An Ultimate Guide to Travel From Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An

A land of unparalleled beauty, Vietnam is exquisitely blended in both nature and culture. Whether you want to indulge in a surreal experience such as cruising through the ocean waters or to enjoy a fun time while taking a motorcycle ride through jam-packed alleys – a vacation in Vietnam is packed with enchanting attractions. And amongst the many tourist destinations in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An are the two famous places of interest in the country. A vacation to Vietnam is never complete without Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An. For travelers, there are many ways of traveling from Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An. 

Ho Chi Minh, formerly referred to as Saigon, is a prominent financial and business hub of Vietnam. It is the largest city in the country. A chaotic whirl, the city is known for its fascinating culture, dazzling skyscrapers, classic French architecture, and beautiful pagodas and temples. Besides, the rooftop bars and laid-back restaurants in Vietnam add a significant charm on tour to this beautiful city. On the other hand, Hoi An is a small and historical city in Vietnam and was once a major port in the country. With both indigenous and foreign influences, the enticing riverside setting and the grand architectural buildings proffer a unique heritage experience to travelers in Hoi An. 

Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An

The distance between both cities is around 942 km. You can travel from Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An through bus, train or rail. All these options have their pros and cons. You need to pick the best keeping your choices and needs into mind. Let’s have a look at each of these options. 

Train from Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An

Probably, one of the best methods of traveling from Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An is the railway. With no direct rail connectivity to Hoi An, you can board a train to Da Nang from Ho Chi Minh. The distance between Da Nang and Hoi An is 26 km. There are about seven trains that ply daily on the route from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang. This train journey takes around 16-19 hours to complete. The cost of one-way train ticket from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang ranges from $43 to $66, depending on the category you choose. There are various websites that give you the option of online booking if you want to avoid the hassle of offline booking. 

• Railhead in Ho Chi Minh City: Saigon Railway Station
• Railhead in Da Nang: Da Nang Railway Station

Train travel in Vietnam

There are mainly four classes on Vietnam Railways – hard seat, soft seat, hard berth, and soft berth. Hard seats are wooden benches and are not at all ideal for long journeys like this. Comparatively, soft seats are quite good but come with a flaw – these seats are not private in any way. Coming on to hard berth, they have six bunks, three each side. The soft berth includes four bunks in one room. This is the perfect berth for a family. Except for the hard seat carriages, all are fully air-conditioned. 

After reaching Da Nang, you can cover the rest of the distance through taxi, motorbike or bus. A bus ride from Da Nang to Hoi An takes around 1 – 1.5 hours to complete. It’s the cheapest way to reach Hoi An from Da Nang and the ticket can be purchased on the bus itself. All you just have to make sure you pay the right price which is 30,000 VND ($ 1.3). Near to the railway station, there is a bus station at 162 Ong Ich Khiem from where you can board a bus to Hoi An. The bus service operates from 5 in the morning to 6 in the evening. Taxi is another best way to reach Hoi An from Da Nang. A taxi ride would cost you between $15 and $23. The most exciting way to reach Hoi An from Da Nang is through a motorbike. For locals, this is the most preferred way of traveling between the two cities. 

 Flights From Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang

The most convenient and quickest way of reaching Hoi An from Ho Chi Minh is the airway. There is no airport in Hoi An. Da Nang serves as the nearest airport city to Hoi An. Airheads in both cities are located very close to their respective downtown. From Da Nang, it’s a 30 minutes taxi drive to Hoi An. The cost of the flight tickets might vary as per the season. Also, advance booking is preferred if you wish to save some of your flight expenses. However, the minimum price for a one-way direct flight somewhere costs you between $40 to $50. There are about 22 flights that fly on a regular interval between the two cities and the entire journey is only about 1 hour 15 minutes. There are various websites that give you the option of booking flights from Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An. 

• The airport in Ho Chi Minh: Tan Son Nhat International Airport
• The airport in Da Nang: Da Nang International Airport

Bus From Ho Chi Ming to Da Nang

There are travelers who prefer bus ride to reach to Hoi An from Ho Chi Minh. As the above ways, a bus journey also first takes you to the city of Da Nang and then to Hoi An. The buses in Vietnam are amazing if you get the right one. There is an option for you to choose between the ordinary bus and the luxury one. However, for a long journey like this, I would suggest you go for the luxury bus. With a fully flat bed and the best comfortability, the luxury bus is the best to ride while you travel from Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An by road. Pham Ngu Lao is the busiest bus station in Ho Chi Minh where most of the tourist buses arrive and leave from. Buses run throughout the day and night. After reaching Da Nang, you can choose to choose any of the means – motorbike, taxi or bus (as explained above) to reach your destination. One way bus ticket from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang would cost you about $15 – $20. The entire journey takes around 21 – 23 hours to complete.

Whichever way you pick to reach Hoi An from Ho Chi Minh, enjoy your trip and don’t forget to try the best coffee in Hanoi! If you plan to visit nearby countries make sure you check out our other location-specific tips and travel checklist for all of Asia.

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