Transport in Phu Quoc and How to Get Around

If you're planning to do more than just lounge on the beach – like actively exploring Phu Quoc, checking out its interesting spots and sights, chilling on far-off wild beaches, or just making the most of your time – you'll definitely need some kind of transport. On Phu Quoc, you can rent a motorbike, car, or bicycle, get around on the local buses, or use taxis. We're sharing all the detailed, reliable info from our own experience on the different ways to get around Phu Quoc:

🚶 Walking

Phu Quoc is a huge island, so you definitely can't expect to see any sights on foot. Still, within specific resorts and beaches, walking is totally doable. And the cool thing, unlike some mainland resorts, it's actually comfortable to walk here because there are sidewalks and even entire promenade zones. And if you feel like hitting some hiking trails, there are plenty of those too. You can hike to one of the waterfalls, to a viewpoint on the mountain, and much more – but you can read all about that in our separate guide to Phu Quoc's sights here.

🚌 Buses in Phu Quoc

The new VinBus system on Phu Quoc is seriously impressive. Why? Because if you didn't know, there used to be no public transport here at all. Plus, some routes even run at night!!!

We've used these buses ourselves and highly recommend them. They're comfortable, air-conditioned, run strictly on schedule, and there's a handy map with their routes and apps for planning trips and tracking their location.

While the route network isn't super extensive, it does let you get between some beaches. But the handiest thing is that you can use them to get to/from the airport and the ferry pier. So, in most cases, you don't even need to spend money on a taxi; you can just use these buses. 📹 Check out our video on where to find the bus at Phu Quoc airport.

We won't go into every single route and timetable here – you can find all that yourself on the website https://vinbus.vn/ (switch to the Phu Quoc tab), or download the Vinbus app and easily figure it all out. We also have a separate, more detailed article about Phu Quoc buses, how to use them, and routes here.

We'll just cover the three most important routes that will be useful for almost anyone looking to save some cash:

• Bus No. 17. Runs from the airport along Long Beach to Duong Dong and then further along the entire coast all the way to the GrandWorld complex. Here's the route on the map, with the schedule. This is the route you'll want if you choose a hotel in the most developed and budget-friendly tourist area on Phu Quoc.
• Bus No. 19. Also goes via the airport (passing through) from the newer tourist areas along Long Beach south of the airport, and then, like No. 17, continues through Duong Dong to the GrandWorld complex. Here's the route on the map, with the schedule.
• Bus No. 20. You can take this from the ferry pier to the center of Duong Dong and then on to the GrandWorld complex. It doesn't go through the tourist area and Long Beach, but in Duong Dong you can transfer to a taxi or to bus No. 17 or 19. Here's the route on the map, with the schedule.

🚕 Taxis in Phu Quoc

You might read in older guides that taxis in Phu Quoc are very expensive. But things have changed a lot now with the Grab and Xanh SM apps, and we definitely recommend using them.

Of course, even when booking via Grab, prices here are higher than on the mainland. But even so, it's at least twice as cheap as hailing a cab on the street or booking a fixed-price ride from the airport. So, get the Grab app, buy a local SIM card, and feel free to use taxis to get around Phu Quoc if you need to. And for booking from or to the airport, you don't even need a local SIM; you can use the airport or hotel WiFi. If you decide to buy a local SIM, here's more info on how and where to buy one and which plan to choose.

If you're not familiar with the Grab app yet, it's like Uber or Yandex Go. You can use it not only for taxis but also for food delivery, sending packages, etc. To book a car, go to the 'Car' section; for a motorbike taxi, go to 'Bike'. You pay in cash at the end of the trip. You can link a foreign card for payment, but no Russian cards, including UnionPay, work. After installing the app, you need to register using a phone number or via FB/Google account with SMS verification. Russian phone numbers are accepted, but if you don't receive the SMS for a while, you can try selecting Kazakhstan as your country while still using your Russian number – this often solves the problem.

Here are some real price estimates for taxis booked via Grab from the airport:

• To Long Beach near Duong Dong – from 120,000 VND / from 4.56 USD.
• To the SonaSea area – from 100,000 VND / from 3.8 USD.
• To the center of the new Sunset Town – 240,000 VND / from 9.12 USD.

You can book a motorbike taxi for about half that price.

🛵 Renting a Motorbike or Car in Phu Quoc

Riding a motorbike around Phu Quoc is an absolute pleasure. We travel extensively through Southeast Asia, and we always say that traffic there can be tricky and dangerous, especially in Vietnam, where the roads can be pure chaos. But Phu Quoc is the exception – a place where you can ride relatively safely and comfortably. There are almost no traffic jams anywhere here, except maybe sometimes in Duong Dong town. Mostly, the roads are empty, and the traffic is calm and relaxed.

Still, it's worth remembering that two wheels are not the same as four. If you've never ridden a motorbike before, Phu Quoc really is a great place to give it a try. But you should still practice in an empty lot first to get the hang of the controls and learn to balance and control the bike.

There are plenty of quiet spots on Phu Quoc; you can find one in any area. For example, in Duong Dong, there's a perfect place – the old airport runway.

Motorbike Rental Prices in Phu Quoc

You can rent a low-powered moped (scooter) on Phu Quoc from 120,000 VND per day (from 4.56 USD) for a one-day rental. Renting for multiple days gets you a discount, potentially down to 80,000 VND. Renting from hotels or Russian-speaking travel agencies will cost more – 150,000 and from 200,000 VND respectively – but you can and should negotiate.

For long-term rentals (monthly), you can get a motorbike for 200,000 VND or even less. But if you're here for a really long time, say for work, it might make more sense to buy a used motorbike for the duration and then sell it before you leave.

What Documents You Need

To rent a car or motorcycle in Vietnam, since 2014 you no longer need to get a local license. Now, it's perfectly legal to ride with an International Driving Permit (IDP). The IDP is a small A5-sized booklet. You can get one through the Gosuslugi website, an MFC, or by applying to the traffic police (GIBDD). The IDP costs 3200 rubles and is valid for three years. You don't need to retake any driving tests.

To legally ride a motorbike, scooter, moped, or motorcycle, you need to have category "A" on your license. Categories B, C, or M are not sufficient. However, to be honest, rental places rarely ask for a license, and there are very few traffic police around (we never saw any). So, in practice, many tourists ride motorbikes without any license at all. If they do encounter police, they either "solve the problem on the spot" or, in rare cases, pay an official fine of around 1.5 million VND. We're not encouraging you to break the law and ride without a license, just stating the reality of the situation.

Where to Find Motorbike Rentals

There are tons of rental shops here, located on all the major beaches and resorts, with a huge concentration in the tourist area around Duong Dong town. However, in newer and developing areas like Sunset Town, Khem Beach, Sonasea, or on remote hotel beaches like Bai Dai, Movenpick, and similar spots, finding a reasonably priced motorbike can be tricky. So, as an option, you can take a taxi or bus from there to the Long Beach area near Duong Dong, where you'll find plenty of rentals.

Another option is to rent a motorbike with delivery to your hotel. Search online – Google Maps is very handy for this. Look for motorbike rental shops using the search "Motorbike for Rent", contact them via WhatsApp or a local call, negotiate a price, and they'll deliver the motorbike to your hotel. This approach is now common practice in Vietnam, including Phu Quoc.

You can also rent a motorbike right at the airport. There's no official rental counter there, but private rental operators meet arriving passengers, and you can negotiate with them on the spot. You already know the going rate from what we wrote above. Or, you could find a rental shop on the map in advance, ask them to deliver it to the airport, or simply walk out of the terminal, go straight across the parking lot to the roundabout (a bit less than a kilometer), and you'll find rentals there too.

And finally, you can rent a motorbike in Vietnam online through 🏍 BikesBooking.com, or using the search widget for that service:

What Else You Need to Know About Rentals

• As a deposit, they usually ask for your passport or another ID. Sometimes you can negotiate without a deposit. We've left our internal Russian passport, which feels safer than leaving your international one.
• It's best to fill up at the big chain gas stations – it's cheaper and more reliable. On Phu Quoc, the Petrolimex chain is a good choice; it's our preferred option.
• Fuel on Phu Quoc costs about 4,000 VND more per liter than on the mainland. 1 liter costs about 25,000 VND (from 0.95 USD).

And finally, check out our video on renting a motorbike in Phu Quoc:

Car Rental

And finally, if you don't have a category "A" on your license and don't ride two-wheelers, you can rent a car, but it's a very expensive option. Car rentals on Phu Quoc can be found locally at street agencies, or you can book a car online and pick it up at the airport or have it delivered to your hotel. However, car rental prices in Vietnam, especially on Phu Quoc, are very high, so don't be surprised. You can compare prices and book a car online on these sites: