Getting oriented
Hà Tiên sits on the coast in the Mekong Delta, right beside the Cambodian border, and its compact centre makes it an easy place to navigate on foot. The main commercial street, Tran Hau, runs along the seaside between the large road bridge (Cau To Chau) and the site of the former pedestrian pontoon bridge (Cau Phao, removed in early 2007). Most of what a visitor needs — guesthouses, travel agencies, the Superdong ferry office — clusters around this strip.
One quirk to plan around: the bus station and the ferry pier both sit across the river from the town centre, so almost every arrival or departure involves a short hop over the bridge.
Walking
The centre of town is easily walkable, and Tran Hau is the spine of it. If you are staying centrally, you can cover the shops, restaurants and waterfront on foot without needing any transport at all. For anything beyond the centre — the bus station, the ferry pier, the border — you will want wheels.
Motorbike taxis
Moto drivers are found at various strategic points all over town and are the most flexible way to cover short distances. As a rough guide, any journey within town should cost no more than 20,000 dong — for example to the ferry port or the bus station — while a trip out to the border runs 40–50,000 dong. Drivers cluster particularly around travellers heading to the border, so expect to be approached if you look like you are leaving town.
Taxis
There are two main metered taxi companies in Hà Tiên: the omnipresent Mai Linh, and Ha Tien Development Corp. Mai Linh taxis operate in town and your hotel can call one for you (tel. 077 3838 3838). For a small city like this, taxis are a comfortable option for luggage-heavy trips to the bus station or pier.
Renting your own wheels
It is possible to rent motorbikes by the day (roughly US$6) or pedal cycles (roughly US$2) at several locations in town, and some hotels and guesthouses also rent motorbikes. One quoted rate of 200,000 dong for a motorbike was considered steep, so it is worth asking around before committing.
Rail, metro and tram
Hà Tiên has no rail, metro or tram network. There is no train station and no urban rail service of any kind; all movement into, out of and around the city is by road, water or on foot.
Buses and long-distance coaches
The bus station is southeast of the city centre, a bit outside town and across the river on the same side as the pier — about a 20,000 dong motorbike-taxi ride from the centre. Phuong Trang (Futa Bus) and Mai Linh Express are the operators generally described as comfortable and reliable.
Services connect Hà Tiên to the provincial capital Rạch Giá and many other towns in the Mekong Delta, including Châu Đốc, Can Tho, Ca Mau, Vung Tau and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). In practice:
- To Rạch Giá: Mai Linh Express runs air-conditioned minibuses with hourly departures through the day, and there is also a cheaper local bus that departs when enough passengers have gathered, with hourly departures in the morning. Either way the trip takes around two and a half hours.
- To Ho Chi Minh City: Phuong Trang (Futa) runs sleeping buses, and other companies run services hourly from early morning until late at night. The journey takes roughly eight to nine hours. Buses leave from Mien Tay terminal in Ho Chi Minh City in the other direction.
- Other destinations: services also run to Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Can Tho and Vung Tau, generally departing in the early morning or, in some cases, late at night.
- From Can Tho: the connection often requires a change in Rach Soi or Rach Gia, from where it is about an hour further.
Tickets are bought directly from the operator or at the bus station; there is no city-wide pass or card system to worry about.
Ferries and boats
The ferry pier is across the river from the town centre, and you should arrive at least 30 minutes before a scheduled departure.
- Phú Quốc: Daily fast ferries run to the island, with the Superdong service the main option used by locals and travellers. Boats are air-conditioned with assigned seating, and the ticket includes bottled water and flatscreen entertainment. The crossing takes roughly an hour and a quarter and arrives at Bai Vong Pier on the east coast of Phú Quốc, from where a bus transfer to Duong Dong, the main island town, costs 30,000 dong per person. In the low (wet) season there are normally two departures a day, and in the high (dry) season they run more frequently. Extra departures are added during peak seasons such as weekends, Tet and the summer months. A slower ferry also serves the island. Boats can be cancelled for days in rough weather, and rainy-season weather is unpredictable, so build some slack into your plans.
- Superdong office: 11 Tran Hau Street, open daily 06:00–20:30, tel. (077) 3877 742.
- Car ferries: Car ferries also run from Hà Tiên to the north-east corner of Phú Quốc at Bai Thom. These operate on demand rather than to a fixed schedule and can start as early as 05:00 and run until 21:00, taking about two and a half hours.
- Hai Tac (Pirate Island): Two departures daily, with the early morning departure and the return depending on passenger numbers. Look for the boat to "Tien Hai", the official name of the island group. Note that at one point ferry operators were reportedly not allowing foreigners on boats to Hai Tac, so check the situation locally before planning a trip.
Crossing to Cambodia
The Hà Tiên International Border Gate is west of town in the village of Xà Xía, and on the Cambodian side it is known as the Prek Chak International Border Checkpoint in Kampong Trach District, Kampot. It is open from 07:00 to 18:00, and besides conventional Vietnamese visas it is also listed as a Vietnamese e-Visa point of entry for foreigners.
You can reach the border by motorbike taxi from town for around 40–50,000 dong. Coming from the Cambodian side, you can ride a bus or van or hire a motorbike taxi from Kampot, Kep or Kampong Trach, and a ride from the border into Hà Tiên should cost US$3–4 or less — it is only a short, well-paved run on the Vietnamese side. Be aware that Vietnamese drivers sometimes wait well inside the Cambodian side to pick up travellers, and your Cambodian driver may stop to talk with them; if you cannot agree on a price there, you can simply have your driver take you to the border and arrange onward transport on the other side.
If you travel the whole way to Hà Tiên by bus from Cambodia, the driver or a company representative will typically collect your passport before the border and handle the formalities at both crossings for you, carrying it until all procedures are finished. Travellers crossing on their own may pass through more quickly.
Getting from the airport into the city
Hà Tiên does not have its own airport, so arrivals by air come through other regional airports and then continue overland or by sea. The closest airport with flights to Phú Quốc is Rach Gia, less than three hours away. From there, the practical route onward to Hà Tiên is by road — bus or taxi — into the city, or you can connect via the ferry services if you are heading to the island instead.
If you are flying into Ho Chi Minh City, the standard approach is to take a bus from Mien Tay terminal, with Futa Buslines and Kumpho Samco Buslines running modern coaches regularly through the day; the journey takes about eight hours. Whichever airport you use, plan your onward leg in advance, since the final stretch into Hà Tiên is by road or water rather than by any rail or metro connection.