There’s no boat from Phu Quoc to Con Dao — every ferry below sails from the mainland, not the island. That leaves two ways in overall: fly, connecting through Ho Chi Minh City, or take a boat from Tran De (Trần Đề) or Can Tho (Cần Thơ) if you’re already on the mainland. For anyone starting on Phu Quoc, flying is the only route that actually makes sense.
From Phu Quoc to Con Dao
As of September 2026, there’s no direct flight between Phu Quoc (PQC) and Con Dao (VCS); every route connects through Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN). Budget most of a day for the trip — between the flight up to Ho Chi Minh City, the wait to change planes, and the onward hop to Con Dao, it adds up to more than a quick transfer. Book the connection with enough of a gap that a delay on the first leg doesn’t strand you overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
Going by sea instead doesn’t save the trouble: you’d have to get yourself to Vung Tau (Vũng Tàu), Tran De, or Can Tho first, which is a trip of its own before you’ve even reached Con Dao. For a Phu Quoc departure, fly.
Con Dao by air
| Route | Airline | Frequency | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) → Con Dao (VCS) | Vietnam Airlines / VASCO | Several a day, varies by season | 1 hr 15 min |
| Can Tho (VCA) → Con Dao (VCS) | Vietnam Airlines / VASCO | 1 flight a day | — |
Vietnam Airlines and its regional arm VASCO are the airline to plan around, flying the ATR-72 turboprop, a small plane — 68 seats — so book ahead rather than assuming a seat will be there. Other airlines have opened Con Dao routes and then pulled back from them again; if you see a listing for a different carrier, confirm with the airline that it’s actually flying before you build a schedule around it.
Several flights a day; the count varies by season — check the live schedule.
Flights verified September 29, 2026 against Vietnam Airlines’ own booking pages. Schedules to Con Dao change with the season and with which aircraft is available — check with the airline before you book.
Con Dao Airport
Con Dao Airport (also Côn Đảo Airport or Cỏ Ống Airport; IATA: VCS, ICAO: VVCS) sits on the northern end of Con Son (Côn Sơn) Island, a drive from the town center. To get in, options include a taxi, a ride-hailing app (Grab or Xanh SM), a pickup arranged through your resort, or the electric shuttle bus — figure on about 20–30 minutes into town.
Ferry to Con Dao
Two sea routes to Con Dao are running in 2026: Tran De (Trần Đề), in the former province of Soc Trang, and Can Tho. A third, from Vung Tau, has been suspended since September 2025.
Tran De (Soc Trang) to Con Dao
Superdong runs a speedboat between Tran De town and Con Dao, a crossing that takes around 2 hours 30 minutes. It departs Tran De at 08:30 and Con Dao at 13:00.
| One way, per person | Fare |
|---|---|
| Adult | 310,000 VND |
| Senior, 60 and over | 260,000 VND |
| Child, 6 to 11 | 220,000 VND |
| Passenger with a disability | 230,000 VND |
Fares and schedule verified September 29, 2026 against Superdong’s own site. Operators change fares without notice — check before booking.
Can Tho to Con Dao
Con Dao Express runs the speedboats Trung Trac (Trưng Trắc) and Trung Nhi (Trưng Nhị) on this route, a crossing of about 4 hours. Boats depart Can Tho at 07:00 and arrive Con Dao at 11:00; the return leaves Con Dao at 12:00 and arrives Can Tho at 16:00.
| One way, per person | Monday–Thursday | Friday–Sunday & holidays |
|---|---|---|
| VIP | 1,100,000 VND | 1,100,000 VND |
| Economy | 750,000 VND | 850,000 VND |
| Senior & child | 550,000 VND | 600,000 VND |
Fares and schedule verified September 29, 2026 against Con Dao Express’s own site. Operators change fares without notice — check before booking.
Vung Tau to Con Dao — suspended
The Vung Tau–Con Dao ferry has been suspended since September 3, 2025. The operator’s own booking page, checked in September 2026, still shows the route as suspended in both directions with no confirmed restart date. Don’t plan a trip around it, and ignore any fare you see quoted for this route online — it’s from before the suspension and isn’t current. Check directly with the operator before assuming it’s sailing again.
Which way to go
- Short on time: fly. Book the Con Dao leg early — the ATR-72 is a small plane and seats do sell out.
- Starting from Phu Quoc: fly. None of the ferries above depart the island, so a boat means first getting yourself to the mainland, which erases whatever you’d save.
- Already near Tran De or Can Tho with a day to spare: the boat is the cheaper option and skips the flight connection through Ho Chi Minh City entirely.
- Either way, build in slack: small-plane connections and open-water crossings both get disrupted by bad weather, so don’t put this leg on the last day before an international flight out.
Once you’re on Con Dao, the hiking trails, snorkeling, and the island’s sea turtle season are worth planning around before you book your dates.
