Map & Getting to Ho Chi Minh City

Getting to Ho Chi Minh city & away

Air

- Ho Chi Minh City is served by Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

- Vietnam Airlines links Ho Chi Minh City to destinations throughout Vietnam. Popular routes include Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat, Nha Trang, Danang, Hue and Hanoi, all served daily.

Train

- The main Ho Chi Minh City train station is at address - 01 Nguyen Thong street, Ward 9, District 3. Trains from here go to destinations north. It’s often best to buy tickets at least one day before departure to ensure a seat or sleeper.

Car & motorcycle

- To hire a motorbike or a car with a driver, contact a hotel, travellers café or travel agency.

Bus & minibus

Intercity buses operate from two large stations on the city outskirts, all well served by local bus services from Ben Thanh Market. Ho Chi Minh City is one place where the open-tour buses really come into their own, as they depart and arrive in the very convenient Pham Ngu Lao area, saving the extra local bus journey or taxi fare.

- Mien Tay bus station serves all areas south of Ho Chi Minh City, essentially the Mekong Delta. This huge station is about 10km west of Ho Chi Minh City in An Lac, a part of Binh Chanh district (Huyen Binh Chanh). A taxi here from Pham Ngu Lao costs around 150.000VND. Buses and minibuses from Mien Tay serve most towns in the Mekong Delta using air-con express buses and premium minibuses.

- Buses to locations north of Ho Chi Minh City leave from the huge and busy Mien Dong bus station in Binh Thanh district, about 5km from central Ho Chi Minh City on Hwy 13 (Quoc Lo 13 - the continuation of Xo Viet Nghe Tinh street). The station is just under 2km north of the intersection of Xo Viet Nghe Tinh street and Dien Bien Phu street. Note that express buses depart from the east side, and local buses connect with the west side of the complex.

- Plenty of international bus services connect Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia, most with departures from the Pham Ngu Lao area.

Boat

- Hydrofoils (adult = 200.000-250.000VND; child = 100.000-120.000VND, 1¼ hours) depart for Vung Tau almost hourly from Bach Dang jetty.


Getting around Ho Chi Minh City

Motorcycle

- For travellers well versed in the ways of Asian cities, Ho Chi Minh City is a lot of fun to explore by motorbike. Most guesthouses and hotels can arrange new motorbikes for around US$8 a day.

Bicycle

- A good way to get around Ho Chi Minh City is by bicycle, although the traffic can be daunting at first. Many guesthouses and cafés offer these for rent for about US$3 per day.

In addition, you can get around with bus, xe om or taxi.