Colourful lanterns hanging in Hoi An ancient town

Vietnam · Itinerary

Da Nang + Hoi An 5-Day Itinerary

Beaches, the Golden Bridge, the Hai Van Pass, lantern nights and Cham ruins — central Vietnam in five days.

5 days
Mid-range
Couple · Family · Photography

Itinerary in progress — routes and timings are structurally complete; costs and hotel picks will be added from real trips.

Central Vietnam is the easiest region in the country for a short trip: one airport, two very different towns forty minutes apart, and mountains, ruins and beaches in between. This plan uses Da Nang as the base for the first half — which puts the Hai Van Pass, north of the city, within easy reach before you move south — then settles into Hoi An for the ancient town, the countryside and the beach. Fly in and out of Da Nang, and you never backtrack once.

Day 1

Day 1

Arrive in Da Nang

Land, get to the beach and do very little. Da Nang is a proper city with a long stretch of sand attached, and the first evening is best spent on it.
Morning Da Nang International Airport

Arrival at Da Nang
- Clear immigration with your e-visa approval saved or printed
- Activate an eSIM or buy a local SIM
- Grab to the beach strip
Transport:
Da Nang airport sits inside the city — it is about 15 minutes by Grab to the My Khe beach hotels, and roughly 40 minutes to Hoi An if you would rather go straight there.

Google Maps
Afternoon My Khe

My Khe beach
- Swim or simply sleep off the flight
- Walk the promenade along Vo Nguyen Giap
The sea here is rough from roughly October to December and swimming is sometimes closed. Follow the flags rather than the other tourists.
Google Maps
Evening Da Nang

Seafood on the sand
- Sunset on the beach
- Seafood dinner
- A first walk along the Han River
Food:
Da Nang sells seafood by weight — pick from the tanks and agree the price per kilo before anything is cooked.
Stay:
Two nights in Da Nang, near My Khe for the beach or by the Han River for the restaurants.
Day 2

Day 2

The Golden Bridge, marble caves and the Dragon Bridge

Da Nang's set-piece day: up the mountain first thing, into the cave temples after lunch, and back to the river for the fire show.
Morning Ba Na Hills

Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge
- Cable car up to Ba Na Hills
- The Golden Bridge held by two stone hands
- French Village and the gardens
Transport:
About 45 minutes each way by Grab or a booked car.

Take the first cable car on a weekday. By 10:00 the bridge is shoulder to shoulder and the photograph everyone wants is impossible. Ba Na Hills is a full theme park, so treat it as a half-day out rather than a viewpoint.
Google Maps
Afternoon Ngu Hanh Son

Marble Mountains
- Climb Thuy Son
- Huyen Khong cave and its shafts of light
- Views back along the coast to Hoi An
There is a lift for the first ascent, but you still climb steps inside. Bring water — the caves are humid — and go late afternoon when the light through the cave roof is at its best.
Google Maps
Evening Han River

Dragon Bridge fire and water show
- Riverside walk along the Han
- The dragon breathes fire and water
- Late dinner in the city
The show runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 21:00 and lasts about half an hour. It is free — arrive by 20:30 for a spot near the dragon's head. On other nights, the bridge is still lit but does not perform.
Google Maps
Day 3

Day 3

Hai Van Pass, then south to Hoi An

North in the morning for the coast road, south in the afternoon for the lanterns. Doing the pass while still based in Da Nang is what keeps this trip from doubling back on itself.
Morning Hai Van Pass

The Hai Van Pass
- Climb the pass by car or with an easy-rider
- Stop at the summit viewpoints and the old French and American bunkers
- Look back over Da Nang Bay
Transport:
The pass begins about 30 minutes north of Da Nang. Allow half a day for the round trip by car, longer if you carry on to Lang Co.

Hire a car and driver, or ride pillion with an easy-rider. Riding yourself legally needs a licence covering motorcycles plus a 1968-convention International Driving Permit — without both, your travel insurance will not cover a crash. Note that most traffic now uses the tunnel, which is exactly why the old road is worth taking.
Google Maps
Afternoon Lang Co and Hoi An

Lang Co lagoon, then transfer to Hoi An
- Lunch by the Lap An lagoon
- Drive back through Da Nang and on to Hoi An
- Check in and pick up a bicycle
Transport:
Lang Co back to Hoi An is roughly 1h30 by road, straight through Da Nang.
Food:
The lagoon at Lang Co is oyster country — the roadside places serve them grilled with spring onion and peanuts.

Google Maps
Evening Hoi An Old Town

First lanterns on the Thu Bon
- Walk the lantern-lit lanes
- Lantern boats on the river
- Cao lau for dinner
Food:
Cao lau — thick noodles, pork and greens — genuinely only exists in Hoi An. White rose dumplings are the other local plate.
Stay:
Three nights in Hoi An: riverside for the old town, An Bang if you would rather wake up at the beach.

Order any tailoring tonight. You will need two fittings and 24 to 48 hours before you fly.
Day 4

Day 4

Hoi An ancient town and An Bang beach

The heritage houses in the morning while it is cool, the beach through the hot part of the day, and a cooking class to finish.
Morning Old Town

The Ancient Town
- Japanese Covered Bridge
- One or two old merchant houses
- A Chinese assembly hall
- Tailor fitting
The 120,000 VND ticket for international visitors is a booklet of five tear-off coupons, each admitting you to one of roughly 22 heritage buildings. Walking the streets, eating and shopping needs no ticket — it is only checked at the door of each heritage site, so buy it only if you actually want to go inside.
Google Maps
Afternoon An Bang

An Bang beach
- Cycle out to the coast, about 20 minutes
- Swim
- A lounger and a very slow lunch
Cycling is genuinely the best way to move around Hoi An — flat, short distances, and most hotels lend bicycles free.
Google Maps
Evening Hoi An

Cooking class and the night market
- Market tour
- Cook banh xeo, fresh spring rolls and a curry
- Night market on An Hoi islet afterwards
Food:
Choose a class that starts at the market. Learning to identify the herbs is more useful than the cooking itself.
Day 5

Day 5

My Son at dawn, then fly out

One last early start for the Cham ruins, back for lunch, and on to the airport — or swap it for a slow cycle through the rice paddies if you would rather not set an alarm.
Morning My Son

My Son Sanctuary
- Brick Hindu temples of the Champa kingdom
- The Cham museum and the electric buggy in
- Back to Hoi An for lunch
Transport:
About 45 km from Hoi An, roughly an hour each way by car. The site opens at 06:00.

Go at opening. The coach tours arrive from about 09:00, and the ruins are far better in the early mist before the heat builds. Entry is 150,000 VND, which covers the site, the museum and the buggy ride in.
Google Maps
Afternoon Cam Thanh

Or: the Cam Thanh countryside instead
- Cycle the rice paddies
- Water coconut palms and a basket boat
- Last lunch by the river
If an early start does not appeal, skip My Son and spend the morning cycling Cam Thanh instead. Ask your hotel for a basket boat operator away from the main jetty, where it has become a loud, spinning circus.
Google Maps
Evening Da Nang International Airport

Depart from Da Nang
- Collect your tailoring
- Transfer to the airport
- Fly onward
Transport:
Hoi An to Da Nang airport is about 40 minutes. Leave two and a half hours before a domestic departure and three before an international one.

Tips for this itinerary

Fly in and out of Da Nang. One airport serves both towns and Hoi An has none of its own — it is about 40 minutes away by road.
Split your nights two in Da Nang and three in Hoi An. Doing the Hai Van Pass while still based in Da Nang saves a long backtrack later.
The Hoi An heritage ticket costs 120,000 VND for international visitors and is a booklet of five tear-off coupons, each admitting you to one of roughly 22 heritage buildings. Walking the streets, eating and shopping needs no ticket at all.
The Dragon Bridge breathes fire and water on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 21:00, for about half an hour. It is free — be on the riverside by 20:30.
Ba Na Hills is a full theme park rather than a viewpoint. Take the first cable car on a weekday, or swap it entirely for the Hai Van Pass if queues and crowds are not your thing.
Order any tailoring on your first evening in Hoi An. You need two fittings and 24 to 48 hours to get it right.
Hoi An's ancient town is closed to cars in the evenings, so a bicycle — most hotels lend them free — beats a Grab for getting about.
Avoid mid-September to mid-November if you can. This is peak typhoon season on the central coast and Hoi An floods most years.
Watch the beach flags from roughly October to December, when the sea turns rough and swimming is sometimes closed.
For the Hai Van Pass, hire a car and driver or an easy-rider. Riding yourself legally requires a licence covering motorcycles plus a 1968-convention International Driving Permit, and riding without them voids your travel insurance.