Private Hai Van Pass Motorbike Tour with Driver from Hoi An or Da Nang

The Marble Mountains and Linh Ung Pagoda

The Marble Mountains, or Ngu Hanh Son, are five limestone and marble hills rising from the flat coast between Da Nang and Hoi An, each named after one of the five elements. Stone stairways climb to pagodas, shrines and caves such as Huyen Khong, where shafts of sunlight fall on carved statues, and the viewpoints look out over the coast.

Your rider brings you here in the morning for about two hours; wear good shoes for the steps. On some routes you visit instead Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra peninsula, with its giant white statue of the Goddess of Mercy, known as Lady Buddha, looking over Da Nang's bay. On the way you pass Da Nang's Dragon Bridge over the Han River.

The Hai Van Pass

The Hai Van Pass, whose name means sea cloud pass, is a 21-kilometre road climbing to about 500 metres over a spur of the Truong Son mountains, where the mountains drop straight into the sea. For centuries it marked the border between the kingdoms of Champa and Dai Viet, and at the summit stand the Hai Van Gate fortifications of 1826 and old wartime bunkers.

Since a tunnel opened in 2005 for trucks, the pass is quiet and perfect for a Hai Van Pass motorbike tour. You stop at panoramic viewpoints for photos and a Vietnamese coffee overlooking the coast. The best time to ride the Hai Van Pass is from February to August, when the weather is drier and the views clearer.

Lang Co Beach and Lap An Lagoon

Lang Co is a fishing town on a long sandy spit between the sea and the calm waters of Lap An Lagoon, at the northern foot of the pass. Its pale beach and clear water make it one of the most beautiful beaches in central Vietnam, and the lagoon is known for its oyster farms and wooden fishing boats.

The tour stops at Lang Co Beach for about an hour for lunch, which is not included, and a rest by the sea, then continues along the lagoon shore for a look at village life and the fishing nets on the water. The lagoon is especially pretty in the late morning light.

Suoi Mo waterfall

Suoi Mo, the dream spring, is a stream that tumbles down the green hills near Lang Co into a series of clear natural pools surrounded by rocks and forest. Local families come here to cool off, and it is a peaceful place to swim far from the tourist crowds.

You have about an hour to swim or relax in the shade before the ride back. Bring swimwear, a towel and modest clothing to change into. On some routes the swim stop is at Nhi Ho waterfall instead. After the waterfall your rider takes you back over the Hai Van Pass to your hotel in Hoi An or Da Nang in the afternoon.

One-way routes between Hoi An, Da Nang and Hue

Many travellers use this ride as the most beautiful way to travel between Hoi An or Da Nang and the old imperial capital of Hue. The one-way options follow the same highlights: the Hai Van Pass, Lang Co Beach and a lagoon, with Tam Giang Lagoon or Nhi Ho waterfall on the Hue side.

Your luggage travels with you on the motorbike, up to one backpack or suitcase of about 100 litres, and you are dropped at your hotel or chosen address at the other end. It is a smart alternative to a car transfer if you want to know how to get from Hoi An to Hue while seeing the best of the coast on the way.