Airport Bus to Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) is the largest city and the economic/financial centre of Vietnam. The city is served by Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), which is the busiest airport in Vietnam. For first-time travellers to Vietnam, it can be stressful to navigate thru the various public transport modes in the country. With tales of foreign travellers getting rip-off on taxis and public buses common in online forums. Luckily, most travellers can avoid the pitfalls with some online research and following the advices of other travellers. Any seasoned traveller worth their salt can tell you that land transports to/from airports are especially prone to burning a hole in your pocket. For those flying into Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the most cost-effective and convenient way of getting to the city is via the airport bus. Here, we’ll share with you how to take the airport bus to Ho Chi Minh City.

Note: The information herein is accurate as of Feb-2018.

Airport Bus No.109 from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Ho Chi Minh City centre

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Airport bus ticket booth at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, domestic terminal, column B-04. For service No.49 and No.109.

Airport Bus from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Ho Chi Minh City

Tan Son Nhat International Airport is approximately 6km north of Ho Chi Minh City centre. It has two terminals (international and domestic), both within short walking distance of each other (via sheltered walkway).

Other than the typically pricey private airport transfer services, the main way of getting to Ho Chi Minh City centre is via taxi (regular/Uber/Grab) or local/airport bus.

Taxis or local buses

For those opting to take regular taxis, there is an official taxi queue on your left once you exit the international terminal main building. We shall not be touching on the taxi option, as there are many potential pitfalls. Not to mention that taxis are obviously costlier than buses. If you’re fixated on taking taxis, just remember to do online research prior to your trip.

There are local public buses to the city. These local buses are cheaper (5,000 Dong). But they tend to be more crowded, slower (more stops), older (condition) and might require extra charges for additional luggage.

By far, the most cost-effective and convenient way of getting from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Ho Chi Minh city is via the airport bus. These distinctively yellow-coloured airport buses are privately operated by the company Satsco.

For passengers travelling to Ho Chi Minh city centre (i.e. District 1), the relevant airport bus services are No.49 and No.109. The routes for No.49 and 109 are slightly similar. The main difference being No.49 travels to more suburbs within the city centre such that passengers are more likely to have a stop closer to their accommodations.

*Route map for No.49
*Route map for No.109

Airport Bus No.49 and No.109

Both No.49 and 109 have ticket booths (boarding points) at the bus bay of the international and domestic terminals. For the international terminal, the booth is location at column 12 (of the bus bay) outside the terminal building. For the domestic terminal, the booth can be found at column B-04 outside the terminal building. Simply look for the red/white coloured booths once you exit from the respective terminal building. Unsurprising, the staffs at the booth are versed in English.

The two services operate 5.30am to 1am daily. Cost for both services are same at 20,000 Dong*, with no extra charges for additional/bulky luggage. Frequency for both is between 15-30 minutes. Journey from airport to city centre is around 30-40 minutes during off-peak hours.

*Note: Service No.49 used to cost 40,000 Dong during its inception. However, we confirmed with the bus company that the charges have since been reduced to 20,000 Dong (as of Feb-2018).

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Our journey on Bus No.109

During our Feb-2018 trip, we flew into Tan Son Nhat Airport’s domestic terminal. After exiting the terminal building, we immediately came to a zebra crossing, which leads to the bus bay. Column B-04 happens to be right beside the crossing, with the red/white booth of the airport bus company easily identifiable.

As we approached the booth, a zealous staff of the bus company walked up to us to tout their airport bus service (in English). After a quick verification of the bus service/price, we paid her in cash and were passed the bus ticket in return. The bus ticket has a 20,000 Dong stamp on it. The staff then asked for our hotel address and promptly informed us that our stop is #8, before scribbling the same info onto our tickets.

A bus No.109 arrived after just 5 minutes. Fearing we didn’t notice the bus, the staff even swiftly ushered us onto it. Once on the bus, a bus conductor went around checking the tickets of all newly boarded passengers and verified everyone’s destination stop number.

The bus we took was new, clean and air-conditioned. With spacious interior that is able to accommodate big luggage. We even spotted a sign stating there is free Wi-Fi onboard! The journey was quick. We reached our stop (in the heart of Ho Chi Minh city) after 30 minutes and hastily got off after verifying with the bus conductor that it is indeed our stop.

Overall, the bus service is as what we’ve expected, cheap, convenient and quick. Definitely beats the expensive and potentially stressful taxi rides into town.

Tips

There are many touts outside the airport terminals, ignore them all and proceed to the bus counter directly to buy tickets.
Check the bus operating hours (via website) prior to arrival. At the airport, ignore anyone whom tells you that the bus service has ended for the day.
Pay only the stated price (20,000Dong/pax, no extra charges for luggage/toll, no other fees whatsoever). Do not buy ticket from anyone whom charges you more. Ensure you get the physical bus ticket when you pay; the price of 20,000 Dong is stamped on the ticket.

Airport bus ticket. 20,000 Dong is stamped on the ticket.

Airport bus contact details:

Facebook Page
Website
Whatsapp: +84 120 447 0448

Using Uber/Grab in Ho Chi Minh

At the time of writing, Uber/Grab is popular in Vietnam. We heard from locals that Grab tends to be slightly cheaper than Uber. A typical trip from Ho Chi Minh City centre to Tan Son Nhat Airport cost around 100,000 Dong (per car), which is cheaper than a local taxi running on meter. However, note that an additional of 10,000 Dong is payable for the airport surcharge (per car). Payment can be made in cash.

During our Feb-2018 trip, we opted for using Grab for our journey from Ho Chi Minh City centre to Tan Son Nhat Airport. True enough, the trip was hassle-free (even though the driver doesn’t speak English) and the cost comes up to be 105,000 Dong (95,000 Dong for Grab + 10,000 Dong for airport surcharge). Definitely something worth considering if there’s 3-4 pax in your group or when you have many/heavy luggage.

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