new favorite: https://amzn.to/47cgWc0
Earth To Sarah 