About the route from Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City
Con Dao is a remote island south of the mainland, and Ho Chi Minh City is its main link to the rest of the country, connected by more flights and ferries than any other city. With no land route, every option here is a plane, a boat, or a mix of the two. Flying takes about an hour and is the quickest and most reliable choice, whereas the ferry routes take much longer but suit travelers who prefer the sea or want to add a mainland stop. So the decision for getting from Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City comes down to how fast you want to arrive and whether the crossing is part of the appeal. Con Dao, where the trip starts, is a quiet island of empty beaches and forest with a heavy wartime past, and our Con Dao travel guide covers it if you are still enjoying your last days there.
Ho Chi Minh City, which most people still call Saigon, is the largest and most energetic city in the country. After the stillness of Con Dao it comes as a jolt, a sprawl of motorbikes, markets, rooftop bars, and history that never slows down. Its main draws are the war-era sites like the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Remnants Museum, the colonial core of District 1, the street food, and the easy access it gives to the Mekong Delta. Our Ho Chi Minh City travel guide covers what is worth your time.
Option 1: By flight from Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City
Why choose the flight
The flight is the obvious way off the island, and it is the busiest of all Con Dao’s connections, running year-round with plenty of departures. In about an hour you are back in Saigon, close to the city and ready to move on, whether that is a night in town or an onward flight elsewhere. For nearly everyone, this is the sensible choice.
How it works
Flights leave Con Dao’s airport for Tan Son Nhat Airport many times a day, flown by Vietnam Airlines, whose VASCO subsidiary uses small turboprops, and by VietJet Air with jets. The hop takes around an hour and lands you close to central Saigon, so the ride into the city is short. Because Con Dao is a small airport open to the weather, the odd delay or cancellation happens, and seats sell out, so book ahead rather than leaving it to the day.
What it costs
Fares shift with the date and how early you book, but generally run from around 900,000 to 1,500,000 VND (roughly $36 to $60) one way, rising last-minute and in the busy season. It is a short but relatively expensive flight for the distance, given the small planes and limited competition, so an early booking is well worth it.
Who it is for
The flight suits almost everyone, above all anyone short on time or with an onward connection to catch in Saigon. The only travelers who should consider the ferry are those who would rather not fly, or who want to break the journey on the mainland, both covered below.
Option 2: By ferry to Vung Tau
Why choose the ferry
The ferry to Vung Tau is the main sea route back to the mainland, and a good pick if you prefer a boat to a plane or want to keep your domestic flying down. Vung Tau is the closest port to Saigon, so it is the easiest crossing to fit around a stay in the city. It is far slower than the flight and depends on the weather, but on calm seas it makes a pleasant trip.
Step 1: Con Dao to Vung Tau
The crossing is run by Phu Quoc Express on the large Thang Long ship, which carries over 1,000 passengers in VIP, economy, and open-deck classes. It leaves from Ben Dam Port, about 15 kilometers from Con Dao town, usually in the afternoon, and reaches Cau Da Port in central Vung Tau after around four to five hours. Fares run from roughly 790,000 to 1,250,000 VND (about $31 to $50) one way, a little more at weekends and on holidays, plus a small port fee. Book through the operator or a platform like Baolau, and in the busy months from April to September book well ahead.
Step 2: Vung Tau to Ho Chi Minh City
From Vung Tau it is around 100 kilometers, or two to two and a half hours, on to Saigon. You can continue by bus for about 120,000 to 200,000 VND ($5 to $8), by private car, or by the fast river boat that runs into central Saigon. Vung Tau is an easy seaside town, so it is no hardship to spend the night there if your ferry gets in late in the day.
What to know before you book
Two points matter on this route. The schedule changes often and the boats do not sail in rough seas, so crossings can be suspended for days at a time, mostly in the rough season from November to February, so always check current sailings before you rely on it. And if you are prone to seasickness, this is open water, so take medication and sit low and central. If the weather closes in or the timings do not work, the flight is the reliable fallback. Our guide to the Con Dao ferry connections covers the Vung Tau crossing in full.
Option 3: Out through the Mekong Delta
Why choose it
For a slower route that adds a real trip on the way, you can leave Con Dao by ferry into the Mekong Delta and travel up to Saigon from there, rather than fly straight back. It takes a few days instead of an hour, but it turns the return into a journey of its own, and it makes sense for anyone who wanted to see the delta anyway.
Step 1: Con Dao to the delta by ferry
A high-speed ferry runs from Con Dao to Tran De pier, near Soc Trang in the Mekong Delta, and it is the shortest crossing to the island at around two to three hours, and cheaper than the Vung Tau boat, from roughly 390,000 to 590,000 VND ($15 to $24). From Tran De, Can Tho, the main city of the delta, is a short drive. Our guide on the Con Dao ferry from Soc Trang covers the pier, times, and booking.
Step 2: Explore the delta
Give yourself a day or two around Can Tho, since this is the point of routing this way. You can catch the Cai Rang floating market at dawn, cycle the quiet lanes between the rice paddies, take a boat through the narrow canals, and stop at fruit orchards and small workshops along the water. It is the easy, rewarding side of the Mekong Delta.
Step 3: Delta to Ho Chi Minh City
From Can Tho it is around three to four hours by road up to Saigon, easily done by bus or private car. Alternatively, Can Tho has its own airport with flights back to Ho Chi Minh City and beyond, if you would rather fly the last leg than drive.
Tip: Do this route as a guided tour with Local Vietnam
This journey through the delta is one we run as a set trip: our Mekong Delta and Con Dao tour links Saigon, Can Tho, and the island, with countryside cycling, a riverside homestay, the floating markets by boat, and the Tran De ferry, and every transfer, guide, and stay arranged. The set itinerary runs from Saigon out to Con Dao, but it can be arranged the other way, from the island back to the city, on request.
Conclusion: what is the best option for Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City
The best way from Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City depends on how quickly you want to be back and whether the journey is part of the plan.
Fly for the quickest trip, about an hour in the air with plenty of daily departures year-round. It is the sensible choice for almost everyone.
Take the ferry to Vung Tau if you would rather cross by sea, a four to five hour crossing and then a short trip on to Saigon, keeping in mind sailings are weather-dependent and less frequent than flights.
Go out through the Mekong Delta if you want the return to be a trip in itself, a shorter ferry into the delta, a couple of days around Can Tho, and then up to the city by road or a quick flight.
For most travelers the answer is simple: fly. But if you have the days and the delta appeals, routing back through Can Tho makes a rewarding journey.
