Da Lat to Mui Ne is a half-day ride from the highlands to the sea, about 150 to 183 km depending on the source, almost all of it on Highway 28B over the Dai Ninh Pass. A morning limousine van or bus suits most people: about 3 to 5 hours, 170,000 to 349,000 VND, and often a drop-off on the resort strip. Groups should hire a car. Either way, go by day. The pass has just been rebuilt, but it still slides when the rain is heavy.
How we built this guide: on 4 October 2026 we checked Vexere's route page, listings on 12Go for Tuesday 20 October 2026 and on Baolau for Saturday 10 October 2026, The Sinh Tourist's schedule, Daytrip's transfer page, and Vietnamese news reports on Highway 28B from June 2023 to 29 September 2026. We did not make the trip for this guide. Prices are in Vietnamese dong (VND) with US dollar estimates at Vietcombank's selling rate of 26,170 VND per dollar on 4 October 2026. Where a site showed dollars, the VND figure is our conversion.
Which way from Da Lat to Mui Ne suits you?
Take a van or bus for value and a private car for a group. There is no train and no flight. Our Mui Ne guide covers where to stay once you are down.
| Mode | Time | Price seen | Comfort and catch | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limousine van or VIP coach | About 3 to 4.5 hours | 170,000 to 349,000 VND on Vexere; 273,000 to 350,000 VND on 12Go | Many drop at hotels on the strip; winding descent | Most travelers |
| Daytime sleeper bus | About 4.5 to 5.5 hours | From $9.63 (about 252,000 VND) on 12Go | Fixed berths, office drop-offs | Lowest price |
| Private car | About 3 to 4.5 hours | About 1.2 to 2.2 million VND per car on 12Go; from $28 per person on Daytrip | Door to door, your own stops | Groups, families |
| Motorbike | Not timed by any source we checked | Rental not checked | Fast trucks and fresh slides on the pass | Licensed, experienced riders |
How long do vans and buses take?
Plan on about 4 hours, up to 5.5 on sleepers. Vexere's route page, updated on 4 October 2026, counts about 25 trips a day from six companies, fares from 170,000 to 349,000 VND (about $6.50 to $13.34) and an average trip of 4.3 hours, with departures from 06:00 (Thanh Lich) to 17:30 (Lam Cuong). The Sinh Tourist schedules 07:30 and 12:30 departures, each 4 hours for 160 km.
On 12Go for 20 October 2026, 60 of the 73 trips listed were buses and vans:
- Xuan Pha Bus: VIP coaches from Da Lat bus station at 08:00 and 12:40 for 273,000 to 286,000 VND (about $10.43 to $10.93), dropping at resorts along the strip in 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes.
- An Phu Travel: limousine vans from its Da Lat office at 08:00, 11:30, 14:00 and 15:00, timed at 4 hours to 124 Nguyen Dinh Chieu for $13.37 (about 350,000 VND), and sleeper buses at 07:30, 09:00, 13:30 and 17:00, timed at 4.5 to 5.5 hours from $9.63. Baolau showed the same company at 350,000 VND and 4 to 5 hours for 10 October.
- Hanh Cafe: a 19-seat bus from 257 Phu Dong Thien Vuong at 07:30 and 13:00, for 262,080 VND, timed at 6 hours on 12Go but 4 hours 15 minutes on Vexere.
Reviews on 12Go are mixed: several An Phu limousine riders in July and August 2026 complained of speeding on blind bends, while Xuan Pha drivers won praise for hotel drop-offs.
Which road do the buses take?
Highway 28B. National Route 28B runs 69 km from Highway 1 at Luong Son to Highway 20 at Ninh Gia, per Vietnamese Wikipedia, and its Dai Ninh Pass, about 15 km long, is the steepest and most winding part, per Nguoi Quan Sat. A January 2026 guide on mia.vn lists Phuong Trang's (FUTA Bus Lines) route as Highway 20 through Duc Trong, then Ta Hine and Highway 28B down to Highway 1 and North Phan Thiet bus station. Tourist coaches use it too: in June 2023 one carrying about 25 people toward Mui Ne went off the road into a ravine at Km45, with minor injuries, per Bao Lao Cai.
The alternative, Highway 20 and the Dau Giay to Phan Thiet expressway, means riding most of the way back toward Ho Chi Minh City. None of the listings we checked is timed for it, and their 150 to 183 km distances only fit 28B.
The road is far better than it was. An upgrade of about 1,435 billion VND, begun in April 2024, rebuilt it with an 11 m surface and an 80 km/h design speed, and Nguoi Quan Sat called it basically complete in April 2026. In July 2026 Tuoi Tre reported the asphalt finished and bridge No. 4 on the pass open, with slope work continuing, plus bumper-to-bumper traffic on summer weekends and produce trucks from Da Lat coming down the pass fast.
Is the Dai Ninh Pass safe in the rainy season?
It is open, but it slides after heavy rain, so travel in daylight and keep some slack in wet weeks. Vietnam's tourism board puts Da Lat's rainy season at April to October, per vietnam.travel, and Wikipedia at May to October.
On 27 October 2025, landslides at Km45+300 and Km50+300 blocked the pass completely, and it was still shut that evening, per SGGP. The slides returned in September 2026. Two within 14 hours on 20 and 21 September covered part of the road mid-pass, per Tien Phong. On 24 September there were slides at Km31+300 and Km39+900 and four more spots at high risk, per VOH, and VnExpress reported red sand across road DT715, which links Highway 1 with Mui Ne. On 27 September a slide at Km31 took a whole lane, cleared within about two hours, per Nhan Dan. Two days later Tuoi Tre reported that the worst spot had been cleared three times without a lasting fix.
Watch out: the October 2025 reports we found gave no official detour while the pass was shut. On a day of very heavy rain, ask your operator whether the road is open, and be ready to wait a day.
The UK government also warns that bus crashes are more likely at night. The regular departures we found leave between 06:00 and 18:00, so a morning bus gets you down in daylight. For seasons nationwide, see best time to visit Vietnam.
What does a private car cost?
About 1.2 to 2.2 million VND per car for two to four people, for 3 to 4.5 hours on the road. On 12Go for 20 October 2026, Chou Travel's three-seat car cost 1,200,000 VND (about $46), timed at 4.5 hours; Mixi Travel's 1,375,000 VND, at 2 hours 50 minutes; and Saigon DMC's $56.40 (about 1,476,000 VND), at 3 hours 15 minutes. Daytrip quotes 3 hours 30 minutes for 157 km from US$28 per person (about 733,000 VND), with optional stops such as Datanla Falls, Elephant Falls and the white sand dunes. Ask your driver which road he will take; on 28B, the pass advice above applies.
Where do vans and buses pick up and drop off?
In Da Lat, at the bus station (Xuan Pha, Phuong Trang) or company offices, such as An Phu's on Pham Ngu Lao street and Hanh Cafe's at 257 Phu Dong Thien Vuong. In Mui Ne, most stop along Nguyen Dinh Chieu street, the resort strip, at offices or named resorts. Some end in Phan Thiet instead, about 25 km west of Mui Ne ward, per Vietnamese Wikipedia. Check that your ticket runs all the way to the strip.
Going the other way: Mui Ne to Da Lat
The same companies run uphill. On 12Go for 20 October 2026, Xuan Pha collected passengers from resorts around 07:00 and 14:00 for Da Lat bus station, and The Sinh Tourist leaves Mui Ne at 07:30 and 13:00. Da Lat sits about 1,500 m up, per Wikipedia, so keep a warm layer handy. Our Da Lat guide covers the town.
Can you ride it on a motorbike?
Only if you are licensed, experienced on mountain roads and riding in dry daylight. The UK government says British riders need the 1968 international driving permit plus their UK license, that riding without third-party insurance is illegal and that helmets are compulsory. The Government of Canada says its citizens need a Vietnamese license for 50cc or more. Here, add fast produce trucks, fresh slides and sand on the coastal roads after rain. Our motorbike rental guide explains which licenses Vietnam accepts and what insurers cover.
How does the Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat and Mui Ne loop work?
It is a triangle with one long side, Saigon to Da Lat. Fly that leg and the other two are half-day rides.
| Leg | Quickest | Bus or van | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat | 55-minute flight to Lien Khuong, from $31.92 (about 835,000 VND) on 12Go for 20 Oct | About 7 hours on The Sinh Tourist | Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat |
| Da Lat to Mui Ne | About 3 to 4.5 hours by car | About 3 to 5 hours | This page |
| Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City | Private car | About 5.5 hours on The Sinh Tourist; weekend train from Phan Thiet | Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne |
The Sinh Tourist runs all three legs on its schedule. On the way back, the SPT1 train leaves Phan Thiet at 13:30 and reaches Saigon at 17:46, but only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until 30 December 2026, per Bao Van Hoa. Either direction works. Coming from the north instead, see Nha Trang to Da Lat and our classic north to south route.
Key facts at a glance
- About 25 buses a day, 170,000 to 349,000 VND, averaging 4.3 hours, per Vexere on 4 October 2026.
- The Sinh Tourist schedules 4 hours for 160 km, per its schedule.
- Highway 28B runs 69 km from Luong Son to Ninh Gia, per Vietnamese Wikipedia.
- The Dai Ninh Pass is about 15 km long, per Nguoi Quan Sat.
- A landslide at Km31 on 27 September 2026 blocked a full lane of the pass, per Nhan Dan.
Limitations
Fares and timetables are a snapshot checked on 4 October 2026 for trips on 10 and 20 October, and they change, especially at weekends and holidays. Sources disagree on the distance (150 km on 12Go, 156 km on Baolau, 157 km on Daytrip, 160 km for The Sinh Tourist, 183 km on Vexere) and on some timings, such as Hanh Cafe's.
Highway 28B as Phuong Trang's route comes from a travel guide, not the company, and other operators do not publish their roads. Slope work on the pass was still outstanding in late September 2026, and slides can close it at short notice in the rains. We did not check motorbike rental prices. Check the forecast and your operator before you set off, and see getting around Vietnam for other options.
