Three days in Da Nang, and what to do with the third
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Three days in Da Nang is one day more than the city needs, and that is the useful part. The beach, Son Tra, the Marble Mountains and the river fit in two days, because nothing sits more than half an hour from the sand. The third day is a free choice between three larger outings.
Most trips give Da Nang one night on the way to Hoi An. This route is for the traveller who has noticed that the city has 30 km of beach and the cheaper rooms.
How should you split three days in Da Nang?
Spend the first day on the beach and the river, the second on the two ends of the coast road, and the third on one outing further away. Start the second day early, because the langurs on Son Tra show themselves early and late. The Da Nang hub covers what the city is for.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | My Khe beach, swim early | Han market, Cham Sculpture Museum | The river, fire show Friday to Sunday |
| Two | Son Tra and the Lady Buddha | Marble Mountains, 2 hours | Seafood on the beach strip |
| Three | Hoi An, Ba Na Hills or the Hai Van pass | The same outing | Back in the city, or onward |
Move the river evening to a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, because the fire show decides that one and nothing else on the list does.
Day one in Da Nang: the sand, then the river
Day one in Da Nang starts in the sea, because the morning is the calmest water and the sand empties between about eleven and three in summer. My Khe is public along its whole length, so the only decision is where to put a towel. Copy the locals and leave at the hot end of the morning.
Cross to the west bank for the rest of the day. Han market sells dried squid, coffee and tailoring on two floors, and a bowl of mi quang in the city runs 35,000 to 60,000 dong. The Cham Sculpture Museum costs 60,000 dong, takes under an hour, and holds the best collection of Champa stonework anywhere.
The evening belongs to the river. The Dragon Bridge breathes fire and then water at 9pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the three nights its operator gave Tuoi Tre in August 2026. Stand on the east bank about fifty metres back from the head, which keeps you dry and gets the whole show in view.
Day two in Da Nang: Son Tra at dawn, the Marble Mountains after lunch
Day two in Da Nang uses both ends of the coast road, starting on Son Tra about 10 km north. The 67-metre Lady Buddha is free, a Grab costs 100,000 to 150,000 dong each way, and drivers will wait for an agreed fee. The endangered red-shanked douc langur shows itself early or late, so go early.
Two hours covers the pagoda and one viewpoint. Half a day covers the peninsula road, and a rented scooter does it best, though rental shops will tell you which upper sections to avoid on an automatic.
After lunch, take the road 9 km south of the city to the Marble Mountains. Entry is 40,000 dong, the lift about 15,000 one way, and the Am Phu cave another 20,000. The main circuit takes about two hours, and a Grab from the beach hotels costs 80,000 to 150,000 dong each way.
Day three in Da Nang: Hoi An, Ba Na Hills or the Hai Van pass?
Day three in Da Nang should go to Hoi An if you have not seen it, because that is the one outing you would regret missing. Choose the Hai Van pass if you came for a road. Choose Ba Na Hills only for the Golden Bridge, at about 1,000,000 dong a ticket.
| Outing | Distance | Time | Cost | Go if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoi An | About 30 km south | 45 minutes each way | 350,000 to 450,000 dong a car, each way | You have not been |
| Hai Van pass | North, toward Hue | 2 to 3 hours with stops | Bike hire from 150,000 dong a day | The road is the point |
| Ba Na Hills | 25 km west | About 40 minutes each way, then the cable car | About 1,000,000 dong a person, plus 300,000 to 500,000 dong a car each way | You want that one photograph |
Hoi An's lanterns are the point of it, so stay for the evening and take a late Grab back. The transfer guide prices the shuttle vans at 100,000 to 150,000 dong a seat for a solo traveller. If Hoi An is your next stop anyway, spend the third day on the pass. The Marble Mountains sit on the road south, so moving them to the transfer also frees an afternoon.
Ba Na works best on the first car up. Two hours covers the bridge, the gardens and one walk through the village, so leaving by one still returns you for a swim.
What do three days in Da Nang cost?
The first two days in Da Nang cost two people about 500,000 to 750,000 dong in tickets and Grab fares, which is under $30. A Ba Na Hills day for the same two people costs about 2.6 to 3 million dong, four times the rest of the visit, and that is the real decision on this route.
| Item | Two people |
|---|---|
| Son Tra by Grab, return | 200,000 to 300,000 dong |
| Marble Mountains by Grab, return | 160,000 to 300,000 dong |
| Marble Mountains, entry, lift one way and Am Phu | 150,000 dong |
| Third day: Hoi An by Grab, return | 700,000 to 900,000 dong |
| Third day: Ba Na Hills with a car | 2.6 to 3 million dong |
A city guesthouse runs about 400,000 to 800,000 dong a night and a beach-strip hotel 800,000 to 2,000,000 dong, as the where to stay guide sets out. Da Nang's rooms cost less than Hoi An's for the same standard, which is one more reason to sleep here and visit there.
When do three days in Da Nang work best?
Three days in Da Nang work best between February and August, when the central coast is dry and the sea at My Khe is safest. The calmest water runs from May to August, in the mornings. October and November are the months to avoid, because that is the wettest stretch and it overlaps the late typhoon season.
From September to December the surf builds and rip currents form, so a beach day needs a backup. The Cham Sculpture Museum and Han market both hold up in rain. The typhoon season guide explains how to read a forecast on this coast. Time the trip so one of the three nights falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, or the bridge stays a bridge.
Moving on from here is simple, since the airport is about 3 km from the centre and the train north climbs the coast to Hue. The five-day central route adds Hue and Hoi An for anyone with more time.
FAQ
Is three days too long for Da Nang?
Three days is not too long for Da Nang, as long as the third has a job. Two days cover My Khe beach, Son Tra, the Marble Mountains and the river. The third goes on Hoi An, Ba Na Hills or the Hai Van pass, each of which is a full outing on its own.
What should you do on a third day in Da Nang?
On a third day in Da Nang, go to Hoi An if you have not seen it, the Hai Van pass if you want a road, and Ba Na Hills only for the Golden Bridge. Hoi An is about 45 minutes away. Ba Na costs about 1,000,000 dong a person, more than the first two days combined.
How much do three days in Da Nang cost?
Three days in Da Nang cost about 500,000 to 750,000 dong for two people in transport and tickets for the first two days. Add 700,000 to 900,000 dong for a Grab to Hoi An and back, or about 2.6 to 3 million dong for two at Ba Na Hills. Rooms start around 400,000 dong.
When is the best time for three days in Da Nang?
The best time for three days in Da Nang is February to August, when the central coast is dry and the sea is safest. October and November are the months to avoid. Plan one of the three evenings for the Dragon Bridge fire show, which runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 9pm.
Should you stay on the beach or by the river in Da Nang for three days?
For three days in Da Nang, stay on the beach if swimming is the point and by the river if evenings are. The two strips are about ten minutes apart. A city guesthouse runs about 400,000 to 800,000 dong a night, and a beach-strip hotel 800,000 to 2,000,000 dong.