A Complete Guide to Visiting the City of Da Nang, Vietnam
Surrounded by sandy beaches and located near the Buddhist pagodas and caves of the Marble Mountains, the once small town of Da Nang is a growing, bustling port city lying halfway between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the south. As the third largest city in Vietnam, Da Nang is a great place to visit in its own right and not just as a stopping point to nearby attractions such as Hue Imperial City, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Despite its large urban population, Da Nang life runs at a slightly slower tempo than frenetic Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Perhaps it’s the isolated beaches that invite quiet meditation, the friendly people, or the lighter traffic on the streets; whatever it is that makes Da Nang so enjoyable, you should plan a few days to explore the delights this city has to offer. History of Da Nang, Vietnam da nang a travel guide Da Nang lies within the former kingdom of Champa, a culture heavily influenced by Hinduism brought from India. Even today, the Cham culture’s exhibited in the architecture, food, and Chamic languages still spoken throughout the region. In the 10th century, the Dai Viet (cultural Vietnamese) began an inexorable sweep from Northern Vietnam south into the Da Nang area and beyond, eventually conquering the Champa leaders and taking over their territories. While a small village existed on the site beginning in the 14th century, Da Nang wasn’t settled as a seaport until the 17th century, when it began attracting traders from Europe and Asia. Despite its trade and the area’s beauty, it was still a backwater town until Napolean III annexed it for the French Empire in 1862, and in 1889, the French colonial government renamed the seaport Tourane (or Turon). As French influence and power grew in Vietnam, the seaport also expanded and grew until it became one of the five major cities of French Indochina, included among Hanoi, Saigon, Hai Phong, and Hue. French colonial architecture, food, and fashions layered atop the Cham and Dai Viet influences already present in the city and surrounding area. When the French left Vietnam in 1954, the country declared independence as a nation. Da Nang was the scene of many battles Da Nang was the scene of many battles during the Vietnam War (the Vietnamese call this war the American War). It was the first landing site of American troops in March, 1965, and the scene of many bloody conflicts throughout the ten years of the war. Despite the conflicts and setbacks suffered by the city and its people, Da Nang has flourished in the years after the war. Industry and manufacturing play a major part in its growth, and tourism is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the city. Best Time to Visit The weather is ideal from April through September, with the ocean regulating and cooling the city during the hottest summer months. Winter, from the end of September through January, is still mild in temperature, but rain showers are an almost daily occurrence during this monsoon season, along with occasional fierce storms coming off the South China Sea. If you plan on visiting Da Nang in winter, be sure to pack an umbrella. About Da Nang Da Nang is situated at the mouth of the Han River that exits from the East Vietnam Sea. On the north, Da Nang hugs the Da Nang Bay, while the long waterfronts of the east and south border the Han River and the Song Cam Le River. In Da Nang, you’ll find gorgeous white sand beaches, superb vistas, a wide range of restaurants and eateries, plenty of shopping, and tons of culture and special sites to visit. Within the city and the surrounding area, you’ll recognize the Cham, Da Viet, French Colonial, and modern Vietnamese and global influences that have helped shape this seaport into a city that is friendly towards visitors while successfully preserving its own heritage. City authorities have launched a multi-year campaign designed to make Da Nang the most modern city in Vietnam by the year 2030. It’s an exciting time to visit! From the iconic Dragon Bridge to the wild beauty of Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang will make you glad you came. Attractions near Da Nang Marble Mountains Each of the five craggy peaks that make up the Marble Mountains, located nine kilometers (5.5 miles) south of Da Nang and near the China Beach coastal road, is named after the element it is said to most closely resemble: water (Thuy Son), wood (Moc Son), fire, (Hoa Son), metal or gold (Kim Son), and earth (Tho Son). Though each peak is topped with a pagoda, only the largest mountain, Thuy Son is open to visitors. Within Thuy Son lies a series of caves, tunnels, and sanctuaries originally dedicated to Hindu gods and later turned into Buddhist temples and sanctuaries. Visitors can enter the cave system and traverse a series of tunnels, stairs, and paths as they wind through the various caverns up to the summit of the mountain. The caverns and grottoes are filled with religious carvings on the marble walls as well as numerous statues of Buddha. At the base of the mountains lie villages whose residents specialize in marble carvings and statues. Until recently, the marble they used actually came from the Marble Mountains, but marble is now shipped in from nearby provinces in order to preserve the integrity of the mountains. You can get to the Marble Mountains by bus or taxi from Da Nang for a very reasonable price. The entry fee to the caves is around 18,000 Vietnamese dong (VND), or less than one U.S. dollar. An elevator is available for those who have difficulty walking up hills or climbing stairs, but be prepared for a workout if you want to get to the summit. Son Tra Mountain (Monkey Mountain) Escape the
Food + Cultural tour of Hoi An
Lam is the funniest, most knowledgeable and easy going guide you will ever meet. Our tour of Hoi An with him was unquestionably the highlight of our trip to Vietnam, and this was all because Lam made the tour so enjoyable. It’s difficult to put into words what makes him such a good tour guide. I think it was Lam’s unique ability to tie together personal anecdotes about life in Vietnam, ancient and modern history and good food that created an immersive experience. We felt like we were being shown around by a lifelong friend, not somebody we met a couple of hours before. Lam even went out of his way to show us interesting sights around Danang just to improve our experience. You could go see Hoi An by yourself, but you won’t truely understand Hoi An or Vietnam without spending time with Lam. What a fantastic time! — Traveller: Samuel L from Tripadvisor
Flexible, attentive and comfortable.
Traveling in Da Nang – Bana Hills – Hoi An with 2 elderly parents. I first contacted the company seeking advice on my Da Nang/ Hoi An itinerary. Xuan Tu replied the next day with great advices to tweet my schedule. I eventually engaged their services for 4 tours with F&E days in between. Although our tours were not on consecutive days, we were assigned the same guide and driver. This helps with the rapport! Our guide, Tony spoke perfect english and had immerse understanding of history and stories. As I was travelling with my elderly parents, Tony was considerate in avoiding places that required many stairs. He made effort for us to visit the local markets which we really enjoyed! We ate at where the locals eat and had authentic affordable Vietnamese cuisines. Our driver, Trung drive us around in a 7 seated Toyota SUV. Clean and cool, our ‘paradise’ hideout from the Vietnam hot humid weather. He drove carefully and we felt very safe during the travelling. There were free Wi-Fi in the car and free flow of bottled water. Having a chill box to keep the water and towel icy cold was much appreciated. Thus we always and cold water and cold towel waiting for us after out tour. Payment was hassle free. We enjoyed ourselves tremendously and will definitely recommend Tony to all our friends who are interested in visiting central Vietnam! — Traveller: Yoznee from Tripadvisor
Amazing experience in Da Nang and Hue
I took 2 central vietnam trips through Xuan Tu tour company, which are Da Nang and Hue. My guide was Lap and he was an amazing guide. He was really knowledgeable and able to explain clearly the history of all attractions we visitted, especially in Hue which all the attractions there are historical site. Highly Recommended !! — Traveller: Willy S from Tripadvisor
Friendly, patient, informative & considerate
We were travelling with my parents and they were quite worried and not comfortable with the extreme hot weather in MySon, but out guide Thuy was so sweet, patient and considerate that she made sure we were all being taken care of. She is friendly and very knowledgable which made us enjoy understanding more about DaNang, MySon, Chamb history as well as the Vietnam history. She speaks very good English & was very patient even I have to translate for my parents and she even introduced us a local Vietnamese restaurant that we all enjoy d it very much. The trip is high recommended and especially for family! — Traveller: Joyce C from Tripadvisor