Chan May in brief
Chan May is a port you pass through, not a place you stay.
The cruise section has one pier. Vietnam Drive gives it a 480 m wharf, about 12.5 m deep, built for ships up to 362 m long.
That’s the first thing to adjust to — a cargo harbor that hosts cruise calls, not a terminal with a town attached.
Vietnam Drive says there are no restaurants, bars or medical center inside, and that temporary stalls appear on ship days. Its page also lists no ATM or currency exchange at the port.
So the day starts at the gate — and the first decision is a direction, not a sight.
North: Hue.
Hue was Vietnam’s capital from 1802 to 1945, according to P&O Cruises, and its Citadel holds the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City — about 64 km from the port by Vietnam Drive’s count.
South: Da Nang and Hoi An.
Da Nang is about 45 km from the port, and the road climbs over the Hai Van Pass first. Hoi An’s old town sits about 85 km out, and Vietnam Drive puts a Hoi An excursion at 7 to 8 hours in total.
The two directions split early, so a combined day means sitting in a vehicle — with a few photo stops, not a visit.
Pick one, then read our Chan May shore excursion guide to decide how to get there.
From the ship to the gate, and then the road
Vietnam Drive and Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks both have ships docking alongside, so no tender. Gate and shuttle details below.
Vietnam Drive puts the walk from the pier to the port gate at roughly 0.4 mile (600 m). On a hot or wet day, ask whether your ship runs a shuttle — not every line does.
There’s a taxi stop, per Vietnam Drive, and pre-booked cars and vans may wait outside the gate. Confirm the driver’s meeting point in advance — the quay is a poor place to find out.
A beach stop near the port, with a white-sand shore about six miles long, according to P&O Cruises. Vietnam Drive says agents sometimes run shuttles there.
About 40 miles (64 km) to Hue, 28 miles (45 km) to Da Nang and 53 miles (85 km) to Hoi An, per Vietnam Drive. Other sources give longer drive times — so allow for traffic, not the best case.
Vietnam Drive puts a Hue day at 7 to 8 hours and a Da Nang day at about 6.5 in total. Treat the ship’s all-aboard as a hard line.
What's nearby, broadly
Hue’s Imperial Citadel charges 200,000 VND for adults, and four of the royal tombs run 150,000 VND each, according to 2026 figures from the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre as an outside article reports them.
South of the pass, Da Nang’s Marble Mountains list at 40,000 VND for adults and Hoi An’s old town at 120,000 VND for international visitors, per Da Nang Fantasticity.
My Son Sanctuary and Ba Na Hills both show up on Shore Excursions Group’s Chan May page as long days of about 10 hours. Neither is a casual add-on — budget a full day, not a morning.
Commonly reached from
Chan May usually sits in the middle of a longer Vietnam route. Celebrity Solstice’s 12-night Singapore sailing on February 7, 2027 calls at Phu My, for Ho Chi Minh City, on February 13, here on February 15 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and then Hanoi, for Ha Long Bay. Farther down the coast sits Nha Trang. Gangwaze lists Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Oceania ships in the 2026-27 calendar. See the wider map on our Asia cruises hub, or open Chan May on the Seabound Cruise Atlas.
Planning your Chan May day
Which tours are worth the fare, and which direction wins, live in the excursion guide. This page sticks to the pier, the paperwork and the money.
Thinking of booking outside the ship? Our Shore Excursions Group versus Viator comparison covers who suits which day — and why a long Hue or Hoi An run is the one to book with a return-to-ship promise.
Best Chan May shore excursions
Hue’s Imperial City, a Hoi An day, a private Da Nang drive and the long My Son trip, sorted by what each costs in time as well as money.
See the full excursion guide →Practical notes
Settle the entry rules before you sail.
For ordinary U.S. passport holders, a visa is generally required. Official immigration information confirms e-visas valid for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, through evisa.gov.vn. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date.
For cruise passengers it comes down to your line. Follow its instructions on whether clearance is arranged or you need an individual visa — not every line handles visas for you.
Make sure the name, passport number and dates on any visa match your passport. Carrying a printout is our suggestion, not a published requirement.
The entry point on the form.
The approved entry location has to match your actual itinerary. The portal’s list of sea border gates includes Chan May Seaport as number 25 and Da Nang Seaport as number 26. Confirm your arrival port before you apply, and ask your line which gate to name if your itinerary also enters Vietnam elsewhere.
Ask too whether one visa covers all the Vietnamese calls on your sailing, and whether your line handles group entry.
Money: dong, plus a card.
Vietnam uses the dong, and Vietnam Drive says the port has no ATM or exchange counter. Bring cash from the ship or an earlier stop for small vendors, and a card for established businesses.
Hue and Hoi An ticket desks list their prices in dong, so small notes help — larger ones slow the line.
Taxis: agree everything first.
A taxi stop sits at the gate, but no port tariff or published fare turned up in our research. Agree the destination, price, currency and return time in writing before you leave, and confirm where a pre-booked driver will meet you.
Safety: normal precautions.
The US Embassy in Vietnam’s site shows Vietnam at Level 1, with the wording “exercise normal precaution.” That is the embassy homepage, so read the full State Department advisory for Vietnam before you sail.
Season: wet from September to December.
Hue gets about 600 mm of rain in October, 400 mm in November and 200 mm in December, per Vietnam Tourism’s table, against roughly 40 mm in March. Local Vietnam adds that central Vietnam is still in typhoon season in November.
The Imperial City and the tombs stay open in rain, but Hai Van Pass views can vanish — and the pass closes now and then in heavy weather. Pack a rain layer and keep a buffer.
Sources: Vietnam Drive on the Chan May pier, gate, facilities and distances; CruiseMapper and Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks on drive times; Dan Tri International and VietnamNet on 2025-26 call volumes; Gangwaze port schedule (October 2026 to January 2027) and CruiseWeb’s Celebrity Solstice listing; P&O Cruises on Hue and Lang Co; the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre prices as reported by Vietnam Vacation (January 2026); Da Nang Fantasticity on 2026 admission prices; Vietnam Tourism and Local Vietnam on the climate; the Vietnam Immigration Department’s e-visa portal and port list; the US Embassy in Vietnam (vn.usembassy.gov) for the advisory level; the US State Department’s Vietnam advisory page and the official tourism authority’s e-visa guidance (vietnam.travel) — all consulted October 29, 2026. No official taxi fare, shuttle timetable or terminal facility list is published that we could find, so we don’t quote one.
Planning a Chan May port day?
Tell us how much time you've got and who's with you.
A Hue day, a Hoi An day or a short stay near the pier — tell us your ship, your all-aboard and who’s traveling, and Seabound Journeys will say what fits.
Answers verified against current pricing and itineraries before you book.
Chan May FAQ
Can I walk from the ship into Hue or Da Nang?
No. Hue is about 40 miles (64 km) from the port and Da Nang about 28 miles (45 km).
The walk from the pier to the gate takes around 10 minutes. Anything beyond it needs a vehicle — and a plan for the ride back.
Does Chan May tender?
No. Both port guides we read have ships docking at the pier, so you walk or ride a shuttle to the gate. Your daily program has the final word.
How far is Hue from the Chan May cruise port?
About 64 km, or roughly 40 miles, by Vietnam Drive’s count. It puts a full Hue excursion at 7 to 8 hours, and Shore Excursions Group lists its Hue food tour at 10.
How long does it take to get to Da Nang and Hoi An?
Sources vary. Vietnam Drive gives about 45 km to Da Nang, CruiseMapper says 75 to 90 minutes each way, and another operator puts the distance near 60 km.
CruiseMapper puts Hoi An at about two hours, and Vietnam Drive gives 85 km. Plan the return with a buffer.
Do US citizens need a visa for Chan May?
For ordinary U.S. passport holders, a visa is generally required. The usual route is the e-visa, valid up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, and your passport must be valid at least six months beyond arrival.
The portal lists Chan May Seaport among its sea gates, and the entry location has to match your itinerary. Follow your cruise line’s instructions on whether clearance is arranged or you need an individual visa — not every line handles it.
Does the port have ATMs or restaurants?
Vietnam Drive says the port has no ATM, exchange counter or restaurants inside. Temporary stalls appear on ship days, so bring dong and a card.
Which cruise lines call at Chan May?
Gangwaze lists Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Oceania ships between October 2026 and January 2027. Seabourn also lists a Chan May excursion.
For your own sailing, trust your ship’s itinerary over any calendar.
Is Chan May good in November or December?
It’s the wet season, wettest in October. Hue’s sights stay open in rain, but the Hai Van Pass and river boat rides suffer, so keep the plan flexible.
Want a sailing that stops in Chan May?
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