These are the tourist scams Trzly has documented across Vietnam, grouped by destination. Each one is real, with a clear way to stay safe. Read before you land.
Hoe het werkt: Touts at Da Nang airport approach arrivals claiming to be your booked ride-hailing car, or show an inflated 'VIP' price on a phone; a short trip that should cost around 50,000 dong is quoted at several times that.
Hoe het te vermijden: Book in the app, walk to the marked ride-hailing pickup point, and match the plate and driver name before getting in. Ignore anyone calling out 'taxi' or 'Grab' inside the terminal.
Hoe het werkt: Some street taxis use a fast-running meter, take a longer route, or claim the meter is broken and name a high flat fare once they know you are a visitor.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use only well-known firms like Vinasun (white) or Mai Linh (green), watch the meter, and follow the route on your phone map. A ride-hailing app removes the problem by fixing the fare in advance.
Hoe het werkt: Some seafood restaurants, especially along the beach, display no printed prices, then charge a very high 'market' rate by weight or slip extras onto the bill after you have eaten.
Hoe het te vermijden: Eat where per-kilo prices are clearly displayed, agree the exact weight and total before the food is cooked, and check the itemised bill. Busy places full of locals are usually safer.
Hoe het werkt: Stalls and vendors without displayed prices, or those selling fruit, drinks and souvenirs near the sights, may quote foreigners several times the normal price.
Hoe het te vermijden: Ask the price before you buy, agree it clearly, and have small notes ready. A quick check at a nearby shop or convenience store shows you the fair rate.
Hoe het werkt: Dong notes carry many zeros and the 20,000 and 500,000 notes look similar, so it is easy to hand over or be given the wrong note, sometimes to a vendor's advantage.
Hoe het te vermijden: Learn the note colours on arrival, count cash slowly, and keep large and small notes separate. Paying the stated amount and checking your change openly avoids almost all mistakes.
Hoe het werkt: Some taxis use a meter that runs fast or take long detours, and unofficial drivers wait at the airport claiming to be your booked ride-hailing car, then charge far more.
Hoe het te vermijden: Book through a trusted app and match the car plate and driver name before getting in. In a street taxi use only well-known companies, watch the meter, and start a route on your phone.
Hoe het werkt: A shoe shiner grabs your shoe or 'fixes' it unasked and then demands a high fee, or a street vendor lets you hold their carrying pole and photograph fruit, then charges a large sum for a small bag.
Hoe het te vermijden: Politely decline unrequested services and do not hand over your shoe or pose with a vendor's goods. If you want fruit, agree the price and see it weighed first.
Hoe het werkt: A cyclo (pedal trishaw) driver quotes a low price, then claims it was per person, per minute or in a different currency at the end, sometimes with the help of others.
Hoe het te vermijden: Agree a clear total price and route in writing or on a calculator before you sit down, carry small notes, and pay only the agreed amount calmly.
Hoe het werkt: Some venues add dishes you did not order, charge for 'free' snacks or wet towels placed on the table, or inflate the total, especially for groups after drinks.
Hoe het te vermijden: Check prices before ordering, refuse extras you did not ask for, and go through the itemised bill before paying. Choose places that print clear prices.
Hoe het werkt: At Cam Thanh, touts flag you down claiming the official dock is closed or offering a 'VIP' ride, then lead you to a private spot and charge several times the real price. Rowers may also demand extra money to spin the basket or a large tip at the end.
Hoe het te vermijden: Book a fixed-price basket-boat ticket online or through your hotel in advance, walk past the hustlers and show your booking. Agree clearly that spinning and any tip are optional, and settle on the total before you get in.
Hoe het werkt: A tailor quotes a low price, then substitutes cheaper fabric than the sample you chose, adds charges at pickup, or delivers a poor fit with no time left to fix it before you leave.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use an established shop with reviews, confirm the exact fabric and final price in writing, and pay a deposit rather than the full amount up front. Allow a day or two for fittings and alterations, and inspect the finished garment before paying the balance.
Hoe het werkt: A cyclo driver offers a cheap-sounding tour of the old town, then at the end demands a far higher fare, claiming the quote was per person, per hour, or did not include certain streets.
Hoe het te vermijden: Agree the full price, the route and the duration before you set off, ideally writing the number on a phone screen so both sides see it. Hand over only the agreed amount and keep small notes ready to avoid change disputes.
Hoe het werkt: Boat sellers along the river quote a per-person price to tourists that is several times the normal per-boat rate, or start the ride and then ask for more to go further or to include lanterns.
Hoe het te vermijden: Remember the boat is hired as a whole, not per head, and agree the price and length of the ride first. Buy floating lanterns separately at the stated small price, and do not pay extra once you are already on the water.
Hoe het werkt: A freelance motorbike or car driver waiting near the old town or the beach quotes a vague price and then asks for much more on arrival, especially late at night or in the rain.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use the Grab app, which fixes the fare in advance, rather than flagging a driver on the street. If you do take a street ride, agree the exact price clearly before getting on and have the correct change ready.
Hoe het werkt: Because Cam Ranh airport is about 35km from the city, some drivers quote a high flat fare, avoid the meter, or approach you inside the terminal with a 'special' price that turns out to be well above the normal rate.
Hoe het te vermijden: Use only the official taxi rank outside arrivals, agree the fare before setting off, or take the far cheaper Route 18 airport bus. A ride-hailing app fixes the price in advance and removes the argument entirely.
Hoe het werkt: Island-hopping tours sold on the street or by touts can carry hidden extras, skip promised stops, or turn out to be a cramped party boat quite different from what was described, with snorkel gear or the 'seafood lunch' charged again on board.
Hoe het te vermijden: Book through a hotel or an established operator with clear reviews, get exactly what is included in writing, and confirm the boat, stops and any extra fees before you pay. Be wary of a price that looks far too cheap.
Hoe het werkt: Some seafood restaurants, especially near the beach, do not display prices, then charge tourists a very high amount per kilo, inflate the weight, or add dishes and drinks nobody ordered to the bill.
Hoe het te vermijden: Eat where prices per kilo are clearly shown, confirm the weight and total for live seafood before it is cooked, and check the bill against what you ordered. Busy local places are usually both better value and more honest.
Hoe het werkt: Walking beach vendors offer a cheap massage or manicure, then keep adding extras and quote a far higher total at the end, or a spa advertises a low price that balloons once you are inside.
Hoe het te vermijden: Agree the exact service and final price before anything starts, and say no clearly if you are not interested. Booking a fixed-price treatment at a reputable spa avoids the pressure altogether.
Hoe het werkt: The dong runs into the hundreds of thousands and the notes look alike, so it is easy to confuse a 500,000 note with a 20,000 one or to be handed short change by a vendor counting on the mix-up.
Hoe het te vermijden: Learn the note colours on arrival, count your change before walking off, and keep small denominations handy. Paying the stated amount slowly and openly avoids almost all confusion.