Vung Tau is the closest to Ho Chi Minh City beach destination in Southern Vietnam. The most convenient way for getting there is flying to Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN), also known as Saigon Airport, and transferring from there to the seaside city. There several ways how to get from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau.
Vung Tau, located about 125 km from Ho Chi Minh City, is a charming seaside destination that offers stunning tourist attractions, beautiful natural landscapes, and rich cultural heritage.
For getting to Vung Tau, most of travelers just fly to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and then continue the trip from Saigon to Vung Tau. Some of tourists make a stopover in the largest city of Vietnam, others don’t.
If you are not planning to spend time visiting Ho Chi Minh City, you can use various types of transportation for getting from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Vung Tau. Detailed information about different ways for getting from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau is provided below.
Bus from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau
There is a direct public bus from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau as well as private company offering bus service on this route that makes traveling from the airport to the seaside city quite affordable and easy.
Public Bus 72-1
There's a public Ho Chi Minh Airport Bus 72-1 running on the route: Tan Son Nhat Airport – Highway – Vung Tau Bus Station. Mini buses with 17-19 seats are working on this route.
Bus 72-1 makes quite a few stops on the route so might be convenient not only for travelers departing from the airport but also for the ones staying on the way.
Full route of Bus 72-1: Tan Son Nhat Airport (International Terminal) - Tan Son Nhat Airport (Domestic Terminal) - Truong Son Street - Tran Quoc Hoan Street - Hoang Van Thu Street - Nguyen Van Troi Street - Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street - Dien Bien Phu Street – Saigon Bridge – Hanoi Highway – Mai Chi Tho Street – Expressway – National Highway 51 – Vo Nguyen Giap Street – April 30 Street – Nguyen An Ninh Street – September 2 Street – Le Hong Phong Street – South Street Ky Khoi Nghia – Vung Tau Bus Station
Bus 72-1 schedule for departures from Saigon Airport to Vung Tau:
- Monday - Thursday: 09:30, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 19:00
- Friday - Sunday: 09:00, 10:00, 10:10, 13:00, 19:00, 21:00
The travel time from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau Bus Station on the public bus is quite long as it takes about 165 minutes due to the stops made on the way.
Bus 72-1 ticket price is 150,000 - 200,000 VND per person one-way. Tickets can be bought on board.
AVIGO Bus
A private company AVIGO is operating an express bus from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau.
Currently there are 2 bus departures a day with AVIGO buses leaving Tan Son Nhat Airport at 10:30 and 14:00, even if the bus departure time may fluctuate (earlier or later) due to traffic. Travel time on this bus route is around 2 hours.
Bus ticket price is 220,000 VND per person one-way. Tickets can be bought online here: AVIGO Express Bus to Vung Tau.
VIP Bus
In case you want more comfort and a wider choice of departure times, you can choose to travel by VIP bus from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau.
Currently there are 30 VIP bus departures a day with buses leaving Ho Chi Minh Airport every 30 minutes from 06:00 to 20:30. Travel time on this bus route is around 2.5 hours.
Airport VIP Bus ticket price is around 420,000 VND per person one-way. Tickets can be bought online here: Airport VIP Bus to Vung Tau.
Buses from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau
If Airport VIP Bus is too expensive and the schedule of public bus and AVIGO bus isn't suitable, you can reach Ho Chi Minh City center or bus station first and take a bus to Vung Tau from there. Most of bus companies working on the route Ho Chi Minh City – Vung Tau have offices in the city center and pick passengers from Pham Ngu Lao or Duong De Tham streets in District 1. For getting into the city center from the airport, you can use Saigon Airport Bus routes 152 or 109.
When departing from District 1, you can enjoy a comfortable transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau on a deluxe 9-seater limo and stay connected with your loved ones online via high-speed WiFi on board for the price of a simple airport bus as tickets only cost 210,000-230,000 VND, depending on the seat selection. These limousines depart every 30 minutes from 06:00 to 21:00. Tickets can be booked online here: Limo Ho Chi Minh City – Vung Tau.
Buses to Vung Tau also depart from Mien Dong Bus Station in Ho Chi Minh City. For getting to this bus station from the airport, you would need to change public buses that might be quite a difficult task if you are not familiar with local public transportation.
On holidays, airport buses can be quite crowded and you might need to stand all the way as the number of seats on the bus is limited. This option is recommended only for those who travel without big luggage and want to experience local way of traveling. If you are not that adventurous, take a taxi or even better book a private transfer from Ho Chi Minh Airport to the departing point of your chosen bus to Vung Tau.
Taxi from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau
Taking a taxi from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau directly is also possible. Taxis are located in front of the exits of arrivals halls in both Tan Son Nhat Airport Terminals 1 and 2. Traveling by taxi is convenient as you'll arrive to your destination in comfort, and you'll get a chance to see some amazing views of the city on the way. However, as the taxi fare is normally based on a meter, the journey from Saigon Airport to Vung Tau can be very expensive. Quite often taxi drivers might even insist on setting a fixed price that would be higher than you would pay for a pre-booked private transfer.
Private Transfer from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau
The most comfortable way for getting from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Vung Tau is private transfer, offering door-to-door service. You can choose the most suitable time and the driver will be waiting for you at the airport. The difference between taking a taxi and traveling by a private transfer is that the private transfer is pre-booked for a fixed price and you don’t need to worry about being overcharged. If you are traveling in a large group, booking transportation prior to arrival is recommended as you will get a vehicle that suites your needs the best.
For a direct private transfer from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Mui Ne you can choose from Sedan (3 people + 2 bags) - Economy class, MPV/SUV (4 people + 4 bags) - Comfortable class, Van (10 persons + 10 bags) - Economy Van and Limousine (7 persons + 7 bags) - Luxury Van.
Departure Time from Ho Chi Minh: 06:00 - 22:00
Pick up point: Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City
Drop off point: Any Hotel in Vung Tau
Duration: Approximately 2 Hours
Price: Starting from 1,360,000 VND per car
Bookings: Private Transfer from SGN Airport to Vung Tau
Ferry from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau
There is no direct ferry from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau but you can get from the airport to Ho Chi Minh City Port first and then take a ferry to Vung Tau Port.
If you want to travel from the airport to Ho Chi Minh City Port by public transportation, you need to take Saigon Airport Bus route 109 or 152 to the city center and then walk or transfer to the public bus 01, 03, 19 or 88 to get to Bach Dang Pier, which is located opposite Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel and Hotel Majestic Saigon.
Another option is taking a taxi or booking a private transfer from Tan Son Nhat Airport to the pier.
Ferry from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau
Depending on the time of your expected arrival at Bach Dang Pier, you can choose one of 3 daily ferries to Vung Tau operated by Greenlines DP with departures scheduled at 09:00, 12:00 and 14:00.
It is a high speed ferry, so the trip by ferry from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau normally takes only around 2 hours.
Ferry ticket for such a trip costs around 370,000 VND and can be booked online here: Ferry from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau.
Tour from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau
If you are not planning to stay overnight in Vung Tau but would like to visit its beaches and main attractions, you can join a day tour from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau.
On Vung Tau Beach Full Day Trip you can swim and relax at Thuy Van Beach, experience the sacred ambiance of Whale Temple and the religious life of local fishermen, visit and climb inside the Jesus Christ Statue.
Other Options
To find more transportation options for the trip from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau, use this search form.