How bad is jet lag flying to Ho Chi Minh City?

It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 14 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 14 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Ho Chi Minh City there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Ho Chi Minh City?

Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.

How long does it take to get over jet lag in Ho Chi Minh City?

A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.

Jet lag when you fly to Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is on Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh. How much jet lag you get depends entirely on where you start — how many time zones you cross, and in which direction. Travelling east is the harder direction. Shift your bedtime earlier for several days beforehand and seek bright morning light on arrival.

Jet lag to Ho Chi Minh City by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Los Angeles	14	→ east	13,136 km	16 hours	~14 days
New York City	11	→ east	14,284 km	17½ hours	~11 days
São Paulo	10	→ east	16,851 km	20½ hours	~10 days
London	6	→ east	10,194 km	12½ hours	~6 days
Paris	5	→ east	10,122 km	12½ hours	~5 days
Johannesburg	5	→ east	9,424 km	12 hours	~5 days
Dubai	3	→ east	5,620 km	7½ hours	~3 days
Sydney	3	← west	6,845 km	9 hours	~2 days
Mumbai	2	→ east	3,733 km	5 hours	~2 days
Tokyo	2	← west	4,327 km	6 hours	~1 day
Singapore	1	← west	1,104 km	2 hours	~1 day

Distances are great-circle; flight times are rough nonstop estimates. Recovery uses ~1 day per zone east, faster west.

Beating jet lag in Ho Chi Minh City

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between Ho Chi Minh City and where you flew from, the longer it takes to catch up — roughly a day for each time zone when you travel east, and somewhat faster when you travel west, because it is easier to stay up late than to force yourself to sleep early.

A few days before you fly, nudge your sleep schedule toward Ho Chi Minh City time — earlier if you are heading east, later if west. On arrival, get outside: daylight is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. Morning light helps after an eastward trip; evening light helps after a westward one. To see the exact current offset, check the current time in Ho Chi Minh City.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Ho Chi Minh City?: It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 14 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 14 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Ho Chi Minh City there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Ho Chi Minh City?: Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.
How long does it take to get over jet lag in Ho Chi Minh City?: A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.