Da Nang Activity Planner: Costs and Seasons

The simplest way to plan Da Nang is by budget and by month. The city has a long list of free things to do, a middle band of paid outings, and a few pricier day trips and tours. Figures are Vietnamese dong (VND) and approximate. Roughly 25,000 to 25,500 VND equals one US dollar, and prices change, so check before you pay.

Free

  • Public beaches: My Khe, Non Nuoc and Man Thai are open to everyone.
  • Chua Linh Ung on Son Tra: the temple grounds and the 67-metre Lady Buddha cost nothing.
  • Dragon Bridge show: fire and water display on Saturday and Sunday nights at 21:00.
  • Hai Van Pass: the coastal mountain road on National Route 1A is a free drive.
  • Night markets: Son Tra Night Market and Helio Night Market are free to browse.

Under about 150,000 VND

  • Marble Mountains: about 40,000 VND to enter, plus an elevator at about 15,000 VND one way. The Am Phu Cave ticket is reported at 20,000 to 40,000 VND, so confirm it at the gate.
  • Museum of Cham Sculpture: about 60,000 VND.
  • A bowl of mi quang or bun cha ca: about 35,000 to 60,000 VND.
  • Iced coffee: about 25,000 to 50,000 VND.
  • Motorbike rental: about 120,000 to 180,000 VND a day.

About 150,000 to 1,000,000 VND

  • Han River evening cruise: about 150,000 to 250,000 VND for 45 minutes.
  • Ba Na Hills: the all-inclusive adult ticket is about 1,000,000 VND.
  • Surf lesson at My Khe: about 650,000 to 850,000 VND for 90 minutes with instructor and board.
  • Cham Islands snorkelling day: about 450,000 to 950,000 VND with lunch.
  • 60-minute massage in An Thuong: about 350,000 to 600,000 VND.

Above 1,000,000 VND

  • Hai Van Pass jeep or Easy Rider tour to Hue: about 1,300,000 to 1,800,000 VND per rider.
  • Private car and guide to My Son and the Marble Mountains: about 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 VND.
  • Live seafood dinner for two: about 1,200,000 to 2,500,000 VND.
  • Championship golf at BRG Danang Golf Resort or Montgomerie Links: about 2,500,000 to 4,500,000 VND.

What the calendar changes

March to August is hot and sunny, from 30 to 36 degrees Celsius, with calm water that suits swimming. The Danang International Fireworks Festival is held on the Han River in the summer; the city tourism board, Danang FantastiCity, posts the dates. September to December is the wet season, with typhoons and heavy rain peaking in October and November. Surf and rip currents get strong, lifeguards raise red flags and swimming is banned along My Khe. Rain can trigger mudslides on Hai Van Pass and pause the Ba Na Hills cable cars, so keep indoor options such as the Cham museum in reserve.

Son Tra safety

Wild red-shanked douc langurs live in the Son Tra forest, and early morning is the time to look. Automatic scooters are banned beyond the Linh Ung checkpoint because the descents are steep enough to cause brake failure. Use a manual or semi-automatic bike, a 4x4 jeep tour or a taxi.

Getting around

Grab cars and bikes are the usual choice, with short trips at about 30,000 to 60,000 VND and a one-way car to Hoi An at about 300,000 to 400,000 VND. Mai Linh and Vinasun are metered taxi fleets, so ask the driver to switch the meter on.

Read more: the attraction tours guide goes deeper on tickets, and the day trips guide covers Hoi An, My Son and Hue. Search Da Nang activities on Viator . Ticket details are at sunworld.vn and event dates at Danang FantastiCity .