Best eSIM for Vietnam 2026: Complete Network, Coverage & Setup Guide

Why You Need an eSIM for Vietnam in 2026

With over 17 million international visitors in 2025 and counting, a trip to Vietnam is incomplete without reliable mobile data from the moment you land. Whether you’re navigating Hanoi’s Old Quarter on the back of a motorbike, getting around Ho Chi Minh City’s Grab-centric transport system, cruising through Ha Long Bay, or trekking up into the terraced rice paddies around Sapa — wherever you go in this massive country, you’ll want to stay connected.

Here’s what’s special about connectivity in Vietnam: Grab is for way more than just transport (it’s how you get food, groceries, and make payments too), you can’t get a usable signal on Ha Long Bay boat trips once away from the mainland, Sapa’s mountain terrain creates genuine dead zones above 1,500m, overnight trains between cities have only intermittent WiFi, and SIMs here require mandatory biometric registration — which you can skip entirely with an eSIM.

This guide covers Vietnam’s mobile networks, destination-by-destination coverage from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta, why Grab is non-negotiable, the motorbike navigation reality, Sapa and Ha Long Bay connectivity challenges, and the smartest way to stay connected across a sprawling 1,650 km-long country.

Vietnam’s Mobile Networks: Which One Should Your eSIM Use?

Vietnam has three carrier networks, all state-owned or closely linked to the state.

Viettel — Best Coverage (By a Longshot)

Viettel is Vietnam’s largest carrier with 50% market share and by far the best geographical coverage. As a military-owned firm, Viettel’s investment in infrastructure extends into the remote mountains, coastal areas, and border regions that other carriers can’t reach. If your eSIM routes through Viettel, you have the best possible coverage across Vietnam — from the valleys of Sapa to the waterways of the Mekong Delta.

Mobifone — Second Best

Mobifone has about 24% market share. Good coverage in cities and popular tourist hotspots, but the more remote northern mountains and outlying islands fall short compared to Viettel. A good pick for a city-focused trip (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang) but not for the further-flung destinations.

Vinaphone — Third Option

Vinaphone holds approximately 20% of the market with similar city coverage but the weakest rural reach of the three. Only take this if you’re spending your entire trip in major cities.

5G in Vietnam

Vietnam’s 5G is still in early commercial deployment. Viettel launched 5G in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with Mobifone and Vinaphone following. Coverage is limited to the city centres of major cities, with real-world speeds of 100-300 Mbps where available. For the bulk of your trip, 4G/LTE is the realistic standard — and it’s more than enough for all tourist needs.

SIM Registration in Vietnam

Vietnam has compulsory biometric SIM registration for all SIM cards. Purchasing a physical SIM at the airport or a shop requires you to present your passport. Since 2024, biometric verification (photo or facial recognition) has become increasingly mandatory, often causing delays.

Most airport vendors can handle this efficiently, but some experience technical issues with foreign passports in the registration system — resulting in frustrating slowdowns after a long flight.

An international eSIM skips this process entirely. No passport, no biometric verification, no queuing at airport vendor stalls. Your eSIM activates instantly when you switch it on — saving you 20-45 minutes at the airport and a lot of hassle.

eSIM Coverage in Vietnam by Destination

Hanoi

Coverage: Good to excellent. The Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Temple of Literature, West Lake, French Quarter, and all tourist areas have reliable 4G coverage from all three carriers. Hanoi’s mayhem means you’ll be using Grab constantly — signal is solid across the city. Noi Bai Airport has strong coverage for activating your eSIM once you arrive.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Coverage: Excellent. All of central District 1 (Ben Thanh Market, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace), District 3, and Binh Thanh have strong 4G signal. The Cu Chi Tunnels (60 km from the city) have decent coverage. Tan Son Nhat Airport has reliable signal. HCMC is the most connected city in Vietnam.

Ha Long Bay

Coverage: Variable — and this is the big one. Ha Long City and the area around the cruise departure point have strong signal. But as soon as your boat heads into the bay between the limestone karsts, signal drops considerably. The famous overnight cruise routes pass through areas of weak to nonexistent coverage. Signal returns intermittently near the larger islands and when closer to the mainland, but don’t expect to use your data for most of your time on the water.

Travel tips for Ha Long Bay cruises:

• Download everything before you board — maps, itinerary, entertainment.
• Save your cruise operator’s number and your next destination details offline.
• Most cruise ships provide onboard WiFi — quality ranges from acceptable to useless.
• Upload your photos when you return to Ha Long City or dock near larger islands.
• Viettel provides the best coverage in the bay, but even Viettel has significant gaps among the karsts.

Sapa and Northern Mountains

Coverage: Limited above town level. Sapa town has reasonable Viettel coverage. But the famous rice terrace treks, mountain homestays, and villages above 1,500m have little to no signal. Mobifone and Vinaphone drop off much faster than Viettel in the northern mountains. If you’re doing multi-day treks to Cat Cat, Ta Van, or Lao Chai, don’t expect much if any coverage.

The Ha Giang Motorbike Loop leads through stunning mountain terrain with dead zones between each town. Ma Pi Leng Pass, Dong Van, and Meo Vac all have basic Viettel coverage in the towns, but signal gets patchy on the mountain roads between them. Download offline maps for the entire loop in advance.

Da Nang and Hoi An

Coverage: Good to excellent. Da Nang’s My Khe Beach, Dragon Bridge, Ba Na Hills (including the famous Golden Bridge), and the city centre all have good coverage from all networks. Hoi An’s ancient town, An Bang Beach, and surrounding areas also have reliable signal. This stretch of central Vietnam is well set up for tourists.

Hue

Coverage: Good. Hue’s Imperial Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, the Perfume River area, and the tombs outside the city are all decently covered. The road from Hue to Da Nang via the Hai Van Pass stays covered through most sections — with some dips in the mountain tunnel.

Nha Trang and Mui Ne

Coverage: Good in resort areas. Nha Trang’s beach road, tourist centre, and surrounding areas all have strong coverage. Vinpearl Island maintains signal. Mui Ne’s beach strip and resort areas are likewise well covered. Day trips to the sand dunes stay covered.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang (Caves)

Coverage: Basic in town, none inside caves. Phong Nha town has Viettel coverage. Inside the caves — Son Doong, Phong Nha Cave, Paradise Cave — there is no mobile signal. They’re underground caves, so no surprises there. Save any information you need before heading underground. The road from Dong Hoi to Phong Nha has mostly consistent signal.

Mekong Delta

Coverage: Good in main towns, weaker along waterways. Can Tho, My Tho, and Ben Tre have decent coverage. The floating markets and river boat trips can be a little weak — the waterways sit further from cell towers. Viettel performs best in the Delta region.

Phu Quoc Island

Coverage: Good in resort areas. Duong Dong town, Long Beach, and the main resort strips are well covered by all networks. The north and more remote beaches are weaker, with Viettel being the most consistent across the island.

Grab: Your Essential Vietnam App

So important it might actually change your trip. This section is critical to your Vietnam experience.

Why You Need Grab in Vietnam

Regular taxis in Vietnam are known for meter trickery, overcharging foreigners, and unsafe driving. Grab eliminates all of that:

• GrabCar — Fixed-price car rides. Essential in HCMC and Hanoi where the traffic is best described as “chaotic.”
• GrabBike — Motorbike taxi rides. The absolute fastest way to get around. They provide you with a helmet. Fixed price.
• GrabFood — Food delivery from restaurants and street food stalls. Perfect for late nights or when you’re too exhausted from sightseeing.
• GrabExpress — Package delivery from point A to point B.

Setting Up Grab

Install and verify your Grab account before you travel. You’ll need your home phone number to receive the SMS verification. Do it at home where you can get an instant SMS. After you’ve verified, Grab works on any data connection — no Vietnamese number needed.

Grab in Practice

You’ll be using Grab multiple times a day in Vietnam. A typical day:

• GrabBike from hotel to a temple (15,000 VND / €0.50-1.00)
• GrabCar to lunch
• GrabFood in the afternoon
• GrabBike to the night market

That means you need to be connected all the time. Without Grab, you’re stuck haggling with street motorbike taxis — which can be extremely inconvenient or even unsafe if you’re out at night.

Motorbike Navigation: Why Your eSIM Is a Safety Essential

A lot of travelers rent motorbikes in Vietnam — from little scooters in the cities to proper bikes for the Ha Giang loop. Live Google Maps navigation is a safety requirement, not a luxury.

Why You Need Live Navigation

• Vietnamese streets have practically zero signage in English
• Hanoi and HCMC have labyrinthine road systems — one-way streets, unmarked turns, and roads that don’t match any map
• Mountain roads (Ha Giang, Sapa, Hai Van Pass) have dangerous stretches where a wrong turn can put you in a tricky situation
• Google Maps handles Vietnam’s roads well and gives voice directions

Practical Setup

• Get a secure phone mount for the handlebars
• Download offline Google Maps for your route as backup
• Keep earbuds in for voice navigation so you don’t have to look at the screen while riding
• Carry a portable charger — GPS navigation kills your battery

Overnight Trains: Staying Connected Between Cities

Vietnam’s Reunification Express runs from Hanoi to HCMC (and all stops in between). Overnight sleeper trains are a great way to travel, but WiFi on trains is unreliable to nonexistent. Mobile signal is intermittent — strong along coastal stretches, absent through mountain sections.

Key routes:

• Hanoi to Sapa (overnight): Signal spotty, intermittent through mountain terrain.
• Hanoi to Hue/Da Nang: Good mobile signal for most of the coastal route, gaps in mountain sections.
• Hue to Da Nang (Hai Van Pass): Some dead zones through the tunnels where signal drops for several minutes.
• Da Nang to Nha Trang: Generally good coastal coverage with some gaps.

Download any entertainment, maps, and booking confirmations before boarding any train.

How to Choose the Best eSIM Plan for Vietnam

Short City Trips (1-5 Days)

Hanoi or HCMC for a long weekend? 3-5 GB will cover you. You’ll use Grab constantly, need navigation data, and want to upload food photos — Vietnam’s street food alone generates an enormous amount of photo content.

Classic Vietnam Tour (7-14 Days)

The classic North to South route — Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Hue → Hoi An → HCMC? 5-10 GB is the sweet spot. A mix of cities with decent WiFi and transport segments where you’ll rely on mobile data.

Extended Trips with Adventures (14-30 Days)

Full Vietnam including Ha Giang, Sapa, Phong Nha, and the Mekong Delta? 10-20 GB should do you right. More remote destinations mean less WiFi and more mobile data dependency. Check eSimy’s Vietnam plans for the best value.

Digital Nomad / Long Stays (30+ Days)

Vietnam’s low cost of living is attracting plenty of remote workers. Da Nang and HCMC have growing coworking scenes. 15-40 GB depending on how heavy you go with video calls and other online work. Combine with coworking WiFi for the heaviest usage.

How to Install and Activate Your Vietnam eSIM

Step 1: Buy Before You Arrive

Browse eSimy’s Vietnam eSIM plans and choose your data package. Purchase from home — you will not need to go through Vietnam’s biometric SIM registration process.

Step 2: Install the eSIM Profile

Scan the QR code to install the eSIM profile on your device. This does NOT activate your plan or start consuming data — it simply saves the profile to your phone.

On iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Scan QR Code

On Android: Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs → Add eSIM → Scan QR Code

Step 3: Activate at the Airport

When you land at Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (HCMC), or Da Nang International, enable the eSIM data line. You’re connected before clearing customs. Book a Grab from the arrivals area rather than trying to negotiate with a taxi driver.

Step 4: Set Up Dual SIM

Keep your home SIM active for calls and SMS. Set the eSIM as your data line. WhatsApp, Messenger, Zalo, and all messaging apps will continue to work on your original phone number.

Essential Apps for Vietnam

• Grab — Non-negotiable. Rides, food delivery, payments. Download and verify your phone number before you leave home.
• Google Maps — Essential for navigation everywhere. Download offline maps for Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Ha Giang, and any remote areas you’re visiting.
• Google Translate — Vietnamese is a tonal language that’s very difficult for most tourists. The camera translation feature lets you point at menus, signs, and labels for instant translation. Requires data.
• Zalo — Vietnam’s primary messaging app, used by 74 million people. Many hotels and tour operators prefer Zalo over WhatsApp. Download it so you can reach anyone locally.
• Wise — Better exchange rates than airport money changers for ATM withdrawals. Also useful for international payments.
• 12Go Asia — Book train and bus tickets throughout Vietnam. Requires data for booking and viewing tickets.

Vietnam Travel Tips That Save You Money

• Always use Grab instead of street taxis. The price difference can be 2-5x. GrabBike is the cheapest and often the fastest way through Vietnam’s legendary traffic.
• Download offline maps for Ha Long Bay, Sapa, and Ha Giang. These three areas have the biggest coverage gaps. Don’t rely on live GPS in the mountains.
• Install both WhatsApp and Zalo. Vietnamese businesses increasingly prefer Zalo for communication. Having both apps means you can reach everyone you need to.
• Carry Vietnamese Dong. Many street vendors, markets, local shops, and some restaurants only accept cash. ATMs are widely available in cities, but international fees apply — withdraw larger amounts less frequently.
• Book overnight trains in advance. Popular routes (Hanoi-Sapa, Hanoi-Hue) sell out fast during peak season. Use 12Go Asia or the Vietnam Railways app (requires data) to book ahead.
• Use Google Translate constantly. Menus rarely have English translations. Point your camera at any menu item and Google will translate it — makes eating out so much easier.
• Don’t skip the e-visa. Vietnam’s e-visa is available for most nationalities. Apply online before your trip (you’ll need data to display it at immigration). Much faster than visa-on-arrival.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to register my eSIM in Vietnam?

No. Vietnam requires biometric registration (passport + photo) for all physical SIM cards purchased within the country, but international eSIMs are exempt. Your eSIM activates instantly without any Vietnamese registration process. Skipping this alone saves you 20-45 minutes at the airport.

Which network is best for tourists in Vietnam?

Viettel offers the best coverage with about 50% market share. As a military-owned telecom, they’ve built an extensive network reaching remote mountains, coastal areas, and border regions that other carriers can’t match. For any trip beyond Hanoi and HCMC, Viettel is the best choice.

Will my eSIM work on Ha Long Bay?

Ha Long City has strong signal. But once your cruise boat sails among the limestone karst formations, coverage drops dramatically. Expect poor to no signal for most of the cruise. Viettel offers the best coverage in the bay but still has gaps. Download maps and save critical information before boarding.

Is there mobile coverage in Sapa?

Sapa town has decent Viettel coverage, but signal drops greatly once you head onto the trekking routes, homestay villages, or above 1,500 metres. If you’re spending multiple days trekking, plan for limited connectivity. Download maps and save accommodation details before leaving town.

Will Grab work on my eSIM?

Yes. Grab works on any data connection, including international eSIMs. Create your account and verify your phone number before you leave home. Once you activate your eSIM, Grab works immediately for rides, food delivery, and more. No Vietnamese phone number needed.

How much data do I need for a week in Vietnam?

An average tourist using Grab several times daily, Google Maps, Google Translate, and social media will consume about 5-7 GB per week. Heavy Grab users in cities may use more. Travelers focused on rural areas like Ha Giang and Sapa will use less due to spotty coverage.

Will my eSIM work on the Ha Giang loop?

The towns along the Ha Giang loop (Ha Giang, Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh) have basic Viettel coverage. Mountain roads between the towns have frequent dead zones. The Ma Pi Leng Pass has intermittent signal. Download the complete offline map for the loop before you start — it’s essential for safe motorbike navigation.

Is 5G available in Vietnam?

5G is currently only commercially available in the central districts of Hanoi and HCMC. Coverage is very limited. 4G/LTE (15-50 Mbps) is the realistic speed for tourists across Vietnam. Choose your eSIM based on coverage, not 5G availability.

What is Zalo and do I need it?

Zalo is Vietnam’s primary messaging app, used by 74 million people. Many hotels and tour operators prefer communicating via Zalo rather than WhatsApp. Installing Zalo gives you far better options for communicating with locals. It works on your eSIM data just like WhatsApp.

Will my WhatsApp keep working on my eSIM?

Yes. Set your home SIM as your call and SMS line, and your eSIM as your data line. WhatsApp, Zalo, Messenger, and all messaging apps will continue working on your original phone number using the eSIM data connection.