Common Tourist Scams in Hanoi (and How to Avoid Them)
Old Quarter scams
- "Free" cyclo rides: agreed fare turns into 3x at the destination. Negotiate firmly before riding; pay the agreed amount + a fair tip; walk away from any escalation.
- "Friendly local" approaches: leads to overpriced bia hơi (street beer) joints or coffee shops. Polite firm "no" works.
- Restaurant tourist menus immediately around the lake: 2-3x normal Vietnamese pricing. Walk one street deeper.
- Counterfeit dong: large bills (200,000 / 500,000) sometimes are fake. Familiarise yourself with the watermarks; refuse worn or torn notes.
- Currency: Vietnamese dong (VND). Confusing because of the zeros (~25,000 VND = $1 USD). USD is accepted at hotels but at poor rates.
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