Hai Van Pass
The Pass Of The Ocean Clouds, A Coastal Mountain Road At Up To About 500 M Between Hue And Da Nang, Once The Dividing Line Between The Cham And Viet Lands And Made Famous By The BBC Show Top Gear. Now A Scenic Road For Motorbikes And Cars, Avoided By Trucks That Use The Tunnel. · Lang Co, Thua Thien Hue
Hai Van Pass, the Ocean Clouds Pass, is a winding road of about 21 km that climbs a spur of the Truong Son range between Lang Co in Thua Thien Hue and Da Nang, reaching roughly 500 m at the summit. It is the old French-era route. Since the Hai Van Tunnel of about 6.2 km opened in 2005, trucks and most cars go underneath, and the pass is left to scooters, tourist cars and cyclists. The name means sea clouds, and the ridge is a real climate divide: the north is cooler and drizzly, the south warmer and brighter. The top has an old gate, war bunkers, a cafe and souvenir stalls, with views north over Lang Co lagoon and south over Da Nang bay. The 2008 Top Gear Vietnam special made it famous. Be honest about it: this is a short road, not a big mountain, and in cloud there is nothing to see. Go on a dry morning, ride slowly and take the pass as part of the Hue to Hoi An trip. The road is free to ride, summit sellers haggle, and most visitors need under an hour at the top. Wear a helmet, carry a rain layer and keep the schedule loose.
Mountain pass of about 21 km between Lang Co beach and Da Nang over a spur of the Truong Son range, with a tunnel carrying the trucks beneath it, Lang Co, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam
The road is open all day and all year with no gate and no fee to ride it. Stalls and cafes at the summit trade in daylight hours and shut early in rain. Fog, heavy rain and storms can close or slow the road. The tunnel is the only route open to trucks, and the pass is quietest in the early morning.