Ho Chi Minh City Golf Trip from Australia (2026–2027): Direct Flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, Golf Bag Fees, E-Visa, When to Go and a 5–7 Day Plan

Last updated: 21 October 2026 · By the GoGolfVietnam team

Ho Chi Minh City is the easiest golf trip in Vietnam from Australia: Sydney, Melbourne and Perth all fly nonstop in roughly 6–9 hours, Australians need a USD 25 e-visa, and the Australian summer falls in the city’s dry season. Five courses sit within about 70 minutes of District 1.

Which Australian cities fly nonstop to Ho Chi Minh City?

Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have nonstop services, Brisbane has seasonal VietJet flights, and Western Sydney International adds a route in January 2027. That is a wider choice than anywhere else in Vietnam: Da Nang has no nonstop flights from Australia at all.

Flight times: Vietnam Airlines Australia route pages; Western Sydney schedule as announced in August 2026. Airlines and frequencies change by season, so check when booking (checked 21 October 2026).

The bag rules matter more than the fare on this route. Vietnam Airlines carries one golf set up to 23 kg free on international routes in every booking class except G, and it does not come out of your normal allowance. On the low-cost carriers a golf bag within 203 cm is simply a checked bag you have to buy, so add it at booking rather than at the airport. We have set out which Australian-route airlines carry a golf bag free and which charge, with the fine print for each.

Do Australians need a visa, and what is the time difference?

Yes, Australians need an e-visa. Vietnam’s e-visa is an online visa issued before travel: USD 25 for a single entry or USD 50 for multiple entries, valid for up to 90 days. Apply on the official government portal at least a week before you fly; third-party sites charge extra for the same document.

The time difference is small. Ho Chi Minh City is 3 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne in the Australian winter and 4 hours behind during daylight saving, and just 1 hour behind Perth. That makes a first-morning tee time realistic, without the jet-lag fog of a long-haul trip to Europe.

From Tan Son Nhat airport to Ben Thanh in District 1 is about 8 km, around 25 minutes in light traffic and closer to 45 at rush hour.

Can you land in the morning and play in the afternoon?

On some flights, yes. Overnight services, such as VietJet’s late-night departure from Melbourne in the 2026–27 schedule, land before 6am, which leaves a whole day to fill. Most other Australian flights arrive mid-afternoon, so the first round is the next morning.

For early arrivals, Tan Son Nhat Golf Course is the obvious answer: it sits beside the airport, about 20 minutes from the terminal. Check in, drop the bags, have breakfast and tee off after lunch. The course has floodlit evening play on selected nines, which we confirm when booking; it is the easiest way to get a round in after a long flight without facing the midday heat.

When should Australians go? Australian seasons vs Ho Chi Minh City weather

The best match is December to April. Ho Chi Minh City’s dry season covers the whole Australian summer break, Australia Day and Easter, while the Australian winter falls in the city’s wet season, when storms usually arrive in the afternoon.

Australian dates: Fair Work Ombudsman and australia.com 2027 public holiday lists; school holidays differ by state.

Winter trips still work if you tee off at first light and finish before the clouds build, but they are not the easy option. For month-by-month detail, see why December to April is the reliable stretch for Saigon fairways. If your only window is July, the cooler highlands of Da Lat are worth a look instead.

Which courses are within an hour of District 1?

Three courses are within about 45 minutes of the centre and two more within about 70. A trip from Australia rarely needs more than four of them.

Drive times: Google Maps in light evening traffic, 21 October 2026; allow extra at weekday rush hours.

GoGolfVietnam, a local golf tour operator based in Da Nang, recommends building an Australian week around three of the four city courses plus one coastal day. That mix keeps the longest transfer to about an hour on most mornings. Our Vietnam Golf & Country Club review explains how its two courses differ, and the Saigon to Ho Tram golf trip guide covers the coastal leg.

What does a 5-day or 7-day trip look like?

Five days gives you three rounds and a free day; seven adds a coastal or island extension. Both plans assume an afternoon arrival.

The five-day version is close to the three-round, four-day Ho Chi Minh City trip we run year-round, with a spare day added for Australian flight times. For the seven-day version, an island leg works too: our Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat golf trip and Phu Quoc guides explain the domestic hop.

We normally recommend a free day in the middle of any trip longer than four rounds; the heat and humidity add up faster than most visitors expect.

What does the trip cost?

The flights are the biggest cost. Green fees around Ho Chi Minh City run from roughly USD 100 at Vinpearl Golf Léman in the off-peak months to about USD 260 at The Bluffs on a weekend, with caddie and cart included. A four-day, three-round package starts from USD 649 per person, excluding international flights.

Compared with other Asian golf destinations, the city sits in the middle on green fees and wins on travel time from Australia. For the breakdown of caddie tips, transfers and hotel budgets, see our Ho Chi Minh City golf cost guide. To have flights matched to tee times, browse golf holidays from District 1 that we tailor to Australian arrival times.

Why choose Ho Chi Minh City over Da Nang, and when shouldn’t you?

For a first trip or anything under a week, Ho Chi Minh City wins on flights: you land nonstop and play the same day or the next. Da Nang means a connection, usually through Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, which is laid out in the connecting-flight route Australians take to Da Nang.

Choose Da Nang instead if you want a beach resort as the base and your dates fall in February to April, when central Vietnam is at its best. A common combination is to fly into Ho Chi Minh City, play two rounds, then take the short domestic flight north. Our Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City comparison covers the northern option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Vietnam Airlines Australia flight pages and golf baggage rules (checked 21 October 2026); VietJet baggage rules; Executive Traveller, Western Sydney route announcement (10 August 2026); Vietnam e-visa portal fees; Fair Work Ombudsman 2027 public holidays; Google Maps drive times (21 October 2026); green fees from Vinpearl Golf and The Bluffs 2026 rate cards (checked 11 October 2026).

GoGolfVietnam is a Vietnam-based golf tour operator arranging tee times, hotels and transfers in Ho Chi Minh City and across the country.