Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Central Vietnam
Four stops down the coastal line
Dong Hoi to Quy Nhon on the railway that follows the coast, with a car waiting at every station and no long drives at all.
Overview
Why the train
The North–South railway hugs the coast through much of central Vietnam, and the stretch between Dong Hoi and Quy Nhon is its best. The line crosses rivers on long iron bridges, runs past lagoons and fishing villages, and between Hue and Da Nang it climbs around the headland beside the Hai Van pass with the sea directly below the window.
It is not fast. What it gives you instead is the landscape, room to move, and no long drives: every stop on this trip is less than an hour by car from its station. You travel in air-conditioned soft seats or in a sleeper berth used by day, which gives you a compartment to spread out in; we book whichever the timetable and your preference suit.
Timetables change a few times a year. We confirm the exact trains when you book, and a driver meets every arrival.
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start
- Dong Hoi
- Finish
- Quy Nhon
- Trains
- Three legs, about 11 hours in total
- Longest drive
- About 45 minutes
- Best months
- February to May
Nights
Where you sleep
Five nights, four beds. The two nights in Hoi An are the rest stop in the middle; everywhere else is one night, which is the trade-off of seeing four places in six days.
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Dong Hoi and the river cave
Arrive in Dong Hoi by air or on the overnight train from Hanoi. Your driver takes you forty-five minutes west to Phong Nha village. In the afternoon a local boat carries you up the Son river and into Phong Nha cave, where the boat is paddled along the underground river under lit formations.
Day 2
Paradise cave, then the first train south
Leave at 07:30 for Paradise cave as it opens: an electric cart, around five hundred steps and a kilometre of boardwalk into a chamber of astonishing size. After lunch, your driver returns you to Dong Hoi for an afternoon train to Hue, a ride of about three hours past the dunes and rice of Quang Tri. A car meets you in Hue.
Day 3
The citadel, and the train over the headland
The sea below the train around Hai Van
A 07:30 start with a guide in the citadel, before the heat, and a short visit to Thien Mu pagoda. Around midday you board the train to Da Nang, the most beautiful leg of the line: about two and a half to three hours, most of it with the sea on the left-hand side. Your driver meets you in Da Nang for the forty-five-minute run to Hoi An.
Day 4
A day in Hoi An
No trains, no car. Walk the old town at 06:30 while it is still quiet, take the hotel bicycles out to the rice fields or the beach, and come back after dark for the lanterns on the river.
Day 5
The long leg to Quy Nhon
Your driver takes you to Da Nang station for a morning train south. This is the longest ride of the trip, roughly five and a half to six hours to Dieu Tri, the station for Quy Nhon, through Quang Ngai and the rice country of Binh Dinh. Bring a book and lunch, or buy from the trolley. A car meets you at Dieu Tri for the twenty-minute drive to the bay.
Day 6
Quy Nhon, and away
A morning at the Twin towers and the fish harbour, or on the beach. Transfer to Phu Cat airport, about forty-five minutes, for your flight onward.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 885 | from 1105 | from 1680 |
| 4 travelling | from 725 | from 905 | from 1380 |
| 6 travelling | from 655 | from 820 | from 1245 |
Train fares are modest; what you pay for is a car and driver waiting at each of four stations, guides at Phong Nha and in Hue, and five nights in four places. Upgrading every leg to a sleeper compartment used by day costs a little more and is worth it for four people.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Five nights at your chosen tier, with breakfast
- Train tickets Dong Hoi–Hue, Hue–Da Nang and Da Nang–Dieu Tri
- Private car and driver at every station and for every transfer
- Local guides at Phong Nha and in Hue
- The Phong Nha boat and Paradise cave entry
- Lunches on days 1 and 2
What it does not include
- Flights to Dong Hoi and from Quy Nhon
- Other meals and drinks, including on trains
- Visas, insurance and tips
Practical
Luggage, timetables and the weather
Trains in Vietnam leave on time more often than people expect, but they can run late, especially on the long southern leg. We build slack around every connection and do not book a flight from Quy Nhon on the evening of day 5. Keep luggage manageable: you carry it on and off four times, and a medium suitcase and a daypack each is the practical limit.
The best months are February to May. The central coast’s storm and flood season runs from September to December, and the railway is occasionally cut by floods in October and November; if that happens we switch the leg to a car.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
One night in Phong Nha and one in Hue is quick, and anyone who wants depth in either should book a slower trip or add nights. If you travel with a lot of luggage, or with small children who will not sit for six hours, the long leg to Quy Nhon will test you; a flight from Da Nang is the alternative. And if timetables make you anxious, this is not a relaxing way to travel.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Which class do we travel in?
Air-conditioned soft seats as standard, or a four-berth sleeper compartment used by day if you prefer, which gives a group of four a private space.
Can we start in Hanoi by overnight train?
Yes. The overnight train from Hanoi reaches Dong Hoi early in the morning, and day 1 works well from it.
Is there food on the trains?
A trolley passes with simple rice dishes, snacks and drinks. On the long leg we suggest buying a picnic in Hoi An.
Related
Read next
Central Vietnam
Phong Nha
Caves, permits and the honest comparison between them.
View this journey
Central Vietnam
Hue
Citadel, royal tombs, and Vietnam’s most particular cuisine.
View this journey
Central Vietnam
Hoi An
Old town, beach, tailors and the honest timing.
View this journey
Central Vietnam
Quy Nhon
Beaches and Cham towers without the crowds.
View this journey
Example journey
Quy Nhon coast
Coves, Cham towers and fishing harbours at Quy Nhon.
View this journey
Tours
Tours
Day trips, regional routes and full-length itineraries.
View this journey
Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.
Or talk to us:+84 766 045 399