Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An (2026): Flights, Trains and Sleeper Buses
The straight-line distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An is around 700 km, and the road version is closer to 900 km on the most direct route. There is no fast surface option. You either fly to Da Nang and transfer the last 30 km south to Hoi An, or you commit to 16-17 hours on a sleeper train or 20-24 on a bus. The highway runs the full length of the country and climbs through serious mountains halfway up, so nothing overland is quick.
For most visitors with limited time, fly. For travelers with time and a tolerance for slow transit, the sleeper train is the most pleasant of the overland options. The sleeper bus is the cheapest by a wide margin and the most uncomfortable by a similar one. Below: every option in detail, with current 2026 pricing, booking notes, and what to expect.
Option 1: Fly
Three Vietnamese airlines run direct Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to Da Nang (DAD) flights, with at least 20 daily departures between them.
Vietjet is the cheapest. One-way fares start near USD 19-20 on sale and typically land around USD 30-50, with budget-airline rules: hand luggage only, paid baggage, paid seat selection. Flight time is 80 minutes.
Bamboo Airways sits in the middle, roughly USD 40-60 one-way, usually with a small hand-baggage allowance and standard service. Slightly newer fleet than Vietjet on average.
Vietnam Airlines is the legacy carrier, around USD 56-90 one-way, with full meal service, 23 kg checked baggage included, and the most predictable schedule. Worth the upcharge if you are connecting from an international flight on the same ticket.
From Da Nang Airport (DAD), it is 30 km south to Hoi An, about a 40-minute drive. We break down every way to cover that leg - private transfer, Grab, taxi, shuttle, the lot - with current prices in the Da Nang to Hoi An guide. Short version: a pre-booked private car (around USD 20-25) is the cleanest arrival after a long flight; a Grab (350,000-400,000 VND) is the cheaper, no-fuss default.
One scheduling note: the cheapest fares cluster on early-morning (6-7 a.m.) and late-evening (8-10 p.m.) departures. Mid-morning slots cost 30-40% more, since they line up with international long-haul connections at SGN. If you are flexible on time and not connecting from another flight, the dawn departure is the better-value pick.
From SGN to your Hoi An hotel door, expect about 4 hours all-in: airport buffer, 80-minute flight, 40-minute transfer, plus the wait either side.
Option 2: Sleeper train
The Reunification Express (Đường sắt Bắc Nam) runs the full length of Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. The leg you want is SE2, SE4, SE6 or SE8 (the even-numbered northbound services), departing Saigon Railway Station and reaching Da Nang roughly 16-17 hours later. Hoi An has no train station, so from Da Nang you finish with a 40-minute Grab south (around 350,000 VND).
Cabin classes, in descending comfort order:
4-berth soft sleeper with air conditioning. The default for most foreign travelers. Two upper bunks, two lower bunks, a lockable cabin. Around 1,200,000-1,800,000 VND one-way per berth, bedding included. The lower bunks are more comfortable but cost slightly more; book early to claim them.
6-berth hard sleeper. Three-tier bunks, narrower berths, less storage, no door. Around 700,000-1,000,000 VND. Fine if you sleep well anywhere.
Soft seat. A reclining airline-style seat in a shared carriage. Available, but not something you want for a 16-hour overnight run.
Booking: the Vietnam Railways official site is functional but clunky for foreign cards, so most travelers book through a third-party aggregator that sits on top of the official inventory. If you want to go deep on carriages, classes and which berth to pick, Seat 61 is the definitive reference for Vietnamese trains.
What to expect onboard: a meal trolley comes through a few times a day (skip it; the food is forgettable). Bring snacks, water, a power bank and earplugs. The toilets get rough by the 12-hour mark, and a sleep mask helps with the corridor lights that stay on most of the night.
One myth to kill: the train does not deliver the famous Hai Van Pass coastal views on this route. That spectacular cliff-hugging stretch is north of Da Nang, on the Da Nang-to-Hue leg - the road the Top Gear crew rode by motorbike. Coming up from Saigon you approach Da Nang from the south and never see it. The southern stretches have their own coastal moments, but if the Hai Van scenery is the point, fly to Da Nang and ride the short Da Nang-Hue train separately.
Option 3: Sleeper bus
Sleeper buses make the journey overnight in around 20-24 hours, depending on traffic. They cost roughly half what the train does.
Sinh Tourist is the long-running operator with the most consistent reviews and the best safety record. Fares start around 500,000-650,000 VND one-way, and - this is the key advantage - most Sinh runs continue past Da Nang to Hoi An directly, which the train cannot do.
Futa Bus is the larger national network, similarly priced, with more variability in vehicle quality between routes.
Look for the Sinh Tourist Hoi An-direct service: it saves you the Da Nang-to-Hoi An transfer leg you would otherwise tack onto the train.
What to expect: reclining bunk-style seats in two levels, three rows wide. Shoes off at boarding (plastic bags provided). Air conditioning, sometimes set aggressively. The driver stops every 4-5 hours for bathroom and food breaks. Vietnamese pop on the speakers; bring noise-cancelling headphones.
What you trade for the lower price: comfort and motion. The buses corner hard, which is grim if you are prone to motion sickness, and the bunks are sized for shorter Vietnamese passengers - a real problem if you are over six feet tall.
Option 4: Driving or a private car
Self-driving 900 km of Vietnamese highway as a visitor is not a serious option - long stretches of single-lane mountain road, and truck and motorbike traffic that runs all night. (You can legally drive in Vietnam on a 1968-Convention International Driving Permit, but that doesn't make this particular slog a good idea.)
The realistic version is hiring a private car with a driver. A few specialist operators run multi-day road trips covering the SGN-Hoi An stretch with stops at Mui Ne, Da Lat and Nha Trang along the way, which turns the transit into a 4-7 day trip. Expect USD 80-150 per day all-in for car, driver and fuel, hotels separate.
Worth considering if you are road-trip inclined and have the time. Skip it if you are just trying to get from A to B; the flight wins by a wide margin on every metric except cost-per-photo-stop.
Comparing the options
| Option | Cost (USD) | Time | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietjet flight + transfer | $40-65 | ~4 hours | Standard budget airline |
| Vietnam Airlines + transfer | $70-110 | ~4 hours | Full service |
| Sleeper train (4-berth soft) | $50-75 | 16-17 hours | Decent if you can sleep |
| Sleeper bus (Sinh Tourist) | $20-32 | 20-24 hours | Cramped, motion-heavy |
| Multi-day private car | $300-700+ | 4-7 days | Best when the road trip is the point |
The verdict: fly unless you have a reason not to. Sleeper train if you have the time and want the experience. Sleeper bus only if budget rules every other decision.
What to do once you arrive
Most visitors land in Da Nang and head straight to a hotel in the Old Town or out to An Bang Beach. If you arrive hungry rather than tired, the standard play is to drop bags and walk over to Bánh Mì Phượng for a 35,000 VND first meal. Not booked yet? Browse all accommodation options - Hoi An has more boutique hotels per square kilometre than any city its size in Vietnam.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An?
There is no direct fast route. You either fly from Saigon (SGN) to Da Nang (DAD) in 80 minutes and transfer the last 30 km to Hoi An, or take an overnight sleeper train (16-17 hours to Da Nang) or sleeper bus (20-24 hours, some running direct to Hoi An). Flying wins on both time and, often, total cost.
How long is the flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang?
About 80 minutes in the air. Door to door from Saigon to a Hoi An hotel, budget roughly 4 hours once you add the airport buffer and the 40-minute transfer from Da Nang.
Is there a direct train or bus from Saigon to Hoi An?
No train - Hoi An has no station, so trains run to Da Nang and you finish with a 40-minute transfer. Some sleeper buses (notably Sinh Tourist) do run direct to Hoi An, which is their main advantage over the train.
How much does it cost to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An?
Flights run from around USD 20 on sale to USD 90 on the full-service carrier, plus USD 14-25 for the transfer. The sleeper train is USD 50-75 for a soft-sleeper berth. The sleeper bus is the cheapest at USD 20-32.
Does the sleeper train cross the Hai Van Pass?
Not on this route. The famous Hai Van coastal stretch is north of Da Nang, on the Da Nang-to-Hue leg. Coming from Saigon you reach Da Nang from the south and miss it entirely. If you want that view, fly to Da Nang and take the short, scenic Da Nang-Hue train separately.
Related Hoi An guides
- How to Get to Hoi An - flights, trains, and the last 30km
- Things to Do in Hoi An - what is actually worth your time
- Where to Stay in Hoi An - which area suits your trip