Take a bus or limousine van from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne unless you are a group. The expressway to Phan Thiet has made a private car fast, about 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes on 12Go's listings, but buses on the same road still take 3.5 to 4 hours and cost a fraction as much. The train is a pleasant option on weekends only, and it stops short of Mui Ne. There is no flight: Phan Thiet airport is not due to open until 2027.
How we built this guide: on 3 October 2026 we checked listings on Baolau for Friday 9 October 2026, on 12Go for Wednesday 14 October 2026 and on Vexere, The Sinh Tourist's published schedule, Vietnam Railways' own timetable and fares for 9 and 14 October, a July 2026 report on the weekend train, and 2026 reports on the Phan Thiet airport build. 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. Where a site showed dollars, the VND figure is our conversion.
Which way from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne suits you?
Take a bus or van for value, a car for speed or a group, and the train if your dates fall on a weekend. Our Mui Ne guide covers where to stay once you arrive.
| Mode | Time | Price seen | Comfort and catch | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | About 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes | From about $52 per car (about 1,361,000 VND) on 12Go for 14 Oct | Door to door, your own stops | Groups, families, airport arrivals |
| Bus (seats, sleepers or cabins) | About 3.5 to 4 hours | 230,000 VND (FUTA) to 450,000 VND on Baolau for 9 Oct | Stops along the way, drop-off on the Ham Tien strip | Most travelers |
| Limousine van | 2 to 5 hours, depending on the pickup point | 450,000 VND on Baolau; from $16 (about 419,000 VND) on 12Go | Seven to nine seats, fewer stops | Small groups, airport pickups |
| SPT2 train to Phan Thiet (Friday to Sunday) | 3 hours 57 minutes, plus a ride to Mui Ne | 211,000 to 478,000 VND | Fixed timetable, room to move | Weekend travelers who like trains |
| SE train to Binh Thuan station (daily) | 3 hours 24 minutes to 3 hours 52 minutes, plus a longer ride | Soft seat from 143,000 VND (SE6) | Station well outside the city | Rail fans on a weekday |
How has the expressway changed the trip?
It cut car times far more than bus times. The 99 km Dau Giay to Phan Thiet expressway opened on 29 April 2023, joining the Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh to Dau Giay expressway, open since 2015, per Wikipedia's expressway table. Cars now run on expressway almost all the way to Phan Thiet, then on local roads east to Mui Ne, which lies about 25 km beyond the city center, per Vietnamese Wikipedia.
Match the time to the mode. On 12Go for 14 October 2026, private cars were timed at 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 25 minutes, with an economy car at 2 hours 50 minutes. Buses using the same road were timed at 3.5 to 4 hours, because they pick up in the city, stop on the way and drop off along the strip. Vexere put the average bus trip at about 3.7 hours for 186 km on 3 October 2026, while The Sinh Tourist still schedules 5 to 5.5 hours for what it lists as 250 km.
How long do buses and limousine vans take?
Plan on about 3.5 to 4 hours, longer in Friday evening traffic. Vexere listed 11 operators and 323 daily trips on 3 October 2026, with fares from 160,000 to 550,000 VND and departures from 02:00 to 23:30.
- FUTA Bus Lines (Phuong Trang): nine departures from Mien Tay bus station between 06:00 and 23:00, timed at 4 hours to Ham Tien for 230,000 VND, on Baolau for 9 October 2026.
- Nam Hai Travel: sleeper buses and limousine minibuses from its District 1 office, 3 hours 50 minutes to Ham Tien, 350,000 to 450,000 VND, on Baolau.
- Hanh Cafe: cabin and sleeper buses from 273 Pham Ngu Lao, timed at 3 hours 30 minutes to 117 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, from $8 to $9 (about 209,000 to 236,000 VND) on 12Go for 14 October 2026.
- G5Car: seven-seat limousine vans. On Baolau they ran from Tan Son Nhat airport or District 1 to Phu Hai in 4.5 to 5 hours for 450,000 VND; on 12Go a G5Car van from MM Mega Market An Phu was timed at 2 hours to Phan Thiet for $16.
- The Sinh Tourist: departures at 07:00, 14:00, 21:00 and 22:15, scheduled at 5 to 5.5 hours. The two night buses reach Mui Ne at 01:00 and 03:45.
12Go counted 574 departures a day across all modes on the route. Baolau notes that bus times can vary by about 30 minutes either way with traffic.
Tip: a morning bus gets you to Mui Ne by early afternoon, in time for the Fairy Stream and a sunset at the red dunes. The night buses save little and drop you in the small hours.
Is the train worth taking?
On a weekend, yes, if you like trains and do not mind a taxi at the end. Vietnam Railways' own timetable for 9 October 2026 shows the SPT2 leaving Saigon at 06:45, calling at Binh Thuan at 10:26 and reaching Phan Thiet at 10:42, 185 km and 3 hours 57 minutes later. Fares that day ran from 211,000 VND for a soft seat to 275,000 to 338,000 VND for a four-berth compartment and 478,000 VND for a two-berth one.
The catch is the calendar. From 11 September to 30 December 2026, Vietnam Railways sells the SPT2 and its return, the SPT1 (Phan Thiet 13:30, Saigon 17:46), only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, per Bao Van Hoa. On Wednesday 14 October 2026 the timetable showed no train to Phan Thiet at all.
On other days, the north-south SE trains stop at Binh Thuan station, at Muong Man, about 10 km northwest of Phan Thiet, per Wikipedia. For 14 October 2026, Vietnam Railways listed five: SE8 at 06:00 (arriving 09:37), SE6 at 08:45 (12:09), SE22 at 10:15 (13:46), SE10 at 13:15 (17:07) and SE4 at 19:20 (22:51). On the SE6, a soft seat cost 143,000 to 153,000 VND and a berth 187,000 to 291,000 VND. Baolau showed the same trains for 9 October.
From either station, take a taxi or a ride-hailing car east to Mui Ne; Grab lists Phan Thiet among its service areas. Trains leave from Saigon Railway Station at 1 Nguyen Thong in District 3, per Baolau.
What about a private car, or flying?
A private car is the quickest option and works out reasonable for three or four people. On 12Go for 14 October 2026, cars from Tan Son Nhat airport or from hotels in the city started at about $52 to $58 per vehicle (about 1,361,000 to 1,518,000 VND), timed at 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 25 minutes. Prices vary a lot between sites: Baolau quoted a 4-hour private transfer at 4,200,000 VND for 9 October, so compare before you book.
You cannot fly. Phan Thiet airport's civil terminal broke ground in April 2026, and in August VOV reported the aim of opening it in 2027. If you are arriving by air, our Tan Son Nhat airport guide covers the airport, and a car straight from the terminal skips the city entirely.
Where do buses leave from and arrive?
Pickup points are spread across the city, and most drop-offs are on the Ham Tien resort strip.
- Mien Tay bus station: 395 Kinh Duong Vuong, Binh Tan, for FUTA. It is on the far western side of the city, so allow a long taxi ride from District 1, and Baolau asks passengers to arrive 30 to 60 minutes early.
- District 1: Hanh Cafe at 273 Pham Ngu Lao, and the offices of Nam Hai Travel and G5Car.
- Tan Son Nhat airport: G5Car vans and private cars.
- In Mui Ne: FUTA and Nam Hai Travel drop off in Ham Tien, Hanh Cafe at 117 Nguyen Dinh Chieu and G5Car in Phu Hai, closer to Phan Thiet. Ask whether the company drops at your hotel.
Going the other way: Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City
The same options run in reverse. The Sinh Tourist schedules buses from Mui Ne at 07:30, 11:00, 13:00 and 01:00, each 5 to 5.5 hours, and the SPT1 leaves Phan Thiet at 13:30 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. For other trips out of the city, see the Starting from Ho Chi Minh City hub, and if you are heading on to the hills, our Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat guide and Da Lat guide.
Key facts at a glance
- Private cars took about 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes, from about $52, on 12Go for 14 October 2026.
- FUTA buses from Mien Tay take 4 hours for 230,000 VND, per Baolau.
- The SPT2 train takes 3 hours 57 minutes to Phan Thiet from 211,000 VND, per Vietnam Railways.
- The SPT2 and SPT1 run only Friday to Sunday until 30 December 2026, per Bao Van Hoa.
- The 99 km Dau Giay to Phan Thiet expressway opened on 29 April 2023, per Wikipedia.
Limitations
Fares and timetables here are a snapshot of listings checked on 3 October 2026 for 9 and 14 October, and they change, especially around weekends and holidays. Bus times on booking sites are the operators' own figures, and Friday afternoon traffic leaving Ho Chi Minh City can add an hour or more. The SPT2's weekend-only pattern runs to 30 December 2026; check the Vietnam Railways site for the timetable after that.
Car times assume the expressway is clear. We did not find an official figure for the taxi ride from Phan Thiet or Binh Thuan station to Mui Ne, so ask your hotel or check a ride-hailing app on the day. The 2027 target for Phan Thiet airport may slip.
