Hai Van Pass in Da Nang: An Honest Review & Practical Visit Guide

Description and is it worth visiting

Hai Van Pass is a natural landmark and an important historical site in the vicinity of Da Nang, one of the iconic points. The pass is located on Truong Son Mountain 30 kilometers north of Da Nang at an altitude of 496 meters. Previously, it was the only road from Da Nang to the north to Hue, Vinh, etc. towards Hanoi, but in 2005 the 6.2-kilometer-long Hai Van Pass Tunnel was "drilled" through the mountains, and most traffic now uses this much shorter route. However, motorcycles and bicycles are not allowed through the tunnel.

Today, the pass is traveled not only out of necessity but also to enjoy the views of the mountains, the South China Sea, and Da Nang that open up. At the highest point of the road, a tourist market, cafes have been organized, and from here you can walk further up the mountain. Here also is a historical attraction - defensive fortifications from the war with the US and a free museum. On many ruins, traces of bullets from shelling are preserved. For visiting this place, a historical tourist route of 9 locations (all nearby) has been equipped with information boards and QR codes to learn about historical events during the war.

In our opinion, Hai Van Pass is undeservedly overlooked by tourists who come to Da Nang on package tours. Many vacationers think it's just a road over a mountain with remnants of structures where you'll spend a few minutes and move on. But we believe it is one of the bright natural and historical attractions near Da Nang. Most likely, it's all because tours bring people here only for a few minutes so tourists take a couple of photos, buy souvenirs at inflated prices, and go back. In fact, there is a free museum, remnants of defensive structures a little higher up the slope, and even higher, a magnificent viewing platform almost at the very top of the mountain. Therefore, we definitely recommend curious tourists to visit Hai Van Pass, only come here not on a 10-minute tour but independently, and spend more time here to have the opportunity to walk around. How to visit it on your own, we tell below.

If you decide to climb to the very top of the mountain (mountain top on the map), it's better to have good footwear. Although the climb is not difficult overall, it goes along an old concrete road and takes 30 minutes on foot one way. You cannot drive up by transport; the road is blocked. The most advanced tourists even camp here overnight to meet the sunrise at the top. The height of the summit is just under 690 meters.

In addition to the above-mentioned most famous tourist spots, along this route there are a couple of secret secluded beaches, which, unfortunately, are officially closed to visitors due to the danger of landslides and rockfalls, as indicated by warning signs (secret beach on the map and another secret beach on the map). In practice, they can be visited, but at your own risk; we have done so. Locals visit these places for fishing and also set up camps with tents. To get to them, you will have to leave your vehicle on the road near the places we marked on the map as the start of the trail (trail to secret beach and trail to secret beach), and then descend down for at least 1 hour one way. You can leave your vehicle under the supervision of the locals under the sheds along the road near the start of the trail, where locals charge 10,000 dong for this.

After passing the highest point of the pass, there is a turnoff from the main road (turnoff on the map), which leads to a village, a small waterfall, and another secret and hard-to-reach beach, Banana Beach (beach on the map). To get to Banana Beach, you need to drive to the checkpoint, where you can leave your vehicle under the guard's supervision (5,000 dong for a motorbike, 10,000 for a car), and then on a difficult and steep trail on foot for about 45 minutes. However, you shouldn't go to this beach just for daytime rest, the road is too difficult and long. But if you are a camping enthusiast, this is the perfect place.

And in general, the pass and the surrounding mountains are an excellent place for trekking or hiking trips, including overnight stays in tents. One of the popular hiking routes is a hike along the railway over the pass with descents to the beaches, but it should only be done with local hiking enthusiasts, as this is an unofficial route, and there are no maps or signs.