Within 10km of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are numerous natural sites to see, including pristine beaches, local communities, and beautiful mountains, many of which require the use of a vehicle. We've put together a handy guide to Hoi An transit for a stress-free vacation.
Getting around Hoi An
Due to its compact size, abundant pedestrian lanes, and affordable public transit, getting around Hoi An is quite convenient compared to other cities in Vietnam. Hoi An Ancient Town's major sights, restaurants, pubs, and shops are all conveniently accessible by foot, cyclo, or bicycle, and more.
Taxis
Taxis in Hoi An are fairly inexpensive and credible, not to mention, the drivers are fairly genuine. Mai Linh Taxi and Faifoo Taxi are the two most reputable companies which you can call their number, respectively +84 (0) 235 3914 914 and +84 (0) 235 3919 191. Or you can easily find the taxi widely available outside of Hoi An ancient town, particularly at the corner of Tran Hung Dao and Le Loi street.
Xich-lo or Xe Om (Cyclo or Motorbike Taxi)
There is nothing better than exploring the old town of Hoi An by taking a cyclo. The cyclo is a three-wheel bicycle taxi that appeared in Vietnam during the French colonial period after a failed attempt to introduce rickshaws. The greatest time to visit is early evening when the sun sets and the town changes into a wonderland of vividly coloured lanterns.
You should ask the price in advance and negotiate a lower price. Depending on your negotiating skills, a 15 to 20 minutes tour of the Old Town costs around 150,000 VND ($6.5) - 200,000 VND ($8.7). In order to be sure about the price and to avoid any scams that might happen, negotiate until you reach an agreement on a price, note it down, and confirm again!
Scooters or motorbike taxis are perfect to explore the regional area and vast shoreline. Similar to taking a cyclo, remember to ask and haggling to get a better price before getting on. For a short trip around the town, you shouldn’t need to pay more than 30,000 VND ($1.3). For trips from Hoi An centre to An Bang or Cua Dai beaches the cost is around 40,000 VND ($1.7).
Bicycle
Hoi An is flat and tiny so it’s simple to get from place to place on a bike. In addition, Hoi An ancient town is a bicycle-friendly city and the Old town is closed off to cars, taxis, and motorbikes making it even easier to go into the centre. Besides, A bicycle will provide you with easy access to the seasides as well as the opportunity to explore the picturesque countryside.
Many hotels, hostels, and homestays provide guests with complimentary bicycles. Some of them do offer bicycle rentals at slightly the same price as other stores. The rental fee is around 25,000VND ($1.09) to 30,000 VND ($1.3) per day. There are also electric bikes available to rent, suitable for people who don’t want to move a muscle or those who are not sure about their motorbike ability. The price of electric bike rental for a day is about 60,000VND ($2.6) to 70,000 VND ($3.04). When renting bicycles, don’t forget to check them before going, especially tires and brakes. Don’t worry about pointing out the issues as they will be happy to fix them.
Popular routes to Hoi An
Coming from the frenzied city of Hanoi to the more laid-back town of Hoi An, you'll be in for a delight – and the journey itself, regardless of the mode of transportation, is breathtakingly gorgeous! The bus and motorbike will take you straight to Hoi An, while the train and aeroplane will take you to Da Nang.
As Hoi An does not have a train station nor its own airport so the closest ones are in Da Nang. The quickest way to travel with a duration of only 1 hour and 20 minutes. Flights from Hanoi to Da Nang are available many times a day from Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Jetstar, and can cost as little as $35 USD per person if booked in advance.
The train will take longer than 15 to 16 hours and the price can be varied from 396,000 VND ($18) to 2,005,000VND ($87), depending on the seat type you choose and the train, which goes faster will be pricier. The seat types include a hard seat (wooden seat), soft seat (aeroplane seat), hard sleeper (6 berths, 3 tiers in a cabin), and soft sleeper (4 berths, 2 tiers in a cabin). The bus takes the longest time to get to Hoi An from Hanoi, about 18 hours for the fare of 320,000 VND ($14) - 740,000 VND ($32). Most of them have inclined seats that allow you to adjust to becoming more comfortable.
Hue to Hoi An
The distance from Hue to Hoi An is more than 200km away and there are many options for you to choose from, according to your time and budget. Except for the train that will stop in Da Nang, you can travel to Hoi An by tourist bus, shuttle bus, or private car for about 3 hours driving.
Besides those common modes of transportation, travelling from Hue to Hoi An by motorbike is also very popular among locals and travellers. The route taken by the motorbike offers you spectacular views of Hai Van Pass as well as Lang Co Bay along the coastline. There are many companies that offer one-way rentals and transfer your luggage to your accommodation to Hoi An making it convenient to travel. It could take the whole day, based on your break time and stops, yet it is absolutely worth a try. Check out our complete guide for all transportation choices to travel between these cities.
Da Nang is the gateway to Hoi An so wherever you arrive to or depart from, the ways to get there are very simple, easy, and quick. You can either take a local bus which is the cheapest option ($0.9) or a shuttle bus that takes you to the front door of your hotel. There are many taxis hanging out outside of Da Nang airport and railway station so you can also easily catch one. Another option is renting a bike and drive to Hoi An yourself. Besides the local public bus, this is a budget-friendly opinion to travel back and forth as it gives you the opportunity to get around Hoi An as well.
Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An
From the cosmopolitan city of Sai Gon (aka Ho Chi Minh City) to the ancient town of Hoi An is comparable to the Hanoi-Hoi An route. There are three common ways which are by plane, by train, and by bus.
Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An is around 930 kilometres away via land (by the coast road). Taking a direct flight to Da Nang airport is the best and quickest method to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An. It will take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. Each person's flight ranged from $50 and $120. Travelling by train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An is another inexpensive option and takes between 16 to 19 hours.
You can also travel by sleeper bus which takes about 21-23 hours. Along this long journey, you can visit other beautiful coastal cities of Vietnam such as Nha Trang or Quy Nhon.
