Hanoi Capital


How to get to and from Hanoi

Plane: Noi Bai International Airport

Most people arrive at the Noi Bai International Airport (IATA: HAN), 35km (45-60min) north of the city. Several airlines run flights from Noi Bai, including:

  • Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo)

  • Asiana Airlines (Seoul-Incheon)

  • Cebu Pacific (Manila)

  • China Airlines (Taipei)

  • China Southern Airlines (Beijing, Guangzhou)

  • Cathay Dragon (Hong Kong)

  • EVA Air (Taipei)

  • Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong)

  • Japan Airlines (Tokyo-Narita)

  • Korean Air (Busan, Seoul-Incheon)

  • Lao Airlines - small airline with 4 flights a week to/from Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

  • Malaysia Airlines ☎ +60 3 7843 3000) - daily flights from Kuala Lumpur.

  • Qatar Airways (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Doha)

  • SilkAir ☎ +65 6223 8888 - The regional full-service subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. Offers a combined twice daily frequency to/from Singapore on some days.

  • Singapore Airlines ☎ +84 4 3826 8888) - full-service airline with daily flights to/from Singapore. Offers a combined twice daily frequency on some days in conjunction with its regional full-service subsidiary SilkAir.

  • Thai Airways International - two flights daily to/from Bangkok.

  • Vietnam Airlines - 25 Tràng Thi (corner of Quang Trung) ☎ +84 4 934 9660 fax: +84 4 934 9620, [117] - The primary national carrier.


If departing from Noi Bai airport via Vietnam Airlines with no checked luggage, walk to the last airline check-in counter and to the right of it, there's a sign showing check-in for passengers without checked luggage. Using this counter is a great time-saver if it applies to your journey.

There are plenty of discount airlines where you can find really good bargains:

  • JetStar Pacific ☎ +84 4 955 0550 - discount Vietnamese carrier (formerly Pacific Air) for domestic flights.

  • Vietjet Air - another low-cost domestic carrier. Planes are new and clean, however, delays are quite frequent

  • AirAsia ☎ +60 3 2171-9222 with many good offers from Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

  • Nok Air also offers cheap flights to Bangkok

  • Tigerair (Singapore) ☎ +84 4 94 54565) - low-cost carrier with 6 weekly flights to/from its hub in Singapore.


From the airport to Hanoi Centre


  • Express bus 86: The bus stop is directly in front of the two terminals; most airport employees would be happy to direct you there as well. The bus runs from 5:05 AM in the morning at Hanoi station and 6:30 AM in Noi Bai airport, with an interval of every 20/30 minutes. It finishes at 10:40 PM in the evening in Hanoi station, and 11:30PM in Noi Bai airport. You'll spend 50-55 minutes/one way for a transfer of 30.5 kilometers from the airport.

  • Public buses to the city centre from Noi Bai airport take about 1.5h.

  • Shuttle-buses from the airport to Hanoi stop at the Vietnam Airlines Office on 1 Quang Trung (a bit south of the old quarter but conveniently stocked with taxis and motorbike drivers, of course!). Tickets are sold in the building in front of which the minibuses park, or you can give the fare directly to the driver.

  • Taxis to central Hanoi can be hired at Noi Bai. There are fixed price taxi stands right outside the exit, these are provided by various taxi companies and are slightly more expensive than the tout taxis, but fixed price, so no hassles about the fare. Later into the night, there don't seem to be any physical taxi stands, however you can still negotiate directly with taxi drivers for fixed prices all the same. Some taxis will engage in negotiations while others will agree only to metered fares so shop around. Drivers in general may try to take you to a hotel of their choice or even a hotel pretending to be the one you named (your passenger door being opened by a person showing you your hotel name and correct address on a clipboard, insisting you should come in) as destination, to collect a commission, so be very specific about your destination ahead of time and on arrival if this happens, as they usually give in. To be sure, have the address ready and maybe print out a map beforehand: since every street in Hanoi has clearly visible street signs at both ends, you should be able to discern which street you are in.



Hanoi Travel Information