Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang: How To Get There

Ready to swap the busy streets of Hanoi for the mountains of Ha Giang? Here’s everything you need to know about traveling from Hanoi Airport to Ha Giang!

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I flew into Hanoi and knew from my previous time backpacking Hanoi that it’s quite a hike into the city from the airport. This seemed like a waste of time knowing I’d need to backtrack again a few hours later since I was keen to head straight up to Ha Giang.

Everyone I’d seen traveling from Hanoi to Ha Giang did so via the Old Quarter, though I wanted to do this directly from the airport. Luckily, with a bit of research, I found out you don’t need to head into the city first!

There are actually buses that pick you up directly from Hanoi Airport and take you all the way to Ha Giang. So, as someone who has been there and done it myself, I’m here to let you know exactly how it works. And trust me, it was so worth it.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about traveling from Hanoi Airport to Ha Giang, including how to book your bus, what the journey is actually like, and a few things I wish I’d known beforehand.

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Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang: The Basics

Journey Details	Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang
Distance	Approx. 270 km / 168 miles
Travel Time	Around 6–7 hours
Cost	444,840 VND / US$17.00
Best Option	Direct sleeper/cabin bus
Where To Book	12Go
Departure Point	Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport
Arrival Point	Ha Giang

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How To Get From Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang

As I said, getting from Hanoi Airport to Ha Giang is actually a lot easier than I expected. I initially thought I’d have to head all the way into Hanoi and catch a bus from there, but luckily that’s not the case!

There are a few different ways you can travel directly from the airport to Ha Giang, whether you’re looking for the cheapest option or just want the easiest and most comfortable journey possible.

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Direct Bus From Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang

For most travelers, taking a direct bus from Hanoi Airport to Ha Giang is going to be the easiest and most affordable option, perfect if you’re backpacking Vietnam on a budget.

Better yet, there are plenty of departures throughout the day, so you should be able to find one that works around your flight arrival time. I booked 3 hours after arrival, though I was just being extra cautious.

You’ll find everything from cheaper limousine buses to VIP sleeper buses with individual cabins where you can actually lie down. Personally, I’d recommend paying a little extra for one of the cabin buses, especially since you’ll be on the road for around 6 hours.

I booked my bus online through 12Go before arriving in Vietnam. The whole process was surprisingly easy, and I’ll go into exactly what the pickup and journey were like further down.

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Private Transfer

If you’re after the easiest and most comfortable option, why not book a private transfer directly from Hanoi Airport to Ha Giang?

Your driver will meet you at the airport when your flight arrives with a cute little sign, so there’s no waiting around for a bus or worrying about finding the correct pickup point. Honestly, this is a great option if you are arriving outside the hours the bus operates, or want to get there just as quickly as possible.

Of course, this convenience comes at a higher price, so I wouldn’t recommend it for solo travelers or anyone on a backpacker budget. However, if you’re traveling as a group and can split the cost, it may actually be worth considering.

The drive will take around 5 to 6 hours, and you’ll probably need to stop at least once for a bathroom break.

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Going Into Hanoi First And Taking A Bus From There

Of course, you can always travel into Hanoi first and catch a bus to Ha Giang from there, and honestly I’ve seen plenty of people do this online.

You’ll have a better choice of departure times and bus companies, with plenty of options leaving throughout the day and overnight.

Plus, if you’re keen to take the night bus like a lot of people do, this will give you some time to explore the Old Quarter before heading off to Ha Giang.

However, I personally wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you’re already planning to spend some time in Hanoi. Hanoi Airport is surprisingly quite a way from the city center, so you’ll essentially be adding extra travel time just to turn around and head north again.

Nevertheless, if you do have a few days to spare, there’s plenty to see and do with 3 days in Hanoi before heading north.

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Taking The Bus From Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang

For my journey, I decided to keep things simple and book a direct bus from Hanoi Airport to Ha Giang. It was affordable, the timing worked out pretty well with our flight, and most importantly, it meant we didn’t have to waste time traveling into Hanoi first.

I booked with Bang Phan through 12Go Asia and chose their Single Royal Cabin. Honestly, the journey was so much easier and more comfortable than I expected, especially after departing Singapore in the early hours. I was definitely ready for a good sleep.

I’d also had some pretty bad experiences with sleeper buses in Vietnam, especially on the Hanoi to Sapa route, so to say I was nervous about this ride would be an understatement.

Thankfully, it turned out better than I could’ve hoped, and honestly, I’d love it if everywhere had buses this comfy!

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Booking Our Bus

I booked our bus through 12Go Asia around a month before our trip. Honestly, there were a few different options to choose from, though with just a little research it was obvious Bang Phan was the most reputable and had the best reviews.

Our flight was scheduled to arrive at Hanoi Airport around 9:00 am, so I booked the 12:00 pm departure. In hindsight, this was unnecessary, but at the time I was thinking about potential immigration queues.

I saved around $50 not having to book the fast track through the airport, and turns out I didn’t even need it.

The bus was scheduled to arrive in Ha Giang at 6:00 pm, making it around a 6 hour journey, which in all honesty isn’t too bad. We paid 444,840 VND / US$17.00 each for a Single Royal Cabin.

Bang Phan also offers double cabins, but from what I could see, they’re basically the same size as a single cabin with two people squeezed inside. Since we wanted to actually get some sleep and be comfortable, we decided to book an individual cabin each instead.

Pickup was from Column 20 outside International Arrivals at Noi Bai Airport, which is Bang Phan’s standard airport pickup point. The ticket recommended arriving at least 45 minutes before departure, though since we’d just flown in, we were already there with time to spare.

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🚗 How I Book Cheap Transport In Vietnam: Baolau & 12Go Asia

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Finding The Bus At Hanoi Airport

Since we had a few hours to kill before our bus, we just stayed at the airport. There are a few cafes around where you can grab a banh mi and something to drink, so it wasn’t a bad place to wait.

We did get approached by A LOT of taxi drivers asking if we needed a ride. However, as soon as we explained we were waiting for the bus to Ha Giang they were super chill and left us alone.

We waited at Column 20 outside International Arrivals as instructed, which was pretty easy to find.

The driver also messaged me on WhatsApp in English when he was leaving Hanoi Old Quarter, which was super helpful. Our bus was meant to arrive at 12:00 pm but didn’t actually turn up until around 12:40 pm, so there was definitely a point where I started wondering where the heck our bus was!

Luckily, since I had the driver’s WhatsApp, I could simply message him and check what was happening. I’d definitely recommend having an eSIM or some sort of mobile data set up before your bus arrives for this exact reason.

When the bus eventually pulled up, it was pretty obvious it was ours as it looked exactly like the photos online. We showed our tickets on our phones, hopped onboard and found our cabins.

There were actually quite a few other travelers catching the same bus to Ha Giang as well, though we didn’t really notice them until everyone started getting onboard.

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What The Bang Phan Sleeper Cabins Are Like

Honestly, I was seriously impressed with the Single Royal Cabin. After some of the cramped sleeper buses I’d experienced elsewhere in Vietnam, this felt like a HUGE upgrade.

The cabin itself was surprisingly wide and spacious. I’m 181 cm tall and could actually lie completely flat, which isn’t something I take for granted on sleeper buses in Vietnam! There was also plenty of room around me, so I never felt cramped or claustrophobic.

I kept my day pack down by my feet and hung my shoes up in a plastic bag, while my larger backpack was stored underneath the bus. There was still plenty of room in my cabin as well, definitely had room for a few bags of snacks.

The bed isn’t crazy soft, but it is padded and I found it comfortable enough. There wasn’t a pillow, so I ended up folding the supplied blanket and using that instead.

Each cabin also has a curtain that closes completely for privacy, as well as its own light, USB-C charging port and individual air-con vents. Since I traveled during the day, I didn’t use the lights, and didn’t have a USB-C cable to test the charging port, so my trusty power bank came in handy instead.

One thing I’ll say is that the air-con works very well. It got pretty cold inside the bus, and when I tried closing my individual vents they made an annoying buzzing noise. In the end, I just left them slightly open and used my jacket to keep warm.

Our cabins were assigned when we booked, and my partner and I were given upper cabins directly opposite each other. This honestly was the perfect scenario, and we were stoked with this.

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The Journey To Ha Giang

Once we left Hanoi Airport, that was it for pickups and we headed straight towards Ha Giang. The roads were surprisingly good and the driver was actually surprisingly chill.

Honestly, I slept for most of the journey.

We made one proper toilet stop along the way for around 15 to 20 minutes at a small roadside restaurant. There were food and drinks available to buy, though the toilets themselves were… questionable. Think smelly squat toilets with what I’m pretty sure was a pig pen right next door.

There’s no toilet onboard the bus, so you’ll definitely want to make the most of this stop. The attendant I’d been messaging on WhatsApp let everyone know how long we had here.

You don’t need to worry about putting your shoes back on either. They had plastic slippers available for everyone to use when getting off the bus, even though they were about 4 sizes too small for me.

Most of the other passengers onboard seemed to be fellow travelers, and with everyone tucked away behind their cabin curtains, the bus stayed nice and quiet for most of the journey.

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Arriving In Ha Giang

Despite leaving Hanoi Airport a little late, we arrived in Ha Giang right at our scheduled time of 6:00 pm. The bus dropped us at the main Ha Giang bus station, which is actually pretty small.

When we first got on the bus at Hanoi Airport, the attendant asked where we were staying. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it turned out a transfer to our hotel was included, even though we hadn’t organized or paid extra for one.

Unfortunately, the transfer was probably the most chaotic part of the whole journey. Everyone was squeezed into a tiny van with luggage stacked almost to the roof, and it took around 40 minutes to drive around Ha Giang dropping everyone at their accommodation.

If I did it again, I’d honestly skip the included transfer and just grab a taxi. There weren’t any waiting directly outside the bus station when we arrived, but I’d walk out to the main road and find one from there instead.

One of the main reasons I chose the daytime bus was to avoid arriving in Ha Giang in the middle of the night. Getting there around 6:00 pm meant we could grab some dinner in town and get a proper night’s sleep before starting the Ha Giang Loop the following morning.

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Is The Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang Sleeper Bus Worth It?

Yes, absolutely! If I was flying into Hanoi Airport and heading straight to Ha Giang again, I’d happily book the exact same bus with Bang Phan.

For 444,840 VND / US$17.00 each, I thought it was great value, especially since we could travel directly from the airport without worrying about getting a taxi into Hanoi and then finding our bus departure point.

I’d give the overall journey a solid 9/10. The cabin was incredibly comfortable, pickup was easy enough, I slept for most of the journey, and we arrived in Ha Giang at a perfect time to grab dinner and get a good night’s sleep.

The only real downsides were the questionable toilet stop and the chaotic transfer once we arrived in Ha Giang. Neither would stop me from booking it again, though next time I’d definitely skip that final transfer and grab a taxi instead.

I also really liked traveling during the day, though I wouldn’t rule out an overnight bus if the departure time lined up better with my flight. Ultimately, if you’re flying into Hanoi and want to head straight to Ha Giang, taking the direct bus is for sure your best option.

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FAQs About Traveling Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang

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Wrap Up: How To Travel From Hanoi Airport To Ha Giang

Hopefully, this guide has shown you just how easy it is to travel directly from Hanoi Airport to Ha Giang!

Before my trip, I’d seen so many travelers heading into Hanoi Old Quarter first to catch their bus, but unless you’re actually planning to spend some time in the city before, it really isn’t necessary.

Taking the direct bus from the airport was affordable, super comfortable, and saved us a whole lot of unnecessary travel. Apart from the questionable toilet stop and chaotic transfer at the other end, the journey couldn’t have been much easier.

I’d happily book the same Bang Phan bus again, and arriving in Ha Giang in time for dinner and a good night’s sleep was the perfect way to start the Ha Giang Loop adventure.

If Ha Giang is part of a bigger trip, check out my 3 weeks in Vietnam itinerary for all my favorite spots to visit.

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Any Questions? Let Me Know In The Comments!

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