How to Go from Nha Trang to Hoi An

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In something of a change of pace, we headed from the beach town of Nha Trang to the lovely atmospheric ambiance of Hoi An.  And as ever there were options on how we did this trip.  It’s good that there were choices though!  And the world is rather your oyster for this route.  You can fly, at least for part of the way, you can take a train, again at least for part of the way, or you can take a bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An.  Our guide covers the different options for going to Hoi An from Na Trang and details the costs, comfort level, and benefits of each different option.  Here’s our guide on how to get to Nha Trang from Hoi An.

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The Best Way to Get to Hoi An

The best way to go to Hoi An from Nha Trang is to take the overnight train to Danang and then get a transfer to Hoi An. Book early for the best availability.

Book your train here

Where is Hoi An?

Hoi An is located in the Quan Nam Province of central Vietnam.  The city is located near the mouth of the Thu Bon River, on the north Bank, but it’s primarily the old town of Hoi An that people come to see and Hoi An has grown a lot in recent years.

All the Options on Going from Nha Trang to Hoi An

It’s just under 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Nha Trang to Hoi An and travel times between the two cities range from around 3 hours to nearly 13 hours.  The mode of transport that you take, really depends on your budget, the time you have available, and what comfort compromises you’re prepared to take. 

How to get to Hoi An from Nha Trang

There are four primary options for mode of transport to Hoi An from Nha Trang, although only two of these are the same type of transport all the way.  Don’t forget also that Nha Trang is a big city and you may also have to arrange transport from your accommodation in Nha Trang to the bus station/train station/airport, depending on which way you decide to go to Hoi An.

Taking the Nha Trang to Hoi An Bus

You have a whole lot of choices when it comes to buses from Nha Trang to Hoi An.  But they’re all at night.  The bonus is that you don’t pay for a night’s accommodation, the downside, is that you probably won’t get a great night’s sleep. Check the departure location carefully from Nha Trang and the drop off location in Hoi An as the buses leave from and drop off at many different locations.

Waiting for the Night Bus to Hoi An
Waiting for the Night Bus to Hoi An

The first bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An leaves at 19:10 and the last bus leaves at 21:30.  The journey time from Nha Trang to Hoi by bus is about 10 hours.  Give or take.  And they’re all varieties of sleeper buses, which means that you kind of get to lie down, although I really do recommend that you go on the lower deck if you can.  The bus moves around a lot less there.  You can check seat availability and costs here.

You’ll also want to take an eyemask and probably some earplugs.  There’s usually lurid bright lighting on these buses until the wee small hours.  And your fellow travelers may not be the quietest.

On the Sleeper Bus Nha Trang to Hoi An
On the Sleeper Bus Nha Trang to Hoi An

Reviews change all the time, so my only advice is to pick the bus company that’s getting the best recent reviews.    Check recent reviews of sleeper buses from Nha Trang to Hoi An here.

The Nha Trang to Hoi An Train

If you want the train to feature in your travel from Nha Trang to Hoi An, then it will only feature for part of the way, but you’ll be glad to hear that it is the major part of the journey and you’ll also get a bed as well.

The train only goes as far as Danang, and from then on you’ll need to either take a taxi, shuttle, or bus from Danang to Hoi An.  Here are the details.

Nha Trang to Danang Train

The bonus of the train station in Nha Trang is that it’s near the center of the city, so if you’re staying centrally it’s pretty easy to get to. There are usually 5 trains a day that go from Nha Trang to Danang and this part of the journey takes about 10 hours, so it’s best to go for the overnight option.  Overnight trains on this route have a variety of different bed options – with 6-berth sleepers being the cheapest.  They’re also the noisiest and the least comfortable.  (I’m not even thinking about the soft seat option, as that’s just a brutal way to spend 10 hours on an overnight train).

If your budget allows go for a 2-berth or a 4-berth comfort option.  You’ll get a better night’s sleep for not much more money.  You can check the train times and prices of the train from Nha Trang to Danang here.

The first train leaves Nha Trang at 02:37 (ouch) and the last train of the day leaves Nha Trang at 23:30.   To my mind the BEST train to take is the 19:12 train from Nha Trang.  This train arrives in Danang at 06:05, so you should get the best sleep on it.  However, this train books up VERY QUICKLY, so you’ll want to reserve your tickets NOW. 

When you arrive at Danang Train station you’ll need to get from Danang to Hoi An.

Danang Railway Station to Hoi An

There are shuttles from Danang Train Station to Hoi An meeting the trains that arrive, and the journey is about an hour.  You can also book a taxi, or negotiate with one when you arrive at the train station.  Or use Grab.  I wrote more about how to go from Danang to Hoi An here.

The easiest way is to pre-book a transfer from Danang Train Station to Hoi An and prepay it.

Nha Trang to Hoi An Flights

It takes around 3 hours to go from Hoi An to Nha Trang by plane, and yes, this includes all the transfers to and from the airports, but that is with good luck and a following wind as they say.  It doesn’t include the check-in time.  The actual flight time is about 1 hour.  If you want to fly from Nha Trang to Hoi An then these are the steps that you need to take.

Go from Nha Trang to Cam Ranh Airport (CXR)

The closest airport to Nha Trang is Cam Ranh Airport.  It’s 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the south of Nha Trang.  This will take you about 45 minutes in a taxi or Grab or an hour on the local bus.  (Note that Grab in Vietnam is charges a 4% foreign card fee, so you might want to opt for paying cash) A Grab will cost about 230,0000 VND and it’s the better option if you have reasonably sized luggage to take with you.  You can pre-book a transfer and pay on a card here.

If you want to take the bus from Nha Trang to Cam Ranh Airport, then your best option departs from 10 Yersin Street from 05:30 until 21:30.  Tickets to the airport from Nha Trang cost 74,000 VND and you want the number 18 bus.  It’s a white and yellow bus.

Flights from Cam Ranh Airport to Da Nang

There’s usually only one flight a day from Cam Ranh Airport to Da Nang, which is the closest airport to Hoi An.  However, in the low season, this drops to only three times a week.  The flights to Danang from Nha Trang are operated by Vietnam Airlines.  It’s a direct flight and it usually leaves around 09:20, taking about an hour.  It’s best to use Skyscanner to find the flight times and availability for this flight. 

When you arrive at Danang Airport, then you’ll need to get either a transfer or a shared shuttle to Hoi An.

Danang Airport to Hoi An

From the airport at Danang, it’s easy to either get a private transfer or a shared shuttle.  If you’re traveling solo then the shared shuttle is easy and cheap.  If you are in a group of two or more, then a taxi or Grab is cost-effective.  Buses operate from Danang Central Bus Station, which is a 12-minute drive from the airport.

You can check the prices of transfers and shared shuttles here.  Be sure to check that your pick-up point is the airport!

Nha Trang to Hoi An Private Transfer

It takes nearly 7 hours to drive from Nha Trang to Hoi An, but the benefit of a private transfer is that you’ll be able to choose your stops along the way.  You can reserve a car for 4 people, a minivan for up to 7 people, or take a whole minibus for up to 16 people.  It may be an option for you if you’re in a big group and want a little more comfort.  You can check the rates here.

Private transfers will also obviously pick you up from your accommodation in Nha Trang and drop you off at your hotel in Hoi Ann too.

Map of Airports and Train Stations for going to Hoi An from Nha Trang

You can also see the train station and airports from Hoi An to Nha Trang here.

Map of How to Go from Nha Trang to Hoi An in Vietnam

Key Routes to Travel in Vietnam

Want to know more about different forms of transport in Vietnam? Our guide to Vietnam transport is here. And here’s how to travel some of the popular routes around Vietnam, your options, and how we did it.

The quickest way to get Nha Trang to Hoi An

The quickest way to go from Nha Trang to Hoi An is to fly.  It can take you as little as 3 hours to fly to Hoi An from Nha Trang, but there are some gotchas. You’ve got to get to the airport in Nha Trang and the closest airport to Hoi An is Danang, so you need to arrange transport from there.  Use Skyscanner to check flight prices.

The easiest way to go to Hoi An from Nha Trang

Although the quickest way from Nha Trang to Hoi An is to fly, the easiest way is a door to door transfer in a private vehicle.

The cheapest way to go from Nha Trang to Hoi An

The cheapest way to get to Nha Trang from Hoi An is to take the overnight bus (you’ll also save on a night’s accommodation too – you can check Nha Trang to Hoi An overnight buses and reserve your seats here.

The best way to go from Hoi An to Nha Trang

We actually took the overnight bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An – it was the best option that fit with our schedule – and our budget.  However, it was a long and brutal trip, my seat was directly behind the toilet and even though I’d packed my eye mask, I didn’t get much sleep.  On our next trip, I’ll take the overnight train and a transfer shuttle from Danang to Hoi An instead.

Travel Tips for Exploring Vietnam

Final Words on How to Go from Nha Trang to Hoi An

This is a great route to take an overnight train on, but make sure you book early to get the best time for getting a good night’s sleep.  And pre-book your transfer from Danang to Hoi An so you’re not trying to negotiate with a taxi driver when you arrive slightly groggy at 6am in the morning.  If you have the budget you can knock a lot of time off this journey with a flight and transfer at either end.  At the budget end, take the overnight sleeper bus, but don’t expect much sleep.

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AUTHOR

Sarah Carter
Sarah Carter is an avid reader, writer and traveller. She loves hiking, sailing, skiing and exploring the world through food. She left a successful career in IT security and compliance in both the UK and US to travel the world with husband and partner in adventure, Nigel.

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