Compare Cheap Flights from Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City
Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city within Vietnam. While visiting Ho Chi Minh City, you can experience some of the best aspects of Southeast Asia: a bustling city, a gorgeous countryside of jungle and rivers, delicious food, traditional architecture, and affordable prices. While the city loves to embrace its past, it is quickly transforming into a modern destination. It’s a fascinating blend of traditional Vietnamese architecture, shiny skyscrapers, and elements of French influence. Ho Chi Minh City can be described as organised chaos at its finest. The most prominent example of this is the number of motorbikes in the city–over 10 million, which is more than any other city in the world. Booking flights from Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City is the perfect way to begin your adventures around Vietnam. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can continue your journey north to experience everything else that this stunning country has to offer.
Start planning your next international holiday with Webjet’s cheap flights from Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City
With a location within tropical Southeast Asia, Ho Chi Minh City experiences both a wet season and a dry season. No matter what time of year you visit Ho Chi Minh City, you can expect temperatures between 27 to 30°C. Dry season is the busiest time to visit Ho Chi Minh City but is also when you will get the best weather. The dry season lasts from December to April with the weather at its coolest in December. This season experiences very little rain and moderate levels of humidity. Because of the ideal weather, this is the busiest time to visit Ho Chi Minh City. While hotel rates increase, your NZD will go far when you factor in the exchange rate. To ensure you get your first choice of hotel, book your hotel early if you’ll be visiting during the dry season.
Ho Chi Minh City’s wet season occurs between May and November, with July experiencing the most rain. These months experience regular rain storms, but are also the best time to score a bargain on hotels within central Ho Chi Minh City.
If you visit Ho Chi Minh City between late January and mid-February, you can experience the Lunar New Year. This is a major holiday within Vietnam when many shops close and festivities are held throughout the city. While the Lunar New Year gets busy, it’s an exciting time to experience another aspect of Vietnamese culture. Be sure to pre-book your hotel if you’ll be visiting during the Lunar New Year to secure the best rates.
Departing From Auckland
Auckland is home to one international airport, which is the busiest airport in New Zealand. Auckland Airport is located south of the city, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the CBD.
Several airlines offer cheap airfares from Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City, including Qantas, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and Air China. While there are currently no direct flights available, you can arrive to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in about 13 hours with one stopover. Each week, there are more than 1,100 cheap flights from Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City, giving you plenty of opportunities to experience the excitement of Vietnam.
Getting to Auckland Airport
Auckland Airport offers a SkyBus for a fast and affordable ride from the city. The SkyBus starts at Customs Street East and then makes stops along Queen Street, Dominion Road, Symonds Street, and Mount Eden Road. The SkyBus departs from the CBD every 10 minutes during peak hours and operates 24 hours a day. Depending which stop you catch the SkyBus from, the journey to Auckland Airport will take approximately 40 to 60 minutes. One-way tickets for the SkyBus cost $18 NZD, and return tickets cost $32 NZD.
If you would prefer to catch a taxi or an Uber, they are available from locations all over the Auckland region. Travelling from the CBD and inner suburbs, a taxi will get you to Auckland Airport in less than a half hour for a fare of about $60 NZD.
Parking at Auckland Airport
Auckland Airport offers several car parks with easy access to the International Terminal. Book your parking space in advance to lock in the best rates for your trip to Vietnam.
Where to Park at Auckland Airport
• Car Park A offers the cheapest parking rates. Spots are uncovered, and it is a 2 to 3 minute walk from the International Terminal. Weekly rates start at $75 NZD.
• Valet parking is available for even more convenience. Pull up to the terminal, and an attendant will park your car. Covered spots in the valet car park start at $139 NZD per week, and uncovered spots start at $130 NZD for a week.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City
There is one airport in Ho Chi Minh City, which receives the majority of visitors into Vietnam. Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) is located a convenient 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) north of the city centre. Ho Chi Minh City is divided into several districts. When travelling to your hotel in the city, you will likely want to go to District 1 as this is where the majority of hotels and tourist attractions are located.
How to Get from Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) to Your Ho Chi Minh City Hotel or Accommodation
Once your flight has arrived into Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), you can make your way into the city centre on a shuttle bus. Buses 109 and 49 are both available from the airport and offer service into District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City. The buses run between 5:30am and 1am and depart from the airport every 20 to 30 minutes. The difference between these two bus routes is that the 109 bus has regular stops in the city, while the 49 bus will take you directly to your hotel. Some of the major stops along the 109 bus route include Pham Hong Thai, Ben Thanh Bus Station, and 23/9 Park. Tickets to ride the 109 bus cost 20,000 VND ($1.30 NZD), while bus route 49 still costs an affordable 40,000 VND ($2.55 NZD).
Once your flight has landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), you can opt to take a taxi to your hotel for a quick and stress-free ride. Taxis into District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City will get you to your hotel in about 20 minutes for a fare ranging from 125,000 to 160,000 VND ($8 NZD to $10.25 NZD).
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon Skydeck
Ho Chi Minh City is an impressive city to view from above. For one of the best vistas over the city, head to the top of the Bitexco Financial Building. As Ho Chi Minh City’s tallest building, this tower is where you will find the Saigon Skydeck. The observation deck is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows, which provide you with an uninterrupted view over Ho Chi Minh City and the Song Sai Gon River. For an especially unforgettable experience, plan your visit to the Saigon Skydeck for sunset. Tickets to visit the observation deck cost 200,000 VND ($11.90 NZD).
Learn About the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese Perspective
The most notable event to affect Vietnam during the 20th century was the Vietnam War. While visiting Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll see lots of reminders from this period in the country’s history. Within the city, you can visit the War Remnants Museum in order to learn more about the war and its influence on daily life in Vietnam during that time. You can also see equipment that was used in the war, including a fighter jet, weapons, a helicopter, and a military tank. If you would like to take a day trip from the city, the Cu Chi Tunnels are a popular destination. This series of tunnels was used by Vietnamese soldiers during the war. In addition to being a hiding place, the tunnels were used to transport supplies, food, and injured soldiers. As a visitor, you can crawl through the narrow tunnels and see some equipment and booby traps that were used during the war.
Ben Thanh Market
Ho Chi Minh City has a vibrant culture of markets and street food. There are lots of markets to visit around the city, but the most popular is the centrally-located Ben Thanh Market. The market has an exciting atmosphere and an authentically Vietnamese feel to it. There are a wide variety of stalls selling souvenirs, art, and local crafts. There are also food stalls and hawker-style restaurants where you can taste some authentic Vietnamese dishes. Some Vietnamese food to have on your radar while visiting Ben Thanh Market are pho, banh mi, and goi cuon.
Mekong River Delta
One of the most iconic landscapes in Vietnam is the Mekong River Delta, which is south of Ho Chi Minh City. This region of Vietnam offers a completely different experience to the fast-paced city, making it a great place to visit on a day trip. The best way to see the Mekong River Delta is from the water. Take a boat ride where you can leisurely make your way through the river surrounded by tropical jungle on either side. As well as experiencing the scenery of the Mekong River Delta, head to the small town of Can Tho to visit their floating market. Take a boat ride through the market where you can purchase food and souvenirs from vendors on their boats.
Experience Ho Chi Minh City’s French Influence
During the 19th century, Vietnam was a colony of France and went by the name French Indochina. During this colonial period of Vietnamese history, French missionaries came to the region, bringing with them elements of their culture. France ruled over Vietnam up until 1945 when then-president Ho Chi Minh declared the country’s independence. Today, you can still see elements of this period in history throughout Ho Chi Minh City. Several buildings display a French style, which is an interesting contrast to Vietnamese style. Saigon Central Post Office and Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral are two examples of French architecture in central Ho Chi Minh City.
Reunification Palace
Reunification Palace is famously known as the place where the Vietnam War came to an end in 1975. During the war, the palace was home to the president of South Vietnam. In order to end the war, the leaders of South Vietnam and North Vietnam met here to come to an agreement and sign negotiations. Following this meeting, Vietnam was reunited into one country, influencing the palace’s current name. Reunification Palace has been preserved to look just as it did on that historic day several decades ago. While touring the palace, you can see meeting rooms as well as a war command room, war propaganda materials, war tunnels, and a small casino.
