Da Nang to Kon Tum is a mountain crossing from the coast into the Central Highlands, and the bus is the only practical way to do it in one go. Take Phuong Trang's late-morning sleeper if you want to see the road and arrive in the evening, or a night sleeper if you would rather save a hotel night. There is no train, and no direct flight to Pleiku, the nearest airport.
How we built this guide: on 19 October 2026 we checked bus and van listings on Vexere and 12Go for Friday 6 November 2026, flights to Pleiku on Google Flights for the same date, October 2025 news reports on landslides at the Lo Xo pass, a January 2026 report on Highway 24, an October 2026 report on the planned Quang Ngai to Kon Tum expressway, and VnExpress's Kon Tum and Mang Den guides. 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 26,100 VND per dollar on 19 October 2026.
Which way from Da Nang to Kon Tum suits you?
Take a bus or van; fly only if you are starting from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City anyway. Our Kon Tum guide covers the wooden cathedral, the Bahnar villages and Mang Den.
| Mode | Time | Price seen for 6 Nov 2026 | Catch | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day sleeper bus, Phuong Trang 11:30 | 7 h 10 min | 310,000 VND (about $12) on Vexere | Arrives at 18:40, in the evening | Seeing the mountains |
| Night sleeper or cabin bus | 7 to 9 hours | 300,000 to 420,000 VND (about $11.50 to $16) | Arrives between about 03:00 and 05:30 | Saving a hotel night |
| Limousine van via Mang Den | About 7 hours to Kon Tum | 500,000 VND (about $19) | Small seats, mountain road | A daytime trip with a Mang Den stop |
| Fly to Pleiku, then the road | 1 h 10 min from Ho Chi Minh City, plus about an hour by road | From 994,781 VND (about $38) | No flight from Da Nang | Coming from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City |
| Private car | We found no quote | Not listed on 12Go | Ask a hotel or local driver | Groups |
Sources put the road distance at about 252 km (Vexere) to about 320 km (Local Vietnam), depending on the road.
Which buses run from Da Nang to Kon Tum, and when?
About 40 to 60 departures a day, most of them at night. On 19 October 2026, Vexere's route summary counted 43 trips a day from 13 companies, with an average of 6.7 hours and fares from 300,000 to 780,000 VND. Its listings for 6 November 2026 showed 57 trips, including through buses and services that end in Mang Den or Ngoc Hoi. These ran all the way to Kon Tum:
- Phuong Trang (FUTA Bus Lines): limousine sleepers at 11:30 and 21:00, 7 hours 10 minutes to Kon Tum bus station, 310,000 VND. Vexere gave the start as South Da Nang bus station, while 12Go listed the 11:30 from Da Nang Central Bus Station at 412,901 VND including its fees, so check your ticket.
- Viet Tan: a standard sleeper at 20:00, 7 hours, 300,000 VND, the cheapest we saw, and VIP cabins at 21:00 and 21:05, 7 hours, 420,000 VND, all from Da Nang bus station to Kon Tum bus station.
- Minh Quoc: limousine sleepers at 19:30 and 20:30 from Da Nang bus station, 9 hours, 330,000 VND.
- Duc Thanh (Kon Tum): a limousine sleeper picking up at the Tuy Loan junction at 22:00, 7 hours, 320,000 VND. It is a through service from Thai Binh in the north, so its time at Tuy Loan can vary.
- Thinh Phat - Tuan Anh: limousine vans at 07:00 and 15:00 from Duc Long bus station, 7 hours to Kon Tum bus station, 500,000 VND, passing Mang Den after about 6 hours.
- VietNam Travel Bus: a 33-berth sleeper at 11:30 from Da Nang Central Bus Station, 7 hours, 462,000 VND, on 12Go.
Night buses arrive between about 03:00 and 05:30. Night travel carries more risk; our Vietnam safety page covers road safety, and our bus companies compared post describes the bigger operators.
Services that stop short at Mang Den
Two companies run daytime vans and minibuses to Mang Den rather than Kon Tum city. Travelpro Limousine left its Da Nang office at 07:00, 07:30, 13:30 and 14:00, reaching its Mang Den office in 4 hours 50 minutes for 550,000 VND, and Tourist Mang Den left Da Nang at 07:00 and 13:30 for the Kon Plong bus station, 6 hours, from 550,000 VND. Mang Den lies about 60 km from Kon Tum, per VnExpress.
Which road do the buses take?
There are two roads, and the stops tell you which one a bus uses. Viet Tan and Minh Quoc list drop-offs at Ngoc Hoi and Dak Ha, towns on the Ho Chi Minh Road north of Kon Tum, and 12Go timed Phuong Trang's 11:30 to Ngoc Hoi at 6 hours, so these buses come down the Ho Chi Minh Road over the Lo Xo pass. The vans list Mang Den stops on Highway 24, so they take the expressway to Quang Ngai and climb inland over the Vi O Lak pass.
- The Ho Chi Minh Road and the Lo Xo pass: the pass is 37 km of tight bends linking Dak Plo and Dak Pek in Quang Ngai with Phuoc Son and Kham Duc in Da Nang, and it often suffers landslides in the rainy season, per VnExpress.
- The coast and Highway 24: the 139 km Da Nang to Quang Ngai expressway has been fully open since 2 September 2018, per Vietnamese Wikipedia. Beyond it, a 57 km stretch of Highway 24 has a carriageway of only about 5 to 6 m, and its roughly 35 km over the Vi O Lak pass is the hardest part, with frequent landslides, Tuoi Tre reported in January 2026.
A faster road is years away. The Quang Ngai to Kon Tum expressway, more than 136 km long, was still at the proposal stage in October 2026, with groundbreaking planned by early in the third quarter of 2027 at the latest if the National Assembly approves it in November 2026 and about three years of work after that, VOV reported.
What happens on these roads in the rainy season?
Landslides can close them for days, mostly in October and November. These were the most recent closures we found:
- Lo Xo pass, October 2025: by 17:00 on 26 October, seven landslides totaling nearly 15,000 m³ had blocked the pass and thousands of vehicles were stuck at both ends, VOV reported. New slides hit the Ho Chi Minh Road near Kham Duc on 28 October, VOV added. The pass reopened southbound on the morning of 30 October and northbound at 20:00 that day, after more than four days, with landslides at 15 points, VnExpress reported.
- Highway 24, late October and November 2025: floods caused landslides and cracks on the Vi O Lak pass and around Mang Den and cut traffic at times, and warning signs still lined the road in early January 2026, per Tuoi Tre.
Kon Tum's own rainy season runs from May to October and brings about 90 percent of the year's rain, per the climate table on Vietnamese Wikipedia. From October to December, travel by day if you can, read the local news before you leave, and keep a spare day before any onward flight.
Watch out: if a pass closes, buses may switch roads or wait. Ask the bus company the day before which road it plans to use, and keep water and snacks with you.
Is flying via Pleiku worth it?
Only if you are coming from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Google Flights showed no direct Da Nang to Pleiku flight for 6 November 2026, only routes with two or three stops taking 17 hours 55 minutes or more. From the big cities, the flight is short:
| From | Flights on 6 Nov 2026 | Time | Lowest fare seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietjet 06:35, 11:40 and 15:55; Vietnam Airlines 06:00 and 14:25 | 1 h 10 min | 994,781 VND (about $38) on Vietjet |
| Hanoi | Vietjet 07:25 and 16:15; Vietnam Airlines 07:30 | 1 h 35 min | 1,210,781 VND (about $46) on Vietjet |
Fares are from Google Flights for Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Pleiku airport is about 45 km from Kon Tum, about an hour by car, and in 2024 VnExpress put the bus at 30,000 VND and a taxi at 500,000 to 650,000 VND. Grab lists both Gia Lai and Kon Tum among its service areas. Since the 2025 mergers, Pleiku has been in Gia Lai province and Kon Tum in Quang Ngai.
What about a private car?
We could not find a published price. 12Go listed no cars on this route for 6 November 2026, and Baolau does not sell Kon Tum. A car would let you choose the road and stop in Mang Den, so ask your hotel in Da Nang or Hoi An for a quote with a driver who knows the passes, and agree which road you will take. If you plan to ride yourself, read renting a motorbike in Vietnam first; Local Vietnam advises riding in the region only with prior experience.
Can you start in Hoi An?
Only for Mang Den, on the listings we saw. For 6 November 2026, Vexere showed four Travelpro Limousine pickups on Hai Ba Trung street by An Bang beach in Hoi An, at 07:30, 08:00, 14:00 and 14:30, each reaching its Mang Den office in 4 hours 20 minutes for 550,000 VND. For Kon Tum city, take a taxi to Da Nang's bus stations first; our Da Nang guide has the city basics.
Going the other way: Kon Tum to Da Nang
Most of the same companies run north to Da Nang, many of them overnight; check the day's listings on Vexere. From Kon Tum you can also continue south into the highlands; see our Buon Ma Thuot guide, or head to the coast with our Da Nang to Quy Nhon guide. The Starting from Hoi An and Da Nang hub lists every route from Da Nang.
Key facts at a glance
- Phuong Trang's 11:30 bus reached Kon Tum in 7 hours 10 minutes for 310,000 VND on 6 November 2026, per Vexere.
- Vexere counted 43 trips a day from 13 companies, averaging 6.7 hours over about 252 km.
- No direct flight linked Da Nang and Pleiku on 6 November 2026, per Google Flights.
- Landslides cut the 37 km Lo Xo pass from 26 to 30 October 2025, per VnExpress.
- The Quang Ngai to Kon Tum expressway was still a proposal in October 2026, per VOV.
Limitations
Bus times and fares are the operators' figures on Vexere and 12Go for one date, 6 November 2026, checked on 19 October 2026, and through buses from the north can run hours late. Which road a bus uses is our reading of its listed stops, not a published route, and companies may switch roads after landslides. We found no private-car quote. The Pleiku airport bus and taxi prices come from a 2024 guide. The road closures we describe are from October and November 2025; conditions change every rainy season, so check the news before you go.
