Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City by bus: the Bavet–Moc Bai walkthrough

Boats on the Mekong river at sunset, east of Phnom Penh on the road toward Vietnam — The road east out of Phnom Penh follows the Mekong toward Bavet — the busiest land crossing in the country.

It's one of Southeast Asia's classic overland hops: about 240 km from the Cambodian capital to Saigon, with a walk-across border in the middle. The bus itself is easy. The part that strands people is the Vietnam visa — so this page covers the paperwork first, then the journey step by step.

Last updated: October 19, 2026

Quick answer

Buses run from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City all day, take about 6–7 hours including the border, and cost roughly $22–40 depending on the operator — Giant Ibis (around $35) is the most popular with international travelers; Kumho Samco and Mekong Express sit lower. You get off at Bavet, walk about 200 metres across the neutral zone to Moc Bai in Vietnam, show your passport and visa, scan your bags, and reboard. The critical rule: there is no Vietnam visa on arrival at this land border. Unless your passport is visa-exempt, you need an approved Vietnam eVisa before the trip — with Moc Bai Landport named as the entry point — or you will be turned back.

First, the visa: the rule that decides your whole day

Everything else on this page is logistics. This section is the trip-maker, so read it before you book anything:

There is no visa on arrival at Moc Bai. Vietnam's visa on arrival is an airport-only product (and even at airports it requires a pre-approved letter). At land borders, nothing is issued and nothing can be bought. Travelers who arrive at Moc Bai without a visa are refused entry — full stop.
Most nationalities need a Vietnam eVisa arranged in advance. Apply on the official portal, evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn — not a look-alike agency site. The government fee is $25 for a single-entry eVisa (valid up to 90 days), standard processing is around 3 working days, and applications can bounce back for photo or data errors, so apply a week or more ahead, not the night before.
The entry point must say "Moc Bai Landport" — exactly. A Vietnam eVisa is tied to the checkpoint printed on it, and land borders enforce this strictly. An eVisa naming Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City's airport) will not be accepted at Moc Bai, even though both lead to the same city. Pick the wrong port and the approved visa in your hand is worthless at this crossing.
Print the eVisa. Officers at Moc Bai work from the paper copy. A phone screenshot is a gamble you don't need to take.
Some passports are visa-exempt — ASEAN nationalities and a list of others (including several European passports) enter for a set number of days without a visa. Exemption lengths vary by nationality and change over time, so check your specific passport before relying on it.
The bus company will check your documents before you board. The better operators verify passports and Vietnam visas at check-in and won't take passengers who can't legally cross. That's them protecting you: the alternative is being refused at Moc Bai, 170 km from Phnom Penh, with a long ride back.

One direction note: coming back into Cambodia on this route is easier — most nationalities can get a Cambodia visa on arrival at Bavet for $30 (tourist) with a passport photo. It's Vietnam that demands the paperwork in advance. And if your onward plans involved Thailand instead, read the border status page first: every Thailand land crossing is currently closed, which makes this Vietnam route the only overland way out of Cambodia to the east.

The operators: who runs the route

Operator	Typical price	What to expect
Giant Ibis	~$35	The traveler favorite: big comfortable buses, staff who batch-process passports at the border, a duty-free stop while stamps are handled, central offices at both ends. Departures commonly around 8:00am and 9:45am.
Kumho Samco	Low-to-mid $20s	Vietnamese operator with frequent departures through the day. Less hand-holding at the border, solid value.
Mekong Express	Mid-range, ~$25–30	One of the longest-running names on the route, with an attendant who shepherds passengers through the crossing steps.
Virak Buntham / VET and others	From ~$22	Dozens of departures a day across many smaller companies; standards vary more, prices start lowest.

Prices are typical ranges reported by operators and booking platforms in October 2026. Fares move with season and demand — around Tet and Cambodian public holidays, book early and expect the top of the range.

Almost every bus, whichever company you choose, arrives in Ho Chi Minh City at Pham Ngu Lao in District 1 — the central traveler district, walking distance from Ben Thanh Market and most budget hotels. Total distance is roughly 240 km.

The crossing, step by step

Here's the journey in order, so nothing on the day is a surprise:

Step 1 — Check in 30 minutes early. Have your passport and printed eVisa ready; the operator checks them before boarding. On some buses the attendant collects everyone's passports once you're seated, to batch-process the stamps at the border. This is standard practice on this route — the big operators do it to speed the whole bus through.
Step 2 — Phnom Penh to Bavet (about 2.5–3 hours). Highway 1 runs east along the Mekong, including the bridge at Neak Loeung. Keep your passport, eVisa printout and a pen in your daypack — not in the luggage hold.
Step 3 — Cambodia exit at Bavet. Everyone gets off the bus with all their luggage. You pass through the Cambodian immigration hall for your exit stamp. There is no official Cambodian departure fee at Bavet — remember that for the scams section below.
Step 4 — Walk the neutral zone (about 200 metres). You walk across no-man's-land to the Vietnamese terminal at Moc Bai, carrying your bags. Your bus drives through separately and waits on the other side — or the attendant walks with the group. Either way, stay with your fellow passengers.
Step 5 — Vietnam entry at Moc Bai. Present your passport and printed eVisa. The officer checks the entry port matches (Moc Bai Landport — see above), stamps you in, and your luggage goes through an X-ray scanner. With a full bus arriving at once, this step takes 30–60 minutes on a normal day.
Step 6 — Reboard and ride to Saigon (about 2–2.5 hours). Some operators build in a stop at the duty-free/food court on the border while passports are processed — Giant Ibis famously handles the queue this way. From Moc Bai it's a straight run into Ho Chi Minh City traffic and the drop-off on Pham Ngu Lao.

Door to door, budget 6–7 hours: roughly three hours to the border, up to an hour crossing, and about two and a half into District 1. Wherever you're headed in the city afterwards, the same approach as at home applies — ride apps with the price fixed upfront beat curbside negotiations, which our tuk-tuks and ride apps guide explains for the Cambodian side and works much the same in Saigon with Grab.

Border scams and fake fees — both sides

Bavet–Moc Bai is a well-run crossing by regional standards, but a few classics persist:

The "health check" fee at Bavet. Individuals in white coats have been known to demand $1–5 for a "mandatory health certificate" or temperature check. There is no official medical fee for crossing with your visa in order. Decline politely and stay with your bus group.
"Express stamp" fixers. Touts at both terminals offer to speed up your stamp for cash. Your bus attendant already handles the queue — following a stranger with your passport is the one thing you should never do at a border.
Currency changers in the neutral zone. Money changers between the two terminals quote rates well below the bank rate. Change only small emergency amounts here; proper rates wait for you in District 1.
Unofficial "helpers" on the Vietnam side offering to fill in forms or carry bags for a fee that grows at the end. The bus attendant's help is included in your ticket — use it instead.

Standard border rules apply throughout: keep your passport on your person, know the real fees (Cambodia exit: none; your Vietnam eVisa: already paid online), and let any surprise charge be a red flag. An international bus day is also a good reason to have your travel insurance in force before you set off, not after.

Booking tips

Sort the eVisa before the bus ticket. The ticket is refundable-ish; a denied border crossing is not. Visa first, bus second, ideally a week apart.
Take a morning bus. The 8:00–9:45am departures land you in District 1 by mid-afternoon, in daylight, with check-in desks open and the city's food scene warming up.
Avoid night buses on this route. Experienced regional sources consistently advise against them — the border timing, the road, and arriving in the small hours all work against you. The day bus is a pleasant ride through the delta.
Screenshot or print your booking and keep the operator's office address (Phnom Penh riverside area for Giant Ibis) in your phone — terminals differ by company, as our Phnom Penh to Siem Reap guide also warns for domestic routes.
Flying back into Cambodia afterwards? Then the e-Arrival card applies to you on landing — free, mandatory for air arrivals, and quick to file within 7 days before you fly.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a Vietnam visa on arrival at the Moc Bai border?

No. Vietnam visa on arrival exists only at international airports, and even there it needs a pre-approved letter. At the Moc Bai land border nothing is sold and no visa is issued on the spot. If you are not visa-exempt, you need an approved Vietnam eVisa (or an embassy visa) in hand before the bus leaves Phnom Penh — travelers without one get turned back at the border.

How long does the Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City bus take?

Typically 6 to 7 hours door to door, including the border stop. The drive to Bavet takes about 2.5 to 3 hours, the crossing itself usually 30 to 60 minutes, and the run from Moc Bai into District 1 about 2 to 2.5 hours. On busy holiday weekends, allow up to 8 hours.

Which entry point should I select on the Vietnam eVisa?

Moc Bai Landport — exactly. Vietnam eVisas are tied to the entry checkpoint named on them, and land borders enforce the match strictly. An eVisa that names Tan Son Nhat Airport will not be accepted at Moc Bai, even though both serve Ho Chi Minh City.

How much does the bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City cost?

Typically $22–40 depending on the operator. Budget lines and Vietnamese operators such as Kumho Samco start in the low-to-mid $20s, while Giant Ibis — the most popular with international travelers — sits at the top of the range, around $35. Prices were checked in October 2026 and rise around major holidays.

Do I have to carry my own luggage across the border?

Yes. Everyone gets off the bus at Bavet with all of their bags, walks roughly 200 metres through the neutral zone to the Moc Bai terminal, and puts luggage through the X-ray scanner on the Vietnamese side. The same bus (or the same company's bus) waits on the other side and takes you the rest of the way.

What happens if immigration is slow — will the bus leave without me?

No — the bus waits for its own passengers, and the attendant keeps count. Delays at Moc Bai delay the whole bus, which is normal and built into the schedule padding. What matters is staying with your group, keeping your passport and printed eVisa in your hand (not in the luggage hold), and following the attendant's instructions at each counter.

Staying in Cambodia instead? The Phnom Penh to Siem Reap route is the country's other great overland hop, with bus, flight and boat options compared. More routes, fares and border walkthroughs live in Getting Around.