Asia Unseen · 24 September 2026
Noi Bai airport: buses, taxis and the operator's own fares
Between a 12,000 VND public bus and a 90,000 VND shuttle, the spread for the same journey is already a factor of seven. Here is what the airport operator publishes, line by line.
The cheapest way into Hanoi costs 12,000 VND, the most expensive shuttle around 90,000. That is a factor of seven for the same journey, and the difference is mostly a matter of knowing which desk to walk past.
Everything below is taken from the airport operator’s own published list.
The buses, cheapest to most direct
| Route | Journey | Fare | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07 | Noi Bai – Cau Giay | 12,000 VND | 05:00 – 22:30 |
| 17 | Noi Bai – Long Bien | 15,000 VND | 05:10 – 22:00 |
| 90 | Noi Bai – Kim Ma | 15,000 VND | 06:40 – 22:30 |
| 109 | Noi Bai – My Dinh | 12,000 VND | 05:00 – 22:00 |
| E10 | Noi Bai – Ocean Park | 20,000 VND | 06:20 – 22:00 |
These are the ordinary city routes. They are cheap, they run often, and they stop where locals need them — which is rarely where you are staying. Expect a second leg by taxi or ride-hailing at the far end.
The two “quality” routes are more direct and considerably more comfortable:
| Route | Journey | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| 86 | Noi Bai – Hanoi railway station | 50,000 VND |
| 68 | Noi Bai – Ha Dong | 55,000 VND |
Route 86 is the one to remember. It ends at Hanoi railway station, a short ride from the old quarter, runs every 25 to 30 minutes from 07:00 to 22:00, and takes luggage without fuss. At 50,000 VND it is still roughly a tenth of a taxi.
Taxis: a regulated framework since 2024
Since July 2024, only taxi companies accredited by the airport may wait and pick up at the terminals, with sealed and calibrated meters.
That changes where the risk sits. It is no longer in the official rank; it is with the people who approach you inside the hall, before you reach it, quoting a fixed price that appears on no published list.
What to do, concretely: walk out of the arrivals hall and join the marked rank. Decline anyone who comes to you first, however official the badge looks. This is the same mechanism described in our airport taxi guide for the rest of Asia: the scam only works where no tariff is published, and here one is.
What does not exist yet
There is no train or metro to Noi Bai. Hanoi has metro lines; none of them reaches the airport. Anyone offering you an “airport express train” is selling something else.
One thing this page cannot tell you
Whether you need a visa, and for how long you may stay. That depends on your passport, not on Vietnam in the abstract: British travellers currently get 45 days visa-free, Canadians need a visa from day one. The Vietnam page gives the rule for yours, with the government source and the month it was read.
What to remember
- 12,000 to 20,000 VND on ordinary buses, 50,000 on route 86 to the railway station.
- Taxis are accredited at the terminals since 2024 — use the marked rank, not the person who approaches you.
- No train, no metro. Bus or taxi, nothing else.
Common questions
Which bus goes from Hanoi airport to the city centre?
Route 86 is the most direct for the old quarter: it links the airport to Hanoi railway station for 50,000 VND, every 25 to 30 minutes between 07:00 and 22:00. The ordinary routes 07, 17, 90 and 109 cost two to three times less, from 12,000 to 15,000 VND, but stop further out — Cau Giay, Long Bien, Kim Ma, My Dinh — where you usually need a second leg.
How much is a bus between Noi Bai airport and Hanoi?
Between 12,000 and 20,000 VND on ordinary routes (07, 17, 90, 109, E10), and 50,000 to 55,000 VND on the so-called quality routes (86 and 68), which are more comfortable and more direct. These are the airport operator's own fares, set by a decision of the Hanoi People's Committee.
Are taxis reliable at Noi Bai airport?
Since July 2024, only taxi companies accredited by the airport may wait and pick up at the terminals, with sealed and calibrated meters. The overcharging risk comes mainly from touts outside that accredited area, who quote a fixed price that is not displayed anywhere. Staying in the official rank as you leave the hall removes most of the risk.
Is there a train or metro from Hanoi airport?
No. No rail link serves Noi Bai airport at the time of writing. The metro lines that exist in Hanoi do not reach it, and the bus or a taxi are the only ways in.
Sources
Rules and prices change without notice. Confirm at the official source before you book — that is the only thing that counts.