Vietnam Tourism at Record Highs:
Three Dental Itineraries for 2026

What Vietnam's record tourism numbers mean for your dental trip

Vietnam logged over 17 million international arrivals in 2025, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. That is a new record, surpassing the previous peak and reflecting the country's position as one of Southeast Asia's most visited destinations. For dental tourists, this boom has both benefits and practical implications.

The benefits: more competing airlines on routes from Australia, the UK, Europe, and the United States have pushed fares down significantly. More accommodation options at all price points exist across the major cities. Infrastructure has improved markedly in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The implication: top-quality international-patient clinics fill their appointment books faster than before. This is not a crisis, but it requires adjustment. Booking dental work 6 to 8 weeks in advance is now standard for patients wanting specific appointment windows at peak periods. The old approach of booking a flight to Vietnam and then finding a clinic on arrival is not appropriate for complex treatment.

Treatment cost itself has not changed. The cost of dental work in Vietnam is driven by clinic operating costs: rent, staff salaries, utilities, materials. These are not affected by tourist traffic volumes. A Zirconia crown still costs 7,000,000 VND (approximately $280 USD) at Picasso. The maths on savings versus home-country treatment is unchanged.

Itinerary 1: Hanoi cultural implant trip (10 days, 3 implants)

This itinerary suits patients who want cultural immersion alongside moderate dental work. Hanoi's Old Quarter is walkable, food-rich, and adjacent to important heritage sites. The Picasso Old Quarter branch is a 5-minute walk from Hoan Kiem Lake.

The dental component: 3 Osstem implants placed on Day 3, post-op review on Day 4, final check and fitness-to-fly note on Day 9. Chair time across both clinical appointments totals approximately 2.5 hours. Days 5 through 8 are recovery and tourism with no clinic involvement.

The tourism component: Old Quarter walking tour, Hoan Kiem Lake, Water Puppet Theatre, a day trip to Ninh Binh (Tam Coc boat tour), Vietnamese Women's Museum, Temple of Literature, and Bat Trang ceramic village. All compatible with post-implant recovery, which involves soft food for 3 to 5 days and gentle activity.

Cost for an Australian patient: 3 Osstem implants at approximately AUD $4,800. Flights AUD $1,000, hotel 10 nights AUD $700, meals and transport AUD $500. Total trip approximately AUD $7,000, versus AUD $15,000 to $22,500 for 3 implants in Sydney alone.

Itinerary 2: Da Nang beach veneer trip (14 days, 8 veneers plus whitening)

This itinerary suits cosmetic-focused patients who want to recover at the beach. Da Nang consistently draws the most first-time international dental tourists across all six Picasso branches for practical reasons: small navigable airport, beach hotels 5 minutes from the clinic, Hoi An UNESCO heritage town 30 minutes south, and a relaxed pace that is ideal for recovery days between appointments.

The dental component: Consultation and smile design on Days 1 to 2, veneer preparation and temporaries on Days 3 to 4, lab fabrication phase Days 5 to 7 (no clinic visits), try-in on Day 8, permanent cementation on Days 9 to 10, optional whitening on Day 11, final check on Day 12.

The tourism component: My Khe Beach, Hoi An ancient town day trip, Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha statue, Da Nang Museum, Hai Van Pass scenic drive. All appropriate during the recovery and lab-wait phases.

Cost for an Australian patient: 8 Emax veneers at approximately AUD $4,600, whitening at AUD $220. Flights AUD $1,000, hotel 14 nights AUD $1,000, meals and transport AUD $700. Total trip approximately AUD $7,500 versus AUD $24,000 for 8 veneers in Sydney alone.

Itinerary 3: Ho Chi Minh City full-mouth restoration (21 days, All-on-4)

This itinerary suits patients needing major full-mouth restoration. Ho Chi Minh City's Thao Dien neighbourhood is the right base: expat-friendly apartment hotels with kitchenettes for soft-food recovery, metropolitan amenities, and easy access to Mekong Delta day trips once energy returns post-surgery.

The dental component: Full diagnostic workup including CBCT on Days 1 to 2, All-on-4 surgery (extractions plus 4 implants per arch, immediate provisional prosthetics) on Days 3 to 4, rest and recovery Days 5 to 9, post-op review and bite adjustments Days 10 to 12, continued recovery Days 13 to 17, final provisional fitting Days 18 to 20, fitness-to-fly assessment Day 21. Return visit at 4 to 6 months for permanent zirconia prosthetics.

The tourism component: Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, War Remnants Museum, Cu Chi Tunnels, Ben Thanh Market, Mekong Delta day trip. Paced across the recovery phase as energy allows.

Cost for an Australian patient: All-on-4 both arches with Osstem at approximately AUD $16,000. Flights AUD $1,000, 21 nights apartment hotel AUD $1,500, meals and transport AUD $800, return trip AUD $2,500. Total approximately AUD $22,000 versus AUD $50,000 to $80,000 for equivalent full-mouth restoration in Sydney.

Six planning adjustments for 2026

• Book the dental work 6 to 8 weeks ahead Top-tier international-patient clinics fill 6 to 8 weeks in advance for major work. Send your X-rays early, receive the written treatment plan and confirmed appointment slots, then book flights around those slots. Never book flights first.
• Avoid Tet and Chinese Golden Week Tet (late January to early February) effectively closes the country for one week. Chinese Golden Week (early October) spikes flights and hotels. April to May and September to November are the best booking windows: good weather, moderate prices, lower crowds.
• Match accommodation to procedure type Minor work: any 3 to 4 star hotel near the clinic. Crown or veneer work: hotel with a fridge. Major surgery (implants, All-on-4): apartment-hotel with a kitchenette. Recovery is significantly easier with a small kitchen for preparing soft meals.
• Build a 2 to 3 day buffer into surgical trips If everything goes perfectly, the buffer becomes leisure time. If a minor complication develops, it absorbs an extra clinic visit without forcing a flight change. Picasso provides documentation for travel insurance medical-reason flight changes.
• Consider combining with wider Southeast Asia Many patients add 7 to 14 days in Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, or Bali before or after the dental phase. Dental work typically goes second so recovery leads directly into the flight home. Coordinate appointment timing with the full itinerary at consultation.
• Choose the right Picasso branch for your priorities Hanoi Old Quarter for cultural immersion. Da Nang Flagship for first-time international patients, beach, and Hoi An. HCMC Thao Dien for metropolitan energy and major surgery. Da Lat for highland tourism and quieter recovery. All six have equivalent treatment quality.