HO CHI MINH City to HANOI — Train, Flight, Bus? ☀️

8 min readJun 1, 2020

How you can travel from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi?

Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City - the most important travel route in Vietnam.

Hanoi, with a population of over 7 million, is Vietnam’s 2nd largest city and the best springboard to visit places in the north of Vietnam, as it is located in the north. Popular places like Ha Long, Sapa or Ha Giang. For many travelers, Hanoi will be the first dating site with northern Vietnam. Hanoi is a place that has been trying to keep its hallmark of rich history, monuments and attractiveness compared to Ho Chi Minh City. However, Vietnam is experiencing great economic growth and the country is changing at an unprecedented rate, and the transformation of this city is related to this. Earlier since 1010, Hanoi was known as Thang Long, in 1831 it was renamed to Hanoi. In 1883 it was the capital of the French protectorate (Tonkin).

There are 3 ways how you can travel from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi - by plane (direct flights), train or sleeper bus.

Hanoi became the capital of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1954 to 1976 and became the capital of the United Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976. The main commercial center is the Old Quarter at the famous Hoan Kiem Lake. A visit to Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a must-see, so there you can soak up the true atmosphere of Hanoi, relax while strolling around the lake and discover the perfect restaurants serving local cuisine. In the Old Quarter there is a large offer of accommodation for tourists of various categories. Most of them are at a very decent level and a very good starting point for further visits to Hanoi and the best place to eat.

🥇 You can search and book train/bus tickets + flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh on Baolau or 12go.asia

Hanoi Airport — Noi Bai International Terminal.

From Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi by plane, train or bus.

Travel distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is about 1 700 kilometers by bus/train and about 1 100 km by plane. The most fastest and comfortable way of transport from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is definitely to travel by plane because there are direct flights to Hanoi Noi Bai Airport every day. These direct flights are also very cheap, there are low-cost or business flights. Travel by plane from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi Noi Bai Airport takes about 2 hours and it costs about $25–40 (low-cost flights) or $50–300 (business flights).

Another popular options is to travel by train, there are also sleeper trains and it is a cheap and comfortable way how to travel to Hanoi from Saigon. Travel by train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi takes about 32–37 hours and train tickets cost about $24–85/pp. There is also private tourist train - Violette Train. Trains arrive to Hanoi Railway Station in 120 Le Duan street, it is the city center of Hanoi. Train is also a good option if you want to visit also another places of central or southern Vietnam (e.g. Da Nang, Hue, Quy Nhon, Dong Hoi…).

The last option is to travel by tourist sleeper bus, you should know - trains are bettter. Travel by sleeper bus to Hanoi form Saigon takes about 38–45 hours! and bus tickets cost about $25–40/pp. Sleeper buses are not so comfortable for this long trip. Book your train, bus tickets or direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi easily online.

Ho Tay — West Lake in Hanoi — Ho Tay - West Lake in Hanoi.

How do I get from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

1. FLIGHT from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi

there are tens of direct flights every day from Saigon to Hanoi Noi Bai Airport
airlines from Saigon to Hanoi: Jetstar, Vietjet Air, Vietnam Airlines or Bamboo Airways
flight time from Saigon to Hanoi is only about 2 hours
low-cost flights to Hanoi start already at $25–35 (one-way), search and book them with Baolau
normal price of the one-way low-cost flight to Hanoi is about 1 000 000–6 000 000 viet.dongs ($50–300/pp)
international airport in Hanoi - Noi Bai International Airport
international airport in Ho Chi Minh City - Tan Son Nhat International Airport
travel by plane is the fastest and most convenient option of transfer between Hanoi and Saigon

2. TRAIN from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi

travel by train in Vietnam is an interesting experience, but not so fast
travel by train from Saigon to Hanoi can take about 32–37 hours!
trains are comfortable, refurbished, you can buy foods and you can sleep (2–4–6 berth cabins)
see and check the Vietnam Railway Map
there are about 5–6 trains every day of Vietnam Railways from Saigon to Hanoi (Reunification Express train)
also luxury private tourist train - Violette Train (2x higher price)
one-way train ticket to Hanoi costs about 600 000–1 400 000 viet.dongs ($24–85, depends on the type train, seats, berths…)
railway station in Hanoi - Hanoi Railway Station (120 Đường Lê Duẩn)
railway station in Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon Railway Station (01 Nguyen Thong)
this is a top travel route from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi - recommended - book and buy your train tickets online!
you will receive your train e-ticket to Hanoi by email, ready to print or carry in your mobile phone or tablet and present when boarding the train in Saigon Railway Station in Ho Chi Minh City

Travel by train from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi - another popular way of transport.

3. SLEEPER TOURIST BUS from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi

yes, there are buses, the cheapest way of transport between Hanoi-Saigon
travel by bus from Saigon to Hanoi takes about 38–45 hours! (do not recommended to use a bus, if you can take a train)
travel by sleeper bus from Saigon to Hanoi costs about $25–40/pp
various bus companies - Mai Linh, Hoang Long…
it is not very comfortable way to travel for this long distance
still it is better to travel by sleeper train of Vietnam Railways
you will receive your bus e-ticket to Hanoi by email, ready to print or carry in your mobile phone or tablet and present at the ticket counter of the station before boarding or in the bus in Ho Chi Minh City

Travel by bus from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi , Mai Ling sleeper bus (photo: Baolau)

Faqs + Travel Tips - Travel route from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi:

How to book and buy tickets or flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

🥇 You can book direct flights or train, bus tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi online on Baolau or 12go.asia

It is possible to search and book another tickets, flights, e.g. Ho Chi Minh > Da Nang, Da Nang > Hanoi…

How long does it take from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

Travel by plane (direct flights) from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi takes about 2 hours.
Travel by train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi takes about 32–37 hours.
Travel by bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi takes about 38–45 hours.

What is the travel distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

Travel distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is about 1750 km by train/bus and about 1300 km by plane.

How much does it cost to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

Travel by plane (direct flights) from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi costs about $25–300.
Travel by train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi costs about $24–85.
Travel by bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi costs about $25–40.

What is the best way of transport from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

If you want to skip central Vietnam and you want to get directly to Hanoi, the best way how to get there is definitely to use a direct flight from Saigon, 2 hours takes one-way flight. There are a lot of direct flights (+low-cost flights) from Saigon to Hanoi every day.

What is the most cheapest way of transport from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

The most cheapest way of transport from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is to travel by train - but it is a hard seat - and you really do not want to spend about 34 hours on this type of seat. Low-cost direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi start already at $25–35 (carry-on baggage 7 kg) , so think about direct flight.

Travel by bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, it is a good idea?

In my opinion it is not a good idea for this long journey to travel by sleeper bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. It could be a good idea only if you have a time and want to move slowly in Vietnam and you are planning to visit also another places, e.g. Saigon > Mui Ne, Mui Ne > Da Lat…

Is an train e-ticket in your smartphone acceptable?

Yes, if you book train e-tickets online, keep this e-ticket in your smarphone and board the train. Read carefully the instructions on Baolau or 12go.asia before and after you book your train ticket. It is recommended - print your tickets.

Which airport is closest to Ho Chi Minh City?

The closest international airport to Ho Chi Minh City is: Tan Son Nhat International Airport. There are various buses and taxi companies if you want to go to this airport from the city center.

Is it possible to travel on motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi?

Yes it is possible, but it is a good way of transport only if you can skip the highways. It is also recommended only for the experienced motorbike drivers, you have to drive carefully and slowly, roads in Vietnam are dangerous,unpredictable. You have to own your international driving licence, if you do not have your IDP do not drive on motorbike in Vietnam.