Phu My Port is where the big ocean ships dock for Ho Chi Minh City, and it’s nowhere near Ho Chi Minh City. Your ship pulls in at a deep water terminal well outside Saigon, and getting into the centre means a booked transfer of an hour and a half to two hours, each way.
Phu My Port, explained
Cruise itineraries list the call simply as Ho Chi Minh City, which is why so many people step off expecting street life and instead get container cranes. One port, one city, joined by a couple of hours on the road, whatever the itinerary suggests.
Phu My Port sits on the Cai Mep-Thi Vai riverbank, a stretch of deep water frontage in what used to be Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, down in southern Vietnam. It splits into two working areas: Phu My North takes the bigger cruise ships, Phu My South handles the smaller ones.
In a recent nationwide shake up, Vietnam merged Ho Chi Minh City with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau into one much bigger city. Phu My and Vung Tau are now officially wards, which is Vietnam’s word for a district, of that enlarged Ho Chi Minh City. Whether that changes berthing, port fees or visa processing for cruise passengers is still an open question, and nothing operational has been confirmed yet.
The terminal building itself is smart by regional standards, with a waiting area, luggage storage, toilets, currency exchange, ATMs and a handful of shops and cafes. That’s where the on site experience ends. No attractions, no restaurants, no shops within walking distance, because you’re inside a working industrial port, not a town.
Phu My Port on the map
The wider region is growing fast as a cruise stop. Ba Ria-Vung Tau took in more than 80,000 cruise passengers last year, with dozens of ships booked to call at the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port area, according to Travel Weekly Asia, and national arrivals are climbing by double digits year on year, according to Vietnam’s General Statistics Office.
Getting from Phu My Port to Ho Chi Minh City
Nobody quite agrees on the distance. Some put it at around 50 kilometres, others say closer to 90 or even 100, and there’s no official port authority figure to settle the argument. What everyone does agree on is the driving time: somewhere between an hour and a half and two hours each way, longer if the approach roads are having a bad day.
The bigger snag is getting off the pier at all. Phu My is a working industrial port first and a cruise stop second, so you can’t just walk through it. Most ships run a shuttle bus to the gate, and even then you’re looking at another fifteen to twenty minute walk before you hit a taxi rank on the main road.
Only a limited number of private vehicles get onto the pier itself when a ship’s in, and that’s the loophole to use. Shore excursions and pre-booked private tours are usually cleared for pier access, so their vehicles pick you up right at the ship instead of at the gate. Local tour operators will normally ask for your passport details in advance to sort the seaport pass and cover the port fee for you.
Taxis do wait outside, but not all of them hold a port permit, and English is patchy at best, so agree the price before you get in, not after. Grab and the other ride hailing apps aren’t built for pickups from inside an industrial port, so don’t bank on summoning one at the gate. With a transfer running close to two hours, a memory foam travel pillow earns its keep.
Phu My Port vs Ho Chi Minh City centre
The port and the city are two completely different days out, and knowing which one you’re planning for changes everything about how you spend your time ashore.
| Aspect | Phu My Port | Ho Chi Minh City centre |
|---|---|---|
| Where ships dock | Deep water terminal, Ba Ria-Vung Tau area | Riverboats only, at a separate downtown pier |
| Distance from ship | You’re already there | Roughly 1.5 to 2 hours by road |
| What’s on site | Terminal building, ATMs, currency exchange, small shops | Markets, museums, cathedrals, malls |
| Getting there | Not applicable | Shore excursion, private tour, or pre-arranged taxi |
| Best for | A quick stretch of the legs before boarding transport | Sightseeing, shopping, a full day ashore |
Vung Tau, the closer alternative
If the long haul into Ho Chi Minh City doesn’t appeal, Vung Tau is the shorter option, a seaside town about 45 kilometres away and roughly an hour’s drive. It’s known for its beaches, fresh seafood and the Christ of Vung Tau statue, a giant hilltop figure with views out over the coast.
Front Beach is the liveliest stretch, lined with a promenade, shops and seafood restaurants, and the Vung Tau Lighthouse gives you another easy viewpoint if you’d rather not lose half the day sitting in transfer traffic.
Things to do on a Phu My port day
If Ho Chi Minh City’s the plan, most people head for the same short list of sights, plus one big shopping stop.
- Ben Thanh Market for souvenirs and handicrafts, where bargaining is expected
- Notre Dame Cathedral and the old Post Office, both built during the French colonial era
- Reunification Palace
- War Remnants Museum
- Thien Hau Pagoda
- A half day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels
- Saigon Centre or similar malls for fixed price shopping
The full day trip to Ho Chi Minh City and the Cu Chi Tunnels tour are consistently the two most booked shore excursions from Phu My, mostly because both hand the transfer headache to someone else.
When more than one ship is in port
Because only so many private vehicles can get onto the pier at once, a day with several ships in means longer queues for the shuttle bus and a slower turnaround for taxis at the gate. If your call date lines up with other ships, build in extra time before a booked excursion departure.
This is where pre-booked transport earns its keep. Operators who’ve already sorted seaport passes and paid the port fee tend to get priority pier access, while anyone banking on hailing a taxi on the spot is more exposed to delays.
Saigon’s river cruises are a different port
If you’re booked on a river cruise rather than an ocean ship, this is the wrong port for you, riverboats dock in downtown Saigon itself, not at Phu My. Cruising the Saigon River takes you past landmarks including Nha Rong Wharf, Ben Nghe Port, Phu My Bridge, Red Light Cape and the Binh Khanh Ferry Terminal.
Saigon River dinner cruises typically leave from Bach Dang Pier around sunset and run for an hour and a half to two hours, a nice way to see the skyline if you’ve got an evening free in port.
Phu My is just one stop along Vietnam’s coastline. Our guide to Vietnam’s cruise ports covers the full run, including the port guide for Phu Quoc Island and the port guide for Hanoi and Halong Bay.
Why Trust About2Cruise
This guide was put together from published travel and tourism sources on Phu My Port and Ho Chi Minh City, cross checked where they disagreed, particularly on distance and drive time. You can read more about how we put our guides together on our about us page.
Common Questions
Is Phu My Port the same as Ho Chi Minh City?
No. Phu My is a container port roughly an hour and a half to two hours’ drive from central Ho Chi Minh City. Ocean ships dock at Phu My, and only river cruise boats dock downtown in Saigon itself.
Can I walk out of the port to find a taxi?
Not directly. Phu My is an active industrial port with no walking route out, so you take a shuttle bus to the gate, then a further short walk before you reach the taxis on the main road.
Do I need to book a tour in advance?
It helps a lot. Private tour operators usually need your passport details ahead of time to arrange the seaport pass and cover the port fee, and pre-booked vehicles usually get priority access to the pier.
Is there wifi at the Phu My terminal?
Nobody’s officially confirmed wifi or mobile signal at the terminal, so download offline maps and keep a portable charger topped up before you head ashore.
Should I visit Vung Tau instead of Ho Chi Minh City?
If your time ashore is tight, Vung Tau is roughly an hour’s drive and gives you beaches, seafood and the Christ of Vung Tau statue, against a much longer round trip to the city.
Are ATMs and currency exchange available at the terminal?
Yes. The terminal building has ATMs, a currency exchange counter, toilets and a small selection of shops and restaurants, though nothing beyond that within walking distance.
Can I use Grab to get a taxi from the port?
Not reliably. Grab and similar ride hailing apps aren’t set up for pickups from inside the industrial port, so a pre-arranged transfer or a taxi hailed at the gate is the safer bet.
Has the recent administrative merger changed anything for cruise passengers?
Phu My and Vung Tau are now officially wards of an enlarged Ho Chi Minh City, but nothing about port operations, fees or visa processing has changed so far, as far as anyone’s confirmed.
Do I need a visa to go ashore?
Vietnam’s usual entry rules apply, but there’s no officially confirmed Phu My specific visa on arrival process for cruise passengers, so check with your cruise line before you sail.
Last Updated: 7 September 2026