The best ways of getting to and around Hanoi for the 2021 Vietnam Grand Prix on April 23-25. Flights, public transport tips and more.
Flights to Hanoi
The Vietnamese capital is served by Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), the second largest airport in the country with over 28 million passengers in 2018. Located 35km north east of Hanoi’s city centre, the airport has two terminals – Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights. A range of Vietnamese and international carriers operate from the airport, including the local flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and leading regional and Middle-Eastern carriers. There are fewer direct international flights here than at Ho Chi Minh City’s airport (SGN), but you can also connect from long-haul destinations through major regional hubs such as Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong and Bangkok – all of which have regular daily flights to the city. The Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is one of the most travelled air routes in the world, serving almost 7 million passengers in 2017. Selected air connections to Hanoi are listed below:
- Domestic: various routes, including Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang & Nha Trang. Popular airlines include Vietnam Airlines, VietJetAir, Jetstar
- Regional: Seoul (Asiana), Tokyo (JAL ANA), Bangkok (Thai Airways, Air Asia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia,), Singapore (Singapore Airlines, Scoot), Hong Kong (Cathay Dragon, Hong Kong Airlines)
- Long Haul: Dubai (Emirates), Doha (Qatar Airways), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Moscow (Aeroflot), London, Paris & Frankfurt (Vietnam Airlines)
Hanoi Airport to the city
- Taxi or Ride Sharing: A taxi or ride share from the airport to the city centre should take half an hour and cost around $10-20 USD (230,000-460,000 VND). Beware of taxi scammers operating in airports in Vietnam. Official taxi drivers wear bright yellow jackets. The following taxi companies are considered reliable in Hanoi: Taxi Tourist (Tel: 024 562 4616), Taxi Mai Linh (Tel: 024 39 72 58 88) and Taxi Group (Tel: 1900 54 54 67). . For ride sharing, the best app for getting around Hanoi is Grab.
- Bus: The public bus number 17 connects Noi Bai Airport to the city centre. It runs from outside Terminal 1 to Long Bien Bus Station, which is in the Old Quarter. The journey takes 90 minutes and runs around every 20 minutes between 5am and 10pm. It costs just 5,000 VND ($0.22 USD). Alternatively, bus number 7 connects the airport to Kim Ma Bus Station, a few kilometres to the West.
- Minibus: Vietnam Airlines run a minibus service from the airport. The service is cheap, costing just 40,000 VDN (around $2 USD) for a one way trip to their branch on Quang Trung. Don’t use this if you’re in a hurry, though. It is supposed to be an hourly service, but the bus only departs when it is full.
- Metro: There may soon be a metro service running from Noi Bai Airport into the city centre, but the project has been delayed and is unlikely to be up and running before 2021. Two lines are currently being worked on, with eight planned in total. The project should help to ease congestion on Hanoi’s busy streets.
Getting Around in Hanoi
The aforementioned Grab ride sharing service, which took over Uber’s operations in SE Asia, is indispensible in Hanoi. You can choose a car or motorbike. The latter is not for the faint hearted but will get you there quicker, especially when traffic is bad. Ride sharing is expected to be the best way to get to Hanoi Street Circuit.
Within the city, there is also an Electric Bus tour route, which has 14 stops in the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake. This can be a good way of exploring more of the city – there’s even an English language commentary as you go around the hour-long route.
How to get to Hanoi Street Circuit
The Hanoi Street Circuit is located in the Nam Từ Liêm district of the city. Slightly west of the centre, the urban area can be reached by a variety of public transport or taxi services. The circuit is located within the vicinity of the Mỹ Đình National Stadium. The My Dinh Bus Station (30 minutes’ walk from the circuit) offers metropolitan and regional bus services. Search for the best connections here. There’s likely to be disruption to usual routes during the Vietnam Grand Prix weekend, but details have not yet been announced.
If u’re solo take Grab Bike, even without the GP traffic are already bad enuf if u’re in a car. I can’t imagine during the GP week! Just wear this ? & avoid stress of getting late to the circuit!