Backpacking Vietnam, and what it costs a day
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Backpacking Vietnam is cheap, well-organised and almost entirely linear. The country is 1,650 km end to end and everybody travels it in the same direction. The whole thing runs on sleeper buses and hostel dorms.
What does backpacking Vietnam cost?
A backpacker in Vietnam spends 650,000 to 1,050,000 dong a day, which at about 26,000 dong to the US dollar is 25 to 40 dollars. That covers a dorm bed, street food, local transport and a beer or two.
A dorm runs 150,000 to 300,000 dong, street meals 25,000 to 60,000, an iced coffee 20,000 to 35,000, and a sleeper bus between cities 150,000 to 500,000.
Two weeks therefore costs roughly 8 to 14 million dong on the ground, excluding flights, which the trip cost guide breaks down against mid-range travel.
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | 150,000–300,000 dong |
| Street food meal | 25,000–60,000 dong |
| Sleeper bus, long leg | 250,000–500,000 dong |
| Motorbike hire, a day | 120,000–200,000 dong |
| Bia hoi, a glass | 5,000–15,000 dong |
What is the standard route?
The standard route runs one way along the coast. Hanoi, Ha Giang or Sapa, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang or Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City, then the delta or Phu Quoc.
Most people travel north to south because the flights out of Saigon are cheaper. The direction matters less than the weather — the north to south guide sets out both.
Three weeks covers it without rushing and two weeks covers it with one region cut. A month allows the Ha Giang loop and the delta as well.
How do you get between places?
Sleeper buses and the train. Buses reach everywhere and cost 150,000 to 500,000 dong a leg, and the sleeper bus guide explains which berth to book.
The Reunification line covers the coast and is more comfortable for the long legs — Hue to Da Nang, Da Nang to Nha Trang — as the train guide sets out.
Internal flights cost 700,000 to 1,500,000 dong and are worth it once, usually to skip the 1,100 km between Hanoi and Saigon at the end of a short trip.
Where do backpackers stay?
Hostels cluster in the same few streets. Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien in Saigon, the Old Quarter in Hanoi, An Bang and the old town edge in Hoi An.
A dorm bed runs 150,000 to 300,000 dong and a private room in the same hostel 400,000 to 700,000, which is often worth it after a night bus.
Homestays in the mountains cost 100,000 to 250,000 dong with dinner, and they are the better version of the same money — the homestay guide explains the difference.
What should you budget extra for?
Three things break a backpacker budget in Vietnam: the Ha Giang loop, a Ha Long cruise and the motorbike. Each is worth doing and none is cheap by daily-spend standards.
An easy rider package on the loop runs 2.5 to 4 million dong for three days; an overnight cruise 2 to 5 million; a month-long motorbike purchase 6 to 12 million before resale.
Everything else — food, buses, rooms, coffee — stays inside the daily figure with room to spare.
What catches backpackers out?
Distance, mostly. Vietnam looks narrow on a map and it is 1,650 km long, so the Hanoi to Saigon leg is two full days of travel by land.
The other is the motorbike licence question. Riding on a permit Vietnam does not recognise voids most travel insurance, which the insurance guide sets out — and the motorbike guide covers the riding itself.
Tet is the third: for a week the buses fill, prices rise and small businesses close, which the Tet guide explains.
Is Vietnam a good backpacking country?
Backpacking Vietnam is as easy as South-East Asia gets: one road, cheap buses, hostels in every town and food that costs two dollars a meal.
What it asks in return is time for the distances and a plan for the weather, because the three climates never agree. The best time to visit guide decides the direction, and the month pages decide the weeks.
FAQ
How much does it cost to backpack Vietnam?
Between 650,000 and 1,050,000 dong a day, which is 25 to 40 US dollars. That covers a dorm bed at 150,000 to 300,000, street meals at 25,000 to 60,000, local transport and a drink. Two weeks on the ground comes to roughly 8 to 14 million dong.
What is the standard backpacking route in Vietnam?
One way along the coast: Hanoi, then Ha Giang or Sapa, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang or Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City and the delta. Most people go north to south because flights out of Saigon are cheaper, and three weeks covers it without rushing.
How do backpackers travel around Vietnam?
Sleeper buses and the train. Buses reach everywhere at 150,000 to 500,000 dong a leg, and the Reunification railway covers the coast more comfortably for the long stretches. A single internal flight at 700,000 to 1,500,000 dong is worth it to skip the 1,100 km between the two big cities.
Is Vietnam cheap for backpackers?
It is one of the cheapest countries in South-East Asia for a traveller who eats on the street and sleeps in dorms. What breaks the budget is the extras — the Ha Giang loop, a Ha Long cruise, a motorbike — each of which costs more than several days of everything else.
How long do you need to backpack Vietnam?
Three weeks for the standard route at a reasonable pace, two weeks if one region is cut, and a month if the Ha Giang loop and the Mekong Delta are both in the plan. The country is 1,650 km long and the distances are what catch people out.