How to get to Vietnam: airports, flights and border crossings

Choose the airport that matches where you start, not the one with the cheapest fare. A ₫2,000,000 saving on a ticket into Ho Chi Minh City is wiped out by a domestic flight and a lost half-day if your plan begins in Hanoi.

For a 10–14 night first trip, most travellers land in one region and leave from another: into Hanoi, out of Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City, or the reverse. Open-jaw tickets usually cost little more than a return to one city and remove a backtrack.

Vietnam has three airports that take long-haul traffic and two more that matter for beach or resort trips. Pick by the first two regions on your list.

There is no nonstop from the US mainland or Canada; every routing touches East Asia, the Middle East or Europe. From the UK and Australia there are nonstops on Vietnamese and Australian carriers. Treat the figures as flight time only, then add layover and airport time.

Vietnam shares land borders with China, Laos and Cambodia. Crossings are open at fixed points and most travellers use them on a loop rather than as a first entry. Your e-visa or visa must name the exact gate you use, so a change of plan on the road can strand you.

The busiest overland routes run from Cambodia (Phnom Penh or Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City), from Laos (Vientiane or Luang Prabang toward Hanoi and the north), and from China (Hekou to Lào Cai, near Sa Pa). Sleeper buses and minivans cover all of them; some crossings are only open during daylight hours.

By sea, cruise ships call at Hạ Long, Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang and Phú Quốc. Cruise passengers usually enter on a ship-side arrangement rather than a normal visa, and rules differ from those for fly-in visitors. Ferries and speedboats link Phú Quốc and the southern islands with the mainland, and Cát Bà with Hải Phòng, but these are domestic legs, not international entry points.

Fares swing widely by season. The Tet holiday, roughly late January to mid-February, and the July–August school break push long-haul prices up; shoulder months are cheaper. Booking two to four months ahead is usually enough for a reasonable fare, and Vietnam's domestic market is competitive enough that short-notice hops stay affordable.

On arrival, the airport taxi and ride-hailing desks are the simplest option; agree the price or use the meter, and expect a small airport surcharge. A local SIM or eSIM set up before you land saves the queue. Most nationalities need a visa or e-visa arranged in advance, and the passport must usually have six months of validity left.

If your trip starts in the north in winter, pack for damp cold in Hanoi and Hạ Long, not tropical heat; the centre and south run warmer. Travel insurance that covers medical care and trip interruption is worth arranging before you fly, since evacuation from a remote area is expensive.