Vietnam etiquette: temple dress, greetings, photos and bargaining

Pagodas, temples and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism's advice for temples is short: wear modest clothing and always remove your shoes and hat. You can carry your shoes with you, but not on your feet. Its FAQ adds that shoulders and knees should be covered at religious sites, in the countryside and at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the UK government's travel advice says the same, noting that signs outside many religious and cultural sites spell out the dress code. A light scarf or a shirt in your daypack solves the problem for a hot day that mixes sightseeing and pagodas.

Altars are not only in temples. The tourism board points out that Vietnamese families keep altars in shops and homes, some of them on the ground: do not step over a ground altar or walk directly in front of one. In pagodas such as Tran Quoc on West Lake or at the Temple of Literature, people come to burn incense and pray, so step aside at the burners and altars and let worshippers go first.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi has its own decorum. The official guide describes it as a solemn experience: dress formally, keep the line moving, do not point or raise your voice inside, and do not take photographs inside, which is strictly forbidden. Expect to queue outside. Check the calendar before you plan around it. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the Mausoleum Command's notice, reported by Tuoi Tre, said visits were suspended from 4 September to 2 November 2026 for periodic maintenance, reopening on 3 November. The same notice gave cold-season visiting hours from 1 November to 31 March of 8am to 11am, with Saturdays until 11:30am.

• Clothing: shoulders and knees covered; no sheer fabrics or visible underwear. Men should not go shirtless in public, and swimwear belongs on the beach or at the resort.
• At the door: shoes and hat off. Look at what local visitors do with their shoes and follow them.
• Inside: quiet voices, no pointing at people or statues, and no photos where signs or staff say so.

Eating and drinking: shared plates, both hands and who pays

Most Vietnamese meals are shared: dishes go in the middle, and each person has a small rice bowl and chopsticks. The tourism board's etiquette guide says to pass dishes with both hands or your right hand, never the left, and to hold your spoon in your left hand when eating soup. A good host will keep offering food, refill your glass and put the best pieces into your bowl. If you have had enough, say politely, more than once, that you are very full.

Who pays is settled by custom: in most social gatherings the person who made the invitation pays the bill, and otherwise the most senior person does. If you invited your guide or homestay family to dinner, expect to pay. Tipping is optional. According to the same guide it is more common with tour guides and in spas than in restaurants, and there is no obligation.

Sidewalk stalls have their own simple rules, set out in the tourism board's street-food guide: eat first, pay later. Order at the front, pick a stool, and pay the cook on the way out; often someone tallies the bill in their head, and a written bill is unusual but can be asked for. Wiping your chopsticks or spoon before you eat is normal, and so is dropping lime husks and herb stems into the bin under the table. When you finish, lay your chopsticks together on top of the bowl. At busy times strangers may share your table, and a smile is all that is expected.

Drinking is social too. Vietnamese raise their glasses and toast together each time they drink, rather than sipping alone; the call is "một, hai, ba, dô!" (one, two, three, drink). Joining in is polite, but you can toast with a soft drink. The UK government warns about deaths from methanol in alcoholic drinks, including drinks bought in licensed bars and hotels in tourist areas, and advises against buying spirits from street vendors, so be wary of unlabelled spirits however warmly they are offered.

Minority villages in Sapa and Ha Giang: photos, guides and homestays

The northern highlands are where etiquette matters most, because the people you meet are not performers. Hmong, Dao and other communities around Sapa and on the Ha Giang plateau still wear their own dress and live in working villages. The tourism board's general rule is to respect people's privacy and always ask before you lift your camera, and the Canadian government's advice says to seek permission from locals before photographing them. Ask with a gesture and a smile, accept a no, and show the person the picture if they say yes. A guide from the community makes asking much easier.

Choose who you go with. The tourism board's guide to Sapa for sustainable travellers recommends tour companies owned by locals that follow sustainable practices, and notes that staying in a homestay supplements the small income families get from farming. In Ha Giang, it points to a social enterprise, YESD, that links travellers with rural communities such as Thon Tha. Talk to your guide before you set off about how much time you want in villages and how much on the trails.

In a home, take your shoes off just outside the door, greet the older members of the family first and shake hands with your right hand. If you bring a gift, the tourism board suggests biscuits or cake, fruit, flowers or soft drinks, and nothing black. Homestays are family houses, so ask before you walk into rooms, step around ground altars and dress as you would at a pagoda.

Markets are part of village life, not a show. Bac Ha's Sunday market and the weekly market at Pho Cao in Ha Giang draw people from across the area to buy and sell. Watch from the edges, do not block stalls while you take photos, and the same ask-first rule applies to sellers as to anyone else. Market days move, so ask your guide or homestay host when they are.

Greetings, gestures and saving face

The idea that matters most is saving face. The tourism board advises keeping your cool and avoiding loud arguments, making a scene, scolding people for mistakes or pointing out anything that might shame them. If a room is wrong or a bill is off, raise it quietly and with a smile. Public displays of affection are also frowned upon; men and women often do not touch in front of others.

A simple xin chào (hello) and cảm ơn (thank you) go a long way. To catch someone's attention, Vietnamese do not say "excuse me" but call out with a term of address that matches their age: em ơi for someone younger than you, chị ơi for a woman a little older, anh ơi for a man a little older, cô ơi or chú ơi for someone your parents' age, bà ơi or ông ơi for the elderly. When in doubt, the tourism board suggests bạn ơi, "hey friend".

Mind your hands. Pass and receive things with your right hand or both hands. Avoid pointing at people and patting anyone on the head or back, especially someone older than you. The official guide also warns that the Western crossed-fingers gesture for good luck is highly impolite in Vietnam.

Bargaining without offence

Haggling is normal in markets: the tourism board describes Bac Ha's Sunday market as a riot of colour and excited haggling. Keep it light. Ask the price (bao nhiêu tiền?), say đắt quá (that's too expensive) with a smile if it seems high, and walk on politely if you cannot agree. Only name a price you are willing to pay, and remember the advice on saving face: a raised voice over a small sum embarrasses everyone.

With handmade textiles, think about what a fair deal is. A Black Hmong guide interviewed by the tourism board advises buying at the back and upstairs of the Sapa market, where local women sell good-quality pieces, rather than from sellers in the street, who can feel rushed and pushy, and asking how long a piece took to make before you settle on a price. Some costumes take months to make. Jewellery is the exception: she rates the women selling in the street as having the best pieces.

Fixed prices are fixed: malls, many shops in the cities and metered taxis do not bargain. The tourism board names Mai Linh and Vinasun as taxi companies with sealed meters, and warns of rigged meters, overcharging and confusing currency, so use a metered taxi or a ride-hailing app rather than negotiating a price at the kerb.

Rules that are law, not manners

A few things that look like etiquette are enforced. The UK government's advice says you must always carry photographic ID, and that the authorities accept a printed copy of the photo page of your passport and your visa. Do not hand your passport to a motorbike rental shop or landlord as a deposit. Do not take photos near military bases; Canada's advice adds that sensitive sites are not always marked, so do not photograph military installations or personnel even without a sign.

Politics and religion need care. The UK advice says to avoid all protests, and warns that possessing political material or unsanctioned religious activity, including proselytising, can lead to an exit ban, a prison sentence or a full travel ban. Drug penalties are severe, regardless of quantity, and vapes are banned: you cannot buy them in Vietnam or bring them in. These rules change, so check your government's current advice before you travel.