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Vietnam Travel Guides

Twenty guides to Da Nang, Hoi An and the practical side of a Vietnam trip, written in Da Nang. Every price carries the date it was checked. Where we do not have a figure we can stand behind, we say so instead of copying one from somewhere else.

New to planning Vietnam? Start here →

Start with the plan

If you only read two things on this site, read these.

The Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills with the stone hands, in the early afternoon once the cloud had lifted

Itinerary

3 Days in Da Nang and Hoi An: A Day-by-Day Plan That Does Not Rush You

One substantial thing each morning, the afternoons left alone, and a gentle version written into every day.

11 min read

A shrine set between stone pillars inside one of the caves at the Marble Mountains, Da Nang

Planning

How Much Walking Is There Really on a Vietnam Trip?

The four things that actually decide the day, site by site — and eight questions to put to any operator, including us.

9 min read

Mai Tien Tan beside the Han River in Da Nang, with the Dragon Bridge behind, on a clear January afternoon

Planning

The Best Time to Visit Da Nang and Hoi An

Five guides give five different answers. Here is what the measured rainfall data shows, and what it does not.

8 min read

A brick path leading to the main gate of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, under old trees

Itinerary

Two Weeks in Vietnam: A Comfortable First-Trip Itinerary

Hanoi to Saigon in 14 days with two flights and an easy rhythm in each base. Travel times sourced and dated.

7 min read

Da Nang

The city, the hills beside it, and the mountain above it.

Mai Tien Tan at the summit viewpoint on Thuy Son at the Marble Mountains, with the other marble hills and Da Nang behind

Da Nang

Marble Mountains: the Stairs, the Lift and What You Actually See

Entry 40,000₫, lift 15,000₫ each way, checked 27 October 2026. The decision at the entrance, and what is really inside the caves.

9 min read

Mai Tien Tan under an umbrella at Ba Na Hills on a morning when cloud sat on the summit

Da Nang

Ba Na Hills in the Rain: What Is Still Worth Doing

The mountain makes its own weather. What survives the cloud, what does not, and how to decide whether to go up at all.

8 min read

The riverfront in Hoi An Ancient Town in the late afternoon, before the lanterns are lit

Practical

Da Nang to Hoi An: Every Way to Get There

About 30 km, forty to fifty minutes, five ways to do it — and the stop nobody mentions.

7 min read

The white Lady Buddha statue at Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula, seen from below against cloud

Da Nang

Son Tra and the Lady Buddha: Linh Ung Pagoda Guide

A 67-metre statue, free entry, about an hour. Getting there, what to wear, and the viewpoint roads that need a local check.

7 min read

The Meridian Gate of the Imperial City in Hue, with its yellow-tiled upper pavilion above a brick base and moat

Hue

Hue Day Trip from Da Nang: Getting There, Tickets, Walking

About twelve hours door to door. Road and train times, the 200,000₫ Imperial City ticket (checked 28 October 2026) and the walking.

8 min read

Hoi An

The old town, the river and the coconut forest east of it.

The gate of the Fujian Assembly Hall in Hoi An Ancient Town, one of the sites covered by the old town ticket

Hoi An

The Hoi An Old Town Ticket Explained

120,000₫ for five heritage sites. The rule on paper, the rule on the street, and which five to spend it on.

8 min read

Lanterns lit along a street in Hoi An Ancient Town at dusk

Hoi An

Hoi An at Night: Lanterns, the Night Market and the Boat

When the lanterns come on, how the evening runs hour by hour, and where the crowd is not.

8 min read

Round basket boats among the nipa palms in the Bay Mau coconut forest near Hoi An

Hoi An

The Basket Boat Ride: What It Is Actually Like

Entry 30,000₫, boat 150,000₫ for two. The loud version, the quiet version, and the two questions to ask first.

7 min read

Brick Cham temple towers among trees at the My Son Sanctuary near Hoi An

Hoi An

My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An: Tickets, Timing and Walking

A UNESCO site about 35 km from Hoi An. The 150,000₫ foreign ticket, 2026 price changes flagged, and why to leave early.

7 min read

Close-up of cao lau: thick noodles, slices of roast pork, crisp fried pieces and fresh greens

Hoi An

What to Eat in Hoi An: Cao Lau, Banh Mi, White Rose, Com Ga

How to order the four signature dishes, with careful food-safety notes citing the US CDC.

7 min read

Practical

The everyday mechanics that nobody puts in a brochure.

The Banh Mi Phuong shopfront in Hoi An on a January evening

Practical

Money in Vietnam: Cards, Cash, ATMs and the Note Trap

How much cash you really need, the arithmetic that works in your head, and the one banknote mistake almost everyone makes.

8 min read

Inside the international terminal at Da Nang Airport, with rows of seating, shops and a high white ceiling

Practical

Vietnam e-Visa for US Citizens: Fee, Validity, Official Site

25 USD single entry, 50 USD multiple, up to 90 days, checked 28 October 2026. The official site, and how not to pay a middleman.

8 min read

A tourist boat decorated with lanterns on the river at Hoi An, with old shophouses behind

Practical

Tipping in Vietnam: What Guides, Drivers and Waiters Expect

Optional and never added to the bill. The ranges published for guides, drivers and restaurants, and where the sources disagree.

7 min read

The Dragon Bridge in Da Nang lit in yellow, red and blue at night and reflected in the Han River

Practical

Tourist Scams in Da Nang and Hoi An and How to Avoid Them

Only the cases documented by news outlets and the authorities, from airport taxis to fake hotel pages, and how to avoid each.

8 min read

A street in Hoi An Ancient Town seen from a rooftop, above the tiled roofs

Start here

Planning Vietnam After 45: Six Things to Settle First

How long you need, how hard the days are, and whether you need a tour at all.

Guide

Carved stone figures on display beside the Marble Mountains, Da Nang

About

Who Writes This, and How to Check It

The licence number, the company registration, and how to verify every claim on this site for yourself.

About

Before you go

Health, insurance and what to put in the bag, with sources and dates.

The Han River in Da Nang at sunrise under a cloudy pink sky, seen from the Dragon Bridge

Planning

Vietnam Health and Travel Insurance for Travellers Over 50

What the CDC, Medicare and the US Embassy publish about Vietnam, with dates, and the questions to take to your own doctor and insurer.

8 min read

Rain falling on Tran Hung Dao street in Hoi An, seen from under an awning

Planning

What to Pack for Central Vietnam, Season by Season

Shoes for polished stone, a rain layer, one pagoda-ready outfit and a hat. The short list, with sources.

7 min read

Planning this trip yourself?

Ask us anything about the route, the pace or the timing. It goes straight to the office in Da Nang, not to a call centre — and if we are not the right company for your trip, we will tell you that too.