How To Travel From Da Nang To Hoi An

Hoi An is one of the most beautiful destinations of Viet Nam, impressing with white sand beaches and delicious traditional food. This ancient town was once a bustling trading port of Southeast Asia from the 15th to the 19th century. Its street structure and its house architecture show both native and international influences that made a combination to produce this unique heritage site. If this is your first time coming to Viet Nam, how to travel to Hoi An from Da Nang?

Hoi An ancient city, which lies on Thu Bon River, is located about 30 kilometers south of Da Nang city. There is not yet a train station or airport, so you can only get here by road. First, you should be in Da Nang, the neighboring city of Hoi An, with daily flights from Ho Chi Minh or Ha Noi, or some large cities in Viet Nam. From Da Nang, you can hire a taxi or shuttle to travel to Hoi An. The bus is also popular for cheap public transportation when you want to get to Hoi An from Da Nang many times per day. You can also refer to the schedule before traveling and how to buy tickets online on some reputable websites to save your budget.

Visitors can choose between a taxi, private car, coach, bus, or motorbike (only for those who love to experiment with the routes in Viet Nam). Although several online ride-hailing apps on mobile phones are served in Da Nang or Hoi An, your ride is hard to be accepted compared to the options above.

How far from Da Nang to Hoi An?

As mentioned above, the only way from Da Nang to Hoi An is by road. The distance from DaNang to Hoi An distance is nearly 30 kilometers or 18 miles. There is not too big a distance, and you can easily visit Hoi An whenever you want.

How long does it take from Da Nang to Hoi An?

Da Nang to Hoi An travel time depends on the route and the means of transportation you choose (private cars and taxis are faster than buses and coaches).

There are two roads from DaNang to Hoi An: the coastal way or along the highway. It takes you from 45 to 60 minutes when traveling Hoi An by private car or taxi. A public DaNang to Hoi An bus will take twice as long as a car (approximately 2 hours and a half).

Some useful transport guides when visiting Hoian

Renting a motorbike on your own to move from Da Nang to Hoi An will be an enjoyable and cost-effective experience. After arriving at Da Nang Airport, you can get to the city center by taxi or Grab (a popular ride-app on a mobile phone) at affordable prices. You can rent motorbikes easily in Da Nang because it is the most popular form of transportation in Viet Nam, and allow you to visit whenever destinations in the route.

If you plan to visit Hoi An first and then return to the big city, you can take a public bus directly from the DaNang airport to Hoi An. It takes you two hours from the airport bus station to the ancient town.

Guide transport from Da Nang to Hoi An

This comprehensive travel guide, researched and updated in early 2020, will be a great choice for first-time visitors to Hoi An. In this section, you will have an overview of Hoi An before going into detail on some frequent questions when visiting this town.

The attraction of Hoi An city is based on the small and ancient streets, which were recognized by Unesco as a world cultural heritage in 1999. Some remarkable buildings include temples, pagodas, bridges, French-style houses, wooden shop-houses, and old canvas. These constructions were created by merchants from Japan, China, and later Europe, those who migrated to Hoi An a long time ago. Remember to bring your camera when you travel to Hoi An because you will be overwhelmed by the multiculturalism embodied in the architecture or cuisine here.

How many days should you visit Hoi An?

You should spend three full days (or more) exploring this ancient town and neighborhood. You will have enough time to visit Hoi An beautiful sightseeings and its beaches. You can cycle in the early morning or late afternoon in town along with colorful alleys, enjoy local food, and relax in a quiet space at Hoi An night.

You should stay in Hoi An at night, this is an unforgettable experience for tourists when visiting this place. The small town is bright with colorful lanterns, bustling boats on the Thu Bon River, crowded street-side eateries, and especially lovely souvenir shops.

Cu Lao Cham is also an interesting destination when you visit Hoi An. You should set aside a day to sail out to this small island and experience the local culture. It is surprising that Cu Lao Cham’s residents do not use plastic bags, as a call to protect the environment and natural landscape.

Does the road from Da Nang to Hoi An look like?

Although the distance from Da Nang to Hoi An is quite near, the surrounding landscape is extremely attractive. You will be attracted by the large chain mountains, green fields, and long white beaches.

In addition, the way from Da Nang to this town is also very flat, and this helps your vehicle move easily. This is an advantage for those planning to drive from Da Nang to Hoi An by themselves.

How many stop-points between Dang Nang and Hoi An?

Starting your trips, you leave Da Nang and cross Tran Thi Ly bridge – the highest bridge in this city – toward the coastal route. The scenery between Danang to Hoi An is quite nice, if you go from south to north, you can look at the East sea in your right hand through the windows.

Make sure that you bring a paper map or tour guide book in the vehicle from DaNang to Hoi An, which helps you find the places you can stop before arriving in the ancient town. The Marble Mountain is one of the few places you should stop along the way to Hoi An to get from Da Nang, where there is a group of five hills made from limestone and marble with caves and temples outside. You only can visit Marble Mountain if you move by private car, buses or motorbikes. If you transport from Danang to Hoi An by the airport shuttles, you can not stop and take photos or sightseeing. Maybe there is one rest stop between the route from Da Nang to Hoi An, but only 10 to 15 minutes.

Moving by your private vehicle, you can stop whenever and wherever you want for food, photos, or having a break – of course you need.

How about Da Nang to Hoi An map?

In addition to the paper map, you can use your mobile online map. With the Google map app, searching places becomes easier and more convenient.

Transport overview from Danang to Hoi An

	Price	Time	Buy Tickets Online
Guided Day Tour	$36++/person	4 hours	Check price and available on the website
Private Driver & Car	$26++ (3pax)	45 minutes	Reserve a car through TripAdvisor or website
Hoi An Express airport shuttles	$8.50 ++/person	75 minutes	Buy the ticket on the website, TripAdvisor
Private & Shared Taxi	$5++/person $18++ (3 pax)	45 minutes	Reserve a taxi by call
Sinh Tourist Bus	$4.3++/person	1.5 hours	Buy the ticket on www.thesinhtourist.vn
Public bus	$1++/person	~ 2 hours	Buy ticket directly at the station

Option 1: From Da Nang to Hoi An with guided-tour (the scenic route)

If you don’t have a lot of time in Hoi An and want to visit all of the famous places here, a local tour guide or service can help you. There are many tour offices in Da Nang or Hoi An that are available with a Hoi An town’s one-day trip, accompanied by private transportation and a tour guide who speaks English or whatever language you offer.

With a day in Hoi An, you can visit some famous landmarks such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, Temple, Tan Ky Old House and soak up with this town’s atmosphere. Your private tour guide will help you experience delicious traditional Vietnamese cuisine and visit the town’s famous souvenir shops where you can buy gifts for your friends and family.

This tour package includes all meals, entrance fees, and personal shuttle service.

Option 2: From Da Nang Airport to Hoi An by car/ private transfer  (the VIP route)

This is the perfect choice if you are traveling in a family, in groups, and with children. Choosing a private transfer by car from Da Nang airport to Hoi An will make your trip more cost-effective and more comfortable when traveling with lots of people and lots of luggage. Another plus point is that this service is available 24/7 by request.

• Book a private Da Nang to Hoi An transfer online

Normally, hotels you book in Hoi An will arrange a car to pick you up at the airport. However, this price maybe 20% to 30% higher than the usual price. Instead, you can refer to some of the options below to save the budget for your family trip.

First, you can search on Google for reputable car rental companies in Danang. Then, list out a few top rated names and contact them first to compare their prices. This can be a bit time-consuming but it saves you twice the travel money if your family needs to return to Danang next time.

• Reverse route: from Hoi An to Danang by private transfer

When you want to come back to Da Nang for sightseeing or to the airport, the private car that you caught in Da Nang also offers a transfer in the opposite direction. Most car rental companies in Da Nang or Hoi An apply a two-way shuttle service.

Then, a private car will pick you up at your hotel lobby in Hoi An and take you back to downtown Da Nang on-demand or drop you off at the Da Nang airport.

Option 3: From Da Nang Airport to Hoi An by Hoi An Express shuttle (the streamlined route)

If you travel alone or travel for a mid-range price, this is the best choice for you. The biggest advantage of this type of transportation is the low cost; however, you will spend a lot of time waiting and are less comfortable than a private car or another private vehicle.

Hoi An Express shuttle from Da Nang Airport to Hoi An runs every hour per day from 5:00 A.M to 11:00 P.M.

Hoi An Express is a well-known transport company in Da Nang and Hoi An by shuttle bus service from Danang airport to the old town and the opposite way. This mode of transportation takes a little longer because you have to share it with other passengers, so your driver has to drop off at the requested locations.

If your flight arrives at 9:30 A.M, you’ll have to wait 30 minutes to pick up the shuttle. The transfer shuttles leave the Da Nang airport every hour.

• Buy tickets for the Da Nang to Hoi An shuttle bus.

You can buy Hoi An shuttle bus tickets that get from Da Nang airport to Hoi An in several famous websites, such as TripAdvisor or Booking.com.

You should buy a return ticket to make sure you do not miss your flight schedule or your travel plan.

• Reverse route: from Hoi An to Danang Airport by shuttle bus

From Hoi An to Da Nang, the shuttle bus departs from 4:00 A.M to 10:00 P.M ( one hour earlier than the opposite direction). Tickets include pick up at the hotel lobby and drop off at the gate of Danang airport.

Option 4: From Danang to Hoi An by private or shared taxi (the ‘amazing medium’ route)

If you want to find a comfortable transport from Da Nang to Hoi An at a slightly lower price than private car rental, you should choose a taxi (private car or shared taxi). Of course, the taxi is the only suitable choice when you are already in Da Nang.

Taxi service can allow you to travel wherever you want in Da Nang. You can also arrange this door-to-door transfer for the airport, your guests, or the Da Nang train station.

Depending on your budget, you can choose between booking a private taxi (pay full-fee) or sharing a taxi with a few other customers (you only need to pay a small portion of the fee).

• From Danang to Hoi An by taxi: how much?

You should not take the car on the way or at the airport gate (which you have not booked before), this is not recommended. You may be charged a higher than usual fee.

Normally, the price for a taxi from Da Nang to Hoi An ranges from 300,000 to 450,000 VND ($13 – $19).

• Book your Da Nang to Hoi An taxi online

To avoid price fraud, you should consult a trusted website, such as TripAdvisor or 12GoAsia. You can also pre-book a taxi on the Grab app on your mobile phone and know how much you’ll need to pay for your trip.

You can also search for major taxi companies in Da Nang and contact them when arriving at the airport. Taxi transfers at Da nang are popular and fast.

• Reverse route: from Hoi An to Danang by taxi

Like other types of transportation, round trip shuttle service between Da Nang and Hoi An by taxi is available 24/7. You can also reserve two ways to get a discount.

• Use Grab to get to Hoi An, how can?

Grab is a popular online ride-hailing service in Asia, including in Vietnam. You can use this service to book a taxi or private car from Da Nang to Hoi An and the opposite way. Motorcycle booking will be less acceptable because the distance is quite long.

Option 5: From Da Nang to Hoi An by Sinh Tourist bus (the tourist-friendly route)

Sinh Tourist bus is a friendly, cheap, and popular means of transportation in Vietnam. Currently, the Sinh Tourist bus is present in most major cities and major tourist destinations in Vietnam, including Hoi An and Da Nang.

With a price of only 99.000 VND ($4) and professional service, the Sinh Tourist bus will bring a feeling of comfort and safety to tourists when traveling.

• Buy tickets for the Da Nang to Hoi An bus online.

To buy bus tickets, please visit the website https://www.thesinhtourist.vn/, then select Transportations / Bus Ticket and select the route you want to move.

There are two times per day (12:00 A.M and 3:30 P.M) for you to choose from. Alternatively, you can also request a private car or bus rental service if you are traveling in a group or family.

• Get to the Sinh Tourist office in Da Nang, how can I?

In Da Nang, you can contact to buy tickets directly at Sinh Tourist’s office at No. 16, 3 Thang 2 St., Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau Dist., Da Nang. You can also contact the Da Nang office phone number at +84.236.3843259.

Sinh Tourist Office in Da Nang

Add: No. 16, 3 Thang 2 St., Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau Dist., Da Nang

Tel: +84.236.3843259

Fax: +84.236.3843260

Email: danang@thesinhtourist.vn

Open: 07:00 A.M – Close: 8:00 P.M

• Reverse route: from Hoi An to Danang by Sinh Tourist bus

To buy tickets that get from Hoi An to Da Nang from Hoi An, you do the same as when buying a ticket from Da Nang to Hoi An. Make sure you do not make mistakes when booking tickets and times.

The Sinh Tourist bus from Hoi An to Da Nang has two options: 8:00 A.M and 1:45 P.M daily.

Option 6: Bus from Da Nang to Hoi An (the cheapest route)

You can take bus number 1 directly from Da Nang to Hoi An for only 25,000 VND ($1 only). This bus will take you between the two cities in both directions.

Buses leave the station every 20 minutes, starting at 5:30 A.M and ending at 6:00 P.M. It will take you about 1 hour and 30 minutes for each journey. One disadvantage of taking a public bus is that you have to walk about 2 miles from the airport to the bus stop, besides wasting long travel times.

• Reverse route: from Hoi An to Danang by public bus number 1

Similar to the Da Nang bus, Hoi An bus departs every 20 minutes and starts from the Nguyen Tat Thanh bus stop. Buses from Da Nang to Hoi An will depart at the bus stop near the city center bus station.

Bus No. 1 will also stop at the same bus station as before, and end at the bus stop near the church in Danang city center.

Can you visit Hoi An from Da Nang by train?

Many tourists have questioned about train travel from Da Nang to the ancient center of town. How can you get from Da Nang by train?

It’s a pity that you cannot take the train to this town from Da Nang. There is no train station in this town. You can get to Quang Nam from Da Nang train station, but you cannot travel to the center of the old town directly by train.

Da Nang to Hoi An transport conclusion

	Price	Time	Comment
Guided Day Tour	$36++/person	4 hours	Best for a-day tour or single
Private Driver & Car	$26++ (3pax)	45 minutes	Family, big group, comfortable service with a high price
Hoi An Express airport shuttles	$8.50 ++/person	75 minutes	Medium-range tourist with a lower price
Private & Shared Taxi	$5++/person $18++ (3 pax)	45 minutes	Couples, Solo tourist
Sinh Tourist Bus	$4.3++/person	1.5 hours	Friendliest transport at a cheap price
Public transport (bus)	$1++/person	~ 2 hours	The cheapest price

Should I tip my driver in Hoian?

You don’t have to tip your driver on the trip. However, if you are satisfied with the service, especially when you use private shuttles or a tour guide, you should tip them for about $ 2 to $ 3, as a token of your gratitude.

If you take the bus or book Grab-driver, it is not necessary to tip.

How many ways to move to Hoi An from Da Na Nang?

There are many different options to choose from when traveling between these two cities, including public bus (cheapest transport), Sinh Tourist bus (friendly and low price), Hoi An airport transfers Express (low price and suitable for couples, solo tourist), or private vehicles (high price and professional service). Based on your trip schedule and budget, you can decide which means of transportation is the best option for you. All transportation is two-way, Da Nang to Hoi An, and the other opposite way.

Hoi An Ancient Town is attracted by its traditional beauty and multiculturalism. It is also known for its hospitality and friendliness. If Da Nang is a combination of modernity and tradition, Hoi An is like an old town in a mixture of East and West culture. It is difficult to answer whether Danang or Hoi An is better, as both of these locations are memorable places that tourists should visit in Vietnam.

Let’s explore Hoi An!