The cheapest reliable way out of almost every major Vietnamese airport is the same: take the official airport bus if there is one, and book a Grab if there is not. Hanoi's Noi Bai, Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat, and Cam Ranh (for Nha Trang) all run a proper airport bus for well under a dollar to a few dollars. Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Cat Bi (Hai Phong), and Lien Khuong (Da Lat) do not have one worth using, so a Grab or a metered taxi is the sensible floor there.
This page is the consolidated price reference across all seven airports — distance to the city centre and hedged fare ranges for every transfer mode. For the three busiest runs we already publish full step-by-step guides, so this page links out to those rather than repeating them. Every figure is a mid-2026 planning range, converted at roughly 26,000 VND to the US dollar; the meter reading or the app quote on the day is the only real price.
Airport transfer prices at a glance
| Airport → city centre | Distance | Public / airport bus | Grab & ride-hail | Metered / airport taxi | Private hotel transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noi Bai (HAN) → Hanoi Old Quarter | ~27 km | Bus 86, around 45,000 VND ($1.70) | Around 280,000–380,000 VND ($11–15) | Around 350,000–450,000 VND ($13–17) | Around 400,000–600,000 VND ($15–23) |
| Tan Son Nhat (SGN) → District 1 | ~8 km | Bus 109, around 15,000–20,000 VND ($0.60–0.80) | Around 180,000–280,000 VND ($7–11) | Around 170,000–250,000 VND ($6.50–9.50) | Around 300,000–450,000 VND ($11–17) |
| Da Nang (DAD) → city centre | ~3 km | None useful (too short) | Around 70,000–120,000 VND ($3–4.50) | Around 80,000–120,000 VND ($3–4.50) | Around 150,000–250,000 VND ($6–9.50) |
| Cam Ranh (CXR) → Nha Trang | ~35 km | Airport bus, around 50,000–80,000 VND ($2–3) | Around 250,000–350,000 VND ($9.50–13.50) | Around 300,000–400,000 VND ($11.50–15.50) | Around 350,000–500,000 VND ($13–19) |
| Phu Quoc (PQC) → Duong Dong | ~10–14 km | None | Limited coverage; around 150,000–250,000 VND when available | Around 180,000–250,000 VND ($7–9.50) | Often free at resorts; otherwise around 200,000–350,000 VND |
| Cat Bi (HPH) → Hai Phong centre | ~8 km | City bus, from around 8,000 VND ($0.30) | Around 50,000–100,000 VND ($2–4) | Around 60,000–120,000 VND ($2.50–4.50) | Around 150,000–250,000 VND ($6–9.50) |
| Lien Khuong (DLI) → Da Lat | ~30 km | Shuttle intermittent (often none) | Around 250,000–350,000 VND ($9.50–13.50) | Around 250,000–400,000 VND ($9.50–15.50) | Around 300,000–450,000 VND ($11–17) |
Three things to read from this table. First, distance drives everything: the Da Nang hop is trivially cheap because the airport is barely 3 km from the beach hotels, while Noi Bai, Cam Ranh, and Lien Khuong are 27–35 km runs where every mode costs more. Second, the "metered / airport taxi" column merges two things that behave differently — a street-hailed metered taxi from a trusted brand (Mai Linh, Vinasun, Xanh SM) versus the official airport-taxi desk, which usually books a fixed-price or metered trusted car and sits between the bus and a private transfer on price. Third, a private hotel transfer buys you a name board and a fixed price, not a faster car; it is worth paying for at night, with children, or where ride-hail is thin.
Which airports have a public bus, and which do not
Four of the seven airports have a bus worth using. Noi Bai runs the tourist-friendly Bus 86 to the Old Quarter and Hanoi railway station for around 45,000 VND, plus much cheaper local routes (07 and 17, around 9,000–10,000 VND) that need a transfer and do not reach the Old Quarter directly. Tan Son Nhat runs the express Bus 109 to the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area in District 1 for around 15,000–20,000 VND, the single best value of any Vietnamese airport transfer. Cam Ranh has an airport shuttle bus to Nha Trang for roughly 50,000–80,000 VND, a strong saving over the 300,000-plus VND taxi on that long run. Cat Bi is served by ordinary Hai Phong city buses from around 8,000 VND, though with luggage the short Grab is often worth the extra dollar or two.
The other three effectively have none. Da Nang is too close to the centre for a bus to make sense — a Grab arrives faster than the wait. Phu Quoc has no meaningful public route from the airport. Lien Khuong once had a Phuong Trang (Futa) shuttle to Da Lat for around 50,000 VND, but it has run intermittently in recent years and cannot be relied on; the nearest ordinary bus stop is about a kilometre from the terminal. For how these fit a wider daily budget, see our Vietnam travel cost index.
The overcharge to watch for, airport by airport
The pattern repeats across all seven, but the specifics differ:
- Noi Bai (Hanoi). The classic is a tout inside arrivals offering a "fixed" 500,000–700,000 VND ride, well above the real 280,000–450,000 VND. Walk to the marked taxi rank or open Grab. The full playbook is in our Noi Bai to Old Quarter guide.
- Tan Son Nhat (Saigon). Drivers who claim the meter is "broken" and name a flat fare, or who take the long loop. Insist on the meter, or use the official taxi desk. Details in our Tan Son Nhat to District 1 guide.
- Da Nang. The run is so cheap that overcharging is rarer, but a padded 200,000 VND quote for a 3 km trip still happens. It should be around 80,000–120,000 VND. For onward trips, our Da Nang Airport to Hoi An guide covers the longer, pricier leg.
- Cam Ranh (Nha Trang). Unmetered cars at the kerb quoting a round 400,000–500,000 VND. The metered or app fare is usually 250,000–400,000 VND; the shuttle bus undercuts both.
- Phu Quoc. With ride-hail thin, the airport-taxi monopoly can quote high. Use the official desk, agree the price in writing, or lean on a resort transfer.
- Cat Bi (Hai Phong) and Lien Khuong (Da Lat). Lower traffic means fewer touts, but a solo late arrival is still a soft target for an inflated flat fare. Confirm meter or app before getting in.
For the mechanics of every ride-hail app and taxi brand, our Grab prices in Vietnam and Grab and taxis in Vietnam guides go deeper than there is room for here.
Booking ahead versus sorting it on arrival
For most travelers landing in daylight at Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, or Cat Bi, the answer is simple: sort it on arrival with Grab. It is cheaper than any pre-booked private transfer, the app shows the price before you commit, and you match the car by its plate so there is nothing to negotiate. Carry a little cash and a working Vietnamese eSIM or data plan so you can open the app the moment you clear customs.
Pre-booking earns its premium in a few situations: a late-night or pre-dawn landing when the bus has stopped and driver supply thins, arriving with young children or heavy luggage, or landing at Phu Quoc where ride-hail is unreliable. Many resorts — especially on Phu Quoc and around Nha Trang — include a free airport transfer, so check your reservation before you pay for a car you already have. If you are paying with a card at the desk, our card versus cash guide covers where that works.
Methodology
This page consolidates fare ranges for seven airports rather than presenting original fieldwork, and every figure is a hedged range, not a quoted price.
For fares, ranges are cross-referenced from multiple mid-2026 traveler-facing sources and operator pages: the official express and public bus tariffs (Bus 86 at Noi Bai, Bus 109 at Tan Son Nhat, the Cam Ranh shuttle, and Hai Phong city buses), published metered-taxi per-km rates of roughly 12,000–18,000 VND, and observed Grab fare ranges. Where sources disagreed, the range was widened to span them rather than picking a single point. Distances are approximate road distances to each city centre and vary with the exact drop-off.
For currency, VND figures are primary and US-dollar equivalents are converted at approximately 26,000 VND to the dollar, the mid-2026 rate (the dong traded near 26,200–26,300 per dollar in July 2026). Dollar figures are rounded and drift with the rate.
Limitations
- These are planning ranges, not quotes. Grab prices dynamically, taxis vary by brand and traffic, and bus fares are revised periodically. Treat every figure as a mid-2026 baseline and confirm on the day.
- Bus routes and shuttles change. Airport shuttles have been suspended and restored before (the Lien Khuong service is the clearest example), and route numbers and stops are occasionally revised. Verify the current service before relying on it.
- Grab coverage is uneven. It is strong in the big cities but historically thin on Phu Quoc, and airport pickup rules differ terminal to terminal.
- Distances are approximate. Road distance to "the city centre" depends on your exact destination; beach-resort and old-town drop-offs can differ by several kilometres.
- Currency conversions are approximate and use a single rounded mid-2026 rate.
Related reading
- Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi Old Quarter — every option for the Hanoi airport run in detail
- Tan Son Nhat Airport to District 1 — the Ho Chi Minh City airport run
- Da Nang Airport to Hoi An — the longer onward leg from Da Nang
- Grab prices in Vietnam 2026 — the dedicated ride-hail fare reference
- Grab and taxis in Vietnam — how the apps and taxi brands work
- Vietnam travel cost index 2026 — the full sourced cost baseline
- Getting around Vietnam — the transport overview, including eSIMs and data
- Card versus cash in Vietnam 2026 — where cards actually work
External references: Hanoi Bus 86 route and fare, Vietnam Airlines Nha Trang airport travel guide, Gecko Routes Da Lat airport transport, and Welcome Pickups Phu Quoc airport taxi.