Hai Van Pass, Da Nang

Is Hai Van Pass worth it?

Yes — on a clear day it's the best coastal view within easy reach of Da Nang, and the ride itself is the point. Plan about 1.5 hours to the summit and back by car, or half a day if you continue down to Lang Co Bay. If the ridge is in cloud, skip it.

The pass is about 21 km of the old Highway 1, climbing a spur of the Bach Ma range that runs straight into the sea between Da Nang and Hue. Since the tunnel opened in 2005, trucks and most buses go underneath, so the old road is quiet: hairpins, Da Nang Bay on one side, Lang Co on the other. Top Gear's 2008 Vietnam Special put it on every rider's list.

Skip it if you hate switchbacks, if you have one day in Da Nang (the Marble Mountains are closer), or if you're heading to Hue anyway — then just ask your driver to take the pass instead of the tunnel.

Motorbike, Easy Rider, jeep, car or train?

Tour prices are unofficial operator rates and change often. Hai Van Gate charges 70,000 VND whichever way you arrive by road.

Hai Van Tunnel vs the pass

For views, take the pass. The Hai Van Tunnel, about 6.2 km long and open since 2005, saves around 20 minutes by car (roughly 10 minutes instead of nearly 30), but there's nothing to see inside.

Motorbikes and bicycles aren't allowed in the tunnel, so riders always go over the top. Cars and transfers to Hue often use the tunnel by default — if you want a summit stop, agree it with your driver when you book.

A good plan by car: out over the pass with stops, back through the tunnel.

Hai Van Gate entrance fee and what's there

Entry to Hai Van Gate (Hải Vân Quan) is 70,000 VND, the same for Vietnamese and foreign visitors, and free for children under 13. The fee is set by Hue's People's Council and collected by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre. The road itself costs nothing.

A gate has stood on this ridge since the Tran dynasty; the present gate was rebuilt in 1826 under Emperor Minh Mang. The north face reads "Hải Vân Quan", the south face "Thiên hạ đệ nhất hùng quan" — "the most formidable pass under heaven". Around it are old walls and fortifications along the ridge, now a national historic site, reopened after a long restoration.

We found no official opening hours; unofficially it's open in daylight. Pay in cash — Vietnamese dong in small notes. Foreign Visa and Mastercard work in hotels and bigger restaurants in Da Nang, but the gate, cafés and stalls on the pass are cash places.

Best viewpoints and stops on Hai Van Pass

• Da Nang Bay switchbacks — on the southern climb, with the curve of the bay and the city below. Pull over only where there's room off the road.
• Hai Van Gate — the top, about 496 m. Da Nang to the south, Lang Co to the north and, on a clear day, the Son Tra Peninsula.
• The ridge walls — climb the old stone walls around the gate for the widest view.
• The northern descent — the long sandy spit of Lang Co with the lagoon behind it, and the railway clinging to the cliffs below.
• The level crossing near Lang Co — at the foot of the north side the road crosses the railway; time it right and a train passes by the sea.
• Lang Co Beach — fine pale sand and seafood cafés, the natural lunch stop.
• Lap An Lagoon — a calm lagoon ringed by mountains, with oyster farms; loveliest in the afternoon light.

Lang Co Bay and Lap An Lagoon

Worth the extra hour if you have half a day. Lang Co is the town and bay at the northern foot of the pass, about 30 km from Da Nang; in 2009 the bay joined the international Most Beautiful Bays in the World club.

Behind the town lies Lap An Lagoon: still water, mountains all round, wooden jetties and oyster farms. Most tours from Da Nang stop here for lunch.

Lang Co belongs to Hue, not Da Nang. If you're going on to Hue, it's the natural halfway stop; if you're heading back, take the tunnel by car or the pass again by bike.

Best time to ride Hai Van Pass: weather and fog

Go on a clear day between about 9 am and 4 pm. Morning fog often sits on the summit and usually burns off by late morning; by evening the cloud tends to settle back on the ridge. Check the forecast before you leave.

The ridge is a climate divide. In winter, roughly November to March, the north side and Lang Co are more often wet and grey while Da Nang to the south can be sunny. Spring and summer give better odds of clear air, but it gets hot — bring water and sunscreen.

It's cooler and windier at the top than in town, so a light windproof layer helps even on a warm day. Ride in daylight only and turn back in heavy rain or strong wind.

Seeing the pass by train

The North–South railway doesn't climb the pass; it hugs the cliffs above the sea through a string of tunnels, and it's one of the most scenic stretches of track in Vietnam. Any train from Da Nang to Hue covers it.

For visitors there's the Central Heritage Connection train (Kết nối di sản miền Trung) between Da Nang and Hue: the city tourism portal lists two pairs a day, morning and afternoon. The trip takes about 3 hours, and Vietnamese press reports a short photo stop at Lang Co station.

Sit on the right-hand side heading north to Hue for the sea. Book through the Vietnam Railways website or app and check the timetable there — it changes.

How long do you need?

Up to the gate and back: about 1.5 hours by car with stops, 2–2.5 hours by motorbike. With Lang Co and the lagoon: half a day. Easy Rider and jeep tours usually run 5–8 hours and often add the Marble Mountains or lunch in Lang Co.

Kids are fine by car or train, and under-13s get into the gate free. We wouldn't take a child on the switchbacks by motorbike.

Hai Van Pass, Ba Na Hills or the Marble Mountains?

Hai Van is a free road with sea views; Ba Na Hills is a paid mountain park; the Marble Mountains are caves and pagodas near the beach.

Da Nang views: compare and choose

Viewpoints in Da Nang rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Look at the ridge from town first: if the top is in cloud, go another day.
• By car, go out over the pass and come back through the tunnel.
• Park only at the gate or on wide pull-outs, never on a hairpin.
• Carry small dong notes — the gate, coffee and parking are all cash.
• On the train to Hue, sit on the right for the sea.
• Have lunch in Lang Co: it's where the pass naturally ends.
• Be off the pass before dark: there's no street lighting and the cloud comes back in the evening.

Questions