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Vietnam is a lively country with bustling cities, stunning landscapes, and a historical heritage. In this travel guide, we will introduce you to eight essential apps that every visitor must have with them while traveling in Vietnam. The apps will navigate you through unfamiliar streets, order Vietnamese food, reserve enjoyable activities, and interact with the locals at the comfort of your phone.
Make your trip easier with certain apps on your phone (Source: LocalVietnam)
Google Maps is an essential application for navigating Vietnam's cities and rural areas. Whether walking through the cramped alleys of Hanoi's Old Quarter or attempting to reach a hidden beach in Da Nang, Google Maps provides real time GPS navigation and route suggestions.
One of the most useful features is the ability to download maps offline. Vietnam has some areas with weak internet coverage, and downloading maps in advance guarantees that you will not be lost. Google Maps also provides detailed route information for train and bus routes, which is helpful for budget travelers using public transport.
Use maps even without internet (Source: DailyWarp)
Another advantage is user-recent reviews. Travelers can directly see ratings, pictures, and reviews on restaurants, cafes, and attractions before going. This helps you avoid tourist traps and find hidden gems. The "Live View" AR feature also helps you see arrows overlaid on top of your phone's camera, which makes walking directions more obvious.
While the app is generally trustworthy, it's a good idea to double check with locals because road closures or route changes might not be updated in real time. Generally, Google Maps is essential for any Vietnam traveler.
Honest review system helps you make good decisions (Source: AdviceLocal)
Grab is Vietnam's go-to ride hailing app, rivaling Uber. It offers various forms of transportation, ranging from motorbikes, cars, and even deliveries. The motorbike service, or "GrabBike," is especially convenient in traffic jammed cities like Ho Chi Minh City, where motorbikes can navigate dense traffic more easily than cars.
Maybe the strongest point of Grab is its transparent pricing. Unlike the typical taxi, where the meters can be adjusted or the route taken unnecessarily longer, Grab's price is displayed beforehand before making a booking. This guarantees one never pays more than they should. Payments are done via cash, credit, or GrabPay, guaranteeing easy and smooth transactions.
Motorbike service with Grab (Source: baotintuc)
Grab also has a food ordering service, "GrabFood," whereby visitors are able to order from restaurants within the area. This is convenient for those who want to experience Vietnamese cuisine but prefer to dine at their accommodation.
While Grab is available in most large cities, it might not be as common in rural townships. In small townships, there might only be normal taxis or local transportation. Nonetheless, for intra-city travel, Grab remains one of the better tourist transport options in Vietnam. In addition, there are some car booking applications that tourists can consider such as Xanh SM, Bus Map,...
Food ordering service with Grab (Source: Bizhub)
Shopee Food is Vietnam's top food delivery service, providing an extensive range of meals from street food vendors to upscale restaurants. From pho to banh mi to international fare, Shopee Food makes it easy to get your hands on hundreds of restaurants. The app is simple to navigate, with a user-friendly interface that enables users to search by cuisine, restaurant rating, and delivery time. ShopeeFood regularly has discounts and promotions, which can cut the cost of meals substantially.
One of the best things about Shopee Food is its real time tracking feature. The customer can see the estimated delivery time and track the journey of their order on a live map. This is particularly helpful for people staying in hotels or apartments where it might be challenging to find addresses.
Food ordering apps you might consider (Source: cukcuk)
Google Translate is a lifesaver for Vietnamese tourists, especially for those who do not speak Vietnamese. While English exists in tourist areas, the locals, especially in rural towns and markets, might not know it. It has text, voice, and camera translation. The camera can be used to translate signs, menus, and product labels.
One of the handy features is offline translation. By pre-downloading the Vietnamese language pack, tourists can utilize the app even when they are not connected to the internet. This is important for off-grid locations where Wi-Fi and cellular networks are spotty. Google Translate is not flawless despite its benefits. Some translations are not accurate, particularly for convoluted sentences or colloquialisms.
Indispensable tool when traveling to different countries (Source: makeuseof)
Zalo is Vietnam's most popular messaging app, which is similar to WhatsApp. Locals use it for texting, calling, and sharing updates. For travelers, Zalo is useful in communication with Vietnamese companies, hotels, and even tour operators. It has one great feature: voice and video calls in high-definition, which work smoothly even with slow internet connections. This is a good option for keeping in touch with locals or fellow travelers.
Another advantage of Zalo is its "Nearby" function, in which users can find and meet up with individuals or companies nearby. This might be helpful for business networking, making friends with locals, or finding out what's hot in the surrounding area.
In Vietnam, Zalo is used more popularly than other communication applications (Source: decisionlab)
A drawback, however, is that complete access to Zalo requires a Vietnamese phone number. Although this does not leave visitors completely isolated, having a local SIM card adds to the usefulness of the app.
Read more: ESIM Vietnam – Best travel eSIM for foreign tourists 2025
Tripadvisor is a good tool for travelers who want to discover the best places to visit, dine, and stay in Vietnam. With thousands of reviews from fellow travelers, the app provides excellent information on hotels, restaurants, attractions, and activities. Its most useful feature is the ability to sort search results by traveler ratings, location, and price range. This helps users find top-rated spots without having to spend hours researching.
The second advantage is the "Things to Do" section, where it gives suggested itineraries, tours, and insider advice. Some of the tour operators in Vietnam use Tripadvisor to book their reservations, so travelers can compare based on reviews and price before reserving. In addition, there are some applications that help tourists book hotels such as Traveloka, Booking, Airbnb,...
Tripadvisor will help you make choices based on reviews (Source: Forbes)
Klook is a travel booking app offering discounted tickets to tours, activities, and attractions across Vietnam. From a boat tour of Halong Bay to motorbike rental or a cooking class in Hoi An, Klook offers convenient booking at competitive prices. One of the best features is avoiding long lines at top destinations. Many of the experiences come with mobile vouchers that can be scanned at the entrance, eliminating time and hassle.
The app further offers user feedback and ratings to help travelers make best choices. Klook further constantly offers promotions for users so they can acquire tours and activities cheaply.
Klook app (Source: Hugosave)
MoMo is the most used e-wallet application in Vietnam, which can make easy cashless payments. This application can help people pay for shopping, food, and even transport services without using any cash. Other services like bill payments, movie tickets, and even donations can be added. MoMo is accepted by almost all restaurants and shops, so it is very convenient to use for daily shopping.
Foreign tourists can use MoMo by linking a Vietnamese bank account or purchasing MoMo credits at partner stores. Even if it will not kill cash, it's a quick substitute for secure and fast transactions. For those planning a longer stay in Vietnam, MoMo is a convenient way to handle daily expenses.
Most used e-wallet in Vietnam (Source: thitruongtaichinhtiente)
Visiting Vietnam is an adventure replete with rich history, diverse landscapes, and colorful cultures. These applications will help you be able to concern yourself with discovering the wonders of Vietnam, instead of being bogged down with logistical issues. To make your vacation process-free, Asia King Travel is providing you with customized tours and experiences to dive into the beauty of Vietnamese culture without hassle. Let Asia King Travel arrange your next unbreakable Vietnam travel!
Read more: Keep in mind these Vietnam souvenir prices to avoid scam
