Going for holidays can be so much fun until you start thinking about the cost and expenses you would have to make. Traveling to Vietnam can be fulfilling and stress free if the travel budget is properly planned. Are you still figuring out how much it would cost to travel to Vietnam? Here is the average cost of holidaying in Vietnam.

Transportation

Ho Chi Minh bus stop

Transportation in Vietnam is relatively cheap. There are various means of moving around in Vietnam from air, road and water to meet all your demands. One of the key problems that tourists face in a new and unfamiliar country is transportation and in a country like Vietnam where they are various means of transport choosing can become a problem. You can choose from a wide variety of options such as motorbikes/vespas/scooters, taxi, bus, boat/ferry, plane or the train.

There are a few public buses or shuttles that are colour coded, such as blue, green and yellow. These three colour coded buses run around the airport and city centre and would cost differently depending on the colour code.

The Yellow Bus 49 would cost between VND 20,000 (USD $1) and VND 12,000. Most times, you won’t be charged for extra luggage. You can find these colour coded shuttles in front of the domestic and international airport arrivals.

The Green Bus 49 is much cheaper and you may need to pay extra if you have luggage. You would have to pay about VND 5,000 (USD $0.25). Just know that green buses are much older than the yellow buses and make more stops.

Other routes include:

– Noi Bai International Airport to Ha Noi: USD $0.4 – $1.75 with a bus and USD $13 – $18 with a taxi.

– Phu Bai International Airport to Hue: USD $0.25 – $1 with a bus and USD $7 – $8 with a taxi.

– Da Nang International Airport to Hoi An: USD $1.10 with a bus and USD $14 – $19 with a taxi.

At the airports you can request for travel guides to see more routes available. With these prices, you can have an estimate of how much it costs to travel in Vietnam.

Accommodation

For the most basic accommodation such as hostels, you can get a room for around USD $4.39 or around 100,000 VND per night. For something much comfortable, you can get a private room for around USD $19 – $20. Hostels are found everywhere and are budget friendly for tourists. You would find that most hostels offer free Wi-Fi and even free breakfast. If you are traveling with company, you can get a hotel that you pay around USD $10 per night for a room with a double bed with Wi-Fi and breakfast included.

It is advisable to get a room in the outskirts of the city because they are cheaper and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You can easily take a shuttle or bus into the city whenever you like.

Food

Traditional Vietnamese beef soup – pho bo

One of the most enjoyable aspects of traveling to Vietnam is the food and it is also very inexpensive. You can get a rice dish for as low as USD $1. Most of the open-air restaurants are also cheap with food prices ranging between USD $2- $4. Just know that the more stars the restaurant has, the more expensive it becomes. Western foods are also more expensive than local dishes. If you want a cold beer or soda at a restaurant, the price is between USD $1 and $1.5. For those planning on cooking their own meals, the average cost of groceries you would need would be between USD $17 – 20.

Always shop for your groceries in the local markets to get fresher and cheaper food items.

Activities

In Vietnam there are a lot of attractions and they don’t cost a lot to enjoy. For a tourist, there are a lot of organized excursions. A good excursion trip is the touring of the Cu Chi Tunnels and the price is around USD $5 – $10. Touring of the Halong Bay is another popular activity and the price is around USD $35 – $40. There are bicycle tours that are made especially for tourists, even cooking classes. The price for this fun activity starts from around USD $13. If you are interested in cannoning in the Da Lat (which by the way is a fantastic experience), expect to pay around USD $35.

In summary, you can expect to spend around USD $30 – $40 per day assuming you stay in a cheap hostel, take advantage of the local transportation and enjoy the amazing street food. This summary budget does not include the various fun activities you can enjoy while in this beautiful country.

Getting visa on arrival at the airport of Vietnam