Best Cities to Travel Solo in
VIETNAM
Best Cities to Travel Solo in Vietnam
Vietnam is a beautiful culture rich country located in South East Asia. Travellers flock to Vietnam to experience its unique culture, gorgeous nature and try some amazing local cuisine.
For both experienced solo travellers or for people just wanting to go on a little adventure by themself, Vietnam is the perfect destination for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it is extremely affordable to travel by yourself. They have amazing accommodation options to suit every type of solo traveller whether you are a backpacker keen on staying in a social hostel or you simply enjoy the luxuries hotels have to offer, there is something for everyone!
Food is also extremely affordable and always just around the corner! Everything else including activities, transport and other miscellaneous costs all are easily manageable by one person!
Although I think all cities and places are great solo travel destinations, some places I feel are more geared towards a group environment, say for example more for families or for couples, or just more fun to experience with a group of friends. So in this post I aim to highlight some cities in Vietnam that I as a solo traveller enjoyed the most!
I travelled Vietnam all together for about 3 months in total and from all my wacky adventures and surprising experiences, here are my recommendations for the best cities to visit in Vietnam as a Solo Traveller. Hope you enjoy it!
Is Vietnam Safe?
I travelled all over Vietnam for nearly 3 months and from my experience Vietnam is very safe to travel as a solo traveller. Not at any moment did I feel uncomfortable or in danger and I always felt the hospitality from the locals. If you are a female traveller, I do think Vietnam is still very safe travel and you would be surprised to see how may other solo female travellers there are here.
But like all places, safety is your own responsibility so make sure you make safe and smart decisions when travelling. Travel insurance is a must also especially if you planning on doing any adventure activities.
My Criteria
My criteria to where I believe a place is great for solo travellers boils down to 3 things.
- Are the activities and attractions solo friendly?
- How easy is it to meet new people and socialise?
- “Vibe”
These categories can be a bit loose at times but I still think in general all the places I’m about to list all commonly exhibit these attributes.
Best cities in Vietnam to visit as a Solo Traveller
So, in no particular order my best cities I think are worth visiting as a solo traveller are:
- Hanoi
- Ha Giang (Loop!)
- Tam Coc
- Ho Chi Minh City
1. Hanoi
For me, if you say Vietnam, Hanoi is on the top of the list. It is arguably the country’s most popular and mesmerising destination and travellers from all around the world come to experience its unique culture and vibrant way of life.
As a solo traveller, it is such a great place to go as quite literally everything here is fun to do by yourself. There are so many places you can visit and are solo friendly. Stroll around the Old Quarter and discover amazing shops, food and coffee or simply walk around to absorb the local culture.
Don’t be afraid to eat or visit a cafe by yourself as well. In Vietnam, there are many street vendors operating on the curb with seats and tables laid out on the side. It’s common here for locals to just come by and have a quick meal and drink by themselves and then get along with their day. So, if you’re travelling solo and want to try something, don’t be afraid to try! Hanoi is such a solo travel friendly city in this sense.
Another great thing about Hanoi is that it’s so easy to meet new people and be social if you want! Hanoi is a top backpacker destination in Vietnam and also has some of the best social hostels around. Even if you aren’t staying at a hostel, you are always free to sign up to events that hostels are planning. There is quite literally something on every night!
Being at a hostel you’ll get the chance to meet people from all across the world and get a chance to talk to people with such diverse backgrounds where otherwise you wouldn’t even come across. If you’re looking for some fun social evenings I’d highly recommend checking out some of the hostels in the area. One I can recommend is Old Quarter View Hostel. They are super social and is a great place to experience that hostel life!
2. Ha Giang (Loop!)
Possibly the best thing you can do in Vietnam is the Ha Giang Loop. In all my travels in South East Asia, the nature and scenery here is unmatched with no close second. The Ha Giang Loop is truly the adventure of a lifetime.
I know this list is more about cities but people only travel to Ha Giang to do the Ha Giang Loop. Trust me I spent a few days in the town to see what it was like and there’s literally nothing to do! People arrive the night before to do the loop in the morning and are off already the day they finish the loop!
Most of the tours for the Ha Giang Loop, especially the popular ones, are operated by hostels and are an ideal place to meet fellow travellers. The Ha Giang Loop is great for solo travellers who want to meet new people and have a fun social experience all around. Many people sign up for the Ha Giang Loop solo in hopes to meet new people and be able to share this incredible experience. On the loop you will see the best nature, some of the most unique and vivid landscapes and create memories with people that’ll last forever.
If there’s one thing to do in Vietnam as a solo traveller, it’s the Ha Giang Loop!
3. Tam Coc
Tam Coc is in the countryside region of Vietnam with endless ricefields and towering limestone mountains overlooking the landscape. It is also referred to as the Ha Long Bay on land as the limestone formations present here kind of mimic the same style and appearance as those seen in Ha Long Bay.
Tam Coc is great in the sense that it has a casual laid back environment and is a place where you can simply enjoy nature! Whether you want to stroll around town or bicycle your way through the rice fields, this place will trap you with its beauty and subtle charm.
Tam Coc also attracts many other solo travellers who come here to find the same charm and atmosphere as you may be seeking. Like most other places, hostels are a great way to meet and connect with fellow travellers and the hostels in Tam Coc are super friendly and always inviting. So whether you want to travel solo or do things together as a group, there are so many great activities to do here.
Some of the most popular activities to do here are venturing on the Tam Coc boat tour, exploring Mua Caves and visiting the neighbouring pagodas in the area. I found that all these activities are great to do both by yourself or as a group.
To me, Tam Coc really captivated me and all around was a blissful experience. Some of my fondest memories of this place was riding around in a bicycle by myself through the rice fields in whatever direction I pleased. In those moments I felt free from everything and truly living in the moment. For all that it is, I highly recommend Tam Coc for solo travellers who want to enjoy Vietnam’s nature in all its beauty in a calm, quiet way.
4. Ho Chi Minh CIty (Saigon)
Many people might be surprised that I put Ho Chi Minh City on this list. I have heard a lot of people saying how they didn’t like HCMC because of this and that but I absolutely loved the place.
HCMC was my first stop in Vietnam as a solo traveller and it did not disappoint. Similar to Hanoi, simply walking around and absorbing the culture at your own pace is the best thing to do in my opinion. There are plenty of street vendors on the side of the curb with traditional South Vietnamese cuisine and an endless amount of places to explore.
HCMC may be a bit overwhelming at first as a solo traveller, but I think the challenge and unfamiliarity of a completely new environment is somewhat something we as solo travellers kind of expect and go ahead in face first. Even if you do feel overwhelmed at times (because HCMC is ridiculously loud and busy all the time), take things slow, take a coffee break and get right back on track!
If you want to socialise as well, HCMC is home to Bui Vien Street or what’s more commonly referred to as Beer Street. In my opinion it’s best to see if there’s any organised pub crawls (usually done by hostels) for Bui Vien Street. I think this is the easiest and simplest way to meet new people. It’s always in a social setting and everyone is always super down to socialise and have a good time!
Why not Da Nang?
Da Nang is another top destination for many travellers in Vietnam. It is located in central Vietnam along the topical coast. Although Da Nang is such a nice place with so many activities to do and sites to see, the reason I didn’t include it on this list is that I think this place is far more fun with friends and family.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go as a solo traveller to Da Nang, by all means still visit, but when I went I felt a lot of people travel here already as a group and choose to stay together. You can still meet other solo travellers and have a great time but compared to other cities I’ve mentioned on this list, I think Da Nang is more of a family/friends vacation type of place. By all means don’t let me discourage you from visiting Da Nang. Still visit as it is one of the best and most exciting places to visit in Vietnam.
Final Thoughts
So there it is, my list of all the top destinations I think are perfect for solo travellers wanting to experience Vietnam! Whether you want to meet new people and absorb the culture or simply are looking for something different and unique I think these destinations are well worth visiting. Hope you enjoyed reading!