Vietnam Overnight Bus Guide for Solo Travelers

Vietnam’s one of the countries famous for its overnight buses (aka sleeper buses), and for good reason! They’re reasonably priced, go basically everywhere, and it’s a great way to see the country– much better than flying everywhere, especially if you have the time.

Lately I’ve been seeing some videos on TikTok and Youtube about tourists getting into strange situations on these overnight buses, and I wanted to write about my own experiences and give some advice for those who might be worried about taking an overnight bus in Vietnam for the first time.

I traveled in Vietnam for about 4 months total, including one month of multiple overnight buses all along the country, so I do have quite a bit of experience. In this post I’ll talk about what it’s like going on an overnight bus, some of the routes you’ll probably want to take, what to bring with you on the bus, and how to deal with some potential problems you may run into.

Just Gone Wandering is supported by readers! This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy something, I get a small percentage at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep this blog running— thank you! Read full disclosure here.

Overnight Bus Types

Vietnam buses have different comfort levels depending on the ticket type. Generally, for overnight buses, you’ll see the following types of tickets:

Sleeper, which has tiny (tiny!) beds in three rows. You’ll have a pillow/blanket, and a charging port for your phone. You might get privacy curtains on certain bus lines, but it’s not guaranteed. The aisles in these buses are tiny, and if you’re claustrophobic I recommend going up one level to…

VIP Cabin, which is the highest-priced (usually $25-35 USD) and most comfortable. You’ll have your own bunk, which includes privacy curtains and a charger, and a TV screen that may or may not play Vietnamese movies. There’s only two rows of bunks so there’s less people overall on the bus, and usually they’ll have a toilet somewhere in the back (though it may not be open).

The VIP Cabins may have another level which is VIP Double, aka slightly larger mattresses.

For myself, I prefer a bit of extra comfort and upgrading to VIP Cabin usually wasn’t a big deal (as I was also saving on a hotel room for the night, remember!) so I always went with that level.

Some Typical Overnight Bus Routes

Vietnam has an extensive bus system, and you can pretty much find a bus going somewhere multiple times a day and at several different comfort levels. But if you’re a tourist, then you’re probably going to be taking at least one of these routes during your trip to Vietnam.

Hanoi to Ha Giang

This is a VERY typical route to get up to Ha Giang for the Ha Giang Loop Tour! There’s actually a day bus route and a night bus route. If you’re short on time then you’ll probably take the night bus, which drops you off at the Ha Giang hostel early in the morning (like 2am) of the first day of your tour.

If you have more time on your trip and don’t mind paying for an extra night at the hostel, I recommend taking the day bus instead. It’ll give you the chance to actually have a decent night’s sleep before your tour starts! (That’s what I did.)

Travel time: 5-6 hours

This is a very popular route and you can get all sort of deals to get up there either on your own or as part of a tour; I booked my ticket as part of my Ha Giang Loop tour, through the tour company itself. It was kind of a funny trip because I started out on the cheaper sleeper bus– the kind with 3 rows and VERY narrow bunks, and then partway through the trip they switched me over to my VIP cabin bus (2 rows and basically twin-sized mattress).

Ninh Binh/Tam Coc to Hue

People usually stop at Ninh Binh (staying in nearby Tam Coc) to do a day tour of the area (recommended!) and then move onwards to Hue. I enjoyed my time in Tam Coc and I’d definitely go back to explore the area more!

Travel time: 15-18 hours

You can read my full review of this overnight bus route here! I booked my VIP ticket through my hostel and it included a ride to the bus “station” (which is the center of town, basically) AND a snack bag! Super nice.

As an alternative, you could take the train, though it’s about the same duration.

Hoi An to Dalat

Hoi An is a very nice town in central Vietnam (which I recommend visiting), and Dalat is a wonderful mountain town about halfway between Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. If you’re overheating because of the intense Vietnamese heat, then heading to Dalat for a few days to cool down is a good idea! (More about cooler cities in Southeast Asia here.)

Travel time: about 17 hours

Read my full review of this overnight bus here! This was one of the more intense routes I took in Vietnam. Because Dalat is up a mountain, the bus has to GO UP THE MOUNTAIN which means a lot of spiraling around mountain roads. I recommend getting a bottom bunk if you can.

Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City

Once you’re done cooling off, head back into urban life and take this bus to Ho Chi Minh City!

Travel time: 7-9 hours

I actually took a day bus because I was concerned about actually sleeping (after my experience going UP the mountain); you can read my experience of that here. This was an interesting route, too, because the HCMC bus station is SO far out of town that the bus companies have to ferry the passengers into the main part in minivans. On the plus side, they drop you off right at your hotel.

Where to Buy Overnight Bus Tickets

It is VERY easy to buy bus tickets either online through a site like 12Go, or in person at a hotel or even the bus station itself.

I actually recommend booking a ticket in person if you can, preferably through hotel/hostel staff. They can help translate for you, coordinate pickup/drop off (usually included free), and make sure you’re actually getting on the bus that you wanted to book (especially if it’s VIP vs standard or something).

If you’re booking online, you may have to call the bus provider to get details on where the pickup location is, especially if you need to get transported to the bus station.

For instance, on the Hanoi-Ha Giang route, all the tourists got picked up in a minivan within the city, and we were taken to the bus station WAY outside of town to get onto the actual bus itself. They knew to pick me up there because the tour staff told them (and me) where to go; otherwise I’d have to call them myself and try to tell them (and they mostly don’t speak English, just fyi).

Booking in person is also a little bit cheaper than booking online, though usually no more than $5-10 worth of difference.

What to Pack for an Overnight Bus Ride

I’m not talking about, like, your whole backpack or suitcase or whatever, but rather things you’ll want to have so your overnight bus trip a little better.

First, if you’re a light sleeper you’ll want the standard stuff like eye mask, ear plugs, etc.

You may want to bring your own little blanket, if you’re not sure about the cleanliness of the free ones. If you have a quick dry towel or sarong, just use that.

Worried about the pillow? Put a t-shirt over it as a protective barrier.

Next you’ll want to bring snacks and water with you. All long-distance buses have at least one “meal” break (usually 20 minutes), where everyone gets off the bus and goes to the bathroom (which is mostly squat toilets btw). This is also when you have a chance to buy food. The food available may not be something you want, so bringing stuff with you guarantees you’ll have at least a little nibble. Usually I bring crackers, cheese, and a sandwich or two.

Overnight buses are great because you’ll be asleep for most of the trip, so you won’t necessarily need entertainment. But if you think you’ll be bored, download some podcasts or movies before you head off. Cell phone coverage can be spotty on the bus for whatever reason, so don’t think you can just stream something.

Oh, and usually the bus will have a USB charging port, but sometimes it doesn’t work– so bring a portable battery with you.

Overnight Bus Problems & Solutions

Here’s a few issues I’ve seen come up for travelers going on Vietnamese overnight buses. I haven’t run into many of these problems myself, luckily! But it can happen, so it’s better to be prepared.

Concern 1: Sharing a bunk

This has never happened to me, but I’ve seen at least three videos about it happening to other people. Basically, what seems to be happening is the tourists buy two bus tickets but the driver makes them share a bunk rather than have two individual bunks.

USUALLY this only happens if you’re traveling with someone else– they’ll try to cram both of you into the same bunk, but you did buy two tickets and reserve two bunks, so you shouldn’t need to share. Probably the driver wants to sell the 2nd bunk to someone else…so just gently push back and insist on having your own bunk.

Concern 2: Drivers

Most bus drivers are underpaid and overworked, which can lead to some erratic driving. I actually didn’t notice anything too bad for the routes I went on, but Vietnamese mountain roads can be a little scary when the driver is racing up them at high speeds in the middle of the night…

Concern 3: Solo female safety

Again, nothing bad has ever happened to me, but I’ve heard that other female tourists have been bothered by bus drivers and sometimes passengers. I’m not sure if getting a private VIP bunk is better or not– at the very least you’d have privacy curtains.

Concern 4: Oversold tickets, people sleeping on the floor

This does happen! Or rather, the driver/company sells very cheap tickets to locals and the locals sleep on the floor between the bunks. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, as I’ve never seen them make a tourist sleep on the floor. Just watch where you put your feet when getting out of the bunk, and get an upper bunk if you don’t want someone accidentally rolling in.

Concern 5: Cleanliness

Yeah, sometimes the bunks aren’t very clean. Either there’s crumbs left from another traveler, or the blanket looks like it wasn’t washed in the last month. If you’re very worried, take some anti-bacterial wipes to give your bunk mattress a swipe (it’s usually pleather material) and your own blanket.

All part of the fun of budget travel, right? 😜

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed traveling overland in Vietnam by bus, and the overnight buses in particular were great because I saved money on a hostel while also traveling to my next destination. While it takes a bit of getting used to, saving money on transportation AND accommodation while also getting to see more of the countryside was really fun. If you’re interested in taking an overnight bus in Vietnam, I recommend trying it out!

---

Save to Pinterest