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What to Do in Danang, Vietnam

Updated on June 27, 2018
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Hanh has a Master's Degree in Economics in the United States. She is originally from Danang, Vietnam.

Danang - the city by Han River
Danang - the city by Han River

Located in the center of Vietnam, Danang has long been known for its picturesque long beaches with beautiful white sand, enchanting ranges of mountains and spectacular landscapes. In 2013, the city was voted by the readers of the Smart Travel Asia online magazine as one of the 10 most attractive holiday destinations. Travelling to Danang enables you to both enjoy an eventful time at a fast growing city and explore cultural heritages and untamed nature of the less travelled corners. There are many activities that you can do and many interesting places to visit in the city. If you plan to travel to Danang and want to know the best things to do in the city, here are some ideas for you to start with.

Danang, Vietnam

Enjoy the Beach

If you are in Danang, it is a must to spend a couple of days to rest and relax at the many stunning beaches in the city. Danang beaches have earned many accolades such as being featured by Forbes as one of the most alluring beaches in the world. No amount of words can completely convey the beauty of the flawless white sand, the sparkling blue water reflecting the summer cloudless blue sky, the charming coconut trees along the beaches and the peaceful feelings of just lying around reading a book under the sun.

Welcome to Danang
Welcome to Danang

Sea Sports

At the beach, besides swimming, there is an abundance of other sports and activities that you can find suitable for your taste. In the afternoon, especially during the summer, the beaches are usually packed with people, local and foreigners alike, coming to jog and to play soccer, volleyball, and other sports. For people who are into extreme sports, Danang beaches are also a good place to enjoy surfing, paragliding, and parachuting. The fairly consistent and surfable waves of Non Nuoc Beach combined with a fairly cheap cost of living make Danang become increasingly popular among surfers and backpackers. In addition, Son Tra Beach is a great place to go snorkeling with colorful coral reefs comprised of more than 40 types of corals.

Danang Beach
Danang Beach | Source

Son Tra Peninsula

Only about 13km from the city center is Son Tra Peninsula, a place where you can experience the true calling of nature. Son Tra is thought of as a blessing on Danang from heaven. It is designated as a national park because it is home to thousands of species of fauna and flora. The way to Son Tra is worth a trip in itself, going along the most beautiful streets along the beach in Danang. As you drive up the mountain, the weather cools down and the views become more and more exciting. From Ban Co Peak (Chess Board Peak) where a legend claimed that fairies descended to play chess and behold the stunning view of the nature, you can get a glimpse of the whole Danang city, the magnificent beaches and Danang Bay. Watching sunrise or sunset here is also a special occasion.

Son Tra Peninsula
Son Tra Peninsula

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Ba Na Hills

Situated at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters, Ba Na Hills is known as a heaven all earth, far from all the hustle and bustle of city life. Ba Na has all four seasons packed in one day: lovely spring in the morning, warm summer during noon, cool autumn in the afternoon and at night, the temperature can fall under 15oC. Founded by the French since 1919, Ba Na has been developed into a resorts and recreational center setting several World Guinness Records. The cable car trip to the top of the mountain takes about 20 minutes and it is worth every single minute because from it, you can have the most fantastic view of the landscape and surrounding areas. At Ba Na, tourists can relax and enjoy the amenities of modern life as well as explore the unspoiled nature. You can spend a day hiking along the small trails cutting through the forest, visiting various cultural and religious places such as Linh Ung Pagoda, Linh Phong Tu Tower, tasting wine at the wine cellar, or entertaining your children with many games and shows at the theme park. At night, there are also some traditional Vietnamese folk dance shows around campfire.

Ba Na Hills' ticket prices are $35 for adults, and $25 for children. The price covers round-trip cable car, most games and other activities. If you wish to stay in Ba Na overnight to experience its nightlife activities, there are several hotels available with price varying from $50 to $200 per room per night.

Cham Museum

Cham museum is properly listed in the first place in any travel guide book to Danang. The museum houses the world’s largest Cham sculptures and art works from the heyday of Champa Empire from 7th to 15th century. The collection consists of sandstone sculptures, carvings, clothing, household items, photographs, and a few bronze pieces. Among them, the sandstone collections account for the majority of the artifacts, featuring altars, statues of gods including Shiva, Vishnu and other goddesses, holy animals, decorative objects from Cham temples and towers. Here, you can learn so much about the Cham Empire, their religion, their rise and fall, how they live now, and how the various Asian religions interact and relate to one another, making Asia a mysterious and distinctive place. The museum is located just about 4km from the airport, and the ticket costs only 40,000 VND/person (under 2USD). Many people visit Cham Museum also visit My Son Ruins, which is also just 4 hours away from Danang, to continue their cultural and religious exploration.

Play Golf

Danang has two of the best 18-hole golf courses in Vietnam, the Dune course (BRG golf course) and Ba Na Hills golf course. Both have won various international and national awards for their superiority. The Dune course is located along the beach, overlooking breathtaking views of the Marble Mountains, East Sea and Cham Islands, while Ba Na Hills golf course is situated among the mountains, offering fresh view of the forests and magnificent landscape. Both golf courses are well-maintained and their staffs are well-trained in both golf knowledge and English. Nearby Danang, there are also two more golf courses of international standards which are Montgomerie Links Golf Club (near Hoi An Ancient Town, Quang Nam Province), and Lang Co Laguna Golf Club (Thua Thien Hue Province) for tourists to play. In 2017, Danang was chosen to host the 6th Asia Golf Tourism Convention, further affirming and promoting its appeal towards golfers.

Danang golf club
Danang golf club

Local Cuisine

Food in Danang never fails to amaze all food-lovers and adventure-seekers around the world. Though Vietnamese food all over Vietnam shares some similarities in recipes, food preparation method and ingredients, it also varies across the country from North to South. Compared to other regions’ food, Danang’s food has more spices and flavors and it features some distinctive dishes such as fish cake noodle soup (bun cha ca), grilled pork with rice vermicelli noodle salad (bun thit nuong), Quang noodle (my Quang), spring rolls (goi cuon). Danang food also includes many types of delicious street food. Throughout the day, you can easily spot many food stands along the almost all streets selling fast-food such as Vietnamese-style bread, sticky rice, hollow bread, Vietnamese honeycomb cake, and other types of food. Local people, especially young people, love eating at the street restaurants and often spending with their friends there.

Some Typical Dishes in Da Nang

Da trộn (Pork skin salad)
Da trộn (Pork skin salad)
Mì Quảng (Quang Noodle)
Mì Quảng (Quang Noodle)
Bún Chả cá (Grilled fish ball noodles)
Bún Chả cá (Grilled fish ball noodles)

Walk along Han River

Han River flows through right in the middle of the city center, adding more charm to the little town. The riverfront along Bach Dang Street offers a great place to go for a walk, enjoy the cool breezes, admire the great view of the beautiful bridges, and on summer nights, you can expect to see all sorts of activities going on here such as dance performance of local people, musical performance and street vendors selling various art and craft items. Along the riverside are numerous coffees shops, bars and pubs, which are the frequent gathering spots of expats and young people. If you are very keen, you can also try to go on a cruise tour along Han River. There are many companies providing this service with price starting around as little as 70,000 VND (or 3.5 USD).

Han River by night
Han River by night
Han River Bridge
Han River Bridge
Thuan Phuoc Bridge
Thuan Phuoc Bridge
Dragon Bridge
Dragon Bridge

Danang International Fireworks Festival

Danang international fireworks competition is an annual event in Danang city, and it is usually held from the end of April to June. This is by all means the most magnificent fireworks performance in Vietnam. Each year, there are several teams from different countries participating in the competition. Each team will choose a theme and accompanying music to set the tone for their colorful fireworks party. Spectators will have a chance to witness a breathtaking fireworks display with incredible spectacles, creative shapes and effects and bright twinkling pieces of color over Han River. The event is often celebrated together with other activities such as music festival, dance performance and art exhibitions. Ticket prices range from $15 to $50 per ticket..

Vietnamonline.com
Vietnamonline.com
Danang, an amazing city
Danang, an amazing city | Source

Drink Coffee/ Beers on the Roof

Drinking on a rooftop in a new city will definitely give you peaceful, romantic and unforgettable moments. Green Plaza Hotel on Bach Dang Street and Hoang Anh Gia Lai Plaza on Hoang Dieu Street were among the first places that opened an open-air coffee/bar with the terrace on its highest floor for non-residents. As more tall buildings are constructed in the city, you have a lot more choices now as to where to go. For example, the A La Carte glassed-wall bar on Vo Nguyen Giap Street offers you a great view of the beach and the whole city. Sky36 bar on the rooftop of Novotel Danang is an upscale bar/ nightclub overlooking an extraordinary panorama of the city.

View from A La Carte rooftop bar/coffee shop in Danang, Vietnam
View from A La Carte rooftop bar/coffee shop in Danang, Vietnam
View from Sky36 rooftop bar/coffee shop in Danang, Vietnam
View from Sky36 rooftop bar/coffee shop in Danang, Vietnam

Eat Plenty of Tropical Fruits

Like many other tropical cities, Danang is a true heaven when it comes to fruits. For Westerners who first come to visit a tropical country, they would be completely amazed by the vast variety of fruits available in the city coming in a wide range of shapes and flamboyant colors. The fruits are fresh and very reasonably-priced. Besides being delightfully delicious, tropical fruits are also nutritious and provide you with a lot of useful vitamins and minerals. Some of the most popular fruits in Danang include mango, rambutans, mangosteens, dragon fruits, papayas, and sapodillas. Local people eat fruits in many ways such as eating raw, making fruit juice, smoothies, jams…

Tropical fruits at Han Market
Tropical fruits at Han Market

Visit Local Traditional Markets

If you want to learn about the culture, living standards and lifestyle of local people, the fastest way to learn is to visit its traditional markets. Han Market and Con Market are among the oldest markets in Danang. Han Market is located on Tran Phu street, facing towards Han River, a very convenient location which contributes to the rapid and continual development of the market. There are various kinds of goods you can find here ranging from groceries to clothing, kitchen items, and souvenirs and so on. If you look for some local specialties to bring back home, this is a good place to buy some. Another market worth visiting in Danang is Con Market, a busy shopping center in the city. If you love being in a place full of people, noise, chaos to experience life in its dizziest form, this is a place you should go. Although not everyone wants to haggle, be dragged around or yelled at, days later when you leave the city, this can be one of the most memorable and fantastic events you can recall and brag with your friends about!

Other than these two major markets, there are many other small traditional markets, street markets as well as modern supermarkets and shopping centers in the city. Except for the modern, Western-style supermarkets and shopping centers, at all other places, you should learn to bargain with the shop owners to get the best deals.

Tips for Negotiation at the Market

Do's
Don'ts
Conduct a quick research before going to the market to get an idea about the fair price
Offer the sellers a price range
Learn some basic Vietnamese words and phrases for negotiation
Ignore the sellers' body language
Determine your goals
Appear to be desperately in love with the items
Set your tone right at the beginning
Get into a bidding war
Decide your price and start with a much lower one than that
Offer for too little
Raise your offer gradually, not all at once
Dress up
Shop around before choosing anything
Lose your temper
Ask for a better discount to buy more
 
Walk away (or pretend to) to see if the sellers call you back
 
Have fun!
 
Entrance to Han Market
Entrance to Han Market | Source
A flower shop outside Han Market
A flower shop outside Han Market | Source
A shopping stall
A shopping stall | Source

Explore Spiritual Life

There are many spiritual/ religious sites in Danang worth visiting for its historic and architectural allure. For example, you can visit Danang Cathedral (or Con Ga Church) which lies on Tran Phu street. The building was built in 1923 during the French colonialism, featuring distinctive Gothic architecture with a pink-painted edifice, medieval-style stained glass windows, arches, and a bell tower with a rooster weathercock, hence earning its name as Con Ga (rooster) church in Vietnamese.

Danang Cathedral, Tran Phu Street
Danang Cathedral, Tran Phu Street

If you are keen on learning more about Buddhism, there are also dozens of pagodas and temples scattering all over the city. One of the biggest pagodas is Linh Ung Pagoda, which is on the way to Son Tra Peninsula, a prime tourist area of the city. The main shrines of Linh Ung pagoda present both contemporary and traditional architectural styles with curved roof in dragon shape, the solid pillars embellished with sacred dragons. The pagoda brings about a feeling of serenity, calmness, and holiness with fresh air and splendid view of the ocean. In addition to this, the area around Marble Mountain (Ngu Hanh Son District) is also home to a cluster of temples and pagodas including a Buddhist Cultural Museum.

Avalokitesvara Festival
Avalokitesvara Festival

Major Cultural Annual Events in Danang

Event
Time
Countdown
December 31st
Cau Ngu (Fish Worshiping) Festival
February
Avalokitesvara Festival
April
Danang International Fireworks Festival
April - June
Summer Destination
June
Iron Man 70.3
May
International Marathon
August
Street Festival
Weekend night, February - December
Full Moon Lantern Festival
September
working

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