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.

The airport is about 8 km from the heart of the city.

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

The No. 109 airport bus (yellow) links the international airport and city center (Pham Ngu Lao St). This bus runs from 05:30 to 01:30 of the following day, with a frequency of 15–20 minutes/trip, and the travelling time of the trip is about 45 minutes. Passengers traveling from Tan Son Nhat International Airport can take a bus at Column 15 (International Terminal) or Column 18 (Domestic Terminal). The fare for the service is 20,000 dong for journeys over 5 km and 12,000 dong for those under 5 km. Bus 109 has various advantages such as a low floor and wide doors which help passengers with bulky luggage, the elderly, the disabled and pregnant women easily get in and out of the bus; large luggage spaces; and information of upcoming stops is displayed and announced in English and Vietnamese. Bus 109 looks more like a van so be careful. Starts from the international terminal so better to board there, it has a capacity of only 10-15 people so can be full by the time it reaches the domestic terminal. Also if you let the conductor know your exact address when on board, the bus will try and stop en route at a point closest to your address.

To reach the airport from the city center, head to the Local Bus Station on Pham Ngu Lao St (see Get around > By bus)

The No. 152 city bus (green or blue, 2023) is the cheapest way heading to Pham Ngu Lao St from the airport. The blue buses have fans going, but are not fully air-conditioned. For 6,000 dong per person plus a 4,000 dong fee for bags, the bus will drop you off at the east end of the Pham Ngu Lao area (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. Upon exiting the international airport terminal, turn right and you should see the bus waiting on the road opposite Burger King. There is no sign indicating where the bus stop is, but usually one bus leaves only when the next arrives. If not, walk down to the domestic terminal, which is about a three-minute walk away. The bus is only available until 18:00.

The airport bus No. 119 goes to Mien Tay bus station. From there, you can take an express bus to Can Tho.

If you use the Grab app and enter your destination in the app, you and the driver don't have to exchange word. This is cheaper than taking normal taxis.

Caution: some travelers have reported that taxi scams at the airport are rife. To avoid being scammed, read the information here as well as in the "Get around" section.

International terminal

There are two options for getting a taxi from the airport to the city center (District 1):

• 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.
• Taxis at the domestic terminal. There are taxis at the domestic terminal car park. After leaving the international terminal building, turn right and walk about 200 m.

The metered 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 also catch a Grab motorbike or xe ôm outside the airport along the main road leaving south from the airport. Many motorbikes are waiting here regularly.

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 terminal 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.