*This post is meant as a “one stop” for anyone planning a trip to Da Nang. All opinions are my own and are not affiliated with any other person or organization.
Thinking of vacationing in Da Nang? Well, in my humble opinion, you’ve made the right choice. Da Nang is a beautiful city in Central Vietnam. It’s the perfect combination of urban, history and culture, and tropical getaway. If you’re looking for a vacation balanced with adventure and relaxation, look no further. I’ll share all the details about our OWN Da Nang vacation to make the planning easier for you.
Here’s the thing: I know you’re perfectly capable of planning a trip to Vietnam without my help. After all, I can only assume that you’re a strong, independent, fully-functioning, adult human being. However I also know that travel anxiety exists. As someone who tends to suffer with a LOT of anxiety over travel plans… I wanted to put this all out here in one clear post in the hopes that it will help SOMEONE get out and explore who otherwise wouldn’t. And so, without further ado, let’s get in to the nitty gritty of planning your trip to Da Nang.
Planning a trip to Da Nang
Da Nang is perfect for those who don’t mind a little hustle and bustle, but also need some time to relax, recharge, and refresh. We spent a total of 11 days there (including the two travel days) and it was the perfect amount of time. There are so many things to do and see in Da Nang City and it’s only a 30-minute drive from Hoi An, giving you easy access to the Hoi An Tailor Quarter where you can have clothing and shoes custom made for a fraction of the price that you’d pay in the States. It’s a whole experience, and I highly recommend it – but we’ll get into that more later. Before we delve into the details of what to do in Da Nang, let’s talk logistics.
Visa requirements
Before planning a trip to any country, always check the visa and entry requirements. At the time of this post, there is a visa that is required to enter into Vietnam. This can be completed online (and I recommend completing it as soon as you have flights booked in case there are any delays) by visiting Vietnam’s National Portal on Immigration. Once there, click on “For Foreigners” and then follow all the steps, to apply for your visa.
NOTE: an application must be filled out for EVERY person who plans to enter Vietnam, regardless of age.
Tips for filling out your visa application
- When filling out your application, you’ll need to submit a photograph of each traveler, as well as a photograph of each passport. Use the portrait mode on your phone and take a picture of yourself in front of a plain, white background. Take the picture straight-on from the shoulders up without showing teeth. DO NOT SMILE or your visa may be rejected. Take a photo of the passport page with your picture on it. Place your passport on a white piece of paper and get the entire page in the picture.
- FOR MILITARY WITH AN APO ADDRESS: when it’s time to pay for your visas, you will likely run into some issues with billing if you use your APO address as-is for the billing address. If the payment cannot be processed, you’re required to then start over again with the application process. To avoid this, use CA as the state, instead of AP for the billing address. In addition, if you have an AMEX card, use that instead of Visa – which often flags the purchase as fraudulent.
- Double, triple, and quadruple check all dates, birthdays, and name spellings. If any of these are incorrect, your visa may be denied either upon inspection of the application or upon arrival at the airport.
- Our visas arrived by email less than a week after I submitted the information for review. Mine initially came back with an error and they needed me to resubmit the picture of my passport. Even with that small hiccup, I had all visas printed and in hand within seven days.
Money money money
One of the FIRST questions I had when we started planning our trip to Da Nang was… but what about money!? We’ve lived in South Korea for long enough to know that American credit cards are not always accepted in other countries (and if they are the exchange rate can be crazy). And the last thing I wanted was to be stranded in a foreign country with no working credit card and no means of obtaining money.
But there’s a [relatively] easy solution: cash. Cash really is king in Da Nang, as well as in Hoi An. You’ll use cash for everything from purchasing souvenirs and food, to paying for your Grab rides (which we’ll also get into later). My recommendation? Take out a decent amount of cash prior to your trip (we took out $1,200 and converted it to Korean Won so that we could convert it to Vietnamese Dong at the airport) and if you start running low on cash (FYI, we did), head over to an ATM (Hoi An has ATMs aplenty and there are many around Da Nang as well). There is a fee when using the ATMs, but if you have USAA, they’ll refund those.
Starting out with a good chunk of cash will likely make your arrival into Da Nang a bit easier. You’ll be figuring out food and transportation (among other things), so it will be much easier if you’re not also worried about money.
And while we’re on the topic of carrying cash around: beware of pickpockets. We didn’t experience theft of any kind while we were in Vietnam and we generally found the people to be very kind. However our tour guide for the Marble Mountains told us that it IS a problem in Vietnam. And so, we took precautions when it came to protecting our money – wearing bags on the front of our bodies instead of our backs, keeping cash in a location not easily accessible by someone else, and not flashing the moolah when we were purchasing things. And really, those are good rules of thumb no matter where you are.
And one more thing before we move on: if you look like a foreigner, you will likely be overcharged for goods and services. Sometimes (like with Grab and at restaurants) you’re given the price upfront. But for most things, you’re given some arbitrary price that is likely different than what others (ie. locals) are being charged. We experienced this with our custom clothing, basket boat rides, and probably every single souvenir that we purchased. And you know what? It’s okay. In the end, we didn’t purchase anything for any price that we weren’t comfortable with. And if the kind Vietnamese workers got a little extra from us, then we’re happy to help!
Call me maybe
Okay, I’ll stop with the not-so-clever subheadings. I just couldn’t help it. Another thing you may wonder about is phone service. We have Korean SIM cards currently which don’t work in Vietnam. But, like everything else, there was a really simple solution to that too. Right next to baggage claim in the Da Nang International Airport (DAD), are multiple stands selling SIM cards. And if you look like a foreigner, they’ll yell across the room to you and try to get you to go to their stand over all the others.
We purchased two SIM cards (one for me, one for my husband) that were good for two weeks. In total they cost us 460,000 VND which is about $19.55. And it’s a low-cost luxury that you’ll definitely want to have. Your phone will become your lifeline as you use it to book Grabs, find restaurants, and book tours through Get Your Guide. There are also many options out there for E-SIM apps that you can use in place of purchasing actual, physical SIM cards. We, however, went with the physical SIMs and cannot speak to the efficiency or reliability of E-SIMs.
Transportation
If it had only been my husband and I visiting Da Nang, I think we would have really loved to rent a motorbike to get around. Of course, I’m saying that in hindsight – when in reality, the driving is NUTS in Da Nang with more motorbikes than cars. Still, renting a motorbike is one way to get to all the places you need to go. Google Maps also works in Vietnam, which is a huge plus (and a luxury I desperately wish we had in South Korea).
But, if you’re too antsy to rent a motorbike (or if, like in our case, you just have too many darn people) then Grab is going to be your best friend. Think Uber – Vietnam style! Simply create an account on the Grab app, select “Car”, type in the location of where you’re trying to go, select a car size (4-seater or 7-seater), and then wait for someone to pickup the request. We never waited more than a minute or two for someone to pick up our request. And the longest we ever had to wait for our car to arrive was 30 minutes – but that was because traffic was HORRENDOUS and we were waiting in such an obscure location that our driver got lost. Besides that isolated incident, we never waited longer than five minutes.
Once a driver has picked up the request, you can see their name, car make and model, and license plate number. This makes for easy identification once they arrive.
The great thing about Grab is that it shows you what you’ll pay upfront. Before you even book the car, it shows you the price. For this reason, I recommend always booking through Grab, instead of going with any of the Grab drivers who try to pick you up while you wait. I’m sure they aren’t up to anything nefarious, but they could charge you an arm and a leg for a ride that you’d only spend $4 on if you booked through the Grab app.
As I said earlier, have cash on hand to pay your driver. And if you don’t have cash on hand, request that they bring you to an ATM so you can withdraw the cash. Unless you have a Vietnamese bank account, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to pay with a card. We found that most Grab drivers had enough cash on hand to give us the proper change. However, sometimes they were hesitant to give change. If it was a significant amount, I’d usually wait for change. But if it was the equivalent of a dollar or two, I didn’t usually bother. The drivers were always grateful for the extra money and it wasn’t something that was going to break the bank for me. Still, if you want your change, they can usually make it happen.
And here is where all of my readers who are a little more gung-ho about car seat safety are going to cringe: you can leave the car seats at home. It’s not realistic to lug any kind of car seat everywhere you go – since you can’t simply leave it in the car that drops you off. And honestly, it’s not expected when you get in the car that you have car seats for your kids anyway. Heck, it’s not even expected that the Grab driver will have enough seats for your whole party (we were ALWAYS one seat short for our family-of-seven). So just be aware: car seats are an unnecessary burden when traveling around Da Nang.
Don’t drink the water
Something that surprised me as we were researching for our trip was that we would have to drink bottled water while in Vietnam. We were even warned against eating lettuce or other fresh produce that had been rinsed in tap water, as well as against brushing our teeth using tap water. We followed the rules pretty strictly – we purchased plenty of water bottles at LotteMart when we first got into the country – although we did accidentally use the tap when brushing our teeth a few times. And we DID eat plenty of lettuce and fresh produce – which could potentially lead to food poisoning.
My advice would be to have the “better safe than sorry” mentality. There’s nothing that would ruin your vacation more than developing some kind of water-borne illness, so just do yourself a favor and purchase PLENTY of water bottles.
When to visit Da Nang
I can’t give a definite “this is the best time to visit Da Nang” answer because, simply put, I’ve only been there once. I will say that we visited in mid-end June and the weather was hot and humid beyond anything I’d ever experienced. Still, we had expected as much and it was perfect for swimming at all hours of the day (and night – the pool at our resort was open 24-7). We prepared by packing loose-fitting clothing and we spent as much time at the pool and beach as we could.
If you don’t mind the heat – and you want to spend countless hours at the pool like we did – then summer is a great time to visit. Just be prepared for more crowds and for extreme humidity. If you’re more of a 70-degree person, then consider visiting between November and February. The weather is unlikely to be COLD, but you won’t have the same extreme heat days that you would in the summer.
Where to stay in Da Nang
We booked an Airbnb in Da Nang located at the Ocean Resort which proved to be the perfect location for our family. We had a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment that, while not particularly spacious, provided us with a great area to recharge in during the hottest times of the day. The best part? It took us about three minutes to walk from our apartment room to the swimming pool and only about ten minutes to walk to the private beach for our resort. Sure, the designated area at the beach wasn’t huge, but we visited on multiple busier days and there was always enough room for all. Plus, there was a full kitchen in our room which was a huge game-changer and money-saver for us.
In addition to the pool and private beach, the Ocean Resort is also home to a spa with incredibly-priced massages (Brandon and I got 1-hour Swedish couple’s massages for a grand total of about $50), facials, manicures, and pedicures. It was all-too-easy to let C hold down the fort for an hour while we walked down to the spa (conveniently located right next to the pool) for a little pampering. If you stay at this resort, I absolutely recommend checking out the spa.
There are so many different resorts in Da Nang (and more being built) – many of which have private beaches and amenities that are as good as (or better) than those of the resort we stayed in. But for us, price was a huge factor in where we stayed, and the value we got in our resort for the price was really unmatched. For your own reference, we paid $1,300 (after all fees and taxes) for 10 nights at our hotel (again, for a family of seven). Keep in mind, this was also during PEAK season in Da Nang. We felt like our money was perfectly spent on this Airbnb and we would absolutely stay there again if we ever make it back to Da Nang.
How to get to Da Nang
Obviously, where you’re coming from will make a difference in how you actually get to Da Nang. We’re fortunate to live in South Korea currently – so our flight costs are a small fraction of what they would be if we flew from the States. That being said, I assume that MOST of those reading this post are currently living in Korea or somewhere else in Asia. And so that is the main target audience for this post.
There are no shortage of airlines that can take you to Da Nang. Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines, Air Seoul, Jeju Air, Korean Air, Asiana Air… and so many more that I’m probably forgetting. What we did find – at least for the time we were visiting Vietnam – was that there wasn’t a huge variety of airlines offering convenient times for travel. I did a lot of research on different airlines and ultimately, we decided on Korean Air.
Korean Air was the more expensive of the options, but we wanted the security of their fantastic customer service. The other airlines we researched just didn’t seem to measure up. Long layovers (which felt totally unnecessary since the total flight time nonstop is about 5 hours), last-minute canceled or changed flights, hefty checked baggage fees, no food during flights, no carry-ons allowed… the list goes on and on of the nightmarish stories I heard from people and read in reviews of other airlines. The reviews for Korean Air? Fantastic.
Now that’s not to say you shouldn’t book through other airlines – especially if you’re looking to save some money. I’m just speaking from our experience. And for us, we were happy we booked through Korean Air.
What to do in Da Nang
Now that we’ve gotten some of the more boring mumbo-jumbo out of the way, we can start exploring some of the MANY things that there are to do in Da Nang (and nearby Hoi An). I’ll offer a little sneak-peek here, but be sure to click on the links to visit the detailed posts I’ve written about each of these places!
Sun World Ba Na Hills – Home to the famous “Golden Hand Bridge” that you’ve likely seen if you’ve done ANY research of Vietnam, Sun World Ba Na Hills is the most confusing amusement park we’ve ever been too. In my post I detail how we spent an entire day there – and I try to make sense of the experience as a whole. If you’re in Da Nang, Ba Na Hills is a must visit.
Basket Boat tour through the Bay Mau Coconut Forest in Hội An – A few kilometers away from Hoi An city center is the Bay Mau Coconut Forest – a vast, lush forest of coconut trees that you can explore by boat – or, better yet, by basket boat. In my post I share all about our experience with booking basket boats (and how to avoid greatly overpaying for yours). As my favorite thing we did in Vietnam, I highly recommend this for adults and children alike!
Am Phu Cave in the Marble Mountains – We took a half-day tour to go see Lady Buddha and then the Marble Mountains. It was amazing and exhausting all at once and we’re glad we only did a half-day tour. In my post I share all about our journey from Hell to Heaven in the Marble Mountains.
Lady Buddha in the Monkey Mountains – The first stop on our half-day tour was the Lady Buddha before we headed to the Marble Mountains. In my post I share a few tips on visiting Lady Buddha, as well as share some of the interesting history behind the INCREDIBLE statue.
Chợ Đêm Sơn Trà (Sơn Trà Night Market) and the Dragon Bridge – One of our favorite things in Da Nang was the Son Tra Night Market. It was a really easy way to try a lot of new foods for relatively cheap and it’s a must visit for anyone visiting Da Nang. Go on a weekend night and make your way to the Dragon Bridge for a fire and water show right at 9:00pm.
Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary – By the time we made it to Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary it was the end of our vacation. I was tired and honestly kind of stressed about all that I needed to do to get ready to fly back home. Still, we managed to enjoy ourselves as we explored the Hindu temple ruins. It was a really unique place and there is so much history behind it. It’s worth a visit during your time in Da Nang.
Clothing District of Hội An – An absolute must during your visit to Da Nang is a trip over to Hoi An. It’s only about a 30-minute drive and it’s well-worth your time. We were really only interested in one thing: the clothing district. But after spending way too much money on custom made clothing, we discovered a delicious café, so many great souvenirs, fresh fruit drinks, and so much more. There is no end of things to do in Hoi An and we only share SOME of it in our post.
Riverboat Tour of the Han River – While not necessarily a favorite part of our vacation, taking a riverboat tour of the Han River is a great way to see downtown Da Nang. Go at night, get some kem dua and fresh fruit smoothies, and watch the city lights from the water. You’ll get fantastic views of the famous Dragon Bridge and so much more. If you’re looking for something relaxing, consider adding this to your itinerary.
So there you have it – all the things I think you should know about visiting Da Nang. My hope is that this provides you with some helpful information so you can plan your own trip. Vietnam was truly the dream vacation for our family. It was the perfect mixture of adventure and relaxation and we would 100% go back if given the chance.
’til next time…
Ash