In short: Spend an afternoon in Hue and get up early the next day to drive with a motorbike over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An. In Hoi An you should spend at least 2 days to get to know this lovely ancient town.
Spend your afternoon in Hue
The main place to visit in Hue is the Citadel. It’s a perfect place to get to know the history of this imperial city, which was once the capital of Nguyễn lords (Vietnam between 1558–1777). History enthusiasts will love it, others will be bored after walking around here for 10 minutes.
Besides the Citadel, there are a few other places you could visit like a local market, Pagoda, palaces or a boat trip. Can be good fun, but if you’re short of time, I advise spending your time wisely and use it to immerse in the culture of Hoi An.
2. Drive a motorbike over the Hai Van Pass from Hue to Hoi An
The Hai Van Pass is also called the Great Ocean Road of Vietnam. This scenic road got a lot of publicity after presenter Jereme drove along this road in the final episode of the 12th Top Gear series, broadcasted on BBC.
Many companies — who all name themselves ‘Easy driver’ — offer motorbike rental with luggage service and drop-off service in Hoi An. What this means, is that they take care of your luggage and bring it with a van to Hoi An. Once you arrive in Hoi An, your luggage will be waiting for you at their office in which you can also return the motorbike.
The decision is on you if you want to drive the bike yourself or prefer to hop on the back of one of their guides. If you decide to drive yourself, you can choose to go with a guide who drives along and will show you the route or drive independently.
Main spots to visit are: Elephant Rock, the newly opened Golden Bridge and the Marble Mountains.
The latter two places are part of Da Nang. Once you visited them during one of your stops, there is no reason to go back. Just spend your time in Hoi An and enjoy it to the max!
I recommend leaving in the morning around 9am-10am, so you can fully enjoy the scenery and make all the stops you want. With the right planning you will arrive at the Marble Mountains in the late afternoon, where you can witness a beautiful sunset from the viewpoint on top of the mountain.
In case you don’t want to travel this route by bike, you can also decide to go by train from Hue to Da Nang and then take the bus to Hoi An. This railway goes through the mountains, next to the Hai Van Pass, so you can enjoy the same scenic views. I don’t recommend taking the bus, because the bus goes through a long tunnel, so you will miss the best part of the route
3. Wander around in the charming city of Hoi An
This charming city has a lot to offer. You can wander around the Ancient Old Town, visit the beach or learn how to cook a real Vietnamese dish. This place is a traveller’s favourite and should not be missed. You can read more about this charming city in this post about Hoi An.
Based in Bali, Maarten’s passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you’ll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.
