Tourists in life jackets ride round basket boats paddled by guides on the water at Cam Thanh, Hoi An.

Travel guide

One bag for a country with three climates

Pack for heat, add layers if you are going north in winter, and leave space. Laundry is cheap and quick everywhere, and most things you forget are easy to buy here.

Plan my trip

Overview

Start with the route

Last checked 22 September 2026

We review this list twice a year, before the northern winter and before the southern wet season, and add anything our travellers tell us they wished they had brought. It assumes a two- to three-week trip with some internal flights.

The right bag for Vietnam depends on which of its three climates you will be in. A trip to Saigon, the delta and Phu Quoc needs nothing warmer than a light long-sleeved shirt. A trip through Hanoi and the mountains between December and February needs a proper jacket. A full-length route in winter needs both, which is why layers beat bulky single items.

Keep it light. Domestic airlines are strict on baggage allowances, boats and sleeper trains have little space, and laundry services turn clothes round in a day in almost every town. Seven days of clothes is enough for three weeks.

Clothes

Everywhere, all yearLight, breathable clothes in cotton, linen or quick-dry fabric; a sun hat; a light long-sleeved shirt for sun and mosquitoes; swimwear.

For temples and pagodasSomething that covers shoulders and knees: a light scarf and trousers or a long skirt that live in your day bag.

North, December to FebruaryA warm jacket, a fleece or jumper, long trousers, and warm layers for nights in the mountains, which can drop close to freezing.

Wet season anywhereA light rain jacket, or buy a poncho here for very little, and quick-drying clothes.

A tourist stands before the ornate tiled roof and Chinese inscriptions of Thanh Toan Bridge near Hue.

A winding mountain road snakes through green misty peaks near Sapa, Lao Cai.

A scarf in the day bag covers most temple visits. · The mountains in January need real warm layers.

Shoes

Two pairs are enough for most trips. Comfortable walking shoes or trainers that you have already worn in, and sandals that slip on and off easily, because you remove your shoes at temples, in homes and at some shops and guesthouses. For trekking in Sapa, Ha Giang or Pu Luong, add proper walking shoes with grip, as trails turn to slippery mud after rain. In the delta and on boats, sandals that can get wet are the right thing.

A tranquil pond reflects tall palms and limestone mountains beside a rural temple in northern Vietnam. — Trekking shoes with grip earn their place in the mountains.

Checklist

The small things that matter

Your passport, printed e-visa or entry details, and copies stored separately.
Any prescription medicines, in original packaging, for the whole trip.
Insect repellent and high-factor sunscreen; good brands are available in the cities but cost more.
A universal plug adapter and a power bank for long road days.
A small day bag that closes, worn across the body in the cities.
A reusable water bottle; many hotels have refill stations.
Earplugs and an eye mask for overnight trains and boats.
A basic first-aid kit with plasters, antiseptic and rehydration salts.

Buy locally

What to buy here instead

Plenty of things are easier, cheaper or better bought on arrival. Rain ponchos are sold on every street corner when the rain starts. Conical hats, light cotton clothes and sandals are in every market. Hoi An’s tailors make clothes to measure in a day or two, so some travellers deliberately arrive with half-empty bags. Basic toiletries, rehydration salts and simple medicines are everywhere. What is harder to find: sunscreen and repellent in the brands you know, large clothing and shoe sizes, and specialist trekking gear.

Colorful silk lanterns glow inside a shop in Hoi An's old town.

A dense crowd of motorbikes and pedestrians fills a busy street market in Ho Chi Minh City.

Fresh vegetables like cabbage, tomatoes, and radish laid out for sale on a wet street in Hanoi.

Leave behind

What to leave at home

Heavy jeans for the south: they never dry and you will not wear them.
More than one smart outfit; very few places here expect it.
Valuable jewellery, which only adds worry.
A large hard suitcase if your route includes sleeper trains, boats or the mountains; a soft bag fits better.

The test we suggest is to pack, then lift the bag and carry it up two flights of stairs. Guesthouses in Hoi An and the mountains rarely have lifts, boat gangways are narrow, and a porter is not always there. If it is hard at home, it will be harder in 34 degrees on a riverbank in the delta.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Can I wear shorts in Vietnam?

Yes, in towns, on the beach and on most tours. Cover shoulders and knees at temples, pagodas and some palace sites, and when visiting homes in the countryside.

Suitcase or backpack?

Either, as long as it is not huge. On a private tour with us the car takes a suitcase easily. On trains, boats and mountain roads a soft bag is easier to handle.

Is laundry easy to find?

Very. Almost every hotel offers it, and small laundries in every town wash, dry and fold by weight, usually the same or next day.