Da Nang is an incredibly fascinating city in Central Vietnam that attracts many tourists. If you are planning your trip there, our ultimate guide to Da Nang will be helpful. This Da Nang travel guide presents detailed information about transportation, top things to see and do, best local food to try and much more.
Overview of Da Nang
Da Nang (sometimes written Danang) is a city located 776 km south of Hanoi and 961 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. Due to the city’s prime location, Da Nang is the center as well as the gateway of Central Vietnam that is extremely important in terms of tourism.
Da Nang is surrounded by three worldwide famous heritage sites such as Hue Imperial Capital, My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An Ancient Town. Da Nang is captivating visitors with many beautiful landscapes such as Ba Na Hills, Son Tra Peninsula, and Marble Mountains making the city an ideal destination for your trip.
Attractions in Da Nang
The most important tourist attractions in Da Nang that should not be missed are listed below.
My Khe Beach
My Khe Beach is ranked as one of the 20 most beautiful beaches on the planet. My Khe Beach attracts many tourists by its pristine beauty, fine white sand, gentle waves in ta very cool and fresh atmosphere.
Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains, also known as Non Nuoc Mountains, consist of 5 picturesque limestone mountains on the coastal sand. At the foot of the mountain, there is Non Nuoc stone carving village. It produces marble handicrafts famous throughout the country. You can book a hotel in Ngu Hanh Son District to conveniently visit this place.
Ba Na Hills
Ba Na Hills is majestic entertainment area located at an altitude of 1,487 m above the sea level, where the climate is cool all year round. It can be said that Ba Na Hills is a miniature Europe right at the top of the mountain. Highlights of Ba Na Hills are Golden Bridge held by giant hands, romantic French Village, Fantasy Park, Debay Cellar, Wax Museum, and Flower Garden. You need to take a cable car up to the top of Ba Na Mountain for exploring all these sights.
Son Tra Peninsula
Son Tra Peninsula is considered as the giant green lung of Da Nang because of the rich nature, covering an area of more than 4,400 hectares. This is also the home of many species of animals with even 22 rare species listed in the red book. Son Tra Peninsula is also famous for being home to Linh Ung Pagoda with the largest statue of Guan Yin Buddha in the country. InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort is the only hotel located in this area.
Han River Bridge
Han River Bridge is a symbol of the city and also the first rotating bridge in Vietnam. Every day, the middle of the bridge rotates 90 degrees around the axis at 0:30 to pave the way for large ships to pass, and returns to the same way at 3:30.
Dragon Bridge
Dragon Bridge is shaped like a golden dragon facing the East Sea, connecting the road from Da Nang Airport to My Khe and Non Nuoc beaches. The "dragon" on the bridge has the ability to spit fire and spray water at 21:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Hai Van Pass
Hai Van Pass is a natural boundary between provinces of Thua Thien - Hue and Da Nang. Hai Van Quan reaches an altitude of 500 m above sea level and from there you can see the majestic natural scenery of mountains, clouds and oceans.
My Son Sanctuary
My Son was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1999 and is a major tourist attraction in Da Nang. My Son is the Hindu holy place of the Kingdom of Champa.
Hoi An Ancient Town
Although not in the territory of Da Nang city, Hoi An is still one of top destinations to visit when coming to Da Nang. Hoi An is very different from a vibrant and busy Da Nang. The town is a combination of Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and even French influences so it is a unique and beautiful place.
Hoi An is famous for its brightly colored yellow buildings, colorful lanterns, historical sites and good traditional food. This town is even more beautiful and magical when it gets darker, as the streets light up with colorful lanterns everywhere.
Other Da Nang Attractions
Museum of Cham Sculpture: The museum preserving relics of the ancient Kingdom of Champa.
Asia Park: The largest entertainment area in Da Nang. The park is divided into 3 main areas including Asian amusement park, Sun Wheel and cultural park.
Linh Ung Pagoda: Da Nang has 3 pagodas of the same name Linh Ung, located in 3 sacred places of the city such as Son Tra Peninsula, Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills.
Thuan Phuoc Bridge: Vietnam’s longest hammock bridge which is 1,850-meter long.
Pham Van Dong Beach: The public beach built with a budget of 12 billion VND, which is a place to attract locals and tourists for swimming, picnic and snorkeling.
Bac My An Beach: The beach in Ngu Hanh Son District with fine white sand and clear blue water.
Non Nuoc Beach: 5 km long beach located nearby Marble Mountains, attracting tourists with a gently sloping white sand beach and smooth waves ideal for swimming.
Cu Lao Cham: Also known as Cham Islands, which is a group of 8 small islands with the peaceful beauty of nature.
Discover more tourist attractions in Da Nang with detailed information and updated ticket prices here: Top Tourist Attractions in Da Nang.
Where to Stay in Da Nang
Whether you are traveling for relaxing, exploring or experiencing, there are many types of accommodation for you to choose during your trip to discover the beautiful city of Da Nang.
One of the hardest parts about traveling is choosing where to stay, so checking our guide to Da Nang Best Areas before booking the room might save your time.
Budget Hotels
Chill Box Premier- Beach Hotel
Bella Boutique Villa Apartment
Mid-Range Hotels
Luxury Hotels
If your trip budget allows you, consider staying at one of the best luxury hotels in Da Nang, to have a memorable vacation in this beautiful coastal city.
How to get to Da Nang
Da Nang is a transportation hub of the central coast of Vietnam so reaching the city by plane, train or bus is extremely convenient.
By Airplane
Flying to Da Nang is the most popular and time-saving way for getting to the city. Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is located within the city, around 3 km from the center of Da Nang. There are frequent flights to Da Nang from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Daily domestic flights are also operated between Da Nang and Da Lat, Haiphong, and Nha Trang by domestic airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar and VietJetAir. International flights to Da Nang are available from Guangzhou, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Siem Reap, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo.
Flying to Da Nang is now relatively cheap (except holidays). During the high season, ticket prices are rising quite fast so if you plan to travel to Da Nang, you should book your flight tickets early to get the best price. For the flights from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, ticket prices normally range from 400,000 VND to 2,000,000 VND, depending on the airline. It takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Da Nang.
By Train
Da Nang has a train station right in the city center and you will find express trains running here from everywhere in Vietnam, so traveling to Da Nang by train is very convenient. Especially if you are car sick, this is a great mean of transportation. When traveling by train, you get a chance to enjoy the scenery on the way and you can admire magnificent views of mountains and ocean when passing through Hai Van Pass.
Train tickets are also reasonably priced but you should book train tickets in advance to get the best price and your desired seats. Train ticket prices for a trip from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang range from 300,000 VND to 1,200,000 VND, depending on the train type and seat type. The main downside of traveling by train is the length of journey as it takes about 15 - 16 hours to travel from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang.
By Bus
Da Nang Bus Station is located about 2 kilometers from the city center so traveling by bus is also convenient. You will likely arrive at this station if you are traveling on a sleeper bus from cities further away like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Nha Trang. The trip by bus from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City takes about 16-19 hours, which is longer than traveling by other means of transportation, but it is the most economical way as bus fare for such trip is only from 250,000 VND to 500,000 VND.
By Motorbike
You can travel to Da Nang by motorbike from neighboring provinces like Hue. However, you should pay big attention to safety when traveling this way as road accidents are not uncommon in Vietnam.
Other Options
For more transportation options for a trip to/from Da Nang, use this search form.
From Da Nang to Other Cities
Da Nang is the largest transportation hub in Central Vietnam so flying there and traveling from Da Nang to other cities in the surrounding provinces is a really popular way to explore this region.
Da Nang to Hue
There are many transportation options for getting from Da Nang to Hue so you just need to choose the way that is the most suitable to your needs. Various ways of traveling between Da Nang and Hue are briefly described here: How to get from Da Nang to Hue
Da Nang to Hoi An
Hoi An is located not far away from Da Nang so you can reach the ancient town within 30-40 minutes. Various transportation options for getting from Da Nang to Hoi An are detailed here: How to get from Da Nang to Hoi An.
Transportation within Da Nang
By Motorbike
Motorbike is the easiest and affordable mean of transportation for moving around the city. Motorbike rental prices range from 80,000 VND to 15,000 VND per day, depending on the type of motorbike and the rental period (multi-day rentals will be even cheaper). Normally you can rent a motorbike right at the hotel, homestay or hostel you are staying.
By Shuttle Bus
Another convenient option for solo travelers and small groups, who want to save money, is using shuttle bus services. Shuttle buses connect the airport and other attractions such as Ba Na Hills with Da Nang City hotels. Shuttle bus prices normally range from 110,000 VND to 150,000 VND for one-way trip.
By Taxi
Taxi is an appropriate option for short distance traveling in groups. You just let the driver know your destination and they will take you there. However, Da Nang taxi fare seems to be about 1.5 times higher than in other provinces. There are many taxi companies and some of the most reliable are Mai Linh, Vinasun, Tien Sa.
By Private Transfer
When taking a private transfer, you don’t need to worry about transportation and have more time for exploring all the attractions around Da Nang. Pre-booked private transfer can be significantly cheaper than taking a random taxi. However, you need to book it in advance for the specific time that makes everything a bit more complicated.
By Public Bus
Travelling by public bus in Da Nang is possible since there are many bus routes in the city. There are also intercity buses starting from Da Nang and running to Hue (3 hours) and Hoi An (1 hour).
Here are some of the most popular bus routes in Da Nang:
- Route 1: Da Nang Bus Station - Hoi An Bus Station, operating from 5:30-17:50
- Route 2: Kim Lien - Han Market, operating from 5:30-18:00
- Route 3: Da Nang Bus Station - Ai Nghia Bus Station, operating from 5:30-17:00
- Route 4: Da Nang - Tam Ky, operating from 5:00-18:00
- Route 6: Da Nang - Phu Da, operating from 5:15-16:40
Travelling around Da Nang by public bus is not a very convenient option if you want to go to the destinations far from main routes. Another inconvenience is that buses in Da Nang stop operating relatively early.
By Tour
If you are visiting the city alone or in a small group with elder people or kids, taking a tour to visit main sights around Da Nang is a worthwhile option to consider. Traveling with a tour saves your money and time. The tour normally provides you everything you need for the trip like a shuttle bus, guide, entrance tickets at all tourist attractions and lunch. There are many interesting tours in Da Nang that are reasonably priced such as this Da Nang City & My Khe Beach Private Day Tour.
Best Time to Travel to Da Nang
Da Nang is a region with typical tropical monsoon climate and relatively high temperature. The average temperature here is about 28-30 degrees Celsius. Da Nang has 2 distinct seasons: the rainy season (August - December) and dry season (January - July).
The period from February to August is considered to be the best time to travel to Da Nang because the weather is pleasant, temperatures are not too high and less rain is expected. This time of the year offers favorable conditions for fun activities and sightseeing in Da Nang. However, this is the time when Da Nang gets crowded so you need to plan your trip and make your bookings in advance. The low season in Da Nang is from September to the end of March as it is raining quite often so fewer tourists are seen around.
What to Eat in Da Nang
Besides the beautiful scenery, Da Nang also has a lot of delicious and famous dishes that are waiting for you to discover. When coming to Da Nang, you definitely have to try the following dishes:
Mi Quang: The famous rice noodle dish from central Vietnam in Quang Nam province. The traditional one is Quang noodle with shrimps, chicken, egg or pork served with grilled rice paper and roasted peanuts.
Rice paper roll: This is a dish with a unique combination of boiled meat served with vegetables and fish sauce.
Banh Xeo: Vietnamese yellow crispy crepe filled with shrimps and crispy bean sprouts.
Seafood: Fresh seafood such as squids, assorted snails, shrimps, crabs and others is a popular food in Da Nang and there are many restaurants serving it.
Souvenirs from Da Nang
If you want to buy local specialties to bring as gifts for your family and friends, you can easily find lots of them at supermarkets, Han Market, Con Market in Da Nang. The most popular souvenirs from Da Nang are as follows:
- My Khe Seaweed
- Nam O Fish Sauce
- Da Bo Cha (Da Nang beef rolls)
- Dried Squids
- Fine arts made of stone from Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village
