Ho Chi Minh City Airport, officially known as Tan Son Nhat International Airport, has added a new passenger terminal — Terminal 3 (T3) — for domestic flights, in addition to Terminal 2 (T2) for international flights and Terminal 1 (T1) for domestic flights.
The upgrade of Tan Son Nhat Airport aims to better serve the needs of both domestic and international travelers, increasing the airport’s total capacity to over 50 million passengers per year, enough to serve air transport needs until 2030.
Below is information on transferring between terminals and additional travel tips from Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
1. General Information of Tan Son Nhat Airport
- Official name: Tan Son Nhat International Airport (TIA)
- Also called Ho Chi Minh Airport, Saigon Airport, or HCMC Airport
- Address: Truong Son, Ward 2, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Phone: (028) 3848 5383. Fax: (028) 3848 7450.
- Website: http://tansonnhatairport.vn
- AFS: VVTSZPZX
- SITA: SGNOPXH
- Airport code: SGN
2. Ho Chi Minh Airport terminal 1 to terminal 2
The distance from Terminal 1 of the domestic section of Ho Chi Minh Airport to Terminal 2 of the international section is only 150 meters to 200 meters. Therefore, walking is faster and easier than other transportation between these terminals.
Turn left when you exit terminal 1 and continue walking on the path under covered roofs. You will come to terminal 2, where departure for international flights will be on the second floor.
The first floor of this building, as well as of the terminal 1 building, are the arrival gates.
3. How to move from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3
Terminal T3 (T3) is also located in the Tan Son Nhat Airport area along with terminals T1 and T2. However, there is currently no internal connection point between Terminal T3 and T1 and T2, so it is necessary to go around the public roads outside.
The distance from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 ranges from 3.3 km to 3.8 km, depending on the route taken. The estimated travel time between Terminal 3 and Terminals 1 or 2 is about 15 to 20 minutes by shuttle bus, depending on actual traffic conditions.
This transfer is managed by Tan Son Nhat Airport equipped with a free shuttle bus between the terminals with a frequency of 20 minutes per trip.
In addition to using the free shuttle bus between terminals, you can also take a taxi, which is usually available at the airport. However, walking is not recommended as the distance is too far. Using Grab is also not ideal for tight connections, as a Grab car may not always be immediately available within the airport area, potentially increasing your waiting time.
Here is how to move from terminal T2, T1, to T3 in order:
- When your flight lands at the baggage claim area of terminal T2, you go out, you will see column number 9, turn right through column 10, 11.
- At column 12, you will see a sign “Bus Station” to take the bus to T3. If you go straight, you will go to terminal T1.
- Turn left, cross the road to the middle lane, and turn right about 30 meters, you will see a green bus. On the bus, it is clearly stated Free Shuttle Bus, Terminal T1, T2 <=> Terminal T3.
- Your job is to get on the bus and wait for the bus to move from Terminal T2 to T1,will stop at columns 19 and 20 to pick up passengers, then continue to T3 terminal.
- The bus will stop at Column 18A and 19A of Terminal T3. This is also the bus pick-up point for passengers who want to move back from Terminal T3 to T1 and T2.
Transfer route:
From Terminal 2 to Terminal 1: Take Truong Son Street, then Tran Quoc Hoan Street, followed by Phan Thuc Duyen Street or Cong Hoa Street, and continue along 18E Street to Terminal 3.
Connection time note:
Travel time can take up to 20 minutes during rush hour. Therefore, it’s important to plan your schedule carefully when buying a ticket that involves a connection between Terminal T1 or T2 and Terminal T3 (or vice versa). We recommend allowing at least 2.5 hours between flights to avoid rushing and reduce the risk of missing your connection.
Shuttle bus schedule:
The shuttle bus operates between terminals from 4:30 AM to 12:00 AM (midnight).
Announcements are made in both English and Vietnamese, making it convenient for both domestic and international passengers when arriving at each stop.
4. Utility services at Tan Son Nhat airport
To meet the needs of passengers, Tan Son Nhat Airport provides the following utility services:
- Money exchange service at the international terminal
- ATM on the ground floor of terminals 1, 2, and 3
- Medical Services
- Baggage storage service
- The children’s playing area on the 2nd floor of an isolated area of an international departure terminal
- Baggage packing service
- Free Wifi
- Free battery charge service
- Sleeping box service on the 2nd floor of the isolated area of the international departure station
- Business lounge services
5. The good ways to move from HCMC airport to the city center
Tan Son Nhat Airport is about 8 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. The main tourist area is District 1 on the streets of Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien, Le Lai–Le Loi, and Nguyen Hue.
Although there are buses to the city center from the airport, they are complicated to move and have low quality. Thus, we recommend using an airport taxi or private car transfer.
When choosing a taxi, follow the same notes for using taxis in Vietnam. Look at the price, which can be very fluctuating. Also, pay a parking fee, which can be added later.
A private car transfer from Ho Chi Minh airport to a hotel in the city center is much higher priced than a taxi because the driver needs to wait only for your arrival, although it’s a short distance. However, you have the peace of mind of a fixed rate when you book it.
