How To Get From Danang To Hoi An: The Five Options
Discover the best ways to travel from Danang to Hoi An with our guide on transport options for a hassle-free journey.
Hoi An is the place to get lost in, to wander without a map, to let the town's magic unveil itself to you in unexpected ways. But getting from Danang to Hoi An is not somewhere you should wish to get lost, and that’s where our guide on how to get there comes in.
Hoi An, while one of Vietnam’s most popular attractions, does not have its own airport, with Danang Airport serving as the gateway to the region. As such, there’s now a robust network and transport options for getting from Danang Airport, as well as the major transport hubs in town (train, bus), to Hoi An City.
This guide breaks down each of the five travel options, from most comfortable, through to most affordable, providing an in-depth overview to help you plan your journey and, well, not get lost.
TL:DR | Book an affordable, private transfer here
PLAN | We have many detailed Hoi An travel guides to help you plan the ultimate trip, which you can read here - the best things to do in Hoi An, 15+ Essential Hoi An Travel Tips, How to visit My Son Sanctuary, How to get from Danang Airport to Hoi An, A guide to the Hoi An Old Town Ticket, The best day trips from Hoi An
DANANG TO HOI AN | FIVE TRANSPORT OPTIONS
#1 PRIVATE CAR TRANSFER | EASY, CONVENIENT & GREAT FOR FAMILIES
If you’re a planner who loves to be organised when arriving in a new destination, and you’ve got the budget, then we suggest arranging a private transfer from Danang to Hoi An in advance.
Private transfers from Danang to Hoi An are convenient, and include a pickup & drop off at a pre-assigned location, air-conditioned comfort, baggage assistance, water, and easy navigation between A & B. In addition to peace of mind, if you arrive by plane, you’ll have a driver waiting for you with a sign upon your arrival, whatever your arrival time, which is kinda cool in itself.
Private transfers are a great option for larger groups or families, where the cost can be spread over the number of passengers.
There are a number of private transfer companies that operate between Danang Airport/Danang City and Hoi An, and we’ve listed the top options below.
We suggest booking your private transfers at least a week in advance to avoid any issues. You can do so here with Hoi An Express through Get Your Guide.
Hoi An Express offers 4-seater cars, 7-seater minivans, and 16-seater minibuses (more on that below), and are extremely highly rated, and uber-efficient in confirming your booking. For families, baby car seats can be requested upon booking.
It’s important to note that if your hotel is located within the Old Town no-car zone (11 am - 1 pm, 2 pm - 10 pm), an additional fee will be incurred.
THE DETAILS
BEST FOR | Families, accessible travellers or those who enjoy comfort
COST | ~ $20 USD per car
BOOK | Book securely and in advance here
#2 GRAB | AFFORDABLE & EFFICIENT
Grab, the Southeast Asian equivalent of Uber is the option we used and enjoyed the comfort and affordability of the service, not just from Danang Airport, Danang City, and Danang Station to Hoi An, but also around the whole of Vietnam (and Bali, for that matter).
Grab is often more affordable than taking a traditional taxi, with fares typically ranging from 250,000 VND to 350,000 VND ($11 to $15 USD) for a GrabCar from Danang to Hoi An, depending on availability and surge pricing (we paid 294,000 VND).
The app also provides transparent pricing, so you’ll know the fare before confirming your ride - we found this super useful as previous trips to SE Asia had resulted in many disputed fares. Additionally, the app gives you the option to select your preferred vehicle type, which allowed us to choose a larger car with more comfort as we were travelling without a toddler (and many associated bags).
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It’s worth remembering that before you use Grab you’ll need to have a local sim card or have global roaming on your phone, and have downloaded the app and inputted your bank card details.
Once you’re ready to book, open the app, enter your destination/hotel, and choose between GrabCar (a private car) or GrabTaxi (a metered taxi).
For pickups from the airport, it can be a little challenging. As you exit the terminal, you’ll see large, green Grab advertising boards to your right - this is where the pickup point will be. Your driver will also send a map confirming the pickup point, and you can correspond (call/text) if you cannot find the pickup point.
For other parts of town, just add your location details (or pin your location) and a driver will meet you.
At a pinch, you could use the free WIFI at Danang Airport to book a ride to Hoi An, but we’d suggest against it.
THE DETAILS
BEST FOR | Couples, singles and budget-conscious travellers
COST | ~ $12 - $20 USD per car, depending on demand
BOOK | Download the Grab app here
#3 CONVENTIONAL TAXI | FLEXIBILE
We’re not going to lie, we’ve had too many run-ins with unscrupulous taxi drivers over our travels to willingly take a taxi these days - there are just too many safe, affordable and efficient transport options to even consider one.
But that is our subjective feeling about taxis, and we understand that many travellers still enjoy a taxi ride, especially in a new, foreign country (taxi driver chats sure are a great way to understand a country & culture). If you want a fairly hassle-free way to travel from Danang to Hoi An that requires no forward planning, a taxi is a great option.
From Danang Airport, taxis can be hailed from the arrivals terminal, where you’ll find several taxi companies lined up, ready to take you to your destination. Suggested options include the nationwide Vinasun and Mai Linh Taxi, as well as smaller, local operators. Vinasun and Mai Linh Taxi both have booking apps should you wish to book in advance.
It’s the same deal at Danang train and bus station, however, you can either hail a taxi on the street or use one of the company apps listed above to book your trip.
As with all taxis globally, make sure you confirm the price before you enter, or at least request a metered service. Expect to pay anywhere between 350,000 VND to 450,000 VND (approximately $15 to $20 USD) for the trip from Danang Aiport, Danang City, or Danang Train Station.
THE DETAILS
BEST FOR | No one, really. Or flexible travellers
COST | 350,000 VND to 450,000 VND (approximately $15 to $20 USD)
#4 SEMI-PRIVATE SHUTTLE BUS | AFFORDABLE & EASY
A private shuttle bus can be an affordable, comfortable and easy option for first-time travellers to Vietnam looking to get from Danang to Hoi An.
As with private transfers (see above), you can book your seat on a shuttle bus well in advance, and a representative will meet you at the airport, train station, bus station, or any hotel in Danang City and take you to Hoi An.
Buses depart between 5 am and 11 pm daily from the airport, however, departure times are fixed, so depending on your arrival time, or when you wish to depart from your location, there may be some slight delays.
The mini-bus service includes all important air-conditioning and also has free wi-fi on board.
It’s important to note that if your hotel is located within the Old Town no-car zone (11 am - 1 pm, 2 pm - 10 pm), an additional fee will be incurred.
THE DETAILS
BEST FOR | Budget-conscious flashpackers
COST | ~230,000 VND (approximately $9 USD)
BOOK | Two options - Option A (more expensive) or Option B (cheaper)
LOCAL BUS | COST-EFFECTIVE OPTION
For backpackers and budget-conscious travellers, taking a bus from Danang to Hoi An is by far the most economical option.
However, since COVID-19, the old #1 bus service from Danang to Hoi An has ceased operations, and in conducting our research for this post, this is a permanent closer. This has caused untold frustration for backpackers who have read outdated blog posts or forums and ended up at Danang Bus Station only to be told “no bus”.
Thankfully, it seems a new, fast and comfortable public bus service has commenced (as of April 2024 - read more here).
The LK-02 line (run by DanaBus, Danang’s bus service) services the route between Danang Bus Station (map) to Hoi An Bus Station (Nguyen Tat Thanh - map), stopping at Vietnam/Korea University in Danang along the way. The total service price is 35,000 VND and is payable in cash on the bus.
Buses on this route will operate from 5:45 am to 6:00 pm every day with services departing every 15-30 minutes and taking around 45 mins - 1 hour. From all reports, the buses are new, mid-sized buses with air-conditioning and wi-fi.
If you’re arriving by plane or train, we’d suggest taking a Grab to the bus station, which should cost around 70,000 VND ($3 USD). Additionally, upon arrival in Hoi An, we suggest doing the same (depending on where your hotel is located).
Alternatively, there are privately run bus services that operate hourly and can be booked in advance here. These offer better services with a slightly higher price point, and given the somewhat confusing route of the above-mentioned service, we feel it’s a much better option.
THE DETAILS
BEST FOR | Budget conscious, backpackers
COST | 35,000 VND - 100,000 VND (approximately $1.5 to $4 USD)
BOOK | Bus from Danang to Hoi An
DANANG TO HOI AN TRAVEL INFORMATION & FAQS
DANANG TO HOI AN TRAVEL TIME
Surprising to many, it doesn’t actually take that long to get from Danang to Hoi An, with the travel time typically around 30 to 45 minutes by car, covering a distance of 30 km or so (18.6 miles).
There are two travel routes
Travel times can vary based on your selected travel option, and adverse weather/traffic conditions.
CAN YOU DO A DAY TRIP FROM DANANG TO HOI AN?
Staying in Danang and wishing to visit Hoi An? A day tour might be the best option for you.
Now, we absolutely think Hoi An is worth more than a day, so maybe consider your entire Vietnam itinerary, however, there are a number of day tours that can be booked in advance and will visit Hoi An’s major attractions in a quick whirlwind tour of the ancient city.
Below are a few we’ve selected - we’ve not personally taken these, but have selected them based on itinerary, cost and reviews:
This wildly popular Hoi An city tour with a coconut jungle basket boat ride
Visit Hoi An Old Town and Danang’s Marble Mountains on this excellent day tour
Discover Hoi An’s Old Town, explore the night market and take a boat ride on this tour
IS THERE A TRAIN FROM DANANG TO HOI AN
We (Mark) really wanted to travel by train in Vietnam and looked into whether we could travel by train from Danang to Hoi An for part of our trip. Unfortunately, we couldn’t.
While train services run from major cities and destinations within Vietnam to Danang, Hoi An itself does not have a train station.
That being said, if you’re planning on visiting Hoi An and are travelling by train through Vietnam, you can use the information above to get from Danang to Hoi An.
And if you wish to book train tickets in the country, you can do so in advance here.
THINGS TO DO IN HOI AN
The UNESCO-protected yellow streets of Hoi An have an extensive list of things to see and do, places to eat, and wonderful tours to join.
We suggest taking a walking tour of the old town to get your bearings and joining a cooking class to better understand the local cuisine. Spend a morning exploring Hoi An’s markets, before heading to nearby An Nang beach to cool off and enjoy some relaxation. Also, a visit to the historic Cham ruins of My Son Sanctuary is a must.
The coffee culture in Hoi An is second to none, so make sure to visit Faifo Coffee, or Phin Coffee, located in the Old Town, or enjoy a slow afternoon sipping tea at Reaching Out Teahouse.
Beyond that, we suggest heading in early walking each street and alleyway, and immersing yourself in the deep history that permeates through the streets.
Plan your trip with our Hoi An guide.
WHERE TO STAY IN HOI AN
Despite being a compact little town, it can be hard to find a comfortable hotel in Hoi An’s Old Town.
Thus, the hotels and hostels we’ve recommended below are outside the historic quarter. Thankfully though, it’s a short walk, ride or Grab into town.
LA SIESTA HOI AN | A boutique hotel that delivers big on luxury and hospitality, La Siesta Hoi An is one of the best hotels in town and comes highly recommended by friends who stayed there. It features spacious, elegantly designed rooms, multiple dining options, and two stunning pools, and is a short walk from the historic old quarter.
MULBERRY SILK VILLAGE | Where we stayed - Mulberry Silk Village is affordable, well-appointed, and served all our needs. Features huge rooms with a balcony, two swimming pools, spa facilities, and an on-site restaurant serving local and international cuisine, with a large breakfast buffet.
HOI AN CHIC GREEN RETREAT | Set amidst the green rice fields just outside of the old town lies the stunning Hoi An Chic Green Retreat. This modern, eco-friendly hotel features thoughtfully furnished rooms and an outdoor pool that blends seamlessly with the surrounding rice fields. Also includes organic dining options in-house.
MAD MONKEY HOSTEL HOI AN | Mad Monkey Hostel Hoi An is the home of hostel life in Hoi An, perfectly positioned near the ancient town. This backpacker hostel offers both dorm and private rooms and a party vibe perfect for solo travellers.
TRAVEL INSURANCE | STAY SAFE IN VIETNAM
If you can't afford travel insurance, you really can't afford to travel. As the current global situation has taught many people, things can go wrong anywhere in the world - and insurance is often the only way of mitigating any issues with minimal expense or stress for you.
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FOR DIGITAL NOMADS | SafetyWing - COVID-19 coverage, comprehensive travel & medical, and policies can be purchased while already abroad.
CAR INSURANCE | Insurance4CarHire - a great annual car insurance policy
EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF VIETNAM
VIETNAM | The perfect two-week Vietnam itinerary for first-timers
HOI AN | The best things to do in Hoi An, 15+ Essential Hoi An Travel Tips, How to visit My Son Sanctuary, How to get from Danang Airport to Hoi An, A guide to the Hoi An Old Town Ticket, The best day trips from Hoi An
HO CHI MINH CITY | The best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City, 15+ Essential Saigon Travel Tips, How to visit Tan Dinh Church (Saigon’s Pink Church), Where to eat and drink in Ho Chi Minh City, How to get from Saigon Airport to the city centre
HANOI | The best things to do in Hanoi, A curated guide to Hanoi’s Old Quarter, How to visit the Temple of Literature
MEKONG DELTA | The best things to do in the Mekong Delta
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL | Responsible travel is important. REALLY IMPORTANT. Learn our top responsible travel tips to help you, your family and your friends travel more consciously around the globe
ECO-FRIENDLY PACKING ESSENTIALS | Don’t leave home without our favourite eco-friendly travel essentials
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