Located 15 km from Hue City Center, Phu Bai Airport is the closest airfield for tourists to travel to this region.
It takes about 30 – 40 minutes to move from the airport to the city center by car.
1. General Information of the airport
- Full name: Phu Bai International Airport, also called another short one: Hue Airport
- Address: Zone 8, Phu Bai Town, Huong Thuy Commune, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam
- Airport code: HUI in IATA
- Phone number: +84 234 3861 646
- Website: https://vietnamairport.vn/phubaiairport/en/
Map from Phu Bai Airport to Hue City:
As you see above, Phu Bai is called the international airport, but until now (2023), it is hard to find flights directly to or from other countries. A few charter flights came from China, Korea, and Thailand to this airdrome.
Thus, when you come from other countries, such as the US, Australia, or European countries, it is good to travel to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi or Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, then fly to Phu Bai Airport.
If you fly from Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore, you can fly to Da Nang International Airport and then drive 100 km to Hue City.
Another news tells that there are 9 flights landing down and 9 flights taking off from Phu Bai Airport on average per day. Therefore, you may check the flights and book your tickets as soon as possible to get a flight to Hue City.
2. Transfer service from Hue Airport to the City Center:
Of course, when landing here, most travelers want to move to Hue City.
As with the other airports in Vietnam, you can use different transportation to transfer you from Phu Bai Airport to the city center, such as a taxi, a shuttle van, and a private car.
For a taxi:
Its parking is on the left of the airport exit gate, where various taxis wait for the guests. You may see a few ones stopping right at the picking-up lanes in front of the exitway.
You come to a nearby taxi and ask if they are available to drive you to the city. If not, please take a walk to the left parking as mentioned above to check another one.
Taxi often charges per km in Vietnam Dong, and you usually have to pay the airport parking fee for a taxi service. However, you can negotiate with the driver for a package, so let’s do it from 12 – 20 USD, depending on where your hotels in Hue City are.
If using a taxi is complicated when you do not know how it works, let’s check the next one!
For a shuttle van:
At present, we recognize shuttle vans called “Hai Van” often transfer guests from Hue City to Phu Bai airport, and we do not see the bus service here anymore. However, we can not find the ticket staff selling at the airport station. It means you cannot buy a shuttle van ticket when you have landed here.
So, if you want to use this type of transportation, you may check with a travel agent or your hotels in Vietnam (where you are staying) if they can buy a ticket for this shuttle van. Then, the van driver will pick you up at the airport gate.
For a private car:
This transportation is the easiest and the most convenient method with door-to-door service to move from Phu Bai Airport to your hotels in Hue City Center.
Despite that, you need to book a private transfer in advance and tell the agent your flight code, date, and number of guests. Almost all drivers will welcome you right at the exit gate with your name on board.
What is the price for a transfer from Phu Bai Airport to the city? It’s not much higher than the taxi price, estimated at 15 USD for 2 guests.
For a group of 4 to 8 guests, you may use a private van with a price of 25 USD and over, depending on the arrival time.
Please note that the rates mentioned here are for reference! It is better to tell us or your travel agent to correct the price.
3. Landing tourist services at Phu Bai Airport Station
This airport is small, and not many flights come here during the day, which leads to a limit in the guest quantity. Thus, food restaurants, drink stores, and souvenir shops are not as diverse as other Vietnamese airports.
Our advice is to get your food in Hue City before you come to the airport or wait for your car to reach the city.
However, if you want to taste some small things, here are a few choices:
Pho (Vietnamese Noodle), Bun Bo Hue (Beef Vermicelli Soup), and Grilled Pork Rip Rice: This restaurant is on the first floor, on the left side of the exit gate, opposite the main car parking.
Highlands Coffee on the second floor can serve you various drinks, including Vietnamese coffee and other soft drinks.
Lucky Shop on the second floor sells small Vietnamese souvenirs, but not much choice to go shopping here.
4. The new airport station of Phu Bai
The new building was built near the old station and is still in the area of Phu Bai airfield.
With the roof appearance like royal palaces in Hue city, the new airport station has 2 storeys:
- The first one is for arrival service.
- The second floor is for departure.
You can move up and down between two levels by lift or stairs.