
Quick answer: Land at Da Nang Airport by 10:00 AM. Stop at Linh Ung Pagoda (45 min, free) and Marble Mountains (90 min, 40,000 VND). Arrive Hoi An by 3:00–4:00 PM for hotel check-in. Evening walk of the Ancient Town from 6:00 PM — your first day is already exceptional.
สนามบินสนามบินนานาชาติดานัง (DAD) · 16.0440°N, 108.1993°E
Stop 1Linh Ung Pagoda · Son Tra · 15–20 min from airport · free
Stop 2Marble Mountains · 40,000 VND · directly on route to Hoi An
Arrive Hoi An3:00–4:00 PM with both stops · 1:00 PM if direct
Works if you land by10:00–11:00 AM for both stops comfortably
Bookdanangtohoian.com/airport-transfer · WhatsApp +84 905 989 702
Step 1 — At Da Nang Airport (first 30–50 min)

📱 Get a SIM first
Viettel, Vinaphone, or Mobifone counters are in the arrivals hall. A 7-day tourist SIM with data costs 100,000–200,000 VND. Buy it before exiting — you need it for Google Maps, WhatsApp, and Grab within Hoi An. If your Minh Vu Travel driver is waiting inside, skip the queue and buy it at your hotel later.💵 Withdraw cash
ATMs are in the arrivals hall. Withdraw 2,000,000–3,000,000 VND for your first day — entry tickets, food, tuk-tuks in Hoi An, and tips are all cash-preferred. Small denominations (20,000 and 50,000 VND notes) are more useful than large ones at most street-level transactions.🙋 Where your driver waits
Minh Vu Travel drivers wait inside the arrivals hall past the customs exit with a name board showing your group name. You do not need to navigate to a ride-hail zone or taxi rank. Walk out, see your name, and the car is in the adjacent car park. Total time from exit to car: 3–5 minutes.🧳 Luggage in the car
For a first-day route with stops, your luggage stays in the car throughout. The driver keeps the vehicle while you visit each attraction — your bags are secure, you carry only a daypack or small bag. This is one of the practical advantages of a private car with a waiting driver versus any other transport option.Stop 1 — Linh Ung Pagoda, Son Tra Peninsula

🙏 What you see
The Lady Buddha (Quan Am) statue at 67m is the first landmark visible from the sea for vessels entering Da Nang Bay. The pagoda complex includes multiple halls, gate structures with elaborate stone and ceramic tilework, bonsai gardens, and the base of the statue with interior shrines. A working religious site — monks resident, incense burning throughout.⏱ Time and logistics
30–45 minutes is sufficient for the full complex. The car park is free. No entry fee. Modest dress required — shoulders and knees covered. Scarves and light layers are available to borrow at the entrance if needed. The driver parks and waits; you explore on foot.📷 Photography
The statue and the pagoda gates photograph well from multiple angles. Morning light (10:00–11:00 AM) comes from the east, illuminating the ocean-facing facade of the complex directly. The view back from the statue base toward the pagoda buildings and then to the bay beyond is the strongest compositional sequence.🌿 Son Tra Peninsula
Linh Ung sits within Son Tra Nature Reserve — a protected forest peninsula with red-shanked douc langurs (a critically endangered primate) visible in the canopy near the road in the early morning. The drive up to the pagoda through the forest is itself worth doing at this hour. Ask your driver to take the scenic upper road if time allows.
Stop 2 — Marble Mountains

รายการCostหมายเหตุ
Main entry (Thuy Son)สี่หมื่นบาทCaves, pagodas, viewpoints
Elevator (1 way)15,000 บาทSkips 108 stone steps · recommended on arrival day
Am Phu Cave (Hell Cave)20,000 บาทSeparate ticket · optional
Children under 10FreeMain entry only

🕌 Huyen Khong Cave — the must-see
The main cave on Thuy Son — a vast natural chamber with a Buddhist altar illuminated by a dramatic shaft of natural light falling from a hole in the cave roof. The light quality is best between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM when the sun angle aligns with the opening. The cave also contains a wartime bomb crater and memorial — a reminder of the area's 20th-century history.⛩ Tam Thai and Linh Ung Pagodas
Two pagodas within the Marble Mountains complex — distinct from the Son Tra Linh Ung but sharing the same deity dedication. Tam Thai Pagoda dates from 1825 and sits in the open air between cave entrances. Linh Ung Pagoda (Marble Mountains version) is partially built into a cave, with its back wall the cave rock itself.🌊 Summit viewpoint
The highest accessible point on Thuy Son gives a panoramic view over Da Nang Bay to the north and Non Nuoc Beach (the sculptors' district directly below) to the south. On a clear day you can see the Son Tra Peninsula in one direction and the beginning of the coastal road to Hoi An in the other. 10 minutes at this point gives context to the whole region's geography.⏱ Time needed
90 minutes covers the main highlights: elevator up, Huyen Khong Cave, Tam Thai Pagoda, summit viewpoint, elevator down. 60 minutes is the minimum if you are on a tight schedule. On your arrival day with luggage in the car, 90 minutes is comfortable without rushing.
The coastal road south to Hoi An

Arriving in Hoi An

🏨 Hotel check-in
Standard check-in is 2:00–3:00 PM at most Hoi An hotels. If you arrive earlier (before 2:00 PM), bag storage is almost always available while you wait. If your room is ready on early arrival, you can check in immediately. The driver delivers you to the hotel entrance, unloads luggage, and the transfer is complete.😴 The midday rest
2:30–5:30 PM on the first day is naturally the rest window — peak heat, post-travel fatigue, and the hotel room is available. An hour or two horizontal before the evening is the most practical use of this time. The Ancient Town is at its best after 5:30 PM; energy management before that hour pays off.Hoi An evening — your best first impression of the Ancient Town
The Ancient Town after 6:00 PM on your first evening does not require a plan. Walk out of your hotel, find the Hoai River, and follow it west toward the Japanese Covered Bridge. The paper lanterns are lit, the yellow ochre walls glow, the riverside restaurants are filling up. Nothing about this requires guidance — it requires only being there.
First evening — suggested sequenceเวลา
Walk to Hoai River and the lantern lanes6:00–7:00 PM
Dinner at a riverside restaurant — Cao Lau or White Rose7:00–8:30 PM
Hoai River lantern boat ride (50,000–100,000 VND)8:30–9:15 PM
Float a paper lantern on the river (10,000–20,000 VND)During boat ride
Do not buy the Ancient Town ticket tonight. Save your 120,000 VND ticket for Day 2 morning — specifically for the Japanese Covered Bridge before 8:00 AM, when the light is right and the crowds have not arrived. The evening walk, the river, and the lanterns are all outside the ticket zone. Tonight is free.
First day itinerary by airport landing time
Land atเส้นทางArrive Hoi An by
⭐ Before 10:00 AM
Airport → Linh Ung Pagoda → Marble Mountains → Hoi An
3:00–4:00 PM ✅
10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Airport → Marble Mountains → Hoi An (skip Linh Ung)
3:00–3:30 PM ✅
12:00 PM–2:00 PM
Airport → Marble Mountains (quick 60 min) → Hoi An
4:00–5:00 PM ✅
After 3:00 PM
Airport → Hoi An direct · save stops for Day 2
4:30–5:30 PM · evening still free ✅
After 9:00 PM
Airport → Hoi An direct · pre-book private car
10:30–11:00 PM · Grab unreliable late night
Why this first-day route only works with a private car
The Linh Ung Pagoda + Marble Mountains + Hoi An combination on an arrival day requires one thing that Grab, taxis, and shuttles cannot provide: a driver who waits at each stop with your luggage in the car.- Grab: you request a new Grab at each location. Linh Ung Pagoda is on a mountain peninsula with low Grab supply. Marble Mountains is a tourist car park — Grab works, but each new booking adds wait time and uncertainty. Your luggage stays in the car, but the car changes each time.
- Shuttle bus: fixed route, fixed stops. No Linh Ung, no flexibility on Marble Mountains time, drop-off at a central point in Hoi An rather than your specific hotel.
- รถยนต์ส่วนตัว: your driver picks you up at the arrivals hall, drives to Linh Ung (waits in the car park), drives to Marble Mountains (waits), drives to your hotel (helps unload). Fixed price agreed before the airport. Your luggage is secure throughout. One vehicle, one driver, everything covered.
Book via danangtohoian.com/airport-transfer or WhatsApp +84 905 989 702. Share your flight number, arrival time, and which stops you want — Linh Ung, Marble Mountains, or both. The driver confirms the route and the price before your flight.
คำถามที่พบบ่อย
คำถามที่พบบ่อย
Two excellent stops: Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula (16.1036°N, 108.2820°E — 15–20 min from airport, free, 67m Lady Buddha statue) and the Marble Mountains (15.9729°N, 108.2592°E — 40,000 VND entry, Buddhist caves, pagodas, panoramic views). Both are on or very close to the direct route from the airport to Hoi An and fit comfortably into a morning/midday arrival day.
With both Linh Ung Pagoda (45 min visit) and Marble Mountains (90 min visit): approximately 4–5 hours from airport exit to Hoi An hotel. A 10:00 AM airport arrival gets you to Hoi An by 3:00–4:00 PM. Without stops: 45–55 minutes. With just Marble Mountains: approximately 2.5–3 hours total.
Yes if you land before 10:00 AM. It is 15–20 minutes from the airport, free, requires no ticket, and takes 30–45 minutes. It is an excellent first impression of Vietnamese Buddhist architecture before arriving in the more commercial environment of Hoi An. For late arrivals (after 12:00 PM), skip it and visit the Marble Mountains only to keep the schedule on track.
40,000 VND per adult. Optional elevator (15,000 VND per way) skips the 108 stone steps. Am Phu Cave (separate ticket): 20,000 VND. Children under 10: free for the main entry. Total for the full experience including elevator both ways: 70,000 VND per adult. Open 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM daily. Cash only at the ticket booth.
Yes — with a pre-booked private car. The driver takes the Son Tra Peninsula road first (Linh Ung, 30–45 min), then heads south via the coastal road through the Marble Mountains (90 min), and then continues to Hoi An. This is a standard route on request with Minh Vu Travel. Book at danangtohoian.com/airport-transfer or WhatsApp +84 905 989 702 and specify which stops you want.
Plan the rest of your Hoi An stay
- ฮอยอัน 2 วัน — แผนการเดินทางฉบับสมบูรณ์สำหรับผู้มาครั้งแรก — what to do on Day 2 and Day 3 once you have arrived
- ทริปวันเดียวจากฮอยอัน 2026 — My Son Sanctuary, Cham Islands, Ba Na Hills and Hue compared
- Best Way from Da Nang to Hoi An — private car vs Grab vs taxi vs shuttle full comparison
- Da Nang & Hoi An Entrance Fees 2026 — complete price guide for every attraction
Landing at Da Nang Airport and heading to Hoi An?
Your driver is waiting inside arrivals. Tell us which stops you want — Linh Ung Pagoda, Marble Mountains, or both — and we will plan the route. Book Airport Transfer WhatsAppMinh Vu Travel · danangtohoian.com · Da Nang Airport → Linh Ung → Marble Mountains → Hoi An