Vietnam trip from India: cost, itinerary, visa and best time

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Vietnam is long and thin: about 1,650 km from its northern border to its southern tip, and Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City alone is roughly 1,150 km in a straight line. That shape decides your trip. You cannot see all of it in a week, and the weather in the north, centre and south runs on different calendars. The good news for a Vietnam trip from India: nonstop flights from seven Indian cities, an online visa, low daily costs and food that is easy to enjoy once you know what to ask for. This guide is the version we would actually book. For the day-by-day plan, see the Vietnam itinerary.

How much does a Vietnam trip from India cost?

About ₹75,000 to ₹1.15 lakh per person for 7 days, flights included. The table is per person, two people sharing a room, 7 days and 6 nights: Hanoi, one night on a Ha Long Bay cruise, and Hoi An. Flights and hotels are typical rates outside December; December runs higher (see below the next table). Checked Oct 2026; prices move, so treat these as estimates.

Return flights from other Indian cities

Flights are the biggest swing in the budget. Swap the Delhi line above for your city.

December is the most expensive month on every one of these routes, and October to December is also peak season for hotels in Hanoi, where rates run about 20 to 30% above the rest of the year. For a December trip, add about ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per person to the totals above, and book hotels 3 to 4 weeks ahead; Christmas and New Year week can go higher still. February, March and August are usually the cheapest months. Booking 6 to 8 weeks ahead usually saves more than any hotel choice. If you fly home from Da Nang, a multi-city ticket on Vietnam Airlines or VietJet (into Hanoi, out of Da Nang via Hanoi) can replace the second domestic flight for similar money.

What things cost on the ground

Vietnam uses the dong (VND). Roughly, ₹1 is about 270 VND, so 100,000 VND is about ₹370. Checked Oct 2026.

How many days do you need for a Vietnam trip?

Seven days for a first trip. That covers one region well and a second one lightly.

• 5 days: Hanoi and an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay. One region, no domestic flight.
• 7 days: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, then fly to Da Nang for Hoi An. This is the one we recommend for a first trip.
• 10 days: add Sapa in the mountains (October to December, March to May) or Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta (December to April).
• 14 days: north to south: Hanoi, Ha Long, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, and a few beach days in Phu Quoc.

Full plans for each are on the itinerary page.

When is the best time to visit Vietnam?

March and April are the only months that are good from top to bottom. The rest of the year, pick your region by the season. The north is best in spring and autumn, the centre from February to August, and the south from December to April.

December is our busiest month for Vietnam. The north is cool and dry (Hanoi runs about 14 to 20°C), Sapa can be close to freezing, and the south is at its best. Month by month detail: best time to visit Vietnam.

Do Indians need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Most Indian travellers apply for an e-visa online before they fly. It costs US$25 for a single entry or US$50 for multiple entries, allows a stay of up to 90 days and usually takes about 3 working days. Apply only on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn. Third-party sites charge several times the fee for the same form.

Two details people miss: your passport needs at least 6 months of validity, and the e-visa names the airport you will enter through, so match it to your flight. Applying a few days early also covers the 5 to 7 working days it can take in peak season.

Where should you stay in Vietnam?

Pick three bases at most for a week. For the 7-day route, that means Hanoi, a cruise boat and Hoi An.

Named hotels by area and budget: where to stay in Vietnam. Staying longer in the capital?

What are the best things to do in Vietnam?

1. Sleep on a boat in Ha Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay. Kayak between limestone islands at sunset. One night is enough.

   

2. Walk Hoi An's old town at dusk when the lanterns come on, then take a short boat ride on the Thu Bon River.

   

3. Eat your way through Hanoi's Old Quarter and watch a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre (about 50 minutes).

   

   

4. Ride the cable car to Ba Na Hills and walk the Golden Bridge outside Da Nang. Go at opening time.

   

5. Cycle or kayak around Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay, the quieter side of Ha Long.

   

6. Take the Fansipan cable car in Sapa to the highest point in Indochina, on a clear day.

   

The full list with time and cost, plus what we would skip: things to do in Vietnam.

How do you get to Vietnam from India?

Fly nonstop into Hanoi (HAN) or Ho Chi Minh City (SGN). VietJet, Vietnam Airlines, IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air fly the routes below. Times are typical nonstop durations, checked Oct 2026.

The smart pattern is an "open jaw" ticket: fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City (or the other way), so you never backtrack. For a north and centre trip, fly into Hanoi and home from Da Nang with one connection.

How do you get around Vietnam?

Fly between regions, drive within them. Hanoi to Da Nang is about 1 hour 20 minutes by air and a full day by train, so for a 7-day trip the flight wins. Within cities, use Grab (cars and scooters) instead of street taxis; it shows the fare upfront. For Ha Long Bay, the cruise company's shuttle bus from Hanoi takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours each way. For Sapa, a sleeper bus or limousine van takes 5.5 to 7 hours, or the overnight train to Lao Cai takes about 8 hours, plus about an hour by road.

Should you book a Vietnam holiday package from India or a custom trip?

Book custom if you care about which hotels and which cruise; book a package if you only care about the price. Most Vietnam holiday packages from India, whether you search for a tour package from Delhi, from Kolkata, from Chennai or packages from Pune, sell the same 6 or 7 night loop. The difference is in the details that the brochure skips.

If you are comparing Vietnam travel agents in India for customised trip planning, ask three questions. Will they name the hotels before you pay? Is the Ha Long cruise overnight, and on which boat? Who do you call if a flight is cancelled at 11 pm in Hanoi? The answers tell you more than the price.

Is Vietnam good for vegetarians?

It is easier than its reputation, but you have to ask. Many dishes use fish sauce (nuoc mam) or meat broth, even when they look vegetarian. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants (quan chay) exist in every big city and serve full veg menus, including veg pho. Learn one line: "Toi an chay" (I eat vegetarian), and add "khong nuoc mam" (no fish sauce). Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City all have Indian restaurants for a break. Dishes, phrases and where to eat: vegetarian food in Vietnam.

What should you pack for Vietnam in December?

Pack for two climates if you are doing north and centre. Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in December need a light jacket and a warm layer for evenings on the cruise deck; daytime highs sit around 20°C. Sapa needs a proper warm jacket, because nights can drop close to freezing. Hoi An and Da Nang are milder, but December can still bring showers, so carry a light rain jacket. Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc are summer clothes all year. Comfortable walking shoes matter more than anything else: you will walk the Old Quarter, the old town in Hoi An and the cruise islands.

Money, SIM and safety tips

• Cash still matters. Cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants. Carry dong for street food, markets and small cafes. Airport ATMs work with most Indian debit cards that are enabled for international use.
• Watch the zeros. 10,000 and 100,000 VND notes look alike. Count twice.
• Get a local SIM or eSIM at the airport. You need data for Grab and maps.
• Scooter traffic is heavy. Cross the road at a slow, steady pace and let bikes flow around you.
• Tipping is not expected, but small tips for cruise staff and guides are normal.

Plan your Vietnam trip

• Vietnam itinerary: 5, 7 and 10 day plans
• Vietnam honeymoon: cost, where to stay, 6 day plan

How Cura plans a Vietnam trip

Cura is an AI + human travel agent. For Vietnam, the planning that matters is the order of the regions for your month, the right cruise boat, and flights that avoid backtracking. We planned a Hanoi and Sapa surprise trip for a member.

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