Short answer: pick one. Hue is about 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 30 from Chan May port by car. Hoi An is 1 hour 40 to 2 hours. If you try to do both in one port day, you spend close to 7 hours in a vehicle and see neither of them properly.
This is the question we get most from guests whose ship stops at Chan May. Here is how we help people decide.
First, the port itself
Chan May is a small, working port between Hue and Da Nang. There is no terminal building, no ATM and no public wifi. A few stalls on the quay sell drinks and coffee. If you go out on your own, the gate where taxis wait is about 750 m from the ship, on a flat road with no shade. Bring a hat, and get some Vietnamese dong before you sail, because many small shops don't take cards.
If you book a tour with us, the guide and driver meet you at the pier, so you don't have to walk to the gate.
Go to Hue if you like history
Hue was the capital of the Nguyen kings until 1945. A normal Hue day from Chan May with us takes about 8 hours and looks like this:
- Drive to Hue, about 1.5 hours.
- The Imperial City (the Citadel): walls, gates and what is left of the Forbidden Purple City. It is big, so there is a lot of walking.
- Thien Mu Pagoda, the seven-storey tower on the Perfume River.
- A boat ride on the Perfume River.
- Lunch at a local restaurant in Hue.
- One royal tomb in the afternoon, for example Minh Mang or Tu Duc.
- If there is time, a short stop at Dong Ba Market. Then back to the ship.
See the Hue Citadel and Perfume River tour.
Go to Hoi An if you like walking, food and shopping
Hoi An is an old trading town with small streets, old merchant houses and a lot of tailor shops. A Hoi An day usually includes the Japanese Covered Bridge, one or two assembly halls (like the Fujian Assembly Hall), lunch, and a boat ride on the Thu Bon River. If you want clothes made, the town is famous for it, but for a one-day stop pick something simple, because the tailor needs time.
It works from Chan May, but the drive is long. Hoi An is much easier if your ship docks at Tien Sa in Da Nang, only about 45 minutes away.
See the Hoi An Ancient Town tour.
Two quieter options near Hue
- Hue village tour with a cooking class: about 30 minutes by bike through rice fields to the old Thanh Toan tile bridge, a fishing boat on the river, then you cook Hue dishes with a local family and eat them.
- Hue by bike and the royal tombs: country lanes, three royal tombs and a ferry over the river. Good if you are fit. Not good if you want air-con all day.
Short call? Don't push for Hue
If your ship is in port for less than 7 hours, Hue and Hoi An are both too far. Stay closer: Da Nang is about an hour away, or the Lang Co lagoon area is even nearer.
Weather and the Hai Van Pass
Central Vietnam gets a lot of rain from October to December, so bring a light rain jacket. Some drivers take the Hai Van Pass for the view. It adds about 30 minutes compared with the tunnel, and in rain or sea fog you don't see much. We check the weather in the morning and tell you honestly if it is worth it.
Getting back to the ship
Our rule is to have you back at the pier at least 60 minutes before all-aboard. On a long drive day like Hue, that means we keep an eye on the clock all day and cut the less important stop if traffic is slow.
Not sure which to pick? Send us your ship name, date and hours in port on WhatsApp (+84 986 430 302) or by email (info@365aplustravel.com). We will tell you what fits, even if the answer is "stay closer to the port".
