Stay connected with affordable eSIM data plans. Instant activation, no roaming fees, perfect for your undefined adventure.
No data plans available for the selected duration
Try selecting a different travel duration above
Essential information to help you get connected seamlessly
This virtual SIM only includes data. It does not allow you to make cell phone calls or send SMS messages. You can still use WhatsApp or Skype to call your contacts.
Make sure your phone is both unlocked and compatible with eSIM technology.
Scan the QR code from your smartphone settings and add the data plan. You can either print it and scan it, or open it on another device to scan it. But don't activate it until you land at your destination.
An e-visa from one official site, a 45-day pass for some, a wall of motorbikes, and a cash habit
Vietnam sorts most of its entry admin online: it issues an electronic visa to citizens of every country, valid for up to 90 days, and a set of nationalities skip the visa entirely for shorter stays. The one thing to get right is where you apply, because only the government portal is real and copycat sites charge for a free-to-file document. On the ground, the surprises are a traffic river of motorbikes and a stronger cash habit than you may expect. This guide covers the visa, the exemptions, getting around, the money, and why data still matters here.
Hoi An's lantern-lit old town
Hoi An's Ancient Town is a preserved trading port of tailor shops, riverside lanterns and low yellow houses, and it is one of the destinations Vietnam's tourism authority puts front and centre. It is compact and walkable, best in the evening when the lanterns come on and the day-trip crowds thin, and it makes an easy base for the central coast.3
Our take: stay a night rather than day-tripping from Da Nang. Hoi An empties in the late afternoon and refills at dusk, and the quiet hour in between, with the lanterns lit and the streets half-empty, is the version worth the trip.
Motorbikes rule the road, and an app rules the ride
Traffic in the cities is dominated by motorbikes moving in a constant flow that is hard to cross at first; the local technique is to walk slowly and steadily so riders can read and flow around you, never to stop suddenly or dash. For getting places, a ride-hailing app is the simplest option, letting you set a fixed price and route without haggling, on either a car or a motorbike taxi.4
Our take: take your first few rides by app rather than a street taxi while you learn the going rates, and consider a booked car for the longer intercity legs. The point-to-point clarity is worth it until you have your bearings.
The currency is the dong, and cash still leads
Prices are in Vietnamese dong (VND), a currency with a lot of zeros, so double-check you are reading the right number of them. Cards and ride-hailing apps work in the cities and larger hotels, but markets, street food and smaller towns run largely on cash, so keep a stock of small notes.4
The e-visa is online, from one official site only
Vietnam issues an electronic visa to citizens of all countries, valid for up to 90 days as a single or multiple entry, applied for and paid on the official government e-visa portal at evisa.gov.vn. Copycat sites add a fee to what is a government process, so apply on the official portal and allow several business days for processing before you travel.1
Some nationalities are visa-free for 45 days
Citizens of a set of countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, can enter visa-free for up to 45 days under Vietnam's exemption scheme, so they do not need the e-visa for a shorter trip. Eligibility depends on your passport, so check the official tourism visa page before assuming you are covered.2
Emergency numbers are 113, 114 and 115
In an emergency, 113 reaches the police, 114 the fire service and 115 an ambulance, free from any phone. English is not guaranteed on these lines, so for a non-urgent problem your accommodation or a ride-hailing driver can often help translate faster.
Apply for the visa yourself, not through a paid middleman
Because the official e-visa portal handles the whole process, there is no need for a paid agent for a standard tourist visa. Third-party sites that mimic the government page and charge a markup are the most common trap, so go straight to the official portal and treat any other site asking for payment as one to avoid.1
Vietnam sits outside every regional free-roaming zone, so a home plan roams here at a charge whatever your country, and a local eSIM keeps data at a predictable and generally low price, since Vietnamese mobile data is cheap and fast. Coverage is good across the cities and the main tourist regions, from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An and Ha Long, and thins mainly in the mountains and the remoter countryside. You will lean on data throughout: the e-visa and its checks are online, ride-hailing is the easiest way to get around and set a fair fare, and maps and translation smooth over a language you are unlikely to read. Because so much runs through an app, from the ride you book to the price you agree, a working connection is what keeps a Vietnam trip simple rather than a negotiation. Get connected on arrival rather than later, since your first tasks are usually a map and a ride into town.
It depends on your nationality and stay. Vietnam issues an e-visa to citizens of all countries for up to 90 days, applied for on the official portal at evisa.gov.vn. Separately, a set of nationalities, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, can enter visa-free for up to 45 days, so check the official tourism visa page to see whether you need the e-visa at all.1,2
The government e-visa portal is evisa.gov.vn, and that is the only place to apply and pay for a standard tourist e-visa. Many lookalike sites add a fee to the government process, so apply directly on the official portal, and be wary of any other site charging to file it for you.1
A ride-hailing app is the simplest option, on either a car or a motorbike taxi, because it sets a fixed price and route with no haggling. Traffic is dominated by motorbikes, and crossing the road is done by walking slowly and steadily so riders flow around you, never by stopping suddenly or running.4
Usually not. Vietnam is outside every regional free-roaming arrangement, so roaming on a home plan is billed whatever country you come from. A local eSIM keeps data at a predictable and typically low price, which matters because the visa, ride-hailing, maps and translation all run through your phone.
Every price, date and rule above is taken from the operator, museum, city or ministry that sets it, and was checked against that source on September 5, 2026. Lines marked "Our take" are our own recommendation, not a sourced fact. Fares, fees and opening hours change — confirm anything your trip depends on before you book.