Private Car Transfer Rates from Da Nang and Hue to Phong Nha National Park

Sun Travel’s rate table has two private-car entries to Phong Nha: about 310 km and 5 hours 30 minutes from Da Nang or Hoi An, and about 215 km and 4 hours to 4 hours 15 minutes from Hue, both one way. At this distance the cost is not only the figure in the box: a same-day round trip from Da Nang is about 11 hours of driving for the two directions alone, so the real questions are whether to stay overnight, whether the car stays or returns, and whether to stop in Quang Tri on the way. This guide explains each so you can read a quote correctly.

The two Phong Nha entries in the rate table

Hue is about 95 km shorter than Da Nang (310 minus 215) and about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes quicker. This is a derived calculation, and dispatch confirms the time again for your travel date. If you are in Da Nang but can split the trip into two legs with a night in Hue, see the sequence in the Da Nang, Hue, Quang Tri, Phong Nha 3-day, 2-night itinerary.

What the one-way rate covers and what it does not include automatically

• In the base rate: fuel, road tolls and parking fees on the listed route.
• Not included automatically: the return leg, time the car waits in Phong Nha, the driver’s overnight stay, extra stops in Quang Tri and admission tickets. This guide does not quote ticket prices because cave tickets and boat hire are charged separately by the managing body and sources disagree.
• No data yet: the driver’s overnight stay in Phong Nha; the rate table has no entry for it, so every arrangement is set out in the quote.

A day trip or a night away: the driving-time sum

If you leave from Da Nang and return the same day, the two directions come to about 11 hours of driving (2 times 5 hours 30 minutes) before stops and time in Phong Nha. According to Phong Nha Tourism, a visit to Phong Nha cave includes about 30 minutes by motor boat on the Son river, a hand-paddled boat for about 1,200 m inside the cave and a walk through two dry caves, about 2 hours 30 minutes in all. With those figures, staying at least one night is usually the more reasonable way to divide the days, but the decision is yours. If you want to add Quang Tri, the places most often mentioned are Hien Luong – Ben Hai, Vinh Moc and the Quang Tri Citadel; see the guides to a private car from Da Nang or Hoi An to the Vinh Moc tunnels and the Phong Nha private car journey.

Weather and water levels can change the plan

Phong Nha – Ke Bang is a UNESCO natural World Heritage site (2003). According to the newspaper Bao Van Hoa, on 7 October 2020 the Phong Nha, Tien Son, Chay river – Dark cave and Nuoc Moot stream routes stopped taking visitors because the Son and Chay rivers rose quickly. This is an older example of what can happen, not a forecast for the day you travel. In the rainy season, ask about the status of the cave routes before you travel and ask about rebooking terms when you book the car.

What to send for a quote

• The pickup (Da Nang, Hoi An or Hue) and your accommodation in Phong Nha; cars can enter the gates of hotels and resorts to pick up and drop off.
• The date you go and the date you return, and whether you want the car to stay or go back.
• Any stop in Quang Tri.
• The number of passengers, anyone prone to car sickness, the number of suitcases and the 4-, 7- or 16-seat vehicle.

To choose between train, coach and private car, see the guide to how to travel from Da Nang to Phong Nha compared.