Central Vietnam Itinerary (4-Days Best of Central Vietnam)| Balukoo Travel

View of Lang Co Beach (right) from Hai Van Pass. (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary) — View of Lang Co Beach (right) from Hai Van Pass. This scene was featured in BBC’s motoring programme, Top Gear’s 2008 Vietnam Special. (Da Nang, Vietnam) (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary)

For those planning on a visit, we’ve designed a Central Vietnam itinerary (4-days) that will enable you to explore the best that this region has to offer. How do we know this is the perfect itinerary? Simply because this is the actual schedule of our Apr-2016 Central Vietnam trip!

Trust us. We wouldn’t have written this blog if we haven’t explored the area ourselves.

Mesmerising Central Vietnam

Though the narrowest stretch of the country, Central Vietnam is packed with plenty of historical, cultural and natural wonders. Traditionally overshadowed by the more well-known northern and southern regions of the beautiful country, Central Vietnam has grown into a firm tourist favourite in recent years.

From the mesmerising former imperial capital of Hue, to the historical old shipping town of Hoi An, and the scenic coastal city of Da Nang, Central Vietnam offers much for the adventurous visitor looking for an all-rounded experience. Visiting this region of the country has never been easier, with daily high frequency low cost flights (see VietJet) serving multiple airports in this region.

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Minh Mang's Tomb. (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary) — Minh Mang’s Tomb. Widely recognized as the most grandiose of all Nguyễn era royal tombs. (Hue, Central Vietnam) (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary)

Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary (4-Days)

Below is our suggestion for a Central Vietnam Itinerary for 4-days.

Day#0: Arrival at Hue

Most international flights into Vietnam lands at Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) or Hanoi, both of which has multiple daily flights to Hue.
Bookings for tomorrow: Once at Hue, proceed to any of the numerous local tour agents and book a next day tour package to Hue Citadel (Imperial City), Thiên Mụ Pagoda and the 3 imperial tombs (Minh Mang, Khai Dinh & Tu Duc).
- Reference: For our Apr-2016 trip, we paid VND600,000 for a 3-pax (VND200,000 x3) full day tour. Includes 5 attractions (Citadel + Pagoda + 3x tombs), driver only (not guide), in a good condition Toyota Vios. Entry fees to the attractions are NOT included.
- Entry fees Top Tip: The Citadel and the 3 imperial tombs require entry fees. Combo tickets (with saving of ~10%) of these 4 sites can be purchased at any of these sites. Be sure to purchase the combo tickets at the FIRST site that you visit.

Day#1: Hue (day tour; 8am to 5pm)

Hue Citadel: The former Imperial City of the Nguyễn Dynasties. [Images]
Thiên Mụ Pagoda: The tallest religious building in Vietnam. [Images]
Imperial Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang: Tomb of the second emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. [Images]
Imperial Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh (12th emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty) [Images]
Imperial Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc (4th emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty) [Images]

Ngo Mon Gate of Hue Imperial City. Vietnam.

Built in 1601, Thiên Mụ Pagoda has seven stories and is the tallest religious building in Vietnam.

Minh Mang’s Tomb. All monuments in the tomb are symmetric about an axis running the length of the tomb. (Hue, Central Vietnam)

Khai Dinh’s Tomb: located on the slopes of the steep Chau Chu Mountain. (Hue, Central Vietnam)

Tu Duc Tomb (Hue, Central Vietnam). Tu Duc (1829–1883) was the 4th emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty, reigning from 1847–1883.

Day#1: Hue (evening)

Hue Walking Street [Images]:
- Spend the evening at Hue’s popular night market along the Perfume River (opposite Hue Citadel).
Bookings for tomorrow: Make arrangements for tomorrow’s transportation from Hue to Hoi An. Depending on the number of pax in your entourage, it might be worthwhile to book a private transport (e.g. car/van) with a travel agent. Most travel agents will bundle the trip with stopovers at several attractions along the route (e.g. Lang Co Beach, Hai Van Pass, Marble Mountains, My Khe Beach). This is a good way to save on some time/expenses in visiting these attractions as compared to on your own.

Hue details: Click here for our detailed travel blog and visitor tips on Hue (including where to stay and the most convenient way to visit the attractions)

Engrossed artist at Hue Walking Street (Night Market). Hue, Central Vietnam. (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary) — Engrossed artist at Hue Walking Street (Night Market) (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary)

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Day#2: Journey from Hue to Hoi An (using private transport)

Lang Co Beach [Images]
Hai Van Pass [Images]:
- Scenic mountain pass separating north/south Vietnam. Shot to fame after being featured in BBC’s motoring show, Top Gear.
Marble Mountains [Images]:
- A cluster of five marble and limestone hills in Da Nang with numerous grottoes housing Buddhist and Hindu sanctuaries. Most tourist will only visit the largest of the five hills; Water Mountain.
Hoi An Ancient Town [Images]:
- Well-preserved ancient shipping town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reach Hoi An by mid afternoon and spend the rest of the day/evening exploring this gem.
- Stay over at one of the numerous hotels/B&B in the town.

Lang Co Beach (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary)

Lang Co Beach (right), as seen from Hai Van Pass. (Must See Places in Da Nang, Vietnam)

View from top of Hai Van Pass (Da Nang, Vietnam)

Lift at Water Mountain. Marble Mountains is a cluster of 5 marble/limestone hills in Da Nang. (Vietnam)

Japanese Covered Bridge, one of the main highlights of Hoi An Ancient Town. (Da Nang, Vietnam)

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Day#3: Journey from Hoi An to Da Nang

Hoi An Ancient Town: Start the day visiting yesterday’s unexplored parts of the town.
Journey from Hoi An to Da Nang by noon (30 minutes by car).
Da Nang: Check-in to one of the numerous hotels along Da Nang’s coastline. Then spend the rest of the afternoon by the sea at My Khe Beach.
My Khe Beach (China Beach) [Images]: Widely considered Vietnam’s most famous and picturesque beach.

My Khe Beach (Da Nang)(Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary) — My Khe Beach (Da Nang), considered Vietnam’s most picturesque beach. Much loved R&R location by American troops during the Vietnam War. (Best of Central Vietnam Itinerary)

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Day#4: Da Nang

Lady Buddha [Images]:
- The highest Lady Buddha statue in Vietnam, overlooking the South China Sea.
- The easiest way to reach Lady Buddha is via taxi. Get your hotel reception to make a booking and provide an estimate quote. Normally, the taxi driver will fetch you to Lady Buddha and wait while you tour the grounds; sending you back once you’re done. The rates are reasonable as you’ll only pay for the metered fare of the to/fro journey. (Do have a confirmation of this fare arrangement before the trip.)
Han Market:
- Ones of the largest and cheapest market in Da Nang.
Da Nang Cathedral:
- The only church in Da Nang.
- Han Market and Da Nang Cathedral are both located on the banks of the River Han and within walking distance to the Dragon Bridge.
Dragon Bridge (River Han) [Images]:
- Dragon shaped bridge that will spit out fire! Undisputed icon of Da Nang.
- The “fire breathing” only occurs on Saturdays and Sundays at 9pm, with the dragon head on the eastern end of the bridge.
End of Itinerary