Vietnam With Kids Tips
Explore Vietnam like never before with our comprehensive guide! Our Vietnam tips & info provides travel hacks for family holidays to make a smoother trip!
- Look closely at the weather and time of the year before booking. Because Vietnam can be extremely hot or flood at times of the year. When we had gone in April 2024, we had 35 degree days until our last few days, to which got up to about 42 degrees.
- We found the street food in Vietnam pretty safe to eat, but do be vigilant and go to the popular stalls and restaurants. Kids and new travellers will be more likely to get traveller’s tummy than seasoned travellers. The newer you are to travel in Asia, the more careful you should be
- Vietnam is easy to get around. You can use a combination of trains, public buses (including the rather special semi-sleeper buses) to which we did not use the trains on our travels because of Hailey, taxis, Grab, bicycles and scooters. We also book tours and explore on foot. Local taxi drivers often object strongly to Uber and Grab and some taxi drivers won’t use their meters. Know the hazards to look out for in getting around Vietnam
- If you plan to put your children on the back of motor scooters or bicycles, take your own helmets from home if possible. Genuine helmets with good safety ratings are hard to source in Vietnam. We didn’t have to worry about this because we didn’t use scooters in Vietnam. That said, you will see many kids without helmets.
- There’s no particular dress-code or need to cover up in Vietnam. The locals will mostly be in western jeans and tops. Expect most to be fully covered against the sun, including gloves, masks, and wide hats. Please do take something respectable to wear if you’re visiting places of worship.
- Thongs such as ‘Flip Flops’ or whatever your kids walk well in, is best for footwear. I’d always choose rubber or a man-mad fabric over leather because shoes are very likely to get wet as well as sweat. Hoi An in central Vietnam is famous for tailors and shoe-makers, and I can admit, I got some pretty cool high heel thongs. If you need new shoes or clothes, this is a good place to shop.
- Vietnamese food doesn’t use as much chili as neighbouring Thailand and it’s light and fresh. The heat is often in a dipping sauce or accompaniment. Food is very cheap if you eat in the right places, possibly the cheapest in Southeast Asia, that’s good news for parents of hungry kids.
- Because of the French influence in Vietnam, you will find bread and dairy products far more commonly than in other parts of Southeast Asia. This can be very useful with picky-eaters.
- It will probably be most convenient to grab Vietnamese currency at the airport on arrival, and download an eSIM online which you can find here; SIM cards are usually valid for up to 30 days. Remember that you will need to apply for Vietnam visa online if you are leaving from Australia as they don’t allow certain counters to enter without one nor apply for a visa on arrival. Your kids will need their own visas and passport too.
- Vietnam is mostly hot and tropical in the south but in the north temperatures can get quite low. This is one country where you may want to pack for hot, cool, and wet.