Ho Chi Minh City Bus Guide: Free Fare, Tap Rules, 13 Changed Routes

City buses are free on 134 routes from 1 July to 31 December 2026. Since 1 October each free ride is tied to a tap-in with an ID, VNeID, bank card, e-wallet or MultiGo. As a tourist, tap a chip or contactless bank card on the reader. Thirteen routes changed path on 10 October.

By Vincent Nguyen

On this page

Are city buses free?
What to tap since 1 October
The MultiGo app
Routes worth knowing
The 13 routes that changed on 10 October
After 31 December
Before you board
Step by step
Common questions

Step onto a city bus today and you tap before you sit. Buses are free on 134 routes until 31 December 2026, and since 1 October the free ride is linked to verification.

Blue city bus with tinted windows on a street corner beside a no-parking sign — A blue city bus on route 152, which runs to Tan Son Nhat. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY 4.0)

Are city buses free?

All passengers on 134 routes ride free from 1 July to 31 December 2026. The programme excludes interprovincial routes, open-top sightseeing buses and airport shuttle services. From 1 July to 30 September, riders needed no identification or tap-in.

The two phases of the free fare and what to tap.

Teal and yellow city bus with a lit destination sign beside a tree-lined park — A bus on route 155, which runs from Ben Thanh station to the Municipal Theatre. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY 4.0)

What to tap since 1 October

From 1 October to 31 December each free ride is linked to a tap-in. Accepted methods include a citizen ID card, VNeID, a bank card, an e-wallet and the MultiGo app.

As a tourist, tap a chip bank card or a contactless payment on the reader when you board. On route 04 the centre saw foreign passengers tap a phone holding a Visa card.

The tap does not take money. Validation involves no fare collection, and the centre said nothing is deducted. Drivers and onboard staff must not refuse you, and must guide anyone who needs help verifying.

Blue city bus with a lit route sign driving along a street past motorbikes — A blue bus in the city fleet. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY 4.0)

The MultiGo app

Install MultiGo before your first ride. It is the official public transport platform of Ho Chi Minh City.

You get routes, itineraries and operating hours, plus bus arrival times at stops in real time. It has been in operation since April 2025, and the app recorded over 254,000 downloads by June 2026. MultiGo also runs cashless payment through a virtual MultiPass card.

Green and black electric bus with a lit route sign stopped on a street beside a person on a motorbike — A green electric bus in the fleet. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY 4.0)

Routes worth knowing

Route 152: Trung Son residential area, Ben Thanh, Tan Son Nhat Airport. It first departs at 5:15 and last departs at 22:00, takes 50 to 55 minutes and runs every 12 to 30 minutes.
Route 109: Saigon bus station to Tan Son Nhat Airport. It serves terminal T3 directly, not T1 and T2.
Route 155: Ben Thanh station to the Municipal Theatre.
Route 13: Saigon bus station to Cu Chi bus station.

Bus 152 to the airport is free until 31 December 2026, and both 152 and 109 are on the list of 134 free routes. The exclusion for airport shuttle services does not apply to them. If a reader ever asks for a fare, pay the distance fare in the last section.

A city bus takes baggage of up to 10 kg and 30 x 40 x 60 cm, subject to space. Carry-on bags on routes to Tan Son Nhat have no size limit. For taxis and ride-hailing from the airport, read Tan Son Nhat Airport to the City.

Street with an arch over the entrance of a bus station sign, power lines and apartment blocks beyond — The entrance to the Cho Lon bus station. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY 3.0)

The 13 routes that changed on 10 October

Thirteen routes changed path on 10 October 2026 for Metro Line 2 construction between Ben Thanh and Tham Luong. The routes are 5, 6, 13, 14, 28, 30, 38, 65, 69, 103, DL01, DL02 and DL04. The change runs until further notice.

Two central streets went one-way. Cach Mang Thang Tam, from Nguyen Du to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, runs in the Nguyen Du to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai direction. Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, from Cao Thang to Huyen Tran Cong Chua, runs in the Cao Thang to Huyen Tran Cong Chua direction.

At the Truong Chinh - Cach Mang Thang Tam - Ly Thuong Kiet - Hoang Van Thu junction, traffic from Cach Mang Thang Tam may only turn right into Hoang Van Thu.

What it means on the ground:

Route 5: the Bien Hoa to Cho Lon bus station leg is rerouted.
Route 13: the Cu Chi to Saigon leg is rerouted, near the Bay Hien and Tao Dan station sites.
Route 14: the Mien Dong to Mien Tay leg is rerouted.
Route 28: the leg back to Saigon bus station is rerouted.
Route 38: both directions are rerouted.
Route 69: the return leg toward Saigon bus station is rerouted.

Open the route in MultiGo for the exact path.

Mien Dong Bus Station
292 Dinh Bo Linh, Binh Thanh, Ho Chi Minh 70000, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps

Open Mien Dong Bus Station in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Mien Tay Bus Station (Ben xe Mien Tay)
395 D. Kinh Duong Vuong, An Lac, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps

Open Mien Tay Bus Station in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Blue city bus with a red sign in the windscreen on a road with motorbikes and a white van — A city bus in traffic. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY-SA 4.0)

After 31 December

The free fare is scheduled to run through 31 December 2026. From January, or on any route outside the programme, pay by distance: VND 5,000 under 15 km, VND 6,000 for 15 to 25 km, VND 7,000 beyond. Keep a little extra: a cash rise to VND 7,000, 8,000 and 9,000 was proposed.

Metro is not part of the free fare. See Metro Line 1 and Getting Around Ho Chi Minh City.

Before you board

Install MultiGo and pick your route.
Carry a chip bank card or a contactless phone payment to tap.
Keep luggage within 10 kg and 30 x 40 x 60 cm.
Check whether your route is one of the 13 changed on 10 October.
Skip airport shuttles, interprovincial and open-top sightseeing buses if you want the free fare.

↑ Contents

Step by step

Pick your route in MultiGoRoutes, hours and arrival times at stops are in MultiGo.
Board and tapTourists tap a chip bank card or contactless payment on the card reader.
Ride and get offValidation does not collect a fare.
Check changed routesRoutes 5, 6, 13, 14, 28, 30, 38, 65, 69, 103, DL01, DL02 and DL04 changed path on 10 October.

Not confirmed: No extension of the free programme is announced. Read the notices at your stop in late December. The older Go!Bus app is not confirmed as still supported. Use MultiGo.

Common questions

Are Ho Chi Minh City buses free for foreigners?

The 134 routes in the programme are free from 1 July to 31 December 2026. Tourists validate their trip with a chip bank card or contactless payment.

What do I tap on the bus since 1 October?

From 1 October to 31 December the free fare is linked to verification by a citizen ID card, VNeID, bank card, e-wallet or MultiGo.

Does the bus take money when I tap?

Validation does not involve any fare collection. The Public Transport Management Centre said the reader deducts no money.

Which buses are not free?

Interprovincial routes, open-top sightseeing buses and airport shuttle services are outside the programme. Routes 152 and 109 are on the 134 list, and bus 152 is confirmed free.

Which app shows routes and arrivals?

MultiGo is the official public transport platform of Ho Chi Minh City. It shows routes and hours and bus arrival times at stops in real time.

Which routes changed on 10 October 2026?

Routes 5, 6, 13, 14, 28, 30, 38, 65, 69, 103, DL01, DL02 and DL04. The change runs until further notice.

How much luggage can I bring on a city bus?

Up to 10 kg and 30 x 40 x 60 cm, subject to space on the bus. Routes to Tan Son Nhat have no size limit on carry-on bags.

What happens to the free fare after 31 December?

The programme runs through 31 December 2026. After that, or outside it, a subsidised trip costs VND 5,000 under 15 km, VND 6,000 for 15 to 25 km and VND 7,000 beyond.

Places in this guide

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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