Along the route, there are lots of beautiful viewpoints as well as an ancient watchtower and war bunkers at the top of the pass, secluded beaches you can hike to on the Da Nang side and lagoons and waterfalls on the Hue side. All these sites transform motorbiking the Hai Van Pass into more than just a beautiful drive, but a full-day adventure.
One of the highlights of my last trip along the Hai Van Pass was hiking down to a secret beach on the Da Nang side of the pass. It’s a great stop for breaking up the trip and relaxing on a deserted beach. There is no infrastructure here so be sure to bring your towels and water with you.
✍ Hiking to the secret beach in Da Nang
I also recommend stopping at the rock cafe on the Da Nang side for one of the best views back over the bay to Da Nang city. Alternatively, there are also cafes at the top of the Pass and you can choose a cafe with a view of either the Da Nang side or the Hue side of the pass.
Rock Cafe 📍 Cafe Hòn Đá Cụ Rùa, Hoà Hiệp Bắc, Liên Chiểu
At the top of the Hai Van Pass is an ancient watchtower. The gate marks the transition between Da Nang province and Thua Thien Hue province and was historically used to control the passage between the two areas. There are also military bunkers that date back to the French colonial period and that were re-used during the Vietnam-America war.
A great place to stop on the Hue side of the Hai Van Pass is Elephant Spring, a waterfall with natural swimming pools to cool down in. There are a few places to buy drinks and snacks here, as well as changing rooms for swimming.
Elephant Spring 📍 Lộc Tiến, Phú Lộc, Thua Thien Hue
Once you pass the Hue side of the Hai Van Pass there are a series of beautiful freshwater lagoons that I recommend driving alongside. Here you’ll see stilt houses, houseboats and shellfish farms (identified by wooden posts that stick out the surface of the water).