There are a few different ways to get from Da Nang to Hoi An. I actually just rode my motorbike to Hoi An from Da Nang yesterday. The ride is a little over 30 minutes. I’ve done this trip dozens of times.
Below, I explain the easiest and most convenient ways to get from Da Nang to Hoi An, including airport transfers, apps to download, costs, and scooter rentals. Before booking your trip to central Vietnam, check out my travel FAQs guide, learn how to get your SIM card, and read about the best time to visit Da Nang.
Related reads:
• How to Get Around Hoi An for First-Time Visitors
• How to Get Around Da Nang for First-Time Visitors
Book an Airport Transfer
If you’re visiting Da Nang or Hoi An, you’ll likely fly into Da Nang International Airport (DAD). The airport is in a very convenient area of Da Nang’s cityside, about 15 minutes from the beach.
Hoi An, however, is about 45 minutes south. Pre-arranging an airport transfer is the easiest way to get from Da Nang airport to Hoi An. You’ll be able to make the arrangements now and avoid having to deal with random taxi drivers outside the arrival area.
Here are some test bookings I made to the Allegro Hoi An (Agoda / Booking) near Old Town. This is a great hotel and location.
The transfer is through Klook, an all-in-one travel platform that offers airport transfer booking, tours and activities, hotels, and SIM cards, among other services.
At the time of writing, a one-way trip to Hoi An is under $12 USD for a four-seater like a Toyota Altis or Hyundai Genesis (or similar) and under $15 USD for a seven-seater like a Toyota Fortuner or Toyota Innova (or similar). You can also book a van or bus for larger groups.
The price is even cheaper if you book a shared shuttle.
Using the Grab App
The Grab app is probably the most used app for traveling in Vietnam. I live here, and I use it every day. You can download the app here.
The best way to think about the Grab app is that it’s the Uber of Vietnam. You can book moto-taxis (GrabBike), regular taxis (GrabTaxi), private cars (GrabCar), order food delivery, groceries, medicine, and more.
You can use the Grab app to book a GrabTaxi or GrabCar from Da Nang International Airport to Hoi An. Pay entirely by cash or add your credit card to the app.
However, if you stay in Da Nang, you can also use Grab to visit Hoi An. This is where it differs from using Klook. You can use the Grab app for all your taxi-related needs anywhere in Da Nang and Hoi An.
At the time of writing, I’m in Da Nang, and I’m doing a test booking on the Grab app.
A GrabCar ride costs under 300.000 VND from My Khe Beach in Da Nang to Hoi An, and it costs 330.000 VND from the Da Nang International Airport to Hoi An.
However, with Klook, you can book your airport transfer before your trip. With the Grab app, you’ll need to book your taxi on the ground here, which means you’ll need Wi-Fi or a SIM card.
You can use Klook to order your physical SIM card before you arrive. Note your airport of arrival.
If your phone is eSIM compatible (check here or here) and carrier-unlocked (check here), I highly recommend Airalo. I’ve used the app and their service before. I thought it was very smooth and easy. The app walks you through the entire setup process.
Airalo also offers regional eSIMs and global eSIMs.
Renting and Riding a Scooter
Daily scooter and motorbike rentals cost between 100.000 VND to 300.000 VND per day, depending on the bike. Sport bikes are more expensive. There are a lot of engine sizes and brands to choose from — automatic, semi, and manual.
The Honda Air Blade is a great, reliable automatic bike. For larger folks, you want something like a Honda PCX (automatic). In my photo, that’s a Yamaha NVX 155. This is also a nice automatic bike.
I rented from Quang Nga Motorbike Rental in My An for almost a year. View their bikes and rental prices here. Here is their Facebook page.
Klook also has some options for renting a scooter ahead of time.
Technically, you need a license to drive any motorbike over 50cc in Vietnam. This is usually an A1 or A2 license.
However, motorbike rental companies rarely enforce this on travelers. But the police can stop you. This is usually done through random checkpoints. They will walk into the road and point you to pull over. Sometimes, a bigger checkpoint will be set up with cones that you can’t avoid.
If you get stopped by the police and don’t have a valid license, you’ll need to pay a cash fine. They can impound the motorbike otherwise. The usual fee is anywhere from 500.000 to 1.000.000 VND.
Worse, driving without a valid license will likely void your health or travel insurance if you get in an accident. Furthermore, you could find yourself in trouble if you get into a serious accident with a local and you’re driving without a license.
Having said all of that, riding scooters without licenses is commonplace for tourists and travelers in Vietnam. But do so at your own risk.
The good news is that the motorbike trip from Da Nang to Hoi An is easy, and there’s hardly ever traffic. It’s a straight shot of 30 to 40 minutes, using one of two routes. A road south along the beach will take you all the way there, and another road more inland will, too. I have done both dozens of times.
View the directions from Da Nang to Hoi An here.
If you take the road along the beach, you can cut through the rice fields south into Hoi An. It’s beautiful, and I would advise you to take this route.
This beachside road starts as Vo Nguyen Giap in Da Nang, then changes to Truong Sa, and finally to Lac Long Quan, closer to Hoi An. Take this, then cut through the rice fields at Hai Ba Trung across from An Bang Beach in Hoi An.
