PRIVATE SHORE TRIPS (CHAN MAY)

Welcome to Da Nang and central Vietnam!
Chan May Port
Central Vietnam is blessed with some of the most wonderful ‘must-see’ sights, scenery, attractions and cuisine in South East Asia. We fully understand the unique requirements of our cruise ship visitors and include dockside pick-up, quality vehicles and our renowned English speaking tour guides with a timely return to your ship in plenty of time for departure.
Our Private Shore Excursions are designed to give a true taster of authentic Vietnam in the time available. And customer service before and during your time with us is first class and your safety and security is assured.
We warmly welcome couples, families, small groups of friends and can accommodate Cruise Critic ‘Roll Call’ forum groups.
Chan May port is midway between Da Nang and imperial Hue city, northeast of our famous Hai Van Pass. It links Vietnam’s East-West Economic Corridor connection into Laos. It’s very industrial in nature but has the ability to welcome the largest passenger ships. Our shore excursions from Chan May include Imperial Hue and Ba Na Hills with its Golden Bridge. And depending on time in port we can visit Da Nang city and pretty UNESCO listed Hoi An.
Simply choose a wonderful day from our ‘typical itineraries’ shown below, or let us carefully design an individual trip around your requirements. Our trips don’t come off the shelf, there’s no set recipe except the time constraints of your visit, we listen to what you want and then carefully design a trip around you:
Chan May #1 - Our 'Imperial City of Hue' Full Day Private Excursion (3 Options)
Once the imperial capital of Vietnam and located on the picturesque Perfume River, evocative Hue is a city crammed full of ancient and modern history, photogenic sites and wonderful food opportunities. Unlike Da Nang, Hue has resisted the dash for modernisation and remains a pleasant and gentile reminder of a past Vietnam. We offer 3 options for today:
Option 1 – Classic Hue
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet'
- A photo stop at beautiful Lang Co Bay
- The 19th century Hue Citadel, the imperial city remains and its Forbidden City
- Thien Mu (or Fairy Lady) Pagoda and its 21m high tower on the north bank of the Perfume River
- An authentic Vietnamese Lunch of Hue delicacies on request
- A short drive through rural Hue Province into Chau Chu mountain & the elaborate tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh with its unique imperial audience court
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure

Option 2 – Hue & Its Royal Past
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet'
- The 19th century Hue Citadel, Emperor Gia long and our 143 Year Nguyen Royal Dynasty
- An authentic Vietnamese Lunch of Hue delicacies on request
- An amazingly peaceful temple of Princess Huyền Trân - 14th century Queen of Champa
- The impressive royal residence & mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure

Option 3 – Hue & It's Villages
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet'
- A photo stop at beautiful Lang Co Bay
- The amazing colour & aromas of Thuy Xuan Incense Village
- An authentic Vietnamese Lunch of Hue delicacies on request
- The 19th century Hue Citadel
- Watch one of the enduring symbols of Vietnam being made at Tay Ho Conical Hat Village
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure

Chan May #2 - Our Golden Bridge & Marble Mountains (Da Nang) Private Excursion
Ba Na Hills is THE tourist attraction for many visitors to Vietnam. Reached by a world record-holding cable car system, Ba Na Hills is famous for its ‘Golden Bridge’ opened in 2018. This is our escorted private excursion where in just one day you contrast the photogenic beauty of Da Nang’s Marble Mountains with a visit to the world-famous Golden Bridge! We include:
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet' & drive southwards through Hai Van tunnel
- Mysterious and historic Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn)
- An authentic Vietnamese snack or unique 'Vietnamese coffee culture' experience in one of our iconic coffee shops - on request

- Golden 'Hand' Bridge: Located within the Ba Na Hills resort, its the attraction everyone is talking about! But remember the bridge is not 'stand-alone' - a complete Ba Na Hills resort ticket must be purchased and you ride its cable car to view and photograph the bridge
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure
Chan May #3 - Our Da Nang & Hoi An 'Two Centre' Private Excursion
This is our ‘Two Centre’ fully escorted private excursion. In just one day you contrast the photogenic beauty of Hoi An ‘ancient town’ with modern Da Nang city and its bustling centre, inspiring attractions and stunning beaches right on its doorstep. We can include:
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet' & drive southwards through Hai Van tunnel
- Mysterious and historic Marble Mountains
- A walking tour of UNESCO listed Hoi An 'ancient town', including the Japanese Bridge, Fujian (Phúc Kiến) Assembly Hall, and the historic houses of Tan Ky & Phung Hung

- An authentic Vietnamese Lunch in Hoi An on request
- The famous Hoi An Bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette) is well on the world foodie map because of Anthony Bourdain's recommendation! Definitely worth a try to see what all the fuss is about!
- Drive across Da Nang's famous 'Dragon Bridge'
- Wonderful My Khe beach (with its own history) right on the city's doorstep – photo stop
- Son Tra Peninsula + 'Lady Buddha' & Ling Ung Pagoda
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure
Chan May #4 - Our Hoi An 'Town & Countryside' Full Day Private Excursion
One of our most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the charming ancient town of Hoi An never fails to delight its many visitors. Sometimes busy but always a real pleasure to discover, this former port is a melting-pot of history, architecture, eras & styles. We can include:
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet' & drive southwards through Hai Van tunnel
- Visit Cam Kim island by private boat or cycle and visit our country families and see how they work & live – a true taster of authentic Vietnam where families remain largely untouched by tourism.
- An authentic Vietnamese Lunch in Hoi An on request
- The famous Hoi An Bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette) is well on the world foodie map because of Anthony Bourdain's recommendation! Definitely worth a try to see what all the fuss is about!
- An afternoon walking tour of UNESCO listed Hoi An 'ancient town', including the Japanese Bridge, Fujian (Phúc Kiến) Assembly Hall, and the historic house of Tan Ky

- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure
Chan May #5 - Our Hoi An 'Foodie & Sightseeing' Full Day Private Excursion
Charming Hoi An never fails to delight its many visitors. Sometimes busy but always a real pleasure to discover, this former port is a melting pot of history, architecture, eras & styles.
And of all SE Asia countries, Vietnam probably has the most diverse food scene. And the most diverse is Hoi An, with a food experience like no other.
Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of dairy and oil, complementary textures, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. And Vietnam is famous for its varied vegetarian dishes.
The abundance of spices produced by central Vietnam’s mountainous terrain sets our region’s cuisine apart from North & South Vietnam. With the balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices our region’s food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.

You’ll enjoy the sight, aroma and taste of central Vietnam’s favourite foods while experiencing the colours and excitement of UNESCO listed Hoi An ancient town! We include:
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet' & drive southwards through Hai Van tunnel
- A morning walking tour of UNESCO listed Hoi An 'ancient town', including the Japanese Bridge, Fujian (Phúc Kiến) Assembly Hall, and the historic house of Tan Ky
- Tasting 10 central Vietnamese delicacies including dessert (you will be asked about intolerances/likes & dislikes) – and we guarantee you will not be left hungry! We include the Hoi An Bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette) made famous by Anthony Bourdain. Definitely worth trying to see what all the fuss is about!
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure
Chan May #6 - Our Hoi An 'Focus on Locals' Full Day Private Excursion
Behind the well-trodden tourist routes and normally unseen by the growing number of visitors is ‘real’ Hoi An. Few will ever get the chance to really experience beautiful Hoi An as locals see it with local Hoianian guides. Today we focus on how our people go about their daily lives and a genuine glimpse into ‘local’ Hoi An and our rural families in the surrounding countryside. We can include:
- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet' & drive southwards through Hai Van tunnel
- Experience Hoi An and it's market – the absolute centre of daily family life
- Our unique 'Vietnamese coffee culture'
- Take a private boat to rural Cam Kim island to meet our country families to see how they live and work. Here are families generally untouched by tourism but who welcome you into their homes with genuine Vietnamese courtesy - a true taster of authentic Vietnam

- A short cooking class at Tra Que's unique organic herb & vegetable smallholding
- If time permits we may get to ride the round basket boats of Vietnam!
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure
Chan May #7 - Our Mỹ Sơn & Marble Mountains (Da Nang) Private Excursion
The longest drive of our excursions from Chan May port of about 1hr 50 minutes, My Son Sanctuary is located in the mountainous border region of Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam and is yet another of Vietnam’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Some 1700 years ago there evolved a unique culture on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam, owing its spiritual origins to the Hinduism of India. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower temples in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.
Mỹ Sơn(spoken Mee Sun) Sanctuary dates from the 4th to the 13th centuries with the My Son valley a site for religious ceremony for kings of the ruling dynasties of Champa, as well as a burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes.

- A daytime private excursion with quality air-conditioned vehicle, professional driver plus one of our renowned English speaking tour guides. Chilled water and face wipes are supplied and all entry fees included
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'meet & greet' & drive southwards through Hai Van tunnel
- An escorted tour of My Son sanctuary
- An authentic Vietnamese lunch is included in this excursion
- We make a photo stop at the mysterious Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn), just to the south of Da Nang on our return journey
- Your Da Nang (Chan May port) dockside 'drop-off' in plenty of time for departure