Da Nang is one of my favorite destinations in Vietnam. In this article, we will be looking at the must-see attractions and top things to do in Da Nang.
Da Nang is a major city in central Vietnam and is known for its beautiful beaches, spectacular cultural attractions, delicious food, and friendly locals. The most well-known attractions in Da Nang include Han River, Dragon bridge, My Khe Beach, Han Market, Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha, and Ba Na Hill.
Additionally, Da Nang is a great base to explore central Vietnam. From Da Nang, you can easily take day trips to Hoi An, Hue, My Son sanctuary, Hai Van Pass, Cham islands, or Bach Ma National Park.
If you are a foodie, you can try many local specialties such as My Quang, Com Ga, or avocado ice-cream. You can go cafe-hopping as the city has many nice trendy coffee shops. For nightlife, you can check out the Son Tra night market, An Thuong night market, or one of many rooftop bars in the city.
Da Nang is very well-connected to other parts of Vietnam both by air and by road. Popular ways to reach Da Nang are by train, sleeper bus, or airplane. It has an international airport and a train station, located only a short Grab taxi/ bike ride from the city center.
You can easily get around Da Nang by walking, bike rental, guided tour, or using Grab. I walk most of the time in the city center and around the beach area. For further distance, I used a Grab Bike when I was a solo traveler, and Grab taxi/ private cars when I traveled with my friends or family.
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Let’s look at the must-see attractions and top things to do in Da Nang:
1. Han River
In my experience, taking a stroll along the banks of Han River is one of the top things to do in Da Nang. You can take a leisure walk along Bach Dang Street, Tran Hung Dao street, or cross different bridges that connect these two popular streets.
Along the walk, you can spot many beautiful bridges including Dragon bridge, Tran Thi Ly bridge, Han River Bridge, or Thuan Phuoc Bridge. Dragon Bridge has the fire show every weekend and public holidays around 9pm, attracting lots of locals and tourists to come and watch it.
You can find many nice restaurants, cafes, and rooftop bars along the River where you can stop by for drinks, meals, and enjoy stunning river views. Bach Dang street is a vibrant promenade and is the location of many cultural events; you can see many art sculptures and observe local life along the way.
If you walk across one of the many bridges on Han River from Bach Dang street, you will reach Tran Hung Dao Street. Similar to Bach Dang street, Tran Hung Dao Street is lined with highrise apartments and hotels. On this street, you’ll find many street food stalls along the river.
Along Tran Hung Dao Street, you can go window shopping at Vincom Plaza, or check out the Love Bridge where you can have great views of Dragon Bridge, especially at night.
Don’t miss out on the Son Tra night market at the foot of Dragon Bridge, where you can try delicious local street food. It has many stalls selling grilled meat, seafood, traditional crafts, souvenirs, and fresh fruits. Be sure to bargain as you do in any other markets in Vietnam.
2. My Khe Beach
My Khe Beach is a must-see attraction in Da Nang. It is a long stretch of white sandy and clean beach along Vo Nguyen Giap Street, only a 10 minutes Grab ride from the city center and Han River.
The beach is lined with shaded palm trees, as well as many bed chairs and umbrellas for rent. There are also plenty of beach bars and restaurants along the beach where you can enjoy the drink and relax.
The beach is great for swimming, sunbathing, and watsport such as surfing. You can rent a surfboard from rental shops nearby or take surfing lessons on the beach.
I love taking a stroll along the beach in the early morning to watch the sun rise and in the late afternoon for sun sets. These times are always packed with people, swimming, jogging, yoga, or exercise. It is also great to observe local life and people watch during this time.
3. Dragon Bridge
Dragon Bridge is one of the most popular bridges on Han River. It is especially beautiful at night when the light is on. This Bridge has a Fire and water show on weekends which makes it more special to visit.
The best place to watch the fire show is right on the bridge, on Love Bridge and other bridges, as well as on Tran Hung Dao Street and many rooftop bars near the bridge.
4. Son Tra night market
Son Tra night market is one of the best things to do in Da Nang at night. It is located in Da Nang city center, on Tran Hung Dao street, at the foot of the iconic Dragon Bridge. The market is open daily from 6pm to midnight.
At the market, you can try local street food such as grilled seafood, chicken, and beef. You can choose fresh seafood and they will cook for you. There are also many stalls selling different products such as clothes, souvenirs, or jewelry.
It is a popular market in Da Nang and can be very crowded, so I recommend taking care of your belongings to avoid pickpocketing.
5. Han Market, Con Market, Bac My An Market
If you want to find some local specialities to bring home as a gift, and just want to experience local daily life, I recommend visiting one of the many markets in Da Nang. The most popular markets are Han Market, Con market, and Bac My An Market.
Han Market is the most popular market for tourists located right in the city center near Han River. Con Market and Bac My An Market are more local markets, and are only a short Grab ride away.
You can find everything in these markets from loca; specialities and dried food to clothes and souvenirs; remember to practice your bargaining skills, and keep an eye on your belongings to avoid pickpocketing.
6. Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains is one of the must-see attractions in Da Nang. It is located in Ngu Hanh Son district, around 15 minutes drive from My Khe Beach or Da Nang city center. You can easily use Grab to get here.
To explore this complex, you’ll need to climb numerous stairs, so I recommend wearing good walking shoes and visiting early to avoid the heat. I visited the Marble Mountains at midday, it was very hot and tiring.
You can buy a ticket at the entrance and consider buying a lift ticket to save a bit of climbing. The elevator ticket is cheap, only 15,000 VND; you’ll still have lots of walking and hiking after taking the lift though.
My favorite place to visit in Marble Mountain is the Huyen Khong Cave, which is the largest and coolest caves in this area. Be sure to check the highest peak (Đỉnh Thượng Thai) for sweeping views of the city, the river, and the sea. It has a very steep staircase, so be careful when climbing up and down.
The Marble Mountains is open daily from 7am to 5pm. You can spend half a day or a couple of hours exploring its caves, pagodas, temples, and viewpoints.
7. Linh Ung Pagoda
There are several Linh Ung Pagoda in Da Nang, but the Linh Ung Pagoda in Son Tra Peninsula is one of the must-see sights in Da Nang. It is located around 9km from the city center, and easily reachable by Grab taxi/ bike.
Linh Ung pagoda is free to visit. You can spend 30-60 minutes visiting different halls, temples, and enjoy stunning views of the city, the ocean, and the mountains. It is home to the Lady Buddha, which is one of the tallest Buddha statues in Vietnam.
8. Ban Co peak – Son Tra peninsula
Ban Co Peak is a nice place to visit in Da Nang. It is located in Son Tra peninsula, a 30 minute ride from My Khe Beach through some nice and windy roads. The road to the top of Ban Co peak itself is beautiful and peaceful. If you are lucky, you can spot some special yellow face monkey on the way.
You can rent a motorbike but take note that the road is dangerous, so be sure you have good driving skill and a good manual motorbike.
The easier way is to taking grab a bike and bargain with the driver. I paid 400,000VND for two ways from the city center to Linh Ung pagoda (driver wait for me), then to Ban Co peak, and back to the city center.
The best time to visit Ban Co peak is on a clear sunny day. You can have good views during sunrise and sunset. I visited in the afternoon. The way to the top was nice with clear sky, but when we reached the top, it was very cloudy and I didn’t see anything much. Still a good trip and highly recommend it.
9. Ba Na Hill
Ba Na Hill is one of the top things to do in Da Nang. It is a resort and tourist area located around one hour drive from the city center. This area has a cool climate similar to the climate in Da Lat, and was first found during the French colonialism period.
The entrance fee is pretty expensive but it is well worth it. You will have a fantastic experience riding the cable car to the top of the hill, exploring a themed park, and many European style architecture. It can be very crowded during the day, especially around the Golden Bridge area.
You can consider visiting early in the morning to avoid crowds. Or stay for a night or two here to experience the complex and the French medieval village at night when all crowds are gone.
10. Go shopping
Da Nang is a great city to do shopping in central Vietnam. You can check out many day markets, night markets, independent shops, and modern shopping malls.
You can buy souvenirs and local specialities to bring home for your friends and families. Popular items for gifs include handmade pottery, T-shirts, local handicrafts, and traditional Vietnamese silk.
I like to shop at Vincom Plaza, especially at the H & M store. I found some nice clothes here. You can find many other fashion and shoe brands in this building too.
11. Try local food – my Quang, com ga, avocado ice-cream
My Quang, Banh Trang Cuon Thit Heo, Com Ga, Bun Cha Ca, Banh Xeo, Bun Mam are several local specialities and must-try dishes in Da Nang. Be sure to check out these dishes especially if you are a foodie.
The best way to find the best place to eat in Da Nang, is just simply, search for the best restaurants near me from Google and read the reviews.
As a beautiful coastal city, Da Nang is also known for its fresh seafood. You can find many seafood restaurants along the beach where you can choose fresh seafood from the tank and they will cook it for you.
12. Check out trendy cafes – Cafe hopping
Da Nang has many trendy and nice cafes to check out. You can easily use Google search to find lovely ones along Han River, in the city center, and around My Khe Beach.
You can check out my youtube video here:
13. Check out rooftop bar
Da Nang has many nice rooftop bars where you can enjoy the drinks, the nightlife, and the stunning views. Popular rooftop bars in Da Nang including the Sky 36 at Novotel Hotel, Gypsy Rooftop Bar at New Orient Hotel, and Sky 21 Bar at the Belle Maison Hotel.
14. An Thuong/ My An at night
An Thuong/ My An is a popular area for expat and digital nomads in Da Nang. The An Thuong area is a cluster of streets namely An Thuong 1, An Thuong 2, An Thuong 3… located very close to My Khe Beach.
This area has high concentrations of bars, pubs, super markets, and restaurants catering for foreign tourists. This area has a great nightlife scene.
15. Day trips – Hue, Hoi An, My Son, Cham islands
Da Nang is a great location to explore other cities in central Vietnam. You can easily take full day trips to Hue, Bach ma national Park, Hoi An, My Son, or Cham island.
Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam, located around 2 hours drive from Da Nang. In Hue, you can visit the old royal palace, royal tombs, temples, Huong River, and try the local foods. It’ll require a full day trip to visit Hue from Da Nang starting from early morning to evening.
Hoi An is a popular day trip from Da Nang for many visitors. It is located only 40 km from Da Nang and is easily accessible by Grab taxi or private driver. In Hoi An, you can explore the ancient town with many old buildings and shop houses. You can visit peaceful beaches like An Bang Beach and Cua Dai Beach.
16. Hai Van Pass – motorbike tour/ heritage train
Hai Van Pass is one of the most scenic drives in Vietnam, connecting Hue and Da Nang. It has some spectacular viewpoints with stunning views of the sea and the mountains.
You can take a motorbike tour, easy rider tour, and rent a motorbike. Take note that the road is windy and can be dangerous, so be sure you have good driving skill to drive yourself.
I took the central heritage train from Da Nang to Hue and highly recommend it. You can have very nice views from the trains. The ride is safer compared to a motorbike ride. There are only 2 trains each day from Da Nang to Hue and from Hue to Da Nang; you can check the time schedules on dsvn.vn.
See more:
- How to Spend 2 to 3 Days in Da Nang Itinerary
- Best Time to Visit Da Nang
- Da Nang Vs Hoi An
- 10 Best Family Hotels in Da Nang
- Da Nang Itinerary for One Day
These are my recommendations for the must-see attractions and best things to do in Da Nang. My favorite things to do in Da Nang are just wandering around the Han River, crossing different bridges, strolling along the beach, browsing the markets, shopping malls, and checking out for nice restaurants to eat.
Of course, I also love the Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha, Son Tra peninsula, and Ba Na Hill. You can also consider visiting Hai Van Pass, which is one of the most beautiful passes in Vietnam. To visit this pass, you can use easy riders, rent a motorbike, a jeep tour, or take the heritage trains between Hue and Da Nang.