Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
The length of Vietnam
The whole line, mostly in daylight
The Reunification line runs 1,726 kilometres from Saigon to Hanoi. The through trains take a day and a half and cross the best scenery at night. Our version breaks the journey into four daytime legs and one overnight, with two or three nights at each stop.
Overview
What the train is really like
It is a single-track, metre-gauge railway built in the French period and finished in 1936, and it behaves like one. Trains wait in loops for others to pass, average speeds are modest and delays of thirty minutes to an hour on the long legs are normal. The soft seats are reclining and air-conditioned; the sleeper cabins have four berths, clean bedding and a door that locks. Toilets are basic, the food trolley is cheerful and not good, and we pack you a proper lunch.
What the train gives you is the country between the famous places: salt pans and dragon fruit farms south of Nha Trang, the lagoons and fishing coves north of Quy Nhon, and the stretch over the Hai Van pass between Da Nang and Hue, where the line runs along cliffs above the sea. That last section is one of the great train rides in Asia, and it lasts about three hours.
- Length
- 15 days, 14 nights
- Rail legs
- Five, four by day
- Longest leg
- Hue–Hanoi, about 13 hours overnight
- Class
- Soft seat by day, 4-berth sleeper at night
- Flights
- None
- Pace
- Slow, and meant to be
Nights
Where you sleep
The trains
The five legs, honestly timed
| Leg | Timetable | What to expect | Why it is good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saigon – Nha Trang | 7–8 hours | Often 30–60 minutes late | Dragon fruit farms and the dry coast |
| Nha Trang – Dieu Tri (Quy Nhon) | About 4 hours | Usually close to time | Lagoons and the coast road |
| Dieu Tri – Da Nang | 5–6 hours | Can run late | Rice plains, then the sea |
| Da Nang – Hue | 2.5–3 hours | Rarely much late | The Hai Van cliffs, the best section |
| Hue – Hanoi | About 13 hours overnight | Morning arrival, sometimes later | A night on the rails |
Timetables change several times a year and we confirm the actual trains when we book. The figures above are for the faster through trains; we do not use the slow stopping services.
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Saigon
A street dinner
Pick-up, and a short walk in the evening.
Day 2
Saigon
The palace
A morning with the guide: the Independence Palace, the post office and the War Remnants Museum. Afternoon free.
Day 3
Train to Nha Trang
The first view of the sea
An early departure, around 06:00 on current timetables, and seven to eight hours north through the dry south-central coast. Met at the station and taken to the hotel.
Day 4
Nha Trang
Clear water off the islands
A morning boat to the islands in the bay, or the Cham towers at Po Nagar and a mud bath. Afternoon free.
Day 5
Train to Quy Nhon
The lagoons from the window
About four hours north to Dieu Tri, fifteen minutes from Quy Nhon. An afternoon on the beach.
Day 6
The quiet coast
Banh It towers, usually empty
Fishing coves and the Cham towers at Banh It with a local guide. Grilled fish on the harbour at night.
Day 7
Train to Da Nang, on to Hoi An
The coast after Tam Ky
Five to six hours north to Da Nang, then forty-five minutes by car to Hoi An.
Day 8
Hoi An old town
The streets before the coaches arrive
The old town at 07:00 with the guide, and the rest of the day free.
Day 9
Free in Hoi An
A day without a timetable
Bicycles, the beach at An Bang, or My Son if you want it (not included, easily arranged).
Day 10
Over the Hai Van by rail
The cliffs above the sea
Forty-five minutes to Da Nang station, and the scenic stretch to Hue: about two and a half to three hours, sitting on the right-hand side facing north for the sea.
Day 11
Hue
Tu Duc’s tomb
The citadel and two tombs with our partner guide in Hue.
Day 12
Hue, then the night train
Falling asleep to the rails
A free day, keeping the room until late afternoon where we can, and then the overnight train north in a four-berth soft sleeper. We book all four berths if there are two of you and you want privacy; it costs more.
Day 13
Arrive in Hanoi
Pho after a night on the train
Arrival in the morning, usually early. Breakfast and a rest at the hotel; the Old Quarter in the afternoon.
Day 14
Hanoi
The end of the line, in Hanoi
The Temple of Literature and the Museum of Ethnology, or the street where the trains pass between houses.
Day 15
Departure
1,726 kilometres behind you
Transfer to Noi Bai.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 1795 | from 2245 | from 3410 |
| 4 travelling | from 1470 | from 1840 | from 2795 |
| 6 travelling | from 1330 | from 1660 | from 2525 |
Rail tickets are cheap; the price is mostly hotels and the guides and cars at each stop. Booking all four sleeper berths for two people adds a modest amount. Tet is the one time we cannot promise seats, since the whole country travels by train that week.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- All five train tickets in soft seat or four-berth soft sleeper
- Station transfers at every stop and a car for the guided days
- Guides in Saigon (ours) and in Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi (local partners)
- Fourteen nights, including one on the train
- Packed lunches on the long legs, meals as listed and entrance fees
What it does not include
- International flights and visas
- Travel insurance
- Drinks, tips and meals not listed
- Exclusive use of a sleeper cabin, unless you ask for it
Timing
The months for the coastal line
● ideal · ◐ workable · ○ poor.
Most of this route runs along the central coast, so the central calendar decides it. February to May is best: dry, clear windows and a calm sea at Nha Trang and Quy Nhon. June to August is hot but workable, and Hanoi is humid at the end. From October to December heavy rain and floods hit the coast, and floods can suspend services on the central section for a day or more; we would not book the train then.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
Anyone with tight connections at either end or a fixed dinner reservation on arrival day: these trains run late. People who need a private bathroom at all times, or who cannot manage the step up into a carriage with luggage. We help with bags, but the platforms are low. And travellers who mainly want to see the north: this route gives Hanoi two nights and no bay or mountains. It is about the journey more than the destinations.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is the night train safe?
Yes. Keep valuables with you in the berth, as on any sleeper. The soft-sleeper carriages are quiet and staffed.
Can we skip the night train and fly the last leg?
Yes. Hue to Hanoi is just over an hour by air, and you gain a night in a hotel. Many people do the scenic Hai Van section and then fly.
Why not the famous luxury train carriages?
Some trains carry privately run premium carriages, and we can book them where they run on your dates. They change the comfort, not the timetable.
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Example journey
The coast by train
The coastal railway from Dong Hoi to Quy Nhon, four stops.
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Tours
Tours
Day trips, regional routes and full-length itineraries.
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Start planning
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Or talk to us:+84 766 045 399