How to get to Ben Thanh Market

Being so centrally located, as the Central Market of the District 1 of the city, it is always easy to reach Ben Thanh Market. Exactly which route is best may depend on your original starting place of course. Here are some of the common ones.

Metro Line 1: Fast & Modern Transportation

Ben Thanh Station - The main central underground station located directly under 23/9 Park and Quach Thi Trang Square, right in front of Ben Thanh Market. This state-of-the-art station serves as the intersection hub for Ho Chi Minh City's expanding metro network, featuring air conditioning, escalators, and modern facilities.

Route & Travel Time - Metro Line 1 spans 19.7 km (12.2 miles) with 14 stations, linking Ben Thanh Market to the Eastern Bus Terminal and Suoi Tien, with stops including Opera House, Ba Son, Thao Dien and Thu Duc. End-to-end travel time is about 30-35 minutes. There is no metro station at Tan Son Nhat Airport: the airport rail link (Metro Line 6) is still in the planning stage and is not expected to open before 2030.

Metro Payment Options - Use prepaid metro cards, or modern payment methods including Visa, JCB, American Express, UnionPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. From January 2025, passengers can also scan chip-enabled citizen ID cards for seamless travel. Cost-effective fares make this the most economical transportation option. Current Line 1 single fares and day-pass prices are listed in our Ben Thanh Market prices and fees guide.

From International Airport - Multiple Options

Tan Son Nhat International Airport Transportation Guide: Located only 7km from Ben Thanh Market, Tan Son Nhat International Airport offers multiple convenient transportation options for reaching the city center and Ben Thanh Market.

Grab Ride-Sharing (Most Popular)

Grab App Transportation - The most convenient and popular method for both locals and tourists. Download the Grab app for fixed-price, door-to-door service with upfront pricing and English-language support. GrabCar from airport to Ben Thanh Market costs approximately 100,000-150,000 VND (USD 4-6) depending on vehicle type and demand. No negotiation required, cashless payment options available.

GrabBike (Motorcycle Taxi) - For solo travelers seeking the quickest route, GrabBike offers motorcycle taxi service through Saigon traffic. Cost approximately 40,000-70,000 VND (USD 1.50-3.00) with helmets provided. This is the fastest option during rush hours but not suitable for travelers with large luggage.

Traditional Taxi Services

At the airport there are many taxi companies offering their services as well as minibus and private car hires. Please be aware that in Vietnam the pricing of taxi service is determined by each individual company, so choose your taxi company wisely for the best results. Talk to the taxi handler for the company that you choose, such as Vinasun or  Mailinh, their staff are uniformed and once you ask them then you are being queued for a ride.

A trip from the airport to the market should be done on the meter, not for a fixed price, and depending on the company the total price will be about  100,000 or 160,000 VND. There is no need to bargin or negotiate, simply insist on using the meter and this will get you a good price.

There are many touts, private taxi hire, and other people in the airport who will try to negotiate some offer for you. It is best to ignore all these and only talk to the uniformed representatives of the taxi company themselves.

Outside of rush hour the trip should take only about 15 minutes, though during busy times it can be double that or even more.

An alternative is to take the public bus, in Vietnam the public buses are safe and comfortable and are also quite fast as the traffic knows that they should have priority. Also as Ben Thanh market is a major bus terminus many busses go here.  From the airport there are some choices but the most convenient would be bus # 152 (the airport's other public routes are # 109 to the Saigon Bus Station at 23/9 Park and the limousine # 49 to District 1 hotels).

Catch the bus # 152 outside the airport building .  Catch the white and blue bus "Saigon Bus" with the number 152 painted in red numbers on the side of the bus.  When you reach the destination all the passengers will alight and you will be in the bus terminal.  Across from you is the large traffic circle with the statue of a horseman Tran Nguyen Han  in the center, and beyond that the Ben Thanh Market clock tower with its red tile roof is visible.