Digital Nomad Vietnam: One-Month Plan

Thirty days based in Ho Chi Minh City with weekend trips. The realistic month-long remote-work itinerary — on a 90-day e-visa, because Vietnam has no confirmed long-stay nomad visa.

Published 2026-05-17· 9 min read· Vietnam Knowledge

Last reviewed: 21 May 2026Report outdated info

Vietnam is a serious digital nomad destination — but not because of a Thailand-style 5-year remote-worker visa. Vietnam has no confirmed general-purpose digital nomad visa; remote workers cycle the 90-day e-visa, which is a legal grey zone for actual work but is what almost everyone uses. Read the digital nomad reality check before assuming any long-stay route exists.

This itinerary assumes you want to work most weekdays and travel light at weekends. HCMC is the standard base because of internet speed, coworking density and flight connectivity; Hanoi is the alternative.

The shape of the trip

Week 1: Settle in HCMC, set up routines. Week 2: HCMC base, weekend in Mui Ne or Vung Tau. Week 3: HCMC weekdays, fly to Hoi An for the weekend. Week 4: Move to Hanoi for the final week with a Ha Long weekend.

This gives you a steady workweek and one strong weekend trip per week without losing too much productivity to transit.

Week-by-week

Week	Base	Pattern
1	HCMC	District 3 or 7 serviced apartment, coworking signup, weekend at home
2	HCMC	Standard workweek + 2-night Mui Ne or Vung Tau weekend
3	HCMC	Workweek + Hoi An weekend (fly Fri eve, return Sun eve)
4	Hanoi	Move Mon morning, Hanoi workweek, Ha Long Bay weekend

Where to stay in HCMC

District 1: central, expensive, tourist heavy. Good for short stays.
District 3: quieter, French villas, lots of cafes. The nomad sweet spot.
Thao Dien (District 2): expat enclave east of the river. Quietest, leafiest, most international restaurants. 20-minute Grab to district 1.
Phu My Hung (District 7): modern, planned, sterile. Good for families. Far from the action.

Serviced apartments on Booking.com for monthly rates: budget USD 600-900/month for a studio in district 3 or 7; mid-range USD 900-1,500 for a 1-bed.

Coworking spaces

Dreamplex (multiple HCMC locations): the original, well-organised, USD 150-200/month.
The Hive (Thao Dien): leafy, international community.
Toong (multiple HCMC and Hanoi): boutique, very Vietnamese aesthetic.
WeWork (HCMC and Hanoi): standard global product.
CirCO (HCMC): tech-startup feel, popular with founders.

Cafes are also workable: The Workshop (district 1), Loft (Saigon), Things Cafe (Thao Dien). Most have wifi 50-200 Mbps.

Internet, SIM, banking

Mobile data: Viettel monthly unlimited at USD 6-10. Tourist SIM from airport works for the first day; switch to a registered SIM at any Viettel store with passport.
Home internet: any serviced apartment in district 3 or Thao Dien will have 100+ Mbps fibre. Test before signing.
VPN: Vietnam blocks no major work tool but slows some (Slack occasionally, Google Drive rarely). A VPN smooths this; ExpressVPN and Mullvad both work consistently.
Banking: open a Timo account if staying long term (entirely app-based, English-friendly). Otherwise Wise/Revolut + ATM withdrawals from Sacombank, TPBank, MB Bank (lowest fees).

Weekend trips from HCMC

Mui Ne (3-hour drive): kitesurfing, dunes, beach. Take a Limousine van Friday evening, return Sunday evening.
Vung Tau (2-hour drive): beach city, cheaper and faster than Mui Ne. Less interesting.
Hoi An (1-hour flight + 45 min): UNESCO town and beach. Flights from USD 40 each way booked early.
Da Lat (1-hour flight or 6-hour bus): highlands, coffee farms, cool weather respite.
Phu Quoc (1-hour flight): beach weekend at JW Marriott or budget bungalow.
Phnom Penh (1-hour flight): for a Cambodia weekend stamp.

Estimated monthly cost

Mid-range single nomad in HCMC district 3:

Item	USD
Serviced apartment	800-1,200
Coworking	150-200
Food (mixed cafe, restaurant, occasional cook)	400-600
Mobile and home internet	30
Local Grab and taxis	100-150
Two weekend trips (flights + 2 nights)	250-450
Hanoi week (apartment + flights both ways)	350-500
Coffee and gym	100-150
Total	2,180-3,280

Frugal nomads can hit USD 1,400/month on this pattern; comfortable ones USD 4,000.

Visa logistics

30-day e-visa: USD 25, multi-entry available, fine for a short stay.
90-day e-visa: USD 50, multi-entry. The standard route for a month-plus remote-work stay.
No confirmed long-stay nomad visa. Vietnam has discussed special visa-exemption categories (sometimes called UĐ1 / UĐ2) for invited specialists / recognised talent — these are narrow, not a general remote-worker route. Online claims of a "Vietnam DTV" / "5-year digital talent visa" usually conflate Thailand's DTV (which is real) with Vietnam's situation. See the reality check.
Visa runs: if your e-visa expires, exit by air to Bangkok, Phnom Penh or Singapore and re-enter on a new e-visa. Land borders also work. This is the practical pattern for stays beyond 90 days; it's a grey zone, not formal authorisation.

When to do this trip

December-March is the southern dry season: low humidity, sunny, comfortable working weather. April-May is hot but bearable. June-October is the wet season (humid, daily heavy afternoon showers); still workable if you do not mind. Hanoi is the opposite pattern: best October-April for the cool dry months.