Da Nang (Chan May) Cruise Ship Port Guide

Central Vietnam cruise calls land at one of two piers: Tien Sa Port, right in Da Nang city, or Chan May Port, about an hour south, which cruise lines often bundle into a ‘Hue, Da Nang’ call. That hour south matters, so check your documents before you plan your day, not after.

Pull up a map of Chan May and you’ll see it sits well south of Da Nang, closer to Hue’s Perfume River than to anything resembling Da Nang’s skyline. That catches people out who expect a short stroll into town. Call it Chan May cruise port, Chan May, or just ‘the Hue stop’, it’s all the same deep-water terminal in Thua Thien Hue province.

Da Nang and Chan May Cruise Ports at a Glance

Central Vietnam’s cruise calls split between two terminals: Tien Sa Port, in Da Nang city itself, and Chan May Port, a deep-water pier further south that sits closer to Hue. Here’s how the basics stack up.

Chan May Cruise Port vs Da Nang’s Tien Sa Terminal

Same stretch of coast, two completely different experiences once you’re standing on the dock.

• Tien Sa Port sits on the Son Tra Peninsula, about 10km from central Da Nang, and it’s got a taxi rank, free wifi and a proper terminal building with ramps and lifts.
• Chan May Port is a working cargo harbour that happens to take cruise ships too. The wharf is long and deep enough for vessels up to 362 metres, but almost none of the passenger niceties you’d expect at a proper terminal made it into the plans.
• Smaller ships sometimes skip Tien Sa altogether and dock at Han River Port instead, which sits even closer to central Da Nang.
• If Hue’s on your itinerary, Chan May is the sensible gateway. Going via Tien Sa just bolts extra distance onto an already long day.

Chan May Cruise Port: What to Expect

A Chan May call can feel disorientating the first time round, mostly because there’s no terminal building to get your bearings in. Here’s the rundown.

• Ships tie up at the 480 metre wharf, which reaches a depth of 12.5 metres and can take vessels up to 362 metres long. That’s why some of the bigger ships visiting Vietnam head here instead of Da Nang’s own terminal, according to port facility data from Vietnamdrive.com.
• You disembark through tents set up dockside, not a fixed building.
• There’s no restaurant, bar, medical centre or public wifi at the port itself. Cafes a short drive away will sort you out with wifi though.
• There’s no public taxi service or Grab car operating inside the port area, so you can’t just wander off the ship and hail a ride.
• Drivers and guides for prebooked tours wait outside the main gate, about 500 metres from the ship, which is roughly a 15 minute walk.

Chan May’s cruise calls have been climbing fast. The port’s own figures point to call numbers nearly doubling season on season, with passenger arrivals expected to climb past 257,000, nearly triple the previous season’s total, according to Chan May Port Joint Stock Company. More ships on the same day means more people funnelled through the same small meeting point, so give yourself extra time if you’re walking to the gate on your own steam.

The catch: with no taxi rank or ride-hailing at Chan May, turning up without a plan leaves you stuck at the gate with no obvious way into Hue, Da Nang or Hoi An. Book a private driver or shore excursion ahead of time so someone’s waiting for you by name at the main gate. If you’d rather be picked up right at the ship, that’s sometimes possible with the port manager’s permission, though it comes with an extra per-person fee.

Da Nang Cruise Terminal: Tien Sa Port Checklist

Most ships calling at Da Nang dock at Tien Sa, a working harbour on the Son Tra Peninsula north of the city centre, where the Da Nang International Cruise Terminal gives you a proper building to walk through instead of a tent. Whatever your itinerary calls it, here’s what to expect on arrival.

• Free wifi throughout the terminal building, courtesy of the Da Nang International Cruise Terminal.
• Ramps and lifts for wheelchair users, plus accessible restrooms inside the building.
• A taxi rank roughly 500 metres from the pier, right at the port’s main entrance.
• Travel time into the city depends on who you ask, anywhere from around 10 minutes by bus to closer to 30 minutes in traffic, so build in some slack either way.
• Smaller ships occasionally use Han River Port instead, which sits even closer to central Da Nang.

Getting from Chan May to Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue

Distances from Chan May shift depending on who’s measuring and which road they took, so treat any single figure with a pinch of salt. Expect somewhere around 45 to 55km to Da Nang, 60 to 100km to Hue, and 70 to 85km to Hoi An. Some of that gap comes down to route choice: the direct tunnel to Hoi An runs about 72km, while the scenic Hai Van Pass route tacks on another 13km or so.

• Da Nang: roughly an hour by road.
• Hue: around 1 hour 20 minutes to 1.5 hours.
• Hoi An: around 1 hour 40 minutes.

Hoi An needs at least 5 hours ashore including the driving, and Hue is a full day commitment at 7 to 8 hours, so trying both on one call is asking for trouble. Our guide to Vietnam’s cruise ports goes into more detail on weighing up a short call against a longer one.

A shuttle bus is usually the cheaper option, but it’s slower, stops several times, and can feel like rush hour on wheels. A prebooked private car or ship-run coach costs more but runs to your own timetable, which matters if you’re cutting it fine for an afternoon sail-away.

If you’ve got time on the way back, ask your driver to loop over the Hai Van Pass, a 21km stretch of road linking Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An, with some of the best coastal views anywhere on this stretch.

Things to Do Ashore

Hoi An’s old town is the obvious draw from either port, a UNESCO World Heritage site of lantern-lit lanes and riverside shophouses that’s best seen on foot. A pair of decent walking shoes built for uneven cobbles earns its place in your day bag.

Hue’s Imperial Citadel, known locally as Đại Nội, sits on the Perfume River and carries UNESCO World Heritage status. It was the seat of power for the Nguyen emperors for close to a century and a half, right up until the mid-20th century, and the most important buildings sit within the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City.

Closer to Da Nang itself, the Marble Mountains, the Cham Museum and My Khe Beach are solid half-day options if you’re not making the longer run to Hue or Hoi An. Lang Co, near Chan May, has white sand and clear water, and a tube of reef-safe sunscreen earns its keep if a beach stop is on the cards.

Da Nang and Chan May often share an itinerary with Vietnam’s other big calls, including the port of Hanoi for Halong Bay further north and Nha Trang’s cruise port down the coast, so it’s worth a read of whichever of those you’re also stopping at.

Common Questions

Is Chan May the same place as Da Nang?

No. Chan May Port is a separate harbour in Thua Thien Hue province, roughly 45 to 55km from Da Nang city, though cruise lines like to lump it in under a combined Hue, Da Nang itinerary name.

Which port is closer to Hoi An, Chan May or Tien Sa?

Tien Sa in Da Nang, generally. Hoi An is around a 45 minute drive from there, while Chan May tacks on an extra hour or so depending on the route.

Can I get a taxi at Chan May Port?

No. There’s no public taxi service or Grab car inside the port area, so you’ll need a prebooked driver or shore excursion waiting at the main gate instead.

Is there wifi at either port?

The Da Nang International Cruise Terminal at Tien Sa has free wifi. Chan May has none at the pier itself, though nearby cafes will sort you out.

How do I get from the ship to the gate at Chan May?

It’s about a 500 metre walk from the pier to the main gate, roughly 15 minutes, where prebooked drivers and guides usually wait.

Is Tien Sa cruise terminal wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The terminal building has ramps, lifts and accessible restrooms, which makes life a lot easier for passengers with mobility needs than Chan May’s tented set-up.

How long do I need ashore for Hue?

Plan for a full 7 to 8 hours including driving time, given the distance from either port and the size of the Imperial Citadel complex.

Do big ships always dock at Chan May instead of Da Nang?

Not always, but Chan May’s wharf can take ships up to 362 metres, so some of the larger vessels calling on this stretch of coast use it instead of Tien Sa.

Why Trust About2Cruise

This guide draws on published port specifications, operator information and cruise line shore excursion notes for Chan May and Da Nang’s Tien Sa terminal, cross-checked against each other where distances or travel times didn’t quite match up. We haven’t sailed into either port ourselves, so we’ve flagged the gaps and the places where sources disagree, rather than making up a single tidy figure. You can read more about how we research and fact-check our guides on our about us page.