CHAN MAY PORT · SHORE EXCURSION
Chan May to Hoi An, the Scenic Way
Hoi An’s UNESCO old town in the cool of the morning, the Hai Van Pass on the way home — timed to your ship.
Back 75 min before all-aboard
UNESCO Hoi An + Hai Van Pass
Licensed guide, not a driver
★ 4.9 · 350+ TripAdvisor reviews
Met inside the port
This Chan May to Hoi An shore excursion is routed the sensible way round: the tunnel outbound, so you reach Hoi An by half past nine while the old town is cool and quiet, and the Hai Van Pass saved for the unhurried drive home. A licensed guide walks you through the Japanese Bridge, merchant house and assembly hall — the bones of one of old Đàng Trong’s busiest trading ports — then stays with you while you wander and choose your own lunch from a no-commission shortlist. The vehicle turns for the ship at half past twelve, stops twenty minutes at the restored Hai Van Quan gate at the top of the pass, and is back at the Chan May gate 75 minutes before all-aboard. From $105 per person for a group of eight, old-town ticket and Hai Van Quan entry included. $39 deposit, balance on the day.
WHY THIS DAY WORKS ON A SHIP’S CLOCK
- We meet you inside the port. As a port-registered operator, we collect you at the Internal Gate — about 200 level metres from your ship; the per-person port permit and border fee are already in your price. Unregistered drivers wait outside the main gate, a 700-metre walk in sun or rain. And a note of honesty: nobody meets you at the gangway itself — only the port’s own coaches may park beside the ship, whatever other websites promise.
- The timing is published, not promised. You can read the full schedule below, minute by minute, including what gets shortened first if the roads are slow — the Hai Van Quan stop, because it sits last and Hoi An itself stays whole. The return buffer is never touched. We have never returned a guest late; if we ever do, your tour is free.
- Hoi An comes first. We take the tunnel outbound and reach the old town by half past nine, while it’s cool and quiet. The Hai Van Pass is saved for the drive home, where a slow road costs you scenery instead of costing you Hoi An.
- A licensed guide. Your guide is a licensed English-speaking local who has worked for years — you’ll receive their name, photo and WhatsApp number 48 hours before your ship arrives.
- No unsolicited shopping stops. Your itinerary contains none, and your guide will never suggest one. If you’d like to visit a craft workshop, simply ask, and we’ll gladly fit it in.
- Don’t port, don’t pay. If your ship cannot dock — weather, schedule change, any reason — your deposit comes back. No forms, no requests.
YOUR DAY, HOUR BY HOUR
Internal Gate pickup
A short 200-metre walk to the port's Internal Gate, where your guide waits with a name board; water and cold towels aboard, then straight onto the road.
Straight to Hoi An
We take the tunnel and head directly to the far point of the day — Hoi An first, while the morning is cool and the old town still quiet. The pass waits for the drive home.
Old town, guided
The Japanese Bridge, a merchant house and an assembly hall, then time to wander — enough to read one of old Đàng Trong's busiest trading ports in its streets. Old-town ticket included.
Lunch, your choice
You pick the restaurant from our shortlist; your guide comes along, helps with the menu and ordering, and the table is yours. Self-paid, so you eat exactly what you fancy.
Hai Van Pas
Leaving Hoi An at 12:30, we climb the pass and stop twenty minutes at the Hai Van Pass, and the coast road the tunnel was built to bypass. Ticket included. On a fogged-in or rainy day your guide will say so rather than pretend there's a view.
Back to the port
Down to the Chan May gate, 75 minutes before a 16:30 all-aboard — the buffer is never touched.
IF THE DAY RUNS SLOW
The Hai Van Quan stop is the flex: it’s the last thing before the port, so it shortens or drops without touching anything that matters. Hoi An itself is protected — the guided walk and your lunch hour stay whole. The port buffer is never touched. Scenery is the bonus; the ship is the promise.
RAIN PLAN
Hoi An in the rain is lantern-light and quiet streets — genuinely lovely with an umbrella, and umbrellas live in our vehicle from October to December. The Hai Van Quan stop shortens; the old-town walk shifts under the shophouse eaves.
Included
- Licensed English-speaking guide (with you all day, lunch included)
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- Inside-port pickup at the Internal Gate (port permit + border fee included)
- Hai Van Quan entry ticket
- Hoi An old-town ticket
- Bottled water & cold towels
Not included
- Lunch (self-paid; you choose the restaurant from our shortlist, guide comes along)
- Gratuities
Bring cash
Your pickup time follows your ship
You'll know your guide before you sail in
Comfortable shoes, light clothing
October to December is rain season
Tickets are already in your price
Group of 2 — $199 · Group of 4 — $139 · Group of 6 — $115 · Group of 8 — $105 · per person — old-town ticket, Hai Van Quan, port permit & border fee included; lunch self-paid
$39 deposit holds your date — the balance is paid on the day, cash. Don’t port, don’t pay: if your ship cannot dock, the deposit is refunded.
Roll Call groups: a full vehicle of eight brings the price to $105 each — message +84932465127 and we’ll hold the vehicle while you fill it.
Frequently asked questions
Why do so many Hoi An tours feel rushed?
Because they bolt on extra stops until the day has no slack. We do the opposite: reach Hoi An first while it’s cool and quiet, give you an honest guided hour and a lunch you choose, and keep a single scenic stop on the way back that we’ll trim before we ever touch your buffer.
Do we still see the Hai Van Pass?
Yes — on the way home. We take the tunnel outbound to reach Hoi An early and cool, then climb the pass on the return for a twenty-minute stop at the restored Hai Van Quan gate: the great coast road without losing your morning in Hoi An. On a fogged-in day your guide will say so and we move on..
What happens if our ship skips Chan May or arrives late?
If the ship cannot dock at all, your deposit is refunded automatically — no request needed. If it docks up to 90 minutes late, the day runs on the published shortening order at no extra charge. Later than that, we offer a shortened programme or a full refund; your choice.
Is this tour manageable for guests who don’t walk far?
Yes — more easily than most days ashore. Hoi An’s old town is flat, compact and traffic-free, with cafés and benches every few metres; the guided walk covers well under two kilometres at your pace, never the other way around. The only steps of the day are a handful at Hai Van Quan, and that stop is optional — the view from beside the vehicle is nearly as good. Bathroom stops come at least every 90 minutes, always at places we’d use ourselves.
How does lunch work?
You choose. We hand you a shortlist of restaurants we trust, or you follow your nose — your guide comes along either way, helps with the menu and ordering, then leaves you the table. Lunch is self-paid, which is precisely why it’s good: you eat what you fancy, not what a tour kitchen has pre-cooked for forty people.
Can we do Marble Mountains too?
We deliberately don’t include it — adding it would eat your time in Hoi An, and climbing its steps mid-day suits few cruise itineraries. If it matters to you, ask when booking and we’ll show you exactly what it costs in minutes.
What if it rains?
Hoi An in the rain is lantern-light and quiet streets — genuinely lovely with an umbrella, and umbrellas live in our vehicle from October to December. The Hai Van Quan stop shortens; the old-town walk shifts under the shophouse eaves.
How do we pay?
A $39 deposit secures your date when you book; the balance is settled on the day itself, in cash — US dollars or Vietnamese dong, whichever you carry. We don’t take cards ashore, so bring the balance with you from the ship (there are ATMs in Hoi An if you run short, and your guide can point you to one). There is nothing to prepay in full and no voucher to print — your booking confirmation on your phone is enough. And if your ship cannot dock, the deposit comes back automatically.
“Most Hoi An shore tours are built forwards — stop after stop until the day frays. I built this one backwards from your all-aboard: the old town first, while it’s cool and quiet, lunch wherever you choose, and the Hai Van Pass saved for the drive home.”
- Reply within 1 hour
- Free cancellation
- Licensed operator No. 46-0086/2026