5 Days in Đà Nẵng & Hội An

Detailed itinerary, tips for transportation + finding the best food spots in Vietnam, price breakdown, hotel & Ba Na Hills review

My family (10 adults + the baby) went on a 5-day trip to Đà Nẵng (Da Nang) and Hội An (Hoi An) the week after Tết, and here’s exactly how we did it.

• Day 1 : Da Nang arrival - Dragon Bridge

• Day 2 : Chợ Cồn (Con Market) - Hội An (Hoi An)

• Day 3 : Ba Na Hills: Golden Bridge, Fantasy Park - seafood night

• Day 4 : Ngũ Hành Sơn (Marble Mountain) - Chùa Linh Ứng (Linh Ung Pagoda) - My Khe Beach

• Day 5: coffee shops, relaxing, spa & pool day - Da Nang departure

TRANSPORTATION

From our house in Ho Nai, Bien Hoa, we have to book a Xe Du Lịch, a 12-seater commercial vehicle or passenger van as it’s the only form of airport transportation for large groups. We have 10 adults, a baby, a stroller, and all of our suitcases and luggages. The closest airport is Ho Chi Minh City airport (SGN). Our area is on the outer edge of Bien Hoa city, and we don’t have any other options that go that far on Grab (a ride-sharing app like Uber and Lyft in the US). From SGN, however, there are plenty of taxis and cars available at the airport pick-up zone or on Grab. With this option, we have to split the group into 2 cars. Each ride takes about 50 minutes to an hour, and it costs about 500K VND/one-way ride.

left: Xe Du Lịch aka a passenger van & this one fits up to 12 people; right; Xe Điện aka an electric cart - can fit up to 8 people

E-SIM & TRAVEL APPS

Get yourself an e-sim here, not at the airport, and use the Vietnam number (+84) to sign up for apps such as Grab, Xanh SM (Vinfast/electric cars), and Shopee.vn (it’s similar to Amazon in the US, except return is not accepted.) There’s also Shopee Food. Grab is fast and more convenient way to get around the city or anywhere in Vietnam, and I love that you can pay in-app or by cash. Zalo, Facebook, and Whatsapp are common social media apps people use to communicate, so you might as well activate them all, just in case. For hotels, booking.com and Agoda are the most common apps.

BOOKING FLIGHTS

My sister in-law helped booked these flights for us through a local travel agent, hence, the prices below are in VND. For the best rate, try to book your flights about a month in advance! With the conversion, I think you’re paying about the same price in USD vs. VND.