Vietnam Airports Explained: Which One to Choose and How to Get Out

Reading the map before you book a flight

I have landed in Vietnam through four different airports, and the mistake I see most often is not a wrong choice but a hasty one. People book the cheapest fare into a city that sits 1,000 km from where their trip actually begins. Vietnam is long and thin, so the airport is the first itinerary decision you make, not a formality.

The simple reading is this: five international gateways, plus a handful of domestic airports that matter for specific places. Learn those and most of the confusion goes away.

The five international gateways

Airport	Code	Serves	Distance to the centre
Noi Bai	HAN	Hanoi, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Sapa	Roughly 25–35 km
Tan Son Nhat	SGN	Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta	About 7 km
Da Nang	DAD	Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue	Minutes to the city
Cam Ranh	CXR	Nha Trang	South of the city, by road
Phu Quoc	PQC	Phu Quoc island	On the island

Noi Bai is the northern door. It sits well out of town, and the ride into the Old Quarter is the longest of any big Vietnamese city. I have done it in 45 minutes at midday and well over an hour in the evening rush. If you land at night, my advice is to pre-arrange the pickup; the Hanoi airport transfers guide lays out the options.

Tan Son Nhat is the opposite story. It is unusually close to the centre, about 7 km, which makes Ho Chi Minh City the easiest big-city arrival in the country. The only catch is that a short distance can still be slow: a 20-minute ride at 10 a.m. becomes a 45-minute crawl at 5 p.m. The Ho Chi Minh City airport transfers guide covers where to find a licensed car.

Da Nang is the one I recommend to anyone building a central Vietnam trip. The airport is a few minutes from the city, and Hoi An is about 45 minutes away by road. Hue is further north but still a straightforward onward journey. The Da Nang airport transfers guide has the practical detail.

Phu Quoc has its own international airport, which is why the island works as a beach finish to a trip without a mainland stop first. See the Phu Quoc destination page for the island itself.

The Cam Ranh confusion

This is the one that catches people. Cam Ranh airport is not in Nha Trang. The airport code is CXR, the city is Nha Trang, and the two are separated by a road journey. I watched a couple at the arrivals hall assume they could walk to a hotel because the booking site said “Nha Trang airport”. They could not.

Treat Cam Ranh as the airport that serves Nha Trang, not as part of it. Budget the transfer time into your arrival day, and decide whether you want a pre-booked car or a metered taxi before you land rather than at the kerb.

The domestic airports worth knowing

You will not fly into these from abroad, but they are the reason a domestic hop can replace a long road day:

• Phu Bai for Hue, the former imperial capital.
• Dong Hoi for Phong Nha and its caves.
• Lien Khuong for Da Lat, the cool highland town.
• Phu Cat for Quy Nhon, plus Can Tho and Con Dao for the south.

If you want the full picture of how the domestic network fits together, the domestic flights guide goes further than I will here.

No airport has a train or metro link

Say it once and plan around it: no airport in Vietnam is connected by rail or metro. Not Hanoi, not Ho Chi Minh City, not Da Nang. Ho Chi Minh City has a metro line, and Hanoi has a small network, but neither reaches the terminal. You will get into town by taxi, a ride-hailing app, a bus or a pre-booked car.

That matters for the Reunification Express too. If you plan to cross the country by rail, the station is in the city, not at the airport, so you add a road leg at both ends. The Vietnam train travel guide explains how to fit that in.

For the ride itself, the Grab and taxis guide explains what to open on your phone and what a fair fare looks like. I always check the price in the app before I walk out of arrivals.

Long Thanh, and why I ignore it for now

A second Ho Chi Minh City airport, Long Thanh, is under construction. You will read confident opening dates in forums and on booking sites. I do not repeat any of them, because I have watched dates for this kind of project slip more than once. Book on the airports that operate today, and check an official source if you see a ticket that mentions Long Thanh.

A choice that depends on where your trip begins

Here is how I decide, and how I would advise a friend:

1. Starting in the north (Hanoi, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Sapa): fly into Noi Bai.
2. Starting in the south (Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta): fly into Tan Son Nhat.
3. Starting in the centre (Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue): fly into Da Nang.
4. Beach first: Cam Ranh for Nha Trang, or Phu Quoc for the island.

If you want to compare the two big cities before choosing, my Hanoi versus Ho Chi Minh City piece is a good place to start. Once you have picked, entry rules come next, and the Vietnam visa guide points you to the official portal rather than guessing for your nationality.

Use the arrival day well

My favourite trick at Da Nang is to land early and not waste the day. A short guided outing such as the half-day cultural and historical tour of Da Nang fits neatly between a morning flight and an evening check-in. If you have a full day and want lunch included, the full-day guided city tour works the same way.

For the highlands, I always tell people that Da Lat is worth the extra leg. The cloud-hunting morning tour is an early start, but it is exactly the kind of thing the Lien Khuong flight makes possible.

What I would do differently

Looking back at my own early trips, I would book fewer airports and book the transfer in advance. Every time I improvised the ride out of the terminal, I paid for it in time or money. The airport itself is rarely the problem; the first hour after it is.

If you are still shaping the whole trip, the Hoi An destination page is a good example of how one airport choice, Da Nang, quietly decides the shape of a week.

Vietnam airports: frequently asked questions

How many international airports does Vietnam have?

The ones most visitors use are five: Noi Bai in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Cam Ranh for Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc. Other airports are mainly domestic.

Is Cam Ranh airport in Nha Trang?

No. Cam Ranh is on a peninsula south of Nha Trang, so you need a road transfer into the city. Allow for that when you plan your arrival day.

Is there a train or metro to any Vietnamese airport?

No airport in Vietnam has a rail or metro link. You reach the city by taxi, ride-hailing app, bus or a pre-booked private transfer.

How far is Noi Bai from central Hanoi?

Noi Bai is roughly 25 to 35 km north of the centre, which is about 45 to 70 minutes by road depending on traffic and where you are staying.

How far is Tan Son Nhat from central Ho Chi Minh City?

Tan Son Nhat is only about 7 km from the centre, so the ride usually takes 20 to 45 minutes depending on the time of day.

Which airport do I use for Hoi An?

Da Nang. Hoi An has no airport of its own, and the road transfer from Da Nang takes about 45 minutes.

When will Long Thanh airport open?

Long Thanh, the second Ho Chi Minh City airport, is under construction. I would not plan any trip around an opening date until an official one is announced.