Hanoi (Hà Nội) Airport to the Old Quarter: Bus 86, Grab or Taxi

Noi Bai (Nội Bài) Airport is about 28 km from Hanoi's Old Quarter. If you have light bags and enough time before the last departure, bus 86 is an inexpensive direct ride to the edge of the Old Quarter. With a group, big suitcases or a late flight, book Grab or Green SM, or use the official taxi lane, and ignore anyone offering a ride inside the terminal.

Written by Tụi mình mê biểnPublished October 25, 2026Updated October 25, 2026

Noi Bai Airport's international Terminal 2 lit up at night, with its curved glass roof and the airport name in blue letters above the approach road, December 2014 — Noi Bai's international Terminal 2 at night, late December 2014.

The arrivals doors slide open and the offers start straight away: "Taxi? Old Quarter?" It is much easier to walk past them if you decided while waiting at the carousel how you are getting into town and where that ride picks you up.

Option - best for	Time, hours	Price (date)
Bus 86 - one or two people, light bags	Leaves 6:40 am-10:15 pm, every 45 min; allow time to clear arrivals and reach the stop	VND45,000 (Transerco, Oct 2026)
Buses 17, 07, 90, 109 - lowest cost, no rush	Many stops; last bus 9:33-10:35 pm; only the 17 reaches Long Bien (Long Biên)	VND12,000-15,000 (Oct 2026)
Grab or Green SM - groups of 2-4, suitcases	About 30 minutes in light traffic	Quoted in the app; Green SM about VND265,000 for 28 km (Oct 2026)
Taxi from the taxi lane - late arrivals, no app	Same as by app	Metered, VND15,000-16,700/km for a 5-seater (from March 2025)
Hotel pickup - first visit, small children, after midnight	Driver waits in arrivals	Set by the hotel; ask if tolls are included

Times cover the airport-to-Old Quarter leg only, not immigration, baggage claim or waiting. The Green SM figure is our calculation from its fixed-fare table, before tolls and airport fees.

Which terminal you land at, and what to sort out first #

International flights arrive at Terminal 2 (T2); flights from Ho Chi Minh City (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh), Da Nang (Đà Nẵng) or Nha Trang land at the domestic Terminal 1 (T1), a separate building. A free shuttle runs between them every 15-30 minutes, from Hall A on the T1 arrivals level and from near columns 16-18, lane 2, on the T2 arrivals level.

Noi Bai's red-roofed domestic Terminal 1 seen from the international terminal, with an airside service road and vehicles in the foreground, December 2023 — The red-roofed domestic Terminal 1, seen from the international terminal, December 2023.

Before you head outside, deal with cash and data. Both terminals have bank exchange counters and ATMs on the ground floor; change or withdraw just enough for the ride and a first meal. SIM counters sit just past baggage claim, but if your phone takes an eSIM, it is smoother to set one up before you fly so you can book a car the moment you walk out.

Bus 86: where to catch it and where to get off #

Route 86, run by the city bus company Transerco, is a direct option for the Old Quarter, with a less circuitous route than bus 17. According to Transerco's Tim Buyt (Tìm buýt) app (checked October 25, 2026), it picks up on the arrivals floor at Halls A, B and E of T1 and doors D1-D2 of T2, then crosses Nhat Tan Bridge (cầu Nhật Tân) and runs down Yen Phu (Yên Phụ) Street to the Long Bien bus interchange, 162 Tran Quang Khai (Trần Quang Khải), the Opera House, the Melia hotel and Hanoi Railway Station (Ga Hà Nội).

Staying in the Old Quarter proper or near Dong Xuan Market (chợ Đồng Xuân)? Get off at Long Bien. For the Hoan Kiem Lake (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm) side, Hang Tre (Hàng Tre) or Hang Bac (Hàng Bạc), Tran Quang Khai is closer. The last few hundred meters are narrow sidewalks lined with parked scooters, so a backpack is far easier than a big wheeled case.

Transerco lists the fare as VND45,000; the airport's own page says VND50,000 and a first bus at 7 am rather than 6:40 am, so keep VND50,000 in small notes for the conductor. The 10:15 pm last bus is a departure time, so allow for immigration, baggage claim and the walk to the stop. Route 86CT has the same fare and hours with a few different stops in town.

A row of blue-and-white Hanoi city buses parked at My Dinh Bus Station, with the station building and high-rise apartments behind, July 2025 — Hanoi city buses at My Dinh (Mỹ Đình) Bus Station, where route 109 to the airport starts, July 2025.

Cheaper city buses: 17, 07, 90 and 109

These cost VND12,000-15,000 but stop often and none goes into the Old Quarter. Route 17 ends at the Long Bien interchange after a long loop through Dong Anh (Đông Anh); the 90 runs from the T2 car park to Kim Ma (Kim Mã), the 07 to Cau Giay (Cầu Giấy) and the 109 to My Dinh Bus Station. They suit you if you are staying in western Hanoi or keeping transport costs down.

Grab and Green SM: go to the right pick-up point #

Since August 3, 2026, cars picking up at the airport may stop for no more than 5 minutes. According to Grab's August 2026 notice, GrabCar picks up from the covered car park P1 at T2 and from lane 3 in front of Hall E at T1. Green SM uses the same two points, with car park P7 as overflow when P1 is full. Collect your bags and walk to the pick-up point before you book.

The app shows the price before you book. Green SM lists its Green Airport Car from the airport into the city at VND189,000 for the first 20 km and VND9,500 per km after that (checked October 25, 2026), or roughly VND265,000 for the 28 km to the Old Quarter, before tolls and airport fees.

If someone wearing a ride-hailing logo offers you a "metered" ride in the arrivals hall, say no. In June 2025, Tuoi Tre News reported, a Taiwanese visitor was charged VND900,000 this way for a trip that should have cost about VND367,000. Only get into the car whose plate matches the one in your app. Keep the booking in the app and pay using the method selected for that ride.

Taxis: licensed brands, official lane, meter on #

Six taxi brands may pick up at the airport: G7, Taxi Group, HP-Noi Bai, Mai Linh, Airport Taxi and Green SM's airport taxi. They queue at Halls A, B and E of T1 and at columns 5 and 16 of T2, and must have a calibrated meter, intact seals and the company's hotline on display.

The taxi pick-up area outside Noi Bai Airport arrivals in the evening, with passengers and suitcases waiting under the canopy and a taxi in the pick-up lane, October 2010 — Archive photo: the taxi pick-up area outside Noi Bai arrivals, October 2010.

Rates since March 1, 2025 are VND15,000-16,700 per km for a 5-seater from the second kilometer, depending on the brand, so we estimate a metered ride to the Old Quarter at around VND420,000-470,000 before tolls. Flag fall and distance bands differ between companies, so the meter is what counts.

Once inside, check the meter is running; if the driver offers a fixed price, compare it with the app fare you just saw before agreeing. Note the plate number and keep the receipt. If you are overcharged, call the numbers in the box above, even after you reach your hotel. In town, agreeing a price first and booking through an app also protect you from the most common overcharging tricks.

Hotel transfers, late arrivals and rush hour #

A hotel pickup earns its price when you land after midnight, travel with small children or are bringing older relatives on their first trip. When you book, ask for the driver's name, the plate number and where they will wait, then check those details at arrivals. Miss the last bus 86 and licensed taxis still serve arrivals until the last flight of the day, under airport rules.

Going the other way, for a Friday afternoon flight or one just before a public holiday, we suggest leaving the Old Quarter at least half an hour earlier than usual.

FAQ: Hanoi airport to the Old Quarter #

Where do I catch bus 86 from the Old Quarter to the airport?

According to Transerco's Tim Buyt app (October 2026), buses toward the airport stop at the Central Post Office (75B Dinh Tien Hoang (Đinh Tiên Hoàng) Street), 23 Hang Tre Street and the Long Bien interchange, then drop off on the departures level of both T1 and T2. The first bus leaves Hanoi Railway Station around 5:15 am and the last around 8:40 pm.

Can I take a suitcase on the airport bus?

Vietnam's Circular 36/2024 (in force since January 1, 2025) lets passengers on bus routes that start or end at an airport carry up to 20 kg of luggage, in a size that fits the bus. One medium suitcase is usually fine; with two or three large ones, a car is far less hassle.

I land at T2 and connect to a domestic flight at T1. How do I get there?

Usually you clear immigration and collect your bags at T2, take the free shuttle to T1 and check in again. Ask your airline when booking whether bags can be checked through, and leave time for both queues.

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