Visa: As of September 2026, Indian passport holders need a Vietnam e-visa, applied for online at evisa.gov.vn before travel (US$25 single entry, US$50 multiple entry). The law allows three working days, but the embassy advises five or more, so we apply for the e-visa for you at least three weeks before you fly. It is valid for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. The visa fee is paid separately. Your passport needs six months of validity left.
Flights: Non-stop flights to Vietnam leave from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and Ahmedabad, taking about four to five and a half hours. From Hyderabad and Bengaluru they run a few days a week to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Chennai has no non-stop, so you connect once, which takes 7 hours or more.
Best time: Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Halong Bay are best from September to November and again in April to June; December to March is cool and misty in the north. Da Nang and Hoi An are dry and hot from February to August; September to December is their rainy season, with flooding in Hoi An most years in October and November. Saigon, the Mekong and Phu Quoc are driest from December to April. Storms can cancel Halong cruises in the summer months.
Money: Vietnamese dong (VND). Cards work in hotels and city restaurants; carry cash for street food, markets and taxis outside the big cities. UPI does not work in Vietnam yet (as of September 2026; a UPI link was agreed in May 2026 but is not running).