There is a six-kilometre tunnel through the mountain that saves you forty minutes. Please do not take it.
What the pass actually is
Hai Van means "sea clouds", and on most mornings you can see exactly why. Twenty-one kilometres of switchbacks climb to about 500 metres, and the road turns once and puts the entire bay beneath you. It was the border between Dai Viet and the Cham kingdom for centuries, which is why there is a fortress at the top.
Where we stop
- Hai Van Quan, the summit gate — restored and reopened in 2024, with French and American bunkers still on the ridge
- Lang Co — a long white beach with a lagoon behind it and mountains dropping into the sea
- Elephant Springs — cold freshwater rock pools under the jungle, when the season is right
- Lap An lagoon — oyster racks in still water, at its best in flat afternoon light
Morning is better than afternoon. By two o’clock the cloud usually sits on the summit and you see nothing at all — I have driven guests up there to look at fog, and it is a sad way to spend an hour.
How to do it properly
Take it slowly and stop wherever you want a photograph. That is the whole advantage of travelling privately — the day runs at your pace, and we can stay anywhere as long as you like.
