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Hoi An or Da Nang: where should I stay?
The short answer
Stay in Hoi An for the lantern-lit Ancient Town and its walkable heritage streets. Stay in Da Nang for the city beach, the airport inside the city and day trips to Ba Na Hills and the Son Tra peninsula. They are about 30 km apart, 40 to 50 minutes by car, so either works as a base.
Are Hoi An and Da Nang the same city now?
Since 1 July 2025, yes. Quang Nam province merged into Da Nang city, and the former Hoi An city became the wards of Hội An, Hội An Đông and Hội An Tây, plus Tân Hiệp commune on the Cham Islands.
The places have not moved: Hoi An's Ancient Town is still about 30 km south of central Da Nang, and the choice between them is still a choice between a heritage town and a beach city.
How do Hoi An and Da Nang compare as a base?
The table compares what matters for a stay of a few nights, from the sources listed below.
| Hoi An | Da Nang | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | UNESCO-listed Ancient Town, a trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, on the Thu Bon River | A coastal city with My Khe Beach, the Han River bridges and the Son Tra peninsula |
| Beaches | An Bang and Cua Dai, both eroded by late-2025 storms; an embankment project is due in 2026 | My Khe, running south from the Son Tra peninsula |
| From Da Nang airport | About 30 km, 40 to 50 minutes; Grab about 250,000 to 350,000 VND per car (Jungle Boss, October 2026) | The airport is inside the city |
| Evenings | Ancient Town pedestrian hours until 21:30 in summer and 21:00 in winter; a lantern night on the 14th day of each lunar month | Dragon Bridge fire and water show at 9pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays |
| Day trips | Cooking classes and river trips; the Cham Islands offshore | Ba Na Hills, the Marble Mountains and the Son Tra peninsula |
| Rain and floods | The riverside Ancient Town floods in heavy rain, as it did three times in October and November 2025 | Rainy season from September to December, per the city tourism portal |
When do storms and floods affect the choice?
Da Nang's tourism portal gives September to December as the rainy season, with storms from the East Sea towards the end of the year, and Vietnam's national forecasting centre says heavy rain on the central coast is concentrated in October and November.
In those months the Thu Bon River can flood Hoi An's Ancient Town: in 2025 it flooded three times in three weeks. If you travel then, book flexible rates and keep a spare day.
How do I travel between Hoi An and Da Nang?
Fares below are from Jungle Boss, a local tour operator, checked in October 2026, unless marked.
- Grab: 250,000 to 350,000 VND per car, about 40 to 50 minutes, up to 90 minutes in heavy rain.
- Taxi: 300,000 to 450,000 VND per car.
- Shared shuttle: 130,000 to 150,000 VND per seat.
- Public bus LK02: 35,000 VND.
- From Da Nang railway station, a taxi to Hoi An costs about 350,000 VND (Seat61).
So which should I choose?
Both towns work as a base for the other, as the transfer takes under an hour on a dry day.
- Hoi An, if evenings in the old town, cooking classes and a slower pace matter more than a big beach.
- Da Nang, if you want a city beach, an early flight, or day trips to Ba Na Hills and the Son Tra peninsula.
- Both, if you have four nights or more: split the stay and move once.
Questions people ask
How far is Hoi An from Da Nang airport?
About 30 km, which takes 40 to 50 minutes by car and up to 90 minutes in heavy rain. Jungle Boss, a local tour operator, listed Grab fares of 250,000 to 350,000 VND per car in October 2026, and shared shuttles at 130,000 to 150,000 VND a seat.
Do I need a ticket for Hoi An's Ancient Town?
Yes. The Hoi An Heritage Centre sells tickets at 80,000 or 120,000 VND, depending on how many sites you add, valid for up to three days; under-16s go free. Keep the ticket with you, as it also serves as your pass into the old town.
Are Hoi An's beaches affected by erosion?
Yes. Storms in late 2025 eroded Cua Dai, An Bang and Tan Thanh beaches, and Da Nang city ordered an emergency project worth about VND 498 billion, including a 2 km coastal embankment, due in 2026. Look at recent photos of your hotel's beach before booking.
Sources
Checked on by the Top Tours Vietnam editor. Rules and prices change: the sources below are where we checked them.
- Vietnam News, 12 June 2025: provinces and cities cut from 63 to 34 checked
- Resolution 1659/NQ-UBTVQH15: Da Nang wards and communes checked
- VOV, 29 June 2026: Hoi An, one heritage site and four local units checked
- UNESCO, Hoi An Ancient Town checked
- Hoi An Heritage Centre, 28 January 2026: ticket notice checked
- Da Nang tourism portal, 6 March 2026: Hoi An Ancient Town tickets and pedestrian hours checked
- Da Nang tourism portal: Hoi An Ancient Town and the lantern night checked
- Da Nang tourism portal: the Dragon Show checked
- Da Nang tourism portal: weather in Da Nang checked
- Thanh Tra, 14 September 2021: national forecasting centre on October and November rain checked
- vietnam.travel, Da Nang checked
- Tuoi Tre News, 25 April 2026: emergency embankment against erosion checked
- VnExpress International: Hoi An floods for the third time in three weeks checked
- Jungle Boss, Da Nang to Hoi An (fares checked October 2026) checked
- Seat61, Vietnam train guide checked
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