How To Get To Con Dao Island
At present, traveling to Con Dao is very convenient and easy. Depending on your needs and available time, tourists can get to Con Dao using the following means of transportation:
- BY AIRPLANE: Currently, there are flight routes to Con Dao departing from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho, operated by two airlines: Vasco (a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines) and Bamboo Airways.
- From Hanoi, tourists can fly directly to Con Dao with Bamboo Airways. The airline uses Embraer 190 aircraft with a frequency of 2-4 flights per day (depending on the season). This is the only direct flight route from Hanoi to Con Dao using modern aircraft at the current time. Alternatively, tourists can also take connecting flights from other regions to Ho Chi Minh City and then transfer to a flight from HCMC to Con Dao. Choosing a flight route with a layover at Tan Son Nhat Airport may take more time, but it offers tourists more options in terms of flight times and ticket prices. This flight route takes approximately 2 hours.
- From Ho Chi Minh City, tourists can choose to fly to Con Dao with the same two airlines. This flight route offers between 10 to 18 flights per day depending on the season, with various departure times to accommodate the diverse needs of travelers. Bamboo Airways operates this route with Embraer 190 aircraft and fewer flights, while Vasco operates it with ATR72-500 aircraft and more frequent flights. This flight route takes approximately from 45 minutes to 1 hours.
- From Can Tho, currently, only Vasco operates this flight route with ATR72-500 aircraft. The flight frequency is one flight per day, although there are no flights on Fridays and Sundays. This flight route takes approximately 45 minutes.
2. BY HIGH-SPEED FERRY: Travelers can reach Con Dao by high-speed ferry from Vung Tau City, Can Tho City or Soc Trang Province (from Tran De District). This is a cost-effective mode of transportation that offers unique experiences for tourists.
- From Vung Tau, Phu Quoc Express operates high-speed boats departing from the port on Ha Long Street at 8:00 AM and arriving at Ben DamPort in Con Dao at around 12:00 PM daily. However, this mode of transportation is subject to unstable schedules due to weather conditions and tourist demand. Typically, during the last months of the year (from September of the previous year to January of the following year), this route may not operate. Ticket prices for the ferry range from 790,000 VND to 950,000 VND/one way. This journey takes approximately 4 hours. In the opposite direction, the boat departs from Con Dao at 1:00 PM and arrives in the city of Vung Tau at 5:00 PM.
- From the Can Tho City, Mai Linh Express ferry departs from Ninh Kieu port at 7:30 AM and arrives at the tourist passenger boat port (in the center of Con Dao) at 11:30 AM. From Con Dao, the ferry departs at 1:00 PM and arrives in Can Tho at 5:00 PM. Similar to the Vung Tau to Con Dao route, the schedules for high-speed ferry from Can Tho to Con Dao and vice versa are greatly influenced by weather conditions and operate only from February to September each year. This journey takes approximately 4 hours and ticket prices for the high-speed ferry from Can Tho to Con Dao range from 700,000 VND to 900,000 VND/one way.
- From Tran De District (Soc Trang Prov.), there are two high-speed ferry companies operating the route from Soc Trang to Con Dao with at least 2 departures each day (depending on the season). The ferrys typically depart at 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM daily from Tran De port and arrive at the passenger boat terminal in the center of Con Dao or Ben Dam Port after a 2-hour sea journey. From Con Dao, the ferrys depart at 1:30 PM or 2:00 PM. This journey takes approximately 2 hours, and ticket prices for this route range from 370,000 VND to 450,000 VND one way (depending on the departure date and the boat company).
3. BY HELICOPTER: From Vung Tau, travelers can also opt for a helicopter as a means of getting to Con Dao. This mode of transportation offers a thrilling experience for you when visiting Con Dao. This service is operated by the Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company, using MI-171V and MI-172V helicopters. However, this flight route is only available on weekends, with departures from Vung Tau Airport to Con Dao at 1:00 PM every Saturday and from Con Dao to Vung Tau at 3:00 PM every Sunday. The flight duration is 1 hour, and ticket prices are 2,200,000 VND/ one way.
