Vietnam Travel Guide
Whether you're visiting Vietnam for its hill tribe trekking opportunities, cultural city offerings or beach-based relaxation, you'll want to be prepared before you set off. To help, we've compiled a collection of useful travel guide resources that include your basics like what visas you'll need, when you should go and what you should see, as well as videos to inspire, reviews to reassure and tips to have you travelling around Vietnam like a pro. You'll also find a round up of our multi-country touring combinations that include Vietnam on itineraries with neighbouring Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
Best Places to Visit
Our choice of Vietnam's top attractions from Halong Bay to the Mekong Delta
Best Time to Visit
Don't get caught in the rain - learn more about the monsoons and when best to travel
Top Travel Tips
Swot up on what vaccinations you'll need, what currency you'll need & more
Vietnam & Cambodia Tours
Find out why you should combine Vietnam and Cambodia, and browse our trips
Hanoi Vs Ho Chi Minh City
Compare Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with our guide
Tourist Visas
What you need to do to obtain your Vietnam travel visa and how to do it
Tours for Families
Find out more about our Vietnam family tours, and why they might be for you!
Take a Guided Vietnam Tour
5 reasons that you should consider booking a guided Vietnam tour!
What to Pack for Vietnam
What to pack for Vietnam and a guide to visiting the country by month
Hill Tribe Trekking
A guide to the different ethnic groups in Vietnam and where best to go for a hike
Hoi An Lantern Festival FAQ
Everything you need to know about this monthly celebration from when to why
Multi-country Tours
Combine Vietnam with other Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia & Laos
Popular touring destinations
Top attractions to combine on your visit to Vietnam including Saigon, Hue & more
Travel Advice
Latest travel advice and updates following the Coronavirus outbreak.
Traveller Reviews
Don't take our word for it! Read what our travellers say about our Vietnam tours
Vietnam Video Lounge
Prepare to be inspired with our collection of favourite travel videos on Vietnam
Plan your trip to similar destinations!
Recommended Reading
- Vietnam: Rising Dragon
by Bill Hayton - Catfish and Mandala
by Andrew Pham - Sorrow of War
by Bao Ninh
Facts about Vietnam
- The most common mode of transportation in Vietnam is the motorbike with an estimated ten million bikes used every day.
- Completely unique and unrelated to any other language, Vietnamese features six different tones and 29 alphabets.
- A bit of an all-in-one, Vietnam's Tet festival sees the nation celebrate New Year, Christmas and birthdays all together!
Vietnam Travel Advice for Travellers from South Africa
Safety of our travellers is of utmost importance and we recommend that prior to travel you check the latest travel updates from the the consular department in South Africa.
Flying to Vietnam from South Africa:
Vietnam is between a 15-18 hour flight from South Africa depending on whether you depart from Cape Town or Johannesburg. As most of our Vietnam tours start in Hanoi and end in Saigon you will need what's known as an open jaw flight ticket flying into one city and out of another. A number of airlines fly this route indirect with reasonable stopover times including South African Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar. You can search on Travelstart for flight deals from South Africa to Vietnam.
Useful Online Resources:
The official Vietnam Tourist Organisation site and the latest Vietnam Weather Updates from the BBC.