Six trains run from Hanoi to Dong Hoi, taking between 9 hours 25 minutes and 10 hours 45 minutes, which makes it a shorter overnight ride than going further south. The first leaves at 06:00 and the last at 21:45.
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How to buy tickets
The easiest way to buy train tickets in Vietnam is online rather than going to the station. You do pay a very small commission but the ease and convenience makes it worthwhile in our opinion.
Baolau is the best site to use for buying train tickets, they have access to the live Vietnam Railways booking engine, so you can easily see availability, timetables and prices.
Payment can be made using international credit cards and PDF confirmation tickets are sent to your email address within a few minutes. This is the actual ticket you need to board the train, so there’s no need to exchange it at the station before travel. You may prefer to print the pdf out, but it’s also fine to show it on your mobile phone to the conductors and station staff.
Vietnam Railways releases tickets in blocks of a few months, on dates it announces. Travel up to 25 Feb 2027 is on sale now. For full details on booking windows, see the when to book Vietnam train tickets guide.
Hanoi to Dong Hoi train tickets
About the route
If you want to reach Dong Hoi in the morning, the SE3 at 19:20, SE19 at 19:45 and SE1 at 21:45 are the trains to take. They get in early enough to catch the bus to Phong Nha for the day, which is the reason most people come here. The three day trains, SE7, SE5 and SE9, leave between 06:00 and 13:00.
Dong Hoi station is in the middle of town and not far from the sea. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, with its limestone caves, including Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave, is about an hour away, and many hotels and homestays in Phong Nha can arrange a transfer from the station.
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