Plan Your Visit

Bargaining or haggling is part of Vietnamese culture. In general foreigners are considered rich compared to local Vietnamese so they will be charged a higher price. When in doubt, we recommend visitors offer half the asking price as a starting point for bargaining. Please note that haggling is only appropriate in some places, such as local or souvenir markets.

Tipping is not required in Vietnam, but is appreciated at hotels, restaurants, bars, and spas/massage parlors.

The public holidays in Vietnam include Western New Year (January 1), Tết or Lunar New Year (date varies, but usually occurs in January or February and includes the first day of the lunar year), Hung Kings Commemoration Day (date varies, celebrated on the 10th day of the third month of the lunar calendar), Reunification Day (April 30), International Labor Day (May 1), and National Day (September 2 and the day either immediately before or after September 2).

The most important holiday is Tết and is marked by the return of Vietnamese to their hometowns and families. During this time, many shops and establishments are closed. Tết festivities begin a few days before Lunar New Year and will last for a some days after.

The only airport in Ho Chi Minh City is Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport (SGN). It is about 30-45 minutes from downtown. You can use taxis or ride-hailing services to get to and out of the airport.
Visitors should arrive to the airport at least 2.5 hours before their flight for international flights and 1.5 hours before their flight for domestic flights.

Vietnam’s timezone is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) +7, which is the same as in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Western Indonesia inlcuding Jakarta.

The language of Vietnam is Vietnamese. English is widely spoken especially in the cities.

You may purchase a sim card at the airport and at mobile phone shops around the city. A passport is required to register for a sim. An alternative solution is to purchase an esim from an app such as Airalo or Holafly.

The currency is Vietnam Dong (VND). VIetnam only uses bank notes, with denominations ranging from 500vnd to 500,000vnd. The bank notes are either cotton fibre (500 to 5,000vnd denomiations) or polymer (10,000vnd and higher).

In general, Ho Chi Minh City is consistently warm and humid. It’s tshirt and shorts weather all year round.

The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is from December to April, which overlaps with the dry season. December to February is also the coolest time of the year. The rainy season runs from May to November. Please note other regions of Vietnam like the North and Central have different climates and different dry and rainy seasons.