How to get from Tan Son Nhat airport to central Ho Chi Minh City: bus 109, Grab, taxi
Tan Son Nhat airport is about 7-8 km from Ben Thanh market: 20-25 minutes by taxi without traffic, 45-60 minutes at rush hour or in heavy rain. Grab, Be or Xanh SM is the simplest; bus 109 runs by day to Pham Ngu Lao.
Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN) is about 7-8 km from the centre, the Ben Thanh area of District 1: 20-25 minutes by taxi or Grab without traffic, 45-60 minutes at rush hour or in heavy rain. The simplest way is to order Grab, Be or Xanh SM in the app; by day you can also take bus 109 to the bus station on Pham Ngu Lao, about 45-60 minutes. Check your terminal before you fly: international flights use T2, domestic flights use T1 or T3 depending on the airline.
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How do I get from Tan Son Nhat airport to the centre and which way should I choose?
| Way | Time on the road | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Grab, Be, Xanh SM | 20-25 minutes without traffic, 45-60 minutes at rush hour and in rain | any time, the fare is shown in the app before you get in |
| Vinasun, Mai Linh taxis | the same | if your phone is dead or you have no data |
| Bus 109 | about 45-60 minutes | roughly 5:30 to 22:40 |
| Bus 152 | about 50-70 minutes | daytime only, do not count on it in the evening |
| GrabBike (motorbike) | faster in traffic | small luggage only |
Which terminal is which at Tan Son Nhat, and how do I find mine?
Tan Son Nhat has three terminals. All international flights use T2 (Saigon Times, 20 April 2025). Domestic flights were split between T1 and the new T3, which started operating in spring 2025. By August 2025 Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Vasco, Bamboo Airways and Vietravel had moved to T3 while Vietjet stayed at T1 (VnEconomy, 25 August 2025). In October 2026 the site vietnamtourism.com still describes T1 as the main domestic terminal, so the split may have changed: check the terminal of your flight in the airline's app or on your ticket.
A free shuttle runs between the terminals about every 10-20 minutes (Saigon Times, 20 April 2025), but T3 stands apart and takes 15-20 minutes to reach. If you picked the wrong terminal, allow for that time.
How do I call Grab or Be at the airport?
Order the car once you are standing at the pickup point, not at the arrivals exit: ride-hailing is blocked at the main curb and drivers cancel. At international terminal T2, leave the arrivals hall, turn right and walk about 200 metres along the covered walkway to the multi-storey car park; on floor 3 or 4 the signs read "Grab/Be Pickup". At domestic terminal T1 the pickup is on the ground floor of the same car park (vietnamtourism.com, updated 11 October 2026). Pickup points move because of construction, so check the map in the app.
At T3 Xanh SM has a separate app-car lane ("xe cong nghe") for vehicles with the "xe hop dong" (contract) plate (Xanh SM, 7 May 2025). The pillar numbers there are shown only in pictures, so the app will show you the exact spot. At night and in rain there are fewer cars and prices in the apps can jump, so leave extra time.
How do I avoid a fake taxi?
Take only Vinasun (white with red and green stripes) or Mai Linh (lime green, drivers in green uniforms) from the booth with the logo outside the T2 arrivals exit (vietnamtourism.com, 11 October 2026). Do not trust anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a taxi or help with luggage: real drivers do not look for passengers. Read the name on the door: copies spell it "Vinasum" or "Mai Linhh" and copy the colours. The meter should start at a small figure. If the driver offers a flat rate instead of the meter or says the meter is broken, refuse or get out.
The fixed-price counters in the arrivals hall are described in different ways: one article recommends them to first-timers and late arrivals, another calls the price heavily inflated. So check the price of the same ride in Grab first, then decide. Vinasun phone: (028) 38 27 27 27 (vinasun.vn); Mai Linh: 1055 (mailinh.vn). Other taxis and apps in the city are in taxi and ride apps.
Bus 109: where does it go and when does it run?
Bus 109 runs from the Sai Gon bus station (1 Pham Ngu Lao, by Ben Thanh market) to terminal T3. The route is about 9.3 km along Pham Ngu Lao, Tran Hung Dao, Ham Nghi, Pasteur and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia on to T3; it takes about 45 minutes on average, up to an hour in traffic. From T3 the first bus is at 5:30 and the last at 22:40; from the bus station it runs 5:45 to 22:30, every 15-25 minutes, 110 trips a day (VOH, 28 April 2025). The Ben Thanh stop of bus 109 is listed in Ho Chi Minh City transfers.
Do not count on it for a late flight: vietnamtourism.com (11 October 2026) says not to rely on bus 109 after 11 pm. At international terminal T2 one article says bus 109 stops outside the arrivals exit, while the city public transport centre (28 April 2025) says it goes to T3 rather than T1 and T2. After an international flight, ask at the exit or check the map. Keep small notes ready: drivers often have no change.
What about bus 152?
Bus 152 runs from the Trung Son residential area through Ben Thanh to the airport and serves the T1 and T2 area, not T3. VOH (28 April 2025) gives 5:15 to 19:00. A 2022 Saigon Times article gave a different hour, until 21:30, and 76 trips a day, with the stop at the domestic terminal on lane B. Where exactly it stops now is not confirmed in the sources: after landing, ask at the information desk or check a map. The ride takes 50-70 minutes (vietnamtourism.com, 11 October 2026). Plan for this bus in daytime only.
How long does it take and when is traffic worst?
In normal conditions Tan Son Nhat to District 1 is about 20-25 minutes. At morning and evening rush hour and in heavy rain allow 45 minutes to an hour or more (vietnamtourism.com, 11 October 2026). For an evening flight or a connection leave a margin. In the rainy season and at high tide roads also flood; see the guide "Weather in Ho Chi Minh City by month" in Ho Chi Minh City sights. If you need your own transport for a few days, see vehicle rental.
Also on the topic: From Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne, Da Lat and Nha Trang: bus, train or plane.
FAQ
How far is Tan Son Nhat airport from the centre? About 7-8 km to the Ben Thanh area of District 1.
How long does it take from the airport to the centre? 20-25 minutes without traffic, 45-60 minutes at rush hour and in rain. Bus 109 takes about 45-60 minutes.
Can I take a bus from the airport? Yes: bus 109 goes to the Sai Gon bus station on Pham Ngu Lao, from T3 5:30 to 22:40 every 15-25 minutes. Bus 152 runs roughly 5:15 to 19:00.
Where do I wait for Grab at the airport? Not at the arrivals exit. At T2 on floor 3-4 of the car park opposite the terminal ("Grab/Be Pickup" signs), at T1 on the ground floor of the car park, at T3 in a separate lane for apps. Confirm the spot in the app.
Which terminal does my flight use? International flights use T2. For domestic flights check your ticket and the airline's app: flights are split between T1 and T3.
How do I avoid a fake taxi? Use the Vinasun or Mai Linh booth, check the spelling on the door and that the meter is running, and refuse a flat rate.
Is there transport at night? Bus 109 runs until about 22:30-22:40. Later, use Grab, Be, Xanh SM or a taxi.
Sources and checks
Bus 109: VOH (28 April 2025, Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Centre), Sai Gon Giai Phong (16 April 2025). Bus 152: VOH (28 April 2025), Saigon Times (20 June 2022); the hours and the stop differ between sources and we did not find a confirmed stop for 152 at T3, so confirm before you go. Distance, time on the road, Grab and Be pickup points, taxi warnings: vietnamtourism.com (updated 11 October 2026). Terminals: Saigon Times (20 April 2025), VnEconomy (25 August 2025), Phap luat TP.HCM (14 March 2025), Xanh SM (7 May 2025). The allocation of airlines to terminals has changed and there are few 2026 articles on it, so check the terminal on your ticket. Taxi phone numbers: the official Vinasun and Mai Linh websites. We do not publish prices: fares change. Text updated 25 October 2026.