Journey through Hai Van Pass - The Pass between Da Nang and Hue

Hai Van Pass is the 20–21 km stretch of National Highway 1A that climbs over the mountains between Da Nang and Hue to about 500 m, where the restored Hai Van Gate stands. Take it instead of the tunnel on a clear day: the top looks over Da Nang Bay and Lang Co.

1. Overview of Hai Van Pass

On the north – south nation highway, Hai Van Pass is an impressive landscape. It is like a giant dragon, lying on Highway 1 on the border between Hue City and Da Nang City. It is not the highest pass in Vietnam: the road tops out at about 500 m above sea level. This rugged pass is the final section of the Truong Son Range stretching to the sea. Hai Van means “Sea Clouds”, since the peak of the mountain is in the clouds while its foot is close to the sea.  In the past, Hai Van Pass was known as the Thuan Hoa and Quang Nam frontier.

2. History of Hai Van Pass

In the early 14th century (1306), Che Man, a king from Cham Pa, offered two mountainous administrative units of O and Ri as engagement gifts to Princess Huyen Tran, daughter of King Tran Nhan Tong. After that, Hai Van Pass became the physical boundary between Dai Viet and Cham Pa. Today, on top of the pass, you can still see the grand gate, Hai Van Quan, rebuilt in 1826 under Emperor Minh Mang on the site of an older Tran-dynasty post.

3. Journey through Hai Van Pass

Amazement and Fear

Whenever one goes through Hai Van Pass, two feelings are experienced: amazement at passing through the clouds and fear when seeing the dangerous bends of the road. After climbing through several hair-pin curves, you reach the crest of the Hai Van Pass.

Here, if the weather affords it (which it often doesn’t), there are views to both the North and the South: Lang Co Bay on one side, Da Nang Bay on the other. Near the gate you can still see ruined blockhouses from the French colonial period. You will of course want to stop here if you make this trip.

Challenging Your Skills

With sudden curves and blind corners, Hai Van Pass is a real test of drivers’ skills. The name “Thien Ha De Nhat Hung Quan”, meaning the most colossal frontier post under heaven, is credited to King Le Thanh Tong, who stopped here in 1470.

On a journey through the land, Hai Van is always an attractive landscape, full of perilous obstacles and is the last spur of the Truong Son Range reaching to the sea. On the top of the pass stands an old fortified gateway. The gate facing Hue is inscribed with the three words “Hai Van Quan” and the other gate looking down on Da Nang is engraved “Thien Ha De Nhat Hung Quan”.

The entrance to Hai Van Quan looks like the entrance to an old citadel with its stone structures. Time, war, and neglect had taken their toll on Hai Van Quan, leaving it in near ruins, until Hue and Da Nang shared the cost of a 42 billion VND restoration that began at the end of 2021. It reopened to visitors on 1 August 2024.

Hai Van Gate (Hai Van Quan) ticket price

Since 2 June 2026, Hai Van Gate has charged 70,000 VND per person per visit, the same for Vietnamese and foreign visitors. Children under 13 go in free, and some groups, including residents of Hue and Da Nang, pay half. The Hue Monuments Conservation Center collects the fee until the end of 2028, after which Da Nang takes its turn managing the site.

Sense of Isolation

The most impressive about the journey is the sense of isolation you feel as you move further along. There is a strange delight about the desolate conditions, a seemingly unbroken asphalt road that cuts through a mass of forest. Below you, the green trees contrast with the breaking waves in the blue sea. And herein lies the beauty of Hai Van.

Lining the peak of the mountain is the immense abyss dotted with the light and dark green colours of the trees. The scene is capped off with fanciful clouds flying across the sky. The area is a perfect place to have a cup of coffee and contemplate the scene, looking over Hai Van as if from the heavens as the trees blow with the wind.

To the Peak

Hai Van is well known for its dangerous roads, and accident warning boards carefully appear regularly along the side.

Hai Van Pass will satisfy your desire to conquer high peaks and  remind you of the glorious past of the Viet people. Moreover, from the pass, on nice days, visitors can enjoy the whole vista of Danang, the Tien Sa seaport, Son Tra Peninsula, Cu Lao Cham Island and long sandy beaches.

Best time to visit Hai Van Pass

Go between March and August if you can: it is the dry season, with clearer skies and less fog. From September to December the road can be slippery and cloud often hides the view from the top. The Da Nang tourism portal suggests setting off at 6–7 am to reach the top for sunrise, or going at 3–4 pm, and bringing a light jacket for the cool morning wind.

4. The Best Way to Ride Hai Van Pass

Ride A Motorbike Yourself

This would be the best experience if you are an experienced motorbike rider! Tips: Be careful with the sudden turns, and bring a group of friends to ensure your safety. Motorbikes cannot be ridden through the Hai Van Tunnel, so on a bike you take the pass, or use the shuttle that carries motorbikes through. Some shops in Hoi An and Hue rent bikes one way, with the bike left at the other end; ask for the full price, deposit included. If you would rather not ride, driver-led motorbike trips run between Hue and Hoi An.

Take A Jeep Tour

Of course, not everyone can be confident riding a motorbike for hours on a mountain road, and those can opt for a Jeep Tour. Jeep tours sold online cost roughly US$85–115 per person, often one way between Hue and Hoi An; check whether lunch and tickets are included. You can enjoy the view as well as take pictures more easily!

How to get to Hai Van Pass from Da Nang, Hoi An or Hue

Cars and buses usually take the 6.2 km Hai Van Tunnel, about 10 minutes against roughly 30 on the pass, so if you hire a car with a driver, ask for the pass road when you book. By road the summit is about 30 km from central Da Nang, 53–65 km from Hoi An depending on the route, and about 77 km from central Hue.

The 21km that stretch over the Hai Van mountain pass may sound like a challenging journey, but after all, it is certain that you will find it is one worth taking.

Sources: Da Nang tourism portal (danangfantasticity.com); Hue tourism portal (khamphahue.com.vn); Tuoi Tre, 30 May 2026 (ticket start date); distances: OpenStreetMap