Hue or Hoi An

We have to make a choice regarding whether to visit Hue or Hoi An. Would those of you who have previously visited these cities please give us some advice. Thanks.

Hoi An is a very old historic city, a UNESCO heritage site. It is full of shops and restaurants and old buildings (museums).

Hue is also a very historic old town with an ancient citadel from which emperors ruled. It is further away from your port (I am assuming Da Nang.) We were there two full days and took a tour up the river and another tour on the back of motor cycles to see some ancient tombs and temples.

Hue is up in the hills and the drive is scenic in places. The drive to Hoi An goes along the coast and is full of beaches and resorts.

We port in Chan May. Would this make a difference in our decision as to which place to visit?

We port in Chan May. Would this make a difference in our decision as to which place to visit?

From Chan May (as opposed to maryan's answer about Da Nang itself ), Hue is marginally closer than Hoi An but there's very little difference - both are about 90 minutes from that port.

They're in opposite directions from Chan May, so on a one-day visit you'll have to choose one or the other.

Haven't visited Hue, but Hoi An is very interesting & very laid-back, very easy to walk. And although from Chan May the quick & simple route isn't along the coast it's only a minor diversion to visit China Beach (Vietnam/US war associations) and Marble Mountain.

Marble Mountain is well worth an hour or two. Lots of little marble workshops at the foot of the "mountain", and there's now an elevator up to the pagoda, cave temple etc near the top, avoiding the many steep steps we had to climb a few years back. There are larger marble workshops along nearby China Beach, your driver will probably want to take you to one of those because he gets commission - no problem if you just put your head in for ten minutes (but don't buy huge marble furniture etc for shipping back, that's fraught with problems :eek:).

Google Marble Mountain, see what you think.

Probably you'd enjoy a visit to Hue.

I know you'd enjoy a visit to Hoi An.

JB :)

Maybe it was because we had toured dozens of temples in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, or because we were at the end of our six week trip, but we found Marble Mountain underwhelming and the sculpture shops are a tourist trap in my opinion.

Take the time for Hoi An or Hue. If you research these places you may be able decide which interests you most. For me it was Hoi An which was an old trading port.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BB%99i_An

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu%E1%BA%BF

Thanks so much for your responses - much appreciated! It is now decision time.

We spent time in both Hoi An and Hue during a 3-week land trip in SE Asia. Both were interesting, but if I had to choose, I'd pick Hoi An. Despite being very popular with tourists, Hoi An still has an authentic feel and very friendly locals. Old Town is a UNESCO heritage site and most areas are very walkable. It's a charming place to simply wander around and soak up the ambiance. A photographer's dream! There are excellent tailor shops, a vibrant waterfront market, wonderful cooking schools and tasty local specialties. There's also a lovely beach, but that's not what Hoi An is really about.

Hue is equally fascinating and is historically significant since it was the ancient capital of Vietnam, but it's much larger and full of hustle. Either would be great, but my choice would be Hoi An.

Loved Hoian

Try Ann Travels. We had an excellent tour of Hue and would highly recommend them.

If you pick Hoi An, try to watch the 2003 movie Quiet American before you go. One of the climactic scenes is filmed along the waterfront there and you will recognize the area from the movie.

jmlh- Which cruise are you on in February with the millennium, Feb 14 or 28 and how did you find out which port the ship docks in? We are travelling on the Millennium on Feb 28 and I need to find out the dock/port for Hue if its Danang or Chan May.... any help would be appreciated, also from Ontario...Elaine

jmlh- Which cruise are you on in February with the millennium, Feb 14 or 28 and how did you find out which port the ship docks in? We are travelling on the Millennium on Feb 28 and I need to find out the dock/port for Hue if its Danang or Chan May.... any help would be appreciated, also from Ontario...Elaine

The port for Feb. 28 Millennium is Chan May.

Hoi An. Haven't been to Hue, but Hoi An is a great visit!

We just returned from a trip to Myanmar and, in Viet Nam, Da Nang, Hue and Hoi An.

If you're really focused in historical Viet Nam, seeing the Imperial Citadel and Nguyen tombs in Hue are a must.

If you're interested in a broader perspective, seeing some cultural sites, shopping, viewing the French/Chinese/Japanese influenced buildings, sampling some great restaurants, I'd recommend Hoi An for the day.

Not sure if you have the time to spare, but visiting Water Mountain of the Da Nang Marble Mountains is something to consider.

I've updated my travel blog (link below) that offers some descriptions and photos from Da Nang, Hue and Hoi An.

Bob

Hi,

We're docking at Chan May in February 2017. how easy is it to get to Hoi An independently and how long is the journey.

Thanks

We just got back from our 32 day cruise and docked in Chan May and visited Hoi An. LOVED it. Best trip ever. We visited marble mountain, Hoi An and Da nang. It was fabulous.

I am not sure how easy it is to go with out prior tour, but there were several taxis outside the port gate. We had a arranged tour, only $16 pp!! Best day!

We went spent a few days in both areas this past winter. We enjoyed both.

They are completely different cities, travel experiences. My suggestion would be that you do a little research on them, and the surrounding areas, and then select. It is challenging to base your decision on another person's preferences.

Hi,

We're docking at Chan May in February 2017. how easy is it to get to Hoi An independently and how long is the journey.

Thanks

My recollection was that it took about 35-40 minutes from Da Nang to Hoi An. Chan May adds about an another hour. The Chan May to Hoi An trip via Hải Vân Tunnel is probably the faster route to take versus Hải Vân Pass.

Bob

Do engage with David Nguyen in Vietnam-shoreexcursions.com. We had an excellent shore excursion to Da Nang and Hoi An with him.

Good luck!

Just a heads-up.

Tommy49 has just eleven posts on Cruise Critic, and every one of them recommends David Nguyen.

JB :)

Just a heads-up.

Tommy49 has just eleven posts on Cruise Critic, and every one of them recommends David Nguyen.

 

JB :)

I think he is a one of the tour operators in Vietnam.:(