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Mobile internet in Vietnam: What is the best option?
Stef Manea, our expert Vietnam travel writer, has done the research so you don’t have to. Let Stef walk you through your best options for internet in Vietnam.
Staying connected with reliable travel internet in Vietnam is a must-have for tourists. You’ll need it for everything from translating signage and finding your next hiking path to understanding local customs, digesting menus, and of course, staying in touch with family back home.
However, spending hours online will quickly eat into your travel funds if you’re not buying data wisely.
This guide explores the popular mobile internet options for tourists in Vietnam so you can avoid the often outrageous roaming charges applied by your home carrier and keep enjoying the data usage you’re used to while traveling through Vietnam.
Travel Vietnam with Holafly in hand
How to get internet in Vietnam as a tourist?
When it comes to travel internet for tourists in Vietnam, you’ve got five options — international data roaming, a local SIM, eSIM, pocket WiFi, and public WiFi hotspots.
Let’s explore how they compare against each other so you can choose the best option for your travel style, Vietnam internet usage patterns, and budget.
Here’s everything you need to know summed up in the table below.
| International roaming | eSIM card | SIM card | Pocket WiFi | Free WiFi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Depends on provider. For example, Verizon offers roaming plans starting at $2.40 per GB or $12 per day | Starting from $1.55/day, or $6.90 for 1 day | The SIM card itself costs $2 (USD). After you buy a SIM card, you’ll need to purchase paid plans. Mobile data pricing starts at $0.20 for 1 GB. | $6–$7.95 per day, additional fees for deposit/insurance | Free |
| Where to buy | Activate it through your current provider | Purchase online (e.g., Holafly) and activate via QR code | Airports, convenience stores, carrier stores, or online (e.g., Amazon, kkday.com) | Rent online (TraveWiFi, WiFi4Asia), ship to Vietnam, or pick up | Hotels, cafes, restaurants, airports, internet cafes |
| Pros | ✅Easy activation ✅No SIM swapping required | ✅Easy activation ✅Unlimited data ✅Fully digital | ✅Affordable options available ✅Good coverage in rural and urban areas | ✅Good for groups ✅Connects multiple devices | ✅Free ✅ Widely available in urban areas |
| Cons | ❌Expensive ❌Data caps ❌Possible hidden fees | ❌ Only works with eSIM-compatible devices | ❌ Requires physical pickup ❌ May not be easy to top up ❌ SIM registration required | ❌Bulky to carry ❌ Requires deposits/insure | ❌Inconsistent speed and quality ❌Security risks with public networks |
Using international roaming in Vietnam
Using international roaming for your Vietnam trip is pretty pricey. Take Verizon, for example—they charge $2.05 per MB if you go the pay-as-you-go route, which adds up to a whopping $2,050 per GB. They also offer some prepaid international plans that could help you cut back on your expenses.
For $100 a month, you get 20 GB of high-speed internet. After you hit the data cap, your speed slows down, but you’re looking at around $5 per GB for high-speed internet, plus calls and texts.
If you’re on a shorter trip, Verizon’s TravelPass plan starts at $12 a day and gives you unlimited data, calls, and texts.
There’s a 5 GB daily data cap, though, so once you go over that, your browsing speed drops. This plan costs about $2.40 per GB of high-speed internet.
Buy an eSIM card for Vietnam: The most popular option
Instead of traveling with a constant fear of hidden costs and exorbitant roaming phone bills, many travelers today opt for an eSIM (embeddable SIM).
With an eSIM, you don’t have to share any personal details, you can pay as you go, and activate your eSIM by simply scanning the QR code in your purchase confirmation email — no waiting around for it to be delivered, the software is already in most modern phones!
If you go with a top travel eSIM provider like Holafly, you’ll get reliable coverage and internet speed without changing mobile providers, swapping physical SIM cards, or relying on costly roaming fees.
Holafly’s eSIM offers flexible pricing plans tailored to your travel needs. Choose the number of days you want your eSIM to be active, ranging from 1 to 90 days.
You’ll only pay for the exact duration you need, with the option to top up if your plans change. The longer your plan, the lower the daily cost.
All plans include unlimited data across Vietnam and the option to share up to 500 MB with a secondary device like your iPad, laptop, or a friend in need.
Here are some pricing examples:
| Plan validity | Price per day | Total plan price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | $6.90 | N/A |
| 5 days | $4.18 | $20.90 |
| 7 days | $4.27 | $29.90 |
| 14 days | $3.42 | $47.90 |
| 30 days | $2.50 | $74.90 |
| 90 days | $1.55 | $139.90 |
Buy a SIM card for Vietnam
One popular way to get internet in Vietnam is by grabbing a local Vietnam SIM card. You can usually pick one up right at the airport, convenience stores, or official carrier stores.
You can also order one online before your trip and have it ready for you when you land if you’ve got a local address to send it to.
Most tourist SIM cards aren’t designed for top-ups. So, know exactly how much data you’ll be using up front — or risk paying for more than what you need.
You surely don’t want to be left without data when you’re roaming the streets of Ho Chi Minh City or ticking off another item from your bucket list of things to do in Vietnam.
Before purchasing a local SIM, please note that you’ll need your passport to register your SIM card, providers have limited top-up options, and activating SIMs can be a hassle with instructions often provided in the local language (Vietnamese). Besides all of that, your phone may not even support another SIM card!
Local internet providers in Vietnam
Let’s look at the three providers in more detail:
- Viettel: It’s the largest operator in Vietnam with the best coverage, especially in rural areas. It starts at 5,000 VND (~$0.20) for 1 GB of data and one-day validity.
- Vinaphone: Another popular operator, this is the only network that supports 5G. Their 1 GB data plan with a 10-day validity period is priced at 30,000 VND (~$1.18).
- Mobifone: Similar to Viettel, Mobifone’s data plans start at around 5,000 VND (~$0.20) for a one-day plan with 1 GB of mobile data.
To use any of the plans above, you’ll need a Vietnamese number. To get one, go to any shop selling SIM cards, bring your passport, and purchase a SIM card for around $2.
Viettel is a top option if you plan to visit rural areas and Vinaphone is popular if you’re a heavy data user. Their unlimited data plans are affordable and their coverage is a top contender.
However, your itinerary will look different depending on the time of year you visit Vietnam, so keep this in mind for the coverage you’ll need.
If you go for a local SIM, use a dual SIM phone to keep your home number active and contact your carrier for an unlock code before your trip.
Rent a pocket WiFi
If you’re traveling as a group, or have several gadgets that require active internet connections, you’d do well with pocket WiFi.
Pocket WiFi costs vary depending on provider, data plan, and speed that internet users need. Delivery fees, deposits, and damage insurance can also add to your total costs.
If you’re traveling from the US or Europe, you can use services like TraveWiFi, which offer delivery to the US and Europe. Their plans start at $7.95 for 1 GB per day.
If you’d prefer to pick up your pocket WiFi device in Vietnam, then you could opt for providers like WiFi4Asia.
If you dislike hauling another device around while walking the streets of Vietnam but need to share data with other devices, opt for an eSIM plan with a data tethering allowance instead.
With the Holafly eSIM for Vietnam, you get 500 MB per day to share with others.
Limitless data, endless adventures
Stream, scroll, and share as you please. With Holafly, your data is always unlimited.
Use WiFi hotspots
If you only plan to tour the urban parts of Vietnam, then you’ll find free WiFi in many places — from the moment you land at the airport to your hotel, cafes, and restaurants.
If you’re in a rural area, you can get free WiFi at internet cafes, (usually next to the post office). If you have an Android device, you can also use a service like Wiman to find free hotspots in Vietnam.
Be warned: While Vietnam has a lot more free WiFi hotspots when compared to its neighboring countries, the quality and speed can vary.
Also, keep in mind this option runs a high privacy risk for most internet users — so you’ll want to avoid sharing sensitive information when using these public WiFi hotspots.
To combat this, you can try installing a VPN for a little extra security. Vietnam has one of the strictest internet censorship laws.
This means that access to certain news outlets and websites — Medium, Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International, and more — may be blocked or restricted. A VPN can help you browse both securely and at your leisure.
What’s the best option for travel internet in Vietnam?
If you want reliable, unlimited data for cheap, consider an unlimited data eSIM.
With an eSIM, you can hold onto your permanent phone number, and the unlimited data will come in handy — at the very least eliminating browsing worries!
We don’t recommend relying solely on free WiFi hotspots. The internet speed is slow and this type of browsing poses a huge security risk to your personal data.
Traveling to Vietnam? Save a seat for Holafly!
Before we buckle up and head to the Land of Lights, let’s set you up for the online part of your trip. Make sure your phone is eSIM-compatible, and buy yourself a Holafly Vietnam eSIM.
Access affordable, unlimited data plans — no lock-in contracts, no hidden fees, and no data caps. Simply scan your QR code and you can enjoy high-speed, reliable internet access across the country.
Travel Vietnam with Holafly in hand
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Living in Romania's only coastal city, Constanta, Stefania Manea has been in the content marketing space for 9 years. She discovered her passion for writing while studying Maritime Engineering, which led her to switch her career path and join the marketing industry. Since then, she has relentlessly written copy and content for renowned brands in the B2B SaaS landscape, including MarkUp.io, Toggl, MarineTraffic, Route4Me, and Insense. She values creativity, loves horror novels, and occasionally believes in ghosts!
