What should you pack for Vietnam?

Documents: passport, e-visa and the paperwork to carry

• Passport with at least six months' validity left and blank pages. Hotels in Vietnam register foreign guests, so expect to hand it over at check-in for a scan.

• E-visa printout, if your nationality needs one. The only official site is evisa.gov.vn; the fee is US$25 single entry or US$50 multiple entry, for up to 90 days. Carry a paper copy as well as the PDF: it is tied to the entry date and the airport or border gate you chose, and airline check-in staff often ask to see it. The full process is in our Vietnam e-visa guide; who is exempt (UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and others for 45 days) is in do I need a visa for Vietnam.

• Onward or return ticket as a PDF on your phone. Visa-exempt travellers are only covered for 45 days, so show you leave in time.

• Travel insurance documents, with the emergency number saved offline. Check whether the policy covers riding a motorbike, and on what licence (see below).

• Photocopies or photos of the passport photo page and visa, stored separately from the originals.

Money: cards, cash and what to carry

Vietnam runs on the dong (VND), and day-to-day life is still largely cash: street food, markets, small guesthouses, motorbike taxis that are not booked in an app. Hotels, chain cafés, supermarkets and apps like Grab take cards.

• Two cards on different networks (one Visa, one Mastercard), ideally with no foreign-transaction fee, kept in different bags. If one is blocked or swallowed by an ATM you still have money.

• A small amount of US dollars in clean, untorn notes as a back-up. Prices are quoted and paid in dong, so treat dollars as emergency money rather than spending money.

• A slim wallet or a zipped pouch you keep in front. Vietnamese notes run to many zeros (the largest is 500,000 dong) and the 10,000 and 100,000 notes are easy to confuse, so separate big and small notes.

For what a day costs in each region, see how much a trip to Vietnam costs.

Electronics: plugs, power and data

Vietnam uses 220 V, 50 Hz electricity, and most sockets take type A (two flat pins, as in the US) and type C (two round pins, the Europlug), with some type F (round pins with side earth clips). Many sockets are hybrids that accept both flat and round pins. UK and Australian plugs do not fit, and US plugs fit but most sockets are not earthed.

• A universal adapter, or at least one with round pins. Phone, laptop and camera chargers are almost all rated 100 to 240 V, so you need an adapter, not a converter. Check the label on anything else, such as a hair dryer or electric toothbrush.

• A power bank for long days and sleeper buses. Airlines require power banks in cabin baggage, never in checked bags.

• A short multi-socket or USB charger with several ports; older rooms often have one free socket by the bed.

• Data: Travel eSIM apps such as Airalo sell Vietnam data plans you can install before you fly; local SIMs from Viettel, Vinaphone and MobiFone are the alternative once you land. See eSIM or local SIM for how to choose.

• Offline maps and a translation app downloaded before you land, with Vietnamese added for offline use.

Health: medicines and the small first-aid kit

Pharmacies are everywhere in Vietnamese towns, and common painkillers, rehydration salts and plasters are easy and cheap to buy. What you should bring from home is anything specific to you.

• Prescription medicine for the whole trip, in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter listing the generic names. Brand names differ between countries.

• Insect repellent. Dengue is the mosquito-borne risk most travellers should plan for in Vietnam, and it peaks in the rainy season. Repellent with DEET, picaridin or similar is sold locally, but bring a bottle so you are covered from day one.

• Diarrhoea and rehydration basics for the first days of street food, plus your own motion-sickness tablets if you get seasick on boats or carsick on mountain roads.

• High-factor sunscreen. It is sold in Vietnam, but imported brands cost more than at home.

• Hand sanitiser and a pack of tissues; many public toilets have no paper.

Emergency numbers are 113 for police, 114 for fire and 115 for an ambulance. Our Vietnam safety guide covers the real risks, from traffic to methanol in drinks.

North vs south: what changes in your bag

Vietnam stretches about 1,650 km from north to south, so the same month needs a different bag in each region.

• North (Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Ha Long Bay): cool and damp from December to February, hot and wet from May to September. Add a warm layer and a waterproof in winter. See packing for Hanoi and Sapa in winter.

• Centre (Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang): dry and hot in spring and summer; the heavy rain, floods and typhoons come from September to December. See packing for Hoi An and central Vietnam.

• South (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta): hot all year, with a wet season from about May to November when short, heavy afternoon storms are normal. See packing for Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.

• Highlands (Da Lat): at about 1,500 m, cool evenings all year. We spent 5 to 10 May 2023 in Da Lat between the heat of Hoi An and Nha Trang, which is the usual reason a north-to-south route needs one warm layer even in May.

Rainy season gear

• A packable rain jacket for walking, and a cheap plastic poncho for anything on two wheels. Ponchos sized to cover a rider and backpack are sold at every roadside stall in the wet season, so there is no need to bring one.

• A dry bag or zip-lock bags for your phone, passport and cash on boat trips and motorbike-taxi rides.

• Sandals or shoes that dry overnight. Streets flood fast in a downpour in Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon.

• A pack cover or a liner bag inside your backpack if you will be on sleeper buses, which stow luggage in a hold that is not always dry.

What to buy in Vietnam instead of packing

Leave space and buy these on arrival: toiletries, shampoo and sun cream (convenience stores and pharmacies everywhere), ponchos, a conical hat, flip-flops, basic T-shirts, insect repellent top-ups and snacks for travel days. Our Vietnam grocery store guide lists what is worth picking up.

Hoi An's tailors make shirts, dresses and suits in a day or two, so if that is on your list, leave room in your bag and see the Hoi An tailor guide.

For the bag itself, a carry-on-sized backpack is easier than a wheeled case on uneven pavements, train steps and boat gangways. Our long-trip packing list has the general kit we would take on any multi-week trip.

Frequently asked questions