7 Days Budget Backpacker Vietnam: Hanoi to Saigon on $30-40/Day
A sleeper-train and bus itinerary hitting Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, and Saigon on a tight budget—with hostel picks, food costs, and transport hacks that actually work.
Backpacking Vietnam on $30–40 a day is doable if you skip hotel upsells, eat where locals eat, and use overnight transport to save on accommodation. This seven-day loop covers the classic north-central-south route: Hanoi's street food and colonial architecture, Hue's imperial tombs, Hoi An's lantern-lit old town, and Saigon's energy. Expect hostels, street food, and long travel days—but you'll see the bones of the country without breaking the bank.
Day 1 — Hanoi Arrival & Old Quarter
Land at Noi Bai airport (30 km north). Grab a shared minibus to the Old Quarter for 50,000 VND (~$2), or negotiate a taxi for 250,000–350,000 VND (~$10–14). Avoid Grab surge pricing on arrival day.
Stay at Old Quarter View Hanoi or Hanoi Old Quarter View (15–22 USD/night for a dorm). Both sit on Tran Hung Dao or nearby, loud but central. Drop your bag and walk to Hoan Kiem Lake—it's free and gives you a feel for the city. Grab lunch at a "com tam" stand near your hostel: jasmine-rice plate with grilled pork, egg, and pickled vegetables runs 25,000–40,000 VND (~$1–1.50).
Afternoon: wander Hang Buom and Hang Gai streets. Hit Tran Quoc Pagoda (free entry) on the north shore of Hoan Kiem if energy permits. Dinner: "pho" from any streetside vendor in the Old Quarter, 30,000–50,000 VND (~$1.25–2). Skip tourist restaurants on Luong Nhan; eat where taxi drivers eat.
Day 2 — Hanoi Walking Tour & Street Food
Book a free walking tour (join Old Quarter Hanoi or Hanoi Free Walking Tour, tips-based, ~100,000 VND expected). These run 2–3 hours and cover Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh Square, and colonial architecture—without the hostel markup. Afterward, explore Bat Trang ceramics market (if time; 30 min bus ride south, but skip if budget-tight).
Lunch: "banh mi" from a cart near Dong Xuan Market, 20,000–35,000 VND (~$0.80–1.40). Afternoon: visit Ben Thanh market's northern equivalent, Dong Xuan, for fresh fruit, coffee, and chaos.
Evening: street "ca phe sua da" (iced milk coffee) at a plastic-stool cafe, 15,000–25,000 VND (~$0.60–1). Dinner: "bia hoi" (fresh beer) at a corner stand with grilled pork skewers and vegetables, 40,000–60,000 VND (~$1.60–2.40) total. Sleep at the same hostel.
Day 3 — Night Train to Hue
Spend the morning visiting One Pillar Pagoda (free) or strolling Long Bien Bridge on foot (no entry fee). Lunch: "bun cha"—grilled pork with rice noodles, herbs, and dipping sauce—from a Hanoi institution like Bun Cha Ta or a streetside stand, 35,000–50,000 VND (~$1.40–2).
Head to Hanoi Station (Ga Ha Noi) by 4 p.m. for an overnight train to Hue. Book a soft sleeper (4-berth cabin) 2–3 days ahead via 12go.asia or the station directly: ~300,000–450,000 VND (~$12–18). Cheaper hard sleepers exist (6-berth) for ~200,000 VND, but soft sleeper is worth the extra $5 after two days of walking.
Board at 6 p.m., arrive Hue at 5:30 a.m. the next morning. Many backpackers skip dinner and sleep through; pack snacks (instant noodles, bread) or eat the train's basic rice boxes (50,000 VND).
Image by Cheong. Original uploader was Cheong Kok Chun at en.wikipedi via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Day 4 — Hue Imperial City & Tomb
Arrive early. Stash your bag at a hostel (book ahead: Hue Backpackers Hostel or Sunflower Hanoi Hue, 12–18 USD) and wash up. Grab breakfast "banh hoai" or "hu tieu" from a Hue street stand, 30,000–45,000 VND.
Visit the Imperial Citadel (180,000 VND entry, ~$7). Spend 2–3 hours exploring the thick walls, Forbidden City ruins, and gates. Lunch: "bun bo Hue"—spicy beef and rice noodles, Hue's signature dish—at a local place like Bun Bo Thanh Huong, 35,000–55,000 VND (~$1.40–2.20).
Afternoon: hire a bike taxi or motorbike for a half-day tour of royal tombs. Tomb of Tu Duc is the most intact (entrance 150,000 VND). Negotiate a motorbike driver for 150,000–200,000 VND (~$6–8) for 3–4 hours including multiple tombs. Dinner: street "banh chung" or a rice plate with vegetables, 30,000–50,000 VND. Return to hostel.
Day 5 — Sleeper Bus to Hoi An
No need to rush. Spend the morning at a cafe or revisit the Citadel. Catch a midday minibus or sleeper coach south to Hoi An (3.5 hours, ~150 km). Book the night before: Sinh Tourist or Futa offer semi-sleepers for 150,000–250,000 VND (~$6–10). Arrive late afternoon.
Check into Hoi An Backpackers or Cosy Hanoi Hotel Hoi An annex (12–16 USD dorm). Walk the lantern-lit Old Town immediately—it's free to roam and magical at dusk. Dinner: "cao lau"—noodles with pork, herbs, and crispy croutons, eaten wet or dry—at any Old Town restaurant. Prices jump in the tourist zone, but 50,000–70,000 VND (~$2–2.80) for tourist-quality portions. Eat off-main-street for 35,000–50,000 VND.
Day 6 — Hoi An & Countryside
Wake early and grab "banh mi" from a cart outside the Old Town for 20,000 VND. Visit Hoi An Old Town Museum (100,000 VND, includes entry to 5 historic buildings) or skip and wander free. The Japanese Bridge, Assembly Halls, and ancient shophouses are best seen on foot.
Hire a bicycle (20,000–40,000 VND/day) and pedal to nearby villages: Tra Que herb village (30 min south), or simply ride the back roads toward rice paddies. Lunch in a farming hamlet: rice and vegetables, 25,000–40,000 VND.
Return by 4 p.m. Afternoon: sit at a riverside cafe with egg coffee or hot coffee. Evening: "goi cuon"—fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce—from a street vendor, 20,000–30,000 VND (~$0.80–1.20). Sleep in Hoi An.
Image by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Day 7 — Sleeper Bus to Saigon
Final breakfast in Hoi An: "banh hoai" (crispy pancake with shrimp and pork, Hoi An's other signature) from a cart, 30,000–45,000 VND. Check out and head to the bus station (2 km west, local bus 1 or 3, 5,000 VND; or walk 25 min).
Catch an afternoon or early-evening sleeper bus to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): 12 hours, ~650 km. Futa, Sinh Tourist, or Kumho offer semi-sleepers (250,000–400,000 VND, ~$10–16). Book the night before. Arrive in Saigon around 6–7 a.m. the next morning.
If you have a hard deadline and must stay Day 7, skip the bus: spend a second night in Hoi An (12–16 USD), and take a day bus to Saigon on Day 8. Either way, you'll arrive in Saigon ready for street food and the chaos.
Budget Breakdown ($30–40/day)
- Hostel dorm: 12–18 USD/night (6 nights) = 72–108 USD
- Food: 8–12 USD/day (7 days) = 56–84 USD
- Transport: Train Hanoi–Hue (12 USD), minibus Hue–Hoi An (6 USD), sleeper bus Hoi An–Saigon (13 USD) = ~31 USD
- Attractions: Imperial Citadel Hue (7 USD), royal tombs motorbike (8 USD), Hoi An buildings (3.50 USD), misc. = ~20 USD
- Contingency/coffee/tips: 15–20 USD
Total: ~215–260 USD (7 days), or ~31–37 USD/day. Many backpackers trim this by skipping paid attractions or bunking in cheaper dorms.
Practical Notes
Book trains and sleeper buses 2–3 days ahead via 12go.asia or at ticket offices; overnight travel saves accommodation costs and gets you distance. Hostels offer daily breakfast, so you save on Day 1–2 and Day 5. Street food is always cheaper than tourist restaurants; eat where locals queue. Vietnam is safe for solo backpackers; use common sense with valuables in crowded buses and markets. Hue in summer is brutally hot; May–October are rainy.
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