Da Nang or Hoi An: Which is Better to Stay?

I moved to Da Nang from the USA in 2018. I visit Hoi An regularly on my motorbike for coffee, to eat, or to explore. 

I was talking to a New Zealander the other day about renting apartments in Da Nang when a nearby couple from the U.K. overheard and came over to join the conversation. 

They said they had just arrived from Spain the previous night and were now staying in Hoi An for a few days. They asked if staying in Da Nang or Hoi An for a three-month trip would be better.

What followed was an hour-long conversation between the four of us. It dawned on me afterward that this was a question I’ve answered for friends and other travelers many times over the years, so I thought it would make a helpful article.

The two cities are close enough that you can stay in one and easily visit the other. Read about getting from Da Nang to Hoi An and how to get around Da Nang or Hoi An.

You’ll want to check the best time to visit Da Nang or Hoi An, learn how to get your SIM card, and which apps to use for traveling in Vietnam. Here’s my VND money guide, which details using ATMs and exchanging currency. Join my free Da Nang, Hoi An & Hue travel planning group, where I will personally answer any questions you have on either city.

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Da Nang vs. Hoi An: Quick Takeaways

✈️ Airport: Da Nang has a very convenient international airport, Da Nang International Airport (DAD). The airport is in Hai Chau, about 10 to 15 minutes from the beach. Hoi An does not have an airport. It’s about 50 minutes from Da Nang’s airport to Hoi An. Use the Grab app for the trip or book an airport transfer on Klook.

🏞️ Activities: There are generally more things to do in Da Nang than in Hoi An. Da Nang also has all the big-city conveniences, while Hoi An is more of a spread-out (but very active) village. The Ba Na Hills are equally accessible from both cities, though a bit longer of a drive from Hoi An.

🏝️ Beaches: For a beach vacation, both Da Nang and Hoi An offer positives. The My Khe Beach area of Da Nang is far more built up and convenient. The An Bang Beach area of Hoi An is more laid back. There is a greater selection of hotels near or on the beach in Da Nang. Most of the hotels around An Bang Beach and Cua Dai Beach in Hoi An are boutique or homestays.

👶🏻 Families: Because of the conveniences, Da Nang is probably a better place to stay with kids (depending on their age). You’ll have access to more ways to keep them entertained. There is a lot more convenience in and around the beach areas of Da Nang, plus access to the city. Plenty of expat families live in Hoi An, though (it is very livable). But they’ve become accustomed to riding scooters around and navigating the area with their kids.

🏨 Hotels: Hoi An has a much better boutique hotel scene. Hoi An has more boutique villas, resorts, and homestays. Da Nang has boutique hotels, too, but the overall experience is more intimate in Hoi An. For high-rise hotels and hotels with river views, mountain views, or ocean views, Da Nang is the clear choice.

❌ Not interested in the beach? If you aren’t interested in a beach vacation, stay in or around Hoi An’s Old Town. Alternatively, stay in Hai Chau in Da Nang.

📅 Itinerary: It’s important to note that a trip between Da Nang and Hoi An is only about 40 minutes. You can base yourself in one and visit the other. My personal opinion would be to split time staying in both cities if you have at least 7 to 10 days in the area. This way, you can get a few full days in each. If you’re only in the area for 3 days, trying to stay in both would be a lot of shuffling. If you plan on visiting Hue, Da Nang is closer. The train station in Da Nang goes directly to Hue.

Da Nang vs. Hoi An: My First-Hand Comparison

Which is better depends on your travel interests and the length of your trip. Da Nang is much bigger and has far more going on overall. It is comparable to a modern city, with its international airport and daily conveniences. Da Nang was a city before it gained the attention of travelers, whereas parts of Hoi An feel primarily built around tourism.

Hoi An Ancient Town is one of eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Vietnam. Like most World Heritage Sites, the Ancient Town/Old Town area is very touristy. But there’s more to Hoi An than just this area.

The beaches in Da Nang are far more convenient and accessible than in Hoi An. The My An area and My Khe Beach are attached to the city, so balancing a beach day with other travel interests and activities is very easy.

Here’s a video I filmed on My Khe Beach in Da Nang.

The beaches in Hoi An, like An Bang Beach, are separate from the Ancient Town (Old Town). They are not within walking distance of each other—it would take about an hour. Many visitors rent bicycles to ride to/from the beach and Hoi An Old Town.

Hoi An has a charming village vibe with picturesque architecture and scenery. Visually, it is beautiful. This is a fact. The Old Town area is very pedestrian-friendly, and bicycle riding is popular. At 3 PM, the city closes down the Old Town area to foot traffic only. It then gets very busy into the night.

I personally love Hoi An, but the complaint I hear from those who don’t is that it’s too touristy. After asking some follow-up questions, this usually comes from those who stayed in Old Town briefly and didn’t explore anywhere else in Hoi An. Spend some time outside the Old Town!

Da Nang is also very touristy, but only in certain pockets, like the My An area here. Outside this area, it quickly becomes very local.

If you enjoy wandering, exploring, and seeing attractions, you can see the best Hoi An offers in two full days—three at the most. Here’s my sample three-day Hoi An itinerary. You could do Da Nang in a few days, too. But for an extended trip, Da Nang will keep you more occupied. Also, because it’s closer to Hue (see the Imperial City), it makes for a better city to base yourself.

The Son Tra Peninsula (and its resident monkeys) and the Hai Van Pass are awesome to explore. The Marble Mountains are about 10 minutes south. The Da Nang food scene is far more extensive, with many international, seafood, and local options. And, in my opinion, it has better beaches. They are just far more convenient. Plus, you can still make day trips to Hoi An (or stay there for a few nights).

A GrabCar (taxi) ride to Hoi An from Da Nang costs around $12 to $17 USD. The trip is 25 km or about 30 to 40 minutes. Alternatively, renting and riding a scooter down to Hoi An is very easy. Here’s my guide to renting and riding scooters in Vietnam.

The My Son Sanctuary is slightly closer to Hoi An than Da Nang. It’s about an hour’s ride. The sanctuary is another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For a short vacation, and if you don’t want to change hotels, Hoi An or Da Nang would be equally great—but different. Think “city and beach” vs. “charming village and beach.”

If you’re someone who doesn’t like changing hotels, Da Nang would be better as a home base for a longer trip. If you plan to stay in Hoi An for a month or longer, you risk getting bored or burned out. You’d probably find yourself wanting to explore Da Nang more.

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If you’re someone who isn’t bothered by touristy vibes, you might like staying in Hoi An. I just know from speaking to travelers that some of them were turned off by it. Personally, I have no difficulty in seeing past the tourism and hanging out in other areas of Hoi An.

I like the history of Hoi An, as an ancient trading port for hundreds of years.

The hotel selection in Da Nang is also far more extensive and varied than in Hoi An. Da Nang offers every type of accommodation, while Hoi An mainly offers boutique villas, resorts, and homestays. However, Hoi An offers a boutique hotel experience that is far better than anything in Da Nang. The experience of Hoi An’s boutique hotels feels much more intimate.

Da Nang

My Favorite Hotels in Da Nang

• Beachfront: TMS Hotel
• My An: Golden Lotus Grand
• Beach Resort: Pullman Danang
• Great Value: Fivitel Da Nang
• For Families: Sala Danang
• For Couples: Monarque Hotel

Da Nang is the biggest city in central Vietnam and the fifth largest by population in the country. It has nearly all the conveniences of city life you could want or need on your trip. There are several big supermarkets, malls, electronic stores, multiple hospitals, and a wide selection of gyms, most with day passes—perfect for travelers.

It also has a very convenient airport, Da Nang International Airport (DAD), which is directly in the city. Getting from the airport to a hotel near the beach takes 15 minutes. This alone makes Da Nang very convenient for exploring elsewhere in Vietnam.

Da Nang has two sides: the city and the beach, separated by the Han River. Both sides have walking paths and promenades, which are popular for exercising and have great views.

There are five main bridges crossing over the Han River. They all have elevated sidewalks, so you can easily cross over and admire the river views. The views are outstanding, especially from the central bridges like the Dragon Bridge and the Han River Bridge to its north. You can see up and down the Han River and the Son Tra Mountain.

I personally like the beaches in Da Nang better than Hoi An. My Khe Beach is one of the best beaches in Vietnam. It has numerous swimming areas and is right across the street from many hotel options, like the TMS Hotel Da Nang Beach (Agoda / Booking), restaurants, convenience stores, bars, and coffee shops. The Vietnamese swim in the evenings, so during the day, most beaches are relatively quiet.

My Khe Beach and the other beach areas of Da Nang are far more convenient than Hoi An’s beach areas. The two cities aren’t really comparable in this regard. But Hoi An’s An Bang Beach and Cua Dai Beach are far more chill and laidback.

The My An area near My Khe Beach is a great place to stay. I first stayed here when I moved to Da Nang in 2018. I stayed at the Starlet Hotel, which has since been changed to Angel Hotels Beach Da Nang (Agoda / Booking). This is a great location near the beach.

Alternatively, you can head slightly north along the coastline into Son Tra, which is quieter and less touristy but has numerous beachside accommodations. At the time of writing this article, I live in Son Tra.

The Sala Danang Beach (Agoda / Booking) is an excellent hotel near the beach in Son Tra. I stayed here for about a week. It’s a great location and has an excellent breakfast buffet. Here’s my Sala Danang review article.

Another great area to stay in Da Nang is Hai Chau, which is across the Han River in the city. If you stay in Hai Chau, you’ll want to be on or near Bach Dang Street or Tran Phu Street.

Bach Dang Street is across from the promenade along the Han River. It’s an excellent area with tons of food and drink options.

I recommend the HAIAN Riverfront Hotel (Agoda / Booking), which is on Bach Dang Street, right across from the river and walking promenade. It’s a great location in the city.

For any long-term trip, Da Nang is a far more convenient city to live in or stay in than Hoi An. Here’s my guide to living in Da Nang.

Hoi An

My Favorite Boutique Hotels & Resorts in Hoi An

• Old Town: Little Riverside
• Old Town: RiverTown Hoi An
• Old Town: Allegro Hoi An
• Old Town: La Siesta Hoi An
• Cheap: Hoian Central Hotel
• An Bang Beach: AIRA Boutique

Hoi An’s Old Town, or Ancient Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is by far Hoi An’s most popular and touristy area, but its charm as an ancient port city is still tangible. You will not see many buildings taller than two or three stories. They exist but are rare.

As you branch out from this area, it becomes less touristy. But, overall, Hoi An itself has become a major tourist attraction. I like visiting and looking past the touristy vibes, but authentic experiences are harder to find. You’ll need to wander outside the Old Town area. I’ll explain some of the areas below.

The buildings, the architecture, the scenery, the lanterns, the walking bridges, and the Thu Bon River are all really beautiful, though. And the entire Ancient Town is very walkable.

I filmed this video along the river in Hoi An.

The rice fields surrounding Hoi An are some of my favorite things about the area. I would make a trip down from Da Nang to see them. The views at sunset are great. Sometimes I’ll spend an hour or so just riding my scooter through the different rice fields. There are smaller roads that cut through them in various areas of Hoi An.

Here’s a video I filmed, watching people go by in the middle of some of Hoi An’s rice fields.

The individual areas of Hoi An are not as clearly defined as, say, the different districts in Ho Chi Minh City.

I’ll keep the areas simple for a first-time visitor. There is the Old Town area, Cam Pho, and Tan An. Then the areas east of Old Town: Cam Chau and Cam Thanh, and the beach areas of An Bang Beach and Cua Dai Beach.

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Some little islands are connected by walking bridges just south of Ancient Town. One of them is An Hoi Island, and the other is Cam Nam. These are pretty cool, with some lovely villas and resorts. They are fun to wander on foot, by bike, or by scooter. There are a lot of great boutique hotels and resorts in the immediate area.

The Little Riverside Hoi An (Agoda / Booking) is a five-star resort on the Thu Bon River in Old Town. The immediate vicinity of the hotel is entirely walkable. The La Siesta Hoi An (Agoda / Booking) is a great boutique hotel west of Old Town. The Hoian Central Hotel (Agoda / Booking) is a budget hotel that’s directly inside Old Town.

Most of Old Town and its surrounding areas are very walkable. This is a definite plus for Hoi An.

In general, there are fewer things to do in Hoi An than in Da Nang. Walking and exploring the Old Town is definitely great, but this can be done in two or three days, tops. Hoi An does have some great shows, though. In the article above, I detailed my two visits to the Hoi An Memories Show, which is pretty cool. Here’s the official website.

You can also rent a bicycle, ride to the beach, and see rice fields one day. My three-day Hoi An itinerary is a good starting point. Compared to Da Nang, Hoi An has a far better and more popular workshop/class scene. There are tons of cooking classes in Hoi An.

The beaches in Hoi An are not exactly close to the Old Town area, though. As I said in my comparison, walking there would probably take about an hour. For example, here are the directions from Old Town to An Bang Beach.

If you want to stay near An Bang Beach in Hoi An, look at the AIRA Boutique (Agoda / Booking) or the Linh Seaside Villa (Agoda / Booking). For Cua Dai Beach, look at the Palm Garden Beach Resort (Agoda / Booking) or the Hoi An Beach Resort (Agoda / Booking).

Renting bicycles in Hoi An is very popular. Many hotels have them for guests, and many nearby shops rent them. Alternatively, go on a bicycle tour of the rice fields and elsewhere in Hoi An. I recommend Heaven and Earth Bicycle Tours. Here is their website. And this is their location.

Riding a bike from the Old Town to the beach is very scenic, and you’ll get to pass by rice fields on the way. Depending on where you’re staying in Hoi An, this is about a 10-20 minute ride.

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