A row of old war-era bombs and shells displayed outdoors against a stone wall in Ho Chi Minh City.

Travel guide

The four that happen, and how to not be caught

Most visitors to Vietnam never meet anything worse than an overpriced coconut. The tricks that exist are small, well known and easy to sidestep once you know what they look like.

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Overview

Keeping it in proportion

Last checked 22 September 2026

We update this page twice a year, and between times whenever travellers or our guides report a trick we have not seen before. It describes what happens, not what could in theory happen.

Vietnam is a safe country for travellers. Violent crime against visitors is rare, and in most of the country petty crime is too. The dishonesty that does exist is concentrated in the busiest tourist streets of Saigon and Hanoi, and it is almost always about a few dollars rather than your safety. Nothing on this page is a reason to worry. It is a reason to pay attention in three or four specific situations.

The mindset that helps most is simple: agree the price before, not after; keep your phone away from the kerb; and book things through people you can find again.

Taxis

Taxis and meters

The old taxi tricks are much rarer since ride-hailing apps took over, but they still turn up at airports, bus stations and tourist streets at night. A driver who will not use the meter, a meter that runs fast, a "fixed price" that turns out to be per person, or a claim that your hotel has closed and there is a better one nearby.

Use a ride-hailing app, which shows the fare before you book, or a taxi from an official rank or booked by your hotel.
If you take a street taxi, check the meter is on and reset as you set off.
Pay with notes you have counted, and be careful with blue notes: 20,000 and 500,000 look similar in the dark.
If a driver says your hotel is full or closed, it almost certainly is not. Ask to be taken there anyway.

Three men on a bridge point toward a brown river with boats and a distant mountain near Ho Chi Minh City — An app or an official rank removes the argument.

Snatching

Phones and bags taken from motorbikes

The one form of petty crime worth taking seriously in Saigon is the snatch from a passing motorbike. A phone held out at the kerb, a bag worn on the traffic side or a camera hanging loose can be taken in a second by a rider who does not stop. It happens mostly in District 1 and at night, and it is the only item on this page that can hurt you, because people get pulled over.

Use your phone away from the road edge, or step into a doorway.
Wear a bag across the body on the side away from the traffic.
On the back of a motorbike taxi, keep the phone in a pocket.
If something is snatched, let go. Nothing you are carrying is worth a fall.

Street

Street sellers, shoe-shiners and the coconut

In the busiest streets of both big cities you will meet a handful of friendly routines. A shoe-shiner who starts on your shoes before you have agreed, then names a large price, or glues a sole that did not need it. A seller who hands you a carrying pole of fruit for a photograph, then asks for payment. A coconut or a snack sold at several times the price, because nobody asked first.

None of this is dangerous, and the sellers are usually working hard for small margins. The answer is a smile, a clear no if you do not want it, and a price agreed before anything is handed to you. If you do want the photograph, pay a fair amount for it and enjoy it.

A conical-hatted street vendor carries fruit baskets on a shoulder pole through a busy Hanoi street lined with shops.

Twin green dragon sculptures flank a red and gold Chinese-lettered sign atop a temple building in Ho Chi Minh City.

Agree a price before you take the pole. · Ask the price first and it will be a fair one.

Online

Fake tours and booking sites

The costlier trick is online. Copycat websites and social-media pages use the name, photos and even the reviews of a real company, take a deposit, and disappear. Others sell a cheap Ha Long cruise and deliver a different, older boat. Lookalike visa sites belong in the same family.

01
Check the address
Look at the website domain and email address carefully, and compare them with the company’s own contact page.
02
Pay safely
Pay a deposit by card or bank transfer to a company account, never to a personal account or by a payment app to an individual.
03
Get it in writing
A clear itinerary with the vessel, hotel standard and what is included. Vague is a warning sign.
04
Call the number
A real company answers its phone. Ours is +84 766 045 399, on WhatsApp too.

If you are unsure whether a booking made elsewhere is genuine, send us the details. We will tell you honestly if it looks right, even if you are not booking with us.

Help

If something does go wrong

For a lost or stolen passport, report it to the local police for a report and contact your embassy or consulate; both are needed for a replacement and an exit visa. For stolen cards, block them straight away. If you are travelling with us, call the 24/7 line first and we will go with you to the police station and translate.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Is Vietnam safe for solo travellers, including women?

Yes. Sensible precautions are the same as in any city: care at night in busy nightlife streets, a trusted ride home, and a drink you have watched being poured.

Should I carry my passport with me?

Carry a photocopy or a photo of it day to day, and the original when you check in to hotels, travel domestically or cross a border. Keep it in a hotel safe otherwise.

Are the street prices for tourists a scam?

A small tourist premium at a market stall is normal and not a scam. Being charged many times the price after the fact is, and agreeing a price first stops it.