Noi Bai International Airport sits about 27 to 30 kilometres north of central Hanoi, and the ride into the city takes anywhere from 25 minutes to well over an hour. The gap between the cheapest and the most comfortable way of covering that distance is bigger than most first-time visitors expect, and the decision is easier to make before you land than after, standing in the arrivals hall with your luggage while several drivers try to get your attention at once. Here is every option, what it actually costs in 2026, and who each one suits.
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Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi at a glance
| Option | Journey time | Typical one-way cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public bus 86 (express) | 50 to 60 min | 45,000 VND (about $1.70) | Budget travellers heading to the Old Quarter |
| Local buses 07, 17, 90, 109 | 60 to 80 min | 9,000 to 15,000 VND (about $0.35 to $0.60) | Light packers who do not mind a transfer |
| Airline shuttle bus | about 40 min | 40,000 VND (about $1.50) | Anyone landing at T1 between 4am and 9pm |
| Ride-hailing (Grab, Xanh SM, Be) | 25 to 45 min | 250,000 to 390,000 VND (about $9.50 to $15) | Travellers with a working data connection |
| Metered taxi | 25 to 45 min | 300,000 to 400,000 VND (about $11.50 to $15.50), plus toll | Late-night arrivals, no phone signal |
| Pre-booked private transfer | 25 to 45 min | from about $9 | Families, heavy luggage, first visits |
Buses and airline shuttles run roughly from 4am to 10pm. Taxis and ride-hailing operate around the clock, which matters more than you might think: a lot of long-haul flights land in Hanoi late in the evening, after the last bus has gone.
If you would rather see live departure times and compare every bus, van and private car running this route side by side, 12Go lists them all in one place.
- Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi at a glance
- 1. Public bus (cheapest)
- 2. Airline shuttle buses
- 3. Ride-hailing apps (Grab, Xanh SM, Be)
- 4. Metered taxi
- 5. Pre-booked private transfer
- How far is Noi Bai Airport from Hanoi city center?
- What is the cheapest way from Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi?
- Does Grab work at Noi Bai Airport?
- How much is a taxi from Noi Bai to Hanoi?
- Is there a bus from Noi Bai Airport late at night?
- Do I need cash for the airport bus?
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- Unique 7 Best Things to Do in Hanoi
- Ultimate Vietnam Travel Guide for Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang
Information about Noi Bai International Airport
Opened on February 28, 1977, Noi Bai International Airport is Vietnam’s second-busiest airport after Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City. It sits in the Phu Minh Commune of Soc Son District, around 30 kilometres from the heart of Hanoi. There are two passenger terminals: Terminal 1 (T1) for domestic flights and Terminal 2 (T2) for international flights. If you are flying in from abroad, you will land at T2.
This matters for ground transport, because several options depart from one terminal only. The airline shuttle buses leave from T1, while the public buses pick up at both.
Noi Bai Airport’s lobby E, which is connected to hall A and located in Terminal T1, is the busiest space. Both halls have a combined surface area of up to 23,000m2, five outgoing and two entering gates, four stories, and one mezzanine. The layout of Terminal T1 is as follows:
- 1st floor: Pick up domestic guests to and from. This is the area with the baggage return shaft after landing.
- 2nd floor: This is the floor with many VIP rooms, chargeable services, check-in area.
- 3rd floor: Technical room
- 4th floor: Restaurants
- Lobby E has 38 check-in counters and security control.
Noi Bai Airport created 96 check-in counters and departure gates at Terminal T2 for international travelers. This terminal has a basement and four floors:
- 1st floor: Passengers arrive to retrieve checked baggage and through customs.
- 2nd floor: International customers come to complete immigration procedures and medical quarantine.
- 3rd floor: Check-in area
- 4th floor: VIP and merchant lounge, restaurant, and airline office.
The two terminals are roughly 700 to 900 metres apart with no covered walkway, so allow time if you need to move between them. A free electric shuttle bus runs between T1 and T2 every 15 to 20 minutes. Walking takes 10 to 15 minutes and is only realistic if you are travelling light.
Check Out Hanoi Noi Bai Airport Transfer Services!
5 ways to get from Noi Bai airport to Hanoi city center
1. Public bus (cheapest)
Hanoi’s public buses are the cheapest way into the city by a wide margin, and using them is simpler than it looks. Wait at the stop, board, and a conductor will come to you to sell the ticket. Say your destination and they will tell you where to get off. Bring small notes in Vietnamese dong, since cash is the reliable option.
The trade-off is luggage. These are regular city buses with limited space, so a large suitcase makes the journey awkward for you and everyone else. If you are carrying more than a backpack and a carry-on, skip to one of the other options.
Bus 86 (the one most travellers want)
Bus 86 is an express service with only around eight stops, and it is purpose-built for airport passengers: air conditioned, luggage-friendly, and routed straight through the Old Quarter to Hanoi Railway Station. For most visitors it is the sweet spot between price and comfort.
- Route: Noi Bai Airport (T1 and T2) to Hanoi Railway Station, via Nhat Tan Bridge, Au Co, Nghi Tam, Long Bien, Tran Quang Khai, Trang Tien and Ly Thuong Kiet
- Fare: around 45,000 VND (about $1.70) per person, flat rate
- Payment: cash in dong, or contactless card on newer buses
- Frequency: every 30 to 45 minutes
- From the airport: roughly 6:30am to 10:15pm
- From Hanoi Railway Station: roughly 5:30am to 8:20pm
- Journey time: 50 to 60 minutes in normal traffic
Pick-up at the airport is outside the arrivals terminals; follow the transport signs. Note the asymmetry in operating hours: the last bus out of the city is considerably earlier than the last bus out of the airport, so if you have an evening departure, check the timetable rather than assuming.
Local buses 07, 17, 90 and 109
These are ordinary Hanoi city buses that happen to serve the airport. They cost around 9,000 to 15,000 VND, three to five times cheaper than Bus 86, but they are older, busier, and none of them ends in the Old Quarter itself. Buses 07 and 90 are boarded at the bus terminal to the left as you exit T2 arrivals.
- Bus 07 to Cau Giay bus station, every 15 to 20 minutes, roughly 5am to 9:30pm
- Bus 17 to Long Bien, every 10 to 15 minutes, roughly 5am to 8:30pm. Long Bien is walkable to the northern edge of the Old Quarter
- Bus 90 to Kim Ma bus terminal, useful if you are staying in Ba Dinh
- Bus 109 to My Dinh bus station, useful if you are connecting onward by coach
Worth it if you are on a strict budget, travelling light, and comfortable navigating local transport. Otherwise the extra 30,000 to 36,000 VND for Bus 86 buys a lot of convenience.
2. Airline shuttle buses
Vietnam’s domestic airlines run their own minibuses between Noi Bai and a shared drop-off point at 1 Quang Trung Street in Hoan Kiem district, a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake. They are clean, punctual, and priced at about 40,000 VND, roughly the same as Bus 86. This option is surprisingly underused by international visitors.
Two practical notes. First, these shuttles depart from T1, so if you land at T2 you will need the free inter-terminal shuttle first. Second, they generally leave when reasonably full and follow the airline’s own flight schedule, so you may wait. Services stop around 9pm.
Vietnam Airlines
- Pick-up at Noi Bai: 16-seat bus parking area in front of Terminal T1
- Stop in Hanoi: No. 1 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem district
- Fare: around 40,000 VND (about $1.50) per person
- Frequency: every 30 to 45 minutes, adjusted for peak and off-peak
- Hours: roughly 4am to 9pm
- Vehicle: 16-seat minibus
- Journey time: about 40 minutes via Nhat Tan Bridge
Vietjet Air
- Pick-up at Noi Bai: bus stop area of Terminal T1
- Stop in Hanoi: 1 Quang Trung, with some services continuing to 69 Tran Nhan Tong
- Fare: around 40,000 VND (about $1.50) per person
- Frequency: every 30 to 45 minutes
- Hours: roughly 4am to 9pm
- Route: Noi Bai Airport, Nhat Tan Bridge, Kim Ma, Nguyen Thai Hoc, city centre
Pacific Airlines, the Vietnam Airlines low-cost subsidiary formerly known as Jetstar Pacific, also runs a shuttle on a similar schedule and at a similar fare. Except where an airline states otherwise, you do not need to be flying with that carrier to use its bus.
3. Ride-hailing apps (Grab, Xanh SM, Be)
For most independent travellers arriving in 2026, this is the default. The appeal is not really the price, which is broadly similar to a metered taxi. It is that the fare is agreed in the app before the car moves, so there is nothing to negotiate, no meter to watch, and no conversation about the route.
- Grab is the most widely used and the easiest for visitors. Expect roughly 250,000 to 390,000 VND (about $9.50 to $15) to the Old Quarter in normal traffic
- Xanh SM runs electric vehicles and is popular with locals. Fares are comparable, and it also operates a conventional taxi fleet you can flag at the rank
- Be is the local alternative, but it requires a Vietnamese phone number
How to use it at Noi Bai
- Get online first. Buy an eSIM before you fly, or a local SIM at the arrivals hall. Without data, none of this works
- Book from inside or just outside the terminal, setting your pickup to the terminal you landed at
- Walk to the designated app-based pickup zone. It is separate from the taxi rank and signposted, with floor markings to follow. The app will tell you which pillar or bay to stand at
- Match the licence plate in the app to the car. Only then get in
One thing to be firm about: your driver will stay with the vehicle. Anyone who approaches you on foot inside or outside the terminal holding a phone or a sign, claiming to be your booking, is not your driver. Politely ignore and keep walking. This is the single most common arrival scam at Noi Bai and it is entirely avoidable.
Two other things worth knowing. The airport exit toll of roughly 15,000 to 30,000 VND is usually added to your app total. And when it rains, which in Hanoi it does hard and briefly, prices can spike two or three times. Waiting fifteen minutes in a cafe often costs less than the surge.
4. Metered taxi
Taxis wait around the clock in the arrivals public area on the first floor of both T1 and T2, which makes them the fallback for late arrivals and for anyone without a data connection. A dozen or so companies are licensed to operate at the airport.
- Fare to the city centre: roughly 300,000 to 400,000 VND (about $11.50 to $15.50), depending on where you are going
- Airport toll: around 15,000 VND, legitimately added on top
- Journey time: 25 to 45 minutes
Use the official rank rather than accepting an offer from someone approaching you in the terminal, and stick to recognised operators such as Mai Linh, G7, Noi Bai Taxi or the electric Xanh SM. Confirm the meter is running before you set off, or agree a fixed price up front if the driver prefers that. Both are normal; what is not normal is starting the journey with neither.
5. Pre-booked private transfer
As soon as you leave the terminal building, drivers offering private cars will approach with a range of prices. That informal version of this service is real and often perfectly fine, but the price you pay depends on how well you negotiate, which is not what most people want to do twenty minutes after a long-haul flight.
Booking ahead removes the variable. You see the vehicle class, the total fare and genuine traveller reviews before you land, the driver waits in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign, and most operators include flight tracking plus a waiting window in case you are delayed. Prices start from around $9 for a small car and scale up for vans that fit a family with luggage, which frequently works out cheaper per person than two taxis.
This is the option worth paying for if you are arriving late at night, travelling with children, carrying a lot of luggage, or visiting Vietnam for the first time.
Heading back to the airport
The same options run in reverse, but timing matters more in this direction. Hanoi traffic between 7am and 9am and again from 4:30pm to 7pm can turn a 30-minute drive into an hour, so build in a buffer or pre-book a car and let the driver plan around it.
The other thing to watch is the last departure. Bus 86 leaves Hanoi Railway Station until roughly 8:20pm and the airline shuttles stop around 9pm, both noticeably earlier than the last services in the opposite direction. For an early morning or late evening flight, a taxi, a ride-hailing car or a booked transfer is your only realistic option.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Noi Bai Airport from Hanoi city center?
Around 27 to 30 kilometres, north of the city. Journey time runs from 25 minutes in a car with clear roads to about 80 minutes on a local bus in traffic.
What is the cheapest way from Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi?
Local buses 07, 17, 90 and 109 at 9,000 to 15,000 VND, about $0.35 to $0.60. They are slow and cramped, though. Bus 86 at around 45,000 VND is the better value for most travellers: an express route, room for luggage, and a drop-off in the Old Quarter.
Does Grab work at Noi Bai Airport?
Yes. Noi Bai has a designated app-based pickup zone separate from the taxi rank, signposted from the arrivals exit. You need mobile data, so arrange an eSIM before you fly or buy a SIM in the arrivals hall. Expect roughly 250,000 to 390,000 VND to the Old Quarter.
How much is a taxi from Noi Bai to Hanoi?
Roughly 300,000 to 400,000 VND, about $11.50 to $15.50, plus an airport toll of around 15,000 VND. Use the official rank and confirm the meter is running before departure.
Is there a bus from Noi Bai Airport late at night?
Not really. Bus 86 runs until about 10:15pm from the airport and the airline shuttles stop around 9pm. For arrivals after that, a taxi, ride-hailing car or pre-booked transfer are the options, all of which operate 24 hours.
Do I need cash for the airport bus?
Yes, bring small notes in Vietnamese dong. Newer Bus 86 vehicles accept contactless cards, but cash is the reliable option and is essential on the local routes. There are ATMs in the arrivals hall; exchange rates in the city centre are generally better than at the airport, so change only what you need to start with.
However you travel, the trip into Hanoi is the first hour of your visit rather than a chore to endure. Decide before you land, have your dong or your app ready, and you will be in the Old Quarter with the rest of the day ahead of you.
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