Tourists take photo by Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi.
Thanh Diem from HCM City and her siblings plan to visit Hanoi on the National Day holiday. However, with a return ticket for one person costing nearly VND 6 million (USD 235.8) and hotel rates soaring during the holiday, she is having second thoughts.
This year’s four-day National Day (September 2) holiday, combined with Hanoi’s most beautiful season, has fuelled a surge in demand for travel to the capital. The city is set to host a series of celebratory events, including a grand parade and march.
Many three-to four-star hotels in the Old Quarter, around Hoan Kiem Lake, or near Ba Dinh Square have raised their rates by 30-50 per cent for the National Day holiday compared to regular days.
A three-star hotel in Hoan Kiem Ward, less than 3 kilometres from Ba Dinh Square, has doubled its usual rate of around VND 700,000 (USD 28) per night for two guests to VND 1.5 million during the National Day holiday.
Another four-star hotel in the ward, normally priced at around VND 760,000 per night in mid-August, will see rates surge to over VND 2 million on the night of September 1.
Budget hotels and homestays, valued for their location, design, and service, and typically priced at under VND 450,000 per night, are also close to fully booked, with few vacancies left for the three-night holiday.
According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, by May, bookings for the National Day holiday were already up 30-40 per cent year-on-year, with the sharpest increases seen at hotels and other accommodations in the former Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh wards.
As of early August, Vietravel Hanoi had seen strong market momentum, with interest and bookings for National Day tours climbing steadily. Nearly 40 per cent of the 1,500 holiday slots on offer have already been taken.
With both airfares and hotel rates on the rise, many travellers are choosing more flexible options, such as booking in neighbouring districts or farther from central Hanoi, to secure better prices and avoid the holiday crowds.
Thu Dao from HCM City said she has been looking at hotels 7-10 kilometres from Ba Dinh Square, where prices are more affordable at around VND300,000-400,000 per person each night.
Many travellers are also choosing to pair Hanoi with nearby destinations such as Ninh Binh or Quang Ninh, shortening their stay in the capital to help reduce overall expenses.
Many tour operators report a sharp rise in bookings for regional itineraries such as Hanoi-Ninh Binh, Hanoi-Ha Long, and Hanoi-Moc Chau since early August, particularly for the period from August 30 to September 2.
