{"id":115307,"title":"Planning a trip to Hanoi: budget, visa, when to go","modified":"2026-10-07T11:28:34+02:00","plain":"Hanoi rewards those who do their homework before landing: a single official visa website, buried beneath a dozen paid impostors, banknotes with so many zeros that I briefly felt like a millionaire, damp winters at 10 degrees and monsoon summers at 35 degrees. Here is my practical preparation guide; the rest is in my complete guide to Hanoi.\n\n\n\nVisa, budget, money, health and seasons: my preparation before Hanoi.\n\n\n\n\nPlanning a trip to Hanoi: which visa should you apply for?\n\nHow much does it cost?\n\nHow do you get there?\n\nHow do you get around Hanoi?\n\nHow do you pay once you're there?\n\nHealth, safety, scams: is it safe?\n\nWhich SIM card and apps should you use?\n\nWhen should you go and what should you pack?\n\nWhich words and local customs should you know?\n\nMy other Hanoi guides\n\n\n\n\nPlanning a trip to Hanoi: which visa should you apply for?\n\n\n\nFrench citizens are eligible for Vietnam's e-visa, which has been open to all nationalities since late 2023. I applied online, received the approval letter by email and presented it at immigration, with no embassy visit, invitation letter or agency.\n\n\n\nOnly use the official website, evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. The top Google results for \u201cVietnam e-visa\u201d are professional-looking third-party agencies that charge \u20ac50 to \u20ac80 for a USD 25 service. The real website looks like it was designed in 2003, and that's a good sign.\n\n\n\nSingle entry costs USD 25 (around \u20ac23) for up to 90 days, while multiple entry costs USD 50 (around \u20ac46), useful for a detour through Laos or Cambodia before returning to Vietnam. If you're asked for more than USD 25, you're on a third-party website.\n\n\n\nTo avoid a rejection, enter your name in Vietnamese order (surname, then first name and middle names) exactly as it appears in the machine-readable zone (MRZ) at the bottom of your French passport, the 2 lines of capital letters and angle brackets, without leaving out any middle names. Photo: no glasses (even prescription ones), ears visible, no smile, looking straight ahead; a phone selfie in front of a white wall is enough. Scan the entire passport page, including edges and corners, without cropping it tightly.\n\n\n\nThe official processing time is 3 working days, excluding weekends and Vietnamese public holidays. Apply at least 1 to 2 weeks before departure. The status changes from \u201cReceived\u201d to \u201cApproved\u201d one day, with no intermediate stage.\n\n\n\nEnter the port of entry you will actually use. Changing airports (applying for Ho Chi Minh City, arriving in Hanoi) generally works but technically remains a risk, and switching to a land border crossing is much riskier, sometimes resulting in refusal. A visa on arrival remains an expensive fallback (USD 100+) if your e-visa doesn't arrive in time; given how simple the e-visa is, there's no reason to use it.\n\n\n\nMy e-visa, applied for on the only official .gov.vn website.\n\n\n\nHow much does it cost?\n\n\n\nHanoi is one of Southeast Asia's cheapest capitals, and your spending depends almost entirely on where you sleep and whether you choose street food or air-conditioned restaurants.\n\n\n\nBudget levelDaily costAccommodationFoodTransportBackpacker\u20ac20-30Hostel dorm (\u20ac3-7\/night)Street food only, bia h\u01a1iWalking, city busMid-range\u20ac40-60Private hotel room (\u20ac18-37\/night)Street food and restaurantsGrab, occasional taxisComfortable\u20ac70-90Nice hotel (\u20ac37-55\/night)Sit-down restaurants, caf\u00e9sGrab everywhere, guided toursLuxury\u20ac100-150+Boutique or 5-star hotelFine diningPrivate car, premium tours\n\n\n\nFor me, mid-range offers the best value: at \u20ac40-60 per day, you eat well, take a Grab when you're tired, visit every museum and temple, and still treat yourself to a cooking class or a day trip. A \u20ac15 lunch in a Parisian brasserie costs \u20ac1.50-2.50 at a street stall in the Old Quarter.\n\n\n\nA bowl of ph\u1edf from a street vendor costs VND 40,000 to 60,000 (\u20ac1.50 to \u20ac2.30), as does b\u00fan ch\u1ea3 for lunch, and a c\u00e0 ph\u00ea (Vietnamese coffee) costs VND 25,000 to 60,000 (\u20ac0.90 to \u20ac2.30). Bia h\u01a1i, fresh draught beer served on the street, costs VND 5,000 to 10,000 (\u20ac0.20 to \u20ac0.40), a bottled beer VND 30,000 to 50,000 (\u20ac1 to \u20ac1.85), and a cocktail in a Western-style bar VND 150,000 to 200,000 (\u20ac5.50 to \u20ac7.40).\n\n\n\nA restaurant meal for 2 or a 1-hour foot massage costs VND 150,000 to 300,000 (\u20ac5.50 to \u20ac11), and museum admission around VND 50,000 (\u20ac1.85), with opening hours and prices for each site in my guide to Hanoi's heritage.\n\n\n\nI cook ph\u1edf and b\u00fan ch\u1ea3 at home: my ph\u1edf recipe and my b\u00fan ch\u1ea3 recipe are on the site, along with my other Vietnamese recipes.\n\n\n\nWant to make it at home? My ph\u1edf recipe is on the site.\n\n\n\nThe biggest budget trap is alcohol, especially Western-style cocktails: \u20ac0.20 for a bia h\u01a1i on the street corner, \u20ac6 to \u20ac8 for a cocktail in a rooftop bar, a gap that adds up quickly over 2 weeks of travel.\n\n\n\nBook your excursions locally, through your hotel or a local agency in the Old Quarter, rather than online from France through Viator or travel review sites. The same day trip to Ha Long Bay drops from \u20ac80-100 online to \u20ac30-50. My recommendations for every budget, from bia h\u01a1i spots to sit-down restaurants, are in where to eat in Hanoi.\n\n\n\nHow do you get there?\n\n\n\nAs of early 2026, there are no scheduled direct flights from France to Hanoi. From Paris-CDG, routes with 1 stop mostly go through the Gulf (Qatar Airways via Doha, Emirates via Dubai) or with Vietnam Airlines via Bangkok or Singapore; from Lyon-Saint-Exup\u00e9ry or Marseille-Provence, they tend to go through Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) or Doha. Allow 13 to 17 hours of travel with 1 stop.\n\n\n\nA return flight from Paris generally costs \u20ac450 to \u20ac850 depending on the season and how far ahead you book, with departures from November to January and around T\u1ebft (Vietnamese New Year, usually in late January or February) being the most expensive, and May and June generally the cheapest. Compare on Google Flights, Liligo or Kayak, using price alerts.\n\n\n\nNoi Bai Airport\n\n\n\nNoi Bai International Airport is around 25 km north of the city centre. I took bus 86, the cheapest option: orange, air-conditioned, with luggage space and Wi-Fi, VND 45,000 (around \u20ac1.65), direct to the Old Quarter (Ho\u00e0n Ki\u1ebfm area) in 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. Its stop is on the left as you leave international arrivals, and it runs from early morning until late evening.\n\n\n\nA\u00e9roport international de N\u1ed9i B\u00e0i. Photo: uk jomo, Google Maps\n\n\n\nA Grab car costs VND 250,000 to 350,000 (\u20ac9 to \u20ac13) to the centre, and should only be booked through the app. Its drivers cannot access the arrivals lane. Walk to the designated ride-hailing area, check the number plate in the app before getting in, and ignore anyone claiming to be your Grab driver in the hall.\n\n\n\nA transfer through your hotel or Klook costs roughly the same as a Grab, with a driver waiting for you with a sign, which is easier after a long flight. Avoid the unofficial taxi touts in the hall, who quote VND 500,000 to 800,000 for a ride that should cost half as much.\n\n\n\nFrom Noi Bai to the Old Quarter, I chose bus 86 at VND 45,000.\n\n\n\nHow do you get around Hanoi?\n\n\n\nThe neighborhood you stay in determines how much time you spend in traffic rather than walking. The noisy Old Quarter puts most sights within walking distance, the French Quarter is quieter with wider streets, and T\u00e2y H\u1ed3 (West Lake), the expat neighborhood with quieter nights, is a Grab ride from the main sights. I cover them in detail in where to stay in Hanoi.\n\n\n\nYou can explore the Old Quarter, Ho\u00e0n Ki\u1ebfm Lake and the French Quarter on foot, with most sights within a 2-3 km radius. Between parked motorbikes, food stalls and plastic stools on the sidewalks, I ended up walking in the street more than expected. Bring comfortable shoes with good grip.\n\n\n\nLac Ho\u00e0n Ki\u1ebfm. Photo: Didier Omnes, Google Maps\n\n\n\nBefore you arrive, download Grab, Southeast Asia's equivalent of Uber and the app I used most. Prices are set in advance, with no rigged meters or haggling; GrabBike (motorbike taxi) is the fastest way to weave through traffic on your own, while GrabCar is better for groups or when you have luggage. Link your bank card before you leave, as paying in cash often leads to \u201cI don't have change,\u201d and use the chat's automatic translation if a Vietnamese-speaking driver can't find your pickup point.\n\n\n\nThe public bus network (7,000 to 9,000 VND per trip, around \u20ac0.30) covers most of the city, and 2 routes are useful for tourists: the 86 (airport) and the 14, from the Temple of Literature to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area. Signs and announcements are mostly in Vietnamese, but Google Maps handles bus routes reasonably well.\n\n\n\nA scooter costs 150,000 to 200,000 VND per day (\u20ac5.50 to \u20ac7.40) to rent. The law requires an International Driving Permit (IDP) with a motorcycle endorsement, which you must apply for on the ANTS website before departure, and a French license that includes category A. With only a category B (car) license, you aren't legally covered, and your travel insurance will reject any claim after a motorbike accident. Traffic is intense, and if you've never driven in heavy traffic in Asia, this isn't the place to learn: save the scooter for the H\u00e0 Giang Loop or the Ninh B\u00ecnh countryside, with the right license.\n\n\n\nCrossing the street is something you learn from day 1. Traffic doesn't stop for pedestrians, traffic lights are rare and often ignored by motorbikes, and faced with my first stream of motorbikes across 6 lanes, I wondered how anyone made it across alive. Walk slowly, steadily and predictably, without stopping, running or stepping back. Motorbikes go around you like water around a rock, because their riders are constantly calculating your path, and stopping or changing direction throws off their calculations.\n\n\n\nRaise your hand slightly to make yourself visible, make eye contact with drivers and let buses and cars pass, as they won't swerve; motorbikes will adjust. At first, walk alongside a local who is crossing, on the side facing traffic: by day 3, you'll be crossing without thinking about it.\n\n\n\nHow do you pay while you're there?\n\n\n\nIn Hanoi, cash is king: I withdrew my dong from ATMs in the city center.\n\n\n\nThe Vietnamese dong (VND) is the only practical currency: street vendors and small restaurants don't take USD or euros, and street food stalls, markets, cyclos and most local restaurants only accept cash. Large hotels, upscale restaurants and Grab take cards, but smaller establishments often add 3% for card payments.\n\n\n\nFor a foreign card, my go-to ATMs are VPBank, often with low or no fees, and ACB (Asia Commercial Bank), with higher limits, often 5,000,000 VND (around \u20ac185) per transaction. TPBank used to be free, but since late 2025 it has charged fees for some foreign cards. Avoid Agribank and Vietinbank (low limits of 2-3 million VND per transaction, high fees, so a higher cost per euro withdrawn) and Euronet ATMs.\n\n\n\nAt the ATM, when the screen offers to convert the withdrawal into your currency, always choose \u201cNo.\u201d This is Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC): the Vietnamese bank applies a terrible exchange rate and pockets the difference, meaning a loss of 3 to 5%, so let your French bank handle the conversion.\n\n\n\nTo exchange euros, the best rates are at gold and jewelry shops, especially on H\u00e0 Trung street in the Old Quarter, where I exchanged mine at Quoc Trinh Gold Shop. Bring new \u20ac50 or \u20ac100 notes in good condition. Smaller denominations get worse rates, and torn or badly creased notes may be refused.\n\n\n\nQuoc Trinh Gold Shop. Photo: Josiah Wadsack, Google Maps\n\n\n\nBank exchange counters offer the official rate, but require your passport and pristine notes; airport counters offer the worst rates. If you arrive late, exchange only \u20ac20-30 there for the bus and change the rest in town. Tipping isn't common in Vietnam, rounding up the bill is appreciated but not required, and tips are only expected for tour guides (50,000 to 100,000 VND) and hotel porters (20,000 to 50,000 VND).\n\n\n\nBring a card with no international withdrawal fees (Boursorama Ultim, Fortuneo Fosfo or Revolut), a real bonus when you're withdrawing dong a few times a week. Don't carry weeks' worth of cash, as ATMs are everywhere in the center, and keep an emergency reserve separate from your wallet, at the bottom of your luggage.\n\n\n\nHealth, safety, scams: is it safe?\n\n\n\nThe EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) only covers the EU and EEA, so it is useless in Vietnam. Take out dedicated travel insurance with medical repatriation cover: treatment locally is cheap, but a medical evacuation to France can cost more than \u20ac50,000. Chapka Cap Aventure, ACS Globe Traveller and AXA Assistance cover Southeast Asia and are suitable if you are travelling from France.\n\n\n\nIf you ride a motorbike, check that your policy explicitly covers 2-wheeled vehicles, which are often excluded by default. A Visa Premier or Mastercard Gold often includes travel insurance for stays of less than 90 days if you paid for your flight with the card: a useful supplement, but rarely enough on its own.\n\n\n\nNo vaccinations are legally required to enter Vietnam from France. The Institut Pasteur recommends being up to date on hepatitis A and B, typhoid and tetanus vaccinations, and for rural areas (Ha Giang, Sapa), Japanese encephalitis and rabies vaccinations may also be recommended. Consult an international vaccination centre or your doctor at least 6 weeks before departure.\n\n\n\nDo not drink tap water, and brush your teeth with bottled water (5,000 to 10,000 VND, or \u20ac0.20 to \u20ac0.40, at any grocery shop). Ice cubes in restaurants and caf\u00e9s, commercially produced from filtered water, are generally safe, but to be cautious, avoid them for the first few days while your stomach adjusts.\n\n\n\nFor street food, I eat where the locals eat: a long queue of Vietnamese customers signals fresh food and high turnover, an empty restaurant with a menu in 5 languages is a red flag, and dishes cooked at high temperatures in front of you (ph\u1edf, b\u00fan ch\u1ea3, stir-fries) are the safest.\n\n\n\nHanoi has some of the worst air quality in Southeast Asia, especially from November to March. If you are sensitive to pollution or have respiratory problems, bring N95 or KN95 masks and check the Air Quality Index (AQI) every morning on the IQAir app or website; above 150, limit your time outside and favour indoor activities.\n\n\n\nPharmacies are everywhere and very cheap. They sell most medicines without a prescription, including antibiotics, as well as treatments for stomach trouble, headaches and insect bites. Bring your prescription medication with a copy of the prescription.\n\n\n\nHanoi is very safe for tourists: violent crime against foreigners is practically nonexistent, and the main physical danger is traffic. To guard against occasional theft (phones snatched from motorbikes, pickpockets in crowded markets), keep your phone in a front pocket or a closed bag along busy roads, and choose a crossbody bag over a backpack in the Old Quarter crowds. Emergencies: Police 113, Ambulance 115, Fire 114, and the French Embassy in Hanoi on +84 24 3944 5700 for consular emergencies.\n\n\n\nInsurance, vaccinations, bottled water: my health checklist before leaving for Hanoi.\n\n\n\nHanoi's well-documented scams are more annoying than dangerous and easy to avoid. A shoe shiner points at your shoes and starts polishing them without asking, then demands 200,000 to 500,000 VND. Wear sandals or firmly turn him down while continuing to walk.\n\n\n\nWomen put their fruit basket on your shoulder for a \u201cnice photo\u201d or offer you a free sample, then demand 200,000 to 500,000 VND for an item worth 20,000 VND. Never accept an object a stranger puts in your hands or on your shoulder. The cyclo, Hanoi's typical 3-wheeled rickshaw, has its own scam too: the driver agrees to 50,000 VND for a ride around Hoan Kiem Lake, then claims on arrival that it was per person or per kilometre, and the ride turns into a dispute over 300,000 VND. I booked mine through my hotel: go through your hotel or a reputable tour operator rather than drivers who approach you.\n\n\n\nOn Tinder, a \u201cmatch\u201d suggests a specific bar that charges exorbitant prices for drinks and \u201cbottle packages\u201d, then disappears when the bill arrives. Always choose the venue yourself: if a match insists on a particular bar, it is a scam.\n\n\n\nOn Train Street, aggressive touts pull you towards their caf\u00e9, sometimes by the arm: I walked past them and chose my caf\u00e9 myself. Some restaurants serve food without showing prices, then present an inflated bill: always check that the menu displays prices before ordering.\n\n\n\nMy general rule: refuse anything you did not ask for, say \u201ckh\u00f4ng\u201d (no) firmly but without aggression, stay calm and keep walking.\n\n\n\nWhich SIM card and apps should you use?\n\n\n\nWith Free Mobile (the \u20ac19.99\/month plan), Vietnam is among the 110 roaming destinations: 25 GB of data per month at no extra cost, enough for Grab, Google Maps and WhatsApp, provided you activate roaming in your subscriber account before departure. With another provider, a local SIM or eSIM works out much cheaper than standard roaming.\n\n\n\nViettel has the best coverage in Vietnam, especially around Sapa, Ha Giang or Ninh Binh, and Vinaphone works well in the city. I bought my SIM card in the arrivals hall: expect to pay around 200,000 to 300,000 VND (\u20ac7 to \u20ac11, 30 days of data), a little more than in town, but you get internet straight away for Grab and Google Maps.\n\n\n\nOtherwise, go to an official Viettel shop with your passport, as SIM registration is required by law, and avoid SIMs from street vendors, which are sometimes not registered in your name and deactivated without warning. Tourist plans cost around 5-10 USD for 30 days, but beware of \u201cunlimited data\u201d with a hidden daily cap (4 GB at full speed, then reduced speeds). An Airalo or MobiMatter eSIM activates as soon as you land, with no queue at the airport SIM counter, and Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere in hotels, caf\u00e9s and restaurants.\n\n\n\nMy apps to download before leaving: Grab (also for getting to excursions and activities), Google Maps with an offline map of Hanoi as a backup, XE Currency to convert VND and EUR and check prices in real time, IQAir for air quality on heavily polluted days, and Google Translate, whose camera translates Vietnamese signs and menus.\n\n\n\nWhen should you go and what should you pack?\n\n\n\nMy Hanoi calendar: autumn first, spring second.\n\n\n\nFor me, the best window is autumn, from October to November: 20 to 28 degrees, low humidity, minimal rain, clear skies, and pleasant walks around lakes and parks. The season is attracting more and more tourists: book your accommodation in advance.\n\n\n\nSpring (March to April) comes second: 18 to 25 degrees after the winter cold, some light drizzle that does not disrupt your plans, and flowers around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Botanical Garden, without the high-season crowds.\n\n\n\nSummer (May to September) reaches 30-35+ degrees with high humidity, and the monsoon brings heavy afternoon downpours, generally lasting 1 to 2 hours before clearing up; mornings are usually dry, with July and August the rainiest months. In return, hotels lower their prices, crowds thin out, and rain rarely ruins a whole day if you plan indoor activities for the afternoon, with a good raincoat and a waterproof bag for your electronics.\n\n\n\nWinter (December to February) surprises most visitors: cold, damp and grey, between 10 and 15 degrees, sometimes lower, with persistent drizzle that can last for days, and no heating in most buildings, making it feel much colder than the thermometer suggests. T\u1ebft brings celebrations, but many shops and restaurants close for several days.\n\n\n\nPacking badly can ruin a whole week, because Hanoi has 4 distinct seasons. From November to February (10-15 degrees, damp air, no central heating in most buildings, including some hotels), bring a lightweight down jacket or warm fleece, long-sleeved layers and at least 1 pair of long trousers, as you would for a mild winter or cool autumn in Paris.\n\n\n\nYear-round: comfortable walking shoes with grip for uneven pavements, a compact umbrella or lightweight waterproof windbreaker, sandals or flip-flops for the heat and temples (I was constantly taking my shoes off there), modest clothing for temples, sunscreen brought from France (much more expensive in Vietnam), mosquito repellent and a photocopy of your passport stored separately from the original. Sockets are types A, C and G. Most European 2-pin plugs (type C) work without an adapter, but I brought a universal adapter because some older hotels only have American-style sockets.\n\n\n\nWhat words and etiquette should you know?\n\n\n\nEnglish is spoken in hotels and tourist restaurants, but quickly disappears elsewhere. Vietnamese is tonal, so pronunciation matters, but locals appreciate any attempt.\n\n\n\nMy basic words: Xin ch\u00e0o (sin chow), hello; C\u1ea3m \u01a1n (kahm uhn), thank you; Kh\u00f4ng (kohm), no; Bao nhi\u00eau ? (bow nyew), how much?; M\u1ed9t, hai, ba (moht, high, bah), one, two, three; Ngon qu\u00e1 (ngon kwah), delicious, which always brings a smile at food stalls; Xin l\u1ed7i (sin loy), sorry or excuse me; T\u00ednh ti\u1ec1n (tin tyen), the bill. On a vendor's calculator or phone, the currency has so many zeros that \u201c50\u201d means 50,000 VND (around \u20ac1.85).\n\n\n\nAt temples and pagodas, take off your shoes before entering any building, cover your shoulders and knees, speak quietly, don't point your feet towards altars or Buddha statues, and ask permission before photographing people praying. These rules apply at every temple, from the Temple of Literature to Tr\u1ea5n Qu\u1ed1c Pagoda, and my heritage guide details the dress code for each site.\n\n\n\nTemple de la Litt\u00e9rature. Photo: Zesus, Google Maps\n\n\n\nMost Hanoians are happy to be photographed, but always ask first, with a gesture or a smile, and don't photograph military installations. At the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, follow the posted rules strictly: no shorts, no hats, no photos inside the building.\n\n\n\nA quick beep from a motorbike horn means \u201cI'm here, coming through.\u201d Once I understood that, the constant noise became just background sound.\n\n\n\nWhen eating, tiny plastic stools on the pavement are the norm. That's how Hanoi eats, and how I ate there too. Bring tissues, as street stalls don't always provide them. Slurping your noodles isn't rude, leaving a little food on your plate signals that you're full, and asking for a fork instead of chopsticks is perfectly acceptable. No one will judge you.\n\n\n\nMy other Hanoi guides\n\n\n\nIf Bangkok is your next stop, my guide to planning a trip to Bangkok explains what's different when it comes to visas, budget and transport, and my guides to Phuket and Bali cover those beach destinations. Everything else to see, eat and experience is in my complete Hanoi guide.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115307"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115474,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115307\/revisions\/115474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}