Forget what you think you know about Vietnam. This is a country that has grown up, opened up and become one of Asia’s most rewarding destinations for Australian travellers – particularly if you’re old enough to appreciate the good things in life.

There was a time when Vietnam was considered an adventurous destination.

You went because you wanted to get off the beaten track. You packed light, expected the occasional cold shower, negotiated every taxi fare and regarded a hotel with a swimming pool as a luxury.

That Vietnam still exists.

But there is another Vietnam now.

There are beautiful hotels, excellent restaurants, direct flights, sophisticated river cruises, superb spas and enough history and culture to keep even the most seasoned traveller fascinated.

And for Australians, the timing looks pretty good.

Vietnam welcomed a record 21.2 million international visitors in 2025, while Australia was one of its biggest markets, accounting for about 548,000 visitors.

So why should Vietnam be on your travel list for 2027?

Here are 21 reasons.

1. Because Vietnam gives you a lot of holiday for your dollar

Let’s start with the thing nobody over 60 is embarrassed to admit matters. Value.

Vietnam can deliver the sort of holiday where you can eat extraordinarily well, stay somewhere beautiful and enjoy experiences that would cost considerably more in Australia.

And with the Australian dollar currently buying more Vietnamese dong than it did a year ago, Vietnam is looking particularly attractive to Australian travellers.

That doesn’t mean everything is cheap.

It means you can choose where to spend your money.

And after a lifetime of working for it, that’s a pretty good thing.

2. Because you can do Vietnam without roughing it

There is a persistent idea that Vietnam involves sleeping on overnight trains and carrying your suitcase up four flights of stairs.

It doesn’t. You can travel in comfort.

Choose a good hotel. Book a private transfer. Take a domestic flight rather than a long road journey. Join a small-group tour. Book a river cruise.

Vietnam can be as adventurous – or as comfortable – as you want it to be.

And at this stage of life, I’m increasingly of the view that adventure is better when someone else carries the bags.

3. Hanoi is one of Asia’s great cities

Hanoi is chaotic, noisy and completely captivating.

The Old Quarter is a maze of narrow streets, tiny shops, cafés, food stalls and people going about their business.

But it is also a city where you can slow down. Sit beside Hoan Kiem Lake with a Vietnamese coffee. Visit the Temple of Literature. Explore the French Quarter. Have lunch somewhere cool and air-conditioned.

Don’t try to conquer Hanoi in a day.

Give it three or four days and let the city reveal itself.

4. Because Vietnamese food might be reason enough

Vietnamese food is fresh, fragrant and wonderfully uncomplicated.

Pho.

Banh mi.

Fresh spring rolls.

Bun cha.

Grilled seafood.

Rice paper rolls.

And those little bowls of herbs and vegetables that somehow make everything taste better. The great joy for mature travellers is that you don’t need to eat at expensive restaurants to eat well. Some of the best meals can still be found in small neighbourhood restaurants and family-run kitchens.

Just remember that the definition of “spicy” can vary considerably.

5. Halong Bay is worth getting up for

Yes, you’ve seen the photographs. The limestone karsts rising dramatically from the emerald water. But Halong Bay is one of those places where photographs don’t quite prepare you for the scale of it.

The trick for travellers in their 60s and beyond is not to treat it as a box-ticking exercise. Take a comfortable cruise. Wake up early. Have breakfast on deck. Watch the mist lift from the water.

You don’t need to kayak around the entire bay.

Sometimes the best way to see somewhere extraordinary is from a comfortable chair.

6. Hoi An might steal your heart

If Hanoi is energetic and Ho Chi Minh City is full throttle, Hoi An is the place to breathe out.

Its ancient streets, colourful lanterns, riverside restaurants and old merchant houses make it one of Vietnam’s most atmospheric destinations.

It is also a wonderful place to simply stop travelling for a few days.

Walk in the morning.

Have lunch.

Find a tailor.

Take a cooking class.

Get a massage.

Sit down.

Repeat.

At our age, there’s nothing wrong with a holiday itinerary that includes doing very little.

7. You can have clothes made to fit you

Hoi An is famous for its tailors, and having something made is part of the fun.

A linen jacket. A dress. A shirt. A suit.

Just don’t make the mistake of ordering something at the beginning of the trip and expecting to wear it on the plane home.

Give the tailors time for fittings and alterations.

And don’t be afraid to tell them exactly what you want.

You’ve been wearing clothes long enough to know what works for you.

8. Hue is for history lovers

Vietnam’s former imperial capital is a must for anyone interested in history. The Imperial City, royal tombs and ancient temples tell the story of Vietnam’s emperors and dynasties. Hue is also a reminder that Vietnam’s history extends far beyond the 20th century.

For Australian travellers who grew up hearing about Vietnam largely through the lens of war, that broader perspective can be particularly powerful.

9. You can confront the history – without being defined by it

For Australians of a certain age, Vietnam is not simply a holiday destination.

It is part of our history.

Many grew up with the Vietnam War on the television news. Some served there. Others protested against it. Almost everyone remembers it.

Visiting places such as the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City or the Cu Chi tunnels can be confronting.

But so can visiting a country that has moved forward while remembering its past.

Vietnam is not frozen in 1968.

And perhaps one of the most interesting things about travelling there is seeing how history sits alongside modern life.

10. Ho Chi Minh City will remind you that 60 isn’t old

Saigon – or Ho Chi Minh City, if you prefer – is fast, energetic and constantly moving. Motorbikes stream through the streets. Cafés are everywhere. Rooftop bars overlook a skyline that seems to change every time you look at it.

It is noisy.

It is hot.

It is exciting.

And it is a useful reminder that being over 60 doesn’t mean you have to travel only to places that go to bed at 8.30pm.

11. The Mekong Delta lets you slow everything down

After the traffic and energy of Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta is a different world.

Take a boat.

Watch life unfold along the river.

Visit villages and markets.

See how food is grown and transported.

The Mekong is less about individual attractions and more about observing a way of life.

And that makes it perfect for mature travellers.

You don’t have to rush from one photograph opportunity to another.

You simply watch.

12. Vietnam does beaches very well

If you thought Vietnam was all temples, traffic and history, think again. Da Nang has a magnificent beach. Nha Trang has long been a popular seaside resort. Phu Quoc offers tropical beaches and resorts.

And there are plenty of quieter stretches of coastline for those who don’t need a nightclub within walking distance.

For many Australians, it can feel a little strange flying halfway across the region to discover a beach lifestyle that feels surprisingly familiar. But with better value.

13. There are hotels that make staying in the room a legitimate activity

This is another major change. Vietnam’s hotel industry has matured enormously. You can find boutique hotels, luxury resorts, beach properties, heritage accommodation and sophisticated city hotels.

For mature travellers, that’s important. Because sometimes the quality of the hotel is part of the holiday. After a day exploring Hanoi, you want a comfortable bed. After walking around Hue, you want a shower that works. And after a long flight from Australia, a beautiful swimming pool suddenly becomes an attraction in its own right.

14. Vietnam is made for a massage

After a lifetime of doing things for other people, perhaps one of the great pleasures of travel is having somebody else worry about you for an hour. Vietnam’s spas offer everything from basic massages to luxurious resort treatments. And the beauty is that you don’t have to spend a fortune.

Book one after a long day of sightseeing. Your feet will thank you.

15. You can drink very good coffee

Vietnamese coffee is serious business. Strong, sweet and often served with condensed milk, it is not necessarily what your cardiologist had in mind when they suggested cutting back on caffeine. But Vietnam has also embraced modern coffee culture. You’ll find everything from tiny traditional cafés to stylish specialty coffee shops.

And sitting in a café watching the world go past is one of the best ways to understand Vietnam.

16. The countryside is spectacular

Get outside the cities and Vietnam becomes a different country again.

Rice paddies.

Limestone mountains.

Rivers.

Fishing villages.

Terraced fields.

Water buffalo.

In the north, places such as Ninh Binh offer spectacular scenery without necessarily requiring the physical demands of a serious trekking holiday. That’s important. You can appreciate beautiful landscapes without having to prove you’re still capable of climbing Everest.

17. You can travel by train – and actually enjoy it

Vietnam’s long north-south railway is a wonderful way to see the country. You don’t necessarily need to spend 12 hours in a hard seat. Choose a comfortable carriage, or use trains for shorter journeys.

There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about watching the countryside slide past a train window. And unlike flying, you actually see the country you’re visiting.

18. You can take a river cruise without spending European-river-cruise money

River cruising has become hugely popular with Australian retirees, and Vietnam offers another way to do it. A Mekong cruise can combine comfortable accommodation with sightseeing, food and fascinating glimpses of local life. It also solves one of the great problems of travel as we get older:

You unpack once. That alone deserves a place on this list.

19. Vietnam is remarkably easy to combine with another country

If you’re flying all the way to Southeast Asia, you might as well make the most of it.

Vietnam combines beautifully with Cambodia.

Or Laos.

Or Thailand.

Or Singapore.

And for Australians taking a longer trip, it can be the centrepiece of a multi-country Asian adventure. Just don’t make the mistake of trying to see all of Southeast Asia in three weeks. You’ve got nothing to prove.

20. Because Vietnam has changed – and you should see it for yourself

Perhaps the most compelling reason to visit is also the simplest. Vietnam is changing. Rapidly.

The country welcomed almost 21.2 million international visitors in 2025 – its highest ever total – and the number continued to climb in the first half of 2026.

For Australians, Vietnam has become increasingly popular, with visitor numbers having more than doubled over the past decade.That means the Vietnam you visit in 2027 won’t necessarily be the Vietnam your friends visited 10 or 20 years ago.

And that, to me, is reason enough to go.

21. Because you are finally old enough to travel properly

This is my favourite reason. When you’re younger, travel can be about seeing everything. Ticking boxes. Getting the photograph. Doing three cities in four days.

Staying somewhere because it was cheap. Getting up at 5am because the itinerary said so.

But something changes as you get older. You realise that travel isn’t about how many places you can visit.

It’s about how much you can feel.

A great meal.

A conversation with a local.

A hotel balcony overlooking the river.

A cold beer after a hot afternoon.

The smell of pho drifting down a Hanoi laneway.

The sound of the sea in Da Nang.

A sunset on the Mekong.

A morning coffee in Hoi An.

You have earned the right to travel differently.

Vietnam is a wonderful place to do it.

So, when should you go?

Vietnam stretches a long way from north to south, which means there isn’t one perfect month for the entire country.

Generally, February to April can be an attractive period for travelling through several regions, while the weather varies considerably between north, central and southern Vietnam.

If you’re planning a 2027 trip, check the conditions for the particular regions you intend to visit rather than relying on a single “best time to visit”.

And check the latest entry requirements before booking.

Vietnam currently offers a 90-day e-visa facility for citizens of all countries and territories, according to its official tourism authority.

One last thing

Vietnam isn’t perfect.

The traffic can be confronting.

Crossing the road can feel like an extreme sport.

It can be hot and humid.

There are crowds.

The streets can be noisy.

And you may occasionally wonder whether the Vietnamese definition of “relaxing holiday” is quite the same as yours.

But that’s part of its charm. Vietnam isn’t a museum. It is alive.

And for Australians in their 60s, 70s and beyond, it offers something increasingly valuable: a genuinely different travel experience without demanding that you travel uncomfortably.

So perhaps 2027 is the year to stop saying, “We must go to Vietnam one day.”

Book the trip now. Contact the team at Travel at 60 to find an option that suits you.