First-Timer's Guide to Vietnam: Essential Travel Tips

Your first trip to Vietnam will be a rush of motorbikes, street food and friendly chaos. A little preparation on money, apps and local habits means less time figuring things out and more time enjoying yourself.

Money, cards and cash

Vietnam uses the dong (VND), and the many zeros take some getting used to. Locals often drop the last three, so a price written as "50k" means 50,000 VND.

• Cards are accepted in most hotels, malls, supermarkets and larger restaurants, but street food, markets and small shops run on cash.
• ATMs are easy to find in cities and tourist towns but rarer in rural areas, so stock up before heading into the mountains or the delta.
• Keep plenty of small notes for stalls, drivers and tips.
• Locals pay for almost anything with bank QR codes, but these usually need a Vietnamese bank account, so don't count on them.
• Let your bank know you are travelling so your card isn't blocked.

Plugs, power and time

Vietnam runs on 220 volts. Most sockets take two-pin plugs, either flat (as in North America) or round (as in continental Europe), and many accept both. Bring a universal adapter if your plugs are three-pin, and check that your chargers are rated for 100–240 volts, as most phone and laptop chargers are. The country is seven hours ahead of UTC all year, with no daylight saving.

Tipping and bargaining

Tipping isn't traditionally expected, though it is increasingly common in tourist areas. Rounding up a restaurant bill, tipping a guide or driver at the end of a day trip and leaving something for spa staff are all appreciated. Bargaining is normal at markets and with street vendors: start lower than the asking price, keep it friendly and walk away politely if you can't agree. Supermarkets, malls and cafés with printed menus have fixed prices.

Apps worth downloading before you go

• Grab: rides by car or motorbike and food delivery, with the price shown upfront.
• A maps app: essential in the maze of the Old Quarter; download an offline map as a backup.
• A translation app: add the Vietnamese language pack and use the camera mode for menus and signs.
• Zalo: the messaging app most Vietnamese use, popular with guesthouses, drivers and tour guides.
• WhatsApp: handy with tourist businesses and for keeping in touch with home on your usual number.
• A currency converter, to make sense of all those zeros.

Etiquette in a nutshell

Dress modestly at pagodas and temples, slip off your shoes when entering a home and keep your voice low in places of worship. Patience is valued, so stay calm if something goes wrong. Pass things to older people with both hands, and ask before photographing anyone.

Your first hours in Vietnam

1. 1Install your eSIM at home over Wi-Fi before you travel.
2. 2On landing, switch on the HelloSIM line, set it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line; turn data roaming off on your home line to avoid roaming charges.
3. 3Take out some dong at an airport ATM.
4. 4Head to the official taxi rank or the ride-hailing pick-up area rather than accepting offers in the arrivals hall.
5. 5Keep your hotel's address saved on your phone, with the Vietnamese accents, to show drivers.
6. 6Cross your first streets slowly and steadily, and plan an easy first evening to shake off jet lag.

Stay connected in Vietnam

From hailing your first Grab to finding the pho stall your host recommended, almost everything a first-timer does in Vietnam is easier with data. HelloSIM eSIMs are data-only plans: the QR code reaches your inbox straight away after payment, you install it before the trip and it connects once you arrive. If you run low, you can top up the same eSIM without reinstalling it.