I didn’t have many expectations for Da Nang. The only reason I returned there—I’d briefly visited in 2010—was because I scored a “mistake fare” (which allowed me to fly round-trip in business class to the US) for under $1,000, departing from and returning to DAD airport.
As a happy coincidence, my dear friend and perennial travel partner Wei Le would happen to be in the city at the same time as me. We didn’t spend all of our time together, though it was nice to have someone I adore to share the experience with.
I hope you’ll find this Da Nang itinerary insightful, no matter the circumstances of your trip to the heart of Vietnam. Now, let’s continue reading, shall we?
Where to Stay in Da Nang
I have a lot of opinions on Da Nang hotels—and not just because the one I stayed at ended up “declining” my credit card on account of a faulty machine, and making me rush to an ATM when I was already in a hurry to get to the airport. In general, I would say that Da Nang is not on the level of Saigon or Hanoi when it comes to hotels, though that doesn’t mean you should arrive here without some kind of strategy for finding the best one.
Here are a few basic tips for winning the lottery, whether in terms of finding accommodation in Da Nang, or buying tickets for an actual lotto. Most importantly, you’ll want to play games that have better odds. For the lottery, this can mean specific jackpots or scratch-offs; for hotels, using a trusted accommodation provider like Booking.com and Agoda, with lots of user-generated reviews, maximizes your chances of finding the hotel you want.
My Favorite Things to Do in Da Nang
Ba Na Hills
WeiLe was more excited to go to Ba Na Hills than I was, though I believe we both went there with the same goal in mind: To get an Insta-worthy shot of the so-called “Golden Bridge.” Though I enjoyed some aspects of the experience more than I expected, I generally found Ba Na Hills to be a hot mess—and not just because of the various fake European structures. The entire experience consisted, more or less, of waiting in successive queues; to make matters worse, someone stole about a million Vietnamese dong out of my pocket.
Marble Mountains
WeiLe had arrived in Da Nang a few days before me, and had gone out drinking the night before I arrived. As a result, though we’d both had the Marble Mountains in our Da Nang itinerary documents, WeiLe simply didn’t have the energy to accompany me there following our return to the city. As far as what I thought about the complex? I’m not sure the unbearable sweat in which I broke out on the way up to the top was worth the view I enjoyed from there, even if I was happy I had an outlet to work off our heavy lunch of bánh xèo.
Da Nang Cathedral
While the Marble Mountains had not necessarily been all that, other attractions in the city exceeded my expectations. First among them was the salmon-colored Da Nang Cathedral, which I visited on Sunday morning just before meeting WeiLe for breakfast. The only better than watching a mass take place in Vietnamese was seeing the parking lot full of motorbikes just beyond the last row of the congregation. I’d also enjoyed the nearby Con Market, though I didn’t visit it until after I returned from Hoi An and Hue.
Linh Ung Pagoda
Speaking of places I didn’t visit until my second swing through the city, I largely avoided the Da Nang beach and nearby attractions until just before I departed last Thursday morning. This not only included the busy sands of My Khe Beach, which at turns (albeit relatively rare ones) reminded me of Rio de Janeiro, but Chua Linh Ung, a pagoda far to the north of Da Nang’s city center that’s home to the largest standing Buddha statue in Vietnam.
Dragon Bridge
Dragon Bridge wasn’t the last of the things to do in Da Nang WeiLe and I did together, chronologically, but our walk across it is one of the ones I remember most fondly. This was in spite of the fact that literally thousands of tourists crowded it, blocking our way almost completely as they waited for fireworks to go off over the Hàn River. Some people think this landmark is tacky or even ugly, but I find it a great way to say tạm biệt to any day in Da Nang.
How Many Days Do You Need in Da Nang?
The quantity of things to do in Da Nang, if we’re just talking about the city-proper, is only enough to occupy a couple of days. However, most travelers to this part of Vietnam end up visiting outlying destinations (namely, the French-colonial town of Hoi An and Hue, which was the capital of Vietnam during its Imperial period), which means that you could spend as long as a week in Da Nang and still have stones unturned.
To be sure, if you’re asking yourself how many days in Da Nang you should spend, that’s the question you need to answer: Are you just staying in the city, or do you plan to discover the region? Although Da Nang itself is far from a cosmopolitan world city, it’s the anchor of what is arguably Vietnam’s most eclectic and interesting metro area.
Other FAQ About Visiting Da Nang
Why should we visit Da Nang?
Da Nang, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily my favorite city in Vietnam. Visiting here simply makes sense, however, because it’s the anchor of central Vietnam. You can arrive in Da Nang and spend a night or two there, then head south to Hoi An or north to Hue—ideally, you’ll visit all three!
Which is better, Da Nang or Hoi An?
While Da Nang is more of a “real city,” Hoi An is a historical city that almost seems like a purpose-built tourist trap these days. I love both cities for their own reasons—both are worth visiting, in their own right. Rather than saying one is better than the other, I’d recommend you visit both if you have the opportunity.
What is Da Nang known for?
Da Nang is known for its long and sandy beaches, for being one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing cities and for the convenience it offers to destinations in central Vietnam. As the years have gone by, Vietnam has become a more popular place both to visit and to live.
The Bottom Line
This Da Nang itinerary will help you plan any trip to the Heart of Vietnam, whether or not you’re as lucky as I was to have a friend there waiting for you. Likewise, it’s perfect no matter the shape of your travel. It will help prepare you for onward excursions to places like Hoi An and Hue, though this is not ultimately necessary—Da Nang is a standalone destination. Need personalized help putting your trip to Vietnam together, regardless of where in the country it ends up taking you? Hire me as your Travel Coach and let me sweat the details!
