Da Nang to Hue: One of Vietnam’s Better Road Trips

The stretch of coastline between Da Nang and Hue covers about 100 km of Highway 1 over the Hai Van Pass, and it’s one of the more visually rewarding drives in Southeast Asia. The pass reaches 500 metres above sea level, with views south over Da Nang Bay and north into Lang Co lagoon. A French-era fort sits at the summit, used by American forces during the war, now a roadside stop for tourist photos and coffee.

Most people take the train (the Hai Van tunnel bypasses the pass on the main line, so some regional services use the older track over the summit). Renting a motorbike and doing the drive yourself, or hiring a driver, takes 3-4 hours including stops. Worth it over the train if you’re comfortable on two wheels.

Da Nang

Da Nang is increasingly developed. It’s a working city of about 1.3 million people that has built a significant beach resort infrastructure along My Khe and Non Nuoc beaches. The beach is good: 30 km of sand, clean water, regularly graded waves. The rest of the city is more interesting than the resorts would suggest.

Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) are five limestone outcrops about 8 km south of the city centre. Each named after a natural element. Thuy Son (Water Mountain) has the most to see: cave pagodas, Buddhist shrines, and a tunnel that opens out onto a view of the coast from the cliff face. Entry around 40,000 VND; the elevator up the marble steps is 15,000 VND and worth it on a hot day.

Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture near the river houses the world’s largest collection of Cham artefacts, from the Hindu kingdom that ruled central Vietnam before Vietnamese expansion southward. Modest entry fee; about an hour is enough unless you’re deeply interested in the period.

Ba Na Hills is a French hill station turned theme park with the Golden Bridge (the one held up by stone hands that went viral). It’s frankly overrated as a destination: cable car, recreated European village, crowds. Go if you need to see it; skip if you’re short on time.

The Hai Van Pass

Petrol up before you start. The pass road is in decent condition but remote. The summit views genuinely earn the drive. Lang Co beach and lagoon visible from the north side is the better view, particularly in morning light.

Hue

Hue was the imperial capital from 1802 until 1945, when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated to Ho Chi Minh’s government. The Imperial City (Dai Noi) is a 10-km-circumference walled complex modelled loosely on Beijing’s Forbidden City but with significantly more battle damage. The 1968 Tet Offensive was fought largely in and around the citadel for 25 days; many structures that survived earlier wars were destroyed then. What stands now is a combination of original buildings, post-war reconstruction, and ongoing restoration. Entry costs 200,000 VND.

The Royal Tombs outside the city are individual mausoleum complexes built by Nguyen emperors during their own lifetimes. Minh Mang and Tu Duc are the most architecturally ambitious. Hire a xe om (motorbike taxi) or rent your own bike; they’re spread over 10-15 km of the river valley south of Hue, not walkable from the city centre. Budget about 200,000-250,000 VND each to enter the major ones.

Thien Mu Pagoda on the Perfume River west of the city is free and contains the blue Austin car that carried the monk Thich Quang Duc to Saigon, where he self-immolated in 1963 in protest against the Diem government. The pagoda itself is fine. The car has a strange, specific weight to it.

Eating

Hue has its own distinct culinary identity, more complex and chilli-forward than Vietnamese food further north or south. Banh bot loc (clear tapioca dumplings filled with shrimp and pork) and bun bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup) are the two things to eat here. Try bun bo Hue at any market in the morning: around 40,000-50,000 VND. For a full restaurant experience, Tinh Gia Vien in Hue is elegant and reliable for a broader range of Hue royal cuisine.

Where to Stay

La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa occupies the former French Resident-General’s villa on the Perfume River, beautifully restored. From around $120 per night. For something simpler, several mid-range guesthouses in the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area offer rooms from $20-40.