CHAN MAY PORT · PRIVATE CAR & DRIVER
Chan May Port to Hoi An by Private Car — English-Speaking Driver, the Old Town at Your Own Pace
A private car and English-speaking driver for your whole ship day — straight to Hoi An, nearly four hours in the old town on your own terms, and a departure time that never moves.
Private car, English-speaking driver
Met inside the port
~3h45 free in the old town
Back 75 min before all-aboard
This Chan May port to Hoi An private car day is the plainest way to reach the old town from your ship: an English-speaking driver, an air-conditioned car for the whole day, and no guide you did not ask for. Your driver waits inside Chan May port at the Internal Gate — a 200-metre walk, not the taxi scrum at the outer gate — and drives straight south, reaching Hoi An around 09:30 while the streets are still cool. From there the day is yours: the Japanese Covered Bridge, the assembly halls, the Thu Bon riverfront, lunch wherever you like, a tailor only if you choose one. At 13:15 you meet your driver at the same spot and are back at the gate 75 minutes before all-aboard. Prices are per car, not per person. A flat US$39 deposit holds your date and comes back automatically if your ship cannot dock — don’t port, don’t pay.
WHY THIS DAY WORKS ON A SHIP’S CLOCK
- Met inside the port, honestly stated. Many operators advertise “shipside pick-up” at Chan May — the port does not allow it. We say it as it is: your driver waits at the Internal Gate, about 200 metres from the ship.
- A deposit you get back. Many operators keep 20% deposits in full when plans change. Ours is a flat US$39 — refunded automatically if your ship cannot dock. Don’t port, don’t pay.
- Zero card fees — on the deposit and the balance alike. Many operators add 3.5–4.5% card surcharges. We add none: the US$39 deposit is fee-free, and on the day you choose — Vietnamese dong in cash, or a secure card link. Either way, the fee is ours, not yours.
- No shopping stop you did not ask for. Hoi An’s tailors and leather shops pay drivers to bring guests in. Ours never suggest one. If you want a tailor, say so and we go; if you don’t, the subject never comes up.
- Never actually on your own. Your driver’s name, photo and number plate reach you on WhatsApp 48 hours ahead; the meeting point is fixed before you sail in; the VLT hotline answers at any moment of the day. Freedom with a safety line.
YOUR DAY, HOUR BY HOUR
Example day — ship docks 07:00, departs 17:00 (all-aboard 16:30). Pickup and the 13:15 departure are adjusted to your ship’s actual hours.
Itinerary
Met at the Internal Gate
Your driver waits inside the port, a 200-metre walk from the ship — name board up, cold water and towels in the car. Doors close and it is a direct two-hour run south while the coach queues are still forming. If you need dong for the old-town ticket, say so now and the driver adds an ATM stop in Hoi An before dropping you.
Pickup follows your ship
The old town, on your own terms
Your driver drops you at a fixed meeting point on the edge of the pedestrian streets, points you to the ticket booth (120,000 dong a person, paid there), and confirms the pickup time out loud. Then the town is yours: the Japanese Covered Bridge, the assembly halls, the riverfront, a long lunch of your own choosing.
~3h45 free · ticket and lunch self-paid
Doors close — this time never moves
Same spot, same driver, 13:15. It is the one time on this page that does not bend, because the two hours back and the 75-minute buffer are what protect your ship. Arrive early and you leave early; arrive late and you spend your own buffer, never ours.
Fixed departure
Back at the gate, clock in hand
You step out at the Internal Gate a full 75 minutes before all-aboard — enough margin that the walk back to the gangway is a stroll, not a sprint.
75-min buffer standard
The route — Chan May port to Hoi An
THE 13:15 RULE
One time on this day matters more than the others: 13:15 at the meeting point. Your driver will be there ahead of you, and we would rather ask for those few minutes of punctuality than spend your buffer — the two hours back and the 75-minute margin are what keep your ship a certainty rather than a hope. If your ship keeps other hours, we simply set your own departure time and let you know before you sail in.
RAIN & FLOOD PLAN
October and November are Hoi An’s wet months, and in some years the river rises into the old town itself. Rain is easy: umbrellas live in the car and the shophouses are the shelter. Flood is rarer, and we do not pretend otherwise: if the old town is under water on your call day, you hear from us on WhatsApp the day before, with an honest choice — a Hue day instead, or your deposit back in full.
Included
- Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver for your whole ship day
- Internal Gate pickup inside Chan May port (port pickup permit included)
- Return to the ship 75 minutes before all-aboard
- Bottled water and cold towels
- Driver’s name, photo and number plate on WhatsApp 48 hours ahead
- VLT hotline through the day
Not included
- Hoi An old-town ticket (120,000 dong per person, bought at the booth)
- Lunch and drinks
- Gratuities
- Personal spending
Paying the balance
Pickup follows your ship
Know your driver 48 hours before
Ticket and lunch are yours
Shoes and sun
October–November is the wet season
| Car | Guests | Per car |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan | up to 2 | US$158 |
| 7-seat MPV | up to 5 | US$189 |
| 16-seat van | 6 to 10 | US$269 |
Private car, English-speaking driver, the port pickup permit and the whole day’s waiting are in the price — the only things you pay on the ground are lunch and the 120,000-dong old-town ticket, bought at the booth on your way in.
US$39 deposit holds your date — the balance is settled on the day in Vietnamese dong cash or by secure card link, with no card fees either way. Don’t port, don’t pay: if your ship cannot dock, the deposit is refunded automatically.
Prices are in US dollars, per car; on the day you pay in local currency at the published bank rate — or simply tap a card link. No card fees, no ATM hunt at the port.
Sailing in with your roll call? Message us on WhatsApp +84 93 246 5127
Frequently asked questions
Is there a guide on this day?
No, and that is the point. Hoi An’s old town is compact, flat and signposted; most guests read it happily with their own feet and a map. What you are paying for is the car, the driver and the clock. If you would rather have a licensed guide walk the old town with you, that is our Chan May to Hoi An Shore Excursion — same port, same buffer, a storyteller added.
Will we simply be left in Hoi An?
No. Your driver drops you at a fixed meeting point on the edge of the pedestrian streets, confirms the 13:15 pickup out loud, and stays within reach of the town. His name, photo and number plate arrive on WhatsApp 48 hours before your call, and the VLT hotline answers at any moment of the day. You are independent, not abandoned.
Will we make the ship?
Yes — because 13:15 does not move. The drive back is two hours and the buffer is 75 minutes, both protected. If your ship keeps different hours we set your own departure time before you sail in and it is written on your WhatsApp card.
Why isn’t the old-town ticket included?
Because your driver cannot come in with you: the old town is pedestrian-only, and the ticket is bought at a booth inside. It is 120,000 dong a person, cash, and your driver points you to the booth as you step out. If you have no dong, say so at pickup and he adds an ATM stop before dropping you.
Will the driver take us to a tailor or a shop?
Only if you ask. Hoi An’s tailors pay drivers to bring guests in, which is why so many “free” stops happen. Our drivers never raise the subject. If you want a tailor, tell him and he takes you to one; if you don’t, the word is never mentioned.
Which car do we need?
By numbers: one or two guests, the sedan; three to five, the 7-seat MPV; six to ten, the 16-seat van. Prices are per car, so a group of five pays US$189 between them. Cruise guests carry no luggage, so the caps are about comfort on a two-hour drive, not boot space.
How do we pay?
A flat US$39 deposit holds your date, with no card fees. The balance is settled on the day, your choice of two ways: Vietnamese dong in cash, or a secure card payment link — no card fees either way; we absorb them. Prices are quoted in US dollars and converted at the published bank rate of the day. One practical note: there are no ATMs at Chan May port — if you prefer cash, your driver simply adds an ATM stop in Hoi An.
What if our ship skips the port, docks late — or we change our minds?
Ship can’t dock: deposit back automatically. Docks late: your free time in Hoi An shortens, the departure time and the buffer hold, no extra charge. Very late: a shorter day or a full refund, your choice. Old town flooded on your call day: we tell you on WhatsApp the day before and you choose a Hue day instead or your deposit back in full. Cancelling for your own reasons? Up to 24 hours before the day the deposit comes back too; inside 24 hours it is retained.
“There is more than one right way to spend a morning in Hoi An. Wander it on your own and the town still gives you plenty — the shophouses, the river, a lunch you chose yourself. Come to it wanting the history, though, and a guide will open far more of it, which is why we run that day as well. This page is simply the first way: your own pace, a departure time you can count on, and a ship that is still there when you get back.”
- Reply within 1 hour
- Free cancellation
- Licensed operator No. 46-0086/2026