About the route from Hoi An to Hanoi
Hoi An sits on the central coast and Hanoi far to the north, around 800 kilometers apart by road. Hoi An is a small town with no airport or train station, so both the flight and the train run through Da Nang, its bigger neighbor 30 kilometers up the coast. The fastest way to travel from Hoi An to Hanoi is to transfer to Da Nang and fly, a matter of a few hours, while the overland routes take most of a day or more. Which fits you comes down to your budget and how you feel about a long haul north. Hoi An, the starting point, is one of the most loved towns in the country, covered in our Hoi An travel guide if you are still planning your days there.
Hanoi is the capital and the cultural center of the north, an older, denser, more atmospheric city than anywhere in the south. Its heart is the Old Quarter, a maze of narrow trading streets best walked slowly, with regular stops for coffee and street food, and around it sit tree-lined lakes and weathered French buildings. Hanoi is also the base for the north’s big trips, from a Halong Bay cruise to the mountains of Sapa and the loops around Ha Giang. Our Hanoi travel guide covers what is worth your time.
Tip: See the whole route on a guided tour with Local Vietnam
Rather than treat this as a transfer to get through, you can travel the corridor properly on our 6-day guided tour between Hoi An and Hanoi, taking in Hue, the Phong Nha caves, the DMZ war sites, and Ninh Binh on the way north, with every transfer, private guide, and overnight arranged for you. It is usually sold from Hanoi down to Hoi An, but runs the other way on request, so it fits this northbound trip just as well.
Option 1: By flight, via Da Nang
Why choose the flight
Flying is far and away the quickest way to reach Hanoi from Hoi An, turning a long overland haul into a short trip. Since Hoi An has no airport, you fly from Da Nang, half an hour up the road, on one of the busiest domestic routes in the country. With flights all day and low fares, it is the obvious choice for almost everyone.
How it works
You first transfer the 30 kilometers from Hoi An to Da Nang Airport, a drive of about 45 minutes, then fly to Noi Bai Airport, around 45 minutes to an hour outside Hanoi. The flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, and this is a high-frequency route with departures roughly every hour, flown by Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, and Sun PhuQuoc Airways among others. Booked ahead, fares often start around 700,000 to 1,100,000 VND (roughly $28 to $44), with the cheapest tickets covering hand luggage only. Our guide on getting from Hoi An to Da Nang covers the first transfer, and our domestic flights guide the rest.
Who it is for
The flight suits almost everyone, with so many departures and cheap fares. Even once you add the transfer to Da Nang and the drive in from Hanoi’s out-of-town airport, it beats any overland route by many hours. Travelers who would rather go slowly, or on the tightest budget, have the two options below.
Option 2: By train, via Da Nang
Why choose the train
The train is the more comfortable overland option, and this stretch comes with a scenic bonus. Like the flight, it starts with a transfer to Da Nang, since Hoi An has no station, then climbs straight over the Hai Van Pass, the coastal cliffs between Da Nang and Hue that are among the finest rail views in the country. The catch is the length: from Da Nang it is still 16 to 17 hours to Hanoi, so ridden in one go it is a long night. The better way is to break it up, stopping at the towns below.
How it works
After the short transfer to Da Nang, trains leave Da Nang Railway Station and run north to Hanoi Railway Station in around 16 to 17 hours, mostly overnight. Classes range from a soft seat to a four-berth soft sleeper, plus private carriages run by companies like Lotus Train and Livitrans, and for the distance a berth is well worth it, from around 1,100,000 VND (roughly $45). For the Hai Van scenery, take a daytime departure, as the overnight trains cross the pass in the dark; sit on the right heading north. Foreign travelers book on 12Go, Baolau, or Vexere. Our train travel guide explains the classes.
Who it is for
The train suits travelers who would rather not fly and want the overland trip to be comfortable, especially those planning to break it at Hue or Phong Nha rather than ride it straight through. It is a genuine highlight in stages. If you need to arrive fast, fly.
Option 3: By bus
Why we don’t really recommend it
The bus is the cheapest way to Hanoi, but it is a long, hard trip we would only suggest for travelers on an extreme budget. Many services are not even direct, running via Da Nang with a change, and the journey takes anywhere from 17 hours to well over a day. For a similar time the train is far more comfortable, and a cheap flight is not much more expensive once you count the hours saved.
How it works
Direct and connecting buses run from Hoi An to Hanoi, taking around 17 to 19 hours on a direct sleeper, and longer with a change in Da Nang. They are sleeper and cabin buses, with fares from around 500,000 to 1,100,000 VND (roughly $20 to $44) depending on the service. Operators include G8 Sapa Open Tour and HK Buslines, bookable on 12Go or Vexere. Keep your valuables with you on the overnight run. Our bus travel guide covers the coach types.
Who it is for
The bus makes sense only for travelers counting every dong who cannot stretch to the train or a flight. For nearly everyone else, the train is a far better way to travel overland, and the flight far quicker. On this route, the bus is the one to avoid if you can.
Stops to add on the way to Hanoi
This is a long route, so rather than push through in one go, it is well worth breaking the journey. Two of central Vietnam’s best places sit right on the way north, both reachable by the same trains and buses. Heading up from Hoi An, you reach them in this order.
Hue
Hue is the first, just a couple of hours north of Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass, which makes it an easy first stop. The former imperial capital, it is built around a huge walled citadel, with the tombs of the Nguyen emperors set along the Perfume River and a slower, more historic feel than the beach towns. A day or two covers the highlights. Our Hue travel guide has the detail.
Phong Nha
Further north lies Phong Nha, one of the most remarkable and least crowded parts of the country. It is a national park of thick jungle and vast limestone mountains, riddled with caves, including Son Doong, the largest cave in the world, and many smaller ones open to ordinary visitors. For anyone who loves nature and adventure, it is a destination in its own right. If you are traveling by train, note that Phong Nha has no station of its own, so you get off at Dong Hoi, around 45 minutes away by road. There is more in our Phong Nha travel guide.
Conclusion: what is the best option for Hoi An to Hanoi
The best way from Hoi An to Hanoi comes down to your time and budget.
Fly via Da Nang for the quickest trip, a short transfer up to Da Nang and then a flight of around 1 hour 20 minutes on a cheap, frequent route. It is the sensible choice for almost everyone.
Take the train for the best overland option, comfortable and scenic over the Hai Van Pass, though on this route it is really worth breaking into stages rather than riding straight through.
Take the bus only if you are on an extreme budget, since it is long, often not direct, and hard to recommend over the train.
And whichever you choose, think about stopping at Hue or Phong Nha on the way. Both sit right on the route north, and both reward far more than a quick pass-through.
