Country Guide
Vietnam has quietly become one of the best-value workation countries in Asia. Mobile internet is among the fastest in the world, coffee culture is everywhere, and costs are low.
Best for
Budget-conscious remote workers, food lovers, café workers
Best months
February to May for Da Nang; December to April for Ho Chi Minh City; October to December and March to April for Hanoi
Time difference with CET
+6 hours in winter, +5 hours in summer
Cost per day
Roughly €40–€85 including a good hotel
Internet
Very fast mobile internet; good WiFi in cities
Less suited if you dislike noise, heat and busy traffic. Vietnam's big cities are loud and full of motorbikes.
Vietnam's three main bases are very different. Here is how they compare, with where to work and where to stay in each, followed by the stays I list there.
Coworking day passes usually cost 150,000–350,000 VND (about €5–€12). Café culture is a big part of the appeal: many cafés are spacious, air-conditioned and happy for you to stay for hours with a Vietnamese iced coffee.
Most popular🏙️ City · 🏖️ Beach
Best months
🏙️ City · 🏛️ Culture
Best months
🏙️ City · 🏛️ Culture
Best months
A beach city in central Vietnam with a relaxed pace, a long sandy beach and Hoi An 45 minutes away. Popular with remote workers who want a routine by the sea.
Where to work
Enouvo Space and Toong
Where to stay
My Khe and An Thuong, close to the beach with plenty of cafés and restaurants aimed at long-stayers
The energetic business capital in the south, warm all year, with the most coworking spaces and cafés.
Where to work
Toong and the design-focused Dreamplex, which is better suited to monthly memberships
Where to stay
District 1 is central and lively, District 3 more local and leafy, Thao Dien a quieter expat area by the river
The historic capital in the north, with lakes, an atmospheric Old Quarter and real seasons, including a cool winter.
Where to work
Toong and countless cafés around the lakes
Where to stay
Tay Ho (West Lake) is calmer and popular with expats; the Old Quarter is atmospheric but noisy
Vietnam's mobile internet is among the fastest in the world, and internet is good in the cities, and most hotels, cafés and coworking spaces have reliable WiFi.
A local eSIM with a large data bundle is cheap and makes a great backup for calls. Read my guide to eSIMs for workations.
A rough week for one person, excluding flights:
Stay
€200–€450
For a good hotel room with a desk
Food
€50–€120
Street food and local restaurants are very cheap
Coworking
€40–€65
For five day passes
Transport
€15–€35
On Grab cars and motorbike taxis
Vietnam is six hours ahead of CET in European winter and five in summer. A 9:00 CET meeting is at 15:00 in winter. Mornings are free for exploring, and your European workday runs into the evening.
North (Hanoi)
Cool and dry from November to April, cold and misty in January; hot and rainy from May to October
Centre (Da Nang)
Dry and sunny from about February to August; heavy rain from September to December, with October the wettest month
South (Ho Chi Minh City)
Dry from December to April; rainy from May to November, usually with short afternoon downpours
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the main international gateways, and Da Nang also has international flights. Domestic flights are cheap and frequent, and the train along the coast is a slower, scenic alternative.
Grab is the easiest way around in all three cities, both by car and motorbike taxi. Traffic is intense, especially in Saigon and Hanoi, so be careful when crossing roads: walk slowly and steadily.
Dutch citizens can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. For longer stays, apply online for a 90-day e-visa, which costs US$25 and usually takes three to five working days. A tourist stay does not allow local employment, so check the rules if you plan to work remotely for a long time.
Visit Hoi An. The lantern-lit old town is about 45 minutes from Da Nang and at its most atmospheric in the evening.
Take a street food tour in Hanoi. The Old Quarter is full of tiny restaurants serving phở, bún chả and egg coffee.
Book a weekend on the water. Ha Long Bay and the quieter Lan Ha Bay are a few hours from Hanoi, with overnight cruises.
Ride the Hai Van Pass. The coastal mountain road between Da Nang and Hue is one of Vietnam's most beautiful drives; go with a driver or an Easy Rider tour if you are not an experienced motorbike rider.
Explore the Mekong Delta. Floating markets and river villages are a day or weekend trip from Ho Chi Minh City.
Da Nang for a beach routine, Ho Chi Minh City for energy and coworking, Hanoi for culture and a cooler climate.
Dutch citizens can stay 45 days visa-free. For up to 90 days, apply for an e-visa.
Yes, in cities. Mobile internet is fast enough to share with your laptop as a backup.
Six hours ahead in European winter, five in European summer.
Yes. It is one of the cheapest destinations in my guides, especially for food, transport and coworking. Hotels with a good desk and fast WiFi are affordable too.
Vietnam is part of my Southeast Asia workation guide. Combine it with Cambodia, or compare it with Thailand, Bali and Kuala Lumpur.
