In most tourist destinations, you have to splurge for luxury. In Vietnam, it comes for far less than you’d expect. In 2024, more than 17 million international travelers visited the Southeast Asian nation, drawn by boutique hotels with rooftop pools, multicourse tasting menus and guided cruises with stunning natural beauty at a fraction of what travelers spend elsewhere in Asia or in Europe.
That mix of abundance and accessibility, putting luxury within reach even for cost-conscious travelers, has made Vietnam one of the standout destinations of 2025. A trip here feels indulgent without requiring deep pockets, whether you opt for a private cabin on a Ha Long Bay cruise or a Michelin-starred tasting menu in Ho Chi Minh City.
What a trip really costs
Mid-range travelers spend about $65 a day, while backpackers manage on $24. On the other hand, $50-$90 a day covers boutique hotels, good local restaurants and ride booking apps. Value here doesn’t mean compromise, though. Every meal, excursion and hotel stay still feels exceptional.
“I’m used to traveling on a budget,” says Rosanne Lurie, a Berkeley, Calif., career counselor and avid world traveler, “and I loved how my visit to Vietnam afforded great cultural exploration and comfort without feeling stretched.”
High-end hotels at low-end prices
Hotels are where Vietnam’s affordable luxury is most obvious. In Hanoi, one of the more expensive cities in Vietnam, four‑star hotels in the Old Quarter, like Hanoi Lotus Boutique Hotel, can be found for $40 per night, while some swankier five-star options, such as L’HÔTEL du LAC Hanoi, hover near $150. Hanoi Le Château hits the sweet spot in the middle, running around $100.
On the coast, sleek resorts like Da Nang’s Naman Retreat offer beach access, stunning sea views and private yoga and cooking classes, all for around $150 per night. Steps from My Khe Beach, Salmalia Boutique Hotel & Spa offers chic, well-appointed rooms in a lush garden setting with an outdoor pool for just $60.
What sets Vietnam hotels apart is the value that’s built in. You get rooftop infinity pools with sparkling city views, private beaches and lavish breakfast buffets with juicy tropical fruit, flaky pastries, sweet custards and steaming bowls of pho made to order.
Fine dining or street food, both at a bargain
Anan Saigon, a Ho Chi Minh City restaurant offering tasting menus that reimagine humble classics like pho and banh mi, earned the country’s first Michelin star in 2023. Starting at $95 per person, it isn’t cheap, but it’s far less than comparable restaurants in Paris or Bangkok.
At the other end of the spectrum, street food is astonishingly cheap. A bowl of the Hanoi specialty bun cha, rice noodles with grilled pork patties, runs about $2. And bia hơi, the country’s fresh-brewed draft beer, still sells for under 50 cents a glass.
Sightseeing wonders at everyday prices
Many of Vietnam’s best-known experiences are also among the most affordable. A $5 ticket grants entry to five of Hoi An’s 22 historic sites. You can experience the city’s old-school charm, wandering the lantern-lit alleys and riverside walkways, for free.
Ha Long Bay delivers spectacle. The drama of its limestone karsts rising from emerald waters is best seen by boat. A full-day cruise costs under $50, while an overnight trip, including all meals and a private cabin, can be had for around $100. It’s one of the most stunning and photographed landscapes in Southeast Asia, and it remains remarkably accessible.
In Hue, the Imperial City offers a different kind of grandeur. For about $7.50, visitors can wander palaces and temples that recall Vietnam’s royal past, with ornate mosaics and battle-scarred walls telling stories of both splendor and war.
In Ninh Binh province, karsts tower over rice paddies and winding rivers, ancient temples lie tucked into limestone caves and endangered monkeys put on a show high on the craggy cliffs. A sampan boat ride through the Trang An grottoes costs less than $15.
Together, these sites make up a portfolio of UNESCO World Heritage destinations that rival Europe’s, but without the price barrier. That affordability makes it possible for travelers to see and do more on a single trip.
Affordable indulgence, everywhere you look
The surprise in Vietnam isn’t just how affordable it is, but how rich the experiences feel. In Ho Chi Minh City, a one-hour massage at the serene Temple Leaf Spa runs about $15. In Hoi An, a four-hour package at Five Senses Spa, which includes a massage, body scrub, facial, manicure and pedicure, costs around $50.
Private sampan rides through the Mekong Delta rarely top $20, and half-day cooking classes average $40. A multi-day motorbike tour through the northern mountains, complete with guides and homestays, costs less than a ticket to a Broadway show. Travelers can gain both a deeper connection to local life and hands-on skills while keeping their budget in check.
And then there’s the shopping. In Hoi An, tailors line the streets offering custom-made clothing delivered in 24 hours at very affordable prices. A bespoke men’s suit or formal women’s dress, for example, goes for around $100. Saigon’s stalls are stacked with everything from Vietnamese candies and coffee to knock-off designer bags, jade carvings and gold jewelry. The low prices might even inspire you to spend $10 on an extra suitcase to bring your treasures home.
More travelers are catching on
Word has gotten out about Vietnam’s value. International arrivals topped 17.5 million in 2024, up nearly 40% from the year before, according to market research firm B-Company.
Round-trip flights from San Francisco or Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City average $800 to $1,200, according to flight-tracking site Kayak. They may cost more than tickets to Europe, but once in Vietnam, in-country flights linking Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City often cost less than $100.
Long-distance trains and buses are even cheaper. The luxury Lotus Train from Ninh Binh to Hue offers comfortable private cabins for the overnight ride. For less than the price of a short flight and hotel stay, you’ll fall asleep in a cozy bunk, lulled by the train’s steady rumble, wake to complimentary breakfast pastries and arrive at 9 a.m., ready for a day of sightseeing.
The new value equation
Vietnam flips the idea that you have to trade comfort for low prices. Here, frugal travel feels generous. It’s that equation, more luxury for less money, that keeps Vietnam high on global travel lists.
Vietnam offers a vacation that feels both lavish and loaded with bucket-list experiences, while still fitting a mid-range budget. For cost-conscious travelers who want to feel pampered, Vietnam is the Asian destination where luxury travel is, indeed, surprisingly affordable.
Robin Donovan is a food and travel writer, a bestselling cookbook author and the founder of All Ways Delicious, a website loaded with easy recipes from around the world. Her writing is featured in major media outlets, including Chicago Sun-Times, Huffington Post, MSN, Seattle Times, Cooking Light, PopSugar, Fitness, SF Gate, Mercury News and many others.
The post The Asian destination where luxury travel is surprisingly affordable appeared first on Food Drink Life.