Da Nang, Vietnam’s third-largest city, has turned into one of the country’s top destinations for a reason: Amazing things to do in Da Nang are simply awesome. The town is increasingly cosmopolitan, with ginormous stylish bars, restaurants and hotels to choose from. It’s also surrounded by stunning natural scenery, from white sand beaches fronting the South China Sea to the eye-catching peaks of the nearby Truong Son Mountains. Though it is a big city, Da Nang feels much more relaxed than Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, and during the dry season it is an absolutely delightful place to spend some time in.
In central Vietnam, nestled between mountains, it has a mix of traditional and French colonial architecture alongside beautiful beaches and we’ve put together this handy travel guide to the Amazing things to do in Da Nang, along with where to stay, how to get around and great ideas for day trips from Danang to help you fully explore the area.
Overview about Danang City
The center of Danang City is located on the west side of the Han River. Danang’s also the most important port city of Vietnam, and surrounding the city are various UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Old Town of Hoi An and the My Son Sanctuary. In Danang, you’ll easily find yourself being lost in a myriad of things to do and see, from gorgeous sandy beaches, superb vistas, to a wide range of five-star hotels, restaurants and eateries, local markets, and tons of cultural experiences.
Best time to travel to Danang
The best time to travel to Danang is from March to September. Because Vietnam is a tropical climate country, Danang has an unpredictable climate that will prevent tourists from easy travel through the city. During the daytime, the city’s temperature may reach 26 – 30 Celsius degrees, while it will be cooler at night at around 18 – 23 degrees. This is also the perfect time for you to enjoy many activities like snorkeling and scuba diving.
Da Nang like other in tropical country has two main seasons: rainy season from September to November and dry season from December to August. The rains are usually heavy and can last a few hours. However don’t be anxious as the weather is not always bad in this season except stormy days, most of time the weather is still sunny and temperature ranging from 20-30 degree Celsius. If you want to go to Da Nang for a summer vacation and beach water activities, it wouldn’t be a good idea to come this season. The rainy season is also low season for traveler to Da Nang, if you are on a tight budget, you might travel in low season and also can avoid crowded group of tourists. So in the low season, time from January to February is the wonderful period for traveling Da Nang.
The most rainfall is seen from September to February, so unless you like umbrellas and raincoats, you may not want to go there in this period. This leaves February to May as the ideal months to experience the wonders of Danang.
Where to stay in Danang
Danang is home to many world-class resorts, hotels that offer a full-service package including entertainment, relaxation and meeting conferences. There are lots of accommodation options for you to choose while in Danang. You can choose to stay at the budget-friendly guest houses or motels that provide clean enough accommodation at only $9-$15 per night. If you visit the city with friends, then there are many mid-range hotels at cheaper prices compared to other coastal cities.
How to get there and get around
Danang is one of the better-developed cities in Vietnam. The city’s roads are spacious and organized, so it’s fairly easy to navigate. Therefore, there are a lot of options that you can choose to get around the city.
Train , Plane or Automobile! Vietnam has good transport links throughout the country. Visitors who fly into Da nang International airport land right in the heart of the city, and you can get to most hotels and attractions for as little as 100VND
On foot
Danang was built with lots of wide sidewalks and boardwalks, making it easy for tourists to walk around the city at ease. Walking around the night market or along the beach will give you a closer look into the lives of local people. However, this may be inconvenient if you’re planning to explore various stunning attractions such as Ba Na Hills, My Son sanctuary or Linh Ung pagoda which cannot easily be reached on foot. So, checking out some other means of transportation can be more useful to save your time and effort.
Public Bus
Going from place to place in Danang City by bus is quite pleasant for your budget because this is the cheapest choice. However, we don’t recommend it because it will take longer time and consume more effort if you are new to the city. Bus services start at 5:30 in the morning and stop operating at 4:00 PM, but be aware that the buses don’t usually arrive on time. Also, if you have just arrived at the airport with plenty of luggage, this option will be less convenient because the nearest bus stop is around three kilometers away.
Grab
It is easier and more affordable to use ride-hailing service such as Grab to go anywhere in Da Nang compared to the traditional taxi option. You just need to have the app ready on your smartphone before your travels and pinpoint exact pick-up and drop-off locations. One big disadvantage of taking grab is, these apps require access to the internet or data connection so you must prepare for yourself a Vietnamese SIM card. Not only that, Grab transportations can be hard to get an increase in price during rush hours.
Traditional taxi
From the city center or the airport, you can effortlessly catch a taxi without making prior arrangements. Make sure to ask the driver to turn the meter machine on and check for the route on Google Maps in advance to avoid tourist scams or being overcharged. Also, you should write the address down and show to the driver for better communicating.
Top things to do in Danang
Danang offers so many exciting activities and tourist attractions that you can choose, whether you’re a history buff or nature-lover, the city can. The city can please many tourists of all ages. Here is Inspitrip’s list of top things to do in Danang.
Enjoy the special show on Dragon Bridge
What to do in Da Nang city at night?
If you visit Da Nang at the weekend, don’t forget to go to the Dragon bridge for the special show at night.
Dragon Bridge, or Cầu Rồng, is an impressive bridge crossing the Han River representing the new architectural art of Danang.
The bridge was built with a Dragon shape stretching to the sea, with the important idea expressing the growing aspirations of Da Nang city.
Opened to traffic in 2013, the Dragon Bridge modeled after the dragon is one of the bridges that cross the Han River and connect Danang International Airport to other important roads in the city. The bridge is 666m long, 37.5m wide and has six lanes for traffic. The dragon itself offers a special performance every weekend and during festival times that attract both locals and foreigners! It’s the best to visit the bridge in the evening because of the many colorful LED lights that illuminate the bridge, also there are lots of bars and restaurants that overlook the Dragon Bridge that serve tourists at any time of day.
Walking across the Golden Bridge
The Golden Bridge is a new add-on to Bana Hill complex since the middle of 2018. However, the unique construction style set in a breathtaking nature has made this bridge so popular that no one could visit Danang without checking in Golden Bridge. It connects the mountain foot on the poetic French village to a stunning flower garden on a hill. The total length is approximately 150 m. The most outstanding feature of this site is the mossy, stone hands lifting two ends of the bridge. It makes you feel like the skillful hands of Mother Nature is holding a soft and delicate piece of silk atop a mountain enclosed by magical clouds and crystal skies.
Located 1,400m above sea level and held aloft by two giant hands and offers incredible views across the valley. The Golden Bridge’s design makes you feel like you are taking a stroll in the clouds, across the hands of gods. It is this uniqueness that attracts everyone’s imagination. However, on a busy day you could actually be walking on the clouds with thousands of selfie-stick tourists, trying to record their perfect social media story. And although you cannot blame them – you also want a great photo to remember the Golden Bridge by – you can definitely avoid them.
Wonderfull experiences at Ba Na Hills
Ba Na Hills is one of the top-notch attractions that every tourist should visit in their lifetime. People from the city come to this magnificent destination to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Ba Na is 1,487m above sea level in the Truong Son Mountains west of Danang, with an average temperature of just about 18-Celsius degrees, it can be seen as the SaPa of central Vietnam. Tourists can visit the Ba Na Hills via the cable car systems that have also set two Guinness World Records for their height and length.
At the summit of the Ba Na Hills, you will find spectacular vistas that stretch as far as the eye can see, and you can even take a cable car to the top if you are feeling lazy. There are so many must-see things in Ba Na but one of the main highlight attractions is the Golden Bridge. The bridge is supported by giant hands, contrary to the elegance of the bridge. The yellow color of this bridge is more prominent and displays a stark contrast between the forest and the giant hands. From the bridge, you can have a look at the magnificent landscape surrounded by clouds and mountains. You can take our Ba Na Hills and Da Nang City private tour with a tailor-made itinerary and lunch included.
Visit Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula
There are three pagodas named Linh Ung in Da Nang in which the Linh Ung pagoda in Bai But, Son Tra peninsula is the biggest and the most beautiful of the three. Linh Ung is the perfect example of a Vietnamese pagoda; built with many traditional features and represents an atmosphere of perfect harmony. The path to the main chamber of the pagoda consists of 18 Arhats statues, each depicting various human emotions. It takes time for tourists to fully explore the pagoda.
The main highlight of the pagoda is the famous Lady Buddha statue. The statue is situated on an area of about 20 hectares on the side of a mountain, looking to the sea while leaning on the Son Tra Peninsula. The Lady Buddha statue stands on a perfect position of the Son Tra peninsula that visitors can see it from nearly every corner of Danang. It is the highest statue in Vietnam, measuring 67 meters in height and 35 meters in diameter at its base. Even though it is a religious place, the pagoda remains itself one of the most visited attractions in the city of Danang.
Laze around on the My Khe Beach
Why go ? My Khe’s size means it is rarely crowded, though late in the afternoon as the sun starts to set it does get busier. During the day, however, visitors can take their pick of where to relax along the South China Sea.
Going to My Khe beach is one of my favorite things to do in Da Nang.
My Khe Beach is famous for its long white sandy beaches, calm sea waves, and warm crystal clear water all year round. Also, visitors can get in for free and play different outdoor sports on the beach.
Therefore, My Khe is ideal and safe for both adults and children for beach holidays at any time of the year.
My Khe Beach is located about 6km east of Da Nang and about 24km north of Hoi An. It is a nine-kilometer stretch of smooth sand with an average width between 50m and 70m. The gradient is gentle, and its sheltered position in the lee of the Son Tra peninsula softens the autumn winds that restrict swimming further down the coast.. The beach is regarded as “one of the most attractive beaches on the planet” by Forbes Magazine. The reason is that it is located in a perfect position close to the city with many beautiful landscapes and tourism services. Walking on the beach, tourists will bear witness to the combination of clear skies, silky white sand, and palm trees of My Khe. Not only does the blue water of My Khe help you relax, it also contains lots of challenging sea activities that can be booked on the spot, including water skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, windsurfing, and kayaking.
Discover lively street art: Tam Thanh Mural Village
Tam Thanh was just a poor normal fishing village back then, and now the village has become the hidden gem of tourist attractions of Vietnam. The village is an hour drive from the south of Hoi An. A program has been established with the mission statement “Art for a better community” in 2016, where a group of artists composed of both Korean and Vietnamese created various paintings over 100 murals. Thanks to this joint Vietnamese-Korean collaboration, Tam Thanh fishing village has transformed into a full-fledged tourist destination.
Many tourists can experience the combination of natural beauty and lively street art in the various paintings around the village. Not only are the paintings really great in terms of quality, but they also have a great impact on many locals living in the village. Which was the reason why the program chose Tam Thanh in the first place: to raise the living conditions of the village. Visiting the village, tourists are now not only able to see the impressive murals, but also create more income for the locals living in the village.
Explore My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary is a temple complex, built between the 4th and the 14th centuries AD. The place consists of many ruined Hindu temples and tombs. My Son is surrounded by two mountains range, located near the village of Duy Phu, 69 km southwest of Da Nang. There are over 70 temples at the sanctuary, spanning about two kilometers in width. My Son Sanctuary is known as one of the most amazing Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia and one of the most important heritage sites in Vietnam
The ruins of the My Son sanctuary in Vietnam are extraordinary for its mysterious vibes. The Cham people used the temples as a worship place, and also buried some of their kings there. Although the majority of the ruins were destroyed and some statues are missing, there are still some impressive ancient decorations that have survived to present day, including snakes, elephants, and priests. The My Son Sanctuary is often compared with other historical temple complexes in Southeast Asia, such as Angkor Wat of Cambodia or Ayutthaya of Thailand. As of 1999, My Son has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. You can explore My Son Sanctuary and Champa Temples from Danang with Inspitrip.
Climb the Marble Mountains
The Marble Mountains dominate the plain-like landscape along the coast road between Hoi An and Danang.
The Marble Mountains is actually the name for five separate hills made of limestone that are also mixed with smooth marble.
The mountains sit some 9 kilometers outside of Da Nang and are known for their Buddhist pagodas and shrines which are dedicated to various local gods. The mountains’ sheer, porous limestone is punctuated by caves and tunnels, which are fitted with spectacular Buddhist and Hindu shrines. Of the five mountains, only Mt. Thuy is accessible to tourists. It has the highest summit and a stunning, panoramic view of the coast, Da Nang, and the other Marble Mountains
You can walk up the hills using a long set of steps cut into the mountainside and from here you will be able to take in all the best views over the countryside.
Ride the Hai Van Pass
One of the most fun things to do in Da Nang is taking a drive along the Hai Van Pass. The name means “Sea of Clouds” thanks to the mist that rises up here from the sea.
This 20-km strip of road sits at 500 meters above sea level, making for some absolutely epic views. It rose to fame thanks to its appearance on the popular British TV show Top Gear, which declared it “one of the best coastal roads in the world.”
Traveling along the Hai Van Pass became much safer and more enjoyable thanks to the completion of a tunnel. A vast majority of the larger vehicles now use the tunnel, making the Hai Van Pass more of a scenic alternative route.
You have several options for cruising along this scenic road in Central Vietnam. In my humble opinion the best way to do it is riding your own motorbike, but only for more experienced riders. If you’re not comfortable on a bike, you can sign up to ride pillion with a guide or go on a jeep tour. These range from $60-90 depending on which option you choose.
Visit Cham Islands
One of the most fun things to do in Da Nang is taking a boat trip over to the Cham Islands. This cluster of eight islands makes for the perfect day trip out of the city.
These islands are home to the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park, which is a great place for some snorkeling or scuba diving. That’s not all there is to do, though. You can also visit fishing villages, traditional pagodas, and pristine beaches.
The best time to visit the islands is between March and September. Dive shops actually stop running trips in mid-October and don’t start again until February due to poor weather conditions.
To get out to the Cham Islands, most people just sign up for a tour in Da Nang. These range from $50-100 a day depending on whether you’re snorkeling or diving. One company that comes recommended is Cham Island Diving, and they even have an overnight trip.
Experience Danang amazing street food
Danang is blessed with not only beautiful beaches and stunning scenery but also its unique cuisine. The city is from the central part of Vietnam, so it’s foods are heavily influenced by other regions like Hue or Quang Nam. Furthermore, the food in Da Nang is comparatively cheaper than other big cities like Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. There are so many popular dishes in Da Nang, but some of the ones you must try to include Quang noodle, Pork wrapped in rice paper, and Cao Lau. In order to help fulfill your experience in Da Nang with amazing street food, book a Da Nang street food tour with a professional tour guide. Street food in Da Nang gives you the chance to get face to face with fascinating local lives.
With tons of interesting things to do and see, Danang is truly a dream destination for beach lovers, history buffs and culture addicts to come and explore. We hope our detailed Danang travel guide will help you enjoy this charming city to the fullest!
Now, it is your turn: pack your luggage, book a tour to Danang and enjoy an unforgettable trip with family and friends! Then, share your experience in Danang after that trip with us. If you need new offers to your clients, this is definitely a great destination, please contact Dong Travel for a free quote
