There are plenty of reasons to visit Vietnam, from Hanoi’s busy old streets and Ho Chi Minh City’s late-night energy to the bowls of steaming pho and strong Vietnamese coffee you’ll find almost everywhere. But if you like getting to know a place through what people eat and drink, there’s another reason to add Vietnam to your list: The country’s famously cheap fresh beer.

In Hanoi, it is possible to sit on a tiny plastic stool by the roadside, order a glass of cold beer that’ll cost you less than a bottle of water. Just pay a few thousand Vietnamese dong.

The beer in question is bia hơi, a light, fresh draft beer that has become closely associated with Hanoi’s street life.

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At local establishments, a glass can cost around 5,000 to 10,000 Vietnamese dong, roughly ₹16 to ₹32, depending on the exchange rate (tourist-heavy areas can charge more.)

That price has earned bia hơi a reputation as one of the cheapest beers in the world. But if you travel to Vietnam only for the bargain, you may miss the more interesting part of the story.

Forget the fancy bar. Look for the plastic stools

Bia hơi is not really a rooftop-bar kind of drink. In Hanoi, the classic way to have it is sitting outside, usually on those tiny plastic stools that seem almost comically small until you realise half the city is sitting on them.

As the sun goes down, pavements around the Old Quarter begin to fill with people eating, chatting and drinking. Tables are low, the stools are close together and the street remains very much part of the evening.

Vietnam’s official tourism site describes bia hơi as a long-standing part of urban drinking culture, with locals gathering at roadside corners for food and beer.

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For a visitor, it is one of those experiences that does not require much planning. Find a busy local spot, take a seat and order a glass.

So, what is bia hơi?

The name itself gives away much of the story. Bia means beer, while hơi refers to freshness. Unlike bottled beer that can sit on shelves for months, bia hơi is a fresh draft beer intended to be consumed quickly.

It is generally light and easy to drink, making it particularly suited to Hanoi’s casual street-food culture. The beer is served directly from kegs, often in simple glass mugs, and its short shelf life is part of what makes it different from the packaged beers travellers may already know.

And then there is the price

Depending on where you go, a glass can cost around 5,000 to 10,000 VND at local spots. In more tourist-oriented parts of the Old Quarter, prices can be higher, so travellers should not expect every glass in Hanoi to cost the equivalent of a few rupees.

Still, even at the higher end of the local range, bia hơi remains remarkably inexpensive by international travel standards.

That makes it particularly appealing for budget travellers. You can spend an evening eating street food, trying different Vietnamese dishes and having a few beers without the bill becoming the main event.

Ta Hien Street is the obvious starting point

If you are trying bia hơi for the first time, head towards Ta Hien Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, particularly the junction with Luong Ngoc Quyen Street. Known as ‘Bia Hoi Corner’, the area is one of the city's best-known places to experience the beer.

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It is also one of the liveliest. The street fills with locals and international visitors, with restaurants and drinking spots spilling onto the pavement. Vietnam Tourism specifically recommends the area as a place to experience Hanoi’s bia hơi tradition.

The downside? It is no longer a secret. If you are looking for the absolute cheapest glass or a quieter evening, exploring smaller neighbourhood establishments away from the busiest tourist streets may be a better bet.

More than just cheap beer

There is something appealing about the fact that bia hơi does not require a dress code, reservation or expensive cocktail menu. You simply sit down and become part of the street for a while.

Order some snacks, watch scooters weave through the city and listen to conversations happening around you. You may hear the familiar Vietnamese toast “một, hai, ba, dô!” as groups raise their glasses. The point is less about drinking a premium beer and more about being somewhere where eating and drinking are woven into everyday life.

And that is perhaps the real reason to put bia hơi on your Vietnam travel list.

Yes, it is cheap. Very cheap. But the best part is that a glass of beer can take you away from the polished version of a city and put you right in the middle of its everyday rhythm.

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So, if Vietnam is on your travel plans, save the fancy bar for another night. In Hanoi, sometimes the better evening comes with a ₹20-ish beer, a plastic stool and a busy street outside.

(Disclaimer: Alcohol consumption is harmful to health and may lead to addiction and other health risks. Please drink responsibly. Alcohol should not be consumed by individuals below the legal drinking age, pregnant women, or those who have been advised to avoid alcohol for medical reasons)