Are you dreaming of exploring Vietnam without breaking the bank? Recently, I completed an amazing 11-day Vietnam trip from India with my family, and my all-inclusive cost was just ₹45,000 per person! That covers everything- flights, visa, hotels, food, internal travel, sightseeing, and more. If you’re looking for a detailed, practical guide on planning a budget Vietnam trip from India, keep reading!
I have also shared my detailed itinerary and some money-saving tips to help you plan your budget-friendly Vietnam trip from India.
Vietnam Trip from India: My Total Spend
For our family of three, the total spend for 11 days in Vietnam trip from India was ₹1.35 lakh-just ₹45,000 per person, all-inclusive. This covered: International & Domestic Flights, Visa Fees, Hotels & Accommodation, Food & Drinks, Internal Travel (cabs, trains, flights), Excursions & Sightseeing and even Miscellaneous expenses
Below is the summary of my trip expenses
Best Credit & Debit Cards for Vietnam Travel
Here is the list of credit cards, debit cards used for bookings and travel offers to maximise rewards and minimise forex charges
HDFC Diners Black Metal: I used HDFC Diners Black Metal(Apply Now) for most of my flight and hotel bookings on the HDFC SmartBuy portal. The downside is that Diners has very limited acceptance in Vietnam and thus wasn’t used when we reached there.
Axis Atlas: Used the Axis Atlas(Apply now) credit card only for settling hotel bills at checkout to earn 5x reward points; however, I had to pay 4.13% in forex markup and GST charges. The good thing was that these were small bills, and thus the taxes didn’t matter much.
Federal Scapia: The Federal Scapia(Apply Now) was my workhorse 0 forex credit card on this trip and I used it extensively to make card payments.
HDFC Regalia Forex Card: Applied for this forex card to take advantage of HDFC’s 5x reward offer. Loaded this card with USD and used it to make online bookings on Klook, GetYourGuide and train bookings too.
Indusind Pioneer Debit Card: Used this debit card only once to withdraw cash. The USP of this debit card is 0 forex markup for cash withdrawal. I withdrew cash from an ATM that has 0 withdrawal charges and thus saved a few hundred rupees.
Tip: Always have cash handy. Many places in Vietnam charge a 3–4% markup for card payments, and some only accept cash.
How to Save Money on Flights to Vietnam
Book Early for the Best Deals
One of the keys to my budget-friendly trip was booking flights well in advance. By planning early, I was able to secure fantastic fares on direct routes. Here’s how I did it:
Round Trip (BOM-HAN on Vietnam Airlines and SGN-BOM on VietJet): The total cost for three people was ₹69,000. By using my HDFC SmartBuy points, I only paid ₹20,600 in cash for return tickets.
Internal Flight (HAN-DND): The price was ₹14,500, but I managed to pay just ₹5,400 for all three by redeeming points on HDFC SmartBuy.
Further, I booked an overnight train from Danang to Nha Trang and from Nha Trang to Saigon, this way I saved on 2 nights of hotel fare. To be comfortable, I booked the 4-seat sleeper, which is our 2 AC equivalent.
Hotels – Mix of Boutique & Brand with Points
We avoided international hotel chains in places where they didn’t offer much value and booked chain-affiliated hotels smartly where they did. The playbook was similar to flight tickets. Used HDFC Smartbuy to book hotels for boutique hotels in Hanoi and Danang. For others, I redeemed Accor and Marriott points.
Hanoi -3 nights – Mayflower Hotel in Old Quarter: Opted for the suite with a balcony as wanted, a room with decent space with the kid. The room was available for ~12k for 3 nights with breakfast. Effective cash spend was ~5k INR as they charged some USD20 for early check-in.
Danang- 2 nights – Hotel Fivitel Danang: A clean, comfortable hotel with great river views and rooftop pool. The effective cash payout was just 1600, and I paid the rest via points.
Bana Hills -1 night – Mercure Bana Hills: Staying inside Bana Hills saved us 30% on cable car tickets, and we could explore the famous Golden Bridge without the crowds. Further, we also beat the queue on the Alpine Coaster the next morning! Thus, allowing us ample time to explore the rest of Bana Hills at our own pace. Redeemed my Accor points for the stay here.
Nha Trang -1 night – Novotel Nha Trang: In Nha Trang, I booked Novotel Nha Trang with points. Amazing hotel with great views. They gave me an early check-in and upgraded me to the ocean view room. I redeemed my Accor points for the stay here.
Saigon – 1 night – Le Meridien Saigon: Booked on Marriott Bonvoy points. Got early check-in at 9 AM and lounge access meant 2x breakfast included—saved big on food here.
Booking Excursions & Tours in Vietnam
To explore Vietnam’s attractions, I booked most of my tours through platforms like Klook, GetYourGuide (GYG), and TripAdvisor. I utilised my Regalia Forex card for bookings, taking advantage of HDFC’s enticing offer of 5x rewards on forex loads. Further, by using TopCashback referrals, I earned an additional 8-10% cashback on these bookings.
I booked the following excursions using these websites: Ha Long Bay tour, Quang Phu Cau (Incense Village), Hoi-An Half Day tour and Chu Chi Tunnel tour.
Internal Travel – Grab is King in Vietnam
Grab (their version of Uber) was our go-to for Airport transfers, City commutes, Local trips, etc. I linked my Regalia Forex card and the Federal Scapia credit card in the Grab app before leaving India. It worked smoothly throughout the trip. Do note that Grab charges ~4% foreign card fee, but I preferred that over the risk of accidentally paying with a 100k VND note instead of a 10k.
Cash vs Card Strategy
Many Vietnamese shops don’t accept cards, and those that do often charge a 3-4% markup. To avoid paying extra, I planned ahead!
Cash Withdrawal Strategy: I withdrew 50 lakh VND on Day 1 (Approx 16k INR) using IndusInd Pioneer Debit Card at Liv Bank ATM (0 forex markup & no ATM charges!). For this, I had mapped ATM locations near my hotel beforehand to save time & money.
Credit Card acceptance: As mentioned earlier, and also with my experience in Mauritius and Thailand, Diners had very little acceptance. Thus, primarily relied on Federal Scapia and HDFC Regalia Forex cards for card payments.
Conclusion
Travelling internationally doesn’t always have to burn a hole in your pocket. I have documented how I travelled to Mauritius and used reward points smartly to stay in luxury resorts. Similarly, with careful planning, smart use of credit cards, and a mix of boutique stays and local experiences, you can easily do a 10-day Vietnam tripf from India for under INR 50,000 per person-all inclusive! From the bustling streets of Hanoi to the serene beaches of Da Nang and the vibrant culture of Ho Chi Minh City, our trip was memorable, comfortable, and wallet-friendly.
Ready to plan your own Vietnam trip from India? Start early, use your points, and embrace local experiences for an unforgettable, affordable journey. Do you have questions or need more tips? Drop a comment below!
Disclaimer
In the interest of full disclosure, Credit Cardz may earn a referral bonus for anyone that’s approved through some of the links in this post. However, opinions and views expressed here are of the author's alone and not those of the bank, credit card issuer, or anyone else and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
