My Tips for Travelling Vietnam Solo

ByVictoria Philpott Last Updated:

I’ve travelled Vietnam solo, with an ex boyfriend, and in a tour group – I’ve done it all. From travelling the world solo for three years I can definitely say that Vietnam is one of the easiest places to travel alone, with the main cities and destinations within the country all well set up for solo travellers.

If you’re a bit anxious about travelling Vietnam alone, I thought I’d put together a few of my top tips to help you feel more confident.

two weeks in vietnam

If you want to make friends in Vietnam…

The easiest way to make friends when you’re travelling solo is to stay at hostels known for their social atmosphere. It’s easy to search by that on HostelWorld. Just look for one that has a bar, or shows off about how open and friendly it is. The prices in Vietnam mean you could push the boat out a little, and stay in a private room in a hostel to get the best of both worlds.

If you just want someone to eat with…

Always eat at busy restaurants in Vietnam. Not only does that confirm the quality of the food, it also shows that that particular restaurant’s food will have a high turnover and so won’t have been sitting around too long, fermenting.

Also, at busy restaurants, you might get seated by the other tourists, meaning you can make a friend. And it’s easy to get away if you don’t particularly like them at the end of the meal.

The best way to let your food make you friends though is by joining a food tour. Normally you have two options: either you join group food tours, where you can hang out with other fellow travellers, or, if you want to connect with the locals too, check out the private offers on platforms like Withlocals. They have a great street food tour in Hanoi  for example.
 
Generally, you’ll visit a few restaurants in the area, have a bit of a historical and cultural lesson on what you’re eating, and get to chat with a local who can recommend some great places to eat in your destination, as well as activities and things to see in the area. Nothing like a recommendation from a local!
 
Honestly, food tours are one of my absolute most favourite things to do when I’m travelling solo.

If you just want some peace and quiet…

Some of us travel alone for a reason – that delicious peace and quiet and freedom to explore where and how we want. If you’re travelling Vietnam alone