Tan Son Nhat (SGN) is only 7 km from District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, so most travelers reach their hotel in 20 to 45 minutes, up to an hour in Friday rush hour. A Grab car costs roughly 90,000 to 150,000 VND (about $3.50 to $6), a city bus from 6,000 VND. The airport now has three terminals, and picking the wrong one is the mistake I see most often.
Which terminal do I land at in Ho Chi Minh City?
International flights arrive at Terminal 2 (T2), which has the arrivals hall, currency exchange counters, ATMs and SIM card kiosks. Terminal 3 (T3) opened in April 2025 and now handles domestic flights of Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and Vasco. Older Terminal 1 (T1) keeps several low-cost carriers.
There is no walkway between them. A free shuttle runs from 04:30 to 00:10 every 20 minutes and takes 15 to 20 minutes, so a transfer between terminals needs about 40 minutes with waiting. Read the terminal off your boarding pass and give the driver that terminal’s name.
How long does immigration take at SGN?
Usually about 15 minutes, but not always. At peak hours the queue can stretch past an hour, so don’t book a tight onward connection. Keep your return ticket and your first night’s address ready, since officers can ask for them.
A few things are worth sorting out before the flight. If you travel on an e‑visa, check the name, passport number and entry checkpoint on the printed document, because a typo can cause trouble at check-in. That is the step I double-check on every application before the client flies, and you can do the same on the official e‑visa portal by looking up your application code. Vietnam is also rolling out an online Pre-Arrival Information form. Its status differs by airport, so fill it in on the official government portal anyway and save the QR code. Our e‑visa checkpoint list shows where the visa is accepted.
What is the cheapest way from the airport to the city center?
The cheapest way is city bus 152 at about 6,000 VND, running from 06:00 to 18:00. It takes cash only and has no luggage hold, so a big suitcase will be a squeeze. Bus 109 costs about 15,000 VND, runs from 05:30 to 01:00, has air conditioning and room for bags, and also takes cash only. Between the two, 109 is the one worth the higher fare as soon as you have a suitcase.
Taxis are the middle option. Mai Linh and Vinasun run on the meter, and a ride to District 1 comes to 150,000 to 200,000 VND plus about 10,000 VND in road tolls. Touts at the exit often ask 300,000 to 400,000 VND, which is roughly double the going rate. The usual mistake is saying yes to the first person who offers a ride; I walk past anyone who approaches inside the hall and go straight to the Mai Linh or Vinasun queue. These are 2026 prices, so check them in the app before you ride. For fares in Da Nang and Hanoi too, see our airport transfer price comparison.
Is Grab or a private transfer better after a long flight?
Grab is what I would pick for most trips: the price shows before you book, and a car to District 1 runs 90,000 to 150,000 VND. A GrabBike for one person with a backpack costs about half that. Leave the terminal and follow the green signs to the pickup zone.
A pre-booked private transfer makes sense for families or groups with heavy luggage, at about $23 to $28 per car in 2026. Whatever you choose, install the app and add a card before you fly. Foreign cards fail more often than people expect, so carry $50 to $100 in cash as a backup.
Where do I change money and get a SIM card?
Both are at the T2 arrivals exit. The airport exchange rate is usually 2 to 5% worse than in town, so change only what you need, about 200,000 to 300,000 VND, enough for a taxi and a SIM. ATMs sit by the exits, and your bank sets the fee, which the machine shows before you confirm.
Viettel, Mobifone and Vinaphone kiosks sell tourist SIMs with 3 to 5 GB for 30 days from about 100,000 VND. You need your passport. An eSIM bought at home is the easier path if you want data the moment you land, and for a short stay I prefer it to standing at a kiosk with my passport out after a long flight.
What if I only have a layover at Tan Son Nhat?
Plan for 2 to 3 hours at minimum when you connect from an international flight to a domestic one. You clear immigration, collect your bag, take the shuttle to T1 or T3, check in again and pass security. The shuttle does not run between 00:10 and 04:30, and lounges close at around 02:00, so a night layover usually means waiting in the terminal or taking a taxi.
For a gap longer than eight hours, a hotel near the airport is simpler. Ibis Saigon Airport starts at about $40 a night and Tan Son Nhat Hotel at about $50. Transit rules depend on your passport, so check them before you book a day out in the city.
Will Long Thanh Airport replace Tan Son Nhat?
Not yet. Long Thanh sits about 40 km from the city center. Its first technical flight landed on 15 December 2025, and the operator plans a commercial launch in late December 2026. Which international flights will move there is still unclear.
The practical rule is to read the airport code on your ticket: SGN is Tan Son Nhat, and Long Thanh has its own code. Expect a longer, pricier ride into town from Long Thanh than the 7 km from SGN.
Staying longer than your visa-free window?
If your trip runs past the visa-free period for your passport, an e‑visa has to be approved before you fly, and Tan Son Nhat should be listed as your entry point. The usual trouble is not the form itself. The government portal can reject foreign cards at the payment step, and a wrong entry checkpoint is hard to fix after approval. If you would rather cross by land from Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh City visa run page covers a two-row sleeper from An Sương bus station to Moc Bai on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
If you would rather not fight with the portal, at BestBus Vietnam I handle e‑visa applications end to end: I fill in the form, pay the fee with our own card and set the right entry point. If the application is refused, I resubmit it for free and refund you. Message me on WhatsApp with your arrival date and I will tell you what is realistic before you fly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the airport code for Ho Chi Minh City?
SGN, for Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Locals sometimes still call it the Saigon airport.
Can I go straight from the airport to Mui Ne?
Not directly. Book a transfer from about $80 for a 5-hour ride, or take a Grab to Mien Dong bus station and catch a coach to Mui Ne, about 4.5 hours for roughly 220,000 VND.
Does the airport have luggage storage?
Yes, in T2 on the ground floor to the right of the exit. A small locker starts at about 40,000 VND per day, with a refundable deposit. T3 uses the Luggo app instead of lockers, a service that stores your bag and delivers it later.
How early should I arrive for my flight?
Three hours before an international flight and two hours before a domestic one. Add 40 minutes if you depart from a different terminal than the one you arrived at. From District 1 at rush hour, leave 3 to 4 hours before departure.
