The easiest way to Duong Lam is by car: about 1 hour 15 minutes from the Old Quarter along Thang Long Avenue and the road to Son Tay. A ride-hail or taxi one way costs roughly 350,000 to 550,000 VND; keeping the car waiting for a return trip brings the total to around 600,000 to 1,200,000 VND.
The bus works too and costs very little, but it takes two hours or more with a change, and you finish with a short motorbike or taxi ride from Son Tay into the village.
Skip the bus change and the last kilometre
Your own car and guide from your hotel door, there and back, with every ticket already paid.
★Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourThe laterite lanes, a 400-year-old house and a che lam kitchen, with your own guide · About 5.5 hoursSee the tour →Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourDuong Lam in depth, lunch cooked in an old house, then the pagoda where water puppetry began · About 9 hoursSee the tour →The three ways compared
| Option | Time one way | Rough cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car or taxi | About 1 h 15 min | 600,000 to 1,200,000 VND return with waiting | Groups, families, a fixed return time |
| Grab one way | About 1 h 15 min | 350,000 to 550,000 VND | Arriving; finding a car back is harder |
| City bus via Son Tay | 2 h or more | A few tens of thousands of VND | Budget travellers with a spare day |
Ride-hail cars are easy to book out of Hanoi. Booking one back from Duong Lam is less certain, especially late in the afternoon, because few drivers wait in the village. That is the usual reason people agree a return price with one driver.
By bus, step by step
Buses to Son Tay leave from My Dinh bus station in western Hanoi; getting to My Dinh from the Old Quarter is a bus or taxi ride in itself. Ask to get off near the Duong Lam turning or at Son Tay, then take a motorbike taxi or car the last few kilometres to the Mong Phu gate.
Route numbers and stops change more often than guidebooks are updated, so ask at the station on the day. Allow a full day for the round trip.
Arriving at the village
Cars stop near the ticket booth beside the Mong Phu gate, where you buy the village ticket. From there everything worth seeing is on foot within about three kilometres, or by rented bicycle. Electric carts run for visitors who would rather not walk.
Coming back, the heaviest traffic into Hanoi is between about 5pm and 7pm. Leaving Duong Lam by 3:30pm keeps the drive near its usual length.
Rather not plan the transport?
Our car collects you in central Hanoi and waits for you, so the return is never in doubt.
Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourAbout 5.5 hoursSee the tour →Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourAbout 9 hoursSee the tour →Combining the trip with somewhere else
Thay Pagoda sits about 27 km away on the way back towards Hanoi, which makes it the natural second stop. Son Tay citadel is only a few kilometres from the village. Adding either turns a half day into a full one.
Questions people ask
How long is the drive from Hanoi to Duong Lam?
About 1 hour 15 minutes each way by car from the Old Quarter, longer in the evening rush.
Can I take Grab to Duong Lam?
Yes, easily. Getting a Grab back from the village is less reliable, so many people arrange a return with the same driver.
Is there a direct bus?
Not from the Old Quarter. You travel to My Dinh bus station first, take a bus towards Son Tay, then a short ride into the village.
Where does the car drop me?
Near the ticket booth by the Mong Phu gate, which is where a visit usually begins.
Door to door, with the return already sorted
Private car and guide from your hotel, every ticket inside the price, and free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourThe laterite lanes, a 400-year-old house and a che lam kitchen, with your own guide · About 5.5 hoursfrom$45/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$165BOOK →2 guests$170BOOK →3 guests$175BOOK →4 guests$180BOOK →See the full tour page →Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourDuong Lam in depth, lunch cooked in an old house, then the pagoda where water puppetry began · About 9 hoursfrom$93/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$275BOOK →2 guests$305BOOK →3 guests$340BOOK →4 guests$370BOOK →See the full tour page →Travel times and taxi fares checked in September 2026 and vary with traffic, waiting time and fuel prices.