About the route from Da Nang to Can Tho
Da Nang sits on Vietnam’s central coast, while Can Tho lies far to the south in the Mekong Delta, roughly 700 kilometers apart as the crow flies and well over 1,000 by road. That distance makes flying the obvious way to travel from Da Nang to Can Tho: a direct flight takes about an hour and a half, against a full day or more by any overland route. There is no railway to Can Tho at all, since the train line stops in Ho Chi Minh City, so the ground options all mean a long haul by road. For almost everyone, the short flight is the answer. Da Nang, the starting point, is the main city of the central coast, covered in our Da Nang travel guide if you are still planning your time there.
Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta and the main base for exploring it. The big draw is the river life: the Cai Rang floating market, where boats trade fruit and vegetables at dawn, is the best known in the delta, and trips through the narrow canals and orchards are the reason most people come. The city itself is pleasant and low-key, with a riverside promenade and good local food, but it is the surrounding delta of water, rice, and villages that makes it worth the journey. Our Can Tho travel guide covers what to see and how to plan it.
Flying from Da Nang to Can Tho
With such a long distance to cover, flying is how nearly everyone makes this trip, and it is quick and simple. A direct flight takes about an hour and a half and drops you a short drive from central Can Tho, saving the better part of a day over any route by road.
How it works
Direct flights from Da Nang to Can Tho take around 1 hour 30 minutes, flown by VietJet Air and Vietnam Airlines. How often each runs is worth knowing, because the route is thin:
- VietJet Air: daily
- Vietnam Airlines: four days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday)
So on most days VietJet’s is the only non-stop, with a second choice on the days Vietnam Airlines also flies. They leave Da Nang Airport beside the city and land at Can Tho Airport, about 8 kilometers from the center. As on many of these routes, plenty of the results on booking sites are one-stop connections through Ho Chi Minh City that take five hours or more, so check you are booking a non-stop.
Prices and booking
Fares vary a lot with the date and airline. VietJet is usually the cheapest, sometimes from as little as around 700,000 VND (roughly $28), though the basic fare covers hand luggage only. Vietnam Airlines sits higher, from around 1,600,000 VND (roughly $64), with checked baggage included. Booking a few weeks ahead helps, especially as the direct flights are limited. You can book straight with the airlines or through platforms like 12Go and Traveloka, and our domestic flights guide explains the essentials of flying within Vietnam.
If you would rather not fly
Flying is really the sensible way to make this trip, but for travelers with time to spare and no wish to fly, it can be done overland, though it is a long undertaking rather than a quick transfer. The practical way to do it is in two stages. The first leg runs from Da Nang south to Ho Chi Minh City, either by an overnight train on the Reunification line or by bus, a journey of roughly 16 to 20 hours that our guide on getting from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City covers in detail.
The second leg is the shorter hop from Ho Chi Minh City into the delta, around four hours by bus or a more comfortable limousine van, since the railway does not run into the Mekong Delta. Our guide on traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta covers that stretch.
Broken into stages, with a night in Ho Chi Minh City along the way, this becomes a proper trip through the south rather than a grind. There are also direct buses that run the whole way from Da Nang to Can Tho, but at around 20 hours in one sitting they are a slog we would not recommend to anyone. Either way, overland only makes sense if the journey itself is part of the plan and you have the days for it. Otherwise, fly.
Conclusion: what is the best option for Da Nang to Can Tho
For nearly every traveler, the best option for Da Nang to Can Tho is the flight. A direct hop takes about an hour and a half, runs a couple of times most days, and leaves you close to the center of Can Tho and the delta beyond. Just be sure to pick a genuine non-stop rather than one of the long connecting flights that fill the search results.
The overland route, south to Ho Chi Minh City and then on into the delta, is worth it only if you have days to give it and want to see the country along the way. As a straightforward way of getting there, nothing comes close to the short flight.
