Ho Chi Minh City Metro in 2026: Fares, Lines, and Practical Riding Tips

Line 1 runs daily from 5:00 to 22:00, connecting Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien in Thu Duc. The line opened on 22 December 2024 and carries passengers along 19.7 km of track with 14 stations. The route runs through a short downtown tunnel, then continues mostly elevated through the eastern corridor. Trains arrive every 8–15 minutes, and the full Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien train ride takes 30 minutes. All stations have English signage, including Ben Thanh station under the park near the market, so you can read station names on platforms and exit signs without knowing Vietnamese.

The two ends of Line 1 are its clearest selling points for visitors. Ben Thanh station serves Ben Thanh Market, the Opera House, and the dense hotel area around District 1. Suoi Tien station serves the Suoi Tien theme park and the Miền Đông bus station area, where long-distance buses to the north and east park or stop. Intermediate stations mostly serve residential districts, universities, and office clusters; most tourists use the line either for the direct trip out to Suoi Tien or to skip District 1 traffic for a few kilometers. The 30-minute train run is notably quicker than the 60–90 minutes the same route can take by car in traffic.

Do not plan around a second line in 2026. Line 2 (Ben Thanh–Tham Luong) is under construction, but no opening is expected before 2028. Until then, Line 1 is the only metro service operating in Ho Chi Minh City. For visitors, that means the Line 1 endpoints and station walks should anchor any rail-based itinerary.

A single ride on HCMC Metro Line 1 costs 7,000–20,000 VND (about US$0.28–0.80), depending on distance. The full Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien trip costs 20,000 VND. Station ticket machines accept Vietnamese đồng cash and domestic bank cards, but international Visa and Mastercard may still not work at every machine in 2026. If you want to avoid card rejection, carry small notes—10,000 and 20,000 VND are ideal because many machines refuse very large Vietnamese banknotes.

The HCMC Metro app and reloadable smart cards from ticket counters are the most dependable cashless options. Download the app before you arrive, link a payment method, and buy a QR-code ticket for each journey. The app shows the exact fare based on your start and end stations before you confirm the purchase. Reloadable smart cards work across all gates and save time if you plan to ride more than once; you can buy one at any manned ticket counter and top it up with VND cash. Domestic bank cards and the app have been the most consistent payment routes through early 2026, while international contactless cards have worked at some gates but not reliably across the network.

Keep your paper ticket or QR code until you exit. Gates require it again to leave, and staff run random checks on trains and at exit gates. Losing the ticket can cause delays or a fine. When buying a single ticket from a machine, select your destination station on the screen, not just the line. This sets the correct fare before you pay. Use 10,000 and 20,000 VND notes; very large notes (like 200,000 or 500,000 VND) can be refused by the machine. If a machine rejects your international card, try the app or the ticket counter. Carry a backup of 20,000 VND in small notes for one full-route ride.

## Connecting Buses and Last-Mile Access

As of 2026, feeder buses still serve Ben Thanh, Opera House, and Van Thanh stations, but the free transfers offered around the 22 December 2024 opening are not guaranteed. Some routes kept zero-fare windows, others quietly ended them, and the terms have changed monthly. Around Ben Thanh and Van Thanh, a few routes previously ran free shuttle-style services into District 3 and Phu Nhuan, but by early 2026 only a handful retain any zero-fare window. Do not build a day around a free bus; check the official HCMC urban railway notice board at the station or the operator's website before combining bus and metro on one itinerary.

For short inner-city hops of 2–4 km, a motorbike taxi usually wins door-to-door. Grab, Xanh SM, Gojek, and Be cover that kind of trip in 10–15 minutes for 15,000–30,000 VND. Line 1 runs from 5:00 to 22:00 with trains every 8–15 minutes, but a metro ride still involves walking to a platform, buying a 7,000–20,000 VND ticket, waiting for the next departure, and walking from the arrival station. For a 2–4 km trip, that fixed overhead often makes the train slower than the bike, even before considering last-mile walking.

The train is the clear winner on the corridor it was designed for. Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien takes about 30 minutes on Line 1, while the same trip by car or ride-hailing takes 60–90 minutes in traffic. At the 20,000 VND maximum fare, the full route is also far cheaper than any taxi for that distance. If you are staying near Ben Thanh and headed to Suoi Tien or another station along the eastern corridor, the metro is the obvious choice; for District 1 to District 3, it usually is not.

Use the metro when your destination is within about a 10-minute walk of the station, not as a default for rides under 4 km. Before committing, check station exits and current feeder-bus terms; the bus element remains the least predictable part of the network.

The metro's full Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien run takes about 30 minutes, while the same trip by car or taxi in 2026 typically takes 60–90 minutes in traffic. At 20,000 VND for that full route, the train also beats any taxi on price for the eastern corridor to Suoi Tien or stations around Thao Dien and An Phu. If your destination is near a Line 1 station, the metro is the clear winner for both time and money.

For short and medium inner-city hops, ride-hailing is often faster door-to-door. A motorbike taxi from Grab, Xanh SM, Gojek, or Be can cover 2–4 km in 10–15 minutes for 15,000–30,000 VND. The metro adds walking and waiting that cabs don't: allow 5–15 minutes just to reach the platform, plus up to 15 minutes for the next train, and then another walk from your destination station. Between District 1 and District 3, a motorbike taxi frequently arrives at the exact address while the metro trip is still in progress.

Use the metro when the station is genuinely the closest option to your start and end points, not as a default for every trip. The Metro HCMC app shows real-time train positions and station exits, so check it before committing. If the nearest station exit is not clearly closer than a ride-hailing pickup at your door, Grab, Xanh SM, Gojek, or Be will usually make more sense for a 2–4 km journey.

Line 1 ticket machines don't give change, so carry small notes before you reach the station. 10,000 and 20,000 VND bills are the most useful: machines often reject large Vietnamese banknotes, and international Visa or Mastercard acceptance is still inconsistent across the network in 2026. If you pay with a 50,000 VND note for a 7,000–20,000 VND fare, you may be unable to complete the purchase. Buy a paper ticket or QR code from the machine or app, and keep it in a secure pocket until you pass the exit gate. Staff do random checks on trains and at exit gates, and losing the ticket can mean delays or a fine.

Before boarding, write down your destination's station name exactly as it appears on the metro map. English signage is posted throughout all 14 stations, but platform announcements are minimal, and you cannot rely on hearing the next stop. Names like Ben Thanh, Tan Cang, and Suoi Tien can slip past if you glance away, so keep the written name visible on your phone lock screen or a paper note.

Ben Thanh station is the busiest, especially between 7:30–9:00 and 17:00–19:00 on weekdays. Pickpockets concentrate near train doors and on platform stairs during these peaks. Keep your phone and wallet in zipped front pockets, and don't carry a bag on one shoulder. If you're travelling in a group, agree on a meeting point inside the station in case you get separated at the gate.

The last trains leave around 22:00, so check the final departure from your station before you enter. If you miss the last train, ride-hailing apps Grab, Xanh SM, and Gojek are the quick fallback, especially from stations outside District 1, where late-night taxis can be scarce.

Line 1 has carried passengers since 22 December 2024 along the 19.7 km Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien corridor, and it remains Ho Chi Minh City's only operational metro line in 2026. The line serves 14 stations between Ben Thanh in District 1 and Suoi Tien in Thu Duc, running daily from 5:00 to 22:00. Do not build a 2026 itinerary around multiple metro lines; every trip you take on urban rail will be on Line 1.

Line 2 (Ben Thanh–Tham Luong) remains under construction. The 11.3 km route runs mostly underground through Districts 1, 3, 10, 11, and Tan Binh, but no opening is expected before 2028. For visitors in 2026, that means no open stations, no trial runs, and no reason to look for Line 2 signs or ticket counters anywhere in the city. Construction updates from the HCMC urban railway authority are not translated consistently, so station staff are the most reliable source if you want to know why a road is blocked.

Line 1's second phase is also in progress, but no completion date has been publicized for 2026. The extension would push the line southwest toward Binh Chanh and connect with Line 2 at Ben Thanh. None of that work will open to passengers during this calendar year, so treat Line 1 as the complete system for your trip.

Two operational changes could still shift the riding experience before the end of 2026. Weekend frequency may increase beyond the current 8–15 minutes, and ticket machines may start accepting international chip cards more consistently. Neither change is confirmed. Check official HCMC urban railway updates at stations or in the Metro HCMC app before assuming either will be in place during your visit.