Contact us
Follow us:
Hiring a whole sleeper bus to Da Lat overnight lets a group sleep on the road and arrive in the morning, instead of losing a full day of leave sitting in a coach. Unlike buying individual tickets on a scheduled bus, a private hire lets you choose the departure time, pick-up point and stops. This guide walks through the trip: when to leave, the Bao Loc pass, rest stops, drop-off in Da Lat under the rules in force since August 2026, and securing a bus for holidays and Tết.
Updated 21 October 2026. Written by the Car Rental Vietnam operations team from day-to-day dispatch experience and checked against current regulations. Traffic rules can change; check again before you travel.
Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat is about 300 km on National Road 20 via Bao Loc. By day the drive takes 7–8 hours, most of a day. At night the group leaves after work, sleeps on board and reaches Da Lat early in the morning.
One thing to plan for: arriving at dawn usually means rooms are not ready. Arrange luggage storage with the hotel or plan a morning of breakfast, the market and coffee.
Our sleeper is a 45-berth bus, model years 2022–2025, with two tiers of berths along aisles. The hold takes about 38–40 suitcases, enough for a group on a few days' holiday with warm clothes.
Give the lower tier to older travellers, children and anyone prone to car sickness: easier to climb into and steadier. Every berth has a seat belt, and current rules require passengers to wear it while the bus is moving, lying down included.
| Leave Ho Chi Minh City | Arrive Da Lat around | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 21:00–22:00 | 05:00–06:00 | Most common; sleep through most of the trip |
| 23:00–24:00 | 07:00–08:00 | Arrive in time for breakfast, less waiting |
| Around 19:00 | Late night | Rarely chosen; you arrive while the city sleeps |
Real times depend on traffic leaving the city and weather on the pass. On Friday nights and before holidays, the road toward Dong Nai is slower.
Under current rules, drivers in commercial transport may not drive more than 4 hours continuously. An overnight run therefore always has at least one stop, usually at a rest area around Dinh Quan or Bao Loc, for the driver's break and the toilets.
On this route we normally assign two drivers taking turns; the quote says so. Commercial vehicles of 8 seats or more carry journey monitoring and a driver camera, so speed and driving time are recorded.
The Bao Loc pass is winding and often foggy late at night. The driver may go slower than usual; that is deliberate, not a delay.
Since 1 August 2026 Da Lat restricts coaches over 29 seats in the centre (except public buses) and bans them from stopping or parking on Nguyen Van Cu, 3 Thang 2, Pham Ngu Lao, Ba Trieu and Nguyen Chi Thanh. A 45-berth sleeper falls under this rule.
Usual solutions:
Send the hotel name with your quote request and we will propose a plan in advance. Rules can change; the driver checks before departure.
Friday night: pick-up at the office at 21:30, rest stop around 01:00. Saturday: arrive at 06:00, breakfast, drop bags, sightseeing by smaller vehicles or a 29-seater on the outskirts. Sunday: check out at noon, the sleeper leaves Da Lat around 21:00 and is back in the city on Monday morning.
If the group needs transport around Da Lat for both days, it is often better to hire a smaller seated vehicle that can enter the centre rather than keep the sleeper waiting.
A night on a sleeper is far more comfortable with the right things to hand:
The organiser should remind everyone to use the toilet before departure; the first stop is a few hours in.
| Sleeper overnight | Seated coach by day | |
|---|---|---|
| Leave days | No day lost to travel | Most of a day on the road |
| Scenery | The pass is in the dark | Views and photo stops |
| First night | One hotel night saved | Room needed from night one |
| Wellbeing | Light sleepers may be tired next day | Stiff back, but alert |
| Central Da Lat | 45-seat coaches restricted | 29 seats or fewer not restricted |
There is no right answer for every group. Young groups maximising holiday time tend to go overnight; groups with older members or keen photographers tend to travel by day.
On a return hire, agree what the bus does while you are in Da Lat. Three options:
Send the number of nights in Da Lat with your request and we will price the options side by side.
For companies, the transport contract states the route, vehicles, pick-up times and payment terms. The 8% VAT invoice is issued to the company details you send when booking. If HR needs several options to get approval, for example sleeper overnight versus 29-seater by day, say so and we will send one comparison.
The passenger list is needed before departure; the organiser should have the driver's phone number and stay reachable during the night.
From the city the bus takes the expressway to Dau Giay, then National Road 20 through Dinh Quan, Bao Loc, Di Linh and Duc Trong up to Da Lat. The Dau Giay – Lien Khuong expressway is being built in sections; where a section is open and suitable for a large coach, the driver will use it.
The Bao Loc pass is about 10 km of tight bends and carries many trucks at night. In rain or fog, visibility drops sharply. That is why drivers slow down, and why rest stops are placed before or after the pass, never on it.
Between Lien Khuong and Da Lat is the Prenn pass, wider but still steep. Sleeping passengers should keep belts on and not stand up while the bus is descending.
If there are landslide warnings or temporary closures on National Road 20 in the rainy season, the driver tells the group before departure and agrees a time or alternative route.
Small children usually sleep well on a sleeper, but put them on a lower berth with an adult and adjust the belt to fit. Keep milk, nappies and a change of clothes in a small bag. Give older travellers berths near the door so getting off at rest stops is easy; anyone with heart or blood-pressure conditions should check with a doctor before a night crossing of the pass and keep medicine with them.
Sleepers go early for 30 April, 2 September and Tết. For Tết 2027, reserve as soon as you can; a deposit of about 10% holds the bus at Tết. Chauffeur quotes include fuel, tolls and the driver, every quote gets 10% off and an 8% VAT invoice is available.
See our sleeper bus fleet, the sleeper booking checklist and the Da Lat expressway status. For a daytime trip, compare a 29-seater to Da Lat.
About 300 km; usually 7–8 hours including breaks, depending on traffic and pass weather.
The 45-berth sleeper takes about 38–40 suitcases in the hold.
Since 1 August 2026 coaches over 29 seats are restricted in the centre; we agree a drop-off point or a transfer vehicle.
Usually two taking turns, stated in the quote. No driver drives more than 4 hours continuously.
Yes. Chauffeur quotes include fuel, tolls and the driver.
About 10% to hold the bus.
Real cars at the Car Rental Vietnam depot
Travel guides for this trip
Private cars with driver from 4 to 45 seats, including Limousine vans and 29- and 45-seater coaches. Tolls, trip insurance and the driver's pay are included:
Book a car
