Touring Vietnam's cities on a solo trip.
This choice makes for a trip that's freer than you'd imagine, safer than expected, and above all lets you carefully savor time that's yours alone. The bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, the calm of Hanoi, the sea breeze of Da Nang, the lights of Hoi An. It's a country where each city shows you a completely different face.
Even on your first solo trip, grasping the key points shrinks the anxiety. Public safety, transport, lodging, food, and how to choose a city. In this article, we tell you in detail the concrete ways to enjoy Vietnam's major cities safely on your own, along with 10 points worth knowing.
What makes a solo trip in Vietnam appealing? How to enjoy cities at your own pace
The greatest appeal of a solo trip is being able to stay true to your own interests.
You can sit for hours at a café that catches your eye, or stop at a market and watch the flow of people. Having such "pauses," which are hard on a group trip, is the good thing about traveling alone. Vietnam has relatively low prices, letting you enjoy lodging and food at reasonable prices, so you can spend a full time while keeping to a budget.
Vietnam has relatively good public safety, and solo female travel is increasing. That said, since each city has different characteristics, it's important to choose carefully. Ho Chi Minh City, while a big city, has a tourist-friendly environment in place, and Da Nang lets you relax in a calm atmosphere as a seaside resort. Hanoi has many cultural attractions and abundant historic sights, letting you spend a full time even on your own.
The abundance of local tours is another reason it's suited to solo travel. Using a guided tour reduces worries about language and transport and lets you tour the sights efficiently. Many tours can be joined solo, so even travel beginners can feel at ease.
10 points for enjoying it safely
1. Choose your city carefully | Beginner-friendly areas and places to avoid
Choosing your city in Vietnam greatly affects the safety of a solo trip.
For your first trip, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi are reassuring. These cities have tourism infrastructure in place and an environment that's easy to get around even alone. On the other hand, it's safer to avoid rural towns. Rural towns in developing countries can have low morals and manners, where you often run into unpleasant situations, and gender discrimination is severe, with cases of foreign female travelers being assaulted occasionally seen. If you don't understand the language, you can't run to the police, and above all, once you've been victimized, it's too late.
2. Match your clothing to the local area | Avoid skirts and go with pants
Vietnam is a motorbike society, and women ride motorbikes from their student days. For that reason, they hardly ever wear skirts as everyday wear. When a Japanese woman walks around in a skirt, she's immediately identified as a foreign tourist, raising the crime risk. You may want to care about your fashion while sightseeing, but plan your clothing centered on jeans and chinos so you don't get caught up in crime.
3. Manage your valuables thoroughly | Hide your pouch under your clothes
It's important to keep valuables to a minimum and to store your wallet and passport in an inconspicuous place when out.
Women often tend to walk around with valuables like a wallet and passport in a small pouch bought at a market, but these become a prime target for snatch thieves. After putting your valuables in a pouch, don't forget to hide the pouch under your clothes. At tourist spots, pickpocketing and scams targeting tourists can occur. In crowded places, take measures such as holding your bag in front of you. Avoid using an open tote bag without a zipper.
4. Use the Grab app for transport | Avoid taxi trouble
For city sightseeing in Vietnam, means of transport include taxis, motorbike taxis, and Grab (a ride-hailing app). On a solo female trip, it's important to choose safe and convenient transport. Using highly reliable taxi companies (e.g., Mai Linh Taxi or Vinasun Taxi) lets you avoid fare trouble, but these days even major taxi companies have some unscrupulous drivers.
The app-based ride-hailing service "Grab," which requires no fare negotiation, has become travelers' go-to means, and you can get to your destination very conveniently and safely. If you register a credit card in advance, there's no money changing hands, so no worry about fraudulent charges either. Motorbike taxis are popular as a mode of transport unique to Southeast Asia, but these days most drivers have switched to Grab, so if you're going to use a motorbike taxi, it seems wise to select a motorbike on Grab.
5. Be careful in the nightlife districts | Notes on the Old Quarter and night spots
With many Buddhists, Vietnam has a gentle national character and relatively good public safety. There's no major problem with women walking alone, but avoid walking on streets with no foot traffic. That said, while the nightlife districts are lively at night, depending on the location there's a chance of getting caught up in an incident, so we don't recommend going out alone, regardless of gender.
The area around Hanoi's Old Quarter has sights dotted about, but among them it's an area we want you to be careful of. The Old Quarter around the famous Hoan Kiem Lake is a popular tourist spot with a nostalgic streetscape and a lively Vietnamese atmosphere. Because it's also an area where many tourists stay, from luxury hotels to guesthouses, there are also many night spots nearby. Among them, Ta Hien Street is famous as Hanoi's biggest night spot. It starts bustling from the evening, and since the crowds grow further into the late night, the whole street is packed after 9 p.m. In the dining area, there are many touts, some of them unscrupulous—half-forcibly seating you in a chair, for instance. If they push you with aggressive solicitation or persistent negotiation, refuse clearly and leave the spot promptly.
SourcesNEWT: "Watch out for Vietnam's public safety here! Is solo female travel OK? Points for traveling safely"(October 2024), adapted
6. Choose lodging with an emphasis on location and safety | An environment where even a solo woman can feel at ease
On a solo female trip in Vietnam, the safety of your lodging is extremely important.
When choosing a hotel, pick an area with good access to sights and with restaurants and convenience stores nearby. It's important to choose lodging that's highly rated on review sites and has solid security. Hotels with a women-only floor or a 24-hour front desk let you feel at ease even on a solo trip.
7. Notes at tourist spots | Guarding against pickpockets in crowds
At tourist spots, pickpocketing and scams targeting tourists can occur. In crowded places, take measures such as holding your bag in front of you. At Da Nang's Dragon Bridge, a show where the dragon breathes fire is held on Saturday and Sunday nights. Since you can watch the powerful show for free, it's so popular that not only tourists but locals flock to it. The show starts at 9 p.m., and during that time vehicles are temporarily closed off. The bridge becomes a pedestrian zone, but at that time it's easy to fall victim to pickpocketing and theft amid the crowd, so manage your valuables and bag thoroughly.
SourcesNEWT: "Watch out for Vietnam's public safety here! Is solo female travel OK? Points for traveling safely"(October 2024), adapted
8. Make use of local tours | Plans you can enjoy even joining alone
The merit of a solo trip is being able to act freely, but if you want to tour the sights efficiently, by all means join a tour.
Vietnam has abundant cultural heritage and beautiful nature, plus the appeal of a relatively reasonable price range. Even on a solo trip, public safety is relatively good, letting you enjoy sightseeing with peace of mind. For example, history tours of World Heritage sites like Hoi An and Hue, and nature tours enjoying the spectacular scenery of Ha Long Bay and Sapa, are popular. Also, using a plan with a tour guide clears up worries about the language barrier and transport, letting you tour the sights efficiently. Furthermore, joining a tour alone lets you savor the local culture and cuisine at leisure.
SourcesWIDEEE「ベトナムツアー1人旅ガイド | 人気ツアーと見どころを徹底紹介」より作成
9. Use stalls and restaurants for different purposes | Enjoy safely and deliciously
It's no exaggeration to say that the rich variety of Vietnamese cuisine is the greatest joy of a trip. In Hanoi in the north, pho and banh mi; in Hoi An in central Vietnam, cao lau; and in Ho Chi Minh City in the south, goi cuon (fresh spring rolls)—you can savor dishes with regional character. Savoring food at town stalls and local eateries is also distinctly Vietnamese. Through the food culture, you can experience Vietnam's diversity and depth along with its deliciousness.
That said, if you're concerned about hygiene, choose a shop that looks clean or use a well-reputed restaurant. Be sure to drink only bottled water.
SourcesGlobe-Trotter: "Vietnam's basic information and sightseeing guide, famous sights"created from
10. Budget management and tips for exchanging money | Using cash and cards for different purposes
Vietnam has low prices, letting you enjoy lodging and food at reasonable prices, so you can spend a full time while keeping to a budget.
Exchange only as much cash as you need at the airport or city exchange offices, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Credit cards can be used at hotels and large restaurants, but stalls and small shops require cash. If you register a credit card in the Grab app, paying for transport is smooth too.
How to enjoy each recommended city | Plans ideal for solo travel
Ho Chi Minh City | A lively economic hub
Ho Chi Minh City is the representative city of the south. It's the economic hub and also Vietnam's largest city. Out on the streets, you're overwhelmed by the incessant flow of motorbikes and a scene where high-rises and local shops mingle. On the other hand, once you enter a café, the flow of time turns gentle all at once. French colonial buildings, backstreet eateries, café areas bustling with young people. Each exists at once, and the boundary between tourism and daily life is blurred. It's easy to get into even for a first-time Vietnam trip, a place where you can feel the city's energy in your skin.
At large markets such as Ben Thanh Market and Binh Tay Market, you'll find everything—colorful fruits and vegetables, spices, clothing, and even souvenirs for tourists. Just walking through the market lets you touch Vietnam's varied food culture and crafts. Enveloped in the lively market voices and the savory smell of the stalls, you can enjoy a local shopping experience.
Hanoi | A capital where history and culture live on
Hanoi, located in the north, has an appeal contrasting with Ho Chi Minh City. As the center of politics and culture, it has a somewhat calm air. Walk the Old Quarter and you'll find commerce and daily life packed into narrow streets, with livelihoods that have continued for generations still going on. Around the lake, you can see people doing morning exercises and locals quietly enjoying strolls. Even though it's a tourist spot, there's a strong sense of everyday life laid open as it is, and just walking the streets you feel the accumulation of history.
ハノイの旧市街は、狭い路地に歴史ある建物が密集し、まるで時が止まったかのような風景が広がっています。通りには地元の商店や露天が軒を連ね、店先にはみやげ物や手芸品などが並んでいます。このエリアでは、タンロン皇城内に残る15世紀・後黎朝期の遺構であるキンティエン殿（敬天殿）や、ハノイを代表する湖であるホアンキエム湖も見どころです。町を歩けば、ベトナムの歴史や文化が感じられるスポットが点在しており、散策するだけで多くの発見があります。
SourcesGlobe-Trotter: "Vietnam's basic information and sightseeing guide, famous sights"created from
Da Nang | A resort where beach and city blend
Turning to central Vietnam, there's Da Nang, where resort and city blend. It has developed rapidly over the past few years, and its fame as a beach resort has grown too. The long sandy beaches, exemplified by My Khe Beach, are a place of relaxation not only for tourists but for locals too. The city itself is compact and easy to get around, suited to a first stay in central Vietnam too. A key feature is how urban convenience and proximity to nature coexist.
Da Nang, with its beautiful white-sand beaches, is known as a representative resort of Vietnam. Every beach, such as My An Beach and My Khe Beach, boasts gentle waves and clear seas, and activities like surfing and parasailing are plentiful too. Nearby is the World Heritage ancient town of Hoi An, letting you enjoy both the beach and a history stroll.
SourcesGlobe-Trotter: "Vietnam's basic information and sightseeing guide, famous sights"created from
Hoi An | An ancient town wrapped in lantern light
Venture a little from Da Nang and you'll arrive in Hoi An, where a completely different time flows. The old quarter is registered as a World Heritage Site, and at night the glow of lanterns envelops the town. It's developed as a tourist spot, but there's no excessive flashiness, and even your walking pace naturally slows. Walking along the river and gazing at old houses and merchant halls, the memory of a port town that once thrived on trade layers over you. That its face changes greatly between day and night is also the charm of this town.
Hue | An ancient town that quietly conveys history
If you want to feel history more deeply, Hue, the former royal capital, leaves an impression. Palaces, temples, and imperial tombs are dotted about, quietly conveying Vietnam's dynastic culture. It's a tourist spot, but overall it's calm, and your understanding deepens the more time you spend touring. It's a place to enjoy open space and quiet rather than flashiness.
Summary | To enjoy a solo trip to Vietnam's cities safely
A solo trip to Vietnam's cities is a luxurious time of touring the streets at your own pace, touching the culture, and enjoying the food.
Public safety is relatively good, but by grasping the basic points—managing valuables, clothing, how to choose transport, and so on—you can enjoy the trip more safely. Each city has a different appeal: Ho Chi Minh City's energy, Hanoi's history, Da Nang's resort, Hoi An's atmosphere, Hue's quiet. Each shows you the country of Vietnam from a different angle.
Use local tours, get around with the Grab app, and savor the local food. Each such choice enriches the trip. Refer to the 10 points introduced in this article and plan your very own solo trip to Vietnam's cities. An unforgettable experience is surely waiting.
