Tips for Travelling Vietnam with Kids

One of the biggest concerns many people come to me with is, is travelling Vietnam safe with kids. Especially with little kids. Our boys were aged 4 & 1 on our trip and I can comfortably say, based on our experience, that Vietnam is very kid-friendly!

However, as with all travel destinations, there are always some things that can make your trip easier. Here are my tips for travelling Vietnam with kids:

1. 👶🏼 Take a carrier for young kids! Many of the streets aren’t designed for prams & you’ll likely do a lot of walking. You'll also want a carrier if you choose to go on any hikes. We even used our carrier when some of the bikes didn't have a child seat available!

2. 🚲 Embrace the local transport. Cars don’t often have seatbelts & good luck finding one with a car seat! Bikes are great way to thoroughly explore a city and train travel, while not alway comfortable, is a convenient way to travel longer distances.

3. 💦 Book accommodation with a pool! Vietnam is very hot & humid, so being able to enjoy a swim in-between exploring is a great way for the whole family to cool down. We spent a lot of time by the pool when our youngest had naps in the room.

4. 💛 Be aware that the Vietnamese people will love your kids. This isn't necessarily something to be afraid of, more just aware. Since our boys are both very blonde, many of the Vietnamese people loved interacting and taking photos of them.

5. 🍼 How to get baby supplies: You'll be able to find general baby supplies (nappies, wipes, formula) in the major cities, however this might be more difficult in remote areas. If you're partial to a particular brand, you may want to take enough from home for your trip.

6. ⚖️ Balance your days. There is always so much to see and do while exploring Vietnam, but mixing in relaxation between adventures will keep everyone happy!

7. 🥞 Book accommodation with breakfast included! This is a big one if your kids need breakfast when you first wake up. A typical breakfast in Vietnam is Pho, which your kids might not be fond of first thing in the morning. Alternatively, many of the mini marts & 7/11s stock cereals, bread and yoghurt so you can always stock up on supplies yourself.

8. 😴 Baby cots are not always guaranteed. While we were able to have a cot in most of our accommodations, occasionally one was not available or offered. In these cases our 1 year old ended up sharing our bed!

9. 🍽️ If you have picky eaters: This is certainly something we had to navigate in Vietnam. We found that feeding our kids before heading out for local Vietnamese food worked really well. Then, while we enjoyed our dinner, our boys enjoyed an ice cream from a mini mart.