Known for its beautiful beaches and proximity to the amazing Marble Mountains, Da Nang is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. It’s the perfect place to relax on the beach, hike in the hills or explore the city. After soaking up the sun, continue north along the beautiful Vietnamese coast until you reach the capital of the country, Hanoi. It’s a vibrant city with over 7.5 million inhabitants and is full of things to see and do, including neat colonial architecture, great food, and a lively nightlife. The route from Da Nang to Hanoi is very popular, so there are many ways to travel from one city to another.
Traveling from Da Nang to Hanoi: options
The shortest road route from Da Nang to Hanoi is as much as 768 kilometers, so as you can imagine, the journey is quite long. There are regular buses that run this route and are a cheap travel option, but they are also very slow. Trains are another alternative and are worthwhile if you want more space to move around, but they are not much faster than buses and tend to be a bit more expensive. Finally, you can also choose to fly from Da Nang to Hanoi by plane. The plane is faster and more practical than other means of transport, and there are many daily flights and airlines to choose from. If you don’t know the best way to get from Da Nang to Hanoi, read on and we’ll give you details on these three options.
Bus from Da Nang to Hanoi
The biggest advantage of the bus from Da Nang to Hanoi is the price, as it is very cheap and therefore a common way to get from one city to another, but such a long journey has its disadvantages. The truth is that almost all buses on this route have seats that recline, so you can stretch out and practically lie down. Since these buses run at night, they are a good option if you have no difficulty sleeping anywhere. Another advantage of this option is that even if the trip is long, you will save some money because you do not have to pay for accommodation.
Tour operator Hoang Long has more comfortable and luxurious sleeper buses that have air-conditioning, TV, stewardess, snacks and bathroom on board. In addition, he makes several stops along the way so that you can stretch your legs and eat something more substantial. Tickets for these buses are reasonably priced considering the length of the trip, as the scheduled duration of this trip from Da Nang to Hanoi is around 18 hours.
If you want to save more money, you can consider another bus company. Hanh Café operates the route from Da Nang to Hanoi on a simpler bus that has air conditioning but not much else. In this case, the seats are normal, but the planned duration of the tour according to Hanh Café is 14 hours.
From Da Nang to Hanoi by train
If you don’t like the idea of sitting on a bus for 14 hours, the train from Da Nang to Hanoi might be a good alternative. It’s more expensive than the bus, but you have more freedom to move around the cars and stretch your legs whenever you want. There are several trains a day you can choose from, and each offers several different options. First of all, don’t forget that the train isn’t necessarily faster than the bus, but if you’re traveling on a budget, you can choose the cheapest option, which is a second-class seat. For a little more, you can opt for a second class bed and travel in a compartment with other people. Of course the beds are quite hard as the mattresses are very thin. You can also travel in a sleeping compartment in first class, where the mattresses are much more comfortable, but there are even more options. Some Vietnam Railways train cars are operated by private companies offering a higher level of luxury and comfort. Violetta Express and Livitrans Express VIP sleeper cars are more expensive, but you get better service and travel much more comfortably.
Depending on the train, the journey from Da Nang to Hanoi takes between 15.5 and 18 hours.
Da Nang to Hanoi flights
Da Nang International Airport is the third busiest airport in Vietnam © Saigoneer / Shutterstock.com
Now we will talk about the fastest way to get from Da Nang to Hanoi: by plane. If you’ve already decided that flying is too expensive for you, keep reading as you can get good deals. If you fly one of the low-cost airlines, you can buy a ticket for less than the cost of a train ride. If you’re flying, you’ll have to look for accommodation in Hanoi, something you’ll save by taking the train or bus, but you won’t lose a whole day of travel.
There are quite a few flights to choose from every day of the week, but keep in mind that tickets are more expensive on weekends. You can also find better prices if you book in advance, and if you wait until the last minute, the price will be much higher. Check the different departure times on the day you want to fly as usually the ones that leave first thing in the morning are the cheapest.
Flights from Da Nang to Hanoi take about an hour and a half and are operated by VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar. Look for the best prices on all of them, although Vietnam Airlines usually offers the most expensive fares and VietJet the cheapest. Keep in mind that with low-cost airlines you may have to pay an additional fee for checked baggage, while Vietnam Airlines may include up to 20 kilograms of baggage in the ticket price. You will need to double check what each airline’s ticket includes before making your decision.
Flights from Da Nang to Hanoi are undoubtedly the best way to reach the capital if you are looking for the shortest time possible. Also, if you find a good deal, you won’t pay much more than you would for a train. However, if you want to save as much money as possible, choose to travel by bus and enjoy the scenery along the way.