Jeep Tour Review: Hue to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass – Is It Worth It?

Planning a trip across Vietnam? Then you’ve very likely come across whispers of the famous Hai Van Pass. So, this mountain road links Hue and Da Nang, and plenty suggest a jeep tour for the experience. After my recent jaunt, I wanted to provide the lowdown on that option to see if it really measures up to the hype.

What’s the Allure of a Jeep Tour, Anyway?

First things first, let’s consider the charm of using a jeep for this kind of trip. Basically, the traditional military jeeps that are very often used for these tours offer something special. In fact, zipping along in an open-air vehicle definitely lets you fully soak in the sights, sounds, and, well, the smells of Vietnam in a much more direct manner. It’s just that more…visceral, you know? Besides, you get a sense of history, maybe something nostalgic, given the jeeps’ backstory. This, plus the wind in your hair, arguably trumps being stuck in a bus any day. Right?

Oh, and this thing also, these jeep tours often have smaller group sizes too. I mean, so the atmosphere tends to be way more intimate than those of huge tour buses. You get to connect with your fellow travelers. You also get, in general, way better interaction with the guide. At the very least that’s very much my experience! Which might be kinda cool.

My Experience: From Hue, Past Paddy Fields and onward to the Pass

We started from Hue, you see, leaving early, as is typical to beat both the heat and any of the crowds. First, you’ll find it doesn’t take that long at all to realize the journey itself is quite interesting, really offering snippets of local life. Arguably this included scooting past shimmering rice paddies and even small villages. This glimpse made me feel more connected to the country itself, somehow, than seeing just some tourist spots.

After maybe an hour or two, it was, at long last, time to get on to the Pass itself! This part is, of course, the highlight for anyone who booked. What’s great, I will say, is that our driver was great, very safe, experienced, and arguably pretty cool to be with too! The open-air jeep, by the way, gave us really unblocked views. I mean, to me, the landscape looking out over the mountains, as a matter of fact, was legitimately breathtaking.

Stops Along the Way: More Than Just a Drive

Actually, this jeep tour really wasn’t just about getting from point A to point B. Not that it has to be! The thing included some interesting stops! The first one was more or less a small fishing village. I suppose it offered a super authentic peek into the day-to-day lives of the local fishermen. Then, we paused at the so-called Elephant Springs. What’s really fun is there that everyone, clearly including myself, went for a dip to cool off. That was very refreshing.

Also, along the Hai Van Pass, there’s a stop at the summit where, naturally, many pose for photographs. What is interesting too, by the way, is that the historic French fort provides something to investigate and explore too.

What About Food? A Taste of Central Vietnam

The food thing can vary a bit with various tours, you see, but usually there will be at the very least one meal that’s included in your tour package. On our particular tour, they took us to a small eatery where a variety of local dishes were on offer. You know, Banh Mi, Pho, the whole deal. I feel like the tour gave me the confidence to try new stuff, you know, knowing that everything has more or less been “approved” from a safety perspective. What’s good is they were clearly careful in their selection.

The Good, the Okay, and the What-to-Watch-Out-Fors

So, after coming along for the ride I was able to write some more notes on the positives, and maybe the challenges with this experience.

The Awesome:

The view of that open-air jeep is honestly phenomenal, with totally unhindered views.
That’s the connection to Vietnam, basically stopping off to observe all those places, feeling really good.
That our guide was awesome and really happy to discuss all elements of this great land, that made a big difference.

Areas Where Some Care Should be Taken:

That the jeeps, you know, can sometimes be quite old. So, anyone looking for total comfort may have to look elsewhere.
That the weather may become an issue. It’s just that tours might be, depending on the tour group, either slightly more difficult to really uncomfortable depending on what it throws at you. You might wish to bring some supplies.
That the time of year changes costs. High season might have price bumps!

Wrapping Things Up: Should You Jeep?

Overall, so doing the Hue to Hoi An (or even to Da Nang) jaunt on a jeep comes strongly recommended. To me, it has an adventure thing to it that standard buses just could never quite have. At least I’ve found. To me, anyway, it really delivered in connecting the spirit of traveling through Vietnam. It’s true too that the old jeeps lack a tiny bit on total comfort but they certainly more than make it up in character, without any doubts. This could be perfect for folk, especially if they prefer something unique. Anyone, basically, wanting to connect with the locale shouldn’t let that stop them. But I’ll also suggest just taking some extra provisions in the off chance that you hit a bump, whether that’s the weather, the budget or the time of year. It may become relevant. In this way I really think this type of tour is worth looking at!

Just maybe think about whether it makes sense for you, or perhaps what sort of tour group makes most sense. At the end of the day it’s pretty easy and very often rewarding, especially with good company!

#Hue #HoiAn #HaiVanPass #JeepTour #VietnamTravel