An Thoi, the township at Phu Quoc's southern tip, lies about 30–35 km from Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC) — a 45–60 minute drive. A taxi or Grab costs roughly 450,000–550,000 VND ($18–22) door-to-door, a pre-booked private transfer runs $25–35 per car, and the local bus is the budget pick at under 60,000 VND (~$2.50) with a 75–100 minute journey time.
How far is An Thoi from Phu Quoc Airport?
Phu Quoc International Airport sits on the island's west coast, a few kilometres southeast of Duong Dong town. An Thoi is at the opposite end of the island — the southern tip, where the famous beaches, Sunset Town and the Hon Thom cable car are clustered. The gap between them is 30–35 km depending on your exact hotel, which sounds small until you remember Phu Quoc is a single 50-km-long island with essentially one north–south spine of roads.
By car, the drive takes 45–60 minutes. Drivers usually take the quicker inland route down the island's main artery; scooter riders often prefer the coastal road along Tran Hung Dao, which adds 15–20 minutes but passes fishing villages, pepper farms and a string of beaches. Traffic on the island is overwhelmingly scooters rather than cars, so the roads move easily outside of a few peak-hour pinch points near Duong Dong.
One thing worth knowing before you choose your transport: "An Thoi" can mean the township itself or the whole southern district. Sunset Town, Bai Khem beach, the JW Marriott at Bai Khem and the An Thoi pier for island-hopping boats all fan out within a 10-minute drive of the township, so nearly every hotel in the south lands you inside that same 30–35 km airport radius.
Option 1: Taxi or Grab — the simplest door-to-door ride
Metered taxis (Mai Linh and other local fleets) queue directly outside the arrivals hall and run to An Thoi for roughly 450,000–550,000 VND ($18–22). No booking is needed, the meter handles the price, and drivers are used to luggage. This is the only transport option that is genuinely reliable at any hour of the day or night.
Grab works well on Phu Quoc. Open the app after you land, get a fixed fare upfront (typically in the same $18–22 band, more during late-night surge), and follow the pick-up signs to the ride-hail meeting point outside the terminal. A Grab or taxi fits two adults plus luggage comfortably; larger cars or 7-seat taxis cost slightly more.
Who should skip it: a solo backpacker with one bag can pay a quarter of the price by bus, and long-stayers who plan to rent a scooter anyway don't need a car transfer — they need the rental shop's delivery driver instead.
Every option at a glance
Here is the full comparison for one direction, airport to An Thoi, based on typical 2025 prices:
| Option | Approx. cost | Journey time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi (metered) | 450,000–550,000 VND ($18–22) | 45–60 min | Any arrival, door-to-door |
| Grab (app) | ~$18–22 (surges late night) | 45–60 min | Fixed upfront price, no haggling |
| Private transfer | $25–35 per car | 45–60 min | Families, groups of 3+, red-eye flights |
| Local bus (via Duong Dong) | ~30,000–60,000 VND (~$1.20–2.50) | 75–100 min | Light-packing backpackers, daytime arrivals |
| Rental scooter | 150,000–250,000 VND ($6–10) per day | 60–75 min ride | Stays of 3+ nights, independent travellers |
Prices are per trip unless stated. Add a little margin if your hotel is past An Thoi township toward Bai Khem or Sunset Town — those final kilometres add 5–10 minutes and 30,000–50,000 VND to a metered fare.
Option 2: A pre-booked private transfer
Hotels, tour operators and transfer services sell fixed-price airport pick-ups to the An Thoi area for roughly $25–35 per vehicle (4–7 seats). A driver waits in arrivals with a name sign, the price never changes, and there is no hunting for a taxi in the dark after a delayed flight.
The math is simple: two taxi rides to the same address would cost more than one pre-booked van, so any group of three or more comes out ahead. Families with small children can usually request a child seat when booking, and drivers track your flight number in case of delays.
Who should skip it: solo travellers and couples. You would pay $25–35 for exactly the ride a $20 Grab delivers. The premium only buys you certainty — worth it at midnight, not worth it at 2 PM.
Option 3: The local bus — under $3, but slow
Phu Quoc's public buses connect the airport with Duong Dong, and from the main town you can continue south toward An Thoi. The whole journey costs somewhere around 30,000–60,000 VND (~$1.20–2.50) including the change, making it by far the cheapest way to cover the island end to end.
The trade-offs are real: expect 75–100 minutes or more including waiting, limited space for large suitcases, and thin service in the evening. If your flight lands after about 5–6 PM, the realistic connection is a taxi for the final leg anyway.
Who should skip it: anyone arriving after dark, families with kids and bags, or anyone jet-lagged enough that an extra hour in a hot bus feels like a bad idea. It is a genuinely good pick for light-packing backpackers landing in the morning who want to stretch $18 into three meals.
Option 4: Rent a motorbike — or have one delivered to your hotel
Scooter rental on Phu Quoc runs about 150,000–250,000 VND ($6–10) per day including helmets. Do the arithmetic and the choice makes itself: a single return taxi trip between the airport and An Thoi costs roughly $36–44 — about five days of scooter rental. If you are staying three nights or more, wheels of your own pay for themselves and then unlock the beaches around Bai Khem, Bai Sao and the harbor at your own pace.
The ride itself takes 60–75 minutes on good roads, with fuel stations spaced along the way. You will need to leave a passport or cash deposit, and Vietnam legally requires an international driving permit with a motorbike endorsement — police checkpoints do exist, and the fine for riding without one comes out of your holiday fund, not the rental shop's. New riders should be honest with themselves: island roads are calm by Vietnamese standards, but rain, sand on corners and dogs crossing at dusk are all part of the deal.
Who should skip it: complete beginners, families with small children, and anyone travelling with full-size luggage. A smart middle path: take a taxi or transfer down with your bags, then have a rental scooter delivered to your An Thoi hotel the next morning — several local shops, including Sabrina Rental, deliver directly to hotels in the south.
Landing late? Here's what's still open in An Thoi
Delayed flight, 9 PM landing, hungry arrivals — the southern tip has you covered better than most of the island. The single most useful fact to know: Ann Seafood at Bai Khem is open 24 hours every day, so even a 1 AM check-in can end with a proper seafood dinner rather than crisps from a minimart. Expect roughly $9.5–22.8 per person there.
Other reliable evening options around An Thoi and Sunset Town: Sun Bavaria Gastropub in Sunset Town pours until midnight (open 12:00–00:00 on Thursday–Friday, and 16:00–00:00 on Sunday–Wednesday and Saturday). Cơm Gia Đình on Amarine road serves home-style rice plates from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM daily — ideal for an early-evening arrival. Beyond the sit-down places, budget street stalls and local eateries around An Thoi town typically charge 100,000–200,000 VND per person per meal, and a handful keep serving into the late evening.
Where to eat in An Thoi once you've arrived
An Thoi's food scene splits into three layers: the township's cheap local kitchens, the Sunset Town dining strip, and the resort restaurants at Bai Khem. Here are the names worth having saved on your phone:
| Place | Where | Hours | Price / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Seafood | Bai Khem | Open 24 hours daily | $9.5–22.8 per person |
| Óc Đảo An Thới | An Thoi town | Local hours | Budget seafood, $3.8–7.6 per person |
| Phương Đông Quán | An Thoi area | Local hours | Herring salad and fresh seafood, $3.8–7.6 per person |
| Cơm Gia Đình | Amarine road, Khu Phố 6 | 9:30 AM–9:00 PM daily | Home-style Vietnamese rice plates |
| SURA Korean Restaurant | Sunset Town | Evening-focused | Authentic Korean cuisine |
| Mare | La Festa Phu Quoc, Curio by Hilton, Sunset Town | 3:00–11:00 PM daily | Upscale hotel dining |
| Sun Bavaria Gastropub | Sunset Town | Until midnight (12:00–00:00 Thu–Fri; 16:00–00:00 Sun–Wed & Sat) | Beer hall food and draught beer |
| Tempus Fugit | JW Marriott Emerald Bay, Bai Khem | Breakfast 6:30–10:30 AM; lunch/dinner 12:00–10:00 PM daily | Resort all-day dining |
| Red Rum | JW Marriott Emerald Bay, Bai Khem | Lunch 11:00 AM–4:30 PM; dinner 5:30 PM–10:00 PM (Sunday hours; same two-block pattern) | Resort grill |
The resort restaurants at the JW Marriott welcome visitors staying at the hotel or coming for the day, but the best value in town is unambiguously local: Óc Đảo An Thới and Phương Đông Quán both feed you for under $8, and a plate of herring salad with cold beer is the classic southern-island order. For self-caterers, An Thoi Market sells fresh produce, vegetables, seafood and essentials from 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, and the wholesale fish market near the An Thoi pier is at its liveliest between 5 AM and 8 AM.
Is An Thoi the right base for you?
An Thoi is the strongest base on the island for a specific type of trip. If your days are built around beaches (Bai Khem and Bai Sao are minutes away), the Sunset Town–Kiss Bridge evening spectacle, the Hon Thom cable car, or island-hopping boats departing the An Thoi pier to islets like Hon Mong Tay and Hon May Rut, staying south saves you a 50–70 km round trip from Duong Dong every single day. Families booked into the JW Marriott and couples in Sunset Town's hotels are, almost by definition, in the right place.
It is a poor fit, however, if: you want Phu Quoc's main nightlife, bar scene and central night market (all 25 km north in Duong Dong); you are hunting the cheapest guesthouses and street-food density, which favour the main town; or you plan to fly out within a day or two and would rather not face a 45–60 minute airport transfer twice. Public transport in the south is thin — once you are there, you will want a scooter or a taxi budget of a few hundred thousand VND a day to move around comfortably. For travellers torn between the two, a simple rule: beach-and-sunset itineraries belong in An Thoi; everything else is easier in Duong Dong.
Practical tips for the airport-to-south journey
- Withdraw cash before you leave the airport area – ATMs exist in An Thoi town, but many small eateries and street stalls are cash-only, and meals run 100,000–200,000 VND per person.
- Leave a 3-hour buffer before flights – the 45–60 minute drive plus check-in and domestic security is comfortable, but the coastal road slows in rain.
- Confirm your drop-off point – "An Thoi" covers a wide district; share your hotel's exact name and map pin with the driver to avoid a 15-minute hunt at the end.
- Plan your first meal – daytime arrivals can graze An Thoi Market (5:00 AM–6:00 PM); late arrivals have the 24-hour Ann Seafood at Bai Khem as a guaranteed fallback.
- Book island-hopping for your first full morning – boats leave from the An Thoi pier, and tours from hotels in the south start earlier than tours that collect from Duong Dong.
- Grab a scooter early – rentals go for 150,000–250,000 VND per day, and the southern beaches are spread out enough that you will want wheels from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a taxi from Phu Quoc Airport to An Thoi?
Expect 450,000–550,000 VND ($18–22) on the meter for the 30–35 km trip, taking 45–60 minutes. Fares rise slightly if your hotel is beyond the township toward Bai Khem or Sunset Town, and 7-seat vehicles cost more than standard sedans.
Does Grab work at Phu Quoc Airport?
Yes. GrabCar operates across the island, with a designated ride-hail pick-up point outside the terminal. Fares to An Thoi typically match taxi prices at $18–22, though late-night surge pricing can push the total higher than a metered cab.
How much is a private airport transfer to An Thoi?
Around $25–35 per vehicle (4–7 seats), fixed in advance. The driver meets you in arrivals with a name sign and tracks your flight. It is the best value for groups of three or more, where it beats paying for two taxis.
Is there a bus from Phu Quoc Airport to An Thoi?
You can do it with a change in Duong Dong for roughly 30,000–60,000 VND total, but the journey takes 75–100 minutes including waiting, luggage space is limited, and evening service is sparse. Daytime arrivals with light bags only.
Can I rent a scooter and ride from the airport to An Thoi?
Yes — rentals cost 150,000–250,000 VND ($6–10) per day and the ride takes 60–75 minutes. You should hold an international driving permit with a motorbike endorsement, and many travellers prefer taking a taxi down with luggage first, then having the scooter delivered to their hotel.
Where can I eat in An Thoi if I arrive at midnight?
Ann Seafood at Bai Khem is open 24 hours every day and charges roughly $9.5–22.8 per person. Around An Thoi town, some street stalls and local restaurants also serve late, with typical meals costing 100,000–200,000 VND per person.
What time does An Thoi Market open?
The main An Thoi Market opens at 5:00 AM and closes at 6:00 PM daily. The wholesale fish market near the pier is at its busiest between 5 AM and 8 AM, while the Sunset Town waterfront night market runs nightly from about 5 PM to 10:30 PM.
How far is An Thoi from Duong Dong town?
About 25 km north of An Thoi, or 20–30 minutes by car. That distance matters for planning: An Thoi is the base for beaches, the cable car and island hopping, while Duong Dong holds the island's main night market, bar scene and cheapest guesthouses.
Staying in the south? Sabrina Rental can have a scooter delivered straight to your An Thoi hotel, arrange an airport pick-up, and help you plan island-hopping days from the pier — one local contact for the whole southern tip.
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