Itineraries for Your Trip to Da Nang
1 Day in Da Nang For First Timers
On my inaugural trip through Central Vietnam, I visited hotspots like the beautiful UNESCO-listed Ancient Town of Hoi An, but I also wanted to experience the local side of the region. A friend who had lived in Vietnam recommended I head to Da Nang, a coastal resort popular with locals that is known for its beaches, Buddhas, and Vietnamese barbecues.
I was immediately charmed by the seaside city, home to eclectic delights ranging from a colossal Lady Buddha statue to a fire-spewing dragon and a pair of giant stone hands that support a bridge. If you’re visiting Da Nang for the first time, here’s how to experience the city in 24 hours.
If you only have time for one thing, make it a trip to the Marble Mountains for a spectacular combination of nature and Buddhist culture.
Central Vietnam sees lots of rain; visit from February–May or August–October for the best chance of dry, sunny skies.
Spend your first few hours in Da Nang orienting yourself in the sprawling city on a local-led tour. You can check off highlights like the traditional Bac My An street food market and the Ling Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Mountain (Monkey Mountain), home to the 220-foot (67-meter) Lady Buddha statue. You can also opt to climb the 17 floors inside the statue, which is filled with other Buddhas.
After grabbing a classic bahn mi for lunch, head to one of Central Vietnam’s most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites on a tour of the Marble Mountains, where caves carved into the side of limestone mountains depict scenes from Buddhist mythology. Highlights include the 17th-century Tam Thai Pagoda and Am Phu Cave, which depicts the Buddhist version of hell. Alternatively, if ancient history is more your thing, you can spend the afternoon exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of My Son Sanctuary on a tour that lets you stay to watch the sunset.
Now that you’ve experienced Da Nang’s culture, it’s time to direct your attention to its cuisine. Take a food tour to feast on a mix of dishes both classic and little-known dishes, such as banh xeo (pancakes stuffed with herbs and shrimp); rice cracker pizzas; banh canh (tapioca noodles with snakehead fish); and a refreshing scoop of coconut ice cream. Afterwards, head to the Dragon Bridge (Cau Rong) to see the structure when it’s illuminated—on the weekend, it breathes fire at 9pm.
