Air Travel

Noi Bai International Airport lies about 35 km (22 miles) north of the city. Several improvements have been made to the airport in recent years to bring it up to international standards. The existing Terminal 1 has been extended to encompass a new hall with a capacity for 3 million extra passengers per year. The most significant addition to the airport, however, is the new Terminal 2, which was inaugurated at the beginning of 2015. The new terminal will provide capacity for 10 million passengers per year.

The somewhat arduous journey between the airport and downtown Hanoi, meanwhile, has been shortened by the new Nhat Tan–Noi Bai Highway, routed over the new Nhat Tan Bridge, both of which opened in January 2015.

International airlines fly into Hanoi from other parts of Asia and also from European hubs such as Frankfurt, Paris, and London. From New York, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines have daily flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with connections in Seoul and Hong Kong. From the West Coast, similar routes connect Los Angeles and San Francisco to Vietnam. It is also possible to get flights from Australia and Canada.

Domestic destinations served from Hanoi include Danang, Dien Bien Phu, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Phu Quoc, and Nha Trang.

Airport Transfers

Vietnam Airlines has an airport shuttle located just outside the Noi Bai arrival terminal. It departs once it is full (approximately every 45 minutes) and will take you to the Vietnam Airlines office on Quang Trung in central Hanoi. It’s a bit of an uncomfortable ride, but the 40,000d per person fee is the most direct and economical way to travel to/from the Noi Bai airport. Look for the logo on the side of the minivan. There is also a city bus, #86, which costs 30,000d per person, stops every kilometer, and finishes its route at the train station.

Just outside the Noi Bai airport terminal (to the right as you exit) are Jetstar buses that travel to Hanoi’s city center. With periodic stops, they head south along the dike road, recognizable by a mosaic that is 4 km long (2½ miles), which holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest mural of its kind. Jetstar charges 40,000d per sector and goes as far south as the Opera House. Tickets can be purchased on the bus.

A number of taxi companies operate the route between Noi Bai Airport and Hanoi city center. The largest of these is Noi Bai Taxi, which has its own parking lot at the airport. All these companies offer a fixed price fare for the route. For a four-seat taxi the price between Noi Bai and the Old Quarter is 250,000d. The bigger the vehicle, the higher the price.

Airport Contacts

Noi Bai International Airport. Phu Minh, Hanoi, Ha Noi. 04/3886–5047; www.noibaiairport.vn.

Airport Transfer Contacts

Noi Bai Taxi. Hanoi, Ha Noi. 43/266–8218; www.noibaiairporttaxi.org.

Vietnam Airlines Shuttle Bus . www.hanoiairportshuttle.com.