HOI AN to HUE — Bus, Train, Taxi, Car? ☀️
9 min readAug 25, 2020
Hue in central Vietnam — another “must visit” place if you are already in Da Nang or Hoi An.
- Hue (Thừa Thiên - Huế province) in central Vietnam is a top visited place. Why to visit Hue? It is close to Da Nang and offers various historical relics and sites and also greet cuisine of central Vietnam. Once the capital of the Nguyen dynasty and the bastion of Buddhism, today it is above all a peaceful center of culture and education. In 1993, Hue was one of the first Vietnamese sites to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main landmark of the city located on the banks of the Fragrant River is the extensive citadel of Kinh Thank, which was ruled by 13 emperors. The fort consists of three concentric spaces surrounding the Cot Co flagship from 1809. The main part is the centrally located Forbidden Purple City, also known as Dai Noi (Great Court). Another important monument in Hue is the 17th-century Thien Mu Pagoda (Queen of Heaven Pagoda) with an adjoining temple and monastery.
🥇 You can book bus/train e-tickets from Hoi An or Da Nang to Hue online on Baolau or 12go.asia
- The tombs of the rulers of the Nguyen dynasty (1802–1945), which are scattered around Hue, are among the city’s most interesting monuments next to the royal fortress. The most extensive of these is the tomb of King Tu Duc (1847–1883), set in a pleasant park area with magnolias and pine groves. There are 2 most popular options of getting to Hoi An from Hue - by bus or train + bus. Thien Mu Pagoda is another top highlight in Hue. Thien Mu Pagoda - the complex of this pagoda with a functioning monastery is located directly above the banks of the Scent River. It was founded in 1601 in honor of the fairy or heavenly lady who allegedly appeared to the local people. Hence its name Heavenly Lady Pagoda. There are a few ways how you can travel from Hoi An to Hue — by bus, train, taxi/car, motorbike or you can take an sightseeing flight from Da Nang. There are no commercial flights between Hue and Hoi An, there are only sightseeing flights between Da Nang and Hue. This travel route is also one of the most frequented in central Vietnam.
From Hue to Hoi An you can travel by bus/van or train+bus (via Da Nang).
Bus to Hoi An:
- Travel distance from Hoi An to Hue is about 120 km by bus/train. From Hoi An to Hue you can travel by tourist bus/van, private taxi/car, train, motorbike or you can take a sightseeing flight from Da Nang. The most popular ways by tourists are buses and trains. Travel by tourist bus or minivan/minibus from Hoi An to Hue takes about 4 hours and bus tickets cost about $6–8/pp. There are also various buses or private minivans from Da Nang city and Da Nang International Airport.
Bus + Train to Hoi An:
- Another option is to travel by bus+train via Da Nang. Travel by bus+train (via Da Nang) takes about 5 hours. This option has 2 steps, 1.step is to travel by bus/taxi from Hoi An to Da Nang and 2 .step is to travel by train from Da Nang Railway Station to Hue Railway Station. Travel by bus+train from Hoi An to Hue via Da Nang costs about $10–15/pp. There is no train from Hoi An ancient town, the closest railway station is in Da Nang city.
Taxi or private car to Hoi An:
- You can also travel by private taxi or car from Hoi An to Hue or from Da Nang Airport to Hue. There are some private companies and travel by private taxi/car is the fastest option of getting to Hue. Travel time by taxi/car is about 2.5 hours, but it costs about $60–95/car.
- The last option how you can travel to Hoi An is to travel on motorbike (IDP necessary) or you can take a sightseeing flight from Da Nang to Hue by Hai Au Aviation (Seaplanes, Cesna Caravan plane). Read carefully the instructions about this travel route below.
How do I get from Hoi An to Hue?
1. BUS / MINIBUS from Hoi An to Hue
- bus companies to Hue from Hoi An: The Sinh Tourist, Hanh Cafe, Hoi An Express, Hue Tourist…
- comfortable and modern tourist buses, minibuses or minivans
- one-way bus ticket from Hoi An to Hue costs about $6–11/pp
- travel by bus/minibus from Hoi An to Hue takes about 3.5–4.5 hours
- arrive 30–60 minutes to the bus stop before departure and present voucher to board bus, read the instructions
- if you do not find your bus in exact date, try search again later or try to search a different date of departure
🥇 Book bus tickets from Hoi An to Hue online on Baolau or 12go.asia
- you will receive your e-ticket to Hue by email, ready to print or carry in your mobile phone or tablet and present at the ticket counter of the station before boarding the bus in Hoi An or Da Nang
2. TRAIN + BUS from Hoi An to Hue (via Da Nang)
A) BUS / TAXI from Hoi An to Da Nang
- bus companies to Da Nang: TheSinh Tourist, Hanh Cafe, Hoi An Express…
- comfortable and modern buses and minivans
- travel by bus takes about 1.5 hour from Hoi An to Da Nang
- one-way bus ticket from Hoi An to Da Nang costs about $4.80–8/pp
- arrive 30–60 minutes to the bus stop before departure and present voucher to board bus
- you can read this article: How to reach Da Nang from Hoi An?
B) TRAIN or BUS from Da Nang to Hue
- from Da Nang you can travel by train to Hue
- travel by train to Hue takes about 2.5–3 hours
- there are about 7 trains every day of Vietnam Railways
- one-way train ticket from Da Nang to Hue costs about $3–7/pp
- trains arrive to Hue Railway Station (2 Bui Thi Xuan Street)
- rtrains depart from Da Nang Railway Station (791 Hải Phòng)
- there are also buses: TheSinh Tourist, Hanh Cafe, Hoi An Express
- one-way bus ticket from Da Nang to Hue costs about $5–8/pp
- you can read this article: How to reach Hue from Da Nang?
- you will receive your train / bus e-ticket to Hue by email, ready to print or carry in your mobile phone or tablet and present when boarding the train or bus in Da Nanc city
3. TAXI / PRIVATE CAR from Hoi An to Hue
- you can also travel from Hoi An to Hue by taxi/private car
- comfortable and modern vehicles, minivans, cars
- travel by taxi/private car from Hoi An to Hue costs about $60–95/car
- travel by taxi/private car from Hoi An to Hue takes about 2–3 hours
- taxi or car is the most fastest option of transport to Hue
- you can also take a private taxi from Da Nang Airport to Hue
🥇 Book your taxi/private car from Hoi An/Da Nang to Hue on 12go.asia
4. From Hoi An to Hue on motorbike
- another way how to get from Hoi An to Hue is to travel on motorbike
- you can visit some beach areas between Hoi An and Hue
- it is about 130 km by land, it can take about 4–5 hours
- you will be traveling through the stunning Hai Van Pass
- rent a motorbike in Vietnam costs about $8–15/pp
- recommended rentals of motorbikes in Hoi An: MotorVina or Hoi An Bike Rental
5. Travel by plane from Da Nang to Hue (sightseeing flight with Cessna)
- from April 25 (2019) you can also travel by plane from Da Nang to Hue or from Hue to Da Nang
- travel by plane of Seaplane from Da Nang to Hue takes about 40 minutes
- flight is operated by Hai Au Aviation with Cessna Grand Caravan 208B-EX
- travel by plane of Hai Au Aviation from Da Nang to Hue costs about $155/pp
- flight from Da Nang International Airport to Phu Bai Airport in Hue
- you can book your flight from Da Nang to Hue at Seaplanes.vn
Frequently Asked Questions — Travel from Hoi An to Hue:
How to book and buy tickets or taxi/car from Hoi An to Hue?
🥇 You can book bus or train tickets and private taxi/car from Hoi An to Hue online on Baolau or 12go.asia
(You can also search and book another travel route, e.g. Hoi An > Da Nang, Da Nang > Hue…
How long does it take to get from Hoi An to Hue?
- Travel by bus+train from Hoi An to Hue (via Da Nang) takes about 5 hours.
- Travel by tourist bus or minivan from Hoi An to Hue takes about 3.5–4.5 hours.
- Travel by taxi/private car from Hoi An to Hue takes about 2–3 hours.
- Travel on motorbike from Hoi An to Hue takes about 4–5 hours.
What is the travel distance from Hoi An to Hue?
- Travel distance from Hoi An to Hue is about 130 km by train or bus/van.
How much does it cost to travel from Hoi An to Hue?
- Travel by bus+train from Hoi An to Hue (via Da Nang) costs about $8–13/pp.
- Travel by tourist bus or minivan from Hoi An to Hue costs about $6–12/pp.
- Travel by taxi/private car from Hoi An to Hue costs about $60–95/car.
What is the best way of transfer from Hoi An to Hue?
- The best way of transport from Hoi An to Hue is to travel by tourist bus. Bus tickets are cheap, buses are comfortable and new.
What is the most cheapest way of transport from Hoi An to Hue?
- The most cheapest option of transport from from Hoi An to Hue is to travel by bus, the bus tickets start at $6/pp.
Is it possible to travel from Da Nang to Hue by plane?
- Yes, from April 2019, you can travel by plane from Da Nang to Hue, this flight is operated by Hai Au Aviation (Seaplanes.vn) and one-way flight takes about 40 minutes and costs about $155. There are no commercial flights between Da Nang/Hoi An and Hue, only these sightseeing flights.
How to get from Hoi An to Da Nang?
- From Hoi An to Da Nang you can travel by tourist bus, private taxi or Grab. Hoi An is only about 25 km from Da Nang city center and there are various tourist buses between these cities. Travel time is about 1 hour.
Hai Van Pass — What to see, expect and how to go there?
- Hai Van Pass is one of the most impressive passes/roads in central Vietnam, about 20 km from Da Nang. The best way how to visit this place is to travel on motorbike, you can rent a motorbike in Hoi An or Da Nang. Read this article: Hai Van Pass — Travel Guide.
Where to travel from Hue?
- From Hue you can travel to Phong Nha-Ke Bang (about 40 km from Dong Hoi city, you can travel by bus or train+bus) or you can travel to northern Vietnam and visit the capital of Vietnam - Hanoi. There are direct fligths, sleeper trains or tourist buses from Hue to Hanoi.
Hanoi to Cao Bang｜Hanoi to Ninh Binh｜Trains to Sapa｜Halong to Tam Coc｜Hai Phong to Dong Hoi｜Mai Chau to Ninh Binh｜Bangkok to Krabi
