Essential 30 Day Packing List for a Baby in Vietnam

Like what you read? Please share!

Planning a trip is hard enough without having to then stress about what to pack. Flights, trains, hotels and activities should be where your time is spent planning, not what clothes to wear. Here you can find the essential 30 Day Packing list for a baby in Vietnam.

In March of 2023 the four of us packed a bag (or two), left our home in Vancouver and flew to Vietnam for a total of 51 days. Our youngest son was 6 months old when we left. In Canada when a baby is born the parents are given maternity and paternity leave for 12-18 months. The parents can split this in any way they like (its a bit more complicated than that in reality).

We spent March and April traveling North and South Vietnam. Vietnam only grants visitors a 30 day visa however, so we broke up our time in Vietnam by spending 10 days in Laos. We travelled Northern Vietnam before hopping into Laos for 10 days while we waited for our second Visa to be approved. Then we travelled Central and South Vietnam.

Table of Contents

• Weather in North Vietnam
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter
• Weather in South Vietnam
  • Dry Season
  • Wet Season
• 30 Day Vietnam Packing List for a Baby
• Clothes
• Toilettries
• Other
• Carry On Bag
• General Tips
• Printable Packing List for a Baby in Vietnam
• Subscribe

Weather in North Vietnam

In the northern part of the country the temperatures have a wider range depending on the time of year you travel. In the summer, temperatures range from 22° to 28°C. In the winter it gets quite a bit cooler, 10° to 20°C.

There are 4 seasons in Northern Vietnam, spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Spring

Spring time in Northern Vietnam is from February to mid April. During spring time you may see some rain periodically with temperatures averaging 20°C. Keep in mind that if you head into the mountains, like Sapa, you will see a drop in the temperature compared to Hanoi.

Summer

From mid April to late August temperatures rise to an average of 34°C and can sometimes reach above 40°C. During the afternoons or evenings you could find yourself in the middle of a thunderstorm through the summer months.

Autumn

September, October and November make up the autumn months with temperatures now averaging 26°C in Northern Vietnam. You won’t see much rain during this time and the rice fields will be a golden colour, ready to harvest.

Winter

Winter spans from December to February with temperatures dipping below 0°C in higher elevations. The average for this time of year is between 14°C and 20°C. During the winter is the time to see snow in Sapa.

Weather in South Vietnam

In comparison to the North the south only has 2 main seasons, Dry season and Wet Season. All year round the temperatures average 25°C to 35°C.

Dry Season

The dry season in the South runs from November until early May. The weather is hot and humid during this time with March until May being the hottest months. Temperatures can be seen in to the 40’s.

Wet Season

From June until November is the wet season. Heavy rains can fall unexpectedly but usually don’t last very long. The rice fields are all a beautiful rich green colour during this time.

30 Day Vietnam Packing List for a Baby

No matter what season you’re planning to visit Vietnam, our Vietnam packing list for babies will work for you. Our list below was what we brought to Vietnam for a more than 50 day trip over the months of March and April.

Travelling around a country with a baby is already hard enough, don’t pack more than what you need. It is easy to find laundry services throughout Vietnam and they are also inexpensive.

Clothes

One piece rompers are the most comfortable clothing item for a baby in a hot, humid environment. Less layering of fabrics means it’s cooler for baby. We brought 2 tank style ones, and the rest standard short sleeves. Rompers also make diaper changes very easy.

Because the short style rompers work so great on the go, I like to pack a couple of pant style rompers for those days it’s a little bit cooler, or you need some extra sun coverage on the legs.

I usually like to bring a few collared shirts for going out for dinners. These aren’t really needed unless you want to. I find it nice to dress up a bit more for a dinner now and then esspecially when away for so long.

Don’t forget to pack a few pairs of long pants. Sometimes it gets chilly in the evening depending which part of the country you are visiting.

I only pack 4 pairs of socks just for thise chilly evenings or cooler cities. Most of the time, baby will be sockless as it is so warm. Socks can be re worn as they aren’t getting dirty and sweaty from shoes during the day.

I pack footed sleepers and a warm sleep sack as we like to keep our hotel rooms cool at night. Pack the type of pajamas your babe likes best. In case of very warm nights without any air conditioning, I pack one pajama short set.

Two swim suits are handy for days you may want to swim in themoring and afternoon/evening. It can be very hard to put a wet swimsuit on, let alone put one on a baby. Bring two so you can use one while the other is drying. I also bring a rash guard shirt with long sleeves. This can be used to keep the sun off babies arms during certain activities, like bike riding or boating, etc.

Make sure your sun hats are UPF 50+ rated for the best sun protection.

If you’re travelling to the North, especially in the winter months, you should bring a lightweight toque. I like the fabric beanie style, they are lightweight and easy to wash. Even in the spring at Fansipan, temperatures can drop below zero.

Once selected, I pack all the clothes together in smaller bags. If you don’t have a set of packing cubes (or only have one set like us) you can get creative. For bay clothes I use a mix of canvas bags and zip lock baggies.

All the rompers and t shirts go inside a canvas bag, each folded. Packed this way I can see each romper and am able to reach in and pull out the one I want without having to dig through.

All swim gear I put inside a ziplock baggie and compress the air out. I do the same for the cool weather clothes,such as long sleeve shirt, socks, toque and long pants.

Toilettries

• Infant Tylenol/Motrin
• Benadryl
• Diaper Cream
• Nail clippers
• Tweezers
• Nasal aspirator
• Baby soap/shampoo
• Sunscreen
• Aloe after sun care
• Bandages
• Alcohol wipes
• Polysporin
• Bug spray (deet free)
• Thermometer
• Toothbrush (if teeth)
• Toothpaste

Be sure to bring the Tylenol, Advil or Motrin your little one is used to at home. You hope to not have to use it while away, but you want to be prepared just in case. You wan to be prepared for any sudden fevers, but also for teething pain. I carry Tylenol in my carry on bag on the airplane.

Benadryl is a must have when visiting over seas, especially if your baby has started solid foods. Allergies can show themselves at any time.

Bug spray for babies and kids should be deet free as deet can be toxic to children.

I keep all the sunscreen and aloe with the bug spray in a ziplock baggie and then inside a zippered pouch. The baggie keeps any liquid contained in case of a spill during travel.

All medical type goods, bandages, alcohol wipes, ointment, tylenol/motrin, thermometer, etc goes into a small first aid bag we have just like one of these. It’s cute and practical and everyone knows thats what the first aid bag looks like.

Toothbrushes and toothpaste, if any for baby, go in the communal bathroom bag with our toilettries.

Other

• 1 fleece blanket
• 2 muslin swaddle blankets
• 1-2 change pads or change pad liners
• 12 swim diapers or 2 reusable ones
• 20-40 diapers
• Baby carrier
• Rain cover for carrier
• Travel laundry soap
• Wet bag/dry bag for soiled clothes on the go
  • or 3-4 Large freezer ziplock baggies

I like to bring a fleece blanket to use as extra padding when changing baby on a hard surface, like an airplane change table. A fleece is also great on the airplane when it can sometimes get chilly.

Lightweight muslin blankets don’t take up much room. While traveling I usually always carry one in our to go bag while out and about. In the sun, these blankets can be used to cover baby in a pinch. They are also great to keep warm if the weather suddenly changes. It can be used to wipe noses or dirty hands if needed. I have even used them as makeshift carriers while without our baby carrier.

I like to bring 2 change pad liners such as these Munchkin Liners. They take up much less space than a full change pad and can be placed on top of a hotel bed or a blanket while on the go.

When travelling for an extended period of time I like to bring at least 20 diapers split between my check in luggage and my carry on. I then fill the extra space and weight i with more diapers if I have room. If not, I leave the rest behind.

Bring a carrier you love. For our recent trip to Vietnam I brought the Lillebaby Serenity Airflow. A similar version is the Lillebaby All Season. These carriers have soft shoulder pads and excellent lumbar support. During our extended holiday I wore this carrier daily for many hours and had very little discomfort. In fact I had no discomfort from the weight of baby. My shoulders and back didn’t hurt at all. Which ever carrier you choose, be sure to choose an airflow variety. It gets very hot and humid in Vietnam and the airflow makes a big difference.

I brought a rain cover to use on the baby carrier in case of rain or a sudden temperature drop. I did only end up using this once, but was glad to have it at that time. A rain coat and a blanket could work just as well.

For quick washes in the hotel room, or even full loads, we bring a travel laundry soap. When you can’t find a laundry service or can’t wait until your next one, it’s great to have some soap to wash your clothes in a hotel sink.

I always carry a wet bag not just while travelling but also when out and about at home. These Wet Bags are great for when you have a soiled outfit or even a dirty diaper and no garbage cans. If you don’t have a wet bag you can also use a large zip lock freezer bag.

Toys

• 2-3 small teether toys
• 1-3 pacifiers (if baby uses them)
• 1 cloth book
• 1-2 soft toys of choice
• Zippered or draw string storage bag

My list of toys may differ from yours. Bring what you know your little one likes. Teething toys are important, especially if your little one is teething. I like to bring two or three to rotate throughout the trip. These are easy to disinfect with a kettle in the sink of your hotel room.

Bring pacifiers if your little one like to use them. Both of my sons never liked pacifiers but I still bring a couple on holiday just in case. When you have a tired, teething baby, they may just appreciate something new to suck and chew on.

Cloth books are lightweight and enjoyable. There are many different styles.

To keep all the toys organised, especially on travel days be sure to bring a storage bag.

Carry On Bag

Out of all the clothes I have packed, I choose the clothes I want to bring with me on the airplane in my carry on/personal item. I find lightweight pants are the way to go. Airplanes can be cool and drafty on long flights. As mentioned above, one piece outfits make the best travel clothes.

I dress baby in a one piece pant suit with a pair of socks, but I like to choose one with short sleeves as opposed to long sleeves. In case it gets too chilly for short sleeves I bring a sweater to layer on.

For backup outfits I bring one shorts style romper, a pair of pants and a footed sleeper. I don’t like to keep too much in my personal item as I like to keep it light. 1-2 extra outfits is plenty for a long flight.

If you wan tto pack more outfits in your personal carry on then do, but be sure to leave space for a few other things. Diapers, I like to bring 1 diaper for every 2-3 hours of travel time but not less than 3 diapers. In my carry on for Vietnam I brought 7 diapers and a full or mostly full pack of wipes.

Along with a change of clothes, diapers and wipes I also pack 2 blankets, one muslin and one fleece. If you don’t have room for the thicker fleece blanket you could omit it. I like a fleece blanket for many different things. It’s great to just throw on the floor so baby can lie or sit in the airport. It can also be placed down on a change table to make it more comfortable. As I dress baby in short sleeves on the airplane, if it’s chilly we use the fleece to cover up.

Don’t forget some toys for a long flight. Bring a good mix of soft toys, interactive toys and harder teether toys. Pictured below is what I packed. 2 soft toys with teether feet. 1 soft book. 3 teething toys of different build and materials. 1 rattle and 1 pacifier soother. Our son doesn’t use pacifiers but I find it’s still nice to have one just in case. It can be used as a teether as well. A couple things were not pictured. A neat, handy toy to bring is a spinner suction toy. We have this brand here. The suction works great and provides lots of entertainment not only on the airplane, but also at restaurants, in the hotel room and on long car rides. Second item not pictured is a pacifier clip. I like the beaded silicone as they can be used as teether toys themselves. We have one similar to this. I use the pacifier clip not for pacifiers but for rotating teether toys. I can attach them to the carrier, babies shirt or my shirt to avoid them being dropped on the ground while out and about.

All the teether toys, pacifier and silicone clip can be sterlized in the hotel room. Most rooms have a kettle so I just boil water and soak the toys in the bathroom sink. Once the water cools I drain and dry the toys.

I also bring a small zip up bag to store all the toys in. This helps keep my carry on organized and then I also know where to always find the toys. It also keeps them cleaner and prevents accidental loss due to them falling out of your bag during travel.

General Tips

Pack your medication and toilettries first, and always double check at the end. It’s important not to forget NSAIDS like Tylenol, Advil or Motrin as these items can be difficult to obtain in Vietnam. You don’t want to be left with a feverish or teething baby with no remedy or temporary relief.

Any type of antibiotic treatment is also hard to obtain. Things like Polysporin, Neosporin, etc. are not sold over the counter and must usually be prescribed by a doctor.

Don’t stress over the amount of clothes or outfits. Personally I would prefer to underpack clothes than over pack. I don’t want to carry around more than I need. Clothing can be bought in Vietnam for babies and there are laundry services everywhere. Having laundry washed an folded is in expensive and not that much of an inconvenience. Some even deliver the laundry back to your hotel for you. We stay away from hotel laundry services as they are usually very expensive but in a pinch you could opt to have some done.

Printable Packing List for a Baby in Vietnam

The downloadable packing list has check boxes so you can be sure not to forget anything as you pack it. I like to check off each item not as I lay it out, but as I place it into the bag.

There is also room to write notes about an item. I will sometimes write something describing the item I want so as not to confuse it with another item. For a blanket I might write which one (ex: blue muslin with elephants). Or I might write something that accompanies it (beside baby carrier I might write “washable teething pads and sleep hood”) just to be sure I don’t forget to bring additional pieces to that item.

You can also use this space to list additional personal items you may want to bring.

Subscribe

Like what you read? Please share!