Located in central Vietnam, Da Nang, the country’s third-largest city, is fast becoming an essential stop on any trip through Vietnam. If you’re wondering about the best things to do in Da Nang and whether it’s worth visiting, here are the main sights you shouldn’t miss.
Most visitors pass through on their way to Hoi An, but the truth is that Da Nang — known for its beautiful coastal scenery and a vibrant atmosphere unlike any other Vietnamese city — deserves a place on every traveler’s list.
Its relaxing beaches, the Dragon Bridge, the lovely Marble Mountains, the Son Tra peninsula with its Linh Ung pagoda, and the nearby Hai Van Pass are just a few of the many attractions you’ll find in Da Nang.
Stick around, because in this guide we walk you through what to see and do in Da Nang, one of Vietnam’s most interesting cities.
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1. The Marble Mountains, an icon of Da Nang
One of the unmissable things to do in Da Nang is, without a doubt, a visit to the Marble Mountains.
Just 7 km from the city, this cluster of karst peaks known as the marble hills shelters a network of caves, tunnels and pagodas where you can happily lose yourself for a good while.
If you’re in reasonable shape, we recommend venturing deep into the caves and climbing the steps to the very top for beautiful panoramic views of the coast and the surrounding area.
To get there you can take a Grab or a taxi to the entrance — or, if you’d rather dig into the site’s fascinating history, join a guided tour like this one.
Visitor information and opening hours
- Open daily from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Entrance fee 40,000 VND (~US$1.50). Elevator to the main level (optional) 15,000 VND
- The Marble Mountains are one of Da Nang’s most visited spots, so expect crowds.
2. Ride the Hai Van Pass, a spectacular mountain road
One of the best activities in the Da Nang area — for us, the top experience in the whole central region — is the Hai Van Pass.
Located just a few kilometers from the city, this mountain pass boasts truly privileged views over Da Nang bay and is a perfect experience for travelers after a little extra thrill on their trip, driving (or being driven) along Vietnam’s central coast.
You can do it on your own by renting a motorbike in Da Nang, though the most common way to visit is on a full-day tour.
Typically, these tours start in Hue and end in Hoi An or vice versa, and besides transporting your luggage they usually include stops along the way — a fishing village, a refreshing swim at a local waterfall, the Marble Mountains and a seafood lunch on Lang Co beach.
You can also do it starting and ending in Da Nang — check the route and price here.
If motorbikes aren’t your comfort zone, don’t worry: the good news is you can also cross the pass by car or bus.
Here’s an option that also takes in the Golden Bridge (the hands bridge) along with the Hai Van pass on the same tour.
3. Explore the Son Tra peninsula, Da Nang’s “monkey island”
The Son Tra Peninsula, just a 20-minute drive from the city, is one of the essential places to visit in Da Nang and a perfect getaway from the urban bustle into nature.
Among the peninsula’s most notable residents are some 350 red-shanked douc langurs — roughly half the world’s population of this currently endangered species.
The best way to explore it is to rent a motorbike or hire a taxi in Da Nang and tour it at your own pace. Keep in mind that automatic scooters aren’t allowed because of the steep grade of some of the roads.
The top sights on the Son Tra peninsula (besides the Linh Ung pagoda, covered below) include Ban Co Peak (Chessboard Peak), with breathtaking panoramic views over the peninsula, and the thousand-year-old banyan tree, whose roots have grown into a truly remarkable lattice of trunks.
4. See the hands bridge (Golden Bridge) and Ba Na Hills
Sun World Ba Na Hills is one of Da Nang’s headline attractions.
Set in the hills a few kilometers from the city, this theme park became world-famous through images of the Golden Bridge — popularly known as the hands bridge — one of the most coveted photos among Instagrammers and social media posers, and a spot with lovely panoramic views of the coast.
But the park offers much more than its famous bridge: it’s an interesting European-style theme park where you can spend a whole morning exploring, especially if you’re traveling with kids or as a family.
Visitor information and opening hours
- The park is only accessible by cable car.
- You can get there by taxi or private transport, though we recommend a tour like this one with transport included.
- 900,000 VND (~US$35) for adults and 750,000 VND (~US$29) for children (wax museum not included)
- Open daily from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm
5. Marvel at the Linh Ung Pagoda and the Lady Buddha statue
One of the must-see spots in Da Nang is the Linh Ung pagoda.
Built in 2004 on the Son Tra peninsula, this beautiful complex is visible from kilometers away and rounds out any sightseeing route through the area perfectly.
Inside you’ll find several courtyards and pagodas, including the main courtyard with a jaw-dropping bonsai collection — some of the most beautiful specimens we’ve seen anywhere in our travels.
Crowning the whole complex stands the impressive “Lady Buddha” statue, the tallest in Vietnam at nearly 68 meters, in immaculate white.
Visitor information and opening hours
- Open daily from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Free entry
- Watch out for the macaques living on the grounds — avoid carrying food to stay out of trouble.
6. Photograph the beautiful Dragon Bridge and catch the “fire” show
Right in the heart of Da Nang, the Dragon Bridge is a true symbol of the city and one of its most visited landmarks.
It’s one of several bridges spanning the Han River, which splits the city in two. Built between 2009 and 2013, it’s shaped like a dragon — a symbol of prosperity in Vietnamese culture — and commemorates the liberation of Da Nang during the Second Indochina War.
You can visit at any time, and for us the best photo spot is from the Love Lock Bridge (more on it below).
However, if your visit falls on a weekend or a major holiday like Vietnamese Tet, the bridge puts on a light show that mimics the dragon breathing fire.
It usually starts at 9:00 pm, but we recommend arriving early — crowds tend to gather up to an hour before it begins.
7. Stroll the Love Bridge and haggle at Da Nang’s night market
Da Nang’s Lock Bridge is a small wooden promenade built along the Han River.
Decorated with delightfully kitschy heart-shaped lampposts, it’s a favorite haunt of couples and friends — and the perfect vantage point for admiring the Dragon Bridge and snapping a few photos of this part of the city.
It’s especially worth visiting at night, when the whole area lights up.
Barely 200 meters from the Lock Bridge you’ll find a small night market, one of several in the city, where you can wander for a good while among heaps of food stalls and trinkets to round off your visit to this part of town.
8. Unwind on Da Nang’s beaches
One of the best things to do in Da Nang is simply enjoy some quality time on its beaches.
Sitting right on the coast, Da Nang is strongly reminiscent of Spain’s Mediterranean coastal cities, like Alicante or Valencia.
The city offers kilometers of beaches where you can swim or simply relax by the sea. From watching the sunrise or sunset to water sports like kayaking, diving or windsurfing, the city’s beaches have something for every taste.
Da Nang’s main beaches include My Khe Beach, the city’s flagship stretch of sand, My An Beach a little further south, and Non Nuoc Beach, already on the way to Hoi An.
9. Visit the ruins of My Son
About 45 kilometers southwest of the city, the ruins of My Son are one of the top sights around Da Nang and one of the country’s foremost archaeological sites.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this complex of Hindu temples was built by the kings of the Cham civilization.
To get there, we recommend joining a guided tour to properly grasp the site’s significance.
You can also opt for this sunrise tour with breakfast included.
If you’d rather go on your own, we recommend renting a motorbike or arranging a private transfer or taxi to take you there.
Visitor information and opening hours
- Open daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Entrance fee 150,000 VND (~US$5.80)
10. Get lost in Han Market, one of Da Nang’s main markets
Han Market, right in the center of Da Nang, is always packed with locals and tourists alike — a genuine paradise where you can wander among its more than 500 stalls.
Much in the style of Dong Ba market in Hue, here you’ll find a huge variety of products of every kind, both fresh and dried, plus countless craft and souvenir shops.
On top of that, this market is ideal for tasting some of the most famous dishes of Da Nang and Vietnam, like Banh Canh (a thick noodle soup), Banh Xeo (a kind of Vietnamese pancake), Mi Quang (flat noodles with meat and fresh herbs) or Nem Lui (grilled pork skewers).
How to get to Da Nang
Here’s a quick summary of how to reach Da Nang from Vietnam’s main tourist hubs and cities.
From Da Nang to Hoi An
If you’re staying in Hoi An, you can pre-book this shuttle service from Da Nang international airport.
You can also use Grab, though the price tends to run a bit higher — around 250,000 to 280,000 VND (~US$10–11) depending on traffic.
We cover it in more depth in this post.
How to get from Da Nang to Hue
Da Nang and Hue are about 100 km apart, which makes them perfectly compatible with a day trip.
To travel from Da Nang to Hue, the best and easiest way is this guided day trip.
If you’d rather not spend as much and prefer to save, your best bet is a shared van (about 2 hours) or even the train (about 3 hours).
You can check timetables and book here.
If you’re not on a tour, once in Hue you can use Grab to get around the city.
How to get from Hanoi to Da Nang
Hanoi and Da Nang are roughly 770 km apart. To travel from Hanoi to Da Nang or vice versa there are several options — these are the main ones:
- Fly: The fastest and simplest way. Fares usually range from 1 to 2 million dong (~US$38–77), depending on the time and how far ahead you book. The route is served by several airlines, including Bamboo Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet.
- Take the train: An ideal option if you’re in no hurry and want to save a night’s accommodation — take the night train, traveling comfortably in a sleeper carriage. You can check timetables and book here.
- Take the sleeper bus: A somewhat cheaper option than the train. The trip takes about 15–16 hours. Timetables and bookings here.
How to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are about 925 km apart — a bit farther than from Hanoi — so your best bet is a flight from Tan Son Nhat airport in Saigon to Da Nang.
If you want to take the overnight sleeper train and save a night’s stay, the journey takes about 19 hours. Timetables here.
How to get from Ninh Binh to Da Nang
Our favorite way to travel from Ninh Binh to Da Nang is the night train. You spend the night living the sleeper-train experience and arrive in Da Nang in the morning with the whole day ahead of you.
Timetables and bookings here.
You can also head to Hanoi’s airport and fly from there, or take the sleeper bus.
How to get around Da Nang
The best way to get around Da Nang if you don’t ride a motorbike, are short on time or want to see the main sights in a single day is this full-day tour, which covers nearly all the essential spots in the city and its surroundings.
If you prefer to explore independently, the ideal plan is to rent a motorbike and hop between Da Nang’s main sights at your own pace. Alternatively, if you don’t want to drive, you can use Grab to move between them or negotiate with a taxi driver to take you around.
To get from the airport to the city center you can use Grab or book a private transfer in advance to take you straight to your hotel.
