Vietnam travel guide: Hai Van Pass and Son Tra Peninsula by motorbike in 2 days

## Vietnam travel guide essentials: licence, rental and route planning

Everything on this Vietnam travel guide route gets decided in Da Nang, before the bike leaves the rental shop. You need an International Driving Permit plus your home licence, and you need both on you. Police checks are common on the Da Nang to Lang Co road, and a photocopy will not do.

Motorbike rental runs 150,000 to 250,000 VND per day for a 125cc to 150cc scooter or semi-automatic, which handles the pass with two riders. A private car with driver costs 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 VND per day and you do not need an IDP for it. Helmets are mandatory for rider and passenger, and rental shops include one with the bike.

The 2-day route ends in Hoi An, not back in Da Nang, so confirm the shop allows a one-way drop before you pay. Ask for that answer on the rental contract. Shops that refuse will charge for a return ride or a second day. Reserve the bike, plus hotels in Lang Co and Hoi An, 2 to 3 days ahead; February to April is peak season and the better 125cc bikes go first.

Fuel for a riding day runs 70,000 to 100,000 VND, so fill the tank before the Hai Van Pass, where stations thin out, and carry cash. The Hai Van Quan gate costs about 50,000 VND and is usually open 07:00 to 17:00, and vendors along the pass take notes rather than cards. If rain closes the pass, remember motorbikes are banned inside the Hai Van Tunnel: book the Da Nang to Lang Co train seat or arrange a car instead. The Hai Van Quan fee and hours may change after restoration, so confirm on the day.

Plan this Vietnam travel guide route for February to August, when central Vietnam is dry and clear and the Hai Van Pass is most likely to be open to motorbikes. From September to December the same road turns foggy and risky: typhoon rain can shut the pass to two-wheelers entirely, which is why most riders aim for the earlier window. Peak booking pressure sits in February to April, so reserve a bike and rooms in Lang Co and Hoi An 2 to 3 days ahead.

Fly into Da Nang (DAD). The rental shops clustered within a few minutes of the terminal are where you collect a motorbike at 150,000 to 250,000 VND per day or meet a private car with driver at 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 VND per day. Bring an International Driving Permit plus your home licence; police checks on the pass are common and helmets are mandatory. Carry cash for fuel and gate fees, and refuel before the climb.

The standard order puts Son Tra first: Da Nang to Son Tra Peninsula takes 20 to 30 minutes, enough time to visit Linh Ung Pagoda and Ban Co Peak before lunch. Then ride north over the pass to Lang Co, 45 to 60 minutes, and sleep there. The pass road is free, but the Hai Van Quan gate charges about 50,000 VND and is usually open 07:00 to 17:00.

The route reverses cleanly. If rain closes the pass or Lang Co hotels are full, ride south first to Marble Mountains (40,000 VND entry) and Hoi An, 45 minutes from the mountains, then cross on day two by train or car, since motorbikes are banned inside the Hai Van Tunnel. Hoi An Ancient Town entry is 120,000 VND, roughly 08:00 to 22:00, with the lanterns lit after dark.

The Son Tra Peninsula loop is free and takes 20 to 30 minutes from Da Nang by motorbike, a short first stop in this Vietnam travel guide itinerary. Leave Da Nang after breakfast, ride north along the coast, and follow the road as it passes beaches and jungle before climbing into the peninsula. Helmets are mandatory, police checks are common, and you should carry an International Driving Permit plus your home licence. Motorbike rental in Da Nang runs 150,000 to 250,000 VND per day, so this morning is also the cheapest riding you will do on the two-day route.

Linh Ung Pagoda is the main stop on the lower slopes. Entry is free, as is the rest of Son Tra. Park in the marked area, leave your helmet with the bike, and walk up to the pagoda and the viewpoint. From there, continue on the peninsula road to Ban Co Peak, which sits at the far end of the road. The peak has no entry fee. The ride out takes you past stretches of jungle and coastal views, with several places to pull over.

Monkeys are the main hazard on Son Tra. They appear along the roadside, especially where tourists stop, and they will grab bags, food, and loose items. Keep bags off the bike when you park, close your top box, and do not leave helmets unsecured. Ride slowly through troop areas, and do not feed the monkeys.

Loop back to Da Nang after Ban Co Peak. Refuel before you start north over Hai Van Pass; stations are easier to find in the city than on the pass. Once the tank is full, head out of Da Nang and begin the ride north. The pass road is free, though the Hai Van Quan gate charges about 50,000 VND and is usually open 07:00 to 17:00. The northbound ride to Lang Co takes 45 to 60 minutes.

The ride from Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass to Lang Co takes 45 to 60 minutes, and the road itself is free. Motorbikes are banned in the Hai Van Tunnel, so the pass road is the only motorbike crossing. Leave Da Nang by early afternoon to avoid riding in low light. A private car with driver costs 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 VND per day if you prefer not to ride.

At the top, Hai Van Quan gate costs about 50,000 VND and is usually open 07:00 to 17:00. The fee and hours may change in 2026 after restoration, so confirm before you climb. You can ride the pass without entering the gate, but the citadel walls and the view from the top are the reason most riders stop. If you visit the gate, your trip entry total for the whole 2-day itinerary is about 210,000 VND, but this leg contributes only the 50,000 VND gate fee. Son Tra and Linh Ung are free.

Fog, trucks and monkeys are the hazards on this stretch. The pass is not a place to ride after dark. Refuel before the pass and carry cash for the gate and any roadside stops. If fog rolls in, slow down and use your headlight; trucks often cut corners. Monkeys may grab at bags, so keep your helmet on and your phone out of reach. Helmets are mandatory, and police checks are common, so carry an International Driving Permit plus your home licence.

Sleep in Lang Co, where hotels run 500,000 to 1,500,000 VND. Eat seafood in town, where the day's catch is the standard order. Book your room 2 to 3 days ahead in peak season (February to April). The next morning you can return over the pass or take the train through the tunnel, and booking that train in advance is wise if you plan to use it. Lang Co sits on the lagoon, and the seafood restaurants are within walking distance of most hotels.

Day 2 opens with a hard rule: motorbikes are banned inside the Hai Van Tunnel, so you cross back to the Da Nang side either by riding the pass again or by taking the train or a car through the tunnel. Leave Lang Co early. Morning fog sits on the pass and trucks run the bends hard. Refuel in Lang Co before you set off, carry cash for the Hai Van Quan gate if you did not stop on day one (about 50,000 VND, usually 07:00 to 17:00), and avoid night riding on this stretch. The 50,000 VND gate fee is counted once in the 210,000 VND entry total for the itinerary.

The next stop south is Marble Mountains, the limestone caves and pagodas on the coastal road between Da Nang and Hoi An. Entry is 40,000 VND, so carry cash for the ticket window. Climb in the morning if you can, because the steps hold heat by midday and the caves fill with tour groups. From the ticket gate, the ride to Hoi An takes about 45 minutes.

Day 2 of this Vietnam travel guide itinerary ends in Hoi An, where Ancient Town entry is 120,000 VND and ticket booths run roughly 08:00 to 22:00. Hours shift with the season, so confirm them at the booth when you arrive. The lanterns are lit after dark, so arrive in the late afternoon and stay into the evening.

Three details catch people out. Some rental shops in Da Nang do not allow a one-way drop in Hoi An, so ask before you leave. Rain from September to December can close the pass to motorbikes, and the train is the fallback. Book the bike and the Hoi An hotel 2 to 3 days ahead, earlier in the February to April peak. Helmets are mandatory across the whole route and police checks are common.

The daily total of 1,000,000 to 2,300,000 VND on this route covers four things: motorbike rental at 150,000 to 250,000 VND per day, fuel at 70,000 to 100,000 VND, meals at 200,000 to 400,000 VND, and one hotel night at 500,000 to 1,500,000 VND. That daily total is where this Vietnam travel guide budget starts, and it leaves out entry fees entirely.

For two days, the same daily costs run 2,000,000 to 4,600,000 VND. Add entry fees of about 210,000 VND if you visit Hai Van Quan, and the two-day total comes to about 2,210,000 to 4,810,000 VND. The entry fees are Hai Van Quan at about 50,000 VND (usually open 07:00 to 17:00), Marble Mountains at 40,000 VND, and Hoi An Ancient Town at 120,000 VND for its roughly 08:00 to 22:00 opening hours.

Son Tra Peninsula, Linh Ung Pagoda and the Hai Van Pass road itself are free. The only day-one entry fee is the Hai Van Quan gate at about 50,000 VND; if you skip the gate, the two-day entry total drops to 160,000 VND. Carry cash for fuel, gate fees, and tickets.

### Booking notes, rain alternatives and what can go wrong

Reserve the motorbike and both hotel nights, Lang Co and Hoi An, 2 to 3 days ahead. February to April is the peak window, and bikes run out before rooms do. In 2026 that means 150,000 to 250,000 VND per day for a rented motorbike or 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 VND per day for a private car with driver. Ask the shop directly whether it permits a one-way drop in Hoi An, because a refusal forces you back over the pass on Day 2.

If you intend to use the Hai Van Tunnel instead of the pass, book the Da Nang to Lang Co train before you leave Da Nang. Motorbikes are banned in the tunnel, so a train seat or a car are the only alternatives, and the short coastal run fills quickly during peak season. Hold the ticket even if the forecast looks clear; weather on the pass changes fast.

Heavy rain fogs or closes the pass entirely. Skip it and take the train through the tunnel, or reverse the itinerary and start in Hoi An instead of Da Nang. Either fix adds time, so decide the night before. On the road, the hazards are fog, trucks and monkeys. Ride daylight only and refuel before the climb.

Three details may change in 2026, so confirm them the week you travel. The Hai Van Quan gate fee and hours (about 50,000 VND, usually 07:00 to 17:00) may shift after restoration. Son Tra Peninsula roads close for events, and rental shops set their own one-way drop rules. Entry fees elsewhere are stable: Marble Mountains 40,000 VND, Hoi An Ancient Town 120,000 VND. For the rest of your Vietnam travel guide itinerary, build in a spare morning for weather delays. Hours and prices change, so confirm on the official website before you ride.