There is no better alternative than a bike trip to explore the hidden natural beauty of Vietnam. If you are in Central Vietnam, then pick a bike and drive from Da Nang to Hue via splendid Hai Van Pass, considered to be one of the best bike routes in Vietnam.
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As you drive up the Hai Van Pass from Da Nang, you are greeted with scenic beach views on your right side and green mountains on your left. Weather changes dramatically with rain getting heavier and fog clouding your vision, so go prepared. Finally, as you drive down from Hai Van Pass towards Hue, you have option either to take an Expressway or an alternate beach road passing through the paddy fields and rural Vietnam.
Da Nang to Hue Route – Hai Van Pass
Da Nang to Hue route is primarily divided into three parts – i) Ascend from Da Nang to Hai Van Pass ii) Drive on Hai Van Pass iii) Hai Van Pass to Hue. In below Hai Van Pass blog, we are detailing out the route so that you can plan your trip better –
First Phase: Ascend from Da Nang to Hai Van Pass and Descend to Hue Expressway
There are two routes to reach Hue as you leave from Da Nang. First one is via the Hải Vân Tunnel (longest in Southeast Asia at 6.28 km) that passes right under Hai Van Pass. While this helps you save almost 20 kilometers and almost an hour but this bypasses the Hai Van Pass completely. In case, you are looking to drive to Hai Van Pass, then skip tunnel route. Also, bikes are not allowed inside this tunnel, so for a bike trip, you have no option but to drive via scenic Hai Van Pass :).
As you drive up the pass, you have panoramic views of Da Nang City and its beach. There are multiple stop points on the way where you can halt and grab some coffee. Here are the pictures of Da Nang city from Hai Van Pass –
Second Phase: Drive on Hai Van Pass – Best in the Rain
When I left from Da Nang, weather was pretty clear. I could not understand it well when a friend from the hostel insisted me to carry rain coat. As I drove up the Hai Van Pass, rain just got heavier. So in rainy season, go completely prepared as it almost always rains on the top.
While your views will get clouded with fog but you will be welcomed with a roar of waterfalls and green mountains all over. There are few places to stop on Hai Van Pass where you can grab snacks and good number of shops on top of the Pass. However, there is no petrol pump on the way, so get your bike/moped tank full before you leave Da Nang.
Here are pictures from my drive on Hai Van Pass –
Here is the bridge that connects Hue Expressway to the tunnel. Both Da Nang – Hue Train and road passes through this tunnel. However motorbikes are not allowed inside the tunnel.
Third Phase: Descend from Hai Van Pass to Hue City
As soon as you descend from Hai Van Pass, you have option to either drive to Hue via Expressway or take a side beach road via rural Vietnam. While Expressway will save you a lot of time, beach road will provide you a glimpse of rural Vietnam, with people smiling, waving at you and at times even chit-chatting to know more about you. Saying that, beach road takes almost 2 hours extra compared to Expressway as this is a narrow, longer route passing through the center of villages.
Please note that bikes are not allowed inside Hải Vân Tunnel . Though few blogs mention that there is a facility to transport bikes on trucks inside tunnel but no such facility was available during my trip. I was asked to turn back and take Hai Van Pass by security guards.
Here are my pictures from my drive on the beach road while returning from Hue to Da Nang.
Danang to Hue Bike Drive Map
Here is the map of the route from Danang to Hue. Road on the right hand side is the beach route.
Da Nang/Hoi An to Hue Motorbike Itinerary
I had started early morning around 7 AM and despite rain and also a minor accident (as my bike skidded in rain), I could make it to Hue by around 1 PM. On my return trip, I left from Hue at 11 AM and took the beach road. I was driving pretty slow, taking pictures and enjoying views and reached Da Nang at around 8 PM. Da Nang to Hoi An is another an hour drive.
Please ensure that you do not drive on Hoi Van Pass during dark as it gets quite dangerous with those sharp curves. Also, please drive cautiously both on Hoi Van Pass curves and Expressway. I was driving at high speed and my bike skidded on Expressway. It was a close shave for me though my bike had got badly damaged.
Da Nang/Hoi An to Hue Motorbike Rental
It is quite easy to rent out a bike either in Da Nang of Hoi An. A quick google search can provide you some really good options. For me, I had rented 125 cc bike from the hostel that I had been staying. I got a pretty new bike at a reasonable rate.
We hope that this helps you plan your Da Nang to Hue Bike trip better. Hai Van Pass is a must visit place in Da Nang. Even if you are not looking to drive up to Hue, you may drive up to Hai Van Pass and come back to Da Nang.
Happy Exploration !!