Cycling in Hoi An & Da Nang
On this page you can find details of cycling routes around the Vietnamese cities of Hoi And and Da Nang. These routes are from part of a longer cycling trip that I did through South East Asia in the winter of 2022-23. Other destinations on the trip include Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin and Luang Prabang.
These were single center trips where I did numerous routes around the city, mostly on paved roads, but with some off-road sections. You can also check out a short cycling tour I did to Northern Vietnam in 2024, or read more general information about cycling in Vietnam.
Hoi An & Da Nang
Hoi An and Da Nang are the two most popular tourist destinations in Central Vietnam, although they are very different cities. Hoi An, is smaller and more charming, famed for its old town and varied architecture. Whereas Da Nang is a biggish city, with wide sandy beaches and large high rise hotels. I spent time in both and preferred the tranquility of Hoi An, although I enjoyed Da Nang as well, which had a lively and fun atmosphere.In terms of cycling, I found Hoi An to be far superior. I did a nice ride in Da Nang to the Son Tra peninsula, but otherwise it was difficult to get out of the city without riding for a long time on busy or charmless roads. Hoi An, by contrast is surrounded by a network of quiet roads through rice fields, vegetable fields and alongside waterways. It was easy to take back roads away from traffic and to visit interesting places outside of the city itself.
Below you can find out more about some of my favourite rides, as well as some information about what to expect riding in this area.
Hoi An Circle
Hoi An's old town is the main attraction for most tourists
This 50km circle is nice way to get to know the surroundings of Hoi An. The ride begins on concrete roads between rice fields and heads to Hoi An beach. From here, it rides through Tra Que vegetable village - which for some reason is considered a tourist attraction (I think for offering cooking classes), but from a cycling perspective was slightly underwhelming.
After around 14km, the ride passes through Hoi An's historic center. The narrow streets and historic bridge are too crowded for cycling, so it's better to explore them on foot.
Leaving Hoi An you quickly enter picturesque rice fields
After crossing the wooden motorbike bridge out of Hoi An the riding is on nice quiet lanes through villages and farmland. It's not a spectacular ride, but it does give you a glimpse into normal Vietnamese life away from the tourist center of the town.
The route almost exclusively follows quiet roads and is flat, making it a decent option for riders of all abilities.
Check out the full route in the link below:
Ride with Gps Route
My Son
My Son surrounded by jungle
This 100km ride to My Son is quite a challenging route, but also my favourite in the region. The first 17km out of Hoi An are mostly built up; the roads are pretty quiet but not the most scenic.
However, after crossing the CT01 highway, the landscape becomes much more interesting. The quiet, paved roads pass through rice fields and picturesque farmland. As you get further from Hoi An some hills start to appear. None of them are overly long or steep, but the scenery becomes more like jungle as you head towards the Thu Bon River.
The route from 35km to My Son (64km) is beautiful for cycling - with great scenery and interesting terrain.
This Hindu temple complex was mostly dedicated to the god Shiva
My Son is a must visit site near to Hoi An. It is an ancient Cham city, which was constructed between the 4th and 13th centuries. Many temples remain, particularly from the later period, dedicated mostly to the Hindu god Shiva.
Considering it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in a touristy area, I expected it to be busy. However, when I visited it was pretty quiet. I could explore the temples in peace and enjoy the serenity of such a spiritual, historic place.
Riding along some quiet, narrow roads
The return to Hoi An is initially on the main My Son road. This is quite built up and busy at first, but after crossing the CT-01 I took more scenic back roads to avoid the traffic. There were a couple of short off-road bits here, but you can easily avoid them if you want.
I was very pleased with this ride, and it was a great way to get to My Son. If you think it is too far to cycle, you could also do this route on a Scooter.
Check out the full route in the link below;
Ride with Gps Route
Duy Phuoc
Tra Que vegetable village was a little bit underwhelming
This route is similar to the Hoi An Circle listed above, but explores different roads around the Thu Bon River.
It is a flat route and is mostly paved, with just a couple of short tracks connecting different sections.
A short bit of singletrack between quiet lanes
There is not too much more to say about this route: it's a nice way to explore the surroundings of Hoi An, but not really a spectacular ride! Check it out in the link below:
Ride with Gps Route
Da Nang - Son Tra
This 40km ride to the Son Tra peninsula is the only one here for Da Nang. I did more riding around the city, but didn't really enjoy it due to the busy roads and not very interesting scenery.Son Tra was a great ride though. The route begins by following the beach north to the start of the Son Tra peninsula - there were a few cars here, but it was mostly pretty quiet.
Most roads in the Son Tra peninsula are very quiet
The road is rolling as it passes a picturesque viewpoint between Bai Da and Bai Xep beaches, and it soon arrives at the Intercontinental Hotel. There are lots of monkeys around here, but they didn't seem very interested in cyclists!
There are several roads you can take from the Intercontinental Hotel, although some of them are private and you may not be allowed through. I turned left and began the main climb of the route, up to the Ban Dao viewpoint. You can see this in the distance because there is a large radio mast on the top!
A view looking back towards Da Nang
I enjoyed the climb, although be aware that the gradients are very inconsistent with some steep sections! The road is paved, but not always in the best condition. Most of the climb is through the jungle, but there are some fantastic views at the top.
Nice coastal views
At 31km I tried to take the scenic side road back to the coast to return to Da Nang, but it was closed due to a landslide. I imagine it has reopened by now though, and would be a better option than the main QL14B highway that I took into the town.
Overall this was a very nice ride. The climbing was tough at times, but it was by far the best cycling route I could find in Da Nang. Click the link below for the full route:
Ride with Gps Route
Overview
Hoi An is a good area for cycle touring. The riding is mostly flat, although there is some elevation if you head far enough inland. Despite the lack of hills, however, there is a good variety of scenery - with beaches, rice fields and charming villages all easily reachable on quiet lanes.My Son is a great day trip for fans of history, and it is also worth spending at least one day walking around Hoi An itself and admiring the architecture.
Da Nang has a fantastic beach
Both of these cities are included on popular longer cycle touring itineraries - particularly the route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. A little to the north of Da Nang you can also ride the famous Hai Van pass - I was tempted by this but ultimately gave it a miss because I was concerned about the high volume of trucks on the road.
Overall, although I enjoyed the cycling here, I don't think it is as good as in Northern Vietnam around Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Mai Chau. Read more about the cycling tour I did to North Vietnam in 2024.
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