Vietnam Da Nang Tours

Da Nang sits on Vietnam's central coast between Hue and Hoi An, with a long stretch of city beach and a cluster of well-known day trips within an hour's drive. My Khe Beach runs for several kilometers along the eastern edge of town and gives the city a resort feel that its neighbors lack, while the surrounding hills and peninsula hold most of the sites visitors come to see. Da Nang works well as a base for exploring central Vietnam and is covered among Vietnam tours alongside Hoi An and Hue.

The city has grown quickly over the past two decades, adding a skyline of hotels along the beachfront and a set of bridges across the Han River that light up after dark. Its position between mountains, sea and river gives Da Nang a wider range of day trips than most cities its size, from marble caves to a mountaintop amusement park.

Marble Mountains

The Marble Mountains, or Ngu Hanh Son, are five limestone and marble hills a short drive south of central Da Nang, each named for one of the five elements. Caves and grottoes cut into the hills hold Buddhist shrines and pagodas, some reached only by narrow stone stairways, and the largest cave, Huyen Khong, has a natural skylight that lights the altar inside. Marble carving workshops operate at the base of the hills, a trade the area has practiced for generations.

Lady Buddha and the Son Tra Peninsula

The Lady Buddha statue at Linh Ung Pagoda stands more than 60 meters tall on the Son Tra Peninsula, overlooking the bay and the city skyline. The peninsula is a forested, largely undeveloped headland home to red-shanked douc langurs, and its coastal road offers some of the better viewpoints over Da Nang's beaches. Fishing boats still anchor in the small coves beneath the pagoda.

The Golden Bridge and Ba Na Hills

The Golden Bridge, held up by a pair of giant stone hands, sits within the Ba Na Hills complex about 40 minutes from the city and has become one of central Vietnam's most photographed structures since opening in 2018. The hills are reached by a cable car that once held a world record for length, and the complex above includes a recreated French village, gardens and rides that make it a common family day trip. For visitors staying elsewhere in Da Nang or Hoi An, transport packages to the park typically include the cable car ticket and round-trip transfer, such as the Asia Theme Park Ticket with Round Trip Transfer.

Hoi An, a Short Drive South

Hoi An's lantern-lit old town lies about 30 kilometers south of Da Nang and is easily reached as a day trip or overnight stay. Its UNESCO-listed streets, tailor shops and the Japanese Covered Bridge draw many visitors who base themselves in Da Nang for its beach and hotel selection, then travel south for the afternoon and evening.