The cheapest way from India to Vietnam in 2026 is an AirAsia or VietJet Air return via Kuala Lumpur or direct from Kolkata and Delhi to Hanoi from about INR 16,000 to 24,000.
Cover image: Hanoi Old Quarter street with motorbikes and shop houses in Vietnam — photo by Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The cheapest way to travel Vietnam from India in 2026 is a low-cost return to Hanoi via Kolkata or via Kuala Lumpur from about INR 16,000 to 24,000 booked 4 to 8 weeks ahead, with Hanoi usually INR 2,000 to 5,000 cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City. VietJet Air flies non-stop Kolkata to Hanoi and Hanoi to New Delhi, while AirAsia routes Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi and Delhi through Kuala Lumpur to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Add the Vietnam e-visa at USD 25 for single entry up to 90 days and a city bus at VND 25,000 to 35,000, and a 5 to 6 night Vietnam trip from India can stay under INR 52,000 to 65,000 including flights, visa, 3-star hotels and daily spend. The Kuala Lumpur connection is the price anchor for all of Southeast Asia.
The gap between north and south Vietnam matters from India. From Kolkata, the non-stop to Hanoi is under 3 hours and is the lowest base fare, while the same airline to Ho Chi Minh City adds 45 minutes and a higher fare bucket. From Delhi and Mumbai, the Kuala Lumpur connection gives frequency every day versus 3 to 4 times weekly non-stop. Internal Vietnam travel is also cheapest on the north to south corridor. Pair this with visa timing in how long Vietnam e-visa takes for Indians, how much Vietnam trip costs from India for INR daily budgets, do you need a visa for Vietnam from India for e-visa portal steps, and cheapest way to travel Southeast Asia from India for the Kuala Lumpur hub primer.
What are the cheapest flight routes from India to Vietnam?
| Route from India | Cheapest airline and routing | Return band in 2026 | When it is cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolkata to Hanoi | VietJet Air non-stop | INR 16,000 to 22,000 | Tuesday to Thursday, 4 to 8 weeks out |
| Delhi to Hanoi | VietJet non-stop or AirAsia via KUL | INR 20,000 to 28,000 | April to June and September to October |
| Bengaluru or Chennai to Hanoi | AirAsia via Kuala Lumpur | INR 18,000 to 26,000 | Book 6 to 9 weeks ahead |
| Delhi or Mumbai to Ho Chi Minh City | AirAsia via KUL or VietJet via HAN | INR 22,000 to 32,000 | Ho Chi Minh usually costlier than Hanoi |
All fares are hand baggage inclusive; checked bag adds INR 2,200 to 3,800 each way on VietJet and AirAsia if pre-booked. The table bands are observed low buckets on Skyscanner and airline sites in early 2026 for travel May to October, not peak Tet in February or late December. If your dates are fixed in late December, lock fares 10 to 12 weeks out, as buckets to Hanoi jump 35 to 50 percent. From Kochi and Hyderabad, the KUL connection is often INR 1,500 to 3,000 cheaper than routing via Delhi.
Is Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City cheaper for Indians?
Hanoi is the cheaper gateway from India and inside Vietnam. International fare to Hanoi runs lower, and Hanoi hotels and street food also price 8 to 12 percent below District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City. If you must land in the south, consider open jaw: fly into Hanoi, train or low cost hop to Ho Chi Minh City, and fly home from Ho Chi Minh City via Kuala Lumpur. That keeps the India to Vietnam leg on the cheaper northern price.
Internal moves are also cheap. Hanoi to Da Nang on the Reunification Express is VND 350,000 to 500,000 for soft seat, 16 hours overnight, while a VietJet hop is VND 600,000 to 900,000 booked two weeks ahead. Buses from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay are VND 250,000 to 350,000 return, and Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi is VND 100,000 to 150,000. For islands, Cat Ba from Hanoi and Phu Quoc from Ho Chi Minh City are the low cost add-ons, each under INR 2,500 by bus plus ferry.
How much does visa and ground travel add from India?
Vietnam’s e-visa for Indians is USD 25 for single entry 90 days and USD 50 for multiple entry, paid online at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. Standard processing is 3 working days, with many India approvals in 3 to 5 days and urgent within 24 hours via agents for a fee. You also need 3 months passport validity beyond entry and a printout for boarding at Indian airports, where airline staff still check visa before departing.
- Airport to city: Hanoi Bus 86 is VND 35,000, Ho Chi Minh City Bus 152 is VND 6,000, taxis are VND 250,000 to 350,000.
- Daily ground budget: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City shared dorms VND 200,000 to 400,000, 3-star INR 2,200 to 3,500, pho or banh mi VND 40,000 to 70,000.
- SIM and cash: Viettel 30-day 30 GB is VND 200,000, ATMs charge VND 50,000 per withdrawal, bring USD or INR to exchange in Hanoi Old Quarter for best VND rate.
A short note on cadence. The cheapest month to fly from India is May and late August after Indian school holidays, with fares INR 3,000 to 6,000 lower than June and July. Tet in early February lifts fares and hotels 40 to 80 percent, so avoid it for a budget run.
How to keep a Vietnam trip under INR 60,000 from India?
Book Kolkata to Hanoi when you can, use the KUL pivot from the south and west, and keep Vietnam nights at 3-star in Hanoi Old Quarter and District 1 side streets. A 6 night model: flights INR 18,000, visa INR 2,150, hotels 6 nights INR 14,000, trains and buses INR 4,500, food and sights INR 12,000, airport transfers INR 2,000, totals about INR 52,650 before shopping. The same loop from Delhi via Kuala Lumpur is about INR 58,000 to 65,000. Onward budget travel inside Vietnam rewards cash, local buses and street food over Grab and hotel tours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest airport in Vietnam from India?
Hanoi is usually cheapest from Indian cities, with Kolkata non-stop on VietJet or Kuala Lumpur connections on AirAsia. Ho Chi Minh City adds INR 2,000 to 5,000 on average.
How long does the Vietnam e-visa take for Indians?
Standard is 3 working days at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, with many India approvals in 3 to 5 days. Single entry is USD 25 and multiple is USD 50 for up to 90 days.
Can I visit both north and south Vietnam cheaply?
Yes. Fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City, use overnight soft seat trains or low cost hops between, and keep hotels in Old Quarter and District 1 alleys near street food.
Are trains or flights cheaper inside Vietnam?
Trains are cheaper but slower: Hanoi to Da Nang is VND 350,000 to 500,000 soft seat versus VND 600,000 to 900,000 to fly. Buses are cheapest on short legs.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Visa policy of Vietnam, e-visa USD 25 single and USD 50 multiple up to 90 days
- Vietnam Immigration Department — evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn official portal and 3-day processing
- VietJet Air — Kolkata to Hanoi and Delhi to Hanoi non-stop schedules and fare buckets 2026
- AirAsia — Kuala Lumpur hub connections from India to Vietnam and baggage fees
