What is the main airport called?
Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN). It is the largest and main airport in Vietnam serving Ho Chi Minh city and the southeast area of the country. It is located 6 km north of the centre (District 1) of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The airport has two terminals.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh
The staff at Ho Chi Minh Airport will greet you when you land and assist with your travel needs. Once you collect your bags from the arrivals area, there are various transport options available to get you on your way.
Getting into Ho Chi Minh from Ho Chi Minh Airport
With a range of transport options available at Ho Chi Minh Airport, travelling into the city centre is easy. Choose from taxis, car rental, airport transfer, ride-share or bus. A bus station is situated in front of the international terminal and is operated by Ho Chi Minh City Bus and takes approximately 45 minutes. Taxi is a convenient option to get to the city, with the main taxi queue on your left when you exit the main door on the ground floor of the terminal building. The trip to downtown takes approximately 45 minutes and is an affordable way to travel. Grab and Go Viet are two ride-sharing apps and it's very easy to get to the city and wait in the arrivals area for your car. Go Viet is only for motorbikes. It is possible to hire a car in Ho Chi Minh, though with the traffic it’s not recommended.
Getting around Ho Chi Minh
There are plenty of convenient ways to get around Ho Chi Minh, whether it’s by taxi, ride-share, buses, motorcycle taxi or walking. The best way to get around is using Grab, the Vietnamese version of Uber. They are cost-effective and can be booked through the app. Grab Bike is another option, where you sit on the back of a motorcycle instead of a car. Ho Chi Minh is a big city, though plenty of places are in walking distance. Be sure to cross the street at a pedestrian crossing, as crossing a street can be scary with all the motorbikes on the roads. Bus is a cheap way to get around the city, and it's best to use the BusMap app to find out the routes. Motorcycle taxi is another option, where you hop on the back of a bike and are cheaper than a regular taxi. There are street taxis, though be sure to get the metre turned on. You can rent a bicycle or scooter though the traffic is very crazy, so it’s not recommended.