Four days is enough to get a real feel for both cities without rushing every stop into a blur. This is the order we'd actually do it in — two nights in Da Nang, two in Hoi An, with the 45-minute transfer between them built into the plan rather than eaten as a travel day.
Before you land
- eSIM: land already online rather than hunting for a SIM counter — set it up before you fly.
- Travel insurance: worth having in place before you touch a scooter or a cable car, not after.
- Cash: VND still rules street food and markets in both cities — don't count on cards outside hotels and bigger restaurants.
- Grab app: install it before you land — the easiest way to move around both cities, and the cheapest way to do the inter-city hop yourself.
Get a Vietnam eSIM (Airalo) →Travel insurance (SafetyWing) →
The 4 days at a glance
| Day | Base | The plan |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Da Nang | Beach morning, Da Nang food, Han River evening |
| Day 2 | Da Nang | Marble Mountains, then Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge |
| Day 3 | Hoi An | Transfer in, Ancient Town by day and by lantern light |
| Day 4 | Hoi An | My Son Sanctuary half-day, then Cam Thanh's basket boats |
Stretch this to 5–6 days by adding a slow beach day at An Bang or a cooking class — see the tip below.
Day 1 — Da Nang: beach and food
Start at My Khe beach while it's still cool, then walk or Grab into An Thuong for coffee. Spend the afternoon around the city center — the Dragon Bridge breathes fire and water on weekend evenings, worth timing for — before dinner at Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng or Bún Chả Cá 109, both real, both worth the walk down the alley. Sleep in An Hai or on the My Khe strip itself; see our Da Nang & Hoi An stays guide for specific picks.
Day 2 — Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills
Morning at the Marble Mountains — climb or take the elevator up, duck into Huyen Khong Cave and Tam Thai Temple, and you're done in two to three hours. Then head up to Ba Na Hills for the record-length cable car and the Golden Bridge; go in the afternoon once the morning tour buses thin out. Full detail, plus everything else worth doing, is in our things to do guide.
It's the single most oversubscribed thing in the region — a combo ticket bought in advance skips a real chunk of the queue.
Day 3 — Into Hoi An: the Ancient Town by lantern light
Da Nang and Hoi An are only about 45 minutes apart along a genuinely scenic coastal route, so this isn't really a travel day — check out, transfer, and you're wandering the Ancient Town by lunchtime. Spend the afternoon on the 15th–19th-century shophouses and the Japanese Covered Bridge, get measured for anything you want tailored (do it now, not your last night — you'll want time for a second fitting), then come back out after dark, when the core goes motorbike-free and lantern-lit.
12Go compares transfers, shuttles and private cars on this route in English, with instant e-tickets.
Day 4 — My Son Sanctuary and Cam Thanh's basket boats
Go early for My Son Sanctuary — a sunrise or morning half-day tour beats both the heat and the crowds at these 4th–13th-century Champa ruins, about 36km from Hoi An. Back in town by early afternoon for Cam Thanh: a round bamboo basket boat spin through the coconut-palm water village, usually bundled with a bike ride through the rice paddies. Spend your last evening on Hoi An's own dishes — cao lầu, white rose dumplings, bánh mì Phượng — covered in full in our food guide.
Sunrise and early-morning departures are the ones that sell out first.
Add a slow day at An Bang Beach, a half-day cooking class (often paired with lantern-making), or a scooter loop back in Da Nang before you fly out. None of it needs booking weeks ahead except the cooking class in peak season.
Hoi An floods most years in that window — river water has reached several blocks up from the riverside into the Ancient Town in recent seasons, and ground-floor rooms are the first affected. It's not a rare-disaster scenario, it's a seasonal pattern locals plan around. If your dates fall here, book accommodation on higher ground, keep the itinerary loose, and accept that a day might get rearranged around the weather.
Frequently asked questions
Is 4 days enough for Da Nang and Hoi An?
It's enough to hit the highlights of both without feeling rushed — two nights each, with the transfer built in rather than eating a whole day. Add a day or two if you want a slow beach day, a cooking class, or want to fit in Son Tra Peninsula.
Should you visit Da Nang or Hoi An first?
Da Nang first is the easier order — you'll land at Da Nang International Airport regardless, so starting there means no backtracking, and you end the trip on Hoi An's slower pace instead of rushing out of it for a flight.
How do you get from Da Nang to Hoi An?
About 45 minutes by road along a scenic coastal route. Grab is the simplest option for doing it yourself, and a private transfer booked ahead on 12Go is the easiest way to arrange it in advance — see the transfer link on Day 3 above.
Land already connected with an eSIM instead of hunting for a SIM at the airport, and don't travel uninsured — one medical bill abroad costs many times the premium.