Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi city transport.

Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport(Sân bay quốc tế Nội Bài ) was originally built for use by the Vietnamese Airforce and after the Vietnam Unification way back in 1975,the airport has now served as the main commercial airlines hub of the North.

The airport is about 45km north of Hanoi city.
For the new arrivals,getting to the city with the most economical cost is the main criteria so don't get despair as there were multiple choice to serve your personality.

Business or leisure travellers who have missed their flights can also find accomodations 3km southwest of the airport--AVI HOTEL





Local bus stop within walking distance near terminal 1.

Travelling in a local bus can be very slow due to the constant stops along the way picking up passengers.

 The buses here will return to their repsective station terminal.





A modern and stylish international departure lounge.

 Hanoi's Noibai International Airport is the second largest airport in Vietnam after Tan Son Nhat in Saigon.






Sky Foot Massage center and another Lucky Spa center were among the two outlets at the departure lounge offering hourly services to travellers who need to unwind their bodies.

Common Vietnamese terms: quốc tế đến ,International Arrival.

noi địa đến ,Domestic Arrival.

 nhà vệ sinh,toilet

không hu't thuô'c,no smoking

xe buýt,bus

the điên thoai,telephone card

bao nhiêu đồng,how much dong

đắt tiền,expensive

rẻ hơn giá,cheaper price

cảm ơn bạn,thank you



   As you exited from the arrival hall towards your right were most of the minibuses and VIP buses to Hanoi city.

There will be a representative from the minibus companies to provide assistance on the spot.

 The fares is between USD2 to USD3 and if you have heavy load of luggages which needed to occupy a seat,this will be charged accordingly.

The Vietnamese were very courteous and friendly.





After the minibus bays will be the bigger bus section.

Here this signboard is from the Kumho Viethanh Bus Company (Korea Kumho Express Kumho Asiana Group).

The fares is 35,000VND or around USD2 (subject to changes if world oil price escalate)

Tuyen Duong (bus routes):Au Co-Yen Phu-Tran Quang Khai-Nha Hat Lon-Quang Trung-Con Vien Thong Huat.







Kumho-Vietnam's Thanh Korea buslines has a red/orange body.
They made hourly trips to and fro the airport between 07:00am till 07:00pm.

 Kumho Asiana Group also owns the Kumho Asiana Plaza in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam,which was opened on September 30th, 2009.

 Kumho Asiana Plaza is a premium large-scale residential-commercial complex, and includes a five-star hotel with 305 guestrooms, 260 apartments, and offices and stores in three buildings.

The buildings thus emerge as a landmark that symbolizes Korea’s advancement into the Vietnamese market.

Their services was quite good when I travelled from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh in Cambodia using the Kumho Samco Buslines.







Exotissimo World Travel is a very popular inbound travel agency in Indo China which was formed in Ho Chi Minh City way back in 1993.

 The Hanoi main office is along Tran Nhat Duat Road,the same row with Vietcom Bank Headquarters Building and a few blocks from Kumho Bus Ticketing Office.

 Not all travellers like to walk around in such a big city so seeking the services of travel agencies can be a good option.








Direction of taxis and minibuses route from Noi Bai International Airport shown by pink arrow.

 Landmarks along the way include the Long Bien Bus Terminal along Tran Nhat Duat and joining into Tran Quang Khai Road.

Gia Cuoc Xe Minibus (Minibus Price) Tuyen Duong (route) : Noi Bai - Hoang Quoc Viet - Kim Ma - Quang Trung.

Ben di (from): San Bay Noi Bai (Noi Bai Airport) Ben den (to) :So 1 Quang Trung Gia Cuoc 1 Luot (per person) : 35,000 VND / Nguoi (person)

 Gia Cuoc Chuyen (for a trip) : 450,000 VND / Chuyen (trip)

This minibus operated a coin slot ticket vending machine but payment in USD bills or Vietnamese Dong is also accepted and will be collected by the driver himself .

Do have some small bills when paying.

Taxis and Minibuses terminal beside an old colonial building where across the road is the Vietnam Airlines Head office.

Taxis going to Noi Bai International Airport will charge from USD10.00.

Booking office for minibus.

Pho Quang Trung Road will be the minibuses and taxis main stop.

This road sign is near the traffic light junction.Cross over to the Vietnam Airlines Building and walk another 5minutes along Trang Thi Road to the next junction.

You'll see a BATA shoes shop ahead at this junction.

Don't go straight,cross the road on your left to Ly Thai Tho Street and another 10 minutes walk will be the south side of the Hoan Khiem Lake.

You are now near the Old Quarters of Hanoi.

Map of Hoan Khiem Lake around Hanoi Old Quarters.

Bustling streets of Hanoi Old Quarters

Arrived at Ben Xe My Dinh bus terminal at about 8:30am after a nine hours journey from Vinh.

Do avoid drinking too much water before travelling at night as there won't be any toilet break unless someone in the bus requested and you have to do it beside the roadside.

The long distance bus stopped inside a depot just across the terminal which is opposite Toyota My Dinh Showroom.

There are four long-distance bus stations in Hanoi, all located a few kilometres from the centre of the city.

 Giap Bat bus station, on Giai Phong to the south of town, serves most places to the south, while Gia Lam bus station, to the southeast of the centre, serves destinations to the northeast such as Ha Long City, Haiphong and Lang Son.

Luong Yen bus station, just southeast of the city centre, serves routes north to Ha Giang and Cao Bang, as well as Cat Ba Island on the edge of Ha Long Bay.

Finally, the newest is My Dinh, located about 10kms west of the centre, which also serves several destinations in the north.

While the majority of new arrivals in Hanoi choose to do so by plane, landing at Noi Bai Airport about 35km north of the city, it is also worth considering arriving by train, as in this way you can get a good look at the surrounding countryside of the Red River Valley as you pull in to the city.







Ben Xe Khach My Dinh bus terminal is located at Pham Hung Road.

This is a very new and modern transport hub located quite near to Vietnam National University.(about 4km).

Outside the terminal were lots of xe om (pronounced as "say om") or motor taxi but Vietnamese meaning means "hug the driver"

Trying to catch a local Hanoi bus is quite problematic at this main terminal during rush hour because the moment the buses arrived,loads of passengers will be scrambling into the bus and was packed within minutes.

 Feeling undecided while hanging around here for quite sometime,I thereby approached a Vietnamese student for direction but was told that Hanoi is a very big city and quite tedious to walk .

She offered me a mint candy sweet and was very kind in her hospitality greeting me with 'Welcome to Hanoi'.

This really brightens up my day. It was about 9:30am when a xe om rider came zooming on me and offered a ride for 70,000 Dong compared to a local bus ride that cost 3,500Dong.

Feeling exhausted due to lack of sleep from overnight travel,I did not make any bargain but just followed him with a helmet on.







Bus Routes from Ben Xe Kach My Dinh to:
 Yen Bai :every half hour from 06:30 - 17:00hr

Forestry and farming are the main economic activities of Yen Bai.
Located in the northern part of Vietnam. Railway line passing through here acts as the main freight corridor to China.
Located about 183km from Hanoi.

Phu Tho :every half hour from 06:00 - 16:30hr 80km from Hanoi in North eastern region with Viet Tri city as the provincial capital.
The birthplace of the Vietnamese race and famous for the Hung Pagoda Festival.  

Da Chong : 06:30,07:00,08:30,10:00,12:00 and 15:00  

Lao Cai and Sapa : 04:30 and 05:00hr
The most famous mountain peak of Vietnam located at an altitude of 3,143m above sea-level. Next door is China's Yunnan Province.Amazing mountains rich in flora and fauna with the various ethnic communities.  

Ha Giang : 04:00,04:30,05:00 and 05:45hr The poorest province of Vietnam in the northeastern part.
Plums,peaches,persimmons and tea cultivation are the main livelihood of the people.

Lang Son :every half hour from 06:00 till 16:30hr
Bordering Cao Bang Province in the North,Sung Ta Province (China) in the northeast,Bac Giang Province in the south,Quang Ninh Province to the east,Bak Kan Province to the west and Thai Nguyen Province to the southwest. Two International Border Gates: Dong Dang and Huu Nghi.  

Dien Bien :04:00 and 05:00hr. Province in northwestern Vietnam,Dien means solid while Bien means frontiers.

Bai Chay Beach and Halong Bay :every half hour from 07:00 till 17:00hr
Halong Bay is a magnifient scenic spot in the Quang Ninh Province.Bai Tu Long and Cat Ba Islands are two UNESCO World Heritage sites and one of the world's 7 Natural Wonders.

Hoa Binh :every half hour from 07:00 till 17:00hr Rich natural and cultural heritage famous for ecotourism,only 82km from Hanoi. There are more than 50 ethnic tourism hamlets within Hoa Binh.

 Ninh Binh :09:40hr Located at the southern end of the Red River Delta.95km from Hanoi.November to April dry season best time to visit.A very great place to visit for culural explorers. Very attractive sites with many palaces,pagodas,tombs of past dynasties and beautiful karsts mountains.






Sometimes xe om rider don't even know guesthouses names and to find Luong Ngoc Quyen he also has problem figuring out the exact location.

 Initially he brought me to the five star Hotel Metropole,an elegant French colonial building which is along Ngo Quyen.

That's beyond my budget as a backpacker. After asking around from his fellow friends,he managed to turn into this side road and Hanoi Youth Hostel signboard caught my attention.
 What a relief after circling all over the Old Quarters area trying to locate the guesthouse.






This is a eight person mixed dormitory with aircondition for USD5 per night.

Shower with hotwater bathroom outside. Individual locker corresponding to bed number given.
 Checking in the early part of the day has many beds available but not later in the afternoon.

My new found roomates included two Chinese students from mainland China who were attending private colleges and a Japanese boy from Tokyo all of whom were long stay guest.

Veteran traveller Larry Egan from Canada who was here nearly a week occupied adjacent lower bed.

Larry despite his age was very adventurous having travelled nearly half of the globe alone. 
 






Map of Old Quarters in Hanoi. Why is this part of Hanoi called Old Quarters? 

 In the early days this area was very swampy with lots of snakes and alligators.
No wonder there were so many lakes like Ho Hoan Kiem,Ho Tay(West Lake),Thien Hung near train terminal,Thien Quang lake and Bay Mau lake in Hai Ba Trung District and many others.

 The Song River(Red River) that flows through the city has the Long Bien Bridge with railway lines connecting to the other side of the districts.

 Underneath Long Bien Bridge were cluster of villages made up of houses on stilts, and was unified by Chinese administrators who built ramparts around their headquarters.

The area was named "Dominated Annam" or "Protected South" by the Chinese. “Old Quarter” or “36 Old Streets” (as consisting of 36 member streets) has specialized type of businesses so they were named after that particular nature of business like Pho Hang Bun (Vermicelli), Pho Hang Ma (Paper Product), Pho Hang Bac (Silver), etc. are examples of the streets carrying the name of the products sold there.

“Phố” means a street or a place for merchants to gather to do business, while “Phường”, a district or a guild of artisans specializing in a particular trade (phuong cheo, phuong tho, etc.).

Hang Gai Street offers silk clothing ready-made and tailored, embroidery, and silver products.
 Hang Quat, the street that formerly sold silk and feather fans, now stuns the visitor by its brilliantly colored funeral and festival flags and religious objects and clothing.
To Tich Street connects the above two and is still the wood turner's street.

Hang Ma glimmers with shiny paper products, such as gift wrappings, wedding decorations and miniature paper objects to burn for the dead.

Lan Ong Street is a sensual delight of textures and smells emanating from the sacks of herbal medicinal products: leaves, roots, barks, and powders, etc.
Coming here, you may feel as if you were in a classical-styled area in terms of both architecture and product types!
Although many of the streets no longer sell the products after which they were named, some still do.

Today, the Old Quarter has become the unique classical feature of Hanoi, and the inspiration of numerous writers, poets, and painters, and one of the desired tourist destinations in Hanoi.
 Inside a modern and dynamic city, there appears an antique quarter, the Hanoi’s Old Quarter – the represented eternal soul of the city.
These days, most Vietnamese and Westerners are familiar with the phrase “Hà Nội – Ba mươi sáu phố phường” (translated as “Ha Noi – 36 districts” or “Hanoi – 36 Old Streets”), or “Phố cổ Hà Nội” (translated as “Hanoi’s Old Quarter”).

Thanh Long-the City of Ascending Dragons.
 It would be a big surprise should you know that Hanoi's Old Quarter came into being at the time King Ly Thai To selected Thang Long as the country’s capital in 1010, that is, the streets have a nearly 1,000-year old history and became crowded and lively in the 15th century.

What makes them unique is that many of them remain in their very ancient architecture of the 15th century. Up to now, it has been the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam.







Entrance arch to one Chinese Guild Association.

Bach Ma Chinese Temple along Hang Buom Street at the corner road junction.

Hang Buom Street runs east-west and cuts with Hang Duong and Ma May at two ends.

Hang Buom means Store of Sails,the street used to sell mattress and bags made from hemp whose materials were delivered by Chinese boats passing by.

There still remain a few shops on the left from the temple that were doing wholesale while further up on the right were shops dealing with confectionaries.

 Nice cosy restaurant in a Chinese settings.

Tuoi Tho food outlet popular among the Hanoians during lunch hour.

Colonial style residential house.

Bus stop at the mainroad (Tran Quang Khai) near guesthouse. Bus number and the respective routes were displayed.

BX stands for Ben Xe or bus terminal.
Confidently I should say that if you're a newbie in Hanoi and wish to head for Old Quarters area,just hop into any of the noted buses without fear so long as you get ready with the 5,000 Dong fares for travel within city area.
Bus Routes:
03: BX Giap Bat - BX Gia Lam
11: Cu Thong Nhat - DH Nong Ngep 1
18: Kim Ma - Long Bien - Kim Ma
23: Nguyen Cong Tru -Van Ho - Nguyen Cong Tru
34: BX My Dinh -BX Gia Lam
40: Cu Thong Nhat - Nhu Quynt
14: Co Nhue - Bo Ho
22: Vien 103 -BX




Gia Lam Hanoi local buses have three main colours namely red,white stripes and yellow. Bus number is red in a white circle.

The price of ticket varies depending on distances possibly between 5,000 to 10,000 Dong. Bus #09 to Hoan Khiem Lake Bus #33 or #02 to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Vinh to Hanoi sleeper bus.

The non-aircond minibus fare was 100,000 Dong to Vinh in Central Vietnam.

There were many stops along the way to pick up passengers and slightly after an hour into the journey at about 5:00pm while nearing Hoa Binh,the minibus conductor start collecting the money and ask for our destination.

I was given a hint by one Vietnamese worker while at the Nam Khan Immigration Post that if my plan is to head for Hanoi,there were buses in Hoa Binh.

 Being a first timer in this alien territory,it might be a difficult task in this late evening to walk around and locate Hoa Binh Bus Terminal.

 Furthermore in the event that I managed to get a ticket,chances is that it will be around midnight to reach Hanoi.

 At about 5:30pm,passed through Tuong Duong District with towns like Na Tong,Quang Yen,Quang Thanh,Tam Quang,Ban Long,Thah Dao and Dinh Son.

It was already getting dark at 6:30pm when we passed through Anh Son District,with Anh Son being the main town centre and then Kai Son.

Can you imagine some of the limestone karst mountains extended close to the main road and at one point there were communities living close to it.

Finally at about 8:45pm after a nine hours minibus journey,arrived in the outskirt of Vinh which is in the Nghe An Province.

 It was a big city with good road infrastructure.

Bounded in the north by Thanh Hoa Province while the south is Ha Tinh Province.

Vinh was an industrial port city and was flattened completely during the Vietnam War due to it being a supply source for the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Vinh is also the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh.





Vinh is located along Highway 1, 197 km north of Dong Hoi, and just under a hundred kilometres from the Lao border at the NamCan / Nam Khan crossing.

 It's about 290 km south of Hanoi, 1,430 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, and its an express stop on the train line.

 There is
National Highway No. 6 from Hanoi via Ha Tay to Hoa Binh, Son La,
National Highway No. 15 from Mai Chau to Thanh Hoa,
National Highway No. 12B from Hoa Binh to Nho Quan (Ninh Binh).

Hoa Binh Town is 76km from Hanoi.


Well I booked a 10:30pm sleeper bus to Hanoi and the fares was 150,000 Dong.

 A look at Vietnamese sleeper bus.

There were three rows of upper and lower individual bunks,that is two-tiered.

The very end of the bus were with no seat numbers,just a flat cushioned platform which can accomodate five people.

There is no toilet inside the bus.

 By right my ticket has a number but knowing that a foreigner couldn't argue about it, I was shown the end rows.

Immediately my aim was the corner beside the window so as to avoid being squeezed in the middle.

Unfortunately throughout the journey, the Vietnamese guy sleeping beside me tend to roll over too often giving me a miserable night.

Compared to a normal upright seats bus,a sleeper bus has the disavantage of not being able to sit up as the berth are in an inclined position just like the hospital bed.

One more thing to consider is the bunks were customed made to Asian size and if you are around six feet in height,this can be problematic.

Tuyen Ngoai Tinh 2 destinations bus timetable. (place/km distance/price(VHD)/time)

1) Saigon - 1430 -500,000 -05:00hr Old name for Ho Chi Minh City(HCMC).

2) Vang Tau -1500 -380,000 -05:00hr
Located near HCMC and Binh Duong Province majoring in shipping,oil and sunny beaches.

3) Binh Duong -1500 -430,00 -05:00hr
North of HCMC,agricultural and animal husbandry major economy.

4) Bao Loc -1285 - 470,000 -05:00hr
Central Highlands,Lam Dong Province-famous B'lao tea.130km from HCMC and 100km from Dalat.

5) Da Lat -1225 -460,000 -05:00hr
South central highlands once a popular playground during the French colonial powers.

6) Dak Lak -119 -360,000 -05:00hr
Dak Lak(Dac Lac) Province is 183km from Nha Trang (by National Highway No. 26), 180km from Pleiku (by National Highway No. 14), 352km from Ho Chi Minh City (by National Highway No. 14), 200km from Dalat (by National Highway No. 27), and 1,390km from Hanoi.Rich in National biodiversity.

7) Hanoi -291 -130,000 -04:30 till 16:00hr Second largest city in Vietnam,old name Thanh Long.

8) Hoc Gluong Nam -160,000 -05:00 till 21:00hr (can't figure out where is this)

9) Dak Nong -1260 -450,000/500,000 - 05:00hr Central highlands province with capital Gia Nghia,has large fields and lakes.

10) Gia Lai -960 -360,000 - 05:00hr and 13:00hr Pleiku,the capital of Gia Lai Province in Central Highlands.
Strategically important during Vietnam War,primary terminus of military logistics corridor.

11) Da Nang -470 -170,000 -05:00hr
Major commercial and port city.
The city's origins date back to the ancient Champa Kingdom, established by Indonesian settlers in 192 AD

12) Hue -370 -130,000 -05:30 and 11:00hr Imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty.
Located right in the centre bordering North and South Vietnam in the early days. Rich in historic monument,one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites.

 13) Dong Hoi -220 -85,000 -12:30,13:30,14:30hr Capital of Quang Binh Province,north central coast of Vietnam,500km southeast of Hanoi.Lanching pad for air raids against Viet Minh forces in the Central of Vietnam and Laotian communist forces Pathet Lao in the Central and Southern Laos during First Indochina War.

14) Son La CLC -530 -259,000 - 18:00hr Ngay 1 Chuyen
325km north west of Hanoi bordering Lao Cai and Yen Bai in a mountainous region.

15) Son La G Nam -130 -300,00 - 18:00hr

16) Dien Bien -760 -450,00 - 17:00hr
Near Lao Cau and Son La Provinces and the capital city is Dien Bien Phu.Best known for the victorious war against French colonist on 07.05.1954.
Very mountainous with fascinating sceneries.

17) Lao Bao - x - 120,000 - 07:15hr A small town in the Hướng Hóa district of Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, located in the North Central Coast region, near the border with Laos Savan Province.

18) Ven Chan - x -280,000 - 06:00hr ngay chan am lich Vieng Chan or Vientiane,the capital city of Laos PDR  
 






Chat Luong Cao buses timetable:(towns/km distance/fares/departure)





1) Hai Phong -396 -130,000 05:00,05:30,06:00,07:00,07:30,08:00,09:00,10:45 and 12:00hr.
Vietnam's third most populous city.
The city's name means coastal defence. 120km north east of Hanoi near the Gulf of Tonkin and just about 20km to the famous Halong Bay.One of the biggest port city.

2) Dak lak -1101 -420,000 -06:00hr Đắc Lắc,Coffee, fruit, and rubber play an important part in its economy.

3) Hanoi -291 -130,000 -04:40 and 18:00hr

4) Hanoi Huong Nam -291 -150,000 - 12;30,13:00,13:30,14:00,07;00,07;30,08:00,08:30,22:00,06:30 and 09:00hr

5) Saigon - x

 6) Mong Cai Quang Nam -630 -240,000 -18:00,19:00hr

7) Thai Nguyen G Nam -380 -170,000 -07:30,15:00hr

8) Pon Xa Van -403 -280,000 -06:00hr Thu 2-3-5-6, Gluong Nam 350,000VND,Ngay 1 chuyen 290,000VND.

Phonsavan Province is in the north of Laos and the capital city is Phonsali.

9) Luang Pha Bang -690 -450,000 -06:00 Thu 2-4-6-7, Luang Prabang is in Laos.

10) Danang CLC nhe ngoi - 470 -120,000 - 05:30 and 06:30hr

11) Danang Gluong nam -470 -205,000 - 18:00,18:30,19:00,19:30,20:00,20:30 and 20:45hr

12) Saigon Gluong nam -4130 -780,000 -08:00hr 13) Hai Phong Gluong nam -396 -170,000 -08:00,10:00,20:00,20:15,21:30 and 22:15hr.





 Cam Hut Thuoc La bus schedule:

1) Muong Xen -250km-90,000Vnd-04:00,04:30,05:00,05:30,06:40 and 07:00hr Town at the foothill near Nong Het-Nam Khan border checkpoint.


2) Hoa Binh (Thuong Duong)-195km-75,000Vnd-04:00,04:30,05:00,05:30,06:00,06:30,07:00,07:30,08:00,08:30 and 09:00hr
Mountainous terrain with Thac Bo, Hoa Tien grottoes, Ret Cave, Pu Nooc Primitive forest and many clean springs are suitable for swimming, climbing, walking, and hunting.

Hoa Binh is a mountainous province in the North. It is bordered by Phu Tho and Ha Tay in the north, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa in the south, Ha Nam in the east, and Son La in the west. Apart of these, scientific tests have shown that the mineral water at Kim Boi Hot Spring is good for drinking, bathing and treatment.

3) Con Cuong -140km-60,000Vnd-05:00 till 17:00hr Nghe Ann District near Dinh Son.Nghe Ann Province highest peak is Pulaileng (2,711m high) in Ky Son District, the lower is the plains of Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh districts.


4) Phuc Son -108km-50,000Vnd-05:00 till 17:00hr

5) Do Luong -75km -40,000Vnd-05:00 till 17:00hr-4:30 till 17:00hr Đô Lương is a rural district of Nghe An province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam.

 8) Yen Thanh -70km-36,000Vnd-06:30 till 17:00hr

North Central Coast region,Northern border districts of Tan Ky , Quynh Luu , Dien Chau ; east Dien Chau District; southeast district bordering Nghi Loc , south district Luong , the west district of Tan Ky .

7) Dung (Thanh Chuong) -50,000Vnd-04:30 till 17:30hr. A rural district of Nghe An province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam

6) Lat (Tan Ky)-90km-50,000Vnd  

Ban Phieu Xe Ra Cong bus schedule: 

 1) Hanoi-291km-130,000Dong

2) Kam-230km-94,000Dong

3) Thai Binh-250km-110,000Dong

4) Thai Ngyyen-380km-154,000Dong

5) Quang Ninh-460km-150,000Dong-05:00,05:30hr

6) Bac Ninh-342km-144,000Dong-04:00,ngay 1 chuyen

 7) Hai Duong-354km-121,000Dong-06:00,ngay chan am lich

8) Dung Hoi-230km-85,000Dong-12:30,13:30,14:30hr

9) Hue-370km-130,000Dong-05:00 till 11:00hr 10) Thanh Hoa-153km-75,000Dong.

Bus ticket to Hanoi,sleeper bus('gluong nam')