Fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao unless you are already in the Mekong Delta. The flight takes under an hour and runs about ten times a day, while every sea route means a long road trip to the port first and a crossing that stops whenever the sea turns rough. The ferries do save money, and the Tran De boat is a fair choice if you are touring the delta anyway.
How we built this guide: on 3 October 2026 we checked flights on 12Go and Google Flights for Wednesday 21 October 2026, ferry and bus listings on Baolau for Friday 9 October 2026, 2025 and 2026 news reports on the Con Dao runway, Vietjet's leased jets and the Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City ferries, a September 2026 transport guide, Vietnam Coracle's ferry guides and Phu Quoc Express's own policies. We did not make the trip for this guide. Prices are in Vietnamese dong (VND) with US dollar estimates at Vietcombank's selling rate of 26,170 VND per dollar on 3 October 2026.
Which way from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao suits you?
Fly for time and reliability, and take the Tran De ferry only if the delta is on your route. Our Con Dao guide covers what to do once you land.
| Mode | Time | Price seen | Reliability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight from Tan Son Nhat | 50 to 55 minutes in the air | 1,292,518 to 1,490,528 VND (about $49 to $57) on 12Go for 21 Oct | Flies in most weather | Nearly everyone |
| Bus to Soc Trang, then ferry from Tran De | About 4 hours 40 minutes by bus, a transfer, then 2 hours 30 minutes at sea | 220,000 VND bus plus 381,273 VND boat (about $23) | Ferry stops in rough seas | Delta travelers, budgets |
| Bus or hydrofoil to Vung Tau, then the Thang Long | 2 hours to Vung Tau, a night there, then about 3 hours 30 minutes at sea | 230,000 to 350,000 VND, plus 410,000 to 950,000 VND on promotion this spring | Pauses for the rough season | Spring and summer trips |
| Phu Quy Express 2 from central Ho Chi Minh City | 5 to 6 hours | 965,000 VND to more than 1,200,000 VND | Three sailings a week, weather permitting | No airport, no transfers |
How long is the flight, and who flies it?
The flight takes 50 to 55 minutes, and only Vietnam Airlines was selling it on the dates we checked. On 12Go for 21 October 2026, ten flights left Tan Son Nhat between 06:40 (VN8059, 50 minutes) and 15:30 (VN8069), for 1,292,518 to 1,490,528 VND one way. Google Flights showed the same ten nonstop flights, all operated by Vietnam Air Service (VASCO), from 1,355,181 to 1,560,181 VND, and one flight from Can Tho, at 11:40, that day.
These are small planes. Vietnam Airlines and VASCO fly the route with ATR 72 turboprops, per a September 2026 transport guide on vietnamtourism.com, because Con Dao's runway is only 1,830 m long, per Wikipedia. That is too short for the Airbus A320 and A321 jets that make up most domestic fleets, as Bao Phap Luat explained in November 2025.
Vietjet found a way around it for a while. It flew Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao with two Chinese-built COMAC C909 regional jets wet-leased from Chengdu Airlines from April 2025, per CAPA, and restarted the routes on 25 November 2025 under a six-month lease. Neither 12Go nor Google Flights showed a Vietjet flight to Con Dao for 21 October 2026, and Google found no nonstop flight from Hanoi that day.
Book early for weekends and Vietnamese holidays: with only small planes on the route, seats are limited. Check which terminal your ticket names; our Tan Son Nhat airport guide covers getting there from the center.
Which ferries go to Con Dao?
Three sea routes reach Ben Dam port on Con Son, and all depend on the weather.
From Tran De: the shortest crossing
The quickest boat leaves from Tran De port in the Mekong Delta, in the former Soc Trang province, which merged into Can Tho city in 2025, per vietnam.travel. On Baolau for 9 October 2026, Superdong's ferry left Tran De at 08:00 and reached Ben Dam at 10:30, for 381,273 VND. Baolau says Phu Quoc Express also runs the route, and asks passengers to arrive 30 minutes before departure.
Getting to Tran De is the hard part. FUTA buses from Mien Tay bus station reach Soc Trang in about 4 hours 38 minutes for 220,000 VND, per Baolau, and the port lies about 35 km east of Soc Trang, per Vietnam Coracle, which in 2023 reported a Superdong shuttle from its Soc Trang office. With an 08:00 sailing, that means a night bus or a night in Soc Trang. It works best as the last leg of a delta trip; see our Mekong Delta guide and the Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho guide.
From Vung Tau: the big ship, in season
The Thang Long, run by Phu Quoc Express, carries more than 1,000 passengers from Cau Da port in Vung Tau. It leaves Vung Tau at 07:30 and Con Dao at 13:00, and the crossing takes about 3 hours 30 minutes, per DTiNews, although Vietnam Coracle allows 4 to 5 hours. From 15 April to 15 June 2026 it was scheduled to run two return trips a day except Mondays, and regular fares of 555,000 to 790,000 VND on weekdays and 665,000 to 950,000 VND at weekends were cut for a promotion, per Saigon Times. DTiNews put the promotional fares at 410,000 to 950,000 VND depending on the seat.
It does not run all year. The ship stopped in September 2025 for the rough season and restarted on 26 February 2026, and Baolau showed no Vung Tau sailings for 9 October 2026. To catch a 07:30 departure, you need a night in Vung Tau: Greenlines DP hydrofoils from Bach Dang pier in District 1 take 2 hours for 350,000 VND, and buses 2 to 3 hours for about 230,000 VND, per Baolau.
From central Ho Chi Minh City: the direct boat
Since 6 June 2026, the Phu Quy Express 2, run by Thanh Thanh Phat, has sailed from Nha Rong and Khanh Hoi port in the city center at 06:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, returning from Ben Dam at 12:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, per SGGP. The crossing takes 5 to 6 hours depending on the weather, and weekday fares run from 965,000 VND for a seat to more than 1,200,000 VND for a VIP berth, about 10 percent more from Friday to Sunday. SGGP reported it as a restart of the route after a pause, so confirm it is sailing on your dates.
When do the ferries stop?
Often, and with little notice. The September 2026 vietnamtourism.com guide rates March and April the calmest months, says the southwest monsoon from May to October affects 20 to 30 percent of sailings at its peak, and says crossings can be cancelled for many days from November to February. Baolau warns that Tran De sailings may be interrupted in the storm season from August to November.
- Refunds: Phu Quoc Express says it refunds 100 percent when it cancels for bad weather, per its FAQ.
- Luggage and ID: the same FAQ allows 20 kg of baggage and requires an ID that matches your ticket, so book with your passport details.
- Seasickness: the Tran De crossing is the shortest, so it is the gentler choice.
Watch out: if you sail to Con Dao, keep a spare day before any onward flight from Ho Chi Minh City. A cancelled return boat can strand you on the island, and flights back fill up fast.
Where do you arrive, and how do you get to town?
Flights land at Con Dao airport, about 15 km from Con Son town, a 20 to 30 minute drive, per VnExpress's island guide. Every ferry docks at Ben Dam port in the southwest of the island, more than 10 km from town per Vietnam Coracle, and the vietnamtourism.com guide puts a taxi into town at 200,000 to 300,000 VND and a port fee at about 18,000 VND. Ask your hotel to send a car, especially for an evening arrival.
Going the other way: Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City
The same choices apply. Flights back to Tan Son Nhat take about the same 50 to 55 minutes. The Thang Long leaves Con Dao for Vung Tau at 13:00 when it is running, and the Phu Quy Express 2 leaves for central Ho Chi Minh City at 12:00 on its return days. For other trips from the city, see the Starting from Ho Chi Minh City hub.
Key facts at a glance
- Ten Vietnam Airlines flights took 50 to 55 minutes, from 1,292,518 VND, on 12Go for 21 October 2026.
- Con Dao's runway is 1,830 m long, per Wikipedia.
- Superdong's Tran De ferry took 2 hours 30 minutes for 381,273 VND, per Baolau.
- The Vung Tau ferry was suspended from September 2025 to 26 February 2026, per DTiNews.
- The Phu Quy Express 2 has sailed from central Ho Chi Minh City since 6 June 2026, per SGGP.
Limitations
Flight times and fares are a snapshot of 12Go and Google Flights for one date, 21 October 2026, and small planes mean fares rise quickly as seats sell. We could not confirm from any timetable whether Vietjet will return to Con Dao. Ferry details come from news reports dated February to June 2026 and Baolau's listings for 9 October 2026, and they change with the season: we found no confirmed October schedule for the Vung Tau or the Ho Chi Minh City boats. The Tran De port distance and shuttle come from a 2023 guide. Check with the operator the day before any crossing, and treat every sea route as weather permitting.
