Sơn La: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Sơn La is a city of 106,052 people in Vietnam (Sơn La Province), 608 m (1,995 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Dien Bien Phu Airport (DIN), 95 km (59 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Sơn La runs from about 10 h 53 min a day in late December to 13 h 28 min in late June (computed for 21.33° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Sơn La is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Dien Bien Phu Airport (DIN), 95 km (59 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,874 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Sơn La: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Sơn La · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Hanoi, 202 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Haiphong, 291 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Thanh Hóa, 256 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Vientiane, 398 km (Laos)
- Vinh, 348 km
- Baise, 398 km (China)
- Mengzi, 234 km (China)
- Bắc Giang, 236 km — tours
- Wenshan City, 229 km (China)
- Nam Định, 255 km — tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Sơn La?
Dien Bien Phu Airport (DIN), 95 km (59 mi) from the centre.
How big is Sơn La?
About 106,052 people live in Sơn La, across 324 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Sơn La in?
Asia/Bangkok, currently UTC+7.
What currency is used in Sơn La?
The Dong (VND). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Sơn La?
Hanoi (202 km), Haiphong (291 km), Thanh Hóa (256 km), Vientiane (398 km), Vinh (348 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.