Ho Chi Minh City is in the middle of a change. For decades, every flight landed at Tan Son Nhat, right inside the city. From the end of 2026, a second airport, Long Thanh, starts taking flights, and over the next year and a half more international routes are planned to move there. This guide covers both airports, how to get from each one to District 1, and how to go straight on to Mui Ne or Vung Tau without spending a night in the city.
For everything else about the city, start with my Ho Chi Minh City travel guide.
Which Airport Are You Flying Into?
Look at the three-letter code on every leg of your ticket:
- SGN is Tan Son Nhat International Airport, inside the city, close to the centre.
- LTH is Long Thanh International Airport, in Dong Nai, about 40 km east of central Ho Chi Minh City.
Commercial operations at Long Thanh are planned to start at 00:00 on 24 December 2026, according to the airport operator ACV. An earlier target of 1 December was dropped, so if you read an older article, trust the newer date and check again close to your flight.
The Proposed Timeline for Moving Flights
The move will not happen overnight. The aviation authority and ACV have proposed a three-step plan. It is a proposal, not a final decision, so dates may shift:
| Period | What is proposed to move to Long Thanh |
|---|---|
| Opening to 27 March 2027 | Airlines may move international flights voluntarily |
| 28 March to 29 October 2027 | All long-haul international flights, including cargo |
| 30 October 2027 to 25 March 2028 | Remaining international flights, except routes under 1,000 km flown by Vietnamese airlines |
Domestic flights are expected to stay mostly at Tan Son Nhat. The first announced routes include Vietnam Airlines flights to Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Manila, plus Hanoi, and Vietjet domestic flights. In practice, for most of 2027 you are still likely to land at Tan Son Nhat, but don't assume: check the code.
One trap to avoid: if you book two separate tickets and one uses SGN while the other uses LTH, nobody transfers you between them. The airports are about 46 km apart by road, so leave a generous buffer between flights.
Ho Chi Minh City Airport Transfer: Quick Comparison
| Option | Route | Time | Cost | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grab, Xanh SM or Be car | SGN → District 1 | ~20 min | ~55,000–125,000 ₫ | Price fixed in the app; T3 pickup is in the parking garage |
| Metered taxi | SGN → District 1 | ~30 min | ~120,000–150,000 ₫ | Official taxi rank only; meter on from the start |
| Bus 109 | T3 → Saigon Bus Station (Ben Thanh) | ~45 min | 8,000–15,000 ₫ | Domestic Terminal 3 only; 05:30–22:40 |
| Bus 152 | T1 and T2 → Ben Thanh | ~45 min | 8,000–15,000 ₫ | Last bus around 19:00 |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | LTH → District 1 | ~60–70 min (planned) | Not announced | Dedicated pickup lane planned at the terminal |
| Airport express bus | LTH → Saigon Bus Station | ~60–70 min (planned) | Not announced | Approved, not running yet |
Prices checked: November 2026
Tan Son Nhat Terminals: T1, T2 and T3
Tan Son Nhat now has three passenger terminals, and which one you land at decides which bus you can take:
- Terminal 1 (domestic): Vietjet's domestic flights.
- Terminal 2 (international): international arrivals and departures.
- Terminal 3 (domestic): opened in 2025. Vietnam Airlines moved all its domestic flights here in May 2025, and Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines, VASCO and Vietravel Airlines followed.
If you need to move between terminals, a free electric shuttle bus links T1, T2 and T3 roughly every 15–20 minutes from early morning until after midnight.
Tan Son Nhat to District 1 and Ben Thanh
The airport sits about 7–8 km north of District 1. On a clear road, that is a short ride; at rush hour, roughly 7–9 am and 4:30–7 pm, the same distance can take far longer. My guide to getting around Ho Chi Minh City explains where the traffic actually stops.
Grab, Xanh SM and Be
Ride-hailing is how most people leave the airport, locals included. You see the price before you book, and there is nothing to negotiate. Install the apps and add a card before you fly, so you are not setting them up with a new SIM in the arrivals hall.
At Terminal 3, Grab cars pick up on the ground floor of the PNA parking garage, in the Grab zone. Drivers can only wait a few minutes there, so book when you are on your way out with your luggage, not while you are still at the belt.
Metered Taxis
If you don't want to use an app, take a taxi from the official rank and make sure the meter is running when you pull away. Xanh SM gives about 120,000–150,000 ₫ as a reference fare to District 1 by meter.
The airport is also where overcharging happens. Taxis caught in a 2023 inspection had meters rigged to turn a 54,000 ₫ fare into 540,000 ₫. In 2025, passengers at Terminal 3 complained about confusing signs, cancelled rides and cars offered in the terminal for 550,000 ₫ where Grab charged around 180,000 ₫. Ignore anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a car.
Airport Buses 109 and 152
Two city bus routes connect the airport with the centre, and which one you take depends on your terminal:
- Bus 109 runs from Terminal 3 to Saigon Bus Station next to Ben Thanh. Since April 2025, it no longer stops at T1 and T2. The route is 9.3 km, takes about 45 minutes, and runs from about 05:30 to 22:40 every 15–25 minutes, with fares of 8,000–15,000 ₫.
- Bus 152 serves Terminals 1 and 2 and runs to Ben Thanh from about 05:15 until 19:00.
So if you land on an international flight at T2, bus 152 is the direct option. If you prefer bus 109, take the free shuttle to T3 first.
Is There a Metro to the Airport?
Not yet. Metro Line 1 does not go near the airport. A future Line 6 is planned with a station at Tan Son Nhat; the city is aiming to start construction at the end of 2026, with the first phase targeted for 2030. Even then, reaching Ben Thanh would mean changing lines. For now, it's a car or a bus.
Long Thanh Airport: What We Know So Far
Long Thanh International Airport is in Dong Nai, about 40 km east of central Ho Chi Minh City, next to the HCMC–Long Thanh–Dau Giay expressway. It hosted its first ceremonial flights in December 2025, and commercial operations are planned from 24 December 2026, starting with a limited schedule.
Getting from Long Thanh to the City
This is the part that is still being built, so here is what has been officially announced rather than guesses:
- By road: the HCMC–Long Thanh expressway is being widened, with most of the work aimed for completion by the end of 2026. The terminal is planned with a separate waiting area and pickup lane for taxis and ride-hailing cars.
- By bus: the Ministry of Construction has approved a plan for airport bus routes, including express buses from Saigon Bus Station to Long Thanh (about 60–70 minutes) and between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh (about 70–80 minutes). Route numbers, operators and fares have not been published yet.
- By rail: a Thu Thiem–Long Thanh railway is planned, with a target of 2030. It won't help anyone travelling in the next few years.
I'll update this section when the bus routes actually start running and I've tried the trip myself.
From the Airport Straight to Mui Ne
Plenty of people land and head straight for the beach. Mui Ne is roughly 200 km from Tan Son Nhat, and once you're out of the city the drive follows the HCMC–Long Thanh–Dau Giay and Dau Giay–Phan Thiet expressways to Phan Thiet. Since mid-2025, Mui Ne is administratively part of Lam Dong province, so don't be surprised to see that on maps and booking sites.
From Tan Son Nhat: most sleeper buses and limousine vans to Mui Ne leave from the city rather than the airport, so you'll usually need a ride into town first. The easiest option is a private transfer in a comfortable car: the driver meets you at the airport and takes you straight to your hotel in Mui Ne, with prices starting at around $60. That suits families, groups and anyone carrying kite or surf gear. The full comparison of buses, the train to Phan Thiet and private cars is in my guide from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne.
From Long Thanh: the airport is already on the expressway towards Phan Thiet, so you skip the city traffic entirely. Once Long Thanh is open, a private car or taxi is the obvious choice; no public bus from Long Thanh to Mui Ne has been announced.
Once you're there, plan your stay with the Mui Ne travel guide.
From the Airport Straight to Vung Tau
Vung Tau is the beach closest to the city, and since July 2025 it has been part of Ho Chi Minh City itself after the provincial merger.
From Tan Son Nhat: bus 72-1 stops at Terminal 3 on its way to Vung Tau. The easiest option is a private transfer in a comfortable car: the driver meets you at the airport and takes you door to door, with prices starting at around $50. The high-speed ferry from central Ho Chi Minh City was suspended in May 2025, and reports since then conflict, so check that it is running before you plan around it.
From Long Thanh: the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau expressway opened along its full length in May 2026, which makes the drive from Long Thanh much shorter. For now, it is in temporary operation for vehicles with fewer than nine seats, so buses can't use it yet. Bus routes from Long Thanh towards Vung Tau have been proposed but not launched.
Arrival Tips for Ho Chi Minh City
SIM and eSIM
You'll want mobile data before you book a ride, so the simplest way is to set up an eSIM before you fly. If you prefer a physical SIM, here is what I'd do.
A SIM card with a one-month data plan usually costs around 150,000 ₫. SIMs sold at the airport are often overpriced, so I'd recommend buying one in the city centre at a specialist phone shop instead. I use Viettel: the coverage is good and I haven't had any connection problems.
Cash and ATMs
Ride-hailing apps take cards, but buses and street food are cash only, and drivers often can't break a 500,000 ₫ note. Get some smaller notes as soon as you can.
You can change or withdraw a small amount at the airport, enough to cover the ride into town. For anything more, I'd change money in the city centre, where the rates are better. Since 2025, money can only be exchanged at licensed banks and official exchange points. If the police catch you changing money anywhere else, you can be fined and the whole amount can be confiscated.
Avoiding Taxi Scams
- Book through Grab, Xanh SM or Be, or take a taxi from the official rank.
- Make sure the meter starts at the base fare when you get in.
- Say no to anyone approaching you inside the terminal with a car.
- The price in the app is the price. If a driver asks for more on arrival, that isn't how it works.
Arriving at Night
Bus 152 stops around 19:00 and the last bus 109 leaves Terminal 3 at about 22:40. After that, it's ride-hailing or a metered taxi.
From May to November, evening downpours can start suddenly. Ride-hailing prices rise and cars get scarce within minutes, so allow extra time.
Continue Planning Your Vietnam Trip
- Choose your base with my guide to the best areas to stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Learn how to use Grab, the metro and taxis in getting around Ho Chi Minh City.
- Compare buses and cars from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne and from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City.
- Check the Vietnam visa guide for tourists before you fly.
