The 5-minute briefing

First time in Saigon?

Read this on the plane. It covers the things that actually catch people out.

Checked August 2026

Your first three hours

1
Immigration

Have your e-visa printed or downloaded. Phone batteries die at the worst moment and the queue is not where you want to discover that.
2
Connectivity

An eSIM bought before you fly is the least painful option. Otherwise buy a local SIM in the arrivals hall — you want data before you need a ride.

If you buy a physical SIM, do not leave the shop until it is registered to your passport. Registration is required in Vietnam, the shop does it for you, and an unregistered number can be cut off weeks later — by which time you are in another city and the number is on everything.
3
Money

Withdraw at a bank ATM in the terminal. Take a moderate amount, not a fortune. Ask for smaller notes if you get the choice.
4
Getting to your hotel

Book through a ride-hailing app so the price is agreed before you get in. Match the plate number.
5
Your first meal

Do not eat at the hotel. Walk out, find the busiest small place on the street and point at what the next table is having.

The whole city is walkable.

The centre is. Beyond that, distances that look short on a map are 25 minutes in 34°C heat.

Street food will make me ill.

A busy cart with high turnover is often safer than a quiet restaurant. Follow the queue, and the local lunch hour.

I'm a millionaire — look at these numbers.

The notes have a lot of zeros. Learn the colours, and check the number of digits before handing anything over.

Rainy season means the trip is ruined.

It usually means a heavy downpour in the afternoon that passes. You plan around an hour, not a fortnight.

Everyone speaks English.

In hotels and tourist cafés, largely. In the neighbourhood restaurant where the food is best, often not at all.

That is the briefing. The full guide has the neighbourhoods, the costs, the food and everything else.