When I visited Vietnam, I really wanted to buy a motorcycle ,traverse the country from north to south and then sell the bike once I was finished. How amazing would it be to strap your bag onto the back of your own bike and set out to explore the countryside. Or even bike the entire Ho Chi Minh trail! And while seeing this beautiful country on a motorcycle sounds like the ultimate way to see Vietnam, two wheels isn’t the only way get around. Vietnam relies heavily on tourism and has many convenient and cheap modes of transportation.
I weighed the risks and rewards of traveling the entire country via a motorcycle and ultimately opted out of touring around on two wheels, primarily because of road safety. However, this didn’t mean that I couldn’t rent a motorbike along the way at various destinations. When I arrived in Hué, I had heard about the infamous Hải Vân Pass, which is an informal mountain boundary between north and south Vietnam. The Pass has become more famous recently when BBC’s motoring show, Top Gear, featured the pass saying that it was one of the top coastal roads in the world.
The mountain pass is a 21km long route that traverses a mountain range jutting into the East Sea of Vietnam. But the main tourist route traverses between the cities of Hué and Hoi An, which is 165km. I have driven a motorbike before and this was my chance to traverse part of Vietnam on two wheels. Below are the details of my motorbike journey leaving Hué around 9am and arriving in Hoi An at 6pm the same day.
Also see my posts “One Day in Hué, Vietnam” and “City of Lanterns: Hoi An, Vietnam“
HAI VAN PASS MOTORBIKE GUIDE
MOTORBIKE RENTAL: Gem’s Rider (cost 320,000 dong – $14 USD) – included the company driving my bags from Hué to Hoi An so I didn’t have to bring them on my bike (locations in both Hué and Hoi An)
DURATION: 9 hours (includes 2-3 hours of stopping at main attractions and eating lunch along way) – be sure to begin early in the morning to do this route during the day time. Driving any portion of this route in the dark is not recommended due to limited lighting.
TOTAL DISTANCE: 165km
ROUTE: Hué to Hoi An longer route along coasts avoiding National Route 1A. I found a great blog that outlines the route in google maps that you can download to your phone and is extremely helpful along the way.
ROAD CONDITIONS: good, paved backroads, bumpy in small sections but generally smooth, very light traffic
FUEL STOPS: Started with full tank and filled up twice along route
LUNCH STOP: Lăng Cô has many restaurants along the route
HIGHLIGHTS OF TRIP (in order from Hué to Hoi An)
- City of Tombs: you will drive through it just south of An Bang village and pass by thousands of immaculate tombs.
- Crossing Cầu Lăng Cô bridge and official beginning of Hải Vân Pass: scenic bridge and good photo opportunities just after entering official Hải Vân Pass.
- Photo opportunity of railroad bridge: there isn’t an official spot on google maps but you will see the coast on your left-hand side and see the rail tracks clinging to the cliff
- Top of Hải Vân Pass: you can see the old gate and gun tower and is a nice stopping point for photos
- View of Da Nang: While it is tempting to get photos of Da Nang city off in the distance from the top of Hải Vân Pass, continue on down the road towards Da Nang and you will find better, unobstructed photo opportunities
- Crossing the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang: a very cool bridge with the structure shaped as a dragon.
- Marble Mountains: five marble and limestone hills with caves, tunnels, and Buddhist sancuaries located between Da Nang and Hoi An. It’s a popular tourist stop so be prepared to pay an entrance fee.
Check out my Hải Vân Pass sizzle video!
CHECK THE WEATHER: I lucked out and had a cloudless, sunny day in early May. But many people have written about mist and rain over the pass so make sure you read the forecast before making the trek since being on two wheels in the rain could be dangerous.
It was an incredible and freeing ride to do on my own. It was just me, my cool motorbike and the unbelievable countryside and coastline of central Vietnam! This was one of my favorite memories of 30 days in Vietnam. A certain must do!
What has been your favorite coastal drive? Or even most epic motorcycle ride?
