How do you get from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang?

Da Nang from Hanoi and Saigon at a glance

Train times are from a timetable checked in October 2026 and fares from Vietnam Railways' own site; both shift with each new timetable, so treat them as indicative.

Flying into Da Nang

From Hanoi: Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Vietravel Airlines and Bamboo Airways list the route, with flight times of about 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 25 minutes. Noi Bai is 45 minutes to an hour from Hanoi's Old Quarter.

From Ho Chi Minh City: flights from Tan Son Nhat take about an hour and a half and run through the day. Vietnam's new Long Thanh airport is set to open for commercial flights on 24 December 2026; it is mainly for international routes, but check which airport any Saigon ticket names.

Da Nang Airport is close to the centre, a short Grab or taxi ride to the riverfront and My Khe beach. Hoi An is about 45 minutes to an hour south by car, so many visitors fly into Da Nang and go straight on. Our where to stay in Hoi An guide covers that end.

Hanoi to Da Nang by train (about 15 to 18 hours)

Every Reunification Express train from Hanoi Station stops at Da Nang Station, in the city a short ride from the river. The two evening sleepers are the most useful: you board after dinner, sleep through the north, pass Hue in the morning and run along the Hai Van Pass coast before arriving in late morning or early afternoon. Sit on the left side going south for the sea views.

Fares Hanoi to Da Nang at Vietnam Railways' prices: soft seat about ₫650,000 (≈ $25), 6-berth sleeper about ₫880,000 to 1,140,000 (≈ $34–44), 4-berth soft sleeper about ₫1,210,000 to 1,290,000 (≈ $47–50). Agents such as 12Go charge more but take foreign cards. Book on dsvn.vn or through an agent, and book early for lower berths around weekends and Tet.

Saigon to Da Nang by train (about 17 to 20 hours)

Northbound trains leave Saigon Station and reach Da Nang the next day. Departure times below are Vietnam Railways' 2026 schedule; arrival times are from the October 2026 timetable, so durations are rounded.

The evening SE2 and SE4 are the practical choices: a night in a sleeper and arrival around lunchtime. The daytime trains arrive in the middle of the night or the next morning after a long day in a seat or berth. For most people the flight is the better use of a day; the train makes sense if you want to stop at Nha Trang on the way, which every train serves.

Buses

From Hanoi, sleeper and cabin ('limousine' or VIP) buses take about 12 to 16 hours, many overnight with Old Quarter pickups, from roughly ₫590,000 (≈ $23) on the day checked. They are cheaper than a train berth but less comfortable: berths are short for tall travellers and arrival is often very early in the morning. Our Hanoi to Hue guide covers what the sleeper buses are like.

From Saigon the road trip takes most of a day and a night. Unless you are stopping along the coast at Nha Trang or Quy Nhon, fly.

Stop in Hue on the way from Hanoi

Hue is about 2.5 hours before Da Nang on the same line, so the trip splits naturally: the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue, a day or two for the Imperial City, then the Hai Van Pass by train, car or motorbike to Da Nang or Hoi An. See Hanoi to Hue and Hue to Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass. Once in Da Nang, the main day out is the Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge.

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