How to get from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre

Why visit Hue?

Hue in central Vietnam is a treat for history buffs. As the former national capital and seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue is the best place to get to know Vietnam’s last imperial family. Explore the Imperial Citadel, cruise down the Perfume River, or sample an Imperial Banquet.

But if you ask us, the best thing to do in Hue is to ride a motorbike to the nearby Hai Van Pass — one of the greatest ocean roads in the world. This will reward you with some of the most jaw-dropping views you’ll see in Vietnam!

There are 3 ways to travel the 15 kilometre (9 miles) distance from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre. You can choose between the Shuttle bus, private transport and Public bus*. The journey takes 30 to 50 minutes and the quickest way is by shuttle bus. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by public bus* with tickets starting at 7,000 VND ($0.30).

*Important update (March 2023): One of our readers shared that they tried to flag down Bus 11 on the highway outside Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre, but the bus didn’t stop for them. We’ll update the page once we confirm that they still pick up passengers outside Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre.

If you’re on a budget, you can consider taking a public bus from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre to the city centre. Keep in mind that this option is only for people who are carrying small luggage and don’t mind getting on a fully packed bus.

Public buses in Hue are quite efficient, but they are widely used by both tourists and locals. This means that there will be a lot of passengers getting on and off the bus throughout your journey.

With the public bus, a ticket costs 5,000 VND ($0.20) to South Bus Station and 7,000 VND ($0.30) to North Bus Station. The bus makes several stops in town and you can get off at the nearest bus stop to your accommodation.

You can take Bus #2 or Bus #11 to get to and from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre. Travel time is around 45 minutes, depending on where you’re headed in the city centre.

Departure station

Most of the time, public buses are parked outside Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre. They depart approximately every 30 minutes.

In case you can’t find any public bus, you can walk for about 10 minutes to Phu Bai Airport intersection and stop a bus from there. When taking the public bus to the airport, you might be dropped off at the intersection too, so you’ll need to walk to the airport.

Bus #2 route from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre

Bus #2 is available from 04:45 in the morning to 21:45 in the evening. They follow this route from the airport to Hue city centre and make the same stops on the way back:

Bus #11 route from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre

You can catch Bus #11 from 09:15 to 19:00 daily. See below the Bus #11 route from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre. Note that it traces the same stops on the way back.

Pre-pandemic, Vietnam Airlines operated shuttle buses between Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre and Hue city centre. But the last time we checked (September 2023), their operations were still suspended.

Fortunately, you can still get a shared ride at Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre. This could be a shared minivan or a shared taxi. And the good thing about this is that you can choose where you want to be dropped off. Previously, the only drop-off point was at the Vietnam Airlines or VietJet Air office along Hanoi Street.

Rates for a shared shuttle from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre to Hue city centre start from 100,000 VND ($3.80).

Do note that these shared shuttles don’t have a lot of space for bulky luggage. They also wait until the van or taxi is full before departing.

Taking a taxi from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre to Hue city centre is the most convenient option as you’ll be dropped right outside your hotel. That makes it easier when you’re travelling with big luggage.

Also, the taxi is cost-efficient if you’re travelling in a group. Taxi rates start from 250,000 VND ($9.50).

You can find a taxi outside the airport, or you can also pre-book a private transfer online through BookAway with rates from 317,000 VND ($12.10).

Thinking of taking a Grab from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre? While Grab Taxi and Grab Bike are widely available in Hue, they are prohibited from picking up passengers from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) to the city centre. That is why we recommend taking a regular taxi or booking one through BookAway instead.

But if you really want to take a Grab Taxi, you’ll need to walk a bit to the main road outside of the airport to meet your driver. It’s worth noting though that Grab and regular taxi rates are about the same.