Da Nang is central Vietnam's rising coastal city — a long sweep of beach, the famous Golden Bridge held aloft by giant stone hands, the Marble Mountains, and, crucially, the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An just 40 minutes south. It's modern, easy and the natural base for exploring central Vietnam. This is our shortlist of what's worth booking, the day trips that make the region, and the 2026 rules for getting around on two wheels.
Live availability and prices from GetYourGuide, sorted by what travellers actually rate. The Ba Na Hills / Golden Bridge and Hoi An tours are the headline bookings.
Central Vietnam's climate differs from the north and south. To match these months to a particular stretch of sand, our stretch-by-stretch Da Nang coastline guide at thingstododanang.com works along the full 30km of shoreline.
The rules changed on 1 January 2025 and most rental listings have not caught up. What follows is the law as it stands, with the references, checked 23 September 2026.
You can ride legally in Da Nang without a motorcycle licence only on a vehicle that is legally a moped, and "50cc" in a listing is not proof that it is one. Vietnam's Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (Law 36/2024/QH15, in force since 1 January 2025) defines a moped by its specification, not its badge; the rental shop's registration card and the manufacturer's plate are what a police checkpoint reads.
The practical consequence is simple. If you hold a motorcycle licence at home and a 1968 IDP, rent whatever you like. If you do not, rent a real 50cc or a 4 kW electric moped, ask to see the registration card, and stay off the Hai Van Pass, where a 50cc is unpleasant and the police are attentive. If neither appeals, Grab and a private driver cover everything on this page. The primary texts are the English translation of Decree 168/2024 at Thư Viện Pháp Luật and the law itself; the clearest traveller-facing explanation of the articles, with the Vietnamese references, is AKi Motorbike Rental's guide to riding in Vietnam without a licence.
The rules above reached this page because Toan Dang, who owns AKi Motorbike Rental at 126 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu in An Hải, on the beach side of the river, read the guide and sent the corrections with the legal references, asking for nothing in return. That is the kind of shop to rent from, and its published terms match: it rents genuine 50cc models — the SYM Shark EFI 50 and SYM Priti 50 FI — to riders without a licence, will not rent a 110cc or larger to anyone without a home licence and a 1968 IDP, never holds your passport as a deposit (VND 1–2 million or USD 100 in cash instead), includes a helmet, phone holder and lock, checks brakes, lights and tyres before each rental, and delivers free to hotels in Da Nang. Its own site quotes 50cc rates of VND 150,000–200,000 a day, about USD 6–8, with weekly discounts, and a Google rating of 4.9 from more than 280 reviews. Find it on Google Maps · WhatsApp +84 98 122 2243 · support 08:00–20:00 daily.
AKi is not a partner and no link in this section is paid. It is named because it supplied the facts and because its terms are the ones a traveller should insist on anywhere in Vietnam: no passport deposit, a registration card that matches the bike, and a shop that will refuse you the wrong vehicle.
Vietnam luxury travel guide 2026
A 14-day Southeast Asia itinerary
Southeast Asia, month by month
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Three to four days, using Da Nang as a base. One for the city beaches, the Marble Mountains and the Son Tra peninsula; one for Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge; and at least one for Hoi An, 40 minutes south. Add a day for a Hue or Hai Van Pass trip if you have time.
It's striking — the famous bridge held by two giant stone hands, high in the Ba Na Hills, reached by one of the world's longest cable cars. The hilltop complex around it is a busy, somewhat theme-park-like French village, which divides opinion. Go early to beat crowds and the midday haze; the cable-car ride and views are the real draw.
Absolutely — for many it's the highlight of the region. The lantern-lit ancient town, a UNESCO site, is just 40 minutes from Da Nang and magical in the early evening when the lanterns light up. You can day-trip easily, though staying a night in Hoi An itself is even better.
My Khe Beach — a long, sandy, swimmable stretch right by the city, once nicknamed 'China Beach' by US troops. It's clean, well set up and good for swimming in the dry season. The coast continues south toward Hoi An with quieter resort beaches.
February to August for the dry, warm beach season, with May to August the hottest and busiest. Avoid September to December if you can — central Vietnam gets heavy rain and a real typhoon and flooding risk in those months, which can disrupt travel and close attractions.
Yes, if it is legally a moped: a petrol engine of no more than 50cc and a design speed of no more than 50 km/h, or an electric motor of no more than 4 kW, ridden by anyone aged 16 or over. Anything larger needs a motorcycle licence, which for foreign visitors means your home licence with a motorcycle category plus a 1968 Vienna Convention IDP. Check the vehicle's actual specification, not the word '50cc' in the listing.
Under Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP, in force since 1 January 2025, riding a licence-required motorcycle without the right licence carries a fine of VND 2–4 million (about USD 75–150) for motorcycles up to 125cc or 11 kW, and VND 6–8 million for anything above that, with the bike liable to a seven-day impound. Not wearing a helmet is VND 400,000–600,000. A qualifying 50cc or 4 kW moped needs no licence, so the no-licence fine does not apply to it.
No. Vietnam recognises an international driving permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, used together with the corresponding valid national licence carrying a motorcycle category. The 1949 Geneva-format IDP issued by the United States, Canada and Australia does not satisfy the requirement, so travellers from those countries should rent a legal 50cc or electric moped or book a driver.
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