Vietnam is a pretty safe country for foreigners, all things considered. The overall “Safety Index” rating for Vietnam is ~56/100. That’s better than Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, Ireland, and France.
However, there are still safety issues in Vietnam—and not all cities are equally safe. In this post, I’ll share 3 top safety concerns in Vietnam, and then I’ll review the most popular cities in Vietnam, ranking them by safety.
Biggest Safety Concerns in Vietnam
The main crime you may encounter in Vietnam is petty theft, like pickpockets. But usually, it’s thieves on motorbikes snatching bags or phones. So, be mindful of your possessions in public.
Especially when crossing the street or standing by traffic—do not hold your phone out loosely and absent-mindedly. I’ve heard many reports of phones being stolen in such scenarios.
Another big concern in Vietnam is traffic safety. Personally, I’ve seen 5 motorbike crashes during my 4 months in Vietnam so far. Thankfully, they were all minor accidents—no one seemed hurt.
However, one of my friends went to the hospital due to a motorbike accident, requiring surgery. My friend wasn’t even driving, but simply got hit when crossing the street on foot. So, be careful out there.
One last safety concern in Vietnam would be air pollution. Particularly in Hanoi, the air quality can get bad enough to be a health risk for sensitive groups. But in smaller cities it’s generally not as bad.
Next, let’s take a look at specific cities in Vietnam and how they compare for safety. We’ll start with the #1 safest city that’s popular with foreigners.
Disclaimer: This list excludes small towns like Mui Ne and Sa Pa, which are popular but lacking safety data besides personal anecdotes. Also, the safety data for small cities on this list (like Hoi An) is based on a smaller data pool, so it may be less precise than for big cities (like Hanoi).
1. Hoi An
The Safety Index rating for Hoi An is ~84/100. For context, that’s 83% safer than London and 147% safer than Chicago.
Compared to other cities in SE Asia: Hoi An is 10% safer than Chiang Mai, 40% safer than Bangkok, and 125% safer than Kuala Lumpur.
Hoi An is a super interesting little city for its architecture and tourism. It’s near the beach, too. And not to mention, it’s also near Da Nang, which is #2 on this list of safe cities (below).
The Numbeo Crime and Safety Ratings look really fantastic for Hoi An:
- Level of Crime: 6.3 (Very Low)
- Worries about being mugged or robbed: 18.8 (Very Low)
- Safety walking alone during daylight: 93.8 (Very High)
- Safety walking alone during night: 68.8 (High)
And the Nomad List Scores are pretty good, too:
- Safety: Good
- Food Safety: Good
- Lack of Crime: Good
- Peace (No Political Conflict): Okay
- Traffic Safety: Bad
- Friendly to Foreigners: Okay
2. Da Nang
The overall Safety Index of Da Nang is ~75/100. For context, that’s 63% safer than London and 121% safer than Chicago.
Compared to other cities in SE Asia: Da Nang is 2% less safe than Chiang Mai, 25% safer than Bangkok, and 98% safer than Kuala Lumpur.
Da Nang is the biggest city in central Vietnam. Its safety is impressive for a city of its size. It’s also got decent beaches, and it’s right near Hoi An, which is #1 on this list of safe cities (above).
Personally, I felt totally safe in Da Nang. The only issue is the crazy traffic—but that’s just Vietnam, almost anywhere you go.
The Numbeo Crime and Safety ratings for Da Nang are very good:
- Level of Crime: 18.6 (Very Low)
- Worries about being mugged or robbed: 21.3 (Low)
- Safety walking alone during daylight: 86.5 (Very High)
- Safety walking alone during night: 69.5 (High)
And the Nomad List Scores are good, too:
- Safety: Good
- Food Safety: Good
- Lack of Crime: Good
- Peace (No Political Conflict): Okay
- Traffic Safety: Bad
- Friendly to Foreigners: Good
Is the air quality safe in Da Nang? The 2022 average concentration of PM2.5 pollutants was 18.8 μg/m³. This is not great, as it is 3-5 times the WHO guidelines. But it’s still better air quality than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. (source)
3. Da Lat
The overall Safety Index of Da Lat is ~67/100. For context, that’s 46% safer than London and 97% safer than Chicago.
Compared to other cities in SE Asia: Da Lat is 12% less safe than Chiang Mai, 12% safer than Bangkok, and 79% safer than Kuala Lumpur.
Da Lat is a cool, nature-filled mountain town in southern Vietnam. It’s a relaxing place to be, and I felt safe there. Again, the only exception would be the crazy traffic and crossing the street as a pedestrian.
The Numbeo Crime and Safety Ratings are pretty good for Da Lat:
- Level of Crime: 28.6 (Low)
- Worries about being mugged or robbed: 35.7 (Low)
- Safety walking alone during daylight: 78.6 (High)
- Safety walking alone during night: 53.6 (Moderate)
The Nomad List Scores look good overall, too:
- Safety: Good
- Food Safety: Good
- Lack of Crime: Good
- Peace (No Political Conflict): Okay
- Traffic Safety: Bad
- Friendly to Foreigners: Great
4. Hanoi
The overall Safety Index of Hanoi is ~64/100. For context, that’s 39% safer than London and 88% safer than Chicago.
Compared to other cities in SE Asia: Hanoi is 16% less safe than Chiang Mai, 7% safer than Bangkok, and 71% safer than Kuala Lumpur.
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, famous for its architecture, markets and street food, temples, and beautiful lakes. Personally I felt safe in Hanoi.
The Numbeo Crime Ratings are quite good:
- Level of Crime: 31.7 (Low)
- Worries about being mugged or robbed: 37.9 (Low)
- Safety walking alone during daylight: 79.9 (High)
- Safety walking alone during night: 56.1 (Moderate)
And the Nomad List Scores are decent, as well:
- Safety: Good
- Food Safety: Good
- Lack of Crime: Good
- Peace (No Political Conflict): Okay
- Traffic Safety: Bad
- Friendly to Foreigners: Okay
Is the air quality safe in Hanoi? The 2022 average concentration of PM2.5 pollutants was 40.1 μg/m³. This was the worst in Vietnam, 7-10 times worse than the WHO guidelines. (source)
5. Nha Trang
The overall Safety Index of Nha Trang is ~61/100. For context, that’s 33% safer than London and 79% safer than Chicago.
Compared to other cities in SE Asia: Nha Trang is 20% less safe than Chiang Mai, 2% safer than Bangkok, and 63% safer than Kuala Lumpur.
Nha Trang is a beautiful beach city in southern Vietnam. Many foreigners rave that its beaches are better than Da Nang’s. But it’s a smaller city overall, and it’s safety ratings are just a bit lower.
The Numbeo Crime Ratings are pretty good:
- Level of Crime: 42.9 (Moderate)
- Worries about being mugged or robbed: 35.7 (Low)
- Safety walking alone during daylight: 85.7 (Very High)
- Safety walking alone during night: 53.6 (Moderate)
And the Nomad List Scores are pretty good, as well:
- Safety: Good
- Food Safety: Good
- Lack of Crime: Good
- Peace (No Political Conflict): Okay
- Traffic Safety: Bad
- Friendly to Foreigners: Good
What About Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon) is one of the most popular tourist and expat destinations in all of Vietnam. But it doesn’t rank quite as high for safety compared to the other cities above.
That said, it’s still a pretty safe city. If you’re using common sense and you don’t have horrible luck, you should be just fine. I’ve lived in Saigon for over 3 months myself, and I’ve never had any problems with crime or anything.
The overall Safety Index of Ho Chi Minh City is ~48/100. For context, that’s 4% safer than London and 41% safer than Chicago.
Compared to other cities in SE Asia: Ho Chi Minh City is 37% less safe than Chiang Mai, 20% less safe than Bangkok, and 28% safer than Kuala Lumpur.
The Numbeo Crime and Safety Ratings for Ho Chi Minh City are moderate:
- Level of Crime: 53.4 (Moderate)
- Worries about being mugged or robbed: 59.5 (Moderate)
- Safety walking alone during daylight: 64.5 (High)
- Safety walking alone during night: 39.1 (Low)
And the Nomad List Scores are decent:
- Safety: Good
- Food Safety: Good
- Lack of Crime: Good
- Peace (No Political Conflict): Okay
- Traffic Safety: Bad
- Friendly to Foreigners: Okay
Is the air quality safe in Ho Chi Minh City? The 2022 average concentration of PM2.5 pollutants was 21.2 μg/m³. This is not great, as it is 3-5 times the WHO guidelines. That said, it’s still much better than Hanoi. (source)
Overall, all the cities that are popular with foreigners in Vietnam are generally safe. From those reviewed here, Hoi An was the safest, and Ho Chi Minh City was the least safe—but again, none of them are really dangerous.