For tourists, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) seems to be very concentrated because not only are there most of the tourist attractions around District 1, the city center, but the district is quite small. compact. However, with 24 districts, the city is really spread out and some of the other districts are twice the size of District 1. Although District 1 has a lot of interesting things in terms of culture, sights and activities, there is still a lot to enjoy. So much more to experience outside of the city. Getting to other parts of Ho Chi Minh City can seem daunting, but there are several public transport options available to you, especially if you want to get around Ho Chi Minh City efficiently and Cost savings.

How to get around Ho Chi Minh City on the cheap

1. Xe Om

Xe Om (local name for motorbike taxi) is one of the most efficient modes of transportation in the city. It may seem unsafe at first, but most Xe Om drivers are polite and willing to take you anywhere you want. Of course, it’s entirely possible that their driving style is rough, but you can always ask them to slow down or be more careful. If you feel absolutely terrified, you can simply cut the ride short and hop off! Remember that the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is very heavy and you need to have a certain level of agility and aggression to drive in the city. Prices are usually reasonable, about 20,000-40,000 VND for short trips. Trips from District 1 to further districts such as District 2 and District 7 are about 70,000 VND. It is best to take a motorbike taxi in more central districts such as 1, 3, 2, 7, 4 or 5. Further afield, the trip can be more tiring and dangerous due to highway driving.

Taxi drivers may not advertise clearly but are easy to spot. On any street corner, you’re sure to find a man or two sleeping on their motorbikes – they’re not just basking in the sun! In fact, they’re waiting for someone to tap on the shoulder and ask for a ride. Near the touristy areas of the city like around Ben Thanh market, many drivers will call you but be careful with the price they offer as it can be significantly inflated. Be sure to bargain prices down if you feel that their prices are unreasonable.

2. Public bus

The public bus system is extremely developed and extensive in Ho Chi Minh City. There are more than 100 different bus lines and routes, many of which serve districts and tourist destinations far from the city center. Public buses are also extremely cheap, one-way fare starts at 5,000 VND. As a tourist, taking a bus in the city can be difficult. Waiting for the bus in the heat and sometimes the rain can be exhausting, especially since you can travel faster by Taxi, Taxi or even on foot. Getting to more distant destinations is a situation where public buses are very convenient. Taking the public bus is often more appealing to adventurous travelers, but since Vietnamese are generally friendly and helpful, we highly recommend you give it a go! It may be easier than you think.

To and from the airport, bus are not. 152 is very convenient. We have explained the Bus number. 152 ago in our taxi scam blog, as many people fall victim to taxi scams on their way to the airport and vice versa, making this airport bus a great alternative. Bus are not. 13 is another great route that takes you to the Cu Chi tunnels. As we mentioned before in our article on the best day trips from Saigon, many tour buses go to Cu Chi, but the Cu Chi Tunnels offer free tour guides at a place where you can take a public bus there and still have the same experience as an organized bus. tour. If you want to go to Suoi Tien Amusement Park, you can take the Bus are not. 19, depart from Ben Thanh market and stop at the amusement park on the way to the national university. It takes about 45 minutes by car, only slightly longer than taking a car there. Dam Sen Water Park is also a popular tourist attraction, and Bus are not. 11 go straight from Ben Thanh market to the water park. In general, Ben Thanh and Cho Lon markets are both big bus stops, and it is quite convenient to travel if you can reach one of the two markets. The Saigon Bus main website also has an interactive guide based on Google Maps to show you all the stops in each route. And, here is a complete, but overwhelming, map of all bus routes in Ho Chi Minh City.

More information about city buses – Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management and Operation Center

If you are looking for some day trip from Ho Chi Minh. UNESCO Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere is probably the best trip to take by bus.

3. Grab and Taxi

Uber no longer operates in Vietnam after merging with Grab in Southeast Asia

In 2014, Grab launched in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing a new type of transportation to Vietnam.

For those unfamiliar with Grab, it is a game-changing online app for worldwide taxi services. Basically, you download the Grab app, track vehicles and drivers in the area on a real-time map. You enter your pick up location and destination, the nearest driver will come pick you up! The whole trip is tracked on GPS. You can use cash or credit card to pay for your trip and best of all, you can know how much you have to pay before using the service. Using this modern technology to take a taxi also makes it difficult for taxi drivers to scam tourists, which has been a big problem in this city for a long time.

To Grab’s advantage, Google Maps is well developed and quite accurate in Ho Chi Minh City. The ability to locate your start and end locations in Grab is extremely useful for travelers as communication between taxi drivers who do not understand English can be a problem. And, for women especially traveling alone late at night, Grab is a much safer option. Currently, taking Grab is cheaper than taking a taxi (except during rush hour). For example, a ride from District 1 to District 2 or District 7 is about 100,000 VND and from District 1 to Tan Binh District is about 50,000 VND. If you are a tourist here, check out our blog on mobile phones to set yourself up with a local Vietnam and 3G SIM card here. Download the Grab app (available for iOS, Android), add your credit card (optional), map your location and go!

Download Grab app on iPhone | Android

Grab is now offering at Ho Chi Minh City | Hanoi | Da Nang | Quang Ninh | Khanh Hoa

4. Saigon subway (under construction!)

In 2001, the idea of ​​developing the Ho Chi Minh City Metro was first proposed with 6 different lines covering the extended Ho Chi Minh City area. Line 1 started construction in 2008 and line 2 in 2010. The first line is supposed to be completed in early 2020, so it’s only a few years before we can take the subway in Saigon! Despite being far away, construction is affecting the city’s tourism. Specifically, the construction of the District 1 sections of the metro began in July 2017. As a result, most of Le Loi and Nguyen Hue were blocked off and traffic became much more intense in parts of the city. District 1. However, it is an exciting time to come to Ho Chi Minh City right now as many big changes are taking place.

5. Hop on-Hop off city sightseeing bus

Hop on-Hop off is one of the very popular bus services operated in many famous cities in the world such as New York, London, Rome, Singapore, Bangkok…. In 2015, Hop on-Hop off bus was launched in Vietnam, providing a new means of transportation for tourists to explore Ho Chi Minh City.

For Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City Bus Tour Line 1 will stop at 9 famous tourist attractions and historical sites of the city. You can start your trip from any of the Hop on-Hop off bus stops, or the starting point at the 23/9 park. They will provide you with the most modern buses with air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Furthermore, while on the bus, you are provided with automatic audio instructions (headphones) in English, French, Chinese, Indonesian, German, Russian, Bahasa and Vietnamese. As your bus prepares to arrive at each stop, the audio guide will start talking briefly about this stop so you can decide to get off and visit this site or continue to the next one.

The advantage of this bus service is that the ticket you buy can be used unlimitedly for 24 hours. This means that you can plan your city tour on your own. You can stay at the destination for as long as you like and then catch the next bus right from where you are.

In HCMC, Hop on-Hop off buses operate daily from 8:00 am to 5:30 am. Buses will wait at each stop for 5 to 10 minutes to drop off and pick up new passengers. There is always a new bus arriving at each stop every 30 minutes. The price for an adult is 330,000 VND or about 15 USD and for a child (2-12 years old) is 270,000 VND or about 12 USD.

For more information about Hop on-Hop off bus, please visit The Line 1 Ho Chi Minh City Bus Tour and have a nice day exploring Ho Chi Minh City.

At Vienam Travel Guide, we strongly believe that the city has much more to offer than District 1 alone. For more Vietnam Travel Tips, check back often to our Blog.