Vietnam food on a budget

Doing Vietnam on a budget means the cheapest third of what is worth doing: Nightlife Experience At Sky36 Rooftop Nightclub In Da Nang. Activities in this plan start from about $4.

What kind of trip
Pace
How long
How much do you want to spend

Price bands are thirds of what Vietnam itself charges, not a fixed dollar figure - the cheapest third in Vietnam and in Norway are nowhere near the same number. Flights and accommodation are not included.

Your 5-day food and drink plan for Vietnam

Where you stayDa Nang 3 nightsHue 2 nightsabout 80 km between them

5 days · packed · 10 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $78

  1. Day 1 Da Nang

    1. Nightlife Experience At Sky36 Rooftop Nightclub In Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      morning

      Nightlife Experience At Sky36 Rooftop Nightclub In Da Nang

      4.2126 reviewsDa Nang · from $14

    2. Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang, Vietnam

      afternoonalso worth doing

      Museum of Cham Sculpture

      Da Nang

      Museum in Da Nang, Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    3. Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride Experience in Hoi An in Hoi An, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride Experience in Hoi An

      4.77,159 reviewsHoi An · from $5

    4. Trees Spa: Hair Wash & Massage Experience in Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Trees Spa: Hair Wash & Massage Experience in Da Nang

      4.81,049 reviewsDa Nang · from $9

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Phước Mỹ market

      A daily market, open 5am to 6pm.

      Da Nang · 2.2 km away

    • Dinner

      Son Tra Night Market

      An evening market, open 6pm to 11pm.

      Da Nang · 1.0 km away

  2. Day 2 Da Nang

    1. Han River by Night by Phu Quy Cruise in Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      morningalso worth doing

      Han River by Night by Phu Quy Cruise in Da Nang

      4.0181 reviewsDa Nang · from $4

    2. Blue Gift Spa Experience in Hoi An in Hoi An, Vietnam

      afternoonalso worth doing

      Blue Gift Spa Experience in Hoi An

      4.9117 reviewsHoi An · from $13

    3. Han River by Night on My Xuan Cruise in Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Han River by Night on My Xuan Cruise in Da Nang

      4.52,988 reviewsDa Nang · from $4

    4. Boat Ride Ticket and Release Lantern at Hoai river in Hoi An in Hoi An, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Boat Ride Ticket and Release Lantern at Hoai river in Hoi An

      4.44,390 reviewsHoi An · from $7

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Ba Le Market

      A daily market, open 5am to 7pm.

      Hoi An · 2.2 km away

    • Lunch

      Hoi An Food Court

      Stalls selling Thai and Vietnamese.

      Hoi An · 0.2 km away

  3. Day 3 Da Nang

    1. My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Vietnam

      morningalso worth doing

      My Khe Beach

      Da Nang

      Beach in Da Nang.

      Just turn up
    2. Hai Van Pass in Da Nang, Vietnam

      afternoonalso worth doing

      Hai Van Pass

      Da Nang · 17.9 km from My Khe Beach

      Mountain pass near Da Nang.

      Just turn up
    3. Japanese Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Japanese Bridge

      Hoi An · 40.3 km from Hai Van Pass

      Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    4. Explore Han River by Night by 7STARS Cruise Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Explore Han River by Night by 7STARS Cruise Da Nang

      3.7346 reviewsDa Nang · from $5

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Chợ Nam Phước market

      A daily market, open 4am to 9pm.

      Hoi An · 6.1 km away

  4. Day 4 Hue

    1. Travel day

      Da Nang to Hue

      About 80 km by road · allow around 2h

      Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it.

      Book direct
    2. Imperial City of Hue in Hue, Vietnam

      afternoonalso worth doing

      Imperial City of Hue

      Hue

      Walled enclosure within the citadel of Huế, Vietnam. Dates from 1833.

      Just turn up
    3. Experience Alba Thanh Tan Hot Springs in Hue City in Hue, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Experience Alba Thanh Tan Hot Springs in Hue City

      Hue · from $8

    4. Maia Wellness Spa & Massage Experience in Hue in Hue, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Maia Wellness Spa & Massage Experience in Hue

      Hue · from $8

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Đông Ba Market

      A traditional market in Huế, Vietnam.

      Hue · 1.2 km away

    • Lunch

      Chợ Thuận Hoà

      A daily market, open 5am to 5pm.

      Hue · 0.4 km away

  5. Day 5 Hue

    1. Tomb of Khai Dinh in Hue, Vietnam

      morningalso worth doing

      Tomb of Khai Dinh

      Hue

      Royal tomb of the Nguyễn dynasty in Vietnam. Dates from 1920. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

      Just turn up
    2. Phủ Cam Cathedral in Hue, Vietnam

      afternoonalso worth doing

      Phủ Cam Cathedral

      Hue · 6.0 km from Tomb of Khai Dinh

      Church in Huế, Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    3. Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts in Hue, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts

      Hue · 2.2 km from Phủ Cam Cathedral

      Museum in Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    4. Thiên Mụ Temple in Hue, Vietnam

      eveningalso worth doing

      Thiên Mụ Temple

      Hue · 4.4 km from Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts

      Historical temple in Vietnam. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

      Just turn up

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Chợ An Cựu

      A daily market, open 8am to 6pm.

      Hue · 1.5 km away

    • Lunch

      Cống Market

      A daily market, open 5am to 9pm.

      Hue · 1.9 km away

Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the food and drink theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Vietnam.

Before you fly to Vietnam

The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Vietnam's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.

Entry

Yes - Australians need a visa for Vietnam.

Vietnam visa and entry rules

Passport

Vietnam wants 6 months of validity beyond the day you arrive. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.

Check your passport against this rule

Your checklist

21 things to sort for Vietnam, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.

Vietnam travel checklist

  • Passport valid - at least 6 months from your date of arrival
  • Apply for your Vietnam E-visa (single or multiple entry)
  • Take out travel insurance

Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.

Sort these before you go

The two things worth having arranged before a food and drink trip to Vietnam, compared on price.

Vietnam eSIM plans

Airalo

1GB · 7 days

32k
Works in Vietnam1GB of data7 days validity
$4.50 AUD

Saily Cheapest 10GB

10GB · 15 days

6k
Works in Vietnam10GB of data15 days validity
$8 AUD

Airalo Recommended

10GB · 15 days

32k
Works in Vietnam10GB of data15 days validity
$9 AUD

Vietnam money and cards

Wise Best exchange rate

Wise debit card

45k
Mid-market exchange rateHold 40+ currenciesFree ATM allowance each month
0.43%-0.65% conversion fee

Revolut No weekday FX fee

Revolut Standard

30k
Interbank rates Monday to Friday30+ currenciesInstant spend notifications
0% FX fee
Compare only

ING Orange Everyday ATM fees rebated

ING Orange Everyday

22k
Rebates international ATM feesNo international transaction feeFull Australian bank account
0% FX fee

Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.

Budget food questions

What counts as budget here?

The lowest-priced third of everything worth doing in that country, measured against that country's own prices rather than a fixed dollar figure. A budget day in Norway and a budget day in Vietnam are not the same number, and pretending otherwise would just describe the exchange rate.

Does a cheaper plan mean a worse one?

No, and the ordering is the same either way: everything is ranked on its review score first, so a budget plan is the best-reviewed cheap things rather than the cheapest things. Flights and accommodation are not included in any of these figures.

Do I need to book restaurants and food tours in advance?

Cooking classes and food tours, yes - they run small and fill up. Street food and markets, no. The plan marks which is which, and anything bookable can be held before you leave Australia.

What if I have dietary requirements?

Cooking classes and organised tours will almost always accommodate them if you say so when booking rather than on the day. Street food is harder to control, so it is worth learning the phrase for what you cannot eat in the local language before you go.

Other ways to do Vietnam

Food and drink trips in other countries

Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.

All food and drink itineraries

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