Cash, cards and tipping in Hanoi

How do tourists pay in Vietnam?

With a mix of cash and cards. Cash in small notes covers street food, markets, cyclos and buses; cards cover hotels, most restaurants, shops and tour desks; app rides take card or cash.

The table shows what works where in Hanoi, and whether a tip is expected. Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted cards. Some notes of very different value look alike in colour, so check the zeros before you hand one over.

How should you use ATMs and card machines in Hanoi?

Withdraw from bank ATMs and always choose to be charged in dong. Do the same at card machines: paying in your home currency adds a worse exchange rate.

ATMs are easy to find in the Old Quarter and the French Quarter. Fees for foreign cards differ a lot between banks, and some machines show the fee before you confirm, so read the screen. When the machine offers to convert the amount into your home currency, decline and choose dong. Use machines inside banks or hotels where you can, and take a few larger notes to change into small ones at a shop or your hotel.

At restaurants and shops, the card machine may also ask which currency you want. Choose dong every time. Tell your bank you are travelling, and keep a second card in your room in case one is blocked.

Can you pay with a QR code in Hanoi?

Only with a Vietnamese bank app or a supported foreign app. VietQR codes are everywhere, even at market stalls, but an ordinary Visa or Mastercard cannot pay them.

Cross-border QR links let visitors from China, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia pay VietQR codes with apps from home. If your app is not one of these, pay in cash or by card. Vietnamese visitors from other provinces can pay almost anywhere with their usual bank app.

Do not assume a stall takes cards just because it shows a QR code. Ask first, or simply have small notes ready.

What do the entry fees at Hanoi sights cost?

Small. The Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, the Imperial Citadel and the bridge to Ngoc Son Temple charge a small entry fee at the gate. The mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda and the lakeside need no ticket.

Students pay a reduced rate at the Temple of Literature with a valid card. Night tours cost more than a day visit: the Temple of Literature night tour, for example, costs more than a daytime ticket. Bring cash for the ticket desks; some take cards, but do not count on it.

The official sites list hours and ticket rules: the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison and the Imperial Citadel.

What do Hanoi tours include, so you carry less cash?

Most tours include the entry fees on their route, and many include food and drinks. Check the includes list: water puppet tickets, some museum tickets and the electric car at Ba Dinh are often extra.

• Full-day tour: the full-day city tour includes admission fees, water and an eight-dish set lunch. A holiday surcharge applies at Christmas, New Year and Tet.
• Half-day tour: the half-day tour includes the Temple of Literature entry and one drink. The Ho Chi Minh Museum and Stilt House tickets, the electric car and water puppets are not included.
• Street food tour: the street food walk covers seven or more dishes and drinks, so you need no cash for food that evening.
• Water puppets: the puppet ticket is paid ahead; you collect the paper ticket 30 minutes before the show on Lo Su Street.
• Hop-on hop-off: the bus pass covers the bus only, not entry tickets.

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Should you book Hanoi tours online before you arrive?

For popular tours and busy dates, yes. You pay by card online, see the live price on each listing, and every tour here gives a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.

Booking ahead means less cash to carry and no price to discuss on the day. In general a hop-on hop-off pass costs less than most guided tours, a puppet ticket and a street-food walk sit at the lower end, jeep and motorbike tours cost more, and a private tour costs more per person than a shared one but less per head for a family. The live price is on each listing.

The water puppet show is the one ticket worth booking well ahead at busy times. Which tour suits you is in Hanoi city tours compared and is a Hanoi city tour worth it.

Do you tip tour guides and drivers in Vietnam?

Tipping is not required, but guides and drivers appreciate it. Tip in cash at the end of the tour if you enjoyed it; there is no set amount.

• Guides: a tip at the end of a tour you enjoyed is a kind thank-you. Hand it over discreetly, with a word of thanks.
• Drivers: tip the driver separately on a private tour or a long day.
• Restaurants: not expected. Check the bill first, as some places add a service charge.
• App rides: not expected; you can round up or add a tip in the app.
• Hotels: porters and housekeeping appreciate a small tip.
• Spas: tips are common and appreciated.

How do you haggle politely at Hanoi markets?

Smile, ask the price, offer a little less, and settle calmly. Haggling is normal at markets and souvenir stalls, but not at food stalls, shops with fixed prices or for app rides.

At Dong Xuan Market and the Old Quarter souvenir stalls, the first price leaves room to talk. Decide what an item is worth to you, keep the tone light, and walk away politely if you cannot agree. Once a price is agreed, pay it. Carry small notes so you can pay the exact amount.

Do not haggle over a bowl of pho or a coffee: food prices are already low and fixed. For a cyclo, agree the total price, the route and the time before you get in. Calm tips like these are in what to avoid in Hanoi.

Frequently asked questions