Wintering in Vietnam with Kids 2026/27: City and School

The right city for a winter in Vietnam with children depends on your arrival month, because Nha Trang dries out in late December, Da Nang stays wet until January and the south is dry from December. A family of four budgets about $2,200-3,200 a month, and every child with their own passport files their own visa application. I handle e-visas and border runs for families who stay for the season, so the paperwork sections below come from what those files actually need.

Which Vietnamese city suits a winter with children?

Nha Trang suits most families who arrive in December or later: Russian-speaking kindergartens, a hospital with a pediatric department and a dry January through March. Da Nang stays wet longer, Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Minh City dry out in December, and Dalat is cool for small children. The table compares them by weather and by what a family gets.

If the flight lands in November, expect rain in Nha Trang, where that month brings around 270-280 mm, and far more in Da Nang with 367 mm. I would book the first month in Ho Chi Minh City or on Phu Quoc and move to the coast after mid-December. The same logic is worked through in the Nha Trang winter rent and weather guide and the Phu Quoc winter guide.

Can children stay in Vietnam without a visa all winter?

No, only for 45 days: Russian citizens, children included, enter Vietnam visa-free under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, valid until 14 March 2028. Anything longer than 45 days needs an e‑visa of up to 90 days, which costs $25 for a single entry and $50 for multiple entries under Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC. The same circular lists $25 for travellers under 14 whatever the validity, and the portal shows the final amount before you pay.

A winter from mid-November to mid-March is about 120 days, so a family needs more than one stamp. The usual route is 45 days visa-free, a border run, then re-entry on an e‑visa of up to 90 days. That adds up to 135 days with a single exit, which covers the winter. Day 46 without status is an overstay, so put the exit date for every passport into one shared calendar on the day you land.

How do you apply for each child’s e‑visa step by step?

Each child with a personal passport needs a separate application on evisa.gov.vn. The portal accepts a passport scan and a digital photo, and the steps are the same as for an adult. A family of four therefore files four applications and pays four fees, so start at least two weeks before the flight.

1. Photograph the passport data page and take a digital face photo for each child.
2. Fill in one application per passport and choose the entry type, single or multiple.
3. Pay the fee on the portal and keep the application code.
4. Wait up to 3 working days for the result and plan for 5.
5. Print the e‑visa for every traveller before the flight.

The place where families lose a day is the payment. The portal declines many foreign bank cards, and a failed payment after four filled-in forms is a quick way to spoil an evening. At BestBus Vietnam I file the applications for each child separately, pay the fee with a card the portal accepts and choose the right entry point. The form itself is manageable with a translator app, but if the card keeps bouncing, the 90-day e‑visa service takes that step over. Message me on WhatsApp with your arrival date and the number of passports, and I will tell you what fits before your flight.

What does a Cambodia border run cost for a family?

A tourist e‑visa for Cambodia costs $30 per adult for 30 days and one entry, and children under 12 get it free, though the visa itself is still required. A child with a personal passport needs a separate visa, and parents file the application for anyone under 18 on the official Cambodian e‑visa site.

Sources disagree on whether the Moc Bai crossing accepts the Cambodian e‑visa on arrival from Vietnam, so I arrange the visa before leaving. A family run from the south takes a full day, mostly in the car. The options from Nha Trang are broken down in the Nha Trang visa run comparison, and the documents list for children is in the visa run with kids guide.

Kindergarten, international school or online school?

For a stay of three to five months, a Russian-speaking kindergarten or an online school fits better than an international school. Nha Trang kindergartens run full days for $115-190 a month (3-5 million VND), in groups of 6 to 12 children, mostly in the Phuoc Hai and Phuoc Tien districts. Russian-language schools and prices are compared in the Nha Trang and Da Nang school fees article.

International schools publish annual tariffs. The Singapore International School in Da Nang charges from $10,400 a year for the youngest group up to $24,600 for grade 12, and the average across seven Da Nang international schools is about $15,800 with extra fees. For a pre-schooler I lean towards the kindergarten, since a year-long tariff paid for one winter covers months the child will never sit through. Ask each school directly whether it takes a single term, because published tariffs cover the full year. The Nha Trang international schools guide shows what to ask.

A child enrolled in a Russian school can move to family education and take lessons in an online school. Russia requires periodic attestation, which a state school provides free and a private school charges for, and you can attach the child to a school only for the exam. Providers price monthly plans from a video-lesson basic tier up to a tutor-led plan.

Where do you take a sick child in Vietnam?

Nha Trang has Vinmec Nha Trang at 42A Tran Phu with a pediatrics and neonatology department. In Da Nang the Family Medical Practice at 96-98 Nguyen Van Linh sees children Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 17:00 and Sunday until 12:00. Both bill international insurers directly, and Vinmec lists more than 30 of them, including Cigna, Bupa, Allianz and AXA.

A pediatrician consultation in a Vinmec branch costs $26 (690,000 VND) by appointment, and $42 (1,100,000 VND) without one or at weekends, according to the Phu Quoc price list. Serious cases from Da Nang go on to Vinmec or FV. Check with your assistance company whether a Russian travel policy pays the clinic directly, and carry the policy number in your phone and on paper.

How much does a month cost for a family of four?

A family of four lands at about $2,200-3,200 a month, which is my own estimate rather than a published figure. The base for it: one adult in a comfortable standard in Da Nang or Nha Trang spends about $1,770 a month, made up of $550 housing, $450 food, $150 transport, $30 mobile data, $250 sport and leisure, $60 insurance and $200 other. The same sources put a minimum budget near $950-1,200 per adult.

Two-bedroom rent runs $400-720 in Nha Trang, $350-700 in Da Nang and $280-480 on Phu Quoc, and landlords often take 10-15% off for stays of three months or more. Rent moves the family total further than any other line, so raise that discount before you sign the contract. A bowl of pho costs $2-3.5 and a lunch in a simple cafe $4-8. Food for four, a kindergarten or tutor, Grab rides and medical insurance added to the rent give the family figure above. The three-month cost breakdown shows the same numbers month by month.

Which plan fits which family?

A pre-school child fits Nha Trang from December, close to the kindergartens, and a school-age child on family education fits Nha Trang or Phu Quoc with an online school and a stable connection. Line up the stamps as 45 days visa-free, a border run and then the e‑visa, and book the clinic and the insurer’s phone number before the flight.

Four applications, four payments and a portal that may decline your card add up to a lost evening, even though the forms themselves take little time with a translator app. The part I take is the paperwork. Send me the family’s arrival date and the planned exit month on WhatsApp, and I will lay out which stamp, e‑visa and border run to use for your dates.

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