Arrival and departure
Cam Ranh Airport: from the plane to Nha Trang's seafront
Nha Trang has no airport within the city: planes land at Cam Ranh (code CXR) on the peninsula of the same name, about 35 kilometres south. The drive to the centre takes 45–60 minutes. Below: how the two terminals work, what taxis and the bus cost according to the airport itself as of 21 September 2026 (re-checked on 22 September 2026), and how much time to allow for departure.
Two terminals
T2 is the international terminal, run by the Cam Ranh International Terminal company; domestic flights use terminal T1 of the state corporation ACV. Check your ticket for your terminal: it determines where you board the taxi or bus. If your hotel is on Bãi Dài, the drive from the terminal is short; if it's in the city, allow an hour.
Read more →Fixed-price taxis
The international terminal's website publishes fares to the city: 300,000 VND for a four-seat car and 360,000 for a seven-seat car with Quoc Te taxi, 350,000 with the GSM electric taxi. A benchmark against which to compare any offer.
Read more →Bus no. 18
The cheapest way: bus no. 18 run by Đất Mới and Vinbus takes 50–60 minutes to the city and costs 50,000 VND per person. Its city terminus is at the 19/8 stadium, with stops on the tourist streets of the centre along the way.
Read more →What to know about the airport
Cam Ranh is a former military air base on a long sandy peninsula between Cam Ranh Bay and the open sea. The location explains both the long drive into town and the beautiful approach over the dunes.
Where it is
The official address according to ACV is Bắc Cam Ranh ward, Khánh Hòa province. The Ministry of Construction's newspaper describes the airport as located on the Cam Ranh peninsula about 35 kilometres from Nha Trang. Bãi Dài beach with its resort hotels runs along the road to the city.
Open details →Terminal T1
The passenger terminal T1, almost 20 thousand square metres in area, is operated by ACV. The corporation's website publishes rules for Cam Ranh, procedures, and information on lost baggage, the first-aid point, assistance for passengers with reduced mobility and free Wi-Fi.
Terminal T2
The international terminal is run by a separate company, Cam Ranh International Terminal, with its own website featuring a map, arrival and departure guides and a transport page. If you fly internationally, rely on this website.
Between the terminals
The terminals stand next to each other on one forecourt. If you are meeting someone or connecting from an international to a domestic flight, allow time to walk over with luggage and check in again: official sources describe no airside transit between the buildings.
Arrival: from the plane to the exit
The international terminal's website describes the arrival process in four steps. It is standard, but a couple of local details save stress.
Border control
Passport control comes first: keep your passport and boarding pass handy. Whether you need a visa depends on your passport — see Vietnam basics; what matters here is that your visa printout or file is available without internet.
Open details →Baggage
The belt is shown on the board under your flight number. Match the tag on your suitcase with your stub: identical suitcases on holiday flights get mixed up regularly. Report a loss before leaving the reclaim area — the procedure is described on both terminals' websites.
Customs and the arrivals hall
After the customs check you come out into the public hall. Taxi desks with published fares are right there. The official website does not describe the availability or terms of exchange counters, ATMs or SIM card sales — don't count on the best rate and keep some cash.
Greeters and hotel transfers
Many hotels on Bãi Dài and in the city send a car. Confirm the meeting point and the name on the sign with your hotel in advance: there are many greeters at the international terminal exit, and new arrivals don't always have connectivity.
Getting to the city
All prices below come from the transport page of the international terminal's website, checked on 21 September 2026 and re-checked on 22 September 2026. They apply to the city of Nha Trang; hotels on Bãi Dài are closer and the price will differ.
Taxi at the terminal
Quoc Te Corporation: 300,000 VND for a four-seat car and 360,000 for a seven-seat one, boarding at the international terminal. Give the driver your hotel address and confirm the fixed amount before the ride; agree tolls and waiting separately.
GSM electric taxi
Green and Smart Mobility, known by the Xanh SM brand: 350,000 VND one way for a standard four-seat car and 400,000 for the Premium class, hotline 19002088. You can also book through the app — then the price is fixed before you get in.
Open details →Bus no. 18
Operators Đất Mới and Vinbus, 50,000 VND per person, 50–60 minutes on the road. The route links the airport with the 19/8 stadium in the city via Trần Hưng Đạo, Nguyễn Thiện Thuật and Trần Quang Khải streets — the heart of the tourist zone. No timetable is given on the website: ask at the desk.
Private car
The terminal's website estimates a booked transfer at 350,000–500,000 VND and 45–60 minutes (the page labels this range “per person”, so confirm whether a quote is per car or per head). An option for a group with luggage or a late arrival: the driver waits with a sign and the price is known in advance. Book through your hotel or a licensed company, not with touts in the hall.
Parking
Parking at the international terminal is open around the clock, payment at the barrier on exit; the current tariffs have applied since 1 June 2025. Useful if you are met with a rented car or motorbike.
Departure: how much time to allow
The main mistake in Nha Trang is treating the airport as a city airport. An hour's drive plus check-in means you have to leave a central hotel much earlier than habit suggests.
International flights
Under the international terminal's rules, check-in desks open three hours and close 50 minutes before departure. Then come border control and security. Leave the city centre no later than three and a half hours before your flight.
Domestic flights
ACV requires you to be at check-in no later than 40 minutes before departure; airlines can be stricter — see your ticket. Allowing for the drive, it is sensible to leave the centre two and a half to three hours ahead.
A relaxed departure day
If your flight is in the evening, check out in the morning and spend the day closer to the airport: on Bãi Dài beach or at the Trăm Trứng mud park on the southern avenue. From there the drive to the terminal is noticeably shorter than from the centre.
Open details →Bad weather
From October to December delays due to downpours and storms are possible. Follow your flight status in the airline's app and don't plan a tight connection in the rainy season.
Open details →Before you leave
Quick checklist
- 01Check your terminal on the ticket: T1 for domestic, T2 for international flights.
- 02Save your hotel address in Vietnamese offline, plus 300,000–360,000 VND as the taxi benchmark.
- 03For bus no. 18, have 50,000 VND in cash per person.
- 04For an international departure, leave the centre at least three and a half hours ahead.
- 05Flying in the evening? Move your last day to Bãi Dài or Trăm Trứng on the way to the airport.
- 06Before the trip, check the fares on camranh.aero: they change.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cam Ranh airport to Nha Trang?+
About 35 kilometres. The international terminal's website estimates 45–60 minutes by car and 50–60 minutes by bus no. 18. Allow more at rush hour and in heavy rain.
How much is a taxi from the airport to the city?+
According to the fares published by the international terminal, checked on 21.09.2026 and re-checked on 22.09.2026: 300,000 VND for a four-seat and 360,000 for a seven-seat Quoc Te taxi, 350,000–400,000 with the GSM electric taxi. Check the prices on camranh.aero before your trip.
Is there a bus from the airport?+
Yes, route no. 18 run by Đất Mới and Vinbus: 50,000 VND, 50–60 minutes, through the tourist centre to the 19/8 stadium. No timetable is published on the official website, so for a night arrival count on a taxi.
How do terminals T1 and T2 differ?+
T2 is the international terminal run by Cam Ranh International Terminal with its own website, camranh.aero. T1 is the ACV terminal used by domestic flights. The buildings are next to each other, but each has its own check-in and security.
How early should I arrive for my flight?+
Check-in for international flights closes 50 minutes before departure; for domestic flights ACV requires you at the desk no later than 40 minutes before. Including the drive from the centre, that means three to three and a half hours before an international flight and two and a half to three hours before a domestic one.
Can I stay near the airport?+
Yes: resort hotels line Bãi Dài beach on the peninsula, and the terminals are close. That suits a short beach holiday, but you will need a taxi or bus to reach the city and its restaurants.
Where can I buy a SIM card and change money?+
The terminals' official websites don't publish a list of such services or their terms, so we don't describe them. A practical approach is to carry some cash for the ride and sort out connectivity and exchange in the city.