Da Nang

Da Nang’s airport sits just three kilometres west of the city centre, which makes it one of the most accessible coastal destinations in Southeast Asia. A Grab car to My Khe Beach costs around 80,000 VND and takes fifteen minutes. That unusual proximity to an international airport, more than any beach ranking or Instagram bridge, explains why this city has grown faster than almost anywhere else in Vietnam over the past decade.

What to see

My Khe Beach runs for ten kilometres from the Son Tra Peninsula south to the Marble Mountains. The Sunday Herald Sun called it one of Asia’s finest beaches; TripAdvisor’s 2024 Travellers’ Choice Awards ranked it sixth in Asia. The northern stretch near the peninsula is quieter than the hotel-dense middle section. Go before 8am if you want the beach roughly to yourself.

Ba Na Hills is a hilltop resort reached by a cable car that held a world length record when it opened. The ticket as of 2026 costs 950,000 VND (about 39 USD) for adults, covering the cable car and most rides. The Golden Bridge, a 150-metre pedestrian span apparently cradled by two enormous stone hands, opened in 2018 and still draws crowds large enough to make midweek visits in the shoulder season (April or October) significantly more comfortable than weekend summer visits. The hill sits at 1,487 metres, so pack a layer even in July when the coast is sweltering.

Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) is a cluster of five limestone and marble formations named after the five elements. Only Thuy Son (Water Mountain) is open to visitors, with admission at 40,000 VND. The tunnels inside were used as field hospitals and weapon caches by the Viet Cong during the American War, and while most guides focus on the cave pagodas and panoramic views, the military history embedded in these caves is arguably the most arresting part of the site.

Linh Ung Pagoda and Lady Buddha on Son Tra Peninsula centres on a 67-metre Buddha statue, the tallest in Vietnam. Entry is free. The peninsula itself is a nature reserve, and the road up offers views across the bay that justify the trip even if religious sites are not your priority.

Dragon Bridge on weekend nights (Friday and Saturday, around 9pm) breathes fire and water for a few minutes at either end. The show is brief and the crowd is large, but it costs nothing and the bridge is genuinely impressive as a piece of engineering.

Where to eat

Mi Quang 1A at 1 Hai Phong Street earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025, the highest recognition the guide gave to any Da Nang street-food address. The bowl is built on wide, turmeric-stained rice noodles with shrimp, pork, a quail egg, and a scattering of roasted peanuts and sesame rice crackers. Arrive before noon on weekdays to avoid the longest queues.

Banh Xeo Ba Duong in a lane off Hoang Dieu Street makes the definitive Da Nang crispy pancake. The batter is rice flour and coconut milk, the filling is shrimp and pork, and you eat it wrapped in mustard leaf and rice paper with fermented anchovy dipping sauce. It is cheap, chaotic, and correct.

Bun Cha Ca, a fish cake vermicelli soup that exists almost exclusively in Da Nang, is most reliably found at the food stalls around Dong Da Market. The broth is made from fish bones and lemongrass; the texture of the fish cakes sets it apart from anything you’ll find in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

For a sit-down dinner with a river view, Madame Lan on the Han River does refined Vietnamese cooking at moderate prices, with a menu that ranges from central Vietnamese specialties to dishes from the north and south.

The InterContinental Sun Peninsula Resort brought in Pierre Gagnaire for its Citron restaurant, making it the first property in Vietnam to host a three-star Michelin chef. A meal here is not cheap, but it is a genuinely extraordinary setting.

Where to stay

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort on Son Tra Peninsula is the benchmark luxury property in the city, with villas cascading down a forested hillside to a private beach. Rates start around 400 USD per night and go considerably higher.

Fusion Maia Danang operates on an all-spa-inclusive model: every room rate includes unlimited spa treatments. That is a genuinely unusual proposition, and it makes the resort popular with guests who would otherwise spend significantly on add-on wellness services.

Silver Beach Da Nang Resort is a solid mid-range option directly on the beach, with family-friendly facilities and rates that sit well below the flagship resorts.

Da Nang Backpackers Hostel near the beach is consistently rated among the better hostels in central Vietnam, with a social atmosphere and clean dormitory rooms at around 8 to 12 USD per night.

Getting around and practical tips

Da Nang Airport (DAD) is served by direct flights from many Asian hubs and domestic routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The Grab app is the most reliable way to move around the city. A city-centre ride costs 40,000 to 70,000 VND; a trip to Ba Na Hills by private car runs to around 300,000 to 400,000 VND return if you book through a local driver rather than a tour agency.

For the Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham), a UNESCO Marine Protected Area with good snorkelling, there is no direct ferry from Da Nang. You need to travel to Cua Dai Port near Hoi An, about 45 kilometres south, and take the speedboat from there. The crossing takes 20 to 30 minutes and round-trip tickets cost 350,000 to 400,000 VND. The islands close to outside visitors from mid-September through late January because of sea conditions, a calendar restriction that many day-trip booking sites fail to prominently display.

The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) runs from late May to mid-July, with six competition nights on Saturday evenings. Hotels near the Han River sell out months in advance for fireworks weekends. If you are visiting in that period but have not booked early, the My Khe Beach side of the city offers hotels at non-inflated prices with a short taxi ride to viewing spots.

Carry Vietnamese Dong (VND) for street food and markets. Many beach-area restaurants now accept cards, but wet market stalls and small family restaurants rarely do. The current exchange rate makes even mid-range dining very affordable; a satisfying street food lunch costs under 80,000 VND.

The best crowd-dodge for Ba Na Hills is a Tuesday or Wednesday in April or late October, when the summer school holiday influx has not yet started and the monsoon has eased. On a quiet weekday, you can walk the Golden Bridge with a fraction of the usual weekend crowds.