Hanoi to Hoi An: Complete Travel Guide

Hoian is located 798 km south of Hanoi. It takes around 17 hours to travel by bus, or 1.20 hour by air to reach the nearest airport in Danang. The exact distance and travel time depend on the kind of transfer and the route you choose.  

There are several ways to travel from Hanoi to Hoi An, however the best options are flight, train and bus, let's learn detail each option below.

1. Hanoi to Hoi An by flight

• Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Cost: From 40 USD

Catching a flight is the fastest way to get Hanoi to Hoi An. There is no airport in Hoi An, you will need to fly into Danang airport, then get a transfer to Hoian. It takes only 1.5 hours, however, you need to add time to travel to Hanoi Airport and from Danang airport to Hoi An.  

Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo, and VietJet Air are three airlines in Vietnam offering regular flights from Hanoi to Da Nang. The average price for a one-way ticket for economy class is from 48 USD (non-taxes) while business class is about 102 USD (non-taxes). VietJet Air is a budget airline, and if you are flexible on your travel time, you can choose to travel with this airline to save your money. 

You can easily book a flight to Da Nang from BestPrice Travel website, we do offer tickets for all airlines so you can check and compare.

Traveling by flight is undoubtedly safe, fast, and comfortable, however, if you want to interact with local people and sightseeing along the way let's choose other options like a bus or train.

2. Hanoi to Hoi An by train

• Duration: 16 hours
• Cost: From 18 USD

There is no railway station in Hoi An so if you want to travel by train let's book Hanoi to Da Nang train then transfer by car or bus to Hoi An. The railway length is 791 kilometers and the average travel time is around 15-16 hours. Vietnam reunification provides a cheaper price from 18 USD to 45 USD.

The lower berth is the most expensive, while the upper berth is the cheapest. Alternatively, you can go as a private and luxury train such as Violette Train and Livitrans Express where prices are closer to 80 USD. These promise the most comfortable surroundings and a classier way of traveling

There are 10 trains from Hanoi to Hoi An trips per day operated by 5 express trains. Reunification Express is a national train offering standard service while others are luxury trains.

I’d definitely recommend traveling to Vietnam by train if you have the time in your itinerary. This way of transfer gives you a chance to explore the culture, local life and admire the stunning landscape and scenery. If you still want something cheaper, the bus will be a better choice.

3. Hanoi to Hoian by bus

• Duration: 17 hours
• Cost: 25 USD

Traveling by bus from Hanoi to Hoi An takes about 17 hours. It is the cheapest option, around 25 USD for a standard ticket. Some buses stop in Danang, some travel directly to Hoian. It is highly recommended to book an open bus ticket if you have plenty of time in Vietnam, and want to stop on the way. The open bus from Hanoi to Hoian has the option to stop at major cities along designated routes such as Ninh Binh, Phong Nha, Hue, and Da Nang.

In general, open tour buses are a fairly comfortable way to travel through Vietnam. Most open buses have inclined, allocated seats or padded flatbeds, Wi-Fi, TV, and charging outlets. Moreover, it does not stop so often to pick up people. However, buses are usually quite decent but don’t expect too much legroom or toilets on board. The bus can stop somewhere every few hours for a combined toilet and snack break.

There are a lot of itinerary options for you to travel from Hanoi to Hoi An depend on your available duration and price. Below is our recommended plan for first-time travellers to combine to visit more destination between Hanoi and Hoi An.

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival

Welcome to Hanoi, you have the rest of the day free to explore this beautiful city

Day 2: Hanoi City tour half day

A tour in Hanoi always starts with a city tour around Hanoi, which brings you to most of the must-see places in Hanoi such as The Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Tran Quoc pagoda, Hoan Kiem lake…

Free afternoon, you are recommended to join Hanoi street food tour or see the water puppet show.

Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Overnight on cruise

The 2 next day is for Halong Bay overnight cruise in one of 7 natural wonders in the world, where you can visit local fishing villages, climb the mountain to have a panorama view of the bay, go swimming, kayaking, or just relax on the sundeck.

Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi - flight to Da Nang - Hoi An

After Halong Bay, you will be transferred to Hanoi airport for your flight to Da Nang, then transfer to Hoi An for check in.

Day 5: My Son Half day

When in Hoian, do not miss your chance to visit My Son holly land, a collection of Champa ruins nestled amongst the mountains. Exploring the groups of temples, you will learn more about the history of the Champa Kingdom here.

Day 6: Hoi An - Free day

Hoian is a food & shopping paradise, today is the free day for you to explore Hoian. You can join the cooking class tour, visit Tra Que village, Cam Thanh village, Thanh Ha pottery village, cycle to the beach, countryside… Everyone wants to extend their stay in Hoian, I think you would love to

Day 7: Hoian – Danang departure

But today is the last day in Hoian. If you want to spend more time in Vietnam, book the second part of the tour to visit Ho Chi Minh city and Mekong Delta.

If you want to find more plan and itinerary let's visit our Vietnam tours page which available multiple-choice plan for you.

• Traveling by flight is not always expensive, especially during off-peak season. Book early in advance the flight which departs early in the morning, or late in the evening, you can save a lot of money. 
• Please keep in mind that the train in Vietnam is not as modern, superfast, and clean as the train in many other countries. The carriage is often packed with people and sometimes too noisy, and you always need to keep your eyes on the luggage. However, the slow train goes along or even through mountains, forests, valleys, and even the ocean, which helps everyone enjoy Vietnam’s authentic natural vista. On the train, you can make friends with local people, have a closer view of their daily life.
• Earplugs and eye masks can be helpful as you might find it difficult to get some sleep with onboard music, bumpy roads, honking, and swerving when travel by bus. Remember to bring something to eat, read.
• Keep your eyes on your luggage, it is best to attach the valuable things with you on the bus or train.

Each kind of transfer has its own advantages and disadvantages, knowing that, you will be able to avoid the disappointment. Smart travel and enjoy your time in Vietnam.

Jenny Tran

(Images source: Internet)