WORTH ITFive minutes of reading that prevents the most common bad first experience in this city.
Quick answer
All international flights arrive at Terminal 2. If you have an onward domestic flight, check the terminal: Vietnam Airlines, Pacific, VASCO, Bamboo and Vietravel are at Terminal 3, and VietJet stayed at Terminal 1 despite the widely-reported plan to move it. Terminal 3 is 850 m from the others, with a free shuttle roughly every 20 minutes — budget 45 to 60 minutes to transfer, and more at peak.
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Which terminal do you need?
Terminal 2 for every international flight. Terminal 3 for most domestic airlines — but Terminal 1 if you are flying VietJet.
The published plan in early 2025 had both Vietnam Airlines and VietJet moving to the new Terminal 3. That is not what happened, and it is precisely the sort of error that makes people miss flights.
| Terminal | Role | Who flies from it |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | Domestic | VietJet — essentially the only airline left there |
| T2 | International | All international arrivals and departures |
| T3 | Domestic | Vietnam Airlines, Pacific, VASCO, Bamboo, Vietravel |
Terminals 1 and 2 are adjacent, connected by a covered walkway, under five minutes on foot. Terminal 3 is about 850 m away: a free shuttle runs roughly every 20 minutes from 04:30 to 00:30, or a taxi is about 50,000₫ and takes 15 to 20 minutes in traffic. A same-day connection between VietJet at T1 and Vietnam Airlines at T3 is a genuine hassle — they are different buildings.
Long Thành International Airport begins commercial operations, taking all international routes over 1,000 km plus all cargo, phased through March 2028. If you are booking travel for 2027, check which airport your ticket actually uses.
Getting into the city, priced
A ride-hail app is the default at 110,000–250,000₫. Bus 109 is the best budget option at 15,000₫. Allow 20–30 minutes, or 45 plus in rush hour.
| Option | Price | Time | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 109, yellow, air-conditioned | 15,000₫ (US$0.58) | 45–60 min | Best budget option |
| Bus 152 | 5,000–6,000₫ (US$0.19–0.23) | 45–55 min | Cheapest, more stops |
| Ride-hail app | 110,000–250,000₫ (US$4.20–9.60) | 25–45 min | The default. Fare fixed in-app |
| Metered taxi from the official rank | 150,000–200,000₫ (US$5.80–7.70) | 20–30 min | Fine, from the rank only |
| Pre-booked private transfer | 200,000–350,000₫ (US$7.70–13.50) | 25–45 min | Worth it late at night or with children |
Bus 109 runs 05:30 to 22:00, roughly every 40 to 45 minutes, cash only, and boards in front of Terminal 3, terminating in the backpacker district. It is 7 km to the centre but 20 to 30 minutes normally and 45 or more during rush hour — 07:00 to 09:00 and 17:00 to 19:00. Going the other way, build in a full hour to reach the airport at peak.
The taxi scam at arrivals
Touts approach you inside the terminal. Legitimate metered taxis never do. Use the official rank or book in the app before you walk out.
This is the single most common bad first experience in this city, and it follows a consistent pattern worth recognising.
- Touts approach inside the terminal offering "taxi, taxi". Legitimate metered taxis do not tout inside.
- Fake liveries: cars painted to imitate the two big reputable firms, with near-miss names and logos.
- Rigged meters that run at multiples of the real rate.
The defence is boring and complete: either walk to the official taxi rank and take the front car, or open a ride-hail app before you leave the building so the fare is fixed before anyone speaks to you.
On money: the exchange counters in arrivals give worse rates than city gold shops but are fine for a first million or two đồng, and airport ATMs charge premium fees. Withdraw modestly and top up in town.
A 2026 walkthrough of arriving at the airport, filmed end to end. Video by VirtCam Travel.
The e-visa portal, and the resellers pretending to be it
The only genuine portal is evisa.gov.vn. Everything else is a markup reseller or a scam.
Vietnam's e-visa runs 90 days, single or multiple entry, at US$25 and US$50 respectively, and is open to all nationalities. That is the official price. A large industry of lookalike sites charges several times it for the same application, and some simply take the money.
Type evisa.gov.vn into the address bar yourself. Do not arrive there through a search advertisement, and do not use a site that offers to "expedite" the process for a fee. E-visa holders join the standard foreigner queue at immigration — there is no faster lane to buy.
Immigration queues at Terminal 2 run from about ten minutes off-peak to considerably longer when several wide-bodies land together, which typically happens in the late-evening bank between 21:00 and midnight. Nine European countries gained visa exemptions effective 15 August 2025, joining three added earlier that year — check your own nationality rather than a summary. If you are still building the trip, Kiwi.com is where to price the onward legs — and from December 2026 some of them move to Long Thành.
Sort the arrival before you fly
The arrivals taxi gauntlet is the most common bad first experience in this city. All three of these remove it.
GetTransfer
A fixed-price private transfer — no meter, no negotiation.
from US$8
See on GetTransferOpens gettransfer.com
Airalo
An eSIM so the ride-hail app works before you leave the terminal.
from US$5
See on AiraloOpens airalo.com
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