A private car from Hue to Hoi An picks you up at your hotel in Hue and drives about 135 km south over the Hai Van Pass: about 3–3.5 hours of driving, plus short photo stops at the Lap An lagoon, Lang Co and the pass summit. There is one fixed price for the car, shared by everyone in it.
Hoi An has no airport and no railway, so every way there from Hue ends on the road. Going from Hue to Hoi An by car makes it a single drive from hotel to hotel, with time to stop for the view on the way.
This page follows the drive the way our drivers make it: the route stage by stage, which road the car takes and when that changes, how long it takes, what the car costs and covers, and how to book.
The route, stage by stage
The drive from Hue to Hoi An by private car falls into stages, listed here in the order you meet them on the way south.
Leaving Hue. The driver picks you up at your hotel in Hue at the time agreed when you book, and the car heads south out of the city.
The Lap An lagoon. The first photo stop. The road runs along the edge of a wide lagoon at the foot of the mountains, and from the roadside you look out across the water.
Lang Co. The second stop: a fishing village on a bay at the northern foot of the pass, with the lagoon behind it and a long beach on the sea side.
The Hai Van Pass. The pass road climbs and winds for about 20 km over the last spur of the Truong Son range, with views over the coast on both sides. The third photo stop is at the summit. The restored fort at the top has its own entrance ticket, which our price does not include; the stop itself is for photos.
Down into Da Nang. The road comes down the far side of the pass into Da Nang and carries on south to Hoi An. The Marble Mountains lie south of the city centre on the road to Hoi An, but they are not a stop on this transfer: a visit is a separate trip, with pickup from your hotel in Da Nang or Hoi An, priced on request.
Arriving in Hoi An. Hoi An is an old trading port on a river, now part of Da Nang city. Its ancient town, a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in 1999, is at its liveliest in the evening; our travel guide describes what Hoi An is like.
These are photo stops along the way, limited to 10–15 minutes: time to get out, look and take pictures before the drive goes on.
Which road the car takes
Our car normally takes the pass road, because that is where the views and the summit stop are. When heavy rain or a landslide closes the pass, or the weather makes it unsafe, the car takes the Hai Van tunnel underneath instead. You then lose the summit stop rather than the day: Lap An and Lang Co come before the tunnel, so those stops stay.
If you would rather save the time, ask for the tunnel when you book. The price is the same either way, and when the car uses the tunnel, the toll is already in it.
How long the drive from Hue to Hoi An takes, and when to leave
The drive from Hue to Hoi An is about 135 km over the pass, about 3–3.5 hours of driving. Through the tunnel it is about 120 km and roughly half an hour less. The photo stops come on top of those times, and the distance changes by a few km depending on where your hotels are.
Leave in the morning if you can. That puts the pass in daylight, and the views are the reason to take that road; it also gets you to Hoi An with time to settle in before the old town comes alive in the evening. The view from the summit depends on the weather, and on a cloudy or wet day you may see little of the coast.
Heavy rain slows the drive and is what can close the pass road. If you are still choosing your dates, our travel tips cover the best time to visit central Vietnam.
The price, and what it covers
Our price from Hue to Hoi An is fixed, per car rather than per person, for one way, as of October 2026:
4-seat car (sedan or compact SUV): 1,600,000 VND
7-seat car (MPV): 1,800,000 VND
The price is the same from Hoi An to Hue. At Tet and on public holidays it is different, so ask for the price when you book. Prices can change, and the Hue to Hoi An route on our Routes page always shows today's price.
The price includes fuel, parking and, when the car uses it, the Hai Van tunnel toll, and the photo stops are part of it. Entrance tickets are not included, and drivers pay for their own meals. Because the price is for the car, it is shared: the more of you there are, the less it costs per head.
There is nothing to pay in advance and no deposit. You pay the driver after the trip, in cash, in Vietnamese đồng or US dollars. Cancelling costs nothing. Tipping the driver is up to you; it is not required.
Choosing the car
We drive this route in two sizes of car. A 4-seat sedan or compact SUV takes up to three passengers and two bags; a 7-seat MPV takes up to six passengers and three bags. Count bags as well as people: a group of four needs the 7-seat car, and so does a group of three with more than two bags. You can see both cars on our Booking page.
If you are bringing anything bulky, such as a pushchair, tell us when you book. Child seats are available too; ask for one at the same time. Our drivers speak basic English, enough for stops and directions. They are not guides.
Pickup, drop-off and booking
The driver collects you from your hotel in Hue at the agreed time. In Hoi An, we drop you at your hotel's door, or as close to it as cars are allowed if your hotel is in the old town's walking streets.
If you are flying into Phu Bai, the airport outside Hue, the car can take you straight from the airport to Hoi An, at a fixed price given on request.
To book, choose Hue to Hoi An on our Routes page, or message us on WhatsApp, Zalo or Messenger, or call. If this is your first car with driver in Vietnam, our guide sets out what to check before you book any car with driver.
Other ways to make the trip
The train runs only as far as Da Nang, because Hoi An has no station, so the last stretch is by road anyway. Buses and tourist shuttles cost less per seat, but they run from their own pick-up points and do not stop for photos. For one traveller on a tight budget, they are the sensible choice. A car pays off from two people up, with luggage, or when the stops matter to you. Our transport guide gives the times and fares, route by route.
Hoi An can also be a day trip from Hue. It is possible but long, because it puts the drive in both directions on the same day; we quote it on request.
Next steps
If the drive fits your plan, our Routes page shows today's price for a 4-seat and a 7-seat car from Hue to Hoi An, and you can book from there.
If this drive is one leg of a longer trip, our itinerary guide has a three-day plan with this drive on day two, and our transport guide covers every other route in the region. Leaving Hoi An later for Da Nang airport? That is a fixed-price route too, priced on request.
The blog collects every guide we have published so far, and the about page tells you who we are.
