What can travelers expect in Vietnam?
Vietnam stretches as a narrow, S-shaped country for around 1,650 km from Ha Long Bay in the north to the Mekong Delta in the south. Most trips combine three legs: Hanoi with Ha Long Bay in the north, Da Nang and Hoi An in the center, and Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta in the south, usually connected by domestic flight. Entry rules differ for Germans, Swiss and Austrians: Germany has a unilateral visa waiver for up to 45 days, while Switzerland and Austria require an e-visa.
Because the country is so long, the climate changes section by section: while cool fog settles over the north, the south can be experiencing summer heat at the same time. For multi-region trips it therefore pays to plan the season separately for each region.
This page summarizes regions, best time to visit, entry requirements (as of September 2026), health, and the advisories from the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office and the BMEIA.
Sources: Vietnam Tourism (vietnam.travel)
What kind of destination is Vietnam?
Vietnam is a destination with a pronounced north-south divide: Hanoi in the north is steeped in history and cooler, Ho Chi Minh City in the south is the economic hub and tropically warm, with the historic center around Hue and Hoi An in between. Cuisine, dialects and even architectural style differ noticeably between the regions.
Geographically the country lines up along the coast: Ha Long Bay and Hanoi in the north, the mountain town of Sapa in the northwest, Hue and Da Nang with the coastal town of Hoi An in the center, Nha Trang and Dalat further south, and finally Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the far south.
The Vietnam War (1955–1975) is omnipresent across the country, from the Cu Chi tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near Hue; museums and memorials present recent history without embellishment.
Traffic, especially the stream of mopeds in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, takes some getting used to for first-time visitors; crossing the street works best with a steady, slow pace rather than sudden stops.
Which regions of Vietnam are worth visiting?
The classic route combines Hanoi with Ha Long Bay in the north, Hoi An and Da Nang in the center, and Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta in the south. Travelers with more time add the mountain town of Sapa in the northwest or the imperial city of Hue near Da Nang.
Hanoi
The capital Hanoi is over a thousand years old; the Old Quarter (36 streets) around Hoan Kiem Lake is densely packed with food stalls, workshops and cafés. Landmarks include the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) from the 11th century, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda.
From Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is around 2.5 to 3 hours by car; the more than 1,600 limestone islands have been a UNESCO Natural Heritage site since 1994 and are usually explored on one- to two-day boat cruises. Alternatively, Ninh Binh with the Trang An landscape, Vietnam's only mixed cultural and natural heritage site, lies around 2 hours by car south of Hanoi.
Sapa
The mountain town of Sapa in the northwest sits at around 1,500 m and is the starting point for hikes through rice terraces and villages of the Hmong and Dao ethnic minorities; it is around 4.5 hours from Hanoi by car, or by overnight train plus a connecting drive.
Hue
Hue was the imperial city of the Nguyen dynasty for almost 150 years; the imperial citadel (Complex of Hue Monuments) has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993. The imperial tombs are scattered along the Perfume River outside the city.
Da Nang
Da Nang is Vietnam's third-largest city, with long sandy beaches such as China Beach; a cable car leads from here to the Ba Na Hills and the "Golden Bridge," a pedestrian bridge held aloft by two giant stone hands. The Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) with their cave temples lie south of the city.
Hoi An
The old town of Hoi An, around 30 minutes by car south of Da Nang, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999: a former trading port with Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese merchant houses from the 15th to 19th centuries. In the evening, thousands of paper lanterns transform the lanes along the river; the town is also known for its tailors, who make clothes in 24 to 48 hours.
Around 40 km southwest of Hoi An lies My Son, a temple complex of the Cham culture dating from the 4th to 14th centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Vietnam's largest city and economic hub is the gateway to the south. The Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum and the central Ben Thanh Market are all in the city center; around 1.5 hours by car to the northwest lie the Cu Chi tunnels, an underground tunnel system from the Vietnam War.
Mekong Delta
South of Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong fans out into a network of canals and rice paddies; depending on the starting point, the journey there takes around 2 to 6 hours. Floating markets such as Cai Rang near Can Tho and boat trips through the canals define day trips and multi-day tours.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Vietnam Tourism (vietnam.travel)
What is the best time to visit Vietnam?
Because Vietnam stretches around 1,650 km from north to south, there is no single climate window: February to April is the period when all three regions are simultaneously at their driest. The north (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay) has cool, foggy winters from December to February and a rainy season from May to September; the south (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta) has a dry season from December to April.
| Hanoi | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 21 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 33 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 22 |
| Low °C | 15 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 15 |
| Rainfall mm | 32 | 22 | 49 | 78 | 179 | 201 | 300 | 322 | 223 | 124 | 52 | 25 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station HA DONG (9 km, 8 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
Hanoi is noticeably cool from December to February, with daytime highs around 20 to 22°C and often grey, foggy skies; from May, temperatures climb above 32°C with high humidity, with the heaviest rain between June and August.
| Da Nang | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 25 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 25 |
| Low °C | 19 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 20 |
| Rainfall mm | 79 | 27 | 39 | 49 | 81 | 71 | 102 | 167 | 371 | 562 | 412 | 249 |
| Hoi An | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 25 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 25 |
| Low °C | 19 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 20 |
| Rainfall mm | 79 | 27 | 39 | 49 | 81 | 71 | 102 | 167 | 371 | 562 | 412 | 249 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station DANANG INTL (3 km, 10 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station DANANG INTL (24 km, 10 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
Da Nang and Hoi An in central Vietnam have an opposite rainy season: dry and sunny from February to August, after which rainfall rises sharply, peaking in October; between June and November, typhoons can occur in central Vietnam, briefly disrupting roads and flights.
| Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 32 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 |
| Low °C | 23 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| Rainfall mm | 11 | 6 | 13 | 41 | 155 | 212 | 207 | 191 | 190 | 215 | 100 | 32 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station TAN SON NHAT INTL (7 km, 10 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta are warm year-round, with a distinct dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November featuring mostly short, heavy afternoon showers rather than continuous rain.
The Tet Nguyen Dan festival (Vietnamese New Year) falls on February 17, 2026; in the days before and after, trains, domestic flights and hotels are heavily booked nationwide, and many small shops close for several days.
Sources: Vietnam Tourism (vietnam.travel)
What do you need to enter Vietnam?
Germans can enter visa-free for tourist stays of up to 45 days; Switzerland and Austria are not on Vietnam's list of unilaterally exempted countries and require a visa, in practice usually the electronic e-visa via the official portal evisa.gov.vn. The passport must remain valid for at least 6 months on entry.
- Germany: visa-free for up to 45 days; a return or onward flight ticket must be presented on request.
- Switzerland: no unilateral visa waiver; e-visa via evisa.gov.vn required, multiple entry, valid up to 90 days.
- Austria: also no unilateral visa waiver according to the BMEIA; e-visa with multiple entry and validity up to 90 days, alternatively a visa from the Vietnamese embassy in Vienna.
- Other nationalities: separate rules apply; the full list of unilaterally visa-exempt countries is maintained by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with further information available from Vietnamese representations.
The e-visa is applied for exclusively through the official portal evisa.gov.vn, and processing usually takes 3 to 7 working days; a printout of the approved e-visa must be carried on entry. The BMEIA and the Federal Foreign Office advise against using commercial intermediary websites that charge higher fees, without ruling them out entirely.
The current information from the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office, the BMEIA and the Vietnamese immigration authority at the time of travel is decisive.
Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria · Vietnamese Immigration Department (evisa.gov.vn)
What vaccinations and health precautions does Vietnam require?
No vaccination is mandatory for entry from Europe. healthytravel.ch recommends the standard vaccinations, hepatitis A for all travelers, and depending on travel style typhoid, hepatitis B and Japanese encephalitis; the CDC additionally recommends full measles protection due to outbreaks in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the CDC, malaria occurs mainly in rural areas, for example parts of Khanh Hoa province; in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay there is practically no risk. Dengue and other mosquito-borne illnesses, however, occur throughout the country, including in cities, which is why round-the-clock mosquito protection is advisable.
Traveler's diarrhea is the most common health problem; tap water should be avoided in favor of bottled or boiled water. Street food stalls with high customer turnover and visibly fresh preparation are considered comparatively low risk.
Medical care is good in private clinics in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but limited in rural areas and mountain regions such as Sapa; travel and repatriation insurance is advisable.
Sources: healthytravel.ch, Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
How safe is Vietnam for travelers?
The tourist regions of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta are considered largely safe according to the Federal Foreign Office; the main risk is petty crime such as pickpocketing in tourist centers and at train stations. Demonstrations are banned in Vietnam, and their vicinity should be avoided.
The greatest everyday danger is road traffic: dense moped traffic in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, often without consistently followed traffic rules. The Federal Foreign Office advises extra caution when riding a moped yourself and recommends wearing a helmet.
Between June and November, typhoons can hit central Vietnam in particular, triggering widespread flooding and landslides; the Federal Foreign Office recommends following weather warnings during these months. Drug checks in bars and nightclubs with enforced testing do occur; positive results can lead to several days of detention.
Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
How do you get to Vietnam and travel around the country?
International flights usually land in Hanoi (Noi Bai, HAN) or Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat, SGN), while Da Nang (DAD) also has its own international airport. For the north-south route, domestic flights are usually the fastest choice; the Reunification Express connects Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by train along the coast.
| Route | Mode of transport | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Noi Bai Airport – Hanoi city center | Taxi, bus | around 45 min |
| Hanoi – Ha Long Bay | Car, bus | around 2.5–3 h |
| Hanoi – Sapa | Car, overnight train plus bus | around 4.5–9.5 h |
| Hanoi – Da Nang | Flight | around 1 h 20 min |
| Da Nang – Hoi An | Taxi, bus | around 45 min |
| Da Nang – Ho Chi Minh City | Flight | around 1 h 20 min |
| Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City | Flight | around 2 h |
| Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City | Train (Reunification Express) | around 30–35 h |
| Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi tunnels | Car, bus | around 1.5 h |
| Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta (Can Tho) | Car, bus | around 3–4 h |
Hanoi has year-round nonstop connections from several European hubs, including Frankfurt, Paris, London and Amsterdam, among others with Vietnam Airlines; Turkish Airlines connects Hanoi nonstop with its Istanbul hub. Ho Chi Minh City is served nonstop from Frankfurt, London and Paris by Vietnam Airlines and other carriers; there are no nonstop connections from North America, with most routings via the Middle East or East Asian hubs such as Tokyo, Seoul or Taipei.
Domestic routes are dominated by Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air and Bamboo Airways; sleeper night trains connect Hanoi with Sapa (Lao Cai) and with Hue or Da Nang. For short distances, Grab (taxi and moped-hailing service) and local buses are common; riding a moped yourself requires an international driving permit with category A.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Federal Foreign Office, Germany
What money do you need in Vietnam and how do you pay?
The local currency is the dong (₫, VND), counted in millions: a coffee often costs the equivalent of 25,000 to 40,000 dong. ATMs are widespread in cities and tourist areas but often charge a fixed foreign fee and frequently cap withdrawals at 2 to 3 million dong per transaction.
Banknotes range from 1,000 to 500,000 dong; coins are practically out of use. Card payment is increasingly accepted in larger hotels, restaurants and shopping centers, while cash rules at markets and small food stalls.
US dollars are sometimes accepted informally at tourist businesses, but officially only the dong is legal tender; for currency exchange, a bank or licensed exchange office is preferable to street vendors.
Tipping is not obligatory, but common in upscale restaurants (around 5 to 10%); drivers, guides and massage practitioners appreciate a small cash extra.
Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Germany
Where is the best place to stay in Vietnam?
In Hanoi, most travelers stay in the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem Lake, and in Ho Chi Minh City in District 1 near Ben Thanh Market and the Reunification Palace. For Ha Long Bay, most people stay overnight on a cruise boat, while in Hoi An accommodation is in the old town or at one of the nearby beaches.
The range nationwide spans from simple homestays to international hotel chains; in Sapa, many travelers stay with families from the mountain minorities to combine hikes with insights into daily life.
Boat cruises in Ha Long Bay usually last one to two nights and include kayaking or cave excursions; travelers wanting to avoid the crowds can opt for the quieter Lan Ha Bay directly to the south.
What do you eat in Vietnam?
Vietnamese cuisine varies by region: pho soup and rather mild flavors in the north around Hanoi, balanced, often elaborately presented dishes around the former imperial city of Hue, and sweeter, spicier curries in the south around Ho Chi Minh City. Nationwide favorites include baguette sandwiches (banh mi), spring rolls and strong coffee with condensed milk.
Hoi An has its own specialties such as cao lau (noodles with pork) and "white rose" (steamed shrimp dumplings), found almost exclusively there. Coffee cultivation in the central highlands makes Vietnam one of the world's largest coffee exporters, and street coffee is correspondingly widespread.
Street food stalls with high customer turnover are considered more hygienically reliable than empty ones; tap water should be avoided in favor of bottled or boiled water.
What culture and festivals shape Vietnam?
Buddhism mixes with ancestor worship, Taoism and Confucianism; family altars with incense sticks can be found in almost every household and business. The most important festival is Tet Nguyen Dan, the Vietnamese lunar New Year, falling on February 17, 2026.
For Tet, millions of Vietnamese travel to their home towns, streets are decorated with kumquat trees and blossoms, and many shops close for several days. Anyone traveling during this period should book train and flight tickets months in advance.
Politeness and reserve matter a great deal: loud behavior, public criticism or touching a stranger's head are considered impolite. In temples and pagodas, clothing should cover shoulders and knees.
The colonial era under France (until 1954) still shapes architecture, baguette culture and coffee houses today, especially visible in Hanoi's Old Quarter and in the former imperial city of Hue.
What experiences are worthwhile in Vietnam?
Highlights include a boat trip through Ha Long Bay, the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An, the Cu Chi tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City, and boat tours through the Mekong Delta. Travelers staying longer add hikes through the rice terraces around Sapa or the imperial city of Hue.
Ha Long Bay
One- to two-day cruises wind between the more than 1,600 limestone islands, stopping at caves such as Hang Sung Sot with opportunities for kayaking; the quieter neighboring Lan Ha Bay offers an alternative to the busiest routes.
Hoi An and surroundings
On the 14th day of the lunar calendar, Hoi An switches off many electric lights in the evening, and the old town glows almost entirely with paper lanterns. An excursion to the Cham temples of My Son or a bike ride through the rice fields around Tra Que round out a stay in the city.
Da Nang
The cable car to the Ba Na Hills, one of the longest in the world, climbs around 1,400 m in elevation; at the top are the "Golden Bridge" and a replica French village. The Marble Mountains with their cave temples lie closer to the city and are feasible as a half-day trip.
Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta
The Cu Chi tunnels can partly be crawled through on hands and knees; the War Remnants Museum in the city shows the consequences of the Vietnam War unflinchingly. In the Mekong Delta, boat tours combine floating markets such as Cai Rang with visits to family workshops producing coconut candy or rice paper.
Sources: Vietnam Tourism (vietnam.travel)
How do you travel responsibly in Vietnam?
In Ha Long Bay and the Mekong Delta, plastic waste and water quality are visible problems; operators with reusable water bottles or their own onboard water treatment reduce consumption. For homestays in Sapa or the Mekong Delta, local families benefit more directly when bookings go through licensed, local rather than international intermediaries.
- In Ha Long Bay, choose operators with reusable bottles and onboard waste management.
- For Sapa hikes, book local guides from the minority villages rather than pure outside operators.
- In the Mekong Delta, support small family businesses and local boats rather than mass tours.
- In temples and pagodas, respect photography rules and cover shoulders/knees.
Sources: Vietnam Tourism (vietnam.travel)
Which countries combine well with Vietnam?
The most obvious choices are the neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia, both reachable via land borders and regional flights from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Thailand can also be added with short flights.
Regional flights to Siem Reap in Cambodia (for Angkor Wat) run from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi in around 1 to 1.5 hours; the land border crossing via Moc Bai in the Mekong Delta region is also possible. Regional flights to Luang Prabang or Vientiane in Laos run from Hanoi; the overland route through the mountains in the northwest is considerably slower.
Several airlines fly nonstop to Bangkok, Thailand several times daily in around 1.5 to 2 hours, making it easy to combine both countries in one trip.
Who is Vietnam a good fit for, and who is it less suited to?
Vietnam suits travelers who want to combine history, landscape and cuisine and who bring some tolerance for long distances and changing climate. It is less suited to short beach holidays without a cultural program, or to anyone seeking a single weather window for the whole country.
Vietnam is a good fit for culture enthusiasts, food lovers and active travelers who want to combine hikes around Sapa or boat trips in Ha Long Bay with city visits. Families generally manage well thanks to the short domestic flights between the main legs.
It is less ideal for travelers with very little time, since the three main regions are far apart and domestic flights are almost unavoidable. Swiss or Austrian citizens should apply for the e-visa well before departure.