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How to get from Phong Nha to Hue
Hue in central Vietnam is a treat for history buffs. Explore the Imperial City, cruise down Perfume River, or sample an Imperial Banquet. As the former national capital and seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue is the best place to get to know Vietnam’s last imperial family.
The best way to travel the 215 km distance from Phong Nha to Hue is by bus. This bus journey takes about 4 hours and costs around 253,000 VND ($10.50). Alternatively, you can take a 4.5-hour indirect train for 174,000 VND ($7) or a 4-hour private transfer for 2,600,000 VND ($110).
2 ways to get from Phong Nha to Hue
There are 2 types of buses operating from Phong Nha to Hue: a direct bus with fares from 253,000 VND ($10.50) and a DMZ bus that makes a stop at the Vinh Moc Tunnels and Ben Hai River and costs 600,000 VND ($25).
Visiting the Vinh Moc Tunnels is a very interesting experience that we definitely recommend.
If you’re thinking of taking the train, note that Phong Nha doesn’t have its own railway station. The closest train station is in Dong Hoi, which is 1-1.5 hours away. Also, keep in mind that Hue railway station is not in the centre. For these reasons, we recommend travelling this distance by bus instead.
If you’re travelling in a group, you can also consider taking a private transfer from Phong Nha to Hue. Travel time is around 4 hours and you can get a 4-seater car starting at 2,600,000 VND ($110).
Itinerary from Phong Nha to Hue
Phong Nha to Hue by Bus
Queen Cafe and Grouptour are two of the trusted companies operating direct buses from Phong Nha to Hue. Ticket prices start from 253,000 VND ($10.50) for the 4-hour bus journey.
But if you have some time to spare, we recommend taking a 6-hour DMZ Bus, which stops at the Vinh Moc Tunnels and Ben Hai River. You can get an extra historical tour along the way.
A DMZ bus ticket costs 600,000 VND ($25). This price already includes the bus transfers, entrance fees and a local guide.
Bus schedules from Phong Nha to Hue
Hung Thanh is another direct bus operator for this route. However, we don’t recommend travelling with them because they get bad reviews. These include overloading, rude staff, and dirty buses. If you still want to travel with Hung Thanh, you can book a ticket through Phong Nha Locals.
Departure and arrival stations
Different buses have varying departure and arrival points.
DMZ Bus
With the DMZ Bus, you will be picked up from your hotel in Phong Nha about 30 minutes before departure time. This bus makes a 1-hour stop at Vinh Moc Tunnels and a 30-minute stop at Ben Hai River Museum. The bus parks at DMZ Bar in Hue city centre at around 13:00.
You can book a DMZ Bus with Sy’s Homestay. You can contact them through their Facebook page or you can send them an email at [email protected].
Direct Buses
Queen Cafe and Grouptour depart from the main street in Phong Nha. They park at Laurel Hotel in Hue city centre.
Phong Nha to Hue by Train
When you want to travel by train from Phong Nha to Hue, you’ll first have to go to Dong Hoi Railway Station (not Dong Ha!).
You can find Dong Hoi Train Station some 40 km southeast of Phong Nha. That’s 1.5 hours by bus or 1 hour by taxi.
In Hue, the city centre is a 10-minute taxi ride or 30-minute walk from the railway station.
Step 1: Phong Nha to Dong Hoi Railway Station by Bus
From Phong Nha, you can catch Local Bus #4 to get to Dong Hoi Railway Station. A bus ticket costs 50,000 VND ($2.10).
Bus #4 is available daily from 05:30 to 17:00. You can hail this bus along the main street in Phong Nha. However, it can only take you up to Dong Hoi Central Bus Station. From here, it’s a short taxi ride or a 15-minute walk to the train station.
You can also get a taxi to take you straight from your hotel in Phong Nha to Dong Hoi Railway Station. Rates range from 400,000 VND ($16.50) to 500,000 VND ($21) for the 1-hour taxi ride.
See our page on Dong Hoi to Phong Nha for more details.
Step 2: Dong Hoi to Hue by Train
Vietnam Railways operates 4 daily train trips from Dong Hoi to Hue.
Ticket prices start from 124,000 VND ($5). The journey takes more or less 3 hours, depending on which train you take.
Train schedules from Dong Hoi to Hue
Pre-book your tickets online through Baolau so that you can skip the queues for tickets at Dong Hoi Railway Station.
You are to get off at Hue Railway Station. Depending on the location of your hotel, you can reach it on foot (about 30 minutes) or via a short taxi ride.
Phong Nha to Hue by Private Transfer
You can also take a private transfer from Phong Nha to Hue. Rates start from 2,600,000 VND ($110) for a 4-seater car.
We recommend booking your ride via BookAway because they offer spacious cars that come with trusted drivers.
Book a Private Transfer with BookAway
Our favourite places to stay in Hue
Hong Thien Ruby Hotel
Hong Thien Ruby Hotel offers great value if you don't want to spent too much on an accommodation. Excellent breakfast, good location and friendly staff. What do you need more? Single beds incl. breakfast from $16 and double rooms from $24.
Hotel La Pere
Another hotel that offers great value for money is Hotel La Perle. This eco-friendly hotel is located in the same area and also offers an outstanding breakfast plus fresh fruit all day long! Double rooms start from $24.
Cherish Hue Hotel
Want to treat yourself? The experience you get a Cherish Hue Hotel would cost you over $100 in a Western country, but here it won't cost you more than $42! The staff is super professional and a breakfast buffet like this is hard to find anywhere else! The hotel also has a spa where you get a 30% discount as a guest and you can get a massage or other treatment for very reasonable prices.
Things to do in Hue
Things to do in HueThe online activity platform Klook offers many tours in Hue at great prices. I used it now for a couple of times and had great experiences. And the prices are often even lower than when you book with a local travel agent!
And most important, by booking the activity in advance, you avoid the problem of fully booked tours.
More routes to Hue
More routes from Phong Nha
Most popular routes in Vietnam
About the author(s)
Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.
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.
Hi Maarten, I am traveling to Vietnam in 2 weeks and I tried to book the DMZ bus but the address is no longer active. Do you know another way to book it or can you suggest another alternative?
Thank you,
Hi Arla! Thank you for reaching out to us. We have contacted Sy’s Homestay and found that they are still operating the DMZ Bus. We have also made all the necessary updates on this post. You can now view their current contact details as well as schedule and rates. Thank you and we hope you will enjoy your visit to Vietnam!
Hi,
There are couple of doubts I have, it would be great if you can help us figure out the transportation bit.
We are planning to visit Hanoi – Halong bay (overnight cruise) – Nin Binh (2 days) – Phong Thang (2 days) – Hoi An.
1. How do we get from Halong bay to Nin Binh and Nin Binh to Phong Thang.
2. As we are travelling in the month of November, is it advisable to make a stop in Phong Thang or do we skip this bit?
3. I would like to know if there are direct trains from Phong Thang to Hoi An?
Regards,
Su
Hello Su, before I can really help you, you have to explain me where Phong Thang is exactly? Does this place have a different writing? I never heard about this place to be honest. Regarding your first question, I think it is best to book an overnight cruise from Hanoi with Klook for example. This includes pick-up and drop off in Hanoi, so you can take a bus or train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh once you arrive back in Hanoi. Alternatively, you can travel from Hanoi to Halong Bay on your own, and then continue by bus to Ninh Binh ($10.50). However, keep in mind this bus from Halong Bay to Ninh Binh only leaves once a day at 11:30.
Thank you very much!!! ????
Hi Maarten, great post! Do you, by any chance, know how to reserve the DMZ bus from Phong Nha to Hue? Thank you!
Thanks Amelie! Last year I bought my ticket at Mountainview hotel which is located at the mainstreet in Phong Nha. Alternatively, you could sent an email to [email protected] to reserve your ticket. Booking your ticket online is unfortunately not possible as far as I know. Safe travels!
After a lot of googling I just found out that the email has changed to [email protected], the DMZ bus still runs.
Hi Dan! Thanks a lot for this update! Much appreciated!