Vietnam trip cost from India 2026 — a realistic, itemised budget
By Saanvi Iyer (Saanvi Iyer writes offbeat destination guides for Indian travellers — places that work in monsoon, shoulder-season picks, and the cities Indian first-time international travellers underrate. Based in Bangalore, perpetually mid-itinerary.) · Published · 14 min read
A 7-night Vietnam trip from India costs roughly ₹55,000–₹1,10,000 per person in 2026, depending on your travel style. Flights are the single largest variable — typically ₹25,000–₹50,000 return — while on-ground costs in Vietnam are very affordable by Indian standards.
TL;DR — what does Vietnam cost from India in 2026?
A 7-night Vietnam trip from India costs approximately:
- Budget traveller: ₹55,000–₹70,000 per person (hostel/budget hotel, street food, local buses)
- Mid-range: ₹85,000–₹1,10,000 per person (3-star hotels, restaurant meals, some private transport)
- Comfortable: ₹1,30,000–₹1,80,000 per person (4-star hotels, Ha Long Bay cruise, guided tours)
Flights from India account for roughly 40–50% of the total cost. Vietnam's on-ground expenses — food, local transport, accommodation — are among the cheapest in Southeast Asia, making it excellent value once you arrive.
How much do flights to Vietnam cost from India?
Flights are typically the biggest expense. Return fares from India to Vietnam (Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City) in 2026 range as follows:
| Departure city | Destination | Approx. return fare | Best airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi (DEL) | Hanoi (HAN) | ₹28,000–₹48,000 | IndiGo, Air India, VietJet |
| Mumbai (BOM) | Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) | ₹30,000–₹52,000 | IndiGo, Air India |
| Bengaluru (BLR) | Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) | ₹26,000–₹45,000 | IndiGo, Air Asia, VietJet |
| Chennai (MAA) | Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) | ₹25,000–₹42,000 | IndiGo, Air India |
Most flights have one stopover — Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok are common hubs. Direct IndiGo and Air India flights to Ho Chi Minh City operate from select Indian cities, but one-stop options are often cheaper. Booking 6–10 weeks ahead generally gives the best fares. Search flights on FlightGPT to compare live prices.
One thing worth knowing: Bengaluru (Terminal 2) and Chennai passengers often get the best deals on AirAsia X via Kuala Lumpur. IndiGo's Bengaluru–Ho Chi Minh City service via Kuala Lumpur tends to price very aggressively in October and March — the two cheapest months for this route. If you can be flexible on stopovers, try comparing a Singapore-hub itinerary on Air India against a Kuala Lumpur-hub option on IndiGo; the price difference is sometimes ₹5,000–₹8,000 one way.
What is the Vietnam visa cost for Indians?
As of 2026, India is included in Vietnam's e-visa scheme. Indian passport holders can apply for a single-entry or multiple-entry e-visa valid for up to 90 days. The cost is approximately USD 25 (around ₹2,100) for a single-entry visa and USD 50 for multiple-entry. Processing typically takes 3 business days.
Apply on the official Vietnam Immigration Portal (immigration.gov.vn). Avoid third-party agents — the official portal is straightforward. Always verify current visa fees on the official site before applying, as they change periodically.
One practical note: pay with an international Visa or Mastercard debit card (not a UPI-linked card). Some Indian-issued cards throw a soft decline on foreign-currency government portals — if yours does, try a different card or use a Forex card. The fee is charged in USD and you'll pay the card's prevailing exchange rate, so a card with zero forex markup (like Niyo or IndusInd Platinum Forex) saves you ₹100–₹200.
How much does accommodation cost in Vietnam?
Vietnam has a huge range of accommodation, from ₹500/night dorm beds in Hanoi's Old Quarter to ₹12,000/night boutique hotels in Hoi An. Here is a realistic breakdown:
| Category | Cost per night (per room) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (hostel/guesthouse) | ₹500–₹1,500 | Clean dorm or basic private room; AC usually included |
| Mid-range (3-star hotel) | ₹2,500–₹5,000 | Comfortable private room, breakfast often included |
| Comfortable (4-star) | ₹5,500–₹10,000 | Pool, good location, reliable Wi-Fi, restaurant |
| Luxury (boutique / resort) | ₹12,000+ | Heritage properties in Hoi An, Hue palace hotels |
Hoi An and Da Nang tend to be 20–30% pricier than Hanoi for comparable quality. Ha Long Bay overnight cruises are a separate category entirely — see the activities section below.
A couple tip: if you book a mid-range hotel for two people sharing a room, the per-person cost comes down sharply. A ₹4,000/night room in Hanoi's Old Quarter works out to ₹2,000 per person — and most 3-star hotels in Vietnam include a decent breakfast, which means you are effectively pre-paying for the morning meal at a fraction of restaurant prices. Book directly with the hotel or on Agoda/Booking.com 4–6 weeks out for the best mix of price and cancellation flexibility.
What does food and local transport cost in Vietnam?
Food: Vietnam is a food paradise that is extraordinarily kind to Indian budgets. Street food and local pho joints charge ₹60–₹150 per meal. A sit-down restaurant meal in a tourist area costs ₹300–₹700. Beer is ₹50–₹120 per can at restaurants. A mid-range couple eating street food for breakfast and lunch and a restaurant dinner, spends roughly ₹700–₹1,000 per day on food.
One thing Indian vegetarians should know: Vietnamese cuisine is heavily seafood and pork based. Tofu dishes, fresh spring rolls (goi cuon) and banh mi with egg are easy finds, but you need to specify 'khong thit, khong ca' (no meat, no fish) clearly. Cities like Hanoi and Hoi An have specific vegetarian restaurants — search 'com chay' (vegetarian rice restaurant) on Google Maps for the best options near you.
Local transport:
- Grab (the Uber of Southeast Asia): ₹30–₹120 for most city rides. Extremely reliable in HCMC and Hanoi.
- Sleeper buses (city to city): ₹350–₹800 per person. Hanoi to Hoi An overnight is around ₹700–₹900.
- Domestic flights: VietJet and Bamboo Airways run cheap inter-Vietnam flights — Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City can be ₹1,200–₹3,000 if booked in advance.
- Open-tour bus pass: ₹2,000–₹3,500 for a multi-city hop-on-hop-off ticket covering the entire country.
What are the key activities and their costs?
Activities are where Vietnam costs vary most. Key experiences and their approximate cost for Indians:
- Ha Long Bay overnight cruise (2D/1N): ₹8,000–₹18,000 per person. The midrange 3-star junk boats are perfectly fine and popular with Indian tour groups.
- Hoi An Ancient Town entry: ₹300–₹400 for a combined ticket to heritage houses and assembly halls.
- Mekong Delta day tour from HCMC: ₹1,800–₹3,500 per person including guide and boat.
- Ba Na Hills (Da Nang) — Golden Bridge: ₹1,800–₹2,200 for the cable car and park entry. Popular with Indian families.
- Vietnamese cooking class (Hoi An): ₹1,500–₹2,500 per person including market trip and lunch.
- Cu Chi Tunnels (HCMC): ₹800–₹1,500 including transport from city.
How should I pay in Vietnam — card or cash?
This is a question most first-timers don't ask until they're at a street stall with no cash. Vietnam is still very much a cash-first economy at the street and market level. ATMs are plentiful in Hanoi and HCMC — look for Techcombank, Vietcombank and BIDV ATMs, which have the lowest withdrawal fees (typically ₹200–₹350 per transaction). Avoid airport ATMs and hotel-lobby ATMs; their fees and rates are worse.
Your Indian debit card (Mastercard/Visa network) will generally work fine. UPI doesn't have cross-border acceptance in Vietnam yet. Forex cards (loaded with USD) and travel-friendly credit cards with zero markup (HDFC Regalia, Axis Atlas, IDFC First Wealth) save meaningfully on the exchange-rate spread when you're withdrawing Vietnamese Dong.
A practical approach: carry roughly USD 50–100 equivalent in Dong for each day you're in smaller towns or markets. Keep a credit card for hotel payments. Never exchange Rupees directly to Dong in India — the rate is awful. Exchange USD to Dong at a licensed exchange counter in the city (not the airport).
Under RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), overseas spending on debit/credit cards attracts TCS at 20% above ₹7 lakh per year. For most 7-day trips the total spend is well below that threshold, so TCS is not a concern — but keep receipts if you're a frequent international traveller who might breach the limit across multiple trips in a year.
Full cost summary — 7 nights in Vietnam from India
| Expense | Budget (₹/person) | Mid-range (₹/person) | Comfortable (₹/person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return flights | 25,000–32,000 | 32,000–45,000 | 45,000–60,000 |
| Visa (e-visa) | ~2,100 | ~2,100 | ~2,100 |
| Accommodation (7 nights) | 5,000–8,000 | 14,000–25,000 | 35,000–55,000 |
| Food (7 days) | 4,000–6,000 | 7,000–12,000 | 12,000–18,000 |
| Local transport | 3,000–5,000 | 6,000–10,000 | 10,000–16,000 |
| Activities & tours | 5,000–8,000 | 12,000–20,000 | 25,000–40,000 |
| Miscellaneous & shopping | 3,000–5,000 | 8,000–15,000 | 15,000–30,000 |
| Total (per person) | 47,000–66,000 | 81,000–1,09,000 | 1,44,000–2,21,000 |
Note: costs assume solo travel. Couples sharing a room cut accommodation costs by 40–50%.
Bottom line
Vietnam is one of the most cost-effective long-haul international destinations available to Indian travellers in 2026. The on-ground cost is so low that even upgrading to a mid-range experience keeps the overall budget within reach. The biggest lever is your flight — booking 6–8 weeks ahead and being flexible on the stopover city (Kuala Lumpur vs Singapore) can save ₹8,000–₹12,000 per person. Use FlightGPT to compare current fares from your city — it's a free AI flight search where you can type something like 'cheapest flights from Bangalore to Vietnam in October' and it'll scan flexible date windows to find the best options.
Also read: Bali trip cost from India and Georgia trip cost from India for comparison. Fees and features change — verify visa fees and airline fares on official sites before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 7-day Vietnam trip cost from India in 2026?
A 7-day Vietnam trip from India typically costs ₹55,000–₹70,000 per person on a budget, ₹85,000–₹1,10,000 mid-range and ₹1,30,000–₹1,80,000 for a comfortable experience. Flights are the single largest cost at ₹25,000–₹50,000 return.
Do Indians need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes, Indians need a visa. As of 2026, Vietnam offers an e-visa to Indian nationals, costing approximately USD 25 (around ₹2,100) for a single-entry, 90-day visa. Apply on the official Vietnam Immigration Portal. Verify current requirements before travel.
Which city is the cheapest gateway to Vietnam from India?
Bengaluru and Chennai tend to have slightly lower base fares to Ho Chi Minh City compared to Delhi and Mumbai, though this varies by season and airline. Delhi to Hanoi can also be competitive. Always compare across Indian departure cities before booking.
Is Vietnam cheaper than Bali for Indian travellers?
They are comparable. Vietnam is slightly cheaper on food and local transport, while Bali can be cheaper on accommodation at the budget end. Flights from India to Bali are occasionally more expensive due to fewer direct options. Both destinations cost ₹55,000–₹1,10,000 per person for a 7-night trip.
How much money should I carry per day in Vietnam?
Budget travellers need roughly USD 30–40 (about ₹2,500–₹3,300) per day excluding accommodation. Mid-range travellers spend USD 50–80 per day on meals, transport and activities. Use Grab for city transport and carry some Vietnamese Dong in cash for street food markets.
What is the best time to book Vietnam flights from India for the cheapest fares?
Book 6–10 weeks before travel for the best balance of price and availability. For the peak December–January window, book 3–4 months ahead. November and March tend to have the most competitive fares as they sit just outside the holiday peak.