What to expect when visiting 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!
3 ways to get from Hue Airport (Phu Bai)
There are three ways to travel the distance of 15 km (9 miles) from Hue Airport (Phu Bai): by shuttle bus (30 minutes), taxi (30 minutes) and public bus* (45 minutes). The journey takes between 30 minutes - 45 minutes and the quickest way is by shuttle bus. The lowest priced tickets start from 7,000 VND ($0.20) for the public bus*.Where to stay in Hue?
Still looking for accommodation? Don't forget to check out our favourite places to stay in Hue at the bottom of this page.
Hue Airport (Phu Bai) by Public Bus*
*Important update (March 2023): One of our readers shared that they tried to flag down Bus 11 on the highway outside Hue Airport, 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.
If you’re on a budget, you can consider taking a public bus from Hue Airport 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 ($0.20) 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. 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. 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
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
You can catch Bus #11 from 09:15 to 19:00 daily. See below the Bus #11 route from Hue Airport. Note that it traces the same stops on the way back.
Hue Airport (Phu Bai) by Shuttle Bus
Pre-pandemic, Vietnam Airlines operated shuttle buses between Phu Bai Airport 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 Phu Bai Airport. 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 Phu Bai Airport to Hue city centre start from 100,000 VND ($4.10).
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.
Hue Airport (Phu Bai) by Taxi
Taking a taxi from Hue Airport 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 270,000 VND ($11.00).
You can find a taxi outside the airport, or you can also pre-book a private transfer online through BookAway with rates from 300,000 VND ($12.00).
Thinking of taking a Grab from Hue Airport? While Grab Taxi and Grab Bike are widely available in Hue, they are prohibited from picking up passengers from Phu Bai Airport. 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.
Our favourite places to stay in Hue
Hong Thien Ruby Hotel - Budget Friendly
Hong Thien Ruby Hotel offers great value if you don’t want to spent too much on an accommodation. Excellent breakfast, good location and friendly staff. What do you need more? Single beds incl. breakfast from $16 and double rooms from $24.
Hotel La Pere - Budget Friendly
Another hotel that offers great value for money is Hotel La Perle. This eco-friendly hotel is located in the same area and also offers an outstanding breakfast plus fresh fruit all day long! Double rooms start from $24.
Cherish Hue Hotel - Mid Range
Want to treat yourself? The experience you get a Cherish Hue Hotel would cost you over $100 in a Western country, but here it won’t cost you more than $42! The staff is super professional and a breakfast buffet like this is hard to find anywhere else! The hotel also has a spa where you get a 30% discount as a guest and you can get a massage or other treatment for very reasonable prices.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hue Airport (Phu Bai)
What is the distance from Hue Airport (Phu Bai)?
The distance from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) is 15 km (9 miles).
What is the fastest way to get from Hue Airport (Phu Bai)?
The fastest way to get from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) is by shuttle bus and takes 30 minutes.
What is the cheapest way to get from Hue Airport (Phu Bai)?
The cheapest way to get from Hue Airport (Phu Bai) is by public bus* with ticket costs starting from 7,000 VND ($0.20).
Rounding it up
We hope this guide was helpful in planning how to get from Hue Airport (Phu Bai). If there's anything else you're wondering about, drop us a comment and we'll do our best to answer you within a few days.
PS: If you've recently travelled this route, share your experience with fellow travellers and help us improve this post. Thanks for helping out our travel community!
Routes from Hue
Most popular routes in Vietnam
Based in Bali, Maarten’s passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you’ll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.
Aleksandra is a writer and editor who recently moved from Hong Kong to London. She’s worked and studied in four countries (and counting) and picked up a new hobby in each of them. She’s a big fan of long train journeys so you can count on her to take the scenic route, finding a few hidden gems along the way.
We tried to catch the public bus from the airport this evening but couldn’t find anything like a bus stop outside arrivals – is there one marked? The staff we talked to pointed us to the shuttle buses when we asked about the public bus, and one taxi driver said it isn’t currently running (he was after our business, though).
Also worth noting that Grab is prohibited from the airport. In the end, we got a taxi to our hotel for 270,000 dong, which was about the same as what Grab would have offered.
Hi David! Thank you for your feedback. This helped us confirm the latest taxi rates from Hue Airport. We have updated the article accordingly.
As for the public bus, one of our readers also mentioned previously that they were unable to catch the bus that used to run between Hue Airport and the city centre. Unfortunately, we too are still unable to confirm the availability of these public buses. If you have any update on that too, that would be highly appreciated! But rest assured that we are always on the lookout for the latest updates.
We hope you’re having a great time in Vietnam. Happy travels!
Buenos días,
Vamos a Hue en julio y estamos mirando las distintas posibilidades para llegar del aeropuerto al centro. Hemos visto que hay dos autobuses, (2 y 11) pero, ¿hacen exactamente el mismo recorrido?
Muchas gracias.
María.
Hi Maria, buses 2 and 11 have almost the exact same route. The difference is that Bus 11 goes all the way to Vinh Hien while Bus 2 stops at Phu Bai Station and then returns to Northern Bus Station. When going to the city centre, you can take either bus and get off at the bus stop nearest to your accommodation.
PD: Esta respuesta está escrita en inglés para que sea útil para los viajeros de todo el mundo. Recomiendo usar Google Translate para traducir esta respuesta al español.
I have been at Hue airport waiting for the 2 or 11 for 2 hours from 11.45am. It’s a Saturday. No buses turned up. I walked to the highway – about 10 mins walk – and tried to flag down the no. 11 bus heading into Hue. It didn’t stop. I am now cathing the shuttle – 90000 dong for 1 ticket (70000pp for 2 tix or 60000pp for 3 or more tix) . They wait until the van is full. Above info may be incorrect or different on a weekend.
Hi Julie, firstly, we’re sorry that you had to wait for 2 hours at the airport for the bus! We did some additional research and found another source confirming the availability of the shuttle and public buses.
We’ve now updated our page with the info you shared. This update will definitely help other travellers know what to expect upon arriving at Hue Airport. Many thanks for sharing your experience with us!
Thanks for the tip. The cost is still 50000vnd as of 7/14/2019. The place to buy tickets is right outside the baggage claim area and before the exit. You can’t miss it on the right hand side.
Hi Mark! Thank you so much for this confirmation! I try to check my sources regularly, but nothing better than receiving updates/confirmations from other travellers real-time! Cheers for the tip and safe travels!
We tried to organise the shuttle with our hotel but because they had to fix something in our room they offered us a free private car ride to the airport!!! So I’m sorry we won’t have anything to share regarding the shuttle or the timetable… but thank you for your prompt response Maarten! 🙂
That’s an even better solution! Thanks for the message anyways! Safe travels!
Hi Maarten!
We are leaving Hue day after tomorrow and I wondered about the shuttle – where would we catch it from in Hue and how would I buy tickets?
Hi Bec, I recommend to visit the Vietnam Airline office to reserve a ticket. They leave about 2 hrs before the scheduled flights. Tickets cost only 50.000 VND pp and it takes about 20-30 min to the airport. They can also pick you up at your hotel when it’s closeby. Would be great if you can share your experience or even a picture of a time-table if that’s available. Hope it works!