Best Travel Apps to Download Before Visiting Vietnam

Explore the top travel apps to download before visiting Vietnam. Make your trip hassle-free with apps for navigation, translation, food, and local discoveries.

Planning a trip to Vietnam? Filling your phone with the most useful travel apps will ensure your trip goes smoothly, efficiently, and pleasantly. From setting up rides, translation, food delivery, planning your meal, or the perfect itinerary, these apps will help you tackle Vietnam's ever-changing cities and your picturesque landscapes like a boss.

This guide compiles the must-have apps, and travelers can rest assured knowing the apps work smoothly with international phone numbers. These tools can come in handy even if you are not connected to a local SIM (for example, if you use mobile data via Wi-Fi or have an eSIM).

What You'll Learn

Invaluable apps for transport, navigation, and translations in Vietnam

Food Delivery, Booking, and Currency Options for First-Time Visitors

Top 10 Tour, Social Media & Trip Planning Apps

Staying connected with a Vietnam eSIM

Fun Fact

Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing regional mobile app usage markets in Southeast Asia, and more travelers than ever rely on digital tools to optimize their experiences.

Key Highlights for First-Time Visitors

1. Transportation Apps

Requirements - Internet access plus an international phone number (capable of receiving WhatsApp messages or SMS txt).

a. Grab - The most popular ride-hailing app like Uber with a decent English-friendly user interface, accepts international credit cards, widely used in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang.

b. Be - Another relatively new local ride-hailing service that is growing in popularity and is competitively priced, the app experience has also been smooth in various Vietnamese cities.

c. Xanh SM - The electric motorcycle taxi service has become popular in the local trend for taking short rides around urban cities with a local touch.

​These apps offer flexible and affordable, language barrier-free transport.

2. Navigation Apps

Requirements - GPS access; can have some offline maps.

Essential navigation apps to make getting around easier while traveling. Source - Freepik.com

a. Google maps - Provides reliable turn-by-turn driving and walking directions, plus other public transit information for larger cities.

b. Maps.me- A favorite for backpackers and non-backpacking travelers, especially if they need offline access. This app provides walking trails plus a host of things to do in Vietnam, and can help you navigate to remote spaces without internet.

Downloading maps before your trip can assist with data conservation and keep you focused when you are off the grid.

3. Translation Apps

Requirements: Internet connection for live translation; optional offline language packs

Use translation apps to communicate effortlessly while exploring Vietnam

​Google Translate: Good for Vietnamese text, voice input, and camera translation that turns menus and signs into an instantly readable language.

​iTranslate: Has offline language packs and a nice built-in phrasebook that is perfect for getting very quick conversational use when you have limited connectivity.

​These apps will easily help you to dismantle any language barriers throughout your travels.

4. Food Delivery & Discovery Apps

Order food easily with food delivery apps while exploring Vietnam. Source - Freepik.com

Requirements: Internet connection; most take international payment cards or cash.

GrabFood: Connected to Grab's transport app, this food delivery option provides meals from local and international restaurants from coast to coast.

ShopeeFood: Popular in Ho Chi Minh City, this has a huge restaurant selection and plenty of discounts.

Be (Food): Clean UI. Easy to use for ordering local Vietnamese dishes. Good delivery times too.

Perfect on the occasions where you want to try some authentic flavours without leaving your hotel or Airbnb.

6. Currency-Exchange & Money Management

Things you'll need: the internet, or Wi-Fi (to check exchange rates in real-time)

XE Currency: An essential app to check live exchange rates and to ensure you don't get ripped off when exchanging money or paying in a foreign currency

Wise (formerly TransferWise): Provides the cheapest international money-transfer fees. Also convenient for sending and receiving funds while traveling overseas.

Managing your funds wisely helps keep your budget in good shape.

7. Tours, Attractions & Local Experiences

Things you'll need: Internet access; email for confirmations

Klook: Book local tours, SIM cards, airport transfers, tickets to attractions, and verified operators.

GetYourGuide: Packaged tours with English-speaking guides and traveler reviews.

TripAdvisor: Review thousands of restaurants, attractions, and tours written by other travelers.

The apps will make discovering and booking "your" version of authentic Vietnam easy!

8. Social, Messaging & Networking

What you'll need: Internet, an international phone number.

WhatsApp: Standard messaging app to keep in touch with family, friends, or travel groups.

Tinder / Bumble: Helpful for meeting locals or other travelers, even if it's just for a casual meetup and cultural exchange while you travel.

Networking allows for an expanded travel experience that is not just the typical tourist trail.

9. Trip Planning & Organization

What you'll need: Email (preferably Gmail)

TripIt: Automatically organizes your flights, accommodations, and bookings into a simple itinerary you can access.

Google Travel site: Retrieves your hotel and flight reservations sent to your Gmail, then organizes those travel plans into a personal travel itinerary.

These facilitate an organized schedule that keeps you on track without missing anything while you travel.

Keep Yourself Connected Seamlessly With Vietnam eSIM

The other essential thing needed for the usage of these apps is a reliable internet connection. Another option is a travel eSIM for Vietnam, which will provide mobile data the moment you step off the plane. This is ideal as it saves time and roaming charges or hunting down physical SIMs.

So if you want to get the best eSIM for Vietnam you know, the one with the affordable data plans and the large coverage? For example, Teloka, visit Vietnam eSIM for more and more flexible data packages for other travelers.

A Vietnam eSIM enables you to use all your travel apps-navigate the streets of Ho Chi Minh, book last-minute tours in a remote town, or even order delivery food from local restaurants.

What to Set Up Before You Fly

Plan & download your apps, Google Maps & Maps Download Apps in advance.

Use accounts associated with mobile or WhatsApp with your foreign phone number.

Store your hotel and flight reservations in TripIt or Google Travel.

Use offline maps in the apps to avoid connectivity issues.

Get your eSIM activated or plan for your Wi-Fi access to stay connected from day one!

Final Travel Preparation for Vietnam

With a Vietnam eSIM as well as these applications, you may avoid the lengthy SIM lines at the airport, find out where to eat without any language barrier, get around the noise of the city with confidence, keep your budget under control, and book verified tours.

Vietnam is primed to wow; your phone just needs the right apps to unleash that potential.

Summing Up!

So to wrap things up, at this point, your smartphone should never lack the best travel apps for a trip to Vietnam. Whether it is for navigation, transport, or for food delivery, or even booking tours, these are the apps that let you explore the country with confidence and ease.

An eSIM Vietnam is a perfect option if you want instant and easy mobile data right after you arrive; here are some trustworthy providers, like Teloka, to take a look! Teloka provides various flexible and cheap best eSIM for vietnam with great coverage in all of Vietnam, so you can stay connected with the freedom to forget about roaming fees or swapping SIM cards.