Da Nang to Hoi An: Grab, bus, shuttle or private car

Hoi An is about 30 km south of Da Nang, 40 to 50 minutes by car along the coast road. For most visitors the easiest way there is a Grab car, roughly 250,000 to 400,000 dong (US$10 to US$15). The public bus costs 30,000 dong but takes much longer, and a shared shuttle sits in between. Here is each option with November 2026 prices, plus where to play on the way.

How far is Hoi An from Da Nang?

About 30 km from central Da Nang or Da Nang airport to Hoi An old town. By car on the coast road that is 40 to 50 minutes, and closer to an hour between 4:30 and 6:30pm or if you start on the far side of the river. There is no airport and no railway station in Hoi An, so every trip starts in Da Nang.

One thing that confuses people on maps: since 1 July 2025 Hoi An is officially part of Da Nang city, after Quang Nam province merged into it. The old town is now in Hoi An ward, Da Nang. Nothing changed on the ground, but your Grab app and hotel booking may now show "Hoi An, Da Nang".

What is the best way to get from Da Nang to Hoi An?

For most people a Grab or Xanh SM car: door to door in under an hour, a price fixed in the app, and about US$10 to US$15. Take a private car if you want to stop on the way or have paddles and big bags, and the bus only if the price matters more than the time.

Grab ranges are typical fares reported in October 2026, and the quote in your app is the real price; shuttle and private car prices are the lowest listed on booking sites on 27 October 2026; bus fares are from the Da Nang tourism office. In US dollars at about 26,000 dong to the dollar.

How much is a Grab from Da Nang to Hoi An?

Roughly 250,000 to 400,000 dong for a four-seat car, about US$10 to US$15. The fare depends on where you start, the time and demand, and the app fixes it before you confirm. A seven-seat car costs more, and Friday evenings, holidays and heavy rain push prices up.

• Grab and Xanh SM both work all the way to Hoi An. Xanh SM runs only electric cars; our Xanh SM guide explains how it works for visitors.
• Getting back from Hoi An late in the evening is easy too. Walk out of the pedestrian old town to a main road, such as Tran Hung Dao, so the driver can reach you.
• Metered taxis from the big companies also do the trip. Agree that the meter is on before you set off; on a 30 km run they usually cost more than the Grab quote.
• GrabBike is cheaper, but 30 km on the back of a motorbike with a suitcase is not much fun, and not safe with a big bag.

Pay by card in the app or in cash; our money in Vietnam guide covers which works where.

Is there a bus from Da Nang to Hoi An?

Yes. Public bus route 02 runs from Da Nang Central Bus Station through the city centre to Hoi An bus station and on to Cua Dai beach, from about 4:45am to 6pm. The full route costs 30,000 dong, about US$1.15.

• The route: since July 2025 the old routes 02 and LK02 run as one 46.7 km line: Central Bus Station, the city administrative centre on Tran Phu, Nguyen Van Linh, Tien Son Bridge, then inland through Dien Ban to Hoi An bus station on Nguyen Tat Thanh, Ly Thuong Kiet and Cua Dai.
• Fares: 8,000 dong up to 10 km, 20,000 dong from 10 to 25 km and 30,000 dong beyond, so the city centre to Hoi An is 20,000 or 30,000 dong depending on where you board. Carry small notes.
• Where to get off: Hoi An bus station is about 1 km from the old town, or stay on to Ly Thuong Kiet, which is closer. Say pho co (old town) to the conductor.
• Hours: about 4:45am to 6pm, so it does not work for coming back after the lanterns.
• From the airport: there is a separate, non-subsidised route 01SB from Da Nang airport to Hoi An. Check times and fares in the DanangBus app before you rely on it.

Route and fares are from the Da Nang tourism office, Danang Fantasticity, current to 21 August 2026, and the city's July 2025 route change. Timetables move, so check on the day.

Are shuttles and limousine vans worth it?

They are good value if you are travelling alone and want hotel pickup without paying for a whole car. Seats on shared shuttles and limousine vans start at about 119,000 to 175,000 dong, and the trip takes 1 to 1.5 hours with pickups.

Many of these are 9 to 16-seat vans that collect from hotels in central Da Nang and drop at hotels in Hoi An. The catch is the pickup round: the van may collect several other guests first, so the 45-minute drive becomes an hour or more. For two people a Grab often costs about the same and leaves when you want. Some Hoi An hotels also run their own shuttle to Da Nang beach; ask yours before you book anything.

When is a private car worth it?

When you want to stop on the way, when you carry paddles and luggage, or when you want a fixed time and a driver who waits. Booking sites list one-way cars from about 280,000 dong, and the price rises with stops and waiting time.

The obvious stop is the Marble Mountains, five limestone hills about 8 km south of the city centre, right on the way. The entrance to Thuy Son, the one with the caves and pagodas, costs 40,000 dong for adults, and the lift up to Linh Ung pagoda is 15,000 dong one way or 30,000 dong return, according to the Da Nang tourism office. Allow an hour and a half, and go before 10am, when the tour buses arrive and the steps get hot.

Landing at Da Nang airport and going straight to Hoi An? That is a different trip, and we run it: a driver with a name sign at arrivals and a price fixed before you fly. Here is how our Da Nang airport to Hoi An transfer works.

Don't ride a motorbike unless you hold a licence valid in Vietnam and are used to the traffic. The coast road is flat and straight, but most travel insurance won't pay out without the right licence.

Can you play pickleball on the way to Hoi An?

Yes. The Furama Pickleball Club, which opened in March 2025 with 14 courts at Furama Villas and the Ariyana centre on Vo Nguyen Giap, sits on the beach road you drive along to Hoi An. Book a morning court, shower, and you are in Hoi An for lunch.

Da Nang plays twice a day, from about 5:30 to 8am and again from 5pm, and the morning session is the one to use on a travel day: courts are cooler, the light is soft, and you are on the road by 9:30. Pickleball in Da Nang lists the clubs near My Khe beach and in Ngu Hanh Son, all of them on the way south. From September to December, the rainy months on this coast, book a covered court.

Hoi An has a smaller scene of its own, with covered courts in town and resort courts near the beaches; see pickleball in Hoi An. Plenty of players stay in Hoi An and ride up to Da Nang for a bigger game, which is exactly what this road is for.

Is Hoi An worth a day trip from Da Nang?

Yes, if you do it in the afternoon and evening. Leave Da Nang around 3pm, walk the old town while it is quieter, stay for the lanterns after dark and take a Grab back after dinner. A morning trip gets the heat and the tour groups; an evening trip gets the light.

• Old town ticket: foreign visitors buy the 120,000 dong ticket, about US$4.60, which covers entry to several of the old houses, assembly halls and museums. Keep it with you.
• Getting back: the last bus leaves around 6pm, so plan on a Grab, Xanh SM or a driver who waits.
• When it floods: October and November are the wettest months, and the riverside streets can flood for a day or two after heavy rain. Check before you go.
• Lantern night: on the 14th day of each lunar month the old town switches off its electric lights; the next are 22 November and 22 December 2026. Here are the Hoi An lantern festival dates.

Honestly, one night is better than a day trip. Hoi An at 6am, before anyone arrives, is a different town. If you are still deciding where to base yourself, read Hoi An or Da Nang, and for what to fill the days with, things to do in Hoi An.

How do you get from Hoi An to your next stop?

Almost everything leaves from Da Nang, so plan on the same 45-minute drive back north before a flight or train.

• To the airport: allow at least an hour from Hoi An, more at rush hour or in heavy rain.
• To Hue: about 3 hours by car over or under the Hai Van Pass, or the train from Da Nang station. See is Hue worth visiting.
• To Ba Na Hills: about 1.5 hours from Hoi An by car; our Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge guide has the tickets and timing.
• Up or down the country: our domestic flights vs trains guide compares the options, and the Top to Bottom trip covers Hanoi to Saigon with Hoi An in the middle.

For a week on this coast, see one week in Da Nang and things to do in Da Nang.

Da Nang to Hoi An: FAQ

How far is Hoi An from Da Nang?

About 30 km from central Da Nang or the airport to Hoi An old town, and about 25 km from the My Khe beach hotels. By car on the coast road it takes 40 to 50 minutes, up to an hour at rush hour. The public bus takes longer because it goes inland and stops often.

How much is a Grab from Da Nang to Hoi An?

Roughly 250,000 to 400,000 dong for a four-seat car, about US$10 to US$15, depending on where you start, the time of day and demand, as of November 2026. The app shows the fixed fare before you book. A seven-seat car costs more.

Is there a bus from Da Nang to Hoi An?

Yes. Public bus route 02 runs from Da Nang Central Bus Station through the city centre to Hoi An bus station and on to Cua Dai, from about 4:45am to 6pm. The full trip costs 30,000 dong, about US$1.15, according to the Da Nang tourism office in August 2026.

Is there a train from Da Nang to Hoi An?

No. Hoi An is not on the railway. The nearest station is Da Nang, about 30 km away, so if you arrive by train you finish the trip by car, Grab, shuttle or bus.

Can you visit Hoi An as a day trip from Da Nang?

Yes, and the best way is an afternoon and evening trip: leave Da Nang around 3pm, walk the old town before dusk, stay for the lanterns and take a Grab back after dinner. The last public bus leaves around 6pm, so plan on a car for the return.

What is the best way from Da Nang airport to Hoi An?

A pre-booked private car or a Grab. Both take about 45 minutes to an hour for the 30 km. A pre-booked car meets you at arrivals with a name sign and a fixed price, which helps after a long flight or with paddles and big bags. See our airport transfer.

The bottom line

Da Nang to Hoi An is an easy 30 km: take a Grab or Xanh SM for about US$10 to US$15, the 02 bus for 30,000 dong if you have time, or a private car if you want to stop on the way. Leave after a morning game in Da Nang, stop at the Marble Mountains or the Furama courts, and get to Hoi An in time for the lanterns. Then plan your days with things to do in Hoi An, find a court with pickleball in Hoi An, or let us build it around you with a tailor-made trip.