Routes & Day Trips
How to Get to Cham Islands from Hoi An by Motorbike and Boat (2026)
How to Get to Cham Islands from Hoi An by Motorbike and Boat (2026)
The honest way to get to Cham Islands from Hoi An: a 22-minute ride to Cua Dai port, guarded parking, then a speedboat or the wooden ferry. Distances measured, boat prices and port fees checked, and a clear answer on whether your motorbike can come along.
Every week someone messages us the same question: “Can we ride to the Cham Islands?” The short answer is that you ride to the sea and a boat does the rest. Cu Lao Cham sits about 15 km offshore; there is no bridge, no car ferry, and no rental company in Hoi An (ours included) that lets its bikes cross. What the motorbike does is get you to Cua Dai port on your own schedule, save you a taxi each way, and give you An Bang beach on the ride home.
This page is only about the getting there: the route, the parking, the boats, the fees, the timing, and what to do when the sea is closed. For what to do once you land, the beaches, the snorkelling and staying the night, read our full Cu Lao Cham guide. Everything below was checked in September 2026 from our shop on Phan Chau Trinh, 8,9 km from the pier.
- Three steps, one morning
- Can your motorbike go to the Cham Islands?
- The ride: Hoi An to Cua Dai port
- Parking at the port
- Speedboat or wooden boat
- Fees at the pier and what they cover
- Tour package or boat ticket only?
- From Da Nang or An Bang
- Getting around once you land
- Timing the day
- Weather, cancellations and what to bring
- Frequently asked questions
How to get to Cham Islands from Hoi An: three steps, one morning
Here is how to get to Cham Islands from Hoi An if you have a motorbike, in the order it happens:
| Step | What happens | Time | Cost per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ride to Cua Dai port | Old Town → Cua Dai road → Au Co street → pier | 22 min (8,9 km) | fuel only |
| 2. Park and check in | Guarded lot by the pier; tickets and fees at the desk | arrive 30 min before departure | 10.000–20.000₫ parking |
| 3. Boat to Hon Lao | Speedboat (20–30 min) or wooden ferry (about an hour or more) | departures 8:00–9:30 | 350.000₫ return speedboat; 150.000–200.000₫ wooden |
| + Port fees | Marine park entry + conservation fee, paid at the pier | — | 70.000₫ + 30.000₫ |
| 4. Back on the bike | Boats return 14:00–16:00; An Bang is 7 km from the port | — | — |
Booked as a day tour, the boat, both fees, a snorkel stop and lunch come to 450.000–650.000₫. Booked separately you pay the lines above one by one, and in summer you may not get a seat at all without a booking. More on that in section 07.
Can your motorbike go to the Cham Islands?
No, and it is worth being precise about why, because the internet is full of half-answers.
- The speedboats carry people only. They are canopied passenger boats with no deck space; nobody is loading a Honda Vision onto one.
- The wooden cargo boat does carry motorbikes. Islanders ship their own bikes across on the morning supply boat for roughly 80.000₫. It is a real option for locals. It is not one for you, because of the next point.
- Rental bikes are not insured off the mainland. Our rental agreement, like every other rental shop’s in Hoi An, covers the bike on the road network, not on a boat and not on an island where the nearest workshop is a ferry ride away. If a bike goes to the island and something happens, the deposit does not cover it. So our bikes go as far as the pier.
- Electric bikes are a hard no. There is no charging on the island for visitors, and the speedboat operators refuse them outright. Ride the e-bike to the port, park it, and it is fully charged for the ride home.
On the island you can rent a local bike at Bai Lang pier by the hour or the day (section 09), or take a motorbike taxi, or simply walk: the main village, the market and the pagoda are all within a kilometre of the pier.
The ride: Hoi An to Cua Dai port
From our shop at 84 Phan Chau Trinh to the Cua Dai pier is 8,9 km and about 22 minutes, measured with Google Maps. It is the easiest ride you will do in Hoi An: flat the whole way, two turns, and the last stretch runs along the beach.
| Leg | Road | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town → Cua Dai crossroads | Cua Dai street (Đường Cửa Đại), heading east | Rice fields on the left after the last cafés, then the big Cua Dai roundabout |
| Crossroads → beach | Straight on, still Cua Dai street | Resort gates, then the sea at the end of the road |
| Beach → pier | Right (south) onto Au Co street (Đường Âu Cơ), about 2 km | The sea on your left, the Cua Dai bridge ahead; the port entrance is on the right just before the bridge |
Coordinates for your map app: the port authority building is at 15.8783, 108.3880; the tourist pier and ticket desks are beside it. Put “Cảng Cửa Đại” into Google Maps and it resolves correctly.
Any of them. It is 9 km of flat road, so a 50cc, an electric scooter or even an electric bicycle (about 30 minutes) is fine. Fill up on Cua Dai street on the way out rather than counting on a pump near the pier, or ride with a full tank and forget about it. The road is lit and busy until about 22:00 if you come back late.
Parking at the port
There is an attended parking area at the port entrance and two or three private lots on Au Co street within 200 metres. In September 2026 the going rate is 10.000–20.000₫ for the day; the attendant writes a number on your seat with chalk or gives you a card. Agree the price before you walk off, and keep the card, because you will not get the bike back without it.
- Lock the helmets under the seat or take them on the boat. Two helmets left on the mirrors are the one thing that does go missing.
- Photograph the bike where you left it. Lots get rearranged during the day and you will come back to a different row.
- If you are on one of our bikes and anything is wrong when you return, call the roadside line +84 766 766 087 before you leave the port.
- Check-in for the boat closes about 30 minutes before departure, and the parking-to-desk walk is two minutes, so arriving 40 minutes early is comfortable.
Speedboat or wooden boat
Two kinds of boat leave Cua Dai for Hon Lao, the main island, and they suit different trips.
| Speedboat (cano) | Wooden boat (tàu gỗ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Crossing | 20–30 minutes, bumpy in any swell | Operators quote 45–60 minutes for the newer boats; the traditional supply boat is closer to 90 minutes |
| Departures | 8:00–9:30 in a cluster; a few later in high season | One morning sailing, around 8:00–8:30 |
| Return | 14:00–16:00 | Early afternoon, once |
| Price | 350.000₫ return same day, 400.000₫ open return | 150.000–200.000₫ for visitors, one way or return depending on the boat; islanders pay less |
| Seats | Mostly sold through tour operators; walk-up seats scarce in summer | Usually available; shares space with cargo and motorbikes |
| Best for | Day trips, snorkelling tours | Overnight stays at Bai Huong, travellers who want the slow crossing |
Whichever boat you choose, this is the part of how to get to Cham Islands that the timetable does not tell you. First, the speedboats are tour boats: they leave when the tour groups are loaded, so “8:30” means “between 8:15 and 9:00”. Second, all of them sail from the same pier, so if you have a booking, the operator’s name on the boat is what you look for, not a berth number. Staff at the desk will point you to it.
If you take the wooden boat as a day trip you will have about three hours on the island. That is enough for a swim at Bai Ong and lunch, and not enough for snorkelling, which is why we only recommend it if you are sleeping over.
Fees at the pier and what they cover
| Item | Amount | Paid where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine park entrance | 70.000₫ per person | Ticket desk at Cua Dai port | Cu Lao Cham is a UNESCO biosphere reserve; this is the park fee, not the boat |
| Conservation (ecological) fee | 30.000₫ per person | Same desk | Goes to the reserve; often bundled on one receipt with the entrance |
| Speedboat | 350.000₫ return | Operator or desk | Included in tour packages |
| Snorkel stop, lunch, guide | varies | Tour operator | What turns 450.000₫ of boat and fees into a 450.000–650.000₫ package |
If you have booked a tour, the operator usually collects the fees with the tour price and hands you the receipts at the desk. If you are buying the boat only, you pay the two fees yourself, so have 100.000₫ in cash per person ready. The desk takes cash; card readers come and go.
Keep the fee receipt. Rangers on the island may ask to see it at the snorkel sites and at Bai Huong.
Tour package or boat ticket only?
We rent motorbikes; we do not run boats or tours, so this is an outsider’s view. Most day visitors end up on a package, and not because they are lazy: the speedboat seats and the daily visitor quota are allocated through operators, so the boat you want is usually already full of someone’s tour group.
| Day tour package | Boat ticket only | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 450.000–650.000₫ with boat, fees, snorkel stop and lunch | 350.000₫ boat + 100.000₫ fees, food and snorkelling extra |
| Getting a seat | Book a day ahead; same-day possible off-season | Hard in June–August; fine in March–May and September |
| Freedom | Fixed schedule, group snorkel site, lunch at Bai Ong | Your own day; you find your own boat to the reef |
| Meeting point | Usually hotel pickup by minibus; ask to meet at the port instead if you ride | Port desk |
| Good for | First visit, families, anyone who wants to snorkel | Return visitors, overnighters, people staying at Bai Huong |
If you ride to the port and join a tour, say so when you book: most operators will let you skip the minibus and meet the group at the pier, and some knock a little off the price. If you want the boat only in high season, the practical trick is to ask an operator the evening before whether they have spare seats on a boat that is not full; they often do, at the boat-only price.
The speedboat operators know by late afternoon whether the port authority will let boats sail the next day. If you have rented from us, send a message before 18:00 and we will ask for you: “Is the sea open tomorrow, and does anyone have two seats?” It has saved more than one customer a wasted ride to an empty pier.
How to get to Cham Islands from Da Nang or An Bang
From An Bang beach: 7,3 km and about 16 minutes, south along Lac Long Quan and then Au Co, with the sea on your left the whole way. Leave An Bang at 7:30 and you are parked with time to spare for an 8:30 boat.
From Da Nang: 29,4 km and about 47 minutes from the Dragon Bridge, straight down the coast road (Vo Nguyen Giap → Truong Sa → Lac Long Quan → Au Co). Leaving Da Nang at 7:00 works for a 8:30 boat. Speedboats to Cu Lao Cham also sail from Da Nang’s own piers on the Son Tra side; they take longer and cost more, and if you have a motorbike the Cua Dai option is simpler. If you would rather not ride back the same evening, our one-way rental lets you pick the bike up in Hoi An and leave it with our partner in Da Nang for 400.000₫.
From the Old Town without a bike: a taxi or Grab car to the port takes 20–25 minutes; a tour minibus picks up from hotels from about 7:30. A bicycle is possible on the flat road but the 9 km back at 16:00 in July is not fun.
Getting around once you land
You have worked out how to get to Cham Islands; now the island itself. The speedboats land at Bai Lang, the main village, or at Bai Ong beach depending on the tour. From Bai Lang, everything a day visitor needs is walkable: the market, Hai Tang pagoda (about 1 km uphill), the beach. To go further, to Bai Huong at the far end of the island for instance, you need wheels or a boat.
| Option | Price (2026, island rates) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manual or semi-automatic bike (Wave, Dream) | 100.000–150.000₫ per day | Rented at Bai Lang pier or through homestays; the better choice on the hills |
| Automatic scooter | 200.000–300.000₫ per day | Same places; about 1,5–2× mainland prices |
| Motorbike taxi (xe ôm) | about 100.000₫ per person per ride | To Bai Huong or the pagoda; agree the price first |
| Walking | free | Bai Lang, market, Bai Ong; the pagoda is a sweaty 20 minutes |
The island road is narrow, steep in places and unpaved at the far end; check the brakes before you leave the pier, because the hill down into Bai Huong is where people find out theirs do not work. No licence check happens on the island, but the same insurance logic applies: an island bike is your responsibility from the moment you hand over the cash.
Timing the day
| Time | Where you are |
|---|---|
| 7:15 | Leave the Old Town or An Bang; breakfast at the port is instant noodles, so eat first |
| 7:40 | Park at Cua Dai, pay fees, find your boat |
| 8:15–9:00 | Boats leave; 20–30 minutes across |
| 9:00–14:30 | Snorkel stop, Bai Ong, lunch, village; three to five hours on the island depending on the boat |
| 14:00–16:00 | Boats back; last ones around 16:00, earlier if the wind picks up |
| 16:30 | Back on the bike. Left onto Au Co and you are at An Bang in 16 minutes for the sunset; or straight home in 22 |
Do not plan anything in Hoi An before 17:00 on a Cu Lao Cham day. Return boats wait for late groups, and in a swell the last crossing is slower than the first.
Weather, cancellations and what to bring
The sea decides whether you get to Cham Islands at all. The port authority at Cua Dai closes the crossing when the swell passes its limit, and from October to February that happens most weeks, sometimes for days at a time. From March to August the boats run almost every day; September is usually fine with an eye on the forecast. If you are in Hoi An in the monsoon and the sea opens for a day, take it, but do not build the trip around it. The full month-by-month table is in the main guide.
If the boats are cancelled: operators refund or rebook; the fees are refunded with the ticket. The ride to the port was still worth it, because you are now at Cua Dai beach with a motorbike: An Bang for the morning, the Cam Thanh coconut palms (5 km back towards town) for the afternoon, and you have lost nothing but the boat.
- Cash: 100.000₫ per person for fees, small notes for parking, and money for lunch and island transport. There is no ATM on the island.
- No plastic bags: Cu Lao Cham has banned them since 2009 and the rangers do check at the pier. Pack in a cloth or dry bag.
- Dry bag or zip-lock: the speedboat is wet at the back in any swell; phones and passports go in plastic (a zip-lock is allowed, a shopping bag is not).
- Reef-safe sunscreen, hat, water bottle: the boat has no shade on the return and the island shops charge island prices.
- Motion sickness: take the tablet 30 minutes before boarding, sit at the back, look at the horizon. The crossing is short but choppy.
- Passport: not required for the boat in practice, but the desk may ask for a name and nationality per passenger for the manifest; a photo of your passport on your phone is enough.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Cua Dai port from Hoi An Old Town by motorbike?
About 8,9 km and 22 minutes from our shop at 84 Phan Chau Trinh, via Cua Dai street and Au Co street. From An Bang beach it is 7,3 km (16 minutes) and from the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang 29,4 km (47 minutes), all measured with Google Maps.
Can I take my rental motorbike to the Cham Islands?
No. Speedboats carry passengers only, and rental agreements in Hoi An, including ours, do not cover bikes on the island. Park at Cua Dai port and rent a local bike at Bai Lang pier if you need one. Islanders do ship their own motorbikes on the wooden cargo boat for about 80.000₫, but that option is for their bikes, not rented ones.
How much does the speedboat to Cu Lao Cham cost in 2026?
350.000₫ per person for a same-day return, 400.000₫ for an open return if you are staying the night. On top of that the marine park entrance is 70.000₫ and the conservation fee 30.000₫, both paid at the pier. Day tour packages including boat, fees, a snorkel stop and lunch cost 450.000–650.000₫.
How much is parking at Cua Dai port?
10.000–20.000₫ for the day at the attended lots by the pier. Agree the price before leaving the bike, keep the card or chalk number, and lock the helmets under the seat.
What time do the boats to get to Cham Islands leave and come back?
Speedboats leave Cua Dai between about 8:00 and 9:30 and return between 14:00 and 16:00. The wooden boat makes one morning sailing around 8:00–8:30 and one return in the early afternoon. Arrive at the port 30–40 minutes before departure for check-in.
Is there a boat to the Cham Islands in winter?
Sometimes. From October to February the port authority closes the crossing whenever the swell is too high, which is most weeks. Boats run almost daily from March to August. Ask an operator, or ask us, the evening before rather than riding out to find an empty pier.
Can I ride an electric bike to the port and leave it there all day?
Yes. The 9 km ride is well within one charge, the attended lots take electric bikes, and it will still be charged for the ride home. Electric bikes cannot go to the island: there is no visitor charging and the boats do not carry them.
Bike at your hotel tonight, at the pier by 8:00
A scooter from 110.000₫, an electric bike from 150.000₫ or a 50cc with no licence needed, delivered to your hotel from 30.000₫. Tell us your boat time and we will have it there the evening before.
Shop: 84 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An · info@hoianit.com · Roadside help 24/7: +84 766 766 087
Distances measured with Google Maps in September 2026 from 84 Phan Chau Trinh to the Cua Dai port authority (15.8783, 108.3880). Boat prices, port fees and parking rates are what operators and the pier were charging in September 2026; they change by season, and the operator’s quote on the day is the one that counts. Anh Khoa Hoi An rents motorbikes and does not operate boats or tours to Cu Lao Cham.
Pick your ride in Hoi AnChọn xe cho chuyến đi Hội An
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