Bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
Bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
If you’ve decided not to fly, then the most common way (and our preferred method) to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh is to take a tourist bus – Thai Duong Limousine are you best choise. Taking a bus is not only the most affordable option, it is relatively quick, comfortable, and convenient.
The bus trip generally takes ~6.5 hours but can take longer depending on traffic and how busy the border is when you arrive.
Duration: ~6.5 hours
Cost: ~$20 – $28 per person
There are a few bus companies that offer this route, including Thai Duong Limousine , Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, Sapaco Limousine, and Sorya Express . We recommend Thai Duong Limousine Bus – it’s our favorite bus company that runs this route because they are super reliable and always comfortable.
The price of a bus ticket ranges from $20 – $28. There are a few buses in the 10-dollar range, but it’s definitely worth paying a few dollars more to go with a reputable bus company.
As previously stated, we recommend Thai Duong Limousine Cambodia bus – a ticket is just $26. They have reasonably comfortable buses with functioning air-conditioning VIP Seat 09 seat . The buses are relatively quiet without the absurdly loud music or movies that many Southeast Asian busses insist on playing. And if you’re lucky, you may even have an outlet for charging your electronics! They often advertise free Wi-Fi, but it rarely works.
Pretty much all of the tourist bus companies depart Ho Chi Minh City from Pham Ngu Lao Street which is the northern border of the backpacker area surrounding Bui Vien – Cong Hoa Street.
If you want to take the Thai Duong Cambodia bus, it is important that you book your ticket a few days in advance as they only have one departure each day.
Bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
We prefer to book our bus tickets online at Thaiduonglimousine.com. You can compare all of your options and they make it easy to change or cancel your ticket if your travel plans change.
| Bus Company | DEPARTURE TIMEs | Departure Point | Ticket Price | Book Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Ibis | 8 am | Giant Ibis Office – 237 Pham Ngu Lau (Map) | ~$19 | Book Tickets |
| Mekong Express | 7 am, 8:30 am, 1 pm | Mekong Express Office – Pham Ngu Lau (Map) | ~$ 20 | Book Tickets |
| Sinh Tourist | 6:30 am, 8:30 am, 11:30 am, 3:30 pm | Sinh Tourist Office – 246 De Tham (Map) | ~$14 | Book Tickets |
| Sorya Bus | 6:45 am, 8 am, 11:30 am | Sorya Bus Office – 302 Cong Hoa , Tan Binh (Map) | ~$20 | Book Tickets |
| Thai Duong Limousine | 7 am, 9 am, 11:30 am, 14:30 pm – 15:30 pm | 302 Cong Hoa , tan Binh (Map) | ~$26 | Book Tickets |
| Phuong Heng | 6 am, 8:30 am, 3:30 pm | Phuong Heng Office – 291 Pham Ngu Lau (Map) | ~$20 | Book Tickets |
Many bus companies offer a free pick-up service, although if you’re staying close to Bui Vien Street this just means a bus company employee will walk with you from your hotel to the bus stop. You will probably even have to carry all your luggage which kind of defeats the purpose of a free pick-up.
It’s best to clarify what the free pick-up entails when you make your booking. And if you’re staying close to the bus company’s office, just walk over yourself or catch a Grab (iPhone|Android) so you don’t have to show up so early.
Two companies – Thai Duong Limousine and Virak Buntham – have night busses that run this route but we strongly recommend against taking them Bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh . If the Immigration Offices are still closed when your overnight bus arrives, you’ll have to wait for the border to open. Because of this the nighttime bus often takes 12 hours or more – twice as long as the daytime route.
Also, some of the night buses have shared sleeping cabins, so if you are traveling solo you may wind up sleeping next to a complete stranger which is pretty weird.
