What is the name of the airport in Ho Chi Minh City? Important information about Ho Chi Minh City International Airport. Arrival at the airport
When the lights of Ho Chi Minh City appeared under the wing of the plane, I finally realized that I was in Vietnam, and I had an exciting journey ahead: I would see Saigon, plunge into the warm waters of the South China Sea, admire the temples and waterfalls.
For me, getting to know a city begins with its airport. How will Ho Chi Minh City greet me?
There is only one airport in Ho Chi Minh City, it is called Tan Son Nhat. The international terminal (terminal 2) and the domestic terminal (terminal 1) are located close to each other. But to get from one to the other, you will have to leave the airport building and walk 400 meters.
What I liked about the airport:
The departure area in the international terminal occupies the 3rd and 4th floors. There are enough places to wait, there are small souvenir shops and a duty free shop.
From the domestic flight terminal I flew to Nha Trang. I had a Vietnam Airlines ticket. The airline's check-in counters are located on the left side of the terminal building. The departure area is located on the second floor. There are many cafes, small shops, and vending machines with free drinking water.
In general, Ho Chi Minh City airport seemed small to me (surely, after some time it will no longer cope with such a flow of passengers), but very cozy and calm.
There is no fuss here and you can tune in to the upcoming flight, read a book while waiting for departure, or just look at the runway, remembering the time spent in Vietnam.
And through the southern gate of the country is Ho Chi Minh City Airport. It is the largest in both size and passenger traffic. Tan Son Nhat International Airport serves over 17 million people a year. The close location - just 8 km from the city center - allows arriving passengers to easily reach any point using public transport.
Characteristic
The airport dates back to the 30s of the last century. First, French colonists built a small airfield near Saigon near the village of Tan Son Nhut. During the Vietnam War there was a US Air Force base here and a. In peacetime, after reconstruction, the airfield began to serve as an international airport. Tan Son Nhat is equipped with two runways, the length of which is 3800 and 3048 m, and two terminals. Terminal 1 is intended for domestic air travel, and Terminal 2 for international flights.
The airport is already too crowded to handle such a passenger flow, but so far it is coping with the task. The staff is friendly and speaks broken English. The queues at passport control are short and the halls are clean. The annual increase in tourists coming to Vietnam and the expansion of the territory of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) led the Vietnamese authorities to the decision to build a new airport at a distance of 40 km from Ho Chi Minh City. The opening is planned for 2020.
Terminals
The peculiarity of Tan Son Nhut Airport is the separate location of the domestic and international terminals. These are two separate buildings located 400 m from each other. To get from one terminal to another you need to cover this short distance on foot. When leaving Terminal 2, you should turn right, and, conversely, from Terminal 1, turn left.
If you look at the diagram, orientation at this airport in Vietnam is not difficult. Information boards are installed everywhere, showing detailed maps of terminal floors, aircraft arrivals and departures boards online. The airport website also provides a diagram, partly in Russian.
Domestic terminal
T1 is a two-story building in which the arrivals area is located on the first floor, and the departure area on the second. There are several check-in counters here. Passengers without luggage are checked in in zones E3-F5. G1A services e-ticket holders. Business class passengers are checked in in zones F1-F8. The way to move around the internal terminal is on foot. Its layout, as can be seen from the diagram, is extremely simple. Exchange offices and ATMs are located outside.
International terminal
T2 is located in a four-story building, inside which passengers move both by elevators and on foot. The two lower floors are dedicated to the arrivals area. On the first one, near the parking lot, there is an entrance/exit. The third and fourth floors are reserved for the departure area. The arrival and departure areas are not connected to each other, so getting from the second floor to the third is only possible by leaving the building onto the street, through an overpass.
Studying the pattern of passenger arrivals at Ho Chi Minh City airport, we see that they first end up on the second floor, where control is carried out by Vietnamese border guards. Then they go down to the lower floor, receive their luggage, and then proceed to go through customs control.
Airport services
The storage room can be found in the right wing of the first floor of T2. If you look at the diagram, its entrance is located near Dominos Pizza. The storage room is open 24 hours a day. The cost of using the cell is clearly overpriced - $1 per hour. There are no hotels at Tan Son Nhat Airport, but since it is literally within the city, comfortable accommodation can be found within a 10-minute drive. Passengers receive the necessary information at the counter on the ground floor.
The information desk of the internal T1, like the ATMs, can be found outside it. Internet access is possible in the VIP waiting room and partially in several cafes. Prices in cafes and shops are higher than outside the airport. Those who have enough free time between flights can leave the terminal and visit the large C.T. Plaza shopping center located a 7-minute walk away. This building is clearly visible from afar. On the fifth floor there is a food court with a variety of dishes from both local and European cuisine.
Which resorts can be reached from the airport?
Ho Chi Minh City Airport is the southern air gateway to Vietnam. From it it is easy to reach such popular resorts in Vietnam as:,. Planes fly from here to Cambodia. Domestic flights are operated by several Vietnamese airlines; international flights involve more than 40 carriers from different countries.
Tourists arriving at Terminal 2 and connecting to domestic flights to Vietnamese resorts such as Phu Quoc and Nha Trang should have two to three hours left for the connection. After completing all the formalities at the international terminal, you should exit the building and turn right. If you look at the diagram, then down from T2 there is a road to the square near the second parking lot - Terminal 1
The journey along this path with your luggage will take about 10 minutes. Upon entering the local terminal building, you need to look at the board to find out the number of the flight check-in counter. To save time, you can show your tickets to the attendant at the entrance to the terminal so that he can direct you to the correct counter.
The best way to get to the resorts of Vietnam by land from Saigon airport is on comfortable air-conditioned buses. You can buy a ticket for a night bus with recumbent seats, saving on paying for a hotel room. Tickets for tourist buses can be purchased at hotels at the reception or at the offices of travel companies. For $80-120 by taxi you can get to the nearest resorts.
How to get from the airport to Ho Chi Minh City
Buses No. 152 go to the tourist quarter, scheduled from 7:00 to 18:00. The interval is 15-30 minutes, the ticket price is 5 thousand VND, payment to the driver. The stop is located next to the terminals. Route No. 109 runs from Tan Son Nhat Airport to the center. Opening hours: from 5:30 to 01:30. The ticket price depends on the distance. When paying, you need to indicate the place where you want to leave. Route No. 49 has more stops and a higher price.
The most convenient way is a taxi. Travel to the center costs approximately $8-10. You can order a car at the airport building. Look at the diagram, the stand is located not far from the exit. Show your hotel address and they will tell you the fare. Payment is made in Vietnamese currency – dong. After receiving the receipt, you should go to the manager, who will put you in a taxi. The whole process takes no more than 5 minutes.
The most comfortable way to get to the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh City is by flight. The airport is one of the largest in the country and has international status. The station's infrastructure is well developed, allowing passengers to receive all the necessary services (ATMs, currency exchange offices, luggage storage, lounges, apartment reservations, car rental, etc.).
The bulk of tourists fly here, as the airport receives a large number of flights from three dozen international airlines and offers lower ticket prices.
The airport terminal is located at Tân Bình, Ho Chi Minh. It is approximately six kilometers from the central part of the city. Leaving the airport, you immediately find yourself in a residential and business area. Several hotel complexes have been built nearby.
Contacts
All necessary information about flights and services provided at the airport can be found on the official website tansonnhatairport.vn. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the online departure and arrival board at tansonnhatairport.vn/flight-infomation.
The airport code is SGN. Help phone number for information of interest: +84 8 3848 5383.
Base airlines
A number of base airlines cooperate with the airport. These include Jetstar Pacific, Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam Air Service (VASCO).
Airport map and online scoreboard
The airport map is presented partially in Russian on the website aeroportinfo.ru/airport/hoshimin-tanshonnjat/shema-aeroporta. International terminal No. 2 (International terminal) and domestic terminal No. 1 (Domestic terminal) are separated. A separate room was built for each. The distance between them is about four hundred meters.
You can get from one building to another only across the street on foot or using a transfer service (costs ten dollars). If you need to get from the second terminal to the first, you need to go outside and go to the right.
International terminal: arrival and departure
Has the following structure:
- First, second floor– arrival area (Arrival). The exit is on the ground floor (ground level) near the parking lot.
- Third, fourth floor– departure zone of their city (Departure). Entry is made at the level of the third tier in the area of the overpass.
Moving from one zone to another is possible across the street or during transit from one flight to another.
In the international terminal building there is a counter where you can get the necessary information, a luggage storage room, a business lounge where the Internet is available, and a currency exchange office.
Arrival at the airport
Upon arrival at the station, passengers will see the following structure:
- Landing Visa counter;
- passport control;
- baggage claim lane (ground floor);
- immigration control.
Departure from Ho Chi Minh City
You can get to the departure area by going up to the third floor. First of all, you should go to the registration desk, and after that you can go to the waiting room. Passengers with tickets for international flights can check in in zones A-B, with economy class passing through zones A1, B 4-10, and business class - B 1-3.
Domestic terminal
Divided into two floors:
- On the first one you can find the registration desk, waiting room, and arrivals area.
- The second is the departure area.
The infrastructure is located outside the building walls. Passenger check-in counters are located in areas E-F-G-H. Those without luggage can check in in areas E3-F5. Business class ticket holders check in in zones F1-F8, and economy class ticket holders - G1-12, H1-12. For customers with electronic tickets, counter G1A is available.
Luggage storage
Luggage storage can be found on the ground floor on the right side of the international terminal. The cost of using a cell is approximately one dollar per hour. The cameras operate twenty-four hours a day. Cheaper lockers (fifty cents) are located outside the terminal.
The cost of a storage room is about $1/hour per cell.
How to get from the airport to the city?
The central area is approximately four kilometers away, so many guests of Ho Chi Minh City prefer to walk from the airport terminal. To move faster, you can choose one of the options described below.
Bus
Coming out of the international or domestic terminal, you will come across a stop for bus number 152. It goes to the central district of Ho Chi Minh City (district number one, Ben Tan market, tourist quarter). This transport is very convenient, as it is equipped with air conditioning and a TV. Passenger traffic is usually small.
The route starts at six in the morning and ends at six in the evening. Transport departs every fifteen minutes. The ticket costs only twenty cents. You can purchase it from the driver or by putting money into the machine, which automatically gives out change. Travel time, depending on traffic congestion, is about twenty to thirty minutes.
From the airport you can also get to the Sholon intercity bus station by taking bus number 147.
Taxi
You can get to the tourist area by taxi for seven to ten dollars. According to the meter, the cost will be approximately the same. You should be aware that some taxi drivers ask for twenty dollars per ride, so negotiate for a realistic price.
Mototaxi
Passengers without suitcases can take advantage of profitable and extreme offers from motorbikers. They will only charge you a few dollars for a trip to the center.
Passenger traffic on buses is usually small.
Transfer to popular resorts in Vietnam: options, cost
To move to the desired point, you must first get to the center of Ho Chi Minh City at the railway, bus or water transport station.
To get to Mui Ne (a beautiful resort with beaches), taxi drivers charge from eighty to one hundred and twenty dollars per car. It is convenient to use transfer services. The vehicles of transportation companies are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable trip. Drivers can pick up clients directly at the airport and deliver them to their desired location. Moreover, upon request, they can make a stop to purchase some things or sightsee.
Transfer prices are approximately as follows: seven-seater car from one hundred and twenty dollars.
Bus transportation
The optimal way to travel between cities of the Russian Federation is intercity or tourist transportation, carried out on comfortable buses with air conditioning and a toilet. You can purchase a ticket for a night bus, which has lying down sleeping areas. The advantage of tourist buses is that they stop in interesting places.
Tickets for the specified route can be purchased at travel agencies or at hotel complexes at the reception.
Such buses most often depart from the tourist area. The average ticket prices for these routes are as follows:
- Mui Ne - seven dollars;
- Nha Chang - fifteen to twenty dollars;
- Hanoi - forty dollars;
- Phnom Penh - fifteen dollars.
Routes organized at night are usually a little more expensive, but this service allows you to save money on paying for a hotel room.
Intercity transport is cheaper than tourist transport, although it is not inferior in comfort. The only drawback is the departure point, which can be remote from the center.
In Ho Chi Minh City, seven kilometers from the central part of the city there is the Mien Dong Bus Terminal bus station (address 292 Dinh Bo Linh). From here you can go in any direction. You can get to the station by taking buses number 24, 26, 40, 43, 54, 64, 603, 604, 704 at the Ben Tan market. A ticket costs twenty cents.
Flight from Russia to Ho Chi Minh City
Several companies organize flights from Russian cities to Ho Chi Minh City:
- Aeroflot;
- Transaero;
- Vietnam Airlines (Vietnamese company);
- S7, etc.
The majority of flights are carried out in the evening, starting at eight o'clock. This is due to the fact that the flight lasts about nine hours. Thus, passengers arrive in Ho Chi Minh City in the morning.
Tickets from Russian airlines are quite high. Therefore, many people prefer to fly from Moscow to China, the UAE or other countries with a transfer.
You can find more information on the topic in the section.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Tan Son Nhat Airport got its name from the small Vietnamese village on the site of which it was founded. It was built by French settlers in the 30s of the 20th century, and at first it was a small airfield without any infrastructure.
But already in the 1950s, the American authorities got involved in the matter, and the airport acquired a runway 2190 m long. This made Tan Son Nhat Air Base one of the busiest in the world until the Vietnam War lasted in 1975. During it, the airport was used by both American and Vietnamese aircraft.
What is the airport like now?
Currently, approximately 17 million passengers a year pass through Tan Son Nhat Gate. It became the largest airport in Vietnam thanks to the new international terminal opened in 2007 - International Terminal No. 2, located on four levels of the building.
The old terminal was given over to internal traffic. Now its name is Domestic Terminal No. 1. Tan Son Nhat is the largest airport in the country not only in terms of passenger traffic, but also in area. Now the airport has two runways: 3048m and 3800m.
But the time will come, and Tan Son Nhat, like its terminal No. 1, will accept only domestic flights. It will give way to the Long Thanh International Airport under construction.
Visa to Vietnam at Ho Chi Minh City Airport
Before going through passport control there will be an area for obtaining a visa on arrival. Where you can submit your documents and invitation letter to obtain a visa. For citizens of the Russian Federation, a visa is not required for a stay of up to 15 days. For other CIS citizens and for Russian citizens who will stay in Vietnam for more than 15 days, you need to obtain a visa. We have already written about how to do this in the article.
! Helpful advice
There are currency exchange offices on the second and third levels of the international terminal. They only accept dollars and euros, and the exchange rate is quite unfavorable. Upon arrival, it is better to change a small amount at the airport, which will be enough to get to the hotel. And already at the city exchange offices you can get Vietnamese dongs at the best rate.
Airport location
A special feature of Ho Chi Minh City Airport is its unusual location - right within the city, just 6 km north of the center. Upon leaving the terminal, passengers find themselves directly on the busy streets of Saigon.
You can find the airport using GPS using the coordinates 10°49’08” N, 106°39’07” E, it is located at an altitude of 10 m above sea level. In Vietnamese, the name of the airport is written as San bay quoc te Tan Son Nhat.
Taxi from airport to hotel
At the exit from the airport, passengers are waiting for many lively taxi drivers, ready to take them to any point in Ho Chi Minh City for a negotiable fee.
As a rule, the first price that a taxi driver quotes is 2-3 times higher than the actual price, so you should bargain furiously. The metered fare to the tourist area of Pham Ngu Lao is about 10-12 dollars.
But it would be safer to agree on this amount with the driver in advance, since in order to “inflate” the meter, the taxi driver may deliberately take a long way.
! Helpful advice
It's a good idea to write down the price on a piece of paper to make sure you and the taxi driver are talking about the same price. Explaining numbers on your fingers can lead to misunderstandings or unexpected price changes upon arrival.
Another option is to use a prepaid taxi at the counter at the airport building. It makes sense to go through several companies and compare prices. After payment, the passenger is given a receipt with which he leaves for his hotel, without fear of being deceived by the taxi driver. However, the cost of a prepaid car will initially be about 15-17 dollars, depending on the transport company.
Find cheap flights from Russia to Ho Chi Minh City in the form below
Excursion to Saigon for 2 days from Nha Trang from Uncle Vanya -.
More than three dozen international companies operate at the airport, and the number of flights is constantly increasing. However, in the future the airport will be repurposed and focused exclusively on domestic flights. International flights will be moved to Long Thanh Airport, which is expected to be completed by 2020.
The history of Ho Chi Minh City Airport begins in 1930, when the first small airport was built near the village of Tan Son Nhat. Over time and with the help of the Americans, the airport expanded, until 1975 Tan Son Nhat Airport was the most used air base in Asia.
In 2007, Ho Chi Minh City Airport moved to a new stage of its development by opening a second terminal, which became international. The first, old terminal switched to servicing local flights.
Until 1975, Tan Son Nhut Airport was the most used air base in Asia.
Ho Chi Minh City Airport terminals
The airport has 2 terminals: for domestic and international flights.
Services
- duty free shop
- souvenir shops
- ATMs
- luggage storage
- free water
- playground
- free WI-FI
- business center
Tax free
At Ho Chi Minh City Airport, you can apply for a VAT refund by presenting purchases, receipts, a passport and a completed Tax Free form at the Tax Refund counter (Gate 20). The purchase amount in one store must be at least VND 2,000,000. The tax will be refunded in dong, which can then be exchanged for another currency.
How to get to the airport
Taxi
A taxi will not be expensive. You can get to the center of Ho Chi Minh City for about 160,000 - 200,000 VND. Prices on the page are as of March 2019.
Bus
The most convenient way to get to the city is by bus - this is the easiest and cheapest way to travel. Buses run on different routes; before traveling, you need to make sure that you board the bus you need. Route No. 152 runs every 15 minutes from 07:00 to 19:00 to Pham Ngu Lao, the most popular tourist area where most hotels are located. Route No. 147 goes to the Sholon intercity bus station. A one-way trip costs VND 6,000.
Transfer
The fastest and most comfortable option to get there. You need to select a car of a suitable class and capacity in advance, and the driver will meet you at the airport with a name plate. The price indicated at the time of booking will be fixed: for example, traffic jams will not affect it.
- How to book flights? Instructions
- How to buy airline tickets cheaper?
- Baggage rules
- Carry-on baggage rules
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- Where to stay: In colorful Ho Chi Minh City - ancient Saigon, where there are luxury hotels and ultra-budget guesthouses, and a whole bunch of attractions in the area. Fans of beach holidays have a direct route to popular Nha Trang, “lazy” Tuy Hoa, family-friendly Phan Thiet and surfer Mui Ne. Vung Tau will delight you with its developed infrastructure, Phu Quoc with its combination of forested mountains and white sandy beaches, and Con Dao with its almost complete absence of “civilization”. Mountain lovers are invited to Dalat.
- What to see: Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, excellent parks, Cu Chi Tunnels and Saigon Market in