Things to do in Da Nang, and what to skip

Da Nang is the one Vietnamese city where the beach is in the city rather than beside it. Most of the things to do in Da Nang are either on that sand or on the two mountains at either end of it.

What should you do in Da Nang?

Swim at My Khe, go up Son Tra, see the Marble Mountains, and ride at least part of the Hai Van pass. The Da Nang hub covers what the city is for; this is how the days fill.

Two days holds all of it. The things to do in Da Nang are unusually well spaced for a Vietnamese city. Nothing on the list above sits more than half an hour from the beach, and the two mountains stand at opposite ends of the same road.

Is the beach actually good?

Yes, and it is the reason the city has grown the way it has. My Khe runs for kilometres of open sand with a promenade behind it, and it is public along its whole length rather than parcelled out to resorts.

Swim in the morning. The afternoon sea breeze picks up, and between May and August the water is at its calmest early. The beaches guide sets Da Nang against the rest of the coast.

The promenade behind the sand runs for several kilometres and fills at both ends of the day with people exercising rather than sunbathing. Between about eleven and three in summer the beach empties completely, which tells you what the heat is like and is worth copying.

What is on Son Tra?

A forested peninsula with a road looping round it, and a very large white Lady Buddha statue on the near side. It also holds red-shanked douc langurs, which you have a real chance of seeing early in the morning.

The loop takes a couple of hours by motorbike and gives the best view back over the city and the beach. Some of the upper roads are steep and rough, and rental places will tell you which sections to avoid on an automatic scooter.

Should you bother with Ba Na Hills?

Only for the Golden Bridge, and only early. The bridge held up by two vast stone hands is genuinely striking. The cable car climbing to it is among the longest in the world.

What sits around it is a French-village theme park with queues to match. Arrive at opening or skip it entirely. It is the one attraction here where people who went and people who did not both feel they made the right call. The Ba Na Hills page prices the ticket and the transfer.

What about the Dragon Bridge?

Twenty minutes on a Saturday or Sunday evening. The bridge breathes fire at nine, then sprays water, and the road is closed to traffic beforehand.

Watch from the riverside promenade rather than from the bridge deck. It is a spectacle rather than a sight, and it does not justify planning an evening around unless you are already at the river. The Dragon Bridge page sets out where to stand.

Is the Hai Van pass worth the day?

Yes. It climbs about 500 m over the headland between Da Nang and Hue, with the sea below on one side. On a clear day the view runs back over the whole bay.

Ride it, drive it, or take a car with a driver — the motorbiking guide covers what the licence actually requires, which is more than most visitors assume. The train takes the same coast at a lower level and is the effortless version, as the rail guide explains.

What is the best half-day out?

The Marble Mountains on the way to Hoi An. Five limestone hills with caves, pagodas and viewpoints cut into them, about 9 km south of the city, and a lift that saves the worst of the steps.

Two hours covers it comfortably, and it sits directly on the road south, which makes it the natural stop rather than a separate trip. The five-day central route threads all of this together.