Vietnam: Before You Go Guide (Printable + iPad)

Vietnam is long and thin, with three different climates, an e-visa and pre-arrival declaration to sort out, motorbike licence limits, a typhoon and flood season and sights that change their hours. Visa rules differ by passport: UK visitors get 45 days, while US, Canadian and Australian passports need a visa or e-visa.

This printable guide puts everything you should know before a trip to Vietnam in one place, in short plain-English points, checked in October 2026 with links to the official sites so you can double-check anything.

WHAT'S INSIDE

• Conditions right now: e-visa rules by passport, the UK 45-day exemption, the pre-arrival declaration, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closure, typhoon and flood season by region, Tet 2027, Son Doong, Ha Giang Loop rules, Hanoi Train Street, Hanoi to Sapa transport and the 2025 province mergers
• Entry, customs and rules: passport validity, cash and medicine limits, the vaping ban, drones, why this guide advises against riding a motorbike, and holidays
• Getting there: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang airports, flights from North America, Europe and Australia, airport transfers and taxi scams
• Getting around: domestic flights, the Reunification Express, Sapa trains and buses, sleeper buses, Grab, Be and Xanh SM, easy riders and crossing the street
• Money, phone and tax: dong, ATMs, cards versus cash, QR payments, VAT and eSIM or SIM rules
• Safety: traffic, scams, heat, floods, street food, dengue, rabies, caves and emergency numbers 113, 114 and 115
• Culture and etiquette: temples, shoes off, Tet customs, haggling, chopsticks, ethnic minority homestays and animal tourism
• Eating Vietnamese, six regions at a glance, festivals and seasons for the north, centre and south, and 14 mistakes first-timers make
• What things cost: 19 everyday prices in US dollars and dong, from a bowl of pho to a Son Doong expedition
• A month-by-month calendar, a pre-trip countdown, a tick-box packing list and a first-day checklist
• Vietnamese basics with pronunciation, plus US, UK, Canadian and Australian embassy numbers (confirm on the official sites)
• Two editions: a printable PDF and an iPad edition with a tappable contents page

PERFECT FOR

• First-time visitors to Vietnam
• Anyone planning a north-to-south trip
• Travellers who like to arrive prepared
• A thoughtful gift for someone with a Vietnam trip booked

PAIRS WELL WITH

The Vietnam in 10 Days itinerary.

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

You'll receive 2 PDFs. No physical item will be shipped.

• Print edition (25 pages): US Letter, prints fine on A4
• iPad edition (34 pages): tappable contents, room to write

This guide is general travel information, not legal, medical or immigration advice. Rules (including visa, e-visa, drone and customs rules) depend on your situation: always confirm with the official sites before you travel.

PLEASE NOTE

Rules and prices were checked in October 2026 and are subject to change: fees, fares, menus, hotel rates and taxes can change without notice, and storms, floods and closures change daily. Prices are approximate, shown in US dollars with Vietnamese dong in brackets at about 25,500 VND per dollar. Please confirm important details with the official sites before you travel. Photos are illustrative. Cover photo: lumoplank, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Researched and written with the help of AI tools.

Made by Global Trip Insight. For personal use only.