How to Get From Hanoi Airport to Hanoi City Centre

There are a couple of public buses operating between Hanoi Airport and the city centre. Travel time with these buses is around 1h. But because their bus stops in Hanoi are located a bit far from the Old Quarter, you’ll probably need an additional 30 minutes to find your way to your hotel.

Public buses from and to Hanoi Airport depart every 20 minutes from 05:00-20:00.

You will find the public bus stop on the right side of the airport terminal exit. You can take either Bus 7, which parks at Kim Ma Bus Station or Bus 17, which stops at Long Bien Bus Terminal.

The Express Bus 86 is a cost-efficient way to travel from Hanoi Airport to Hanoi City Centre. It is the fastest of all the public transport options because it doesn’t make as many stops as other buses. Travel time takes only about 45 minutes.

Also, Express Bus 86 has the most convenient bus stops if you’re staying at the Old Quarter. Most likely you will only have to walk a few minutes from the bus stop to your hotel.

These express buses generally get great reviews from tourists with their wide windows and comfortable chairs. A ticket costs 45,000 VND ($1.70).

Departure from Hanoi Airport

You shouldn’t have a hard time finding the orange express buses outside the arrivals hall of Hanoi Airport. Try not to be distracted by touts who will try to lead you to other buses in the terminal. Express Bus 86 departs from the airport every 25 minutes from 06:25 to 23:05.

Arrival in the Old Quarter (city centre)

The express bus makes several stops in the city centre. These include Long Bien Bus Station, Central Post Office, Melia Hotel, and Hanoi Railway Station. Just choose whichever is closest to your hotel.

The way back: Express Bus 86 from the city centre to Hanoi Airport

If you’re travelling from the city to Hanoi airport, Express Bus 86 departs from Hanoi Railway Station every 25 minutes from 05:05 to 21:40. You can also hail them from one of the other bus stops mentioned above.

You can choose from two shuttle bus companies that depart from just outside the arrival terminal of Hanoi Airport.

Vietjet Air and Jetstar operate shuttle buses to/from Hanoi Airport and the city centre, including the Old Quarter. The shuttle bus you take does not necessarily have to be the same as your airline, except with Jetstar. Ticket prices for both companies start from 50,000 VND ($1.90).

Vietnam Airlines also used to operate on this route. However, one of our readers shared and we have confirmed (November 2023) that Vietnam Airlines no longer offers shuttle bus rides between Hanoi Airport and the city centre.

You can check this map to see the drop-off points of the shuttle and public buses from Hanoi Airport to Hanoi City Centre.

Vietjet Air Shuttle Bus

Vietjet Air shuttles are available from 04:00-21:00 daily. From Hanoi Airport, they depart about 30 minutes after a Vietjet flight arrival. See below the Vietjet Air shuttle route:

Nội Bài Airport – Thăng Long Bridge – Hoàng Quốc Việt – Đào Tấn – Nguyễn Thái Học – Quang Trung – Trần Nhân Tông

If you’re staying in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, ask the driver to drop you off at Nguyen Thai Hoc or Quang Trung Street. Both are located near Hoan Kiem Lake.

Jetstar Shuttle

You can only take a Jetstar shuttle bus if your flight is also with Jetstar. Their buses operate every 30-45 minutes from 04:00 to 21:00.

The end station from the airport is also the pick-up station when coming from Hanoi city centre. That’s at 206 Tran Quang Khai, to the east of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Regular taxis are easily available outside the arrivals hall of Hanoi Airport. Make sure to get a metered taxi though, and don’t be swayed if the driver says you’ll pay less for a fixed price!

It’s best to just go to the taxi queue and take the first taxi in line. Disregard everyone else offering a ride. For reference, among the most trusted taxi operators in Hanoi are Mai Linh Group, G7, and Taxi Group.

Expect to pay fares from 300,000 VND ($11) for a taxi from Hanoi Airport to Hanoi City Centre.

Travelling from the centre to the airport is cheaper as you don’t have to pay extra for airport surcharges. Fares start from 200,000 VND ($7.60).

Booking with Grab

Even better, book your ride with Grab for the best rates. Fares start from 295,000 VND ($11) from Hanoi Airport to the Old Quarter of Hanoi.

When I arrived with my flight around 1:00 in the morning, I managed to take an Uber to the Old Quarter (Jan 2017). As of May 2018 though, after an agreement with Uber, you can only use Grab in Vietnam.

To book a Grab taxi, you will need an internet connection. One option is to use the free airport wi-fi to order your Grab, but this connection does not always reach as far as the pick-up point of the taxi.

A better option is to buy a local SIM card at the airport. The savings of taking a Grab taxi already make up for the costs of the SIM card and you can use it for your entire stay!

Be aware that local taxi drivers are not big fans of these services. For this reason, ignore or don’t tell other taxi drivers at the airport that you ordered a Grab ride. But if you’re coming from the city centre, there should be no issue if you book a Grab to the airport.

Pre-book a Private Transfer with BookAway

You can also book your ride in advance through BookAway.

BookAway offers comfortable cars with professional drivers, who will be waiting for you at the airport as soon as you arrive. Rates start from 295,000 VND ($11) for a 5-seater private transfer. Divide the cost and that’s just about 58,000 VND ($2.20) per person.