A Longer Loop Beyond Da Nang
Da Nang sits close enough to Hoi An, My Son and Hue that a week here rarely means a week in one city; it means a base with three short trips radiating out from it, plus the city itself.
Route one: the heritage triangle, 5 days
Spend day one on Ba Na Hills rather than saving it for later. It is about 45 minutes west of the city and eats a full day on its own, the cable car network, the Golden Bridge, the French Village replica and the indoor Fantasy Park, on the all-inclusive adult ticket of 1,000,000 VND. Sun World’s site has current ticket tiers . Use day two for the city itself: the Marble Mountains (40,000 VND general admission, 15,000 VND for the elevator) in the morning, the Museum of Cham Sculpture (60,000 VND) in the afternoon, and if it lands on a weekend, the Dragon Bridge’s free fire and water show at 21:00 to close the day. Give Hoi An the whole of day three rather than splitting it with a second stop; a Grab car down costs 300,000 to 400,000 VND one way, and the Ancient Town heritage ticket (120,000 VND, five sites) rewards slow wandering more than a rushed morning does. On day four, go to My Son Sanctuary first thing, a further 1.5 to 2 hours from Hoi An, 150,000 VND including an electric shuttle and a Cham dance performance, then loop back through Hoi An for an evening lantern boat before returning to Da Nang. My Son’s official site has current shuttle times . Close with day five in Hue, about 2.5 hours north over Hai Van Pass or on the Reunification Express train, taking in the Imperial Citadel, the Forbidden Purple City, and at least one of the Nguyen Dynasty tombs (Tu Duc and Khai Dinh are the best-preserved).
Route two: add the islands, 6 days
If six days are on the table, fold in Cu Lao Cham, the Cham Islands biosphere reserve reached by speedboat from the Cua Dai pier near Hoi An. A day snorkel tour with lunch runs 450,000 to 950,000 VND depending on operator and boat type, and pairs naturally onto the Hoi An day rather than needing its own separate trip from Da Nang. Cham Islands day tours can be searched on GetYourGuide , which is a faster way to compare operators than working the Hoi An waterfront in person.
Getting the logistics right
Book accommodation in Hoi An or Hue for the nights those legs fall on rather than commuting back to Da Nang each evening; the round trips add up over five or six days in a way a single one-way transfer does not. Hotels along this route can be searched on Booking.com , useful for both the Hoi An and Hue legs in one search habit. A private car with an English-speaking driver for the Hue leg runs 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 VND, while an open-top jeep over Hai Van Pass itself runs 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 VND per rider, cheaper but weather-dependent.
Season matters more than route
September through December is typhoon season in central Vietnam: expect the odd washed-out day, cable car pauses at Ba Na Hills, and landslide risk that can close Hai Van Pass for hours. March through August is calmer, hotter, and the more forgiving window for a route built around several long transfers.
Vietnamese dong is the currency throughout; 1 USD runs roughly 25,000 to 25,500 VND, so it is worth changing enough cash before leaving Da Nang since rates in smaller towns along the route are less favorable.
Read more: the day trips guide breaks these same destinations into single-day versions, and the 7-day Da Nang itinerary lays out a full week hour by hour.