Hai Van Pass

Hai Van is the ridge where the Truong Son range runs into the sea, and the old road over it climbs in tight switchbacks to a saddle at around five hundred metres. Since the tunnel opened underneath, most traffic goes through the mountain, leaving the pass to motorbikes, tour cars and a handful of trucks. At the top there is a restored stone gateway from the Nguyen period, a cluster of drink stalls and views in both directions: Lang Co lagoon and its long sandbar to the north, Da Nang bay and the Son Tra headland to the south. The ride itself, about twenty kilometres of curves with the sea below, is the main reason people come.

The landscape

• The saddle viewpoint - the top of the pass with bays visible to north and south.
• Lang Co lagoon - the long sandbar and shallow lagoon seen on the northern descent.
• The Nguyen-era gateway - the restored stone gate and walls standing at the summit.
• The switchbacks - the coastal curves that make the ride the point of the trip.

When to go

February to August is the drier season and the pass is often clear in the morning; cloud and drizzle sit on the ridge for much of the autumn and winter. Ride early to avoid both the heat and the tour traffic. The road can close briefly during storms, and the tunnel is the alternative, though motorbikes are not allowed through it.

Things to know

The summit area is small and gets busy with tour groups, guided riders and drone operators, so the photograph everyone wants involves waiting. Vendors at the top are pushy and prices inflated. Visibility is unreliable: a low cloud base can reduce the view to a few metres of wall. The surface is patchy in places and rain makes the curves genuinely slippery.

Nearby

Da Nang and the Son Tra peninsula are twenty minutes south; Lang Co beach lies north-west and Bach Ma west.

Key facts