3 days 2 nights · Pace moderate
Da Nang in 3 Days and 2 Nights — Beach, Old Town and the Golden Bridge
Three days is enough for the main cluster: My Khe beach, the Son Tra peninsula, the Golden Bridge and an evening in Hoi An. A moderate pace, no rushing.
- Duration3 days 2 nights
- PaceModerate
This page is translated from Vietnamese. Prices and opening hours are checked against Vietnamese sources — see the Vietnamese version for the most recent update.
Photo: Vivu Vietnam · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons (cropped to 16:9 and resized)
Highlights
- The Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills
- Hoi An Old Town in the evening
- Linh Ứng Pagoda and the douc langurs at Sơn Trà
- The Dragon Bridge breathing fire at weekends
Day by day
- Day 1
The city centre and the Son Tra peninsula
- Morning
- Check in, breakfast on bún chả cá or mì Quảng. Swim at My Khe beach early, before the sun gets hard.
- Afternoon
- Ride up the Sơn Trà peninsula: Linh Ứng Pagoda with its 67m Lady Buddha, the thousand-year banyan, Bàn Cờ Peak. Fill the tank before you go up — there is no petrol station on the peninsula.
- Evening
- Dinner of pork rolled in rice paper. Walk along the Hàn River. If it is a Saturday or Sunday, wait for the Dragon Bridge fire show at 21:00.
Go up Sơn Trà between six and eight in the morning and you are far more likely to see red-shanked douc langurs.
- Day 2
Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge
- Morning
- Go early to avoid the crowds. Cable car up, then the Golden Bridge, the French Village and Le Jardin gardens.
- Afternoon
- Have lunch up at Ba Na and come down early in the afternoon. Back to the city to rest.
- Evening
- Dinner at the Con Market food section — order small portions from several stalls rather than filling up at the first. Finish with chè.
Ba Na is high, cool and often misty; bring a light jacket even in summer.
- Day 3
Hoi An, and the journey back
- Morning
- Head to Hoi An, about 30km. Walk the old town while it is still quiet — the Japanese Bridge, the Tấn Ký house, the Phúc Kiến assembly hall.
- Afternoon
- Eat cao lầu or chicken rice. If there is time, take a basket boat in the Bay Mau coconut forest, or cycle out to the Trà Quế herb fields.
- Evening
- Stay in Hoi An until dark to see the lanterns come on, then back to Da Nang for the airport.
Since the merger of 1 July 2025, Hoi An belongs to the city of Đà Nẵng — it is no longer Quảng Nam.
Terrain and fitness
Terrain. Mostly flat tarmac and beach. The exception is the Marble Mountains, with steep stone steps that get slippery when damp, and Sơn Trà, which is a winding mountain road.
Fitness needed. Light. The Marble Mountains involve about 150 steps if you skip the lift. Ba Na is reached by cable car, and inside the complex it is paved walking.
Common risks and how to avoid them
- Ba Na fogged in, nothing visibleCloud usually builds from mid-morning. Take the earliest cable car so the Golden Bridge is still clear.
- Riding a motorbike on the Sơn Trà mountain roadSteep sections and blind bends. A weak automatic scooter can lose its brakes on the descent. If you are not used to it, take a taxi.
- Swimming in the rough seasonFrom September to December there is heavy surf and rip currents. Only swim where there are flags and lifeguards.
- Booking Hoi An without knowing it is flood seasonThe old town floods at the height of the rainy season. Check the forecast before booking a room near the river.
What to pack
Bring
- Swimwear and a towel
- Sunscreen; the sun is harder at the beach than in town
- A light jacket for Ba Na — it is ten degrees cooler up there
- Shoes with grip for the Marble Mountains
Rent or buy on the spot
- A motorbike, available at any hotel
- Beach chairs and umbrellas, by the half day
- SUP boards and snorkelling gear at My Khe
Leave at home
- Heavy winter clothing, even in winter
- Snacks brought from home — food is everywhere
Getting there
Da Nang airport is inside the city, ten to fifteen minutes by taxi to the centre — few places are this convenient. Hoi An is 30km away, about 45 minutes by road. Ba Na is 25km from the centre and the resort runs shuttle buses from several pickup points.
Estimated cost per person
| Item | About | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ba Na Hills ticket | 635,000₫ or about 1,000,000₫ | Da Nang residents pay considerably less — bring ID |
| Marble Mountains ticket | Low entry fee, lift charged separately | You can climb the steps if you are up to it |
| Hoi An old town ticket | Bought at the gate, covers several monuments | |
| Food | 300,000 – 500,000₫ per day | Pork rolled in rice paper, bún mắm nêm, mì Quảng, seafood |
| Motorbike hire | 120,000 – 200,000₫ per day | Petrol not included |
Common questions
- Stay in Da Nang or in Hoi An?
- Da Nang if you want easy transport and food at night. Hoi An if you want quiet and the old town on foot in the evening. Over three days, two nights in Da Nang and a day trip to Hoi An works best.
- Is Ba Na worth it?
- Worth it if you are travelling with children or enjoy the theme-park atmosphere. If you came to Da Nang to eat and swim, skip Ba Na and give that day to Sơn Trà and Hoi An.
- Where do I buy food to take home?
- Han Market in the centre; the ground floor is fermented sauces and dried goods. Con Market is bigger and cheaper but busier. If you are buying fermented sauce, remember it has to go in checked baggage.
- How many days is right?
- Three days and two nights is the minimum that does not feel rushed. With both Ba Na and Hoi An, four days is better.
Before you go
- Sunscreen and a hat — the central Vietnamese sun is stronger than it feels
- A light jacket for Ba Na
- Shoes with grip if you climb the Marble Mountains or Sơn Trà
- Small notes in cash for Con Market and street vendors
- Plastic bags and tape if you plan to buy fermented sauce to take home