Getting from Da Nang to Ly Son means a road trip south to Sa Ky port in Quang Ngai, then a short, fast boat. The bus is cheap and a car saves time, but the boat sets your day: in October only two or three left Sa Ky daily. Pick your sailing first, then a bus or car that reaches the port 30 minutes before it.
How we built this guide: on 4 October 2026 we checked the Quang Ngai port board's timetable for five October dates and its ticket rules, bus listings on Vexere and MoMo, trains and cars on 12Go and Daytrip, Chu Lai flights on Google Flights, 2025 and 2026 news reports on the boats and storm closures, and Phu Quoc Express's own pages. 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 Nang to Ly Son suits you?
Take a bus to Sa Ky port unless you are a group or need a tight connection; then book a car. Our Ly Son Island guide covers the island itself.
| Way to Sa Ky port | Time to the port | Price seen | Then | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus from Da Nang or Hoi An to the port | 2 to 3 hours | 261,250 to 270,000 VND (about $10) on Vexere for 21 Oct | Boat, 35 to 45 minutes, 180,000 VND | Most travelers |
| Private car | 2 hours 20 minutes to Quang Ngai city, plus the run to the port | From $26 per person on Daytrip | Same boat | Groups, tight connections |
| Train to Quang Ngai, then a taxi | 2 hours 29 minutes to 3 hours 12 minutes by train, plus about 20 km by road | From 185,788 VND (about $7.10) on 12Go | Same boat | Night arrivals, rail fans |
| Flight to Chu Lai, then a taxi | 1 hour 20 to 25 minutes from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, plus about 42 km by road | From 1,150,181 VND (about $44) on Google Flights | Same boat | Travelers coming from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City |
How do you get from Da Nang or Hoi An to Sa Ky port?
Quang Ngai merged with Kon Tum and Quang Nam merged into Da Nang city in 2025, per vietnam.travel, so booking sites mix old and new names; look for "Sa Ky Port" or "Cảng Sa Kỳ" as the drop-off.
By bus
Several companies drop at Sa Ky port in two to three hours. On Vexere for Wednesday 21 October 2026, Quang Travel left Da Nang Central Bus Station at 06:00 and reached the port at 09:00 for 270,000 VND. Vexere's Hoi An listings that day showed Phong Nguyen Travel leaving the old town at 10:40 and arriving at 12:40, and Quyen Khiem leaving at 11:00 and arriving at 13:30, both for 270,000 VND, plus Ha Thao buses from its Da Nang office at 11:30 and 12:00, three hours to the port, for 261,250 VND.
Otherwise, take any bus to Quang Ngai city and a taxi to the port, about 20 km from the center per VnExpress's island guide. Vexere listed 713 trips from Da Nang to Quang Ngai that day, with fares of 250,000 to 490,000 VND, and MoMo also lists Sa Ky port as a drop-off. Our bus companies compared post covers the big coach firms.
Watch out: a 14:30 or 15:00 arrival is too late for a 15:00 boat. The port board asks passengers to be there 30 minutes before departure, when online sales also close.
By private car
A car is fastest and leaves when your boat requires. Daytrip times the 152 km drive from Da Nang to Quang Ngai at 2 hours 20 minutes, from $26 per person (about 680,000 VND), with one suitcase and one carry-on each. Ask for Sa Ky port as the drop-off and allow about three hours, as the buses do. 12Go listed an eight-seat van at 4,800,000 VND (about $183), so compare quotes.
By train to Quang Ngai
The train rarely lines up with the boats. On 12Go for 21 October 2026, four trains ran to Quang Ngai: the 07:55 took 3 hours 12 minutes for 185,788 VND in a soft seat, arriving at 11:07, too late for the 11:00 boat, and the 00:36 took 2 hours 29 minutes for 266,247 VND in a four-berth cabin. Add a taxi of about 20 km to the port.
Flying into Chu Lai instead
From Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, skip Da Nang. Chu Lai Airport, in Nui Thanh, now part of Da Nang city, lies about 42 km from Sa Ky by VnExpress's count. On Google Flights for 21 October 2026, one Vietnam Airlines flight left Hanoi at 07:10 for 1,150,181 VND, and five nonstop flights left Ho Chi Minh City between 05:20 and 18:25, from 1,210,781 VND on Vietjet. VnExpress puts the taxi to the port at about 350,000 VND, a figure that may be dated.
Which boats sail from Sa Ky, and when?
High-speed boats cross in 35 to 45 minutes, two or three times a day in October. The Quang Ngai port board's timetable, checked on 4 October 2026, listed:
| Date | From Sa Ky | From Ly Son | Boats named | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 10 Oct | 08:00, 15:00 | 08:00, 15:00 | An Vinh Express 01, Super 2 Bien Dong, An Vinh Express | 180,000 VND |
| Wed 21 Oct | 06:45, 11:00, 15:00 | 08:00, 15:00 | An Vinh Express, An Vinh Express 01, Super Bien Dong, Super 2 Bien Dong | 180,000 VND |
| Sat 24 Oct | 06:45, 11:00, 15:00 | 08:00, 15:00 | Super 2 Bien Dong, Sieu Toc Hoa Binh, An Vinh Express 01, Super Bien Dong | 180,000 VND |
An Vinh Express 01 was timed at 35 minutes and the others at 45, all at 180,000 VND (about $6.90). That matches the five high-speed boats of 152 to 231 seats that SGGP counted in May 2026. Fares move: in March 2026 operators cut them to 227,000 VND as fuel costs eased, per Bao Van Hoa.
Phu Quoc Express
Phu Quoc Express returned in April 2026 after a pause that began in November 2023, planning four trips a day in the low season and ten at the peak, per DTiNews. In April, Bao Van Hoa reported departures from Sa Ky at 07:00, 10:00 and 14:00, with economy seats at 160,000 VND and VIP at 216,000 VND before port fees. It sells tickets on its own site, where we could not see an October schedule.
How do you book, and what ID do you need?
Book on the port board's site or at the port, and carry the passport you booked with. The port board's rules say:
- Timing: online sales close 30 minutes before departure; be at the port with your ID by then.
- Changes: returns and changes up to one hour before departure.
- Luggage: 20 kg per passenger included.
- Children: full fare from age 6; under-14s must travel with an adult.
Its booking guide takes payment by bank QR code, which may not work without a Vietnamese banking app; if so, buy at the Sa Ky ticket office or through your hotel. Phu Quoc Express's FAQ also requires an ID matching the ticket and asks passengers to arrive 30 minutes early, or 45 with a motorbike.
When are the boats canceled?
Whenever the wind reaches force 6, most often from October to December. Quang Ngai bans all vessels from leaving port at force 6, per Bao Van Hoa, which reported more than 100 tourists stranded by Typhoon Wutip in June 2025. Sailings stopped again on 20 October 2025 for Typhoon Fengshen, with waves of 2.5 to 3.5 m, per VOV, and in November 2025 for cold-air surges, with rough seas expected until about 25 November, per Bao Van Hoa. The Ministry of Construction's climate tables give the Ly Son station an average wind of 6.8 m/s in November and December, against 2.7 m/s in July.
Watch out: from October to December, keep a spare day before any onward flight. Phu Quoc Express's general FAQ promises a full refund for weather cancellations; ask whether that covers Ly Son.
Is there a direct boat from Da Nang?
Not that we could find. Phu Quoc Express opened one from Da Nang's Han River port in 2022, and in July 2023 Viet Nam News reported three sailings a week taking 2.5 hours, from 270,000 VND. On 4 October 2026, the company's website listed Sa Ky as its only route to the island.
How long does the whole trip take?
About five to six hours by bus and boat, and about four by car, if you time the connection. With the 21 October 2026 timetables:
- Bus from Da Nang: 06:00 bus, Sa Ky at 09:00, the 11:00 boat, Ly Son at 11:35. About 5 hours 35 minutes.
- Bus from Hoi An: 10:40 bus, Sa Ky at 12:40, the 15:00 boat, Ly Son at 15:35. About 5 hours.
- Private car: leave Da Nang about 07:30, the 11:00 boat. About 4 hours, our estimate from Daytrip's drive time.
- Train: the 07:55, a taxi and the 15:00 boat. About 7 hours 40 minutes.
- Flight from Hanoi: Chu Lai at 08:35, a taxi, the 11:00 boat. About 4 hours 25 minutes from takeoff.
Coming back: Ly Son to Da Nang
Boats left Ly Son at 08:00 and 15:00 on every date we checked. From Sa Ky, Vexere listed two direct buses to Da Nang for 22 October 2026: Dinh Dung Car at 13:30 for 300,000 VND and Quang Travel at 14:00 for 270,000 VND, each about three to four hours. At other times, take a taxi to Quang Ngai city, where Vexere counted about 530 daily trips to Da Nang between 01:00 and 22:00. For onward trips, see our Da Nang to Hoi An guide and the Starting from Hoi An and Da Nang hub.
Key facts at a glance
- Boats from Sa Ky took 35 to 45 minutes and cost 180,000 VND on every October 2026 sailing listed by the port board.
- Quang Travel's 06:00 bus from Da Nang reached Sa Ky port at 09:00 for 270,000 VND, per Vexere.
- The 152 km drive from Da Nang to Quang Ngai takes 2 hours 20 minutes, per Daytrip.
- No vessel may leave port when winds reach force 6, per Bao Van Hoa.
- Phu Quoc Express returned to the route in April 2026 after a pause from November 2023, per DTiNews.
Limitations
The boat timetable is a snapshot of the port board's site on 4 October 2026 for a few dates; it changes daily and stops in rough seas. Bus times and fares come from Vexere and MoMo for 21 and 22 October 2026. The car and door-to-door times are our estimates from published times, not timed trips. We could not see Phu Quoc Express's October schedule, confirm whether port fees apply on top of the port board's 180,000 VND fare, or find a 2026 sailing on the direct Da Nang route. The Chu Lai taxi price comes from a guide first written in 2020. Check the port board's site or call the port the day before you travel, especially from October to December.
