Vietnam is one of the cheapest countries to visit in South Asia. We spent ~INR 1,75,000 on our 15 days Vietnam trip. This amount includes all expenses – airfares, hotel accommodation, activities, internal travel, food, and shopping. That means, the per day cost turned out to be ~INR 6000 per person.
Also Read: Vietnam Travel Guide
Table of Contents
Where We Saved The Money
Airfare
The actual roundtrip flight cost was ~ INR 65,000 for two persons but we only paid ~INR 20,000. I used credit card points accumulated on my HDFC Infinia credit card for flight booking which allows up to 70% of the cost redeemable by points.
Accommodation
Accommodation is very cheap in Vietnam. We booked all our accommodation 3 months in advance to get an even better price. We had booked Halina Hotel in Da Nang for INR 9000 for 5 nights. The price included a complimentary buffet breakfast and the use of a sauna. You can’t expect the same amenities for less than INR 5000 per night in India.
We had made the conscious decision not to book any accommodation for more than INR 2000-2200 per night to keep the overall trip cost low.
Tours and Attractions Tickets
We booked all our tours and attractions tickets through Klook. Klook runs offers from time to time that can help in saving a few bucks. We were on the constant lookout for such offers in Klook. We spent ~INR 48,000 on Klook and saved more than INR 2000 by making use of available offers.
Other Major Expenses
Intercity Travel
Vietnam is a long country and famous cities are scattered all over the country. We visited five Vietnam cities – Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat (South Vietnam), Da Nang (Central Vietnam), Hanoi and Sa Pa (North Vietnam).
Public transport is slow in Vietnam. The train network is limited to very few areas and that too is very slow. There is an excellent bus network which is great for short-distance travel because of the operation of many luxury buses. But buses are also slow and become an unviable option for long-distance travel.
Flying is the only viable option for long-distance travel. It does not only save time but is also not very expensive. We took three internal flights – Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat, Da Lat to Da Nang, and Da Nang to Hanoi. We paid ~INR 4,000 per person for each flight.
City Travel
Public transport is not of the highest quality in Vietnam. There is no metro in any of the Vietnam cities. Buses are cheap but they are slow and it is a hassle to travel because of the language problem.
Grab is a ride-hailing app in Vietnam. It is just like Uber, you book a cab or scooter on the Grab App and payment is done by either cash or card. Unlike India where you get many years old hatchbacks like Wagon-R or Swift, you get newer luxury cars like Fortuner and Mazda. The prices are comparable to that of India.
We used Grab for all the city travel. There are one or two offers available for ride booking most of the time. And the more you book, the more offers get unlocked. We got about a 15-25% discount on 90% of our rides.
The only time we did not use Grab was to reach Ho Chi Minh city centre from the airport on the first day. We took the inexpensive bus 109 and paid only VND 15k (~INR 50) per person to reach the city centre.
You can further reduce the travel cost by renting out a scooter for a day. You can get scooters from almost every hotel in Vietnam. We didn’t rent because we didn’t know how to drive a two-wheeler. We have heard that daily rental is as low as VND 100k – 150k (INR 350 – 500).
Food
Food is cheap in Vietnam if you are a non-vegetarian. You can easily get a meal for INR 500 for two people.
The food options are very limited for vegetarians like us. There are hardly any vegetarian meals in Vietnamese cuisine restaurants. Very few fast food restaurants have vegetarian options. Your best bet is either an Indian restaurant or a pizza.
We ate Indian food and pizza most of the time. We tried Vietnamese cuisine a couple of times by customising a non-vegetarian meal into a vegetarian meal. We also had Bahn Mi a few times as it can be eaten cold and vendors can easily prepare a vegetarian version. It is inexpensive and sold abundantly at restaurants and street stalls. It was a lifesaver for travel days or when we went sightseeing for a whole day as not all the attractions had restaurants nearby having vegetarian meals. But that is also true that not all vendors can prepare vegetarian Bahn Mi well. So be prepared to eat just to fill your stomach.
Indian food is expensive in Vietnam. A North Indian meal (1 curry item, bread, 1 beverage) will set you back ~VND 300k (~INR 1000) for two people in a decent restaurant.
Vietnam Trip Expense Breakdown
| Expense | Cost (INR) |
|---|---|
| Roundtrip flight on Vietjet Airlines x2 | ~19,700 |
| 2-night stay at Ailen Garden Hotel (Ho Chi Minh City) (not recommended) | ~3,000 |
| 2-night stay at Pinetown Backpackers Hotel (Da Lat) | ~1,750 |
| 5-night stay at Halina Hotel and Apartment (Da Nang) | ~9,300 |
| 2-night stay at Saparis Hotel (Sa Pa) | ~4,200 |
| 2-night stay at Little Diamond Hotel (Hanoi) | ~3,500 |
| 3 Internal Flights x2 | ~24,000 |
| Hanoi – Sa Pa – Hanoi bus ticket x2 | ~6,000 |
| Local bus from Ho Chi Minh Airport to city centre x2 | ~100 |
| Grab taxi or airport transfers | ~12,250 |
| Sapa taxi sightseeing tour | ~3150 |
| Food | ~21,300 |
| Attraction Tickets and Day Tours x2 | ~52,500 |
| Shopping | ~4,000 |
| Visa x2 | ~4,200 |
| Travel Insurance | ~1,100 |
| Local Sim Card | ~1,050 |
| Gifts and Souvenir | ~3,000 |
| Total | ~1,73,000 |
How much did you spend on your Vietnam trip? Let us know in comments below.
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