What to Expect from Hai Van Pass: Is it Worth It?
April 19, 2023
Another day, another adventure! To get to Hoi An from Hue, you can either use the tunnel highway, which will cut down the journey to ~1-1.5 hours, or you can take the scenic route through the Hai Van Pass.
The Hai Van Pass was reminiscent of Baguio’s Kennon Road, with beautiful views of the beach and the roads just traversed. This used to be the only road connecting Hue and Da Nang, which meant it was very traffic and resulted in many accidents. Today, a tunnel has been constructed, which allows for high speed travel between the two cities; so only trucks (not allowed in the tunnel) and motorbikes and tourists pass through this route.
Along the way, we also passed by Lap An Lagoon.
Lap An Lagoon was mysterious and romantic, with the mountains, the sea, and the mist rolling in
Beautiful natural (and not-so-natural) landscapes, although I must admit, I think the Philippines is a lot more beautiful and has a lot to offer that’s equivalent and even better than this!
Nevertheless, if you’re already taking this route, might as well stop by!
Our final stop before arriving at Hoi An (although Marble Mountain is actually a little bit beyond Hoi An, so we passed by Hoi An to get to the Marble Mountain) was the Marble Mountain.
Marble Mountain, so named because marble was found and mined here by the French. It’s said that all the marble sculptures in Vietnam originated from here. But the two best part of the mountain were the Huyen Khong Cave, where an American bomb resulted in a hole on the cave ceiling where a stream of light enters and illuminates the statues.
The second one was the highest elevation point – 300 steep steps done, and you’re greeted by a fantastic panoramic view of the sea, the land, and the mountains. Water, Earth, Air – all three elements coming together as one. #witty
And that’s it! We have finally arrived at Hoi An. For this route, you can opt to just hire a driver, no need for a tour guide because honestly, it’s a lot of scenery, and you don’t really need to know the minutia of everything.
And to answer the question, is Hai Van Pass worth it? If you’ve got ~4 hours to spare, do it! Nice views, smooth ride, a pretty nice experience of Vietnam overall. If you’re in a rush though, don’t sweat it. You can skip this without feeling like you missed out on a major part of Central Vietnam
Planning out the rest of your Central Vietnam itinerary? Check out the rest of my itinerary blogs here:
- Tips and Tricks for planning a trip to Central Vietnam from Manila
- Top Things to Eat and Do in Hue: Citadel, Imperial Tombs (Khai Dinh), Perfume River, Walking Street
- What to Expect from Hai Van Pass: Is it Worth It?
- Top Things to Eat and Do in Hoi An: Hoi An Food Tour, Ancient Town, Night Market, Central Market
- What to Expect from My Son Sanctuary: Is it Worth it?
- Ba Na Hills Resort: Best Route to Take to Maximize Time Here
- Where to Eat in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh