Transport questions for a 9-day Northern/Central Vietnam itinerary

Hi everyone,

We’re heading to Vietnam in February as a family (2 adults and 2 kids) for 9 full days, and I was thinking of this itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi Day 2: Halong Bay (Lan Ha) Day 3: Halong Bay (Lan Ha) Day 4: Hue Day 5: Danang Day 6: Danang Day 7: Hoi An Day 8: Hoi An/My Son Day 9: Hanoi

After reading almost all the discussions about Vietnam, I don’t see anything about transportation options for getting from Hue to Danang, then from Danang to Hoi An. Any ideas (train, bus)? From the map, it looks like Danang is close to Hoi An—easily accessible by taxi, right?

Also, after reading lots of comments and websites, I’ve noticed that Danang, aside from being a big developing city, seems to be more about hotels for relaxing on the beach—very laid-back, isn’t it? Not really a place to visit like Hanoi or Hoi An.

Generally speaking, if you have any recommendations for the itinerary or tips, I’d love to hear them.

I’ll post a trip report when we get back.

Merry Christmas to all!

Alex

Hi,

An average of only 0.28 full day per stop—does that seem reasonable to you?

Hi, Unless you can teleport your little family, this seems totally unrealistic to me. Given the travel times, I don’t really see when you’ll be able to enjoy the sights.

Okay, where to start 😉

First off, don’t forget transfer times... and the fact that the North is super centralized around Hanoi, which is absolutely worth the detour—one of my Asian favorites! Next, there’s absolutely nothing to see or do in Da Nang, which is just the closest airport to Hoi An. It’s a Chinese-style beach resort—avoid it. Finally, Halong Bay is really only 24 hours from boarding to disembarking, with just 3 hours of sailing total...

Here’s what your revised itinerary could look like (I assumed you’re skipping travel days, so J0 and J10):

- J0: travel - J1+J2: Hanoi - J3+J4: Halong Bay. Overnight train to Hue on J4 evening - J5+J6: Hue (including 1 day in the Imperial City) - J7: transfer to Hoi An (you’ll find a driver for this—check with your hotel). 2-hour drive - J7+J8: Hoi An - J9: flight to Hanoi from Da Nang - J10: return

But wow, this itinerary is *still* pretty rushed! Not enough time in Hoi An, for example, but I had to make a choice. And it’s a real shame to go to Vietnam just to tick off tourist must-sees and miss what I found most magical—the terraced rice fields.

Have a great day

Hi there, I agree with everything that’s been said: - It’s way too rushed - Hanoi is indeed a beautiful city for its heritage and atmosphere - There’s nothing to see in Danang except the Marble Mountains south of the city, but you can visit them in 2 hours while traveling between Hue and Hoi An. Otherwise, the long beach is packed with Chinese tourists in huge hotels—they arrive in Hoi An at 11 AM and head back in the evening

From Hue to Hoi An, you can take an affordable minibus with stops at the Japanese-covered bridge of Thanh Toan, the lagoon, Lang Co Beach, Hai Van Pass, and the Marble Mountains. It’s really interesting, but it takes 6–7 hours, so it might not fit into your super-tight schedule. You’ll need to go to a travel agency in Hue and book seats on a minibus for the next day. They’ll pick you up at your hotel and drop you off at your Hoi An hotel. This route with the stops is described in my travel journal here

Hi Envallis, and thank you so much for the recommendations that helped us with the planning! 🙂 We’re canceling Da Nang and staying 4 days in Hoi An to relax a bit, enjoy the city, and probably take a trip to My Son (we’ve already been to Angkor).

Final itinerary: Day 1: Hanoi Day 2: Hanoi Day 3: Halong Bay Day 4: Halong Bay (Overnight train to Hue) Day 5: Hue Day 6: Hoi An Day 7: Hoi An Day 8: Hoi An Day 9: Hoi An (Flight Da Nang > Hanoi at 11 PM) Day 10: Departure from Hanoi at 5 AM

Just so you know, we’ve been living in Asia for 18 years, so we’ve visited quite a few countries, including Hanoi and Halong Bay before—but not our kids, so we’re happy to go back!

Hi Eiger, Thanks so much for the recommendations too! We’ve updated our itinerary based on your feedback. From Hue to Hoi An, we’ll take a private taxi that’ll take us via the Hai Van Pass. The bus is nice but a bit too slow with kids 😏 As for Da Nang, we’ll avoid it then! My wife is Chinese, so she prefers to steer clear of her compatriots when she can! Have a great day!~ Alex

Thanks Chalembert for your reply. I’ve sent the updated itinerary below. 2 days in Halong Bay seems doable (I’ve done it before too). True, I’d have preferred 3 days (Cat Ba), but you’ve got to make choices. Then an overnight train to Hue, followed by a taxi from Hue to Hoi An. Finally, a flight back at 10 PM on the 4th day to Hanoi. No teleportation yet, but the transport’s pretty well woven in to make the most of it 🙂 Thanks and have a great day.

Hi, At the start of planning my trip to Vietnam (from South to North for a month) ... in March (yes, it wasn’t planned—I just bought the flight ticket!) I’ve been reading your recommendations with interest and had a question about transport and agencies. I’ve read that you can go to agencies to book things like minibuses or ask for info at the hotels where you’re staying. Should you compare prices by asking several agencies, or are they all aligned? For overnight trains, should you buy the tickets when you leave or in advance? Thanks for your transport tips. Dominique

Hi,

Generally, agencies charge about the same prices, so there’s not much to gain there.

For the overnight train, I’d recommend booking... through an agency 😉. The sleeper cabins on the one I took from Hanoi to Hue seemed pretty full, so don’t take any chances.

Should you compare prices by asking several agencies, or are they all aligned?

Same answer as Envallis: I don’t think it’s worth wasting your time running around to different agencies.

For overnight trains, should you buy the tickets when you leave or in advance?

My answer here is different: to go from Ninh Binh to Hue by overnight train, there were seats available if you booked the day before. In the end, we preferred the bus

Hi there,

It’s too packed—you’ll be rushing without really enjoying it. I just got back from Vietnam (I go there 2–3 times a year). To get from Hanoi to Hue, it’s either by plane or bus; the train takes too long for a 9-day trip. From Hue to Danang, there are buses all day (92 km). I’d recommend staying at a hotel in Danang. From there, you can take a Grab to Hoi An (27 km)—it costs around 300,000 VND (10 €) per trip. Spend the day there and return to Danang in the evening. To book buses from Hanoi to Hue and Hue to Danang: 12Go: Book Trains, Buses, Ferries, Transfers & Flights

Budget around 50–70 € for a flight from Hanoi to Hue with checked luggage.

I’d recommend staying at a hotel in Danang next—from there, you can head to Hoi An by Grab (27 km) ... spend the day there, and return to Danang in the evening.

I don’t agree with Patrick91230: Hoi An is a gorgeous little town with plenty to see and do, so it’s much nicer to stay there rather than in Danang with its 2 million residents

I recommend staying at a hotel in Danang, from there you can go to Hoi An by Grab (27 km) ... and spend the day there before returning to Danang in the evening.

I don’t agree with Patrick91230: Hoi An is a magnificent little town with plenty to see and do, so it’s much nicer to stay there rather than in Danang with its 2 million inhabitants.

I agree: DaNang is a city to avoid. A Chinese-dominated area. No charm, just concrete.

Hoi An is gorgeous, a real favorite. You can wander around at any time of day. That’s where you should stay. Da Nang is just for catching your flight!

Hi there,

With only 9 days, you’ve got to think practical. We stopped in Hoi An in December—it was flooded and way too crowded. We were practically stepping on each other in the old town. I usually love it there, but this time it really put me off. We’ll skip it in June. Everyone makes their own choices, though! !