Hotels and meals in Vietnam are cheap, but the e-visa, two domestic flights to cover the length of the country, and a Ha Long Bay overnight cruise add hundreds per person that most first budgets leave out.
Starts with a sample trip. Change any number to match yours. Set up your travel profile to fill these in for you.
Compare hotels in Hanoi's Old Quarter →Tick what you plan to do and we’ll price it for your group. Your picks set “Ha Long Bay overnight cruise”, “Attraction and tour tickets” and “Shows, tours and extras you picked” in your budget.
The sample is 2 travelers for 12 nights. Your plan ($3,980) covers the main costs most people budget for, the ones you enter on the left. Costs people forget ($1,636, about 41% more for this trip) are the fees, taxes, tips and extras listed in the calculator. Prices were last checked on October 17, 2026.
Share of the $5,616 real cost. Nights and travelers multiply most of these costs, so changing either one moves the total the most.
12 of this trip's numbers link to a published price or rate. The rest are our estimates, and each one says what it is based on. You can also read how we calculate every trip.
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare per person | $1,150 per traveler | KAYAK shows US–Ho Chi Minh City economy round trips from about $1,110, with most recent fares $750–1,250. Source |
| Hotel per night | $75 a night | 3-star hotels run $35–70 a night in Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang; we allow a bit more for a good 4-star or boutique double. Source |
| Food per person, per day | $30 per traveler, per day | Mid-range food and drinks run $15–25 a day; we allow more for tourist-area restaurants and drinks. Source |
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Checked bag fees Off by default | $90 per traveler | Typical basic-economy bag fee estimate; most standard economy fares to Asia include one bag. Our estimate |
| Passports Off by default | $165 per traveler | State Department fee for a new adult passport book. Source |
| Vietnam e-visa | $25 per traveler | Official e-visa portal; the fee for US citizens is $25 single entry ($50 multiple), valid up to 90 days, processed in about 3 working days. Source |
| Domestic flights | $120 per traveler | KAYAK shows Da Nang–Saigon one-way fares typically $51–87; Hanoi–Da Nang is similar. Source |
| Airport transfers | $60 for the trip | Saigon airport to District 1 is $5–8 and Hanoi airport to the Old Quarter $10–15; estimate covers about five rides. Source |
| Ha Long Bay overnight cruise | $220 per traveler | 2-day/1-night cruises run $108–248 per person in low season and $130–300 in high season; most exclude the $40–50 Hanoi shuttle. Source |
| Grab rides | $10 a day | Short urban Grab rides cost about $0.80–3. Source |
| Attraction and tour tickets | $50 per traveler | Hoi An ancient-town tickets are VND 80,000 or 120,000; the rest is our allowance for museums and a Cu Chi tunnels tour. Source |
| Tips | $3 per traveler, per day | Tipping isn't expected at local spots; 10–15% is usual at tourist restaurants, hotels and for guides. Source |
| Phone data | $20 per traveler | Vietnam eSIM plans for one to two weeks typically cost $15–25. Source |
| Card fees | 3% of your plan | Typical 3% foreign transaction fee; many Vietnamese bank ATMs also charge foreign cards a per-withdrawal fee. Our estimate |
| Souvenirs and treats | $40 per traveler | Our allowance for small purchases. Our estimate |
| Shows, tours and extras you picked Off by default | $0 for the trip | Starts at $0. Filled in from what you pick in the things-to-do planner; each one links to its own price source. Our estimate |
| Travel insurance | 6% of your plan | Squaremouth says a comprehensive plan averages about 6% of the trip cost, usually 4% to 10%. Source |
| Pre-trip shopping | $60 for the trip | Our estimate for travel-size toiletries, sunscreen and small things bought before a trip. Our estimate |
| Pet boarding or sitter | $50 a day, if you check Pets | Dogster puts regular kennel boarding at about $35 to $85 a night. Overnight sitters at home cost more. Source |
For 12 nights with flights, a hotel and food, plan on about $4,000 for two people. Once you add the costs most visitors forget, like the e-visa, domestic flights, airport transfers and a Ha Long Bay cruise, it's closer to $5,600. Use the calculator above to change any number to match your trip.
Yes. US citizens need an e-visa, which costs $25 for a single entry ($50 for multiple entries), is valid for up to 90 days and takes about three working days at the official evisa.gov.vn site. Only Phu Quoc island is visa-free for short stays. Source
A two-day, one-night cruise runs about $108–248 per person in low season and $130–300 in high season, with meals and kayaking included. Most don't include the round-trip shuttle from Hanoi, which costs about $40–50 per person. Source
Yes. Tickets cost VND 80,000 or VND 120,000 (about $3–5), cover the old town plus a set of heritage sites such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, and are good for up to three days. Source
Tipping isn't expected at street stalls or local restaurants, but 10–15% is normal at tourist restaurants and hotels, and cruise crews and tour guides expect a tip. Source