Hue Day Trip From Da Nang: Train, Fares and Tickets (2026)

Yes, Hue works as a day trip, since it is 103 km by rail and the heritage train from Da Nang costs VND 207,000 on weekdays and VND 231,000 at weekends. The Imperial City ticket is VND 200,000. One day fits the Imperial City plus one tomb; flood closures are a reason to stay a night.

Yes, Hue works as a day trip from Da Nang, because it is 103 km by rail and the heritage train crosses Hai Van Pass in about 3 hours. Take the train one way for the coast and come back by road, where a limousine seat starts at VND 150,000.

The Imperial City (Dai Noi) costs VND 200,000, and a tomb adds VND 150,000. That is the limit of a day: add more tombs, or arrive while flooding has closed the Citadel, and you should stay a night.

Hue day trip from Da Nang: trains, fares and tickets

Train, coach or limousine

The heritage train is the one to pick for the view, and HD2 is the day-trip departure. Fares below are per person and trip, Da Nang to Hue.

Checked November 2026. The heritage times are the March 2026 timetable, and the regular-train figures come from a ticket aggregator, so treat the fare as a starting point rather than the railway’s own table.

HD2 reaches Hue at 11:05, which leaves the afternoon for the sights before the ticket office closes at 17:00 in winter. HD4 arrives at 17:45, too late for the Imperial City ticket office in winter.

Coming back, the afternoon heritage train HD3 leaves Hue at 14:25 and reaches Da Nang at 17:40. After an 11:05 arrival that leaves you only until 14:25 in Hue, which is not enough for the Imperial City and a tomb. So we recommend the train out and a coach or limousine back, which keeps the whole afternoon free.

On the heritage train the stop at Lang Co station lasts more than 10 minutes, long enough for photos. On the train the sea is on the right going to Hue and on the left coming back.

Imperial City and tomb tickets

Prices are the same for foreign and Vietnamese visitors.

Checked November 2026. A tomb ticket was still VND 150,000 in August 2025.

Combo tickets

The 3-site routes, the Imperial City plus two of the tombs, cost VND 420,000. The 4-site route (Imperial City, Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh tombs) costs VND 530,000, against VND 650,000 if you buy those four sites separately.

Combos stay valid for at most 2 days from the day you buy them, so they suit a night in Hue and not a day trip. For children, the 3-site combo is VND 80,000 and the 4-site combo VND 100,000.

Children and free entry

Children under 7 and severely disabled visitors enter free, and so does everyone during the 3 days of Tet.

What to see in Hue in one day

Go to the Imperial City (Dai Noi) first, because its ticket office closes at 17:00 in winter. Then add one tomb, and finish at Thien Mu Pagoda (Chua Thien Mu) if you still have daylight.

Imperial City

Look for the carved gateways, the tiled palace halls facing wide brick courtyards, and the flag tower over the ramparts.

One tomb: Khai Dinh or Tu Duc

Pick Khai Dinh Tomb (Lang Khai Dinh) for the mosaic-covered interior, or Tu Duc Tomb (Lang Tu Duc) for the lakeside pavilions among frangipani and pines. Either costs VND 150,000.

Thien Mu Pagoda

The seven-storey octagonal brick tower of Thien Mu Pagoda (Chua Thien Mu) is a quick last stop among trees and a lawn.

Who a Hue day trip suits

• You are staying in Da Nang and want the heritage train one way: it takes about 3 hours across Hai Van Pass.
• You want the Imperial City plus one tomb: buy two single tickets, VND 200,000 and VND 150,000, because combos run over 2 days.
• You would rather not drive the pass: most coaches use the Hai Van tunnel instead.
• You want several tombs: stay a night, since the combos stay valid for up to 2 days.
• You are travelling after heavy rain: the Citadel closed for flooding in 2025, so a day trip is a risk then.

How to get from Da Nang to Hue

By train, take a Grab to Da Nang station, as in Getting Around Da Nang. The rail distance is 103 km, and regular trains leave Da Nang between 02:01 and 23:41.

By road the trip usually takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on the vehicle and route. Most coaches go through the Hai Van tunnel, so you do not see the pass scenery. For the pass by road, read the Hai Van Pass guide.

When to go and how long

The Imperial City ticket office is open 7:00 to 17:00 in winter, from 16 October to 15 March. In summer it is open 6:30 to 17:30. Sites close an hour later, at 18:00 in winter.

Night opening of the Imperial City was a 2017 programme, from 19:00 to 22:00, so plan for daytime.

October is the wettest month in Hue, with about 600 mm of rain spread over 20 days. In December and January the day is cool, about 23C by day and 15C at night, and the rain eases but the sky is mostly overcast.

Floods can close the Citadel for days. In the November 2025 floods all visitor access to the monuments was suspended, with some areas of the Imperial Palace under 0.3 to 0.5 m of water. They reopened on the morning of 4 November. After heavy rain, check the notice of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre before you leave, and stay a night rather than gamble on the day.

Nearby and how to combine it

Lang Co is the coastal station where the heritage train stops. Hai Van Pass has its own page: read the Hai Van Pass guide if you would rather ride the pass by road.

A one-day plan: catch HD2 from Da Nang, see the Imperial City and one tomb, then come back by coach or limousine. For rain and storm seasons, read Da Nang weather by month and the typhoon season guide.

Staying longer in the region? See Hoi An Ancient Town ticket price, My Son Sanctuary and Da Nang in five days.

Before you go

• Check the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre’s notice after heavy rain, since the Citadel closed for flooding in 2025.
• Be at the Imperial City before 17:00 in winter, the ticket office closing time.
• Buy single tickets for a one-tomb day; combos run for up to 2 days.
• The heritage train fare is one price in every class, VND 207,000 on weekdays.
• Children under 7 enter free.
• Leave slack on the road: in a 2024 storm the Hai Van tunnel and pass were closed for 3 hours.

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Not confirmed: The heritage-train timetable and fare here are the March 2026 operator figures, and a ticket aggregator shows different ones, so confirm with the railway before you book. Fares by seat class on regular trains and a private-car price are not confirmed.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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