Ready-made routes

🎒 Vietnam on a Budget: Backpacking at $25 a Day

North to south with a backpack, at $25 a day. A surprisingly cheap route with hostel dorms, street food and night buses.

14Days
4Stops
$28Per day
$392On the ground

Visa status for this route

The itinerary below is the same for everyone. What changes is how your passport enters these countries.

Pick your passport to see your visa status

The route, night by night (14 nights)

  1. 01

    Hanoi

    3 nights

    The Old Quarter, street food, Ha Long as a day trip/boat.

  2. 02

    Hue & Hoi An

    4 nights

    The imperial city, the lantern town, tailors, the beach.

  3. 03

    Da Lat / Nha Trang

    3 nights

    A cool mountain town or the coast; budget accommodation.

  4. 04

    Ho Chi Minh & the Mekong

    4 nights

    War history, the Cu Chi tunnels, a delta boat tour.

Best season

March–April, October–November (the country is long, climate is regional)

Getting around

Open-ticket night buses + sleeper trains; the cheapest combination.

What to know before you go

  • —Night buses/trains save accommodation money; pick the sleeper class.
  • —Street food (pho, banh mi) is both the cheapest and the tastiest; a crowded stall = fresh.
  • —Get the e-visa only via the official evisa.gov.vn.

Important: this content is general information

Visa rules can change without notice. Always confirm your situation with an official source before you travel: Also check with the embassy or consulate of your destination country in your own country. The information on this page is guidance, not legal advice.