Journey times on the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City railway, worked out from the national railway’s own timetable, plus what the tourism authority says about flights and buses. Checked in September 2026. There are no prices on this page yet.
Seven stations on the main line, north to south. Times are scheduled times from the timetable, not delays or averages. Trains run both ways, so the last two columns count the trains that stop at both stations going south and going north.
| Route | Rail km | Fastest | Train | Southbound | Northbound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi to Ninh Binh | 115 | 2 h 16 min | SE7 | 5 | 4 |
| Hanoi to Dong Hoi | 522 | 9 h 37 min | SE3 | 5 | 5 |
| Hanoi to Hue | 688 | 12 h 35 min | SE3 | 5 | 5 |
| Hanoi to Da Nang | 791 | 15 h 23 min | SE3 | 5 | 5 |
| Hanoi to Nha Trang | 1315 | 24 h 57 min | SE1 | 5 | 5 |
| Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon station) | 1726 | 32 h 45 min | SE1 | 5 | 5 |
| Ninh Binh to Dong Hoi | 407 | 7 h 21 min | SE3 | 5 | 4 |
| Ninh Binh to Hue | 573 | 10 h 19 min | SE3 | 5 | 4 |
| Ninh Binh to Da Nang | 676 | 13 h 07 min | SE3 | 5 | 4 |
| Ninh Binh to Nha Trang | 1200 | 22 h 39 min | SE1 | 5 | 4 |
| Ninh Binh to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon station) | 1611 | 30 h 27 min | SE1 | 5 | 4 |
| Dong Hoi to Hue | 166 | 2 h 57 min | SE1 | 5 | 5 |
| Dong Hoi to Da Nang | 269 | 5 h 46 min | SE3 | 5 | 5 |
| Dong Hoi to Nha Trang | 793 | 15 h 09 min | SE1 | 5 | 5 |
| Dong Hoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon station) | 1204 | 22 h 33 min | SE2 | 5 | 5 |
| Hue to Da Nang | 103 | 2 h 33 min | SE2 | 5 | 5 |
| Hue to Nha Trang | 627 | 12 h 03 min | SE2 | 5 | 5 |
| Hue to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon station) | 1038 | 19 h 19 min | SE2 | 5 | 5 |
| Da Nang to Nha Trang | 524 | 9 h 13 min | SE1 | 5 | 5 |
| Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon station) | 935 | 16 h 46 min | SE2 | 5 | 5 |
| Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon station) | 411 | 7 h 16 min | SE2 | 5 | 5 |
Dong Hoi is the station nearest Phong Nha. Da Nang is the station for Hoi An and Da Nang. Ho Chi Minh City’s station is called Sai Gon on the timetable. Source: Vietnam Railways. Timetable copied on 2026-09-30.
The timetable prints one time per station. Trains that pass a station after midnight show the clock time here, so an overnight train from Hanoi reaches Ninh Binh just after midnight.
| Station | Southbound trains | Northbound trains |
|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | SE7 06:00, SE5 08:00, SE9 13:00, SE3 19:20, SE1 21:45 | None |
| Ninh Binh | SE1 00:03, SE7 08:16, SE5 10:16, SE9 15:17, SE3 21:36 | SE4 02:14, SE2 03:24, SE8 13:59, SE6 16:55 |
| Dong Hoi | SE3 04:57, SE1 07:33, SE7 16:27, SE5 18:11, SE9 23:57 | SE8 05:34, SE6 08:25, SE10 15:30, SE4 18:18, SE2 19:08 |
| Hue | SE9 03:12, SE3 07:55, SE1 10:30, SE7 19:43, SE5 21:40 | SE8 02:17, SE6 04:49, SE10 12:15, SE4 15:10, SE2 15:54 |
| Da Nang | SE5 00:36, SE9 06:03, SE3 10:43, SE1 13:29, SE7 22:30 | SE6 02:01, SE10 08:59, SE4 12:28, SE2 13:21, SE8 23:41 |
| Nha Trang | SE7 08:47, SE5 10:25, SE9 17:03, SE3 21:12, SE1 22:42 | SE4 02:47, SE2 03:51, SE8 14:03, SE6 16:13, SE10 21:58 |
| Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon station) | None | SE8 06:00, SE6 08:45, SE10 13:15, SE4 19:20, SE2 20:35 |
One national network run by Vietnam Railways. The Reunification Express runs the length of the country between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The timetable above is from the railway itself. Book on the railway's own site, at a station counter, or through an agency.
Source: Vietnam Railways, Vietnam Railways, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
The tourism authority describes a typical domestic flight as one or two hours. Book on the airline's own site. We list the airlines whose sites we checked.
Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air.
The tourism authority says open-tour and sleeper buses link Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Mui Ne and Ho Chi Minh City, and advises booking one or two days ahead, or two weeks ahead for Vietnamese holidays. We have no official timetable for buses.
Train fares are on the railway’s fare tables. We are not copying prices until they can be checked against a dated source. See also entry fees.
Timetables change by season and by decision of the railway. Check the official timetable before you book.