About 92 km separated from each other, Danang and Hue are two pearls of central Vietnam. Danang is praised worldwide for its unspoilt beaches situated between magnificent mountain ranges of Ngu Hanh Son and Son Tra peninsula. Hue, on the other hand, held the status as the capital of Nguyen dynasty – The last imperial entity of Vietnam until 1945, thus well-known for its beautiful royal architectures including Hue citadel- One of the world heritage sites in Vietnam.
Tourists travelling to Central Vietnam often want to combine both in the travel itinerary to enjoy the both the wild and natural beauty of Danang and the antiquity of Hue. But how to get from Danang to Hue? What are the most comfortable and convenient means of transport available?
In this post, we would like to list out out five main recommendations. Hope that this will help you with your trip.
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Danang to Hue by Train
Train is one of the best means of transport that tourists are recommended to take. The reasons include reasonable prices, relatively short journey time and especially stunning landscapes as you pass by. In addition, there is not just one train a day, so you can pick one according to your own schedule, either directly or online. Moreover, unlike other means of transport, onboard services such as toilets, snacks, steward service, air conditioning are available.
Normally, it’ll take for about 3 hours for a train trip from Danang to Hue, which is not too long and tedious at all. Trains in Vietnam can be a little bit crowded or uncomfortable sometimes, especially during holidays. But in generally, it’s not too bad, considering you’ll only stay on board for only 3 hours. Additionally, you are free to choose you seat according to your own preference, meaning that you can increase your comfort if you want. The options include hard seat, soft seat and cabin. Hard seat is the cheapest one but also the least comfortable one. It would be a good choice if you’re on a budget. Soft seat is quite comfortable but a little more expensive. Lastly, a cabin which consists of either 4 soft berths or 6 hard berths is quite costly but perfect for a group, especially when you want to keep privacy.
There are both day trips and night trips. However, day trips are more prefered as the journey time is quite short and you will not want to miss the landscapes of some dreamlike places like Hue.
Danang to Hue by Bus
Apart from train, bus is also not a bad idea. Bus is cheaper (usually 2-3 dollars). It may take up to 3 hours and a half but can vary according to the traffic condition.
With a cheap-priced bus, the experience is not very pleasant as it can be quite crowded with bad smell as it may not be cleaned regularly. The landscape you may pass by is truly stunning, but given the fact that most buses in Vietnam are narrow and has dark window screens, the journey will not as interesting as train.
For more comfortable choices, you may opt for Hoang Long tour company and The SinhTourist. The service is quite good as they both provide VIP buses that have toilets, TVs, stewards, and snacks onboard. In addition, there are sleeper seats available if you agree to pay a little bit more. Therefore, you get more space for your own. Daily buses with different time are also provided so you can adjust to your own schedule.
Danang to Hue by Motorbike
For a more adventurous journey, then take a motorbike and ride. Travelling by a motorbike would be an unforgettable experience for any tourist as you can control the motorbike and get to the place by yourself. You can explore the beauty of Vietnam as you go.
For rental, it’s relatively easy to spot motorbike stores in the city center with English-speaking staff or owners which offer various types of automatic, semi-automatic, manual, and touring bikes with monthly, weekly, and daily rental services.
The price may vary from store to store and depend on the type of motorbike you would like to rent but usually it takes around $5/day (an amount of earnest money is required).
However, riding a motorbike is quite dangerous in Vietnam as the traffic condition is really bad especially during rush hours and road quality is also not very good. In addition, you may get into trouble with the police if you don’t have a licence. Last but not least, it’s important to search for the route you would take in advance if you don’t want to get lost. Finding the right road can be tedious if you’re a foreigner and getting lost can easily happen if you don’t pay close attention to the details on the map. Therefore, be careful!
The travel time may vary according to you own speed but usually, it takes for about 4-5 hours.
Danang to Hue by Taxi
Taxi is perfect for a private and comfortable journey. You can easily catch a taxi at the airport or anywhere in the city center. It usually takes you around 2 hours to get from Danang to Hue and costs somewhere from 40 USD to 60 USD.
Compared to other means of transport, Taxi is probably the most expensive.But here is the thing. Scams are not something uncommon to tourists. Some unlucky travellers were reported to pay 4 times higher than the actual cost. Some drivers will even drive over and over one place to increase the payment. Therefore, it’s best to avoid unknown brands and stick to popular ones such as:
- Mai Linh Taxi: +84 511 352 5252
- Song Han Taxi: +84 511 372 7272
- Tien Sa Da Nang Taxi: +84 511 379 7979
- Vinasun Taxi: +84 511 368 6868
Another thing is the language barrier. Signs or even google translate may work sometimes. But for a more complicated or important conversation, it can be a problem. The consequence may include you being taken to the wrong location. Not a pleasant experience for sure.
Danang to Hue by Private car
Opting for a private car would also be perfect especially if you want a private and cozy trip and don’t mind the price at all. There are many different travel agents providing this kind of service but we proudly present you our private car tour which offers you the best quality at the most reasonable price.
Using a private car would be very helpful for travellers who would like to receive pick-up service from hotel or want to visit famous locations during the trip. Private car is also ideal for people who value private space as you don’t need to share with anyone. Another advantage of private car over other options is that you have the flexibility to travel as you’re under no fixed schedule and have the privilege to choose whenever to go .
There are 3 types of cars that you can choose according to your needs including a 4-seater, a 7-seater and a Limousine D-car with 16 seats.
A 4-seater would be suitable for 2 passengers as a seat would be spared for the luggage and another for the driver. The price is $55 for a One-way and $85 for a Round-trip .
Minus one seat for the luggage and another for the driver, a 7-seater would be perfect for 5 passengers and the price is $65 for a One-way and $95 for a Round-trip.
For bigger groups, choosing a Limousine D-car would be ideal as it can deliver up to 12 passengers excluding several for the luggage and another for the drivers. The price is $79 for a One-way and $109 for a Round-trip.
One the way, you can ask the driver to stop at famous locations for sightseeing and getting to know more about the locals’ life. For Lap An Lagoon, Lang Co Beach and Hai Van Pass, no extra fee is required but for others like Elephant Springs (upon request +10 USD), Linh Ung Pagoda (upon request +12USD), The Marble Mountains (upon request +10 USD) and Ba Na Hills Da Nang (upon request +26 USD), you will need to pay more.
It take 40 minutes to get from Danang to Hue using private car but may vary if you stop in mentioned locations.
Danang to Hue by Limousine Bus
Apart from the aforementioned private car options, we also provide our Limousine Bus transfer service.
The bus is comfortable with soft berth seats. Other highlights include free wifi and friendly, professional driver.
The main difference between private car and Limousine Bus is the price. Limousine Bus is much less expensive but a little bit less comfortable. It, therefore, is more suitable for big groups of people who want to save money for their trip.
There are two types of seat: Normal seats ($12) and VIP seats ($14). A typical limousine car would contain 9 seats, 2 at the front, 4 in the middle and 3 at the back. VIP seats are much softer, hence more comfortable. They also have better view so that you can enjoy your journey as much as possible.
The journey time may vary but it usually takes for about 1-2 hours.
However, a layback of Limousine Bus is that you must wait for the bus at a fixed location and time.
For pick-up and drop-off locations:
- Hue to Da Nang route:
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- Pick-up: 26 Ha Huy Giap Street, Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province
- Drop-off: 445 Hai Phong Street, Chinh Gian, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang
- Da Nang to Hue route
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- Pick-up: 445 Hai Phong Street, Chinh Gian, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang
- Drop-off: Any location within Hue city center
For the fixed time schedule, you can look at the table below :
| Route | Departure Time | Arrival Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hue to Da Nang |
07:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 12:00 PM 14:00 PM | 16:00 PM | 18:00 PM |
09:30 AM | 12:30 PM | 14:30 PM 16:30 PM | 18:30 PM | 20:30 PM |
| Da Nang to Hue |
07:00 AM | 08:30 AM | 11:30 AM 13:30 PM | 15:30 PM | 18:00 PM |
09:30 AM | 11:00 AM | 14:00 PM 16:00 PM | 18:00 PM | 20:30 PM |
