How To Get To Hoi An From Hue

There’s a lot of ways to make the journey between Hue and Hoi An.

Take the train.
Take a private transport, like a personal driver.
Take a bus.
Take a “tourist bus.”
Do a motorcycle tour.
Do a jeep tour.

This post will go over each way to get from Hue to Hoi An and discuss the pros/cons of each, plus give some options for where to book your transit.

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Vietnam Travel Essentials

The absolute must-haves for your trip to Vietnam!

Go with an Airalo eSIM and stay connected
Don’t forget to get travel health insurance!
Check Hostelworld for discounted stays or Agoda for slightly nicer ones
Search Skyscanner for flights (domestic and int’l)
Use 12Go to book bus and train tickets
Take a guidebook for tips on where to go

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Train from Hue to Hoi An

The train ride from Hue to Da Nang is just under 2 hours, and then from Da Nang to Hoi An is about a 30 minute drive. You can take a taxi from the train station for about $15 USD, or if you go into town you can pick up a public bus (which is much cheaper).

The Man in Seat 61 has a good guide to taking the train in Vietnam, including how to book tickets. Personally, I use Baolao but you might also be able to use 12Go.asia.

Private transport from Hue to Hoi An

This is probably the easiest way, though it’s also one of the more expensive options. A private car/drive from Hue to Hoi An will cost about $50 USD and includes stops at popular sightseeing locations along the way. This DOES increase travel time, up to 6-7 hours depending on where you stop and how long you spend there.

Here’s some options available online to give an example of the itinerary:

Bus from Hue to Hoi An

This way is probably the cheapest (under $15 USD), but it also has the LEAST amount of sightseeing. The bus only stops at one place, Lang Co Beach, which while very beautiful is also pretty much a tourist trap as the bus drops you off right at the shopping center.

Still, if you want to just go directly to Hoi An and don’t care about seeing any of the things between Hue and there, then a bus would be a good option. These are large buses, and they tend to be crammed full, so it might not be the most comfortable. Check out the reviews before booking!

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Tourist Bus from Hue to Hoi An

This is the one I did, and it’s what I recommend to other if you don’t want to do the motorcycle version. It’s a good mix of budget and comfort. The bus is actually a passenger van, and you get to stop at multiple places along the way. I booked through my hostel and the price was under $15 USD, though even if you book online it’s not a bad price.

Tourist buses are different than regular buses; they’re combo tour/transit, as in they combine travel with sightseeing. Rather than drop you back off at your starting point like with a normal day tour, you just get dumped at the other end of the tour!

We left Hue at 8:00 am and arrived in Hoi An by 2:00 pm. Along the way, we stopped at:

Lang Co Beach, which was full of big buses with tour groups and a few bedraggled trinket sellers.
Hai Van Pass, which was very beautiful but also VERY cold. Also foggy, so even if I’d done a motorcycle tour after all, there wouldn’t have been anything to see!
Marble Mountain, which is a bit like a store’s display for marble statues. Luckily not as busy as it might’ve been!

Normally we’d also stop by the Thanh Toan Tiles-Roofed Bridge, but it was flooded. 😛 The trip also came with a bottle of water and a snack.

If you’d like to book online:

Hue to Hoi An Van Tour with English Guide

Motorcycle tour from Hue to Hoi An

Hai Van Pass (foggy because of it being rainy season)

If you’re more adventurous, then this is for you! Join a (small) group of tourists and their drivers and head up into the mountains via Hai Van Pass. Like the tourist bus, you get to stop at different places and do some sightseeing, and the total travel time is about 6-7 hours.

These are “Easy Rider” tours, so you’d ride behind the driver, but I suppose you could negotiate driving yourself if you really wanted to.

Here’s some options you can book online:

Jeep tour from Hue to Hoi An

A praying statue at Marble Mountain statues in Da Nang, Vietnam. — Praying statues in Da Nang

Like many other places in Vietnam, you can take a Jeep tour from Hue to Hoi An! I’m not sure if I’d personally do this during the rainy season, as many of the jeeps in the photos look like they’re open-top (and even then I don’t know how warm a Jeep is even when it’s closed), but it could be a fun option during the warmer months.

Some options for you:

Which transit option is best?

For me personally, adding in some sightseeing to a day of driving is a good way to see more of the country without taking a lot out of your schedule. I’d pick either the tourist bus, the motorcycle tour or a private transfer and be sure to stop at least at the Hai Van Pass area on the top of the mountain, and Marble Mountain closer to Da Nang.