Where to stay in Da Nang: the beach or the river
On this page
Where to stay in Da Nang is decided by one river. The Han splits the city into a beach side and a city side about twenty minutes apart. Almost nothing else about the decision matters as much as which of those you want to walk out into.
Where should you stay in Da Nang?
The My Khe beach strip if you came to swim, the river side if you came to pass through. Both are convenient to everything; they simply put different things outside the door. That is the whole of where to stay in Da Nang for most visits, because the bridges make the city small.
The Da Nang hub covers what the city is for and how long to give it. This page is the choice of side.
| Where | Price a night | Outside the door | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Khe, north end | 800,000-1,600,000 | Sand, restaurants | Most beach stays |
| My Khe, south end | 1,500,000-4,000,000 | Sand, resorts, quiet | Longer holidays |
| Riverside, city centre | 500,000-1,200,000 | Markets, bridges, food | Short or cheap stays |
| Han market area | 400,000-900,000 | Everyday Da Nang | Value, local eating |
| Non Nuoc | 2,000,000+ | Resorts, Marble Mountains | Resort holidays |
Beach side or city side?
Beach if you will swim daily, city if you will not. That is the whole of it, and people overthink it because the two are so close together.
The city side has the markets, the everyday restaurants and the lower prices. The beach side has kilometres of public sand, a promenade, and hotels built to face it. Twenty minutes and a bridge separate them, so neither choice locks you out of the other.
The practical test is what you want within walking distance. If that is swimming, take the beach. If it is eating and wandering, take the city, where the streets have something on them at every hour.
Which end of the beach?
The northern end for most people. It is closer to the bridges and the city, the restaurants along the back streets are walkable, and the mid-range hotels cluster there.
The southern stretch towards Non Nuoc and the Marble Mountains is quieter, more resort-heavy and further from anything you would walk to. It suits a holiday where the hotel is most of the plan.
Does the season change the answer?
Yes, and this is the part people miss. From September to December the central coast takes its rain and the sea is frequently rough enough to close the beach flags.
A beach room in November is a room with a view of weather. In those months the city side is both cheaper and more useful, and the month-by-month guide sets out when the coast settles again — roughly February onwards.
What does a Da Nang room cost?
Less than Hoi An for a comparable room, which is one of the arguments for basing here. A city guesthouse runs roughly 400,000 to 800,000 dong, a beach-strip hotel 800,000 to 2,000,000, and the southern resorts well beyond.
At about 26,000 dong to the dollar that is roughly 15 to 80 US dollars. The national accommodation guide has the tiers this sits inside.
Is Da Nang a good base for the region?
For Hue, yes — the Hai Van pass or the train makes a genuinely good day, and the things to do page covers both.
For Hoi An, it is workable and second best. Hoi An is thirty minutes south and is a town that rewards being slept in, because the old town is worth having at dawn and after dark rather than between eleven and four. Basing in Da Nang and day-tripping there gives you exactly the wrong hours.
What should you check before booking?
Which side of the river the address is on, and how far along the beach. "Da Nang beach" covers about ten kilometres of coast, and the difference between the north end and Non Nuoc is a twenty-minute ride and a completely different evening.
Ask about noise on the city side, where the streets start early, and about the walk to the sand on the beach side, where a hotel one street back is much cheaper and barely further.
FAQ
Where is the best area to stay in Da Nang?
The My Khe beach strip for a beach trip, and the river side around the city centre for a shorter or cheaper stay. They are about twenty minutes apart across the bridges, so the choice is about what you want outside the door rather than about access.
Is it better to stay near the beach or in the city in Da Nang?
Beach if you plan to swim daily and the trip is a holiday. City if you are passing through, working, or want cheaper rooms and better everyday eating. The city side has the markets and the local food; the beach side has the sand and the resorts.
How much does a hotel in Da Nang cost?
A city guesthouse runs roughly 400,000 to 800,000 dong, a beach-strip hotel 800,000 to 2,000,000, and the resorts on the southern stretch a great deal more. Da Nang is cheaper than Hoi An for a comparable room.
Which part of the beach should you stay on?
The northern end of My Khe for walkable restaurants and a shorter ride into the city, the southern end towards Non Nuoc for quiet and resorts. The middle is where most of the mid-range hotels sit and is the usual compromise.
Does the season change where you should stay?
It does. From September to December the sea is rough and often unswimmable, and a beach-strip room loses most of its point. In those months the city side is the better base, and it is also cheaper.
Is Da Nang a good base for Hoi An and Hue?
For Hue, yes — the pass or the train makes a good day out. For Hoi An it is workable but second best: Hoi An is thirty minutes away and rewards being slept in rather than visited, particularly at either end of the day.