How much does a pickleball trip to Vietnam cost?

Most Vietnam budget guides are written for backpackers on $30 a day. This one is for the rest of us: a comfortable 4-star room, a driver waiting at arrivals, and a game of pickleball most days. I've planned trips here for fifteen years and I play here every week, so these are the prices I actually see in 2026, line by line, including the courts.

What a pickleball trip to Vietnam costs, at a glance

These are per person, twin share, at a comfortable level: 4-star hotels, sit-down meals with plenty of street food in between, private cars for long transfers. Exchange rate used: about 26,000 dong to US$1.

The low end is a well-organised trip where you book hotels yourself and use Green SM (formerly Xanh SM), the green electric taxis, around town. The high end adds a private guide most days, an overnight cruise and a couple of nicer dinners. You can spend far more, and some people do, but you don't need to.

How much does it cost to play pickleball in Vietnam?

Playing pickleball in Vietnam costs US$5 to $15 per person a session. You rent a court by the hour and split it, and that's usually the whole bill. What moves the price is the time slot and the quality of the court.

A session here means about two hours of doubles with the court split four ways. The cheapest slots run from early morning to around noon, and the US$3 to $7 range is mostly basic courts in the daytime, before 4pm. After work, from about 5 to 8pm, every club in the city fills up and the price goes up with it. Indoor courts and resort courts sit at the top of the range. If you play five sessions on a 10-day trip, budget US$25 to $75 for the lot.

The hidden cost isn't money. It's getting a game at your level, with people who'll explain the rotation in English. Most games are organised on Zalo, not on an app, which is why visitors often end up on an empty court. My guide to playing pickleball in Vietnam explains how drop-in works, and there are city guides for Hanoi, Da Nang and Saigon.

What does a day in Vietnam cost at a comfortable level?

Plan on US$110 to $200 per person per day for everything on the ground except international flights. Here's where it goes.

How much are flights to Vietnam?

A return economy flight from the US to Vietnam averages about US$985, and anything under about US$820 counts as a good fare. From the West Coast you'll sometimes find US$400 to $700 with two stops, but expect US$1,000 to $1,400 from the East Coast in December. January tends to be the cheapest month to fly and December the busiest.

Fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City, or the other way round. An open-jaw ticket usually costs about the same as a return and saves you a full day of backtracking.

Domestic flights are cheap. Hanoi to Da Nang averages around US$40 one way and drops below US$20 on sale. Budget US$30 to $80 per flight including a checked bag, which you'll want for the paddle bag.

A real 10-day budget, north to south

Here's one route, priced the do-it-yourself way: Hanoi, an overnight on Ha Long Bay, Da Nang and Hoi An, then Saigon. Five games along the way. Per person, twin share.

Not in the table: travel insurance, tips, a tailor in Hoi An, and whatever you carry home from the markets. Read money in Vietnam for how much cash to carry and what to tip.

What if you want a beach resort instead of a hotel?

A 5-star beach resort in Da Nang or Hoi An costs about US$140 to $320 a night per room, so roughly US$70 to $160 per person sharing. Many have their own pickleball courts, and at several of them court time is free for guests.

October and November are the cheapest months for beach resorts on the central coast, often 35 to 45 percent below the summer peak. Swap three of the eight hotel nights on the 10-day route for a 5-star beach resort and you add about US$120 to $300 per person. Free court time can win some of that back: Pullman Danang gives guests up to two hours a day, and Grand Mercure, Four Seasons The Nam Hai and Hoiana include court time for guests. The full list is in resorts in Vietnam with pickleball courts.

Is it cheaper to plan it yourself or book a private trip?

Planning it yourself is usually a little cheaper on paper. A private trip often costs about the same once you price in a guide and court bookings, and it saves you the hours of planning.

For comparison, our Top to Bottom trip covers almost the same 10-day route from US$1,890 per person, twin share, land only. That includes the hotels, the Ha Long cruise, both domestic flights, every transfer, five sessions with courts and balls paid, coaching for anyone who wants it, breakfast daily and an English-speaking guide every day. It doesn't include international flights, the visa, insurance or most lunches and dinners.

So the honest comparison looks like this:

• Plan it yourself if you like the research, you're happy finding your own games on Zalo, and you want the lowest possible number.
• Book a private trip if you'd rather someone matched you with players at your level, booked courts at the hours you like, and dealt with the cruise, the cars and the flights.

Neither is wrong. Plenty of our travellers did one trip their own way first, then came back with us for the second.

What pushes the price up

• Christmas, New Year and Tet. Hotels and cruises rise sharply in late December, and Tet (Lunar New Year) moves every year. In 2027 it falls in early February. See Tet 2027 in Vietnam.
• Travelling solo. A single room adds roughly 40 to 70 percent to your hotel line. A private guide costs the same for one person as for two.
• A luxury cruise. A good 4-star boat is US$120 to $180. The top boats on Ha Long Bay run US$700 and up.
• Booking late. December flights and Ha Long cabins sell out first. Book those two by September if you can.
• Evening games. The 5 to 8pm slot is peak time at every club, so it costs the most.

Where you can save without noticing

• Eat where the locals eat. The best pho in Hanoi costs less than a coffee at home. Save the splurge for one or two dinners.
• Play before noon. Early morning to midday is the cheapest slot on most courts, and the early games are the friendliest anyway.
• Fewer bases. Every move costs a transfer and half a day. Four bases in ten days is plenty. My two weeks in Vietnam route is built on this idea.
• Travel in shoulder season. March, April and October are cheaper than December and still good for playing in most of the country. Check the best time to visit Vietnam for your route.
• Bring your own paddle. Loaners are free on our trips, but if you're going it alone, rental adds up.

Vietnam pickleball trip cost FAQ

Is Vietnam cheap for a pickleball holiday?

Yes. Court time costs US$5 to $15 per person a session, depending on the time slot. You'll only see US$3 to $7 on basic courts in daytime slots, from early morning to about 4pm. Hotels are about half what you'd pay for the same standard in the US, and food is very cheap. The long-haul flight is the expensive part.

How much spending money do I need per day in Vietnam?

On a trip where hotels and transfers are already paid, US$40 to $70 a day per person covers food, drinks, Green SM taxi rides, court fees and small purchases at a comfortable level.

How much does a pickleball court cost to rent in Vietnam?

From about 150,000 dong an hour (US$6) on a basic court to 450,000 to 700,000 dong (US$17 to $27) for a good court at peak time in 2026. The cheapest slots usually run from early morning to 12 noon. The 5 to 8pm slot is the most expensive. Indoor and resort courts charge more.

Do I need cash for pickleball in Vietnam?

Bring some. Many clubs take bank transfer by QR code, which foreign cards can't always use, so keep small dong notes to pay your share of the court.

How much does a private pickleball tour of Vietnam cost?

Our private trips start from US$1,090 per person for 6 days in Da Nang and Hoi An, US$1,250 for 8 days in Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long, and US$1,890 for 10 days from Hanoi to Saigon. Prices are twin share, land only, and include hotels, courts, transfers and a guide.

The bottom line

A pickleball trip to Vietnam costs about US$110 to $200 a day per person at a comfortable level, plus your flight. Ten days comes to roughly US$2,000 to $3,400 all in. The courts barely register on the bill. What you're really paying for is the hotels, the cruise and the flight, and whether you want to plan it all yourself or have someone do it with you.