The map at the bottom of the page clearly shows the distance from Saigon to Vung Tau is only 95.7 kilometres. Less then 100 kilometres! Vung Tau should be no more than an hour away in a car.
However, it is not. For many reasons, getting from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau takes considerably longer; so you will need some reliable information before attempting to travel from Saigon to Vung Tau island.
The most reliable, safest and most comfortable way to get from Saigon to Vung Tau island is by boat. Also called the
hydrofoil,
fast ferry,
ferry or
the Vung Tau Ferry.
The Vung Tau fast ferry takes 1.5 hours to do the trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau.
Ticket prices per person, one-way are
150,000 dong weekdays and
200,000 dong on weekends.
It will also cost a little to store backpacks, suitcases etc in the store room.
The smooth, fast ride takes passengers from down-town Ho Chi Minh City (known as Saigon) along the beautiful and very interesting Saigon River. Most of the scenic trip is in the Port of Saigon (the 2nd largest natural port in the world). The final 15 minutes to Vung Tau island is on open ocean (this is actually the mouth of the Saigon River).
For more details on getting the ferry from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau CLICK on the FAST FERRY button below.
Picture
Picture
There are two choices if you are going from Saigon to Vung tau by bus.
Public bus, or
Private bus.
Public bus: Seasoned Viet Nam or Asia travellers might like to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to beautiful Vung tau island by public bus. This will definitely be the cheapest way to get to Vung tau, however, make sure you are on buses travelling directly to Vung Tau. You do not want to find your self stuck on a bus which stops at every town possible on the way (unless you want to, of course), this longer option might take up to 5 hours.
Private bus: Many resorts and hotels based in Vung Tau now provide express private buses from Saigon airport to Vung Tau, or from their sister hotel in Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau. Often these are free.
Some tourists go from Saigon to Vung Tau by taxi. Many travel agents or hotels in Saigon can arrange taxi travel you. Make sure to leave Saigon in the early morning hours. By getting out of down-town Saigon before the traffic jams, you will take hours off your trip. A good run should get you to Vung Tau between 1.5 to 2 hours.They will arrange a fixed price deal.