Are you ready to travel to Vietnam in 2022? This question is hard to answer when Covid-19 is far from over. However, vaccines are working well and we see hopes and light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, Vietnam agreed to resume international commercial flights from January 1, 2022. So it is now time to think of a dream holiday in Vietnam. But, to plan a perfect trip, please read our Vietnam travel guide for 2022.

Covid-19 in Vietnam

Like any other country in the world, Vietnam has been suffered from Covid-19. But, situation is under control. Vaccination rates is high. People from 12 years old are vaccinated.

Requirements on epidemic prevention and control for people on entry - updated on 18 May, 2022

- Travelers to Vietnam need medical insurance or travel insurance with Covid-19 treatment content with a minimum coverage of 10,000 USD.

- No Medical or Health declaration (From April 27, 2022 people entering Vietnam are no longer required to make medical declarations at all border gates)

- From May 15, 2022, there is no need to test for SARS-CoV-2 virus when entering Vietnam

 How to obtain Vietnam Visa?

To travel to Vietnam in 2022, tourists must have "Vaccine passport' (It is a certificate that you have been vaccinated, or recovered from Covid-19 within six months).

There are 3 ways to obtain Vietnamese Visa:

1 - Obtain your Vietnamese visa at a Vietnamese embassy: This is an old way of getting Vietnamese visa where there is a Vietnamese embassy or consulate near where you live. You can still go for this option if it is convenient.

2 - Obtain Vietnamese visa online (E-Visa): Check this website https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt and fill out requested in formation and wait. This is offical website of VIETNAM IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT -  Ministry of public security. This seems convienient, but slow as it takes quite a long time to get a reply.

3 - Obtain Vietnamese visa on arrival (Not re-approved yet by the government): This is the most convenient way for you and it also saves your time. What you need is to send a copy of your passport to a Vietnam travel agency, let them know your arrival date, length of travel, you will get your Vietnamese visa done within 2 working days and the fee is cheap. Only from 5USD - 8USD.

On March 15, 2022, the Government issued a resolution on visa exemption for citizens of the following countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, and Sweden. , Norway, Finland, Belarus. These are the countries that have been unilaterally exempted from visas by Vietnam since the end of 2019.

Top 10 Vietnam Tour 2022

Vietnam travel trends in 2022 will be different because of Covid-19. Tourists are looking for safer, greener and less-visited destinations to avoid being catched by Covid-19 or minimize the risk. Vivutravel would like to suggest Top 10 Vietnam Tour in 2022 as below;

1. Scenic Ha Giang Tour (4 days - 3 nights)

Ha Giang city is around 300km from Hanoi, located in the northeast of Vietnam. This province has long been known as the most stunning mountainous destination where the landscape is spectacular and home to several ethnic minorities. With 4 days - 3 nights, tourists will enjoy scenic Quan Ba heaven gate, picturesque happiness road, Ma Pi Leng pass, boat trip on Nho Que river, visit national flag tower in Lung Cu, Pho Bang ancient town, the Vuong palace...

Ha Giang can be visited all year round, but the best time is in spring when peach blossomes are beautiful. A night at homestay is highly recommended as you will have the unique chance to experience life of the locals.

Brief itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi - Ha Giang - Quan ba heaven gate - Nam Dam village (Homestay)
Day 2: Nam Dam - Tham Ma slope - Pho Bang Ancient Town - The Vuong Palace - Lung Cu national flag - Dong Van
Day 3: Dong Van - Ma Pi Leng Pass - Nho Que boat trip - Quan Ba (H'Mong village resort)
Day 4: Quan Ba - Hanoi 

2. Picturesque Cao Bang (2 days - 1 night)

Bang is home to many wonderful landscapes that captivate tourists from all over the world. Cao Bang is known through visitors' perception as a land of endless poetic destinations and charming landscapes bestowed by nature. If you decide to book a tour to Cao Bang, here are some must-see attractions: Ban Gioc waterfall, Nguom Ngao cave, Khuoi Ky stone village, Ngoc Con and Phong Nam village.

Cao Bang is about 270km from Hanoi (5 hours by car), here is our brief itinerary;

Day 1: Hanoi - Lang Son - Cao Bang - Nguom Ngao Cave - Khuoi Ky stone village - Ban Gioc waterfall
Day 2: Ban Gioc waterfall - Phong Nam - Ngoc Con village - Hanoi

3. Golden Rice Terraces (3 days - 2 nights)

 Do you know that Vietnam is home to the world's most beautiful rice terraces in Sapa, Mu Cang Chai and Hoang Su Phi? The best time to see the golden rice terraces is from August to September and 3 days - 2 nights tour is enough to visit one place (Sapa, Mu Cang Chai or Hoang Su Phi). If you want to see more, 1 week is great to combine these 3 places in a perfect tour.

This tour is highly recommended for photographers and tourists who love nature.

4. Ha Long Cruise (2 days - 1 night)

Ha Long Bay is one of the 10 most beautiful bays in the world. This place is a harmonious and delicate combination between the vast space of the sky, the immensity of the water, which is the backdrop for thousands of rocky islands creating a wonderful artistic beauty. A forest of rocky islands with different shapes as if there were deliberately arranged hands of the Creator, evoking the limitless imagination of people.
 
Ha Long Bay is located in the Northeast region of Vietnam, is a western part of the Gulf of Tonkin, the Southwest borders on Cat Ba Island. The beauty of Ha Long Bay can be said as a colorful picture, that diversity is expressed in many different aspects.

The eternal and great beauty of Ha Long is made up of three elements: rock, water and sky. With thousands of large and small rocky islands rising from the turquoise blue water, creating a giant ink painting. This is a privilege of nature for Ha Long that no other country in the world has.

Spending a night on a cruise ship in Ha Long Bay is perfect way to enjoy your Vietnam holiday.

5. A day in Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh - the ancient capital land with thousands of years of history, peaceful in harmony with nature, owns many beautiful and famous landscapes such as: Tam Coc - Bich Dong, Cuc Phuong National Park, National Park nature reserve Van Long wetland, Kenh Ga hot mineral spring,... Especially, on June 25, 2014, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was registered by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This is the 38th mixed heritage of the world, the first mixed heritage of Southeast Asia.

Not only famous for its beautiful landscapes, Ninh Binh is a land rich in historical and cultural traditions with 1,499 historical and cultural relics, including 02 special national monuments and 79 ranked relics.

Ninh Binh is just 100km from Hanoi and a day in Ninh Binh can be enough to see the best of Ninh Binh.

6. A day in Phong Nha - Ke Bang

Nestled in limestone cliffs surrounded by tropical forests, Phong Nha - Ke Bang cave is famous for its splendid beauty and was once ranked in the list of candidates to vote for the new 7 wonders of the world. With a length of 7729 m, Phong Nha cave was voted as one of the most beautiful caves in the world with 7 criteria: longest water cave, highest and widest cave entrance, most beautiful underground lake, the most beautiful reef, the longest underground river in Vietnam, the most magical and magnificent cave with stalactites. Along with the unique mysterious beauty bestowed by nature, Phong Nha cave has always been an attractive and interesting destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

The scenic Phong Nha - Ke Bang is the intersection of primeval forests, the Son River, and dry and water caves, creating a masterpiece that captivates people. You will be surprised to know that this is one of the oldest and largest tropical limestone places in the world with an area of ​​​​over 200,000 hectares. This priceless collection has more than 300 large and small caves, with countless fascinating and strange things.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang located in Quang Binh province in central Vietnam and it really is worth visiting.

7. 3 days in Hoi An

The beauty of Hoi An ancient town is always a very impressive highlight that makes many domestic and foreign tourists nostalgic. With ancient features, poetic ancient style with a little bit of Chinese, Hoi An ancient town always gives visitors a feeling of peace and tranquility that is hard to describe.

Hoi An is not only beautiful at night with romantic lanterns. Even in the late afternoon, the beauty of Hoi An ancient town also has a peaceful, quiet and peaceful beauty. Watching the Thu Bon river drifting gently, the beautiful bamboo boats anchored at the riverbank.

The beauty of Hoi An ancient town has both an ancient beauty and a poetic beauty with ancient houses, moss-covered walls, and ancient cafes that are quiet and peaceful.

Hoi An is destination for a perfect break on your Vietnam holiday. Hoi An is so beautiful, so lovely, so charming. 3 days in Hoi An will be too short and you may want to come back again and again.

8. Con Dao - Paradise on earth (3 nights)

Con Dao is one of the most beautiful islands in Vietnam. This place is the harmony of the past and the present, wild, pure like a princess in a fairy tale waiting for the prince to wake up.

Con Dao has a majestic nature, with high mountains, clear ocean water, and golden sandy beaches. Con Dao today becomes an ideal tourist destination for those who want to explore the unspoiled beauty and learn the history of Vietnam.

Con Dao is highly recommended by Vivutravel for a beach break on your Vietnam holiday.

9. Mekong River Cruise (2 days - 1 night)

The World Cruise Awards 2021 has just honored Vietnam as "Asia's Best River Cruise Destination in 2021". So, if you love River Cruise, Mekong delta will be the best place in Vietnam to experience. 

10. Phu Quoc pearl island (3nights)

Phu Quoc pearl island is considered the island that attracts the most tourists in Vietnam, with millions of tourists every year, there are many tourists who come back here more than twice because they have "fallen in love" with this natural island. At the end of your Vietnam holiday, a trip to Phu Quoc is the time to relax and recover before flying home.

Note: If you decide to come to Phu Quoc, book a resort with private beach and private bungalow or villa to minimize the risk of catching Covid-19.

Where should i start first, the north or the south? (Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City)

If you love beaches and want to spend few days at one of the nicest beaches in Vietnam, Let's start from Hanoi and end in Ho Chi Minh city because all Vietnam's best beaches are in the south.

The are four seasons in a year in the north(Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) and only 2 seasons in the south (rainy and dry season). If you want to travel from somewhere hot, humid, misty, cold to a warm, sunny place, let;s start from Hanoi.

If you do not care much about the beaches, weather and climate, it will not be a problem where to start first. In this case, check your flights and book the most convenient schedules.

Read more: Hanoi Or Ho Chi Minh City: Where Should You Visit First?

Is Vietnam expensive to travel?

In 2020, Wonderlist page gave a list of 10 cheapest tourist attractions, of which Vietnam is in second place and it has not changed so far. The cost of traveling in Vietnam based on transportation, food and accommodation.

A day in Vietnam costs around 50 USD/per person.

A week in Vietnam costs around 500 USD per/person

Two weeks in Vietnam costs around 1000 USD/per person

Breakfast is included in most hotel. However, a bowl of Pho for breakfast costs around 2USD, a cup of coffee is 1USD, Lunch or Dinner is less than 5USD per person in a local restaurant.

This travel expense is about half the price compared to Thailand and your travel cost can be lower if you travel in a group from 2 people.

Is Vietnam safe to travel?

In the surveys of many famous travel magazines in the world such as Telegraph, Dailystar, Roughguides, Vietnam is always in the top safest destinations. in 2021, Vietnam ranked 9th on the list of the 10 friendliest countries in the world.

Below are 4 reasons why Vietnam is one of the safest destinations for travelers.

- Political stability
- There is no terrorism
- Relatively low theft rate
- Friendly people

What is the weather like in Vietnam?

Vietnam has a hot and humid climate, located in the tropical and subtropical regions. So there is always a large amount of sunlight and a lot of rain.

The North

There are four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Day time, long sunshine time, abundant radiation with the average annual total radiation from 86 - 169 Kcal/cm2. Average hours of sunshine fall between 1,400 - 2,800 hours.

Spring weather (starting around February 5 every year according to the lunar calendar): The weather is warm, not too hot like summer but not too cold like winter. The temperature fluctuates around 20 - 21 degrees Celsius.

Summer weather (starting around May 7 every year according to the lunar calendar): is the time when the earth receives the most heat from the sun. Summer in the North is characterized by prolonged heat waves. The highest temperature can reach 37 - 38 degrees Celsius.

Autumn weather (starting around August 9 every year according to the lunar calendar): The temperature gradually decreases, there is light fog in the morning, a little chilly in the evening.

Winter weather (starting around November 8 every year according to the lunar calendar): The temperature begins to drop and fluctuates around 15 degrees Celsius.

The Central

Central region is a land with a relatively mild climate, the weather is divided into two distinct seasons, namely the rainy season and the dry season. Central climate is divided into 2 main areas: North Central Coast and South Central Coast. Both are hot in Summer and temperature can reach 40 degrees.

Rainy season: Usually from September to October and ends around February next year. Rainfall in the Central region in the rainy season is very large, sometimes up to 3,000 mm, the rain does not stop for days. The rainy season in the Central region is also the flood season. Hoi An and Hue are yearly flooded. 

Dry season: Usually from March to September and it is normally hot. However, In the transition period between the dry season and the rainy season, the weather is still quite pleasant with mild sunshine and a bit chilly in the evening.

The South:

The South has a typical climate of the sub-equatorial monsoon climate. There are two seasons in a year, the dry season and the rainy season. The temperature in the South is high all year round. The climate in the South varies greatly from year to year.

The average temperature in the South ranges from 25 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius in the delta region; In mountainous areas, the temperature is about 21 degrees Celsius lower than average. The average annual rainfall in the South is about 1500 - 2000mm. Relative humidity is high.

Rainy season: Usually from May to October

Dry season: Usually from November to April

What to wear when traveling in Vietnam

There is no law for dress code in Vietnam. However, please consider when you are in public places like cultural, historical and religious sites. People expect tourists to show respect. So don't wear something too short, but wear something that covers your knees and shoulders.

The weather and climate in Vietnam are different in each part of the country. If you visit Sapa in the north, bring warm jacket, and packable raincoat raincoat for the central and southern part. Shorts, casual are suitable for your travel in Vietnam.

Food and Drinks

Vietnam is always in the top culinary paradise of the world and named as Asia’s leading culinary destination for the first tim. Vietnamese food is diverse, delicious and healthy. The food is not as oilly and spicy as Chinese and Thai. Below is a list of the most worth-trying dishes in Vietnam:

1 - Pho (Rice noodle soup with beef or chicken)
2 - Banh My (Vietnamese sandwich)
3 - Bun Cha (Rice vermicelli with grilled pork)
4 - Bun Bo Hue (Rice vermicelli with pork, Hue's style)
5 - Bun Dau Mam Tom (Rice vermicelli witn Tofu, pork and shrimp paste)
6 - Cha Ca (Grilled fishes)
7 - Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Pancakes)
8 - Nem Ran (Springroll)
9 - Goi Cuon (Fresh Springroll)
10 - Com Tam (Rice with grilled chicken or baked ribs)

When it comes to drinks in Vietnam, below are something you must try

1 - Coffee (Black coffee,  Milk Coffee, Egg Coffee...)
2 - Bia Hoi (draught beer)
3 - Ricewine
4 - Ruou Can (Tube Wine)
5 - Sugar Cane Juice
6 - Fresh Coconut Milk
7 - Iced Tea
8 - Hue's royal tea

Common scams in Vietnam and how to avoid

Fake Taxi: Taxi does not use meter, so it is best to install Grab App.

Pickpocketed at night markets: Keep an eye on your valuable belongings and do not bring all money with you. Keep something impportant in safe at your hotel.

Street robberies in Ho Chi Minh City: Take care of your bag, phone when walking on streets of Ho Chi Minh city. Robbers are on motorbikes and snatch your bag, phone, neckleck in a wink. 

Overcharged: Many Vietnamese think that your are rich tourists and you should pay more. Our advice is to bargain before using any service or buying anything. 

Learn about VND: Vietnamese Dong (Vietnamese curcency). Tourists really get confused and normally make a mistake. Knowing this, many people will take the advantage of.

What happen if i catch Covid-19 when travelling in Vietnam

Contact a nearest medical facility or inform your Vietnam tour operator, hotel... to arrange hospital for treatments...

What happen if i have close contact with infected person

Have a rapid test or PCR test. If it is nagative, you can continue your Vietnam travel.