Vung Tau is the closest beach destination to Ho Chi Minh City in Southern Vietnam. The most convenient way to get there is to fly to Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN), also known as Saigon Airport, and transfer from there to the seaside city. There are several ways to get from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau.
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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 the 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 to get from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau is provided below.
To stay connected while traveling from Saigon Airport to Vung Tau, purchase online a Vietnamese SIM card and pick it up at the airport on arrival. SIM cards will also be significantly cheaper when pre-booked online! Otherwise, if your mobile phone is eSIM compatible, you can get eSIM Vietnam by instant email delivery and use it right after landing in Ho Chi Minh.
Bus from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau
At the airport, there is a direct public bus to Vung Tau as well as a 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. Buses of the company AVIGO are currently working on this route.
Full route of Bus 72-1: Tan Son Nhat Airport (International Terminal) - Tan Son Nhat Airport (Domestic Terminal) - Tan Son Nhat Airport Terminal T3 - Vinh Nghiem Pagoda - Pham Ngoc Thach Street - Le Van Tam Park - Dinh Tien Hoang Street - Hutech University - Cau Den Bridge – Vung Tau Bus Station
This bus route stops at all 3 terminals of Tan Son Nhat Airport.
Bus 72-1 schedule for departures from Saigon Airport to Vung Tau is from 04:00 to 23:00, with a bus leaving every 30 minutes.
After reducing of the bus stops on the way, the estimated time of travel from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Vung Tau Bus Station on this public bus is about 2.5 hours.
Bus 72-1 ticket price is 150,000 VND per person one-way. Tickets can be bought on board.
Public Bus 72-2B
At Tan Son Nhat Airport, there's a new public bus going to Vung Tau - Ho Chi Minh Airport Bus 72-2B.
Bus 72-2B 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 72-2B: Tan Son Nhat Airport (International Terminal) - Tan Son Nhat Domestic Terminal - Ngo Sy Lien School - Super Bow Supermarket - Tran Quoc Hoan Street - Lang Cha Ca Roundabout - Hoang Van Thu Park - Eastern Museum - Phu Nhuan District Hospital - Railway Gate - Phu Nhuan District Cultural Center - Tran Huy Lieu Intersection - Vinh Nghiem Pagoda - Tran Quoc Toan Street - Pasteur Institute - Dien Bien Phu Street - Coop Mart Nguyen Dinh Chieu - Le Quy Don High School - City People's Court - New World Hotel - Nguyen Thi Nghia Street - Ton That Tung Street - Huyen Sy Church - Ton That Tung Street - Nguyen Thi Nghia Street - Emst Thalmann School - Ham Nghi Transfer Station - Fine Arts Museum - Dan Sinh Market - Urban Traffic Management Center - Sala Urban Area - NEWCITY Apartment Building - Dong Van Cong Street - Vung Tau Passenger Port.
This bus route doesn't stop at Terminal 3. To reach the bus stops at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 from the newly opened Terminal 3, you need to use Ho Chi Minh Airport Shuttle Bus.
Bus 72-2B schedule for departures from Saigon Airport to Vung Tau is from 05:30 to 23:30, with a bus leaving every 20 minutes. The estimated time of travel from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Vung Tau on this public bus is about 3-3.5 hours.
Bus 72-2B ticket price is 150,000 VND per person one-way. Tickets can be bought on board.
VIP Bus
In case you want more comfort and a wider choice of departure times, you can choose to travel by VIP bus from to Vung Tau.
Currently there are 25 VIP bus departures a day with buses leaving Ho Chi Minh Airport every 30 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00. Travel time on this bus route is around 2.5 hours.
The airport VIP bus ticket price is around 370,000 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 the Airport VIP Bus is too expensive and the schedule of the public bus isn't suitable, you can reach Ho Chi Minh City center or the bus station first and take a bus to Vung Tau from there. Most of the 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. To get into the city center from the airport, you can use Saigon Airport Bus routes 152 (from Terminal 1 & 2) or 109 (from Terminal 3).
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 300,000-330,000 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. To get to this bus station from the airport, you would need to change public buses, which 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 the 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 Tan Son Nhat Airport to Vung Tau directly is also possible. Taxis are located in front of the exits of the arrivals halls in both Tan Son Nhat Airport Terminals 1 and 2. Traveling by taxi is convenient as you'll arrive at 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 to get 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 suits your needs the best.
For a direct private transfer from Ho Chi Minh Airport to Vung Tau, you can choose from an economy 4-seater car (2 people + 2 bags), an economy 7-seater car (4 people + 4 bags), and a 15-seater van (15 persons).
Departure Time from Ho Chi Minh: anytime
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 1,300,000 VND per car
Bookings: Private Transfer from SGN Airport to Vung Tau
Ferry from Ho Chi Minh 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 to Vung Tau
Depending on the time of your expected arrival at Bach Dang Pier, you can choose one of the daily ferries to Vung Tau operated by Greenlines DP with departures scheduled at 09:00 and 12:00 with an additional boat departure at 14:00 on weekends.
It is a high-speed ferry, so the trip by ferry from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau normally takes only around 2 hours.
A ferry ticket for such a trip costs around 380,000 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 the Vung Tau Beach Full Day Trip you can swim and relax at Thuy Van Beach, experience the sacred ambiance of the Whale Temple and the religious life of local fishermen, and visit and climb inside the Jesus Christ Statue.
Other Travel Options
To find more transportation options for the trip from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau, use this search form.
To discover other bus services in the city, explore the Ho Chi Minh City Bus guide.
