Vietnam Travel Scams: The Ones That Caught Me

I got caught once, almost twice

The once: a taxi from Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport that quoted me a flat rate, seemed legitimate, then took a very long route and added surcharges I hadn’t agreed to. Final price was 3x what it should have been. Lesson learned about airport taxis. — book via Kiwitaxi for the best deal.

The almost: a “friendly student” in HCMC who wanted to practice English, suggested coffee, and the menu turned out to have drinks priced at $20–30 each. I walked out before ordering. Classic scam, easily avoided.

The airport taxi problem

Both Hanoi and HCMC airports have been notorious for unlicensed taxis and overcharging. The solution now is simple: use Grab. Set it up before you land. Pick up zones are designated and the price is fixed before you get in. This has completely changed the airport arrival experience in Vietnamese cities.

The xe om (motorbike taxi) negotiation

Xe oms are everywhere and useful but pricing varies wildly. Agree on price before getting on — always. A standard city trip should be 30,000–60,000 VND. Anything above 100,000 VND for a short city ride is tourist pricing. Be friendly but firm in negotiation.

Hoi An tailors

Hoi An has hundreds of tailors and the quality ranges from excellent to disastrous. The scam isn’t exactly a scam — more a mismatch of expectations. The rule: only use tailors with strong recent reviews, bring a reference photo of exactly what you want, and allow at least 48 hours for fittings. “Same-day ready” suits rarely fit properly. Budget $80–150 for a well-made item from a reputable shop.

The “temple fee” at random checkpoints

Occasionally in tourist areas someone will approach you claiming a “donation” is required to enter a particular area or temple. Unless there’s a clear official ticket booth with printed prices, these are unofficial charges. You can politely decline and walk past most of the time.