Ba Na, Hoi An, and My Son in one day: is it possible, and what's the cost?

This question pops up almost every day in Da Nang travel groups: with just one day, can you fit in all three spots?

Straight answer: it can be done, but it shouldn't be. And here's why, in numbers.

Distance from downtown Da Nang: Ba Na Hills is about 27 km to the west; Hoi An is about 30 km to the southeast; My Son is about 70 km to the southwest. The three sites lie in three different directions and are not on the same route.

Adding up all three, the total travel distance for the day comes to about 150–180 km, not counting the time spent waiting for the cable car. When you total it all up, it usually breaks down like this:

• Ba Na Hills: getting there + cable car + sightseeing takes at least 5–6 hours if you don't want to rush • My Son: getting there + sightseeing takes at least 4 hours • Hoi An: getting there + walking around the ancient town takes at least 3 hours, and Hoi An is actually most beautiful in the evening

The total already exceeded a single day even before factoring in meals and traffic jams. Cramming it into one day meant: going up to Ba Na to snap a few photos at the Golden Bridge and then coming right back down, arriving at My Son exactly during the harshest midday sun, and reaching Hoi An already utterly exhausted.

A more reasonable way to divide it if there are two days:

• Day 1: Visit My Son early in the morning (cool, quiet) → return for a midday rest → then Hoi An from afternoon to evening, staying to see the town light up. These two spots are in the same southern direction, so you can visit them back-to-back. • Day 2: Spend the whole day at Ba Na Hills, taking the earliest cable car.

About transportation. With such a spread-out schedule, riding a motorbike yourself for 150 km in a single day is tiring and unsafe, especially the mountain pass section going up to Bà Nà. Joining a group tour is cheap, but you have to follow the group's schedule. Renting a private car with a driver lets you control the timing yourself, and split among 4 people, it usually isn't much more expensive than a group tour.

The tour and vehicle providers featured on VietSpots are pinned below — compare prices and schedules there, then pick the option that suits your group best.