DA NANG CITY

Square: 1283,4 km2

Population: 926,0 thousands people (2010)

Districts: Hai Chau, Thanh Khe, Son Tra, Ngu Hanh Son, Lien Chieu, Cam Le, Hoa Vang, Hoang Sa

Overview: The city is in the site of the East Sea and Han River with special different charms. Nature has offered the city a great position among three World heritages generously: ancient royal capital Hue, ancient city Hoi An and Holy land My Son. Thanks to this, Da Nang plays an important role in hosting, serving and transferring visitors. Not only being in the middle point of three world heritages, but also does it have numerous unforgettable beautiful scenes.

5 Reasons to Visit Da Nang, Vietnam

- Be welcomed by friendly faces

- Gateway to central Vietnam

- Dig into delectable dishes

- One step away from nature

- Bright, blinking city lights

What is in this Da Nang travel guide
Itinerary
How to get around
How to get there
Food & Drinking
Best hotels & Hostels
15 best things to do
Best time to visit
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The transition between the two regions influences the climate in Da Nang: North and South. However, it is more typical of the tropical climate in the South than in the North. There are two seasons in Da Nang: the rainy and dry seasons.

 

The rainy season starts from September to November, and the dry season starts from December to August next year. Da Nang is quite cold during the winter due to the cold air coming down from the North.

 

Similar to other coastal provinces in Vietnam, the high season in Da Nang is in the summer, more precisely from the beginning of April to the end of August. Thanks to the low amount of rain, this time is convenient for sightseeing and outdoor activities. 

 

You should not travel to Da Nang at this time because it rains heavily and continuously without a dry day. When it rains, the road is slippery, making it difficult for you to move. The sky is gray, and the level of water in the Han River rises and merges with sandy soil from upstream, so it’s no longer clean. Especially from September to October, there are often storms that can be dangerous. Also, due to heavy rain in September, October, and November, visitors will not climb mountains and swim.

 

The most appropriate time to travel to Da Nang is January to July, especially from February to May. Da Nang, at this time, is not cold and not too hot like the summer. The temperature ranges from 23 to 28 degrees, and it is suitable for sightseeing, traveling, or swimming at the beach. Also, you can avoid the crowd coming to visit the main attractions in Da Nang because people are not on their summer vacation yet.

1.  Visit and Climb Marble Mountain

Visit Marble Mountains

Located 9 kilometers from Da Nang, the Marble Mountains are a cluster of five limestone outcrops which are named after the five elements of the universe including water, metal, fire, wood and earth. 

The ancient folklore told that those five mystical Marble Mountains were created by the fragments of a giant dragon’s shell on Non Nuoc Beach. 

Coming to this site, you will have a chance to explore a plenty of statues, pagodas, grottoes and caves. If you like hiking, you can climb the mountains to reach their summits. From these points, you will be able to see the whole view of Da Nang. 

The Marble Mountains are wonderful at anytime of the year. However, if you want to contemplate them at the most beautiful season, you should go in summer, which is from June to August each year. 

Avoid stormy season (from September to November) because the stairs will become slippery and you may fall when climbing the mountains.

Location: 2 Huyen Tran Cong Chua, Hoa Hai, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang
Opening hours: Daily 07:00 to 17:30
Price Range: VND 40,000

2. Snorkel on Cham Islands

Snorkel on Cham islands

Cham islands, around 50 kilometers from Da Nang city, are among the greatest destinations you should visit in Vietnam. Cham islands (or Cu Lao Cham archipelago) contain 8 small islands. They were recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve. 

It is said that Cham islands are cultural-historic areas. They have some vestiges of Cham people’s civilization from hundreds of years ago. In addition, there are also a wide range of leisure activities for tourists to enjoy here. 

Travellers can explore marine life by swimming, boat racing, water skiing, scuba diving and kite flying on the beaches. After that, they can enjoy delicious seafood made by friendly local people.

Location: Tan Hiep, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province

3. Visit the Dragon Bridge

Contemplate the Dragon Bridge

Da Nang’s Dragon Bridge is the longest bridge in Vietnam. It crosses the Han River, connecting people to Non Nuoc Beach, My Khe Beach and many other famous spots.

The bridge was constructed in 2011 and officially opened 2 years later. The reason why Vietnamese people made it into the shape of golden Dragon is because Dragon is one of the four holy animals in Vietnam, which represents for the nobility, power and good fortune.

Dragon Bridge is really beautiful, especially in the evening when people turn on colorful LED lights along the 666 meters long of it. In the surroundings areas, there are also lots of restaurants, coffee shops and bars for visitors to enjoy the state-of-the-art view.

Location: Da Nang City Centre, Da Nang

4. Walk Along The Golden Bridge

Walk Along The Golden Bridge

Golden Bridge, a 150-meter long pedestrian bridge, is a magical destination for tourists in Da Nang city. It has been completely constructed in 2018 but it has attracted thousands of visitors worldwide up to now. 

The unique feature of this construction is its architecture with giant hands holding underneath the elegant bridge. The image makes people think of the God of Mountain’s hands supporting people to Thien Thai garden.

The Golden Bridge has brought inspiration for so many fashion designers. Earlier, it welcomed 7 girls participating in Miss World 2016. Furthermore, it was also used to take wedding photo album for lots of couples. 

Location: Sun World Ba Na Hill, Hoa Phu, Hoa Vang, Da Nang

5. Relax at Son Tra Peninsula

Son Tra Peninsula

Son Tra Peninsula is known as the old eco-jungle in a young city because it can be seen from every place of Da Nang city. Being home to numerous types of fauna and plants, the attractive scenery and space here is also an ideal area to dance, sing and play chess together.

Son Tra is beautiful both in daytime and nighttime. You can enjoy the peacefulness of twilight as well as the splendid flow of dawn on this charming landscape. 

Near Son Tra Peninsula, you can visit Linh Ung Pagoda, Dong Dinh Museum or 1000-year-old banyan tree. They are also must-see places that you should not skip once coming to Da Nang, Vietnam.

Location: Tho Quang Ward, Da Nang
Opening hours: 06:00 to 21:30

6. Sunbathe on My Khe Beach

Sunbathe on My Khe Beach

My Khe Beach is a picturesque beach with blue sky, gentle slope, smooth white sand and clear water. It was listed as one of the most luxurious beaches in the world by Forbes Magazine. Once you get here, you will feel released and comfortable after hard-working days.

Near the beach, there are a wide range of hostels, hotels, resorts and villas available for different kinds of visitors. So, after spending time sunbathing on the beach, you can totally relax in a five-star villa to gain back your energy for the next day.

Location: 6 kilometers east from Da Nang

7. Visit The Cham Museum

Visit Cham Museum

Cham Museum exhibits lots of relics of Cham people in the past. It has nearly 300 stone works of art and terracotta dating back from 7th to 15th centuries. 

The most impressive exhibit in Cham museum is the huge stone Buddhist pedestal which describes the Champa king. When looking closely, you will see the statue is carved in such a meticulous way. 

Today, the museum is being preserved well by the government and local people. Therefore, if you go to visit it, you will not be allowed to do anything harmful to ruin the relics in the museum.

Location: Binh Hien, Hai Chau, Da Nang
Opening hours: 7 am to 5 pm every day

8. Hai Van Pass

Hai Van Pass is well-known for its scenic hillside roads in Vietnam. It is the connection between Da Nang city and Thua Thien Hue Province. Normally, there are several thrill-seeking motorcyclists coming to Hai Van Pass to train their skills.

In 2008, Hai Van Pass was voted to be among “the best coastal roads over the globe” by the UK program. So, why are you hesitating to take on a jeep and experience Hai Van Pass with your friends?

Location: 30 kilometers north of Da Nang

9. Join A Cooking Class

If you love cooking and want to explore the local cuisine, a cooking class in Da Nang is a great option for you. In this class, you will have an opportunity to get valuable insight into the local cuisine. 

There will be instructors guiding participants to local market to buy the ingredients for the food. Then, you will be taught how to create palate-pleasing food by yourself.

10. Eat The Local Food

Eat The Local Food in Da Nang

Whenever coming to a different country, the must-thing you should do is to taste the local food. Here are some recommended restaurants for you.

The first one is Banh Xeo Ba Duong. The restaurant serves customers with a platter of pancakes along with beef, beansprouts, pork, prawns or chicken. There is a bowl of soup made by fishing sauce, sugar, lemon, chili and garlic. 

Location: 280/23 Hoang Dieu Street, Da Nang
Opening hours: Daily 11:00 to 23:00

The second one is Mi Quang Ba Mua. The food in this restaurant comprises of turmeric-yellow rice noodles, meat toppings and bone broth. If you do not know Vietnamese, you can see the English menu to choose the food you want to eat.

Location: 19 Tran Binh Trong Street, Da Nang
Opening hours: Daily 06:30 to 21:30

The last one is Bun Cha Ca 109. This family-run restaurant has been famous for nearly 50 years. The setup is very simple with just some low tables, plastic stools and ceiling fans. The Bun Cha Ca they sell includes grilled fishcakes, rice vermicelli noodles, mint leaves and bamboo shoots. 

Location: 109 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Da Nang
Opening hours: Daily 06:00 to 22:00

11. Visit Ba Na Hills

Visit Ba Na Hills

Ba Na Hills is a mountaintop resort complex that offers a wide range of great activities. For example, you can ride the cable cars, stroll the French Village, ride the Alpine Coaster and take the 4D Death Race experience. 

In order to get to Ba Na Hills, you can choose a taxi, motorbike or open bus. The best time to visit is from April to August. This is the peak season when there are thousands of travellers coming to enjoy the atmosphere of Ba Na Hills.

Location: Hoa Vang, Da Nang
Opening hours: 07:00 to 22:00 

12. Shop at Han Market

Han market has been operated since the 1940s when Vietnam was under French colonial. In this market, there are a number of stalls selling different kinds of products ranging from handicrafts, accessories to vegetables, fruits and food. 

Everything at Han Market is sold at a very reasonable price so you can buy anything you want as souvenirs for your friends and family.

Location: 119, Tran Phu Street, Hau Chai District, Da Nang
Opening hours: Daily 05:00 to 19:00

13. Enjoy The Non Nuoc Beach

Enjoy Non Nuoc beach

Another famous beach in Da Nang is Non Nuoc. It has an arc shape, white sands, unpolluted water, gentle slope and mild waves, which is very suitable for different types of water sports. 

If you love to discover many more sightseeing, you can visit ancient pagoda, village, cave  or enjoy boating on Co Co River. 

Location: Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang

14. Go Surfing

Thanks to warm climate and expansive beaches, Da Nang is the epicenter of surfing in Vietnam. The ideal season for surfing in Da Nang is between September and March. 

Not only professionals but beginners can also start surfing in Da Nang. It is because there are lots of courses as well as schools that teach this skill for the new people. 

In addition, there are also so many surf shops available along the beach so people can rent boards easily. The price is around 5.00 USD per hour. And of course, the more hours you want to surf on the beach, the more money you have to pay. 

15. Drink Sweet Coconut Coffee

Taste Sweet Coconut Coffee

Sweet coconut coffee is one of the most unique drinks that tourists should try when they come to Da Nang, Vietnam. It is a combination of Vietnamese coffee, coconut milk and condensed milk that is blended to perfection. 

In different coffee shops, you will be served with different types of sweet coconut coffee. You sometimes will have to blend the mixture yourself. However, whatever type of coconut coffee, you will have a chance to try different taste.

 

 

 

 

Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is located in the heart of the city centre. The small airport is overloaded and barely able to handle current volumes. If departing from DAD, arrive on time because the queues for check-in and security can be ridiculous. A badly needed new terminal is under construction, optimistically slated to open in 2017 at the cost of 3.5 trillion dong (that’s US$158 million). Whether the seagull-shaped design does anything to create efficiency remains to be seen.

Sample destinations
Domestic
Buon Ma Thuot (Vietnam Airlines)
Can Tho (Vietnam Airlines)
Da Lat (Vietnam Airlines)
Cam Ranh/Nha Trang (Vietnam Airlines)
Hanoi (Jetstar; VietJet Air; Vietnam Airlines)
HCMC (Jetstar; VietJet Air; Vietnam Airlines)
Pleiku (Vietnam Airlines)
Vinh (Vietnam Airlines)

International
Beijing (China Eastern)
Hong Kong (Dragonair; Hong Kong Express)
Kunming (China Eastern)
Macau (Air Macau)
Seoul (Korean Air)
Siem Reap (Silkair, Vietnam Airlines)
Singapore (Silkair; Jetstar)
Tokyo (Vietnam Airlines)

Currently, the airport has plenty of meter taxis and ATMs outside the arrivals hall, including an HSBC ATM. There’s money exchange, a few eateries and booths selling SIM cards.

Many hotels offer airport transfers for an additional fee or sometimes free when you book a room, so be sure to ask. A meter taxi from the airport into Da Nang should run no more than 150,000 dong, but you could try sneaking a taxi upstairs, at the departures levels, after they've dropped off passengers and are now empty. They may cut you a deal.

The bus to Da Nang is often North-South Sleeping Bus. Price and quality are not quite different. You can check out the website of following reliable companies: Hoang Long, Mai Linh, Thuan Thao, Phuong Trang, Sinh Cafe...

- In Hanoi, you can take buses to Da Nang at Giap Bat or Nuoc Ngam stations

- In Saigon, you can depart at Mien Dong bus station.

Note: You should buy tickets or make reservation in advance to avoid unavailability. The fare is from VND 500,000 to VND 700,000 (from US $23 to $34) and consumes about 20 hours for both Sai Gon and Hanoi to Danang. 

Da Nang train station is located on Hai Phong Street approximately five kilometres form the city centre. As you can book tickets through most hotels and guesthouses with a minimal commission charge (usually 20,000 VND) there really isn't any need to go there to book your tickets. Soft seats are recommended for long journeys, but if you are just swinging up to Hue, go for the cheaper hard seat option, as it's far more fun. There are four trains a day that stop at Lang Co enroute to Hue for 23,000 VND (two hours). Lang Co has lots of hotels now and train is a far easier and cheaper way to get there from Da Nang than bus. The ticket office is open daily, 03:00 to 19:30. T: (0511) 3823 810.

To Hue, Hanoi and Saigon
Odd-numbered trains head north, even-numbered trains head south. The TN trains are slower but still good value. The SH (shuttle trains) go between Hue and Saigon -- they're as slow as you can go, making all local stops, and not that much cheaper than a hard seat. Recommended only if you must get off the train at a stop not on the main line.

1. Hiring a motorbike

This is the most convenient way. You can ask for the lessor to bring the motorbike to the airport for you. Just remember to check the vehicle carefully before hiring it to avoid unnecessary conflict. Here is the list of Danang Vietnam motorbile rental shops:

 

NAME OF LESSOR

PRICE (VND)

CONTACT

 

 

Truong Dat

140,000 for one-day rent 120,000 for two-day rent 100,000 for more than two days

(+84) 969 722 744

 

 

Le Truong

130,000 for one-day rent 120,000 for two-day rent 100,000 for 3 – 4 days rent

(+84) 981 331 331

 

 

Anh Tuan Motorbike

100,000 for 3 – 4 days rent 50,000 for longer rent

(+84) 905 708 090

 

 

Phuong Binh

80,000 – 150,000 based on the kind of motorbike and the hiring duration

(+84) 906 408 040

 

 

 

2. Getting around Da Nang by Taxi

 

Beware, the price of taxi in Da Nang is one of the most expensive in the country (about VND 15,000/km for 4-seat taxi and about VND 16,000/km for 7-seat one). We don’t recommend to choose this way but below is some contact for you:

Contact list of Taxi brands in Da Nang

  • Mai Linh Taxi: (+84) 5113 565 656

  • Hang Khong Taxi: (+84) 5113 272 727

  • Han River Taxi: (+84) 5113 727 272

  • Vinasun Green Taxi: (+84) 5113 686 868

 

3. Getting around Da Nang by bus

 

Unlike Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, the public service system in Da Nang is not so advanced. Below is information about some bus routes in Da Nang.

BUS NO.

ROUTE

PRICE (VND)

 

 

01

Da Nang – Hoi An

16,000

 

 

02

Kim Lien – Han Market

6,000

 

 

03

Da Nang – Ai Nghia

17,000

 

 

04

Da Nang – Tam Ky

28,000

 

 

05

Da Nang -Phu Da

25,000

 

 

 

4. Getting around Da Nang by pick-up services

 

This service offers pick-up contract service which is clearly cheaper than the taxi and has free waiting fee.

 

TWO-WAY TICKET

4-SEAT CAR (VND)

7-SEAT CAR (VND)

16-SEAT CAR (VND)

 

Da Nang - Ba Na

600,000

650,000

750,000

 

Da Nang – Hoi An/ Lao Island

550,000

600,000

700,000

 

Da Nang – Hue

1,400,000

1,500,000

1,700,000

 

Da Nang – The Stream of God

650,000

700,000

800,000

 

Da Nang city

50,000

600,000

700,000

 

Da Nang – My Son

1,000,000

1,100,000

1,300,000

 

 

5. Getting around Danang by rental car

 

Hiring a private car and drive it by yourself is the most comfortable and flexible way. But it’s also the most expensive one. And rental car is suitable when you travel in group especially you want to go camping or take a tour around the city.

Here is the list of Danang Vietnam car rental shops for you:

 

Song Khoe Travel & Transportation

Address: No. 61 Vo Chi Cong Street, Cam Le District
Tel: (+84) 917 49 44 11
Price: VND 600,000 – VN 1,000,000 (4-seat car, one day)
Website: chothuexedanang.vn  

 

ViTraco Travel & Transportation

Address: No. 394B Dien Bien Phu Street, Thanh Khe District
Tel: (+84)905 726 726 | (+84) 983 711 411 |  (+84) 905 049 049
Website: chothuexevip.vn

 

Thinh Hieu Khang – Da Nang Car Rental 

Address: No. 394B Dien Bien Phu Street, Thanh Khe District
Tel: (+84) 935 22 44 88 | (+84) 906 436 999
Price: VND 750,000 – VND 1,2000,000 (4-seat car, one day)
Website: thuexetulaitaidanang.com

 

CHO THU XE DA NANG (KHAI HOAN PHONG)

Address: No.  732/14 Dien Bien Phu Street, Thanh Khe
Tel: (+84) 19 343 787
Price: VND 500,000 – VND 1,000,000 (4-seat car, one day)

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