There are trips you plan for the photos, and then there are trips that change you.
Vietnam in 2025 isn’t just a cheap getaway. It’s a rite of passage. The kind where you wake up in a noisy Hanoi alley to the smell of strong coffee, where you get lost on a scooter and find a waterfall instead, where a woman at a roadside stall hands you a bowl of hot pho and it tastes like comfort, even though you’ve never had it before.
If you’re an Indian backpacker, on a student budget, a gap year break, or just craving something that feels real, Vietnam will spoil you. With its mix of dirt-cheap hostels, vegetarian-friendly street food, and adventures that don’t require a trust fund, it’s the Southeast Asian soul trip we’ve all secretly been hunting.
Let’s break down how to do it right.
Hanoi – Where the Chaos Feels Like Home
Imagine Chandni Chowk, only narrower, noisier, and somehow calmer.
That’s Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Motorbikes dart around you like bees, old men sip tea on plastic stools, and somewhere, a woman is balancing a yoke of bananas on her shoulder. Backpacker hostels here start at ₹500 a night, yes, you read that right. The social ones have rooftop bars, the quieter ones offer private bunks and breakfast with a view of the lake.
Food for the soul: Try pho chay (vegetarian pho), fresh spring rolls, or tofu bánh mì for ₹80 a pop. You’ll find at least five Jain-friendly joints around Hoan Kiem Lake alone.
Don’t miss: A slow cyclo ride through the French Quarter, dodging scooters while marveling at crumbling colonial balconies.
2. Da Nang – Beachside Bliss Without the Bali Price Tag
You know that beach moment? When the sun dips, the waves shimmer, and you wonder why you’ve never seen this side of life before.
That’s Da Nang.
Think Goa, minus the loud crowds. Stay in a breezy hostel like Rom Casa, built inside old shipping containers, with hammock zones and strong Wi-Fi for under ₹800. Or upgrade to a cozy guesthouse near My Khe Beach for ₹1,200, breakfast included.
Food tip: Grab a tofu bánh mì and head to the shore. Better yet, hunt down a local café serving vegetarian cao lầu noodles, fragrant with lemongrass and mushroom broth.
Adventure hack: Rent a scooter (₹400/day), ride the Hai Van Pass, and feel like you’re in a Netflix travel series, with a much smaller budget.
3. Hoi An – Lanterns, Rivers, and Recipes
Hoi An is Vietnam’s love letter. Cobbled streets, yellow buildings, and rivers glowing with floating lanterns, it’s like walking into a painting.
Budget stays like Tribee Bana or Backhome Hostel give you dorm beds from ₹700, plus free bikes to roam the town. LocalHi’s travellers often swear by their homestay connections, families who’ll cook you vegetarian meals, help you bargain at the market, and teach you to make peanut satay from scratch.
Cultural gold: Sign up for a cooking class with a local grandma. You’ll learn how to grind fresh spices, wrap spring rolls, and laugh at your clumsy knife skills. Bonus? All fully vegetarian. All delicious.
4. Phong Nha – Caves, Countryside, and Clean Air
This one’s for the wild hearts.
Phong Nha is where the road thins, the air clears, and the world gets a little quieter. It’s a land of caves, massive, humbling, alien, and rice fields that stretch forever.
Eco-lodges like Thien Thanh Hotel and Phong Nha Coco House are dreamy and affordable (₹1,200–₹1,800/night). It’s not flashy, but it feels good.
Adventure fix: Go caving with safety-certified guides, zipline over rivers, and swim in turquoise pools. End your day with a warm meal of lemongrass tofu, rice, and fresh juice from a roadside shack.
What It Costs (and What You’ll Save)
- Stay: ₹500–₹2,000 per night (dorms to eco-lodges)
- Food: ₹300–₹600/day for clean, tasty, veg eats
- Travel: ₹300–₹800 for city-to-city buses; scooters at ₹400/day
- Adventures: Caving, kayaking, biking — all under ₹2,000
Total daily budget? Around ₹1,500–₹2,200 if you play it smart. Less than a weekend in Lonavala.
For the Solos, the Skeptics, the First-Timers
Let’s be honest. Traveling alone, especially as an Indian, isn’t always smooth. You’re worried about getting scammed, not finding food that suits you, or just feeling out of place.
But Vietnam is different. People are kind, prices are transparent (most of the time), and with a few right moves, it becomes your playground.
What LocalHi does differently:
- Matches you with verified hostels and homestays (not just “top-rated” ones)
- Gives you access to vegetarian-friendly maps
- Sets up coworking spots if you’re working remotely
- Provides safety-checked adventure operators
- Keeps your support just a WhatsApp away
You won’t have to guess. You won’t have to settle.
So, Why Vietnam?
Because it reminds you of everything you love about India, heat, noise, food, people, and still feels like nothing you’ve ever seen.
It’s poetic without trying. Spiritual without being preachy. And affordable enough to make you feel rich in the things that matter: experience, story, stillness.
If there’s one budget trip you take in 2025, let it be this one.
