This transport guide details the best travel options between Da Nang and Hoi An for travelers or backpackers traversing the beautiful country of Vietnam.
Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most enchanting cities. Holiday makers from all over the world flock to Vietnam to soak up Hoi An’s charming mustard yellow ancient town each year.
But despite its obvious popularity, getting to Hoi An will require organizing a form of transportation from much larger Da Nang.
Why is it difficult to get to Hoi An?
Because Hoi An does not have an airport or a train station. Nearby Da Nang played a significant role in Vietnam’s history as a major French colonial port and the city has grown into a busy tourist destination.
Vietnam’s third largest city contains both an international airport and a train station on the main line between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Now, let’s travel from travel Da Nang to Hoi An!
Where Is Hoi An, Vietnam?
Vietnam is a long and narrow country, shaped like an S. As you can see on the interactive map above, Hoi An is almost exactly in the middle of Vietnam.
To its left is the border with Laos, around 150km away. To its immediate right is the South China Sea. But most importantly for tourists, Da Nang City is located just a short distance away to the North.
In this guide we are going to show you best travel options for getting from Da Nang to Hoi An.
How Far Is Da Nang From Hoi An?
With a journey time of just 50 minutes, Da Nang to Hoi An is a relatively easy route by Vietnam’s standards.
Driving alongside the coast is lovely and you will be pleasantly surprised by Da Nang’s architecture, but the road can be busy and there are a lot of traffic light stops along the way.
Here are important distances between Hoi Ancient Town and Da Nang:
- Da Nang Airport to Hoi An Ancient Town is 18.3 miles (29.5km) which is about 50 minutes drive time.
- Da Nang Railway Station to Hoi An Ancient Town is 18.5 miles (29.8km) which is about 50 minutes drive time.
How To Get To Da Nang, Vietnam
Flying To Da Nang
Traveling from afar to Da Nang International Airport (DAD) will require a change in either Hanoi Noi Bai (HAN) or Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN).
However, if you’re flying in from another Asian country, check first to see if there are direct flights available. New routes are being added each year. Keep in mind that it could be cheaper to change in either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh.
Check prices using Skyscanner for best user interface and value. Flying internally in Vietnam typically is incredibly cheap, even for backpackers on a tight budget.
- Flights from Hanoi to Da Nang – about 1 hour and 20 minutes in length. There are about 20 flights per day with Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways.
- Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang – about 1 hour and 20 minutes in length. There are about 20 flights per day with JetStar, Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airlines.
Train To Da Nang, Vietnam
Traveling by train in Vietnam is a wonderful way to see its beautiful countryside areas that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to, by plane for example.
With a little extra outlay, you can book a whole first class sleeper cabin, or simply keep it cheap by booking a second class seat.
Journey times can be long, which would put some people off, but excite others.
Vietnam’s train network runs from North to South encompassing the whole country, but there can be fairly large distances between each major station.
To ensure you get the best prices for train travel in Vietnam, be sure to look at more than one resource and compare costs for your upcoming trip. We recommend comparing prices on 12Go Asia and Baolau.
- Train from Hanoi to Da Nang – about 16 hours depending on train type. There are roughly 10 trains per day and cost about US$ 35-80 depending on seat, cabin or train type.
- Train from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang – about 18 hours depending on train type. There are only about 5 train per day and cost US$43-66 depending on seat, cabin and train type.
Heading to Hoi An? You might like our popular guide featuring the best things to do in Hoi An.
How To Get From Da Nang Airport Or Train Station To Hoi An
Da Nang is ideally located for easy access to Hoi An. Trust us, there are much worse journeys to be had in Vietnam.
Traffic is usually a little crazy, with motorbikes relentlessly honking their horns and writing the alphabet with their directions.
If Da Nang is your first stop in Vietnam, it’s probably not the best idea to try a motorbike just yet.
Let’s run through the list of your best transport options from Da Nang airport and Da Nang train station to Hoi An.
1. Da Nang To Hoi An By Private Car
Private car is the most comfortable way to travel between Da Nang airport or train station and Hoi An.
From the airport, you have several companies who offer private car transfer from about US$ 15-20. That’s seriously cheap and by far the best option for comfort from Da Nang airport.
>> Book a private car to Hoi An from Da Nang Airport: Get Your Guide | Viator
Unfortunately, the same offer does not apply to a train station pickup.
Alternatively, you can communicate with your hotel in Hoi An to arrange a private car pickup service. A hotel provided private car should cost somewhere in the region of US$20 per vehicle and serves both the airport and train station.
This is the best option for comfort travel from Da Nang train station.
3. Da Nang Airport Express Shuttle To Hoi An
Another option but only for the airport (sorry train station) is to pre-book the Hoi An Express airport shuttle with Get Your Guide for US$6 per person.
This shared minivan is more cost effective for a solo traveler, but the same price for a couple as the private car deal above.
Every hour between 5am and 11pm an air conditioned mini-van picks up at Da Nang airport and drops off at any hotel in Hoi An.
All you have to do once you’ve booked is lookout for your name on a board in Arrivals. Reviews are excellent and the price is awesome!
Journey time is around 60 minutes, depending on other drop off points.
3. Taxi From Da Nang To Hoi An
Taking a taxi was once the only way to get from an airport or train station into town. But now, thanks to tour operators and modern services like Grab, taking a taxi seems a little outdated.
Especially in Vietnam and on this particular route where there have been complaints of tourists being scammed.
But there are taxi firms who are known to be above board, such as Vinasun and Mai Linh taxis. You should have your Hoi An hotel address written in English and Vietnamese ideally, plus have google maps open with the route and destination.
If you are planning on taxi, use one of the services listed above or use Grab (more about Grab later in this guide) so you can confirm a price before you ride.
You can pre-book a taxi with 12Go Asia. The benefit to a taxi is no arrangements are required, you can be completely flexible and not worry about flight delays.
4. Public Bus From Da Nang To Hoi An
For backpackers and those on a tight budget, you can leave the train station and hop on a local yellow bus that runs between Da Nang city and Hoi An every 20 minutes between 5:30am and 6:00pm.
The yellow bus departs Da Nang just one block away from Da Nang railway station at 162 Ong Ich Khiem.
This means if you arrive by plane, you will need to get a taxi 3km to the bus station which in reality is far too much effort and not cost effective.
The best part for backpackers is that it costs about US$ 1 per person, but double that if you have luggage bigger than a small backpack, which will need a seat of its own.
While the price is unbeatable, remember it’s the most uncomfortable and longest journey of all options at 1h 30m.
Travel Tip: Please note the public bus between Da Nang and Hoi An has been out of service due to the covid pandemic.
5. Grab From Da Nang To Hoi An
Grab is a Singaporean Uber-style taxi service, operational in the Da Nang / Hoi An area and is more readily available than Uber.
All you need to do is use the WiFi at Da Nang airport to download the Grab smartphone app and use it in the exact same way you would Uber. Prices are pre-set so there’s no room for ‘misunderstanding.’
Are you a solo traveler with one backpack? You can search for available Grab Bike’s at the airport.
You’ll hop on the back of a motorbike and your driver will get you to your Hoi An hotel in around 1 hour, but it will only cost you around US$5.
For any couples or groups, you can search for 4 or 7 seater Grab Car plus or shared Grab Car, just like Uber. Pre-set prices mean you definitely won’t be ripped off.
Remember that prices with these companies fluctuate according to how busy they are, so you could ‘grab’ a bargain or spend more than a private car transfer.
Travel Tip: Download the Grab App (iPhone or Android) before you get to SE Asia. You can choose to add your credit card details or pay cash for each ride.
6. Motorbike From Da Nang To Hoi An
Here’s one for the most adventurous of travelers!
Hire a motorbike and make the journey yourself. If this sounds good to you, keep reading because we will show you how to rent a bike for an adventurous drive to Hoi An.
Well, if you arrive into Da Nang airport, you will need to get a taxi to the city. Arriving into the train station would be much easier as you are already in town.
You should do your own research into motorbike hire places in Da Nang, but the motorbike station has a 5* rating on google after 200+ reviews.
To make things even more convenient, this shop is only about a 1 minute walk from Da Nang train station.
The benefits to hiring a motorbike include complete flexibility and independence. Plus, you can take all the best day trips close to Hoi An and Da Nang without requiring a tour.
A motorbike will set you back around US$6-7 per day but you will need to provide and leave some form of ID as collateral. Copies of passports sometimes suffice but not always.
Be very diligent when hiring motorbikes, check everything to make sure it all works firstly for you safety and secondly for avoiding being ripped off at the end.
7. Sinh Tourist Bus Or Sleeper Bus To Hoi An
The only way to bypass Da Nang is to book the notorious Vietnam sleeper bus. This will be of particular interest to backpackers! Personally, we traveled by sleeper bus on 5 occasions in Vietnam.
No matter your opinion of sleeper buses, you can’t argue with value and convenience. They are by far the cheapest way to reach Hoi An, not just from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh but even directly from places like Phong Nha.
Plus, you won’t have to transfer to another bus or train. You get on, fall asleep and wake up in Hoi An.
While there technically isn’t a ‘sleeper’ bus from Da Nang to Hoi An, you can book the Sinh Tourist Bus From Da Nang To Hoi An which uses sleeper buses with typical lie-down seats.
The Sinh Tourist bus is a good choice if you are already in Da Nang City or at the train station, but it only departs twice daily, once in the morning at 10:00am and once in the afternoon at 3:30pm.
So this is only a good choice if it works with your schedule. You can expect the Sinh Tourist Bus to take about 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on traffic.
Tickets for the Sinh Tourist Bus cost about US$11 per person and use 12Go Asia to book your bus online.
Speaking from experience, every bus we booked online was much better quality compared to buses that were booked for us. It’s worth taking the time to ensure a comfortable ride.
You can also book sleeper buses to Hoi An from other major cities in Vietnam:
- Hanoi to Hoi An – Approximately a 17 hour journey with a cost of about US$15.
- Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An – The Sinh Tourist bus will change in Nha Trang and total travel time is 22h. Cost is around US$23 total.
- Phong Nha to Hoi An – Travel time is about 7-8 hours with a cost of US$10.
Interested in Vietnam sleeper buses? You might like to read our guide to taking a sleeper bus in Vietnam.
Getting To Hoi An Via The Hai Van Pass
Are you in Hue and trying to work out how to get to Hoi An? Consider hiring a motorbike and driving over the Hai Van Pass. Not feeling too confident about driving in Vietnam?
That’s fine, you can do it with a guide.
In fact, driving the 130km (81 miles) with a guide allows you to completely relax about directions and all the best stop off points.
We booked our Hai Van Pass motorbike tour with Motorvina and it was awesome!
Driving a motorbike over the Hai Van Pass was high up on our list of Vietnam bucket list experiences and it did not disappoint. We can’t recommend driving over the Hai Van Pass enough.
If you have the chance, take it! Alternatively, if you absolutely do not want to drive, you can go on the back of your guides motorbike.
A Hai Van Pass motorbike tour will include an English speaking guide and stops at important sites along the way including fishing villages, My Khe Beach, Marble Mountains and of course, the Hai Van Pass.
>> Book a Hai Van Pass tour with MotorVina: Get Your Guide | Viator
Want to drive the Hai Van Pass? Don’t miss our step by step guide showing you how to drive the Hai Van Pass by motorbike.
Da Nang To Hoi An FAQ’s
Let’s take a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions regarding transportation options about how to get from Da Nang to Hoi An.
Yes, there is a yellow public bus that runs from Da Nang and Hoi An which runs every 20 minutes between the times of 5:30am and 5:50pm. However, this bus may not be running due to the covid pandemic.
No, there is no direct train from Da Nang to Hoi An. You could take a train from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, but they you will have to find additional transfer to Hoi An. You could also book a sleeper bus from various locations in Vietnam to Hoi An.
The fastest way to get from Da Nang to Hoi An would be private transfer from Da Nang airport or train station.
Da Nang is about 18 miles or 30 km from Hoi An and it will take about 50 minutes to drive the route.
Our Popular Guides For Vietnam
- Vietnam – Best places to visit and things to do in Vietnam
- Hanoi Itinerary – Things to do in Hanoi with example itinerary
- Sapa Itinerary – Amazing things to do in Sapa, Vietnam
- Northern Transport – How to get from Hanoi to Halong Bay
- 3 Week Itinerary – Northern and Central Vietnam 3 week route
- 10 Day Itinerary – 10 days in Northern and Central Vietnam
- Ninh Binh Itinerary – Fun things to do in Ninh Binh, Vietnam
- Phong Nha Itinerary – Adventurous things to do in Phong Nha
- Hoi An – Stunning things to do in Hoi An ,Vietnam
More From Vietnam
- Tips – Things to know about Vietnam before visiting
- Sapa – How to find a trekking tour in Sapa
- Mua Cave Viewpoint – Guide to climbing Hang Mua Peak
- Trang An – How to pick the best Trang An boat tour
- Halong Bay – Guide to booking the perfect Halong Bay Cruise
- Paradise Cave – Is paradise cave worth visiting in Phong Nha?
- Hue – How to find the abandoned waterpark in Hue
Want more Vietnam content? Head over to our Vietnam Travel Guides to see example itineraries, tips about Vietnam and popular city guides.
We hope our Da Nang To Hoi An travel guide helps you plan your trip to Vietnam!
Please let us know if you have any questions about traveling between Hoi An to Da Nang or Vietnam in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
Enjoy This Da Nang Transport Guide? Pin It For Later!
Note: This article contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
All Rights Reserved © Where Are Those Morgans, LLC. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, maps, graphics, etc.) in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.