Boat tours operating on Da Nang’s Han River have become popular with both local residents and visitors.  Such tours provide the opportunity to experience the full beauty of the city, and to see how much the city has changed in recent years. 

There are now 15 tourist boats operated by 9 local businesses and employing more than 80 workers in total.  However, only the Han River Tourist Boat is capable of accommodating up to 250 passengers, whilst the remainder are upgraded fishing vessels which can only carry up to 45 passengers.  These small-capacity boats do not meet the service standards for tourists, including a shortage of life-jackets and expired fire extinguishers.  In addition, these boats are not allowed to operate in the rainy season because they cannot ensure the safety of their passengers.

Tourist boats on the Han River

Furthermore, most of the tourist boats find it difficult to operate effectively on the river due to the lack of river piers and flexible travelling timetables to meet the requirements of tourists. 

In an attempt to deal with this situation, the Da Nang authorities have recently approved the establishment of 8 piers along the Han River, which are to be used to pick up and drop off boat passengers.

To attract more visitors, the owners of the tourist boats have recently provided more new services to their customers.  These include drinks, along with entertainment activities such as musical performances, Cham dancing and karaoke.  They are also now offering tours to Bai Cat Vang (Yellow Sand) on the Son Tra Peninsula.