How to get the cheapest flight to Vietnam

Logically, the cheapest time to fly to Vietnam is during the off-travel season (roughly from March to April, and September to October) when there are not many tourists visiting the country.

According to cheapflights.com.au, the cheapest flights to Vietnam are usually found when departing on a Monday. The departure day with the highest cost is usually on a Friday.

Moreover, Vietnam flights can be made cheaper if you choose a flight at noon. Booking a flight in the morning will likely mean higher prices.

Simply follow this, sometimes you can have the promotion of 40-50% discount.

Wonderful!!!

Hold on, this sounds perfect but not always the case. We believe that you want to see Vietnam at its best or you cannot change the tight travel schedule date. Is there any chance to have the cheap price during high-travel or even peak-travel period???

The answer is "YES!!!" And it just requires a little plan ahead and simple skills to do so.

First of all…

The best time to visit Vietnam is spring (February to April) and autumn (August to October). The temperatures are more moderate, and rainfall is lighter. In spring, March and April have the lowest rainfall across all destinations and temperatures are pleasant, though still cool in the far north.

There’s no particular ideal time for booking cheap flights to Vietnam but in general searching 5-6 months in advance will give you the best deals on flight tickets. 

Tickets are often cheaper than at the last moment and not necessarily more advantageous if you book it 1 year in advance.

Avoid buying your plane tickets on weekends and during the day or evening. Privilege, the middle of the week and late at night. 

When buying tickets online you should also make sure to activate the incognito feature of your browser to avoid getting tracked and therefore experience higher prices. This is one of the 9 hacking tips below to book the cheap flight to Vietnam (or anywhere)

"Searching for airfare can often feel like going into battle - one in which only those armed with a lot of time on their hands win" said Brooke Porter Katz from Medium

Many times, when we try to search the flight for our clients or friends, the price would increase when we refreshed the search page.

Based on the cookies in your browser, flight prices do increase when a particular route is repeatedly searched, as the site wants to scare you into booking the flight quickly before prices get even higher. 

To avoid this, don’t let the website read your cookies. And the best way to do so is to delete all the cookies every time you close your browser. If there are no cookies, there is nothing to read.

Here is how to delete your cookies with some popular web browsers: https://www.purevpn.com/blog/how-to-delete-cookies-at-browser-exit/

If you know when and where you're going, don't wait on an unknown sale. More often than not, your biggest savings come from booking far ahead when you can.

As mentioned above, it is better to book the ticket in advance, about 5-6 months before.

Budget airlines offer significantly cheaper tickets than their full-service counterparts. It should be obvious, but this comes with compromises such as less leg room and no “free” food/drink on-board (which by the way, is normally covered in your higher-priced ticket with full-service airlines).

NOTES ON BOOKING BUDGET AIRLINES.

Always read the fine print and do the following:

• Check where the airport location is (some budget airlines fly to airports further out of town).
• Ensure you've booked & paid for your luggage allowance. Adhere to restrictions on weight, height, and # of bags allowed. Some airlines (e.g. Ryanair) will charge hefty fee if you're over. Remember, paying only for the exact luggage space/weight you need is how budget airlines keep their prices lower than traditional airlines!
• Read the fine print. The best example is that Ryanair WILL CHARGE A FEE if you do not print your own ticket or adhere to their strict luggage weight and dimensions. A warning of this fee is clearly stated in all capital letters in the first sentence of your e-confirmation. In a nutshell, always read and follow instructions!

Remember, if you want to book the cheapest flight possible (not service-of-the-year-award-winner), be adaptable, do your research, and know the budget airline's requirements & restrictions.

Some website advises you to buy the round-trip ticket to save money for the way back home; some advises you to buy 2 one-way tickets separately even from different airlines and airports which may offer the promotion on both.

Our advice: do your research and find the best price for your travel plan. The booking engines now are very intelligent, it bases on the availability of the flight to set your price. 

Sometimes you can have the best price with a 2-way ticket; but the other times, you can enjoy the promotion on both 2 separate one-way tickets.

With a little effort, you can save 20-30% on your flight ticket. Is that worth a try?

Consider neighboring cities when selecting your departure as fares can vary quite a lot according to the airport: it might be worth the extra time even if it is not the closest airport to your home. 

Whether it be by choice or by obligation, stopovers allow you to move and forget the possible lack of comfort of the plane. It also represents a good opportunity to visit other cities without a mandatory visa through stopovers. 

When looking for indirect routes that include stopovers, we advise you to check the website kiwi.com which mixes and matches airlines in order to find the cheapest price. For long-haul flights especially, this can make a huge difference at the end.

Concerning the arrival airport, you will likely land in either Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi which are the two main cities in Vietnam. In general, the cheapest flights to Vietnam will fly into Ho Chi Minh City as it services more airlines. It is something to keep in mind when crafting your tour itinerary.

The cheapest solution is to buy your plane ticket directly on the Internet and not at a physical travel agency available at your place to avoid extra costs.

Even with the online travel agencies, the price also varies among the different websites. So, our next tip is...

The online flight searching engines will help you compare the price offered by different suppliers.
Here are the 3 best price comparisons websites:

1. Skyscanner
2. Google Flight
3. Kayak

Do not forget to check the option: "flexible travel date" to find the best price for Vietnam. This option will allow you to estimate the price month by month.

Airlines sometimes make mistakes when posting their fares, leading to seriously discounted flights. This can happen for various reasons – currency conversion mishaps, technical glitches, or human error. If you're in the know-how on where to find airline error fares, you can save yourself some serious bucks on a ticket.

Don’t be tempted to try a “hidden city” flight. That’s when you buy a connecting flight that goes through your desired destination and skip the final leg. Airlines keep track of travelers who do this and aren’t shy to ban folks. Plus, if you’ve booked it as a round trip, your return will automatically be canceled.

You can find below the recommended flights from some popular countries to Vietnam. The list may not be complete, please check with us in case you need to most updated one.

Jetstar is a popular low-cost airline operating flights to Vietnam cities Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, as well as other destinations in Vietnam. National carrier Vietnam Airlines also offers good deals on cheap flights to Vietnam from Australia if you can grab the early bird specials.

Other airlines that fly to Vietnam from Australia are Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, China Southern, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia. The flights take off from either Sydney, Melbourne or Perth and last around 8 hours.

How much does it cost?

The 2-way ticket to Ho Chi Minh City will cost you  $400-600/ticket depending on where you take-off from Australia, and the flight you choose. There is a little extra if you want to fly to Hanoi.

Regarding the departure airport, for obvious reasons you should fly from the capital London, either from Heathrow or rarely from Gatwick. 

Vietnam Airlines has opened quite recently a direct route from Heathrow airport to Vietnam, operating five weekly services leading to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This new route takes approximately 12 hours, cutting several hours off the journey to Vietnam.

If you wish to split the journey in two equal length flights, we advise you to opt for Emirates and make a stopover in Dubai. 

Another popular route is to take a direct flight from London to a regional hub (Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong respectively via Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, British Airways) and then fly to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City via a low-cost airline such as AirAsia.

How much does it cost?

The 2-way (12-hour per way) direct flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh with Vietnam Airlines will cost you about $700-750/ticket. You can save about 30-40% if you choose 18-hour (1-way) flight with Air China, which stop over in Beijing.

Note: We had some reports from our fellow travelers about the scams of the airline companies from China. In some cases, they dropped you at the airports in China and you need to buy yourselves another fllight to Vietnam.

Nowadays, it is easy to fly to Vietnam from Germany. There are many direct flights from Germany to Vietnam such as from Frankfurt (FRA) or Berlin to Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City. 

How much does it cost?

The airfare from Berlin to Hanoi fluctuates around $1,000 for a roundtrip ticket. There are many airlines for you to choose such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Vietnam Airlines, and more.

The direct round-trip flight from Frankfurt to Ho Chi Minh also starts from around $1,000. You can save half price if choosing longer flight with Condor (transit in Kuala Lumpur), or Air China (transit in Beijing).

Note: Again, please notice the scam of airline companies from China.

France is one of the most important markets for Vietnam, hence, the flight from here to Vietnam has been promoted a long time ago.

There is frequent direct flights from Paris to Hanoi. From here, it is very easy to connect with other destinations in the country.

Others, you can choose to fly with Air France, Fly Emirates, or Turkish Airlines.

How much does it cost?

To Hanoi: Both Air France & Vietnam Airlines have direct flight from Paris. The round-trip ticket will cost about $850-1,000/ticket. You can save 20-30% of the ticket if choosing the longer flight with Emirates Airlines (transit in Dubai), or Qatar Airways (transit in Doha)

To Ho Chi Minh: The same story if you choose the direct flight from Paris (except there is only direct flight with Vietnam Airlines). You have the cheaper option with Qatar Airways (transit in Doha) and China Southern (transit in Guangzhou)

Despite being planned and announced for several years already, there is no direct route from North America to Vietnam. 

If you are flying from the West Coast (San Francisco, Los Angeles or Vancouver), the shortest flight duration is roughly 19 hours and most of the time include a stopover in either Taipei via Eva Air or Tokyo via American Airlines. 

If you decide to fly from the East Coast (New York, Chicago, Toronto), it will at least take you 22 hours to reach your destination ; most affordable and convenient flights making a stopover in Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific or one of China’s main airport via China Southern.

How much does it cost?

The flight will take about 19-20 hours per way and costs you about $550-700/ticket (round-trip) with Air China (transit in Beijing), or China Eastern (transit in Shanghai Pu Dong)

That said, when comparing the ticket price, you should recheck if it is the full fare with all the services included. Usually, there are hidden costs such as handling fee, payment charges, travel insurance, luggage, choice of the seat or simply meals.

Keep in mind that each airline has its own policy and it is wise to check for instance the cancellation conditions and refund possibilities before buying your ticket.

Also check the total amount and do not hesitate to compare the different companies to find the ones that best meet your expectations. Believe us, you do not want to issue the ticket with the low-cost airlines with $50 cheaper then find out that the checked luggage is not included and you need to pay $70-100 for that.

Finally, to guarantee maximum satisfaction, here is the list of the 6 airlines recommended by our travelers during a trip to Vietnam:

• Vietnam Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates
• China Southern 
• Jetstar

Vietnam has borders with China in the north, Laos in the west, and China in Southwest. If you plan to combine Vietnam with its neighbor countries, then it is good to know how to get to Vietnam from these countries and vice versa. 

Below you will see all the option of taking the flight, train, bus, or boat to Vietnam from Cambodia, Laos, and China.

From Cambodia, you can either take the flight, bus, or boat to Vietnam. Check the below maps of the 3 airports and 5 international border checkpoints to get from Cambodia to Vietnam

By flight

There are 3 International airports in Cambodia offering the direct flights to Vietnam: Siem Reap International Airport in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, and Sihanouk International Airport in Sihanoukville.

From Cambodia to Hanoi

To get to Hanoi on a plane, you can have option with both the airports in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

From Siem Reap to Hanoi, you have the flight with Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, or AirAsia with at least 3 departures per day. The flight will take about 1 hours 45 minutes and cost $110-$150/ticket.

From Phnom Penh to Hanoi is a little different but still convenient enough. There is only the option with Vietnam Airlines with a short stopover in Vientiane (Laos), but you do not need to get out of the plane, and of course, your luggage is checked through to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Of course, the flight will take longer of more than 3 hours 20 minutes (including stopover time) and cost more than $200/ticket.

From Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City

The route to Ho Chi Minh city from Cambodia is much easier than to Hanoi. All 3 international airports in Cambodia have the direct flight for you with multiple departures per day.

The flight from Siem Reap is operated by Vietnam Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air with at least 3 departures per day. The journey will take about 1 hour 30 minutes and cost $120-$150/ticket. 

From Phnom Penh, there is the direct flight to Ho Chi Minh with multiple departures during the day operating by Cambodia Angkor Air and Vietnam Airlines. The flight takes about 1 hour and costs $90-120/ticket.

From Sihanoukville, there are 2 to 3 departures per day operated by Cambodia Angkor Air and Vietnam Airlines, that takes about 1 hour and cost about $90-120/ticket

From Cambodia to Da Nang

There is only 1 departure per day to Danang from Siem Reap. The flight is operated by Cambodia Angkor Air which takes 1 hour 50 minutes, and costs $110-150/ticket.

From Cambodia to other tourist hubs

• Halong Bay: You need to fly to Hanoi, then join the bus transfer to Halong
• Hue: take the flight to Da Nang then take the 3-hour transfer to Hue
• Hoi An: There is no airport in Hoi An, the nearest airport is in Da Nang, which is just 1-hour transfer away
• Phu Quoc: You need to take the flight to Ho Chi Minh, then take another flight to Phu Quoc (PQC)

By bus

Cambodia and Vietnam share a long border, which leads to lots of land crossings between the borders. Among these, Bavet-Moc Bai crossing is the most popular for tourists to get to Ho Chi Minh City from Phnom Penh. The border crossings with Cambodia are officially open daily between 8am and 8pm. The bus will take about 6 hours and will drop tourists off on Pham Ngu Lao Street in Ho Chi Minh City, a great location at the center of all touristy things.

NOTICE: There is no visa-on-arrival at the border. So, you need to make sure that you get the Vietnam visa in advance

1. Le Thanh / O Yadao crossing (Google Maps)

The crossing here is very remote, and hardly used by foreign tourists. Connecting Ban Lung in northern Cambodia with Pleiku in Vietnam, and takes around six hours to travel. There are transports to the border on both sides, and the average cost for the whole trip is around US$ 25.

2. Hoa Lu / Snoul (Google Maps)

This border gate connects the remote northeast of Cambodia with the southwest part of Vietnam in Binh Phuoc Province. It is popular for the bus from Pakse (southern Laos) running to Ho Chi Minh city via Cambodia.
It is also the shortest route to the light of Ho Chi Minh city after the wildlife exploration in Cambodia.

3. Xa Mat / Trapang Thlong (Google Maps)

This is one of  the least visited border gate by tourists between the two countries. This border crossing is more popular among the local passengers from the two countries, especially for Vietnamese gamblers go to Cambodia and try their luck (most of them cannot make it)

4. Moc Bai / Bavet (Google Maps)

This is the oldest and still the most popular crossing point from Cambodia to Vietnam that is open to foreign tourists. There are regular buses that run daily from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City, and they are fast and cheap. The average crossing time is normally around six hours, including the stopping time at the border for passport checks.

5. Tinh Bien / Phnom Den (Google Maps)

Lying around halfway between Ha Tien and Chau Doc, this border crossing is one that is rarely used by foreign tourists, although it does allow foreign transit. It is a couple of hours drive from the towns either side of the border to the crossing point, which makes it hard to get to by independent travelers.

6. Ha Tien / Prek Chak (Google Maps)

Set on the coastal border point between Cambodia and Vietnam, this crossing is now open to foreign tourists, and transport from Ha Tien to the border is frequent and cheap. On the Vietnam side, there are moto taxis waiting to transport passengers to the nearest town of Kep, which cost around US$ 7.

By Boat

7. Ving Xuong / Kaam Samnor  (Google Maps)

The seventh land border crossing is the river crossing that links Phnom Penh with the town of Chau Doc in Vietnam, using the Mekong River. There are regular ferry services that ply the route across the border, or if you are feeling adventurous, you can get a speedboat crossing. The speedboat crossing takes around four hours, while the regular ferry, while fast, still take 6-7 hours. When you get to the border point on the river, the boats pull to the shore, and a “fixer” will gather up all your documents to process the paperwork for you. You can accompany them if you wish, although it is not required.

From Laos, you can get to Vietnam via 3 international airports and 1 international border gate. Check the below maps for your reference before we continue with more detailed information.

By flight

Laos has 4 international airports including Wattay International Airport (Vientiane), Luang Prabang International Airport (Luang Prabang), Pakse International Airport (Pakse), and Savannakhet International Airport (Savannakhet), but only 3 of them have the direct flight to Vietnam.

From Laos to Hanoi

There are 2 airports in Laos have the flight to Hanoi: Vientiane and Luang Prabang

From Vientiane, you have the option with Vietnam Airlines and Laos Airlines. The flight takes about 1 hour and costs $100-140/ticket.

From Luang Prabang, you can only take the direct flight to Hanoi. There is 1 daily flight in the late afternoon with Laos Airlines, and 1 more extra flight in the morning during the high season (3 times per week)

With Vietnam Airlines, they have the early evening flight to Hanoi from Luang Prabang, but it does not operate on Tuesday and Sunday.

Both 2 options will take more than 1 hour, and cost about $120-150/ticket.

From Laos to Ho Chi Minh City

The airport in Vientiane and Pakse have the flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

From Vientiane, Vietnam Airlines offers the daily flight to Ho Chi Minh, transiting in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), which will take about 3:30 minutes (including transiting time), and cost $150-180/ticket. 

There is also the option with Laos Airlines transiting in Pakse, but it is not the daily flight (about 3 flight per week during the high season). Please check the flight schedule again if you want to take the flight with Laos Airlines

From Pakse, there are only 3 departures per week during the high season and almost no flight during the low season. The flight can also be cancelled if they cannot collect enough passengers. Please re-check the schedule carefully before you go.

The flight will take about 1 hour 30 minutes and cost $120-150/ticket.

From Laos to other tourist hubs

• Halong: Take the flight to Hanoi, then join the transfer by bus to Halong
• Da Nang: The best way to fly to Da Nang is to take the flight to Hanoi, then connect with another flight to Da Nang
• Hue: Take the flight to Hanoi, then connect with another flight to Hue.
• Hoi An: you need to fly to Da Nang, and transfer to Hoi An
• Phu Quoc: take the flight to Ho Chi Minh, the connect with another one to Phu Quoc (PQC)

By bus

As Laos shares the longest border with Vietnam, there are several entry/exit points between the two countries. Laos-Vietnam bus service connects many cities/towns in the Laos and Vietnam crossing borders to/from several provinces. In general, there are 8 borders that have bus connecting Vietnam and Laos including Tay Trang, Nameo, Namkan, Cau Treo, Chalo, Lao Bao, Lalay, and Bo Y.

Check below for more detailed information about these above borders, from north to south.

1. Tay Trang / Sop Houn (Google Maps)

This border locates on the most northern part of the two countries hence it is suitable for the tourists who want to connect northern Laos (Nong Khiaw, Muang Ngoi, Muang La,  Luang Namtha, Muang Sing, or Phongsaly) with northern Vietnam (Dien Bien, Tay Trang, Son La, Lai Chau, Sapa, Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Cao Bang, or Bac Kan). The route offers the most authentic parts of the two countries with evergreen nature beauties and colorful hill tribe people.

2. Na Meo / Nam Xoi (Google Maps)

This border connects Samneua province in Laos and Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam. Both 2 sides offer the very beautiful nature beauties and especially the serene countryside of Vietnam.

In Laos side, you can visit the famous Viengxai caves, and the wild Nam Et-Phoulouey NPA.

Arriving in Vietnam, it is the amazing Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Pu Hua Nature Reserve, and the colorful province of Hoa Binh, home to Hmong tribe people.

3. Nam Can / Nong Het (Google Maps)

This border crossing is more popular for local people. Tourists rarely use this border to connect the 2 countries. But if you do, this is the nearest border to go from Phonsavan (home to the mysterious plains of jars) to Nghe An (hometown of the great Uncle Ho of Vietnam)

4. Cau Treo / Nam Phao (Google Maps)

This is the most popular border crossing if you want to take the bus from Vientiane to northern part of Vietnam (Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, and Hanoi)

In Laos side, you have chance to visit Konglor cave, which is one of the most interesting caves in Laos locating inside the Phu Hin Bun National Park, which is the part of the famous Thakhek Loop.

5. Chalo / Naphao (Google Maps)

This border is not popular among the tourists visiting the two countries, but it is the very interesting and promising one.

In Laos side, it is the unexplored part of the country with series of complex caves system (said to be the longest). However, the poor basic infrastructure has been discouraging any further exploration.

In Vietnam side, it is the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park of Vietnam, which is long famous for the Phong Nha cave, and the newly discovered Son Doong cave.

6. Lao Bao / Dansavan (Google Maps)

This is the border crossing for the ones travelling from Laos to central Vietnam (Hue, Danang, Hoi An), which has some of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam (even the world).

In Laos side, the tourism does not touch this part at all. It is again because of the poor basic infrastructure. Moreover, some parts of the area are not opened to tourists yet (the part of Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos), which attracts many curious eyes from all over the world.

7. La Lay / Lalay (Google Maps)

This newly opened border crossing is the convenient way for the tourists who want to connect between central Vietnam (Hue, Danang, Hoi An) and southern Laos (Bolaven Plateau, Pakse, Wat Phou, Champasak, 4000 Islands)

Notice: You cannot apply for Visa on arrival to Laos via this border as there is not enough equipment. Hence, please get your Lao visa ready before getting on the bus. 

8. Bo Y / Phoukeua (Google Maps)

This border connects southern Laos (Bolaven Plateau, Pakse, Wat Phou, Champasak, 4000 Islands) with the central highland of Vietnam (Gia Lai, Kontum, or Pleiku), that is the most colorful part of the country. The area is like a different country in the country of Vietnam with quite unique history, culture, and religions, that promises the endless exploration.

As there is no border between the two countries, you only have the option of taking the flight to go to Vietnam from Thailand or vice versa. Being the two tourist hubs of the area, it is very convenient to find the flight from Thailand (especially from Bangkok) to any place in Vietnam.

Here is more detail.

From Thailand to Hanoi (HAN)

There are about 8 departures per day from Bangkok to Hanoi, including both full-service and low-cost options. The flight takes about 2 hours the price starts from $47 with low-cost option and more than $100 with the full-service one.

You can also choose to depart from Chiang Mai to Hanoi with at least 1 departure per day operated by Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia. The flight takes about 1 hour and a half and costs about $51 with AirAsia or more than $100 with Bangkok Airways.

From Thailand to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)

More option to connect with Ho Chi Minh City from Thailand. 

From Bangkok, the flight takes roughly 1 hour and a half. The price ranges from $44 with low-cost airlines to about $90 with full-service one.

From Chiang Mai, there are about 4 departures per week operated by VietJet Air. The flight costs about $73 and takes more than 2 hours.

You can also take the flight from Phuket to Ho Chi Minh city, operated by VietJet Air, that takes about 2 hours and cost $70-$90/tickets.

From Thailand to Da Nang (DAD)

It is the same as Hanoi, you can take the flights from Bangkok or Chiang Mai to Da Nang

From Bangkok, there are more than 3 departures per day. The flight duration is about 1 hour 30 minutes and cost $50 with low-cost airlines. The full-service flights cost more than $100.

There are 5 departures per week operated by Thai AirAsia from Chiang Mai to Da Nang. The flight takes about 2 hours and cost $70-$80/ticket.

From Thailand to Nha Trang (CXR)

There are direct flights from Bangkok operated by Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia. The flight takes 1 hour 45 minutes and cost $46/ticket (Thai AirAsia) to more than $100/ticket (Bangkok Airways).

From Thailand to Phu Quoc (PQC)

Bangkok Airways also operate 1 direct flight per day from Bangkok to Phu Quoc. The flight takes almost 2 hours and cost about $120-150/ticket

From Thailand to Da Lat (DLI)

The route from Bangkok to Da Lat is operated by Thai Vietjet Air and Hahn Air with at least 1 departure per day and costs $50 to more than $100/ticket. The flight takes 1 hour 45 minutes.

From Thailand to Hai Phong (HPH)

There is about 1 departure per day from Bangkok, operated by VietJet Air and Hahn Air The flight takes about 2 hours and costs about $50 with low-cost option up to $140/ticket with full-service option.

From Thailand to Can Tho (VCA)

The choice to Can Tho is quite limited with 3 departures per week from Bangkok, operated by AirAsia and cost $35-50/ticket. The flight takes about 1 hour and a half

Though the tourist hubs in Vietnam, there is no direct flight to Halong and Hue from Thailand. To get to Halong, the best way is to fly to Hanoi then take a 2-hour transfer by road to Halong. For Hue, you need to fly to Da Nang, then transfer to Hue via Hai Van Tunnel.

As there is no border between the two countries, so there is only the option of taking the flight to get to Vietnam from Myanmar

From Myanmar to Hanoi

You can take the flight from Yangon (RGN) to Hanoi with at least 2 direct flights per day. There are the options of low-cost airlines (about $55-70/ticket) with VietJet Air, and full-services airlines ($130-150/ticket) with Vietnam Airlines or Hahn Air. The flight takes about 2 hours.

From other cities of Myanmar such as Bagan, Mandalay, or Naypyidaw, you need to take the transit flights in Yangon (RGN) or Bangkok (BKK-DMK)

From Myanmar to Ho Chi Minh

The flight from Myanmar to Ho Chi Minh city is quite limited with 5 departures per week from Yangon operated by Vietnam Airlines. The flight takes more than 2 hours and costs $150-170/ticket. You can either take the transit flight via Bangkok with cheaper price (about $80-100/ticket) but longer travel time (about 6-7 hours)

From other cities of Myanmar such as Bagan, Mandalay, or Naypyidaw, you need to take the transit flights in Yangon (RGN) or Bangkok (BKK-DMK)

From Myanmar to Da Nang, Halong, Hue, or Phu Quoc

There is no direct flight from Myanmar to these tourist hubs in Vietnam. You need to take the transit flight via Bangkok, Hanoi, or Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam and China have a huge connection network via flight, bus, or train thanks to the economic and tourism cooperation between the 2 countries.

But it is the fact that not many western tourists combine the two countries in one trip (maybe because each country itself, especially China is worth a separate month-long journey). But if you do so, we recommend you contact us to find the best connection for your trip.

You can either check the flight schedule via Skyscanner.com, and bus or train schedule via rome2rio.com or 12go.com

In general, there are 8 main international airports and 3 border gates that help connect the two countries. Check the below map for location before continuing further.

By flight

Below you will see where in China that you can take the flight to some most popular cities in Vietnam.

From China to Hanoi (HAN)

To fly to Hanoi from China, there are the direct flight from Hongkong (HKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Shenzhen (SZX), Macau (MFM), Beijing (PEK), or Shanghai (PVG).

From China to Ho Chi Minh (SGN)

You can take the flight to Ho Chi Minh from Hongkong (HKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Chengdu (CTU), Shanghai (PVG), and Beijing (PEK).

From China to Da Nang (DAD)

There are the flights from Hongkong (HKG), Macau (MFM), Guangzhou (CAN), Chengdu (CTU), or Shenzhen (SZX).

From China to Nha Trang (NHA)

There are the flights from Hongkong (HKG), Guangzhou (CAN), Chengdu (CTU), Shanghai (PVG), or Beijing (PEK)

From China to Phu Quoc (PQC)

There are the flights from Hongkong (HKG) or Guangzhou (CAN) to Phu Quoc Island.

By train

There are the train from Nanning and Beijing to Hanoi with the below detailed information:

Nanning to Hanoi Train Schedules

• Train Number: T8701 (MR2 in Vietnam)
• Departure: Nanning Railway Station (central) every day at 18:05
• Arrival: Gia Lam Railway Station at 06:30
• Distance: 396 km (246 miles)
• Duration: 11 hours 25 minutes

Beijing to Hanoi Basic Schedules

• Train Number: Z5 Beijing – Nanning, T8701 Nanning – Dong Dang, MR2 Dong Dang – Gia Lam, Hanoi
• Departure: Beijing West Railway Station every Thursday and Sunday at 16:09
• Arrival: Gia Lam Railway Station every Saturday and Tuesday at 05:30
• Distance: 2595 km (1612 miles)
• Duration: 37 hours 21 minutes

By bus

There are 3 international borders for the tourists to connect the two countries, namely Mong Cai (Vietnam)/ Dong Hung (China), Dong Dang/ Ping Xian, and Lao Cai/ Hekou.

Mong Cai / Dong Hung (Google Maps)

If you want to visit the heritage site of Halong, this is your border. There are plenty of bus running throughout the day connecting the two countries. That said, this border is the gateway for you to continue to the famous Halong of Vietnam

Lao Cai / Hekou (Google Maps)

With this border, you can continue to Lao Cai and Sapa of Vietnam, which you do not want to miss during the trip to Vietnam. There is also the peak of Fansipan (highest peak of Southeast Asia), calling for any adventurous heart.

Dong Dang / Ping Xian (Google Maps)

This is the most convenient border crossing if you want to get to Hanoi directly thanks to various of buses running throughout the day.

Here are some Frequently asked questions from our clients regarding booking the flight to Vietnam. If you have any question but cannot find the answer below or within this article do not hesitate to CONTACT US

Q How long does it take to fly to Vietnam?

This will depend on where you are flying from, and we base on the flight speed of roughly about 560 miles per hour to make the calculation.

• From USA or Canada: as mention above in the operation airlines from USA to Vietnam, from west coast, it will take 19-20 hours; and from east coast is 22-23 hours
• From UK: 11-12 hours from London to Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi
• From Australia: 8-9 hours from Sydney, Melbourne, or Perth to Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi
• From France: 12-13 hours from Paris to Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi
• From Germany: 11-12 hours from Frankfurt to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city

Q How to get the Visa to Vietnam?

You can either apply for the visa on arrival, visa at the embassy, or visa online (E-Visa) to Vietnam. Read our article about Vietnam Tourist Visa Policy for more detail.

Q How to get from the airport to city center?

Please find below the information at some popular airport in Vietnam

• Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi: The distance from Noi Bai Airport to downtown (or old quarter) is about 26Km. We recommend you take a taxi which will cost about $15/car (suitable for 2 people with luggage) and 45-minute drive. Otherwise, you can take the shuttle bus to save cost ($2/person - 1-hour drive)

• Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh: The distance from Tan Son Nhat Aiport to city center (District 1) is about 9KM. If you take the taxi, it will cost about $6/car (suitable for 2 people with luggage). There is also the good option with public bus that will cost about $2/person to district 1 (Line 49 - Yellow bus). More adventurous travelers can try the motorbike taxi option, which is more flexible if you meet the traffic jam.
• Da Nang Airport in Da Nang: with the short distance of 3Km to the city center. You can take a taxi which cost less than $5 (4 seats), or a motorbike taxi. If you want something different, try the Cyclo transfer. This slow-pace option really give you time to admire the city and local life.
• Phu Bai Airport in Hue: The distance to city center is about 19KM. The taxi option will cost $11-12/car (4 seats) and take 30-minute drive. The option with shuttle bus is also available at the price of about $2.5/person.
• Canh Ranh Airport in Nha Trang: The distance to city center to 30KM. The taxi will cost $13-14/car (4 seats) and take 45-minute drive. The shuttle bus option will cost $2.5/person, 1-hour drive

Check the below table for the summary of how to get to city center from some popular airports in Vietnam

Q Where to go in Vietnam?

Some famous places to visit in Vietnam includes Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Ha Long, Sapa, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho.

Check out all the Places to visit in Vietnam here

Q What to do & see in Vietnam?

Though not a big country, Vietnam has everything to offer to its visitors. 

If you are interested in breathtaking landscape, colorful hill-tribe groups, or never-fading culture, northern Vietnam is where you should visit.

The center of Vietnam is famous for some of the best beaches of the word. And the south offers both vibrant culture of Saigon & surrounding and the beautiful countryside of Mekong river delta. 

Check out all the things to do in Vietnam here