I know it’s always a bad rate at the airport but I always like having a small amount of cash on me, are they all pretty much the same there? I don’t know how cashless Vietnam is but if I have to get more cash is it best to change $ or € rather than £?
Share your experiences or just ask people a question? Click to see the community
Got a question or an idea you want to discuss? Start a discussion here to get opinions and connect with other members.
Have a story, valuable experience, or a detailed guide to share? Contribute a high-quality article to enrich our community.
To ensure quality, all new posts are not immediately visible on search engines like Google, Bing... Our team prioritizes reviewing high-value, insightful posts to feature publicly. You'll receive a notification when your contribution is selected!
Ha Giang
Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City
Ha Long
Sapa
Mekong Delta
Da Nang
Hue
Hoi An
Ninh Binh
Da Lat
Nha Trang
Phan Thiet
Phu Quoc
Quang Binh
Quy Nhon
Vung Tau
Thai Nguyen
Tiếng Việt
한국어
中文 (中国)
日本語
ไทย
Deutsch
Español
Destinations
Instagram
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Threads
Tiktok
Is the exchange rate at Da Nang airport just as bad as HCMC and Hanoi? I would be exchanging USD.
In Japan, the 7-11 ATMs are said to give the best rate (cash for cash exchange, not necessarily withdrawal), is there a store in Vietnam that has a similar reputation?
ATMs will not be your source for small notes. You can easily get small notes by buying snack or beverages at a convenience store.
VP Bank ATM near Hoan Kiem Lake
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zw1JSNxwh7TEU5E77
Số 52 Đường P. Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
They all have fees apart from VP bank and possibly Exim bank, all have low limits, some only 2m Dong, which is only about £60. VP bank is 5/10m Dong, l think. The rates are less than the gold shops.
So if you want to use an ATM, l would search for a VP bank ATM, on google maps. Some bank branches don’t even have an ATM.
They often seem to be out of money.
I’ve just realised I forgot to ask about atm’s, do they charge and/or have a limit? I get a bit frustrated if they only give large denomination notes as I mainly want small notes for tips and snacks. Is it just better to change £ in the gold/jewelry shops mentioned?
Edited: 4:12 pm, January 25, 2026
So where do you draw the line, airport no good because you will lose around 4%?
May as well go a decent area and change your money then you don’t need to worry about finding a cheap coffee.
For the British pound, you may consider going to Ha Trung Street, where lots of gold shops are located.
For the bigger billers, the better exchange rate is .
You can shop around to find the best shops, but the exchange rate might be off by 1%.
As no one has mentioned it. Beware of some very high charges for the ATM machines. They’ve recently introduced some very high charges up to 5% for withdrawing money.
However, I fully agree with Bertie’s point:
“And fwiw, don’t go chasing that last dong.”
I can stand ‘losing’ a few quid rather than chasing around and fretting over that last percent point. As as part of the cost of my overall trip, it’s peanuts and I have better things to worry about, like finding a cheap cup of coffee 😄.
Edited: 8:15 pm, January 24, 2026
No one has mentioned it but you’ll get slightly more if you have £50 notes but £20 notes are fine.
If you are using a Gold shop to exchange, make sure they are clean and unmarked. For some reason they expect perfection, like they have nigh on just been printed. Airport forex (and others) don’t seem so picky. e.g. the wife had notes refused at a Gold shop in HCMC and yet another forex place took them without any comment at all. And the rate difference wasn’t anything to write home about.
And fwiw, don’t go chasing that last dong. It might be important if you were exchanging thousands of £’s but the average amount that a tourist exchanges; a 1000 dong difference equates to around 3p/£. i.e. don’t make a special trip..
And yes, Vietnam is a cash society but I do think times are changing. Mobile payments for instance are on the rise. Cards are accepted in far more places than they ever were, say even 10 years ago. I might add that I have only come across one hotel that demanded payment in cash in recent years. However, do bear in mind, that places tend to put a surcharge of around 3% if you pay by card..
Thanks for all the replies!
The worst service was at the airport. Avoid the big fat woman, near the exit.