First Time in Vietnam: What I Got Wrong and What I’d Do Again

The first bowl of pho changed everything

I sat down at a plastic stool at 7am in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, in a place with no English menu and no tourist prices, and had a bowl of pho that cost 40,000 VND — about $1.60. It was better than anything I’d eaten in a Vietnamese restaurant back home, and I’ve been trying to recreate that morning ever since.

Vietnam exceeded my expectations on almost every dimension. The food, the landscapes, the history, the pace of travel — all of it. Here’s what I learned across three visits.

Don’t try to rush it

Vietnam is long and thin — nearly 1,650km from north to south. The temptation is to see everything: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong. In three weeks you can cover that route, but you’ll spend more time on buses and trains than you will actually being anywhere. I’d recommend picking north or south for a first trip and doing it properly.

The motorbike question

Everyone asks whether to rent a motorbike. My honest answer: if you’re comfortable on two wheels and have experience in chaotic traffic, yes — it’s one of the best ways to experience Vietnam, especially in rural areas. If you’re not, Vietnamese cities are genuinely challenging — lanes are more suggestion than law, and everyone’s negotiating traffic simultaneously. The easy rider tours (hire a local driver on their bike) are a better option for the scenery without the stress.

What surprised me most

How quickly Vietnamese cities change. Each time I return, something has shifted — new buildings, neighborhoods gentrifying, the street food landscape evolving. Hoi An has become dramatically more tourist-heavy than it was five years ago. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is still excellent but the “local” restaurants that were local three years ago are now on every travel blog. Go to the neighborhoods one step removed from the main tourist areas.

The visa situation is genuinely easy now

Vietnam’s e-visa covers most nationalities for 90 days, multiple entry. Apply at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, takes 3 working days, costs $25. This is genuinely simple — no embassy visit, no paper forms, just an online application. Get it before you go rather than relying on visa on arrival at busy airports. Check Aviasales for flights in — prices from Bangkok or Singapore to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh are often very reasonable.

My recommendation for first-timers

Fly into Hanoi, spend 3 nights, do Ha Long Bay for 2 nights (overnight cruise, not a day trip), make your way south to Hoi An for 4 nights, and fly home from Da Nang. That’s 10 days and it covers the version of Vietnam that most people are picturing. Everything else is bonus.