Getting to Vietnam: airports, connections and entry

Which city to fly into, how to build an open-jaw route and what to check about the visa before buying a ticket.

Vietnam's main international gateways are Hanoi (HAN) in the north and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) in the south; Da Nang (DAD) in the centre and the island of Phu Quoc (PQC) also receive flights. The arrival city sets the whole route, so start with it rather than with the date.

An open-jaw route

Vietnam is long and returning the same way is awkward. It is often better to fly in at the north and out from the south, or the other way round. In the flight search choose a multi-city (open-jaw) route: the price is sometimes even lower than two separate tickets, and inside the country you travel by train, bus or plane.

How to compare prices

A cheap fare often excludes baggage. Compare tickets by the final price with the baggage you need, and look at arrival time and the length of the connection. Flexible dates and the low-price calendar help you save, and our converter makes it easy to work out the rate and total costs.

Entry

Entry rules depend on your citizenship and change: check whether a visa is needed and whether you can apply for an electronic one online, only on official government sites, not through intermediaries who charge more. The partner flight card below (advertising) helps you compare options.