Metro Line 1: Which Stations Are Actually Worth Using

Which stations should you actually use?

Bến Thành, Opera House, Ba Son, Tân Cảng, Thảo Điền and Suối Tiên. The other eight are not worth getting off for as a visitor.

That is not a criticism of the line — it is a commuter railway that happens to have three very useful stops in the historic core. The independent caveat worth repeating is that not all stations justify disembarking, because pedestrian infrastructure at the outer stops is poor.

What does it cost and how do you pay?

7,000–20,000₫ by distance in cash, 1,000₫ less contactless, or 40,000₫ for a day pass. Tap a contactless bank card at the gate.

Tapping a contactless credit or debit card straight at the gate is the thing to know, and it is barely documented anywhere. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, UnionPay and NAPAS all work, as do Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. The local e-wallets require a Vietnamese bank account and are not realistic for a short stay. Ticket machines take notes up to 100,000₫.

We are deliberately not naming the operator's app. There are two names in circulation for it and we could not confirm which is current — and sending you to a copycat app to buy a metro ticket is exactly the kind of mistake that costs someone money. Tap your card.

A first ride on Line 1, filmed after opening. Useful for seeing the gates and the platforms before you go. Video by Where Can I FLY.

Why the line matters more than the ridership suggests

It turns the Bến Thành–Opera House–Ba Son walk into a 7,000₫ hop, which changes how you plan the middle of a hot day.

The historic core is walkable in theory and punishing in practice between 11:00 and 15:30. Three underground stations along that stretch is the practical difference, and it is why most getting-around advice written before December 2024 is now wrong.

For context on the project: 19.5 km, 14 stations, 17 three-car Hitachi trains carrying about 930 passengers each, roughly 83% funded by Japanese development assistance. Construction started in 2012 against an original 2018 target. The first thirty days were free; paid fares began on 21 January 2025. Line 2 broke ground in January 2026 with a 2030 target.

What the metro does not do

It does not go to the airport. There is no rail link at all.

The airport is 7 km from the centre and there is no metro or rail connection to it — airport transfers are on Klook instead — which surprises people who have used the line and assumed it extends. Plan on a bus, a ride-hail or a taxi.