Tan Son Nhat International Airport Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN  ^IATA) is an airport in Ho Chi Minh City of Southern Vietnam.

Vietnam's largest international airport, but it is planned to be replaced by Long Thanh International Airport as Vietnam's main international gateway in 2025, after which Tan Son Nhat will primarily serve domestic flights.

There are two terminals: the shiny, pleasant international terminal, and the old but functional domestic terminal 200 m away.

Tan Son Nhat is served internationally by numerous flights from major cities in East Asia and Southeast Asia, with some intercontinental services to Australia, Europe and the United States.

Domestically this airport serve at least 19 airports within Vietnam — see below. The most important of which are Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Da Lat, besides the islands of Phu Quoc and Con Dao.

Ignore taxi drivers who tell you that there are no more airport buses.

The No. 152 city bus links the airport and city center (Pham Ngu Lao St). This bus runs every 15 minutes from 05:15 to 19:00, and the travelling time is about 55 minutes. This bus costs 5,000 VND per person, luggage is an extra 5,000 VND per person. The bus departs from Column 15 (International Terminal) or Column 18 (Domestic Terminal). The bus will drop you off at the east end of Pham Ngu Lao St (at the bus terminal on the southwest side of the Ben Thanh Market roundabout). There is limited space for luggage so this may not be suitable if you have large suitcases.

The No. 109 express bus also links the airport and city center (Pham Ngu Lao St). This bus runs every 45 minutes from 05:30 to 22:00, and the travelling time is about 45 minutes. This bus costs 20,000 VND per person, luggage is an extra 20,000 VND per person. The bus also departs from Column 15 (International Terminal) or Column 18 (Domestic Terminal). The bus will also drop you off at the east end of Pham Ngu Lao St (at the bus terminal on the southwest side of the Ben Thanh Market roundabout). There is limited space for luggage so this may not be suitable if you have large suitcases. This bus only has a capacity of 10-15 people. It's better to board this bus at the international terminal as it can be full by the time it reaches the domestic terminal.

A variety of taxi companies provide service from the airport to the city centre. The best is Grab, the Southeast Asia equivalent to Uber. With up-front fares, an English interface and easy, traffic-aware navigation, it's much simpler than relying on metered taxis and usually cheaper.

International terminal

There are two options for getting a metered taxi from the airport to the city center:

• Main taxi queue. The main taxi queue is on your left as you exit through the main doors on the ground floor of the terminal building. You should head straight for the taxi queue, and ignore people who approach you offering taxis or advise you to purchase tickets at counters in the airport. Mai Linh and Vinasun are the safest taxi companies. Be sure to have your hotel address written down in Vietnamese, as most drivers do not speak English.
• Domestic terminal car park. There are taxis at the domestic terminal car park. After leaving the international terminal building, turn right and walk about 200 m.

The taxi fare from the airport to the city centre is about 140,000 dong, plus a toll of 10,000 dong. When traffic is lighter (usually only between 22:00-06:00 or on a hot Sunday afternoon), the ride to the city center takes as little as 15 minutes. More typically, however, taxis creep along in near-standstill traffic for up to an hour.

Domestic terminal

At the domestic terminal, a company called Sasco Travel has the airport taxi concession and is the only company allowed to pick up passengers next to the building. Their cars are the first you will see by the kerb as you exit customs. However, less expensive rival taxis can usually be found usually in abundance 100 m out in the car park. They have uniformed taxi wardens who will try to capture your business as you approach.

Taxi companies

Taxi rates are very reasonable in HCMC as long as you use a reputable company and the meter is used. Mai Linh (green) and Vinasun (white with green and red lettering) have the largest fleets in the city and are generally honest and reliable, with meters that start automatically after the taxis have moved about 5 m. At the airport, Mai Linh taxi wardens wear green shirts with green ties, and Vinasun wardens dark green shirts with maroon ties. These wardens can radio taxis for you.

• Mai Linh, ☏ +84 8 3838 3838. 
• Vinasun, ☏ +84 8 3827 2727. 

Be cautious of taxis from dubious companies with names that resemble the reputable companies mentioned above. Some of these include Mei Linh or Mai Lin instead of Mai Linh, and Vinamet, Vinason or Vinasum instead of Vinasun. It has been reported that such companies charge outrageous fares to unsuspecting passengers, sometimes by using meters that run faster or by manually increasing the fare when passengers are not looking. There have also been instances of taxi drivers from such companies driving off with passengers' belongings still in the boot.

Try to stick only to the aforementioned two companies, as the risk of getting ripped off is much higher with other companies.

Other tips for avoiding scams

• Avoid buying taxi coupons from dubious companies. Some taxi companies that overcharge have booths in the airport terminal buildings. Only buy taxi coupons from the aforementioned two companies.
• Avoid taxi touts. Watch out for taxi touts who dress in uniforms and brandish laminated "fixed price" cards at 4,400,000 dong per car to the city hotels. They will be prepared to drop the price to 2,600,000 dong but it is still a rip-off. Ignore them, and stick to metered taxis or reliable taxi companies.
• Do not ask taxi drivers to suggest hotels. Taxi drivers earn commissions by taking customers to certain hotels, so be explicit about exactly which hotel you want to be taken to. Some taxi drivers have been known to trick visitors into staying at hotels which they recommend by informing them that the hotels the visitors have asked to be taken to have "no vacancies" due to some big event in town or have "burned down recently".

Budget Car Rental offers English-speaking drivers and new model vehicles. A trip to the city costs a fixed price of 140,000 dong.

If you have little or not too much luggage, you can catch a Grab motorbike or xe ôm outside the airport along the main road. Many motorbikes regularly wait here.

From arrivals to the city center of Ho Chi Minh City, it is 7½ km by road. If you have enough time at your hands, you can just walk and explore the surrounding areas of the city. Also, some accommodation options are near the railway station, which is just 4–5 km on foot.

The international and domestic terminals are just 200 m apart.

There are a range of food options at the International Terminal and whilst the prices are higher than in Ho Chi Minh City (as is the case with most airports), it is certainly possible for everyone except those on the tightest of budgets to eat at affordable prices.

There is no duty-free shopping after you land - purchase such items at the airport from which you are departing to visit Vietnam.

Free WiFi is available in the airport.