Da Nang Day Trips: Distances, Costs, Transport
The best day trips from Da Nang are easiest to choose by travel time. Da Nang is a gateway city, since its three nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sites all lie outside it. This page ranks the options from closest to farthest, with transport and ticket costs in Vietnamese dong (VND). Amounts are approximate, so check them before you set off.
At a glance
| Trip | Distance and time | Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Ba Na Hills | about 45 minutes west | about 1,000,000 VND |
| Hoi An Ancient Town | about 30 km, 45 minutes south | about 120,000 VND |
| My Son Sanctuary | about 70 km, 1.5 to 2 hours southwest | about 150,000 VND |
| Hue Imperial City | about 100 km, 2.5 hours north | varies, check on site |
| Cham Islands | boat from Cua Dai pier near Hoi An | about 450,000 to 950,000 VND |
Closest: about 45 minutes away
Hoi An is a 16th-century trading port with yellow shophouses, the Japanese Covered Bridge and lantern-lit pedestrian streets. A private Grab car costs about 300,000 to 400,000 VND each way. The heritage ticket, about 120,000 VND, covers five of the old town’s sites.
Ba Na Hills is a built mountaintop resort with a cable car, the Golden Bridge and a French Village replica. Treat it as a theme park outing rather than a historic site. Children between 1 and 1.4 metres pay about 800,000 VND, and under 1 metre is free. Heavy rain can halt the cable cars.
Mid-range: 1.5 to 2 hours
My Son Sanctuary holds the red-brick temples of the Champa kingdom, set in a forested valley and mostly dedicated to Shiva. The ticket includes an electric shuttle from the entrance and a Cham dance show. The official site is the place to check the latest details. If you visit the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang first, the carvings from this site will be familiar when you arrive.
Long day: about 2.5 hours
Hue was the Nguyen Dynasty capital, and the citadel, the Forbidden Purple City and the tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh are the highlights. Two ways to get there are the Reunification Express train and the Hai Van Pass road. The 21 km pass climbs to 496 metres and is best done by open-top jeep or Easy Rider motorbike at about 1,300,000 to 1,800,000 VND per rider. Fog, wet bends and landslides after heavy rain are real hazards, and low gear is the rule on descents. A private car with an English-speaking guide covering My Son and the Marble Mountains is about 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 VND.
By boat: the Cham Islands
Speedboats run from Cua Dai pier to the Cu Lao Cham biosphere reserve for coral snorkelling and a seafood lunch. The lower end of the price range is for standard group packages and the top for private or premium boats. Between September and December the sea is rough, so confirm that sailings are running.
Choosing and timing
- Stack at most one far-off trip per day. Hue and My Son each take most of a day.
- Hoi An, My Son and Hue are reached over land by Grab, taxi, tour bus, motorbike or train.
- Dry months run from March to August. Typhoon season runs from September to December and is worst in October and November.
Read more: the attraction tours guide explains the tickets in the city itself, and the sightseeing guide covers the rest. Compare Da Nang day trips on GetYourGuide .