Da Nang Day Trips: Guide to Best Day Tours From Da Nang

Da Nang Day Trip to Hue

See full details in Da Nang to Hue Day Trip

– What to expect: This all-inclusive day tour covers every highlight of Hue, former capital of Vietnam (1802-1945), and on the way to get there. Before sightseeing Unesco-inscribed places, travellers will discover breath-taking Hai Van Pass and blue Lang Co Lagoon in its northern side. Before lunch, the first famous sights are the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City (aka the Royal Palace). The afternoon is dedicated to the most outstanding worshipping edifices, 17^th-century Thien Mu Pagoda and fabulously-designed Tomb of Khai Dinh Emperor. A chilly river cruise along the Perfume River can’t be excluded, giving travelers a chance to cool off and view pretty sceneries on the banks.

– Note: wearing respectively and comfortably, good shoes

Day Trips from Da Nang to 2 World Heritage Sites

See full details in Full-day Hoi An and My Son World Heritages

– What to expect: This day tour has a focus on local culture and history with 2 Unesco world heritage sites on its itinerary, Hoi An Old Town and My Son Sanctuary. In the morning, travellers will explore architectural masterpieces in My Son, the holy land of the disappeared Champa Kingdom for 900 years (until 13^th century). How the Chams build brick temples here is still not discovered 100%.

Lunch is served in Hoi An and after getting full, a walking tour around its oldest section begins. The guide makes the way to all historical quarters, best-protected buildings, and his own recommended places, such as tailors, coffee shops, markets, handicraft workshops. Of course, he gives in-depth explanations at every stop to allow travellers to understand more about the town itself.

– Why should I book this day trip? Exploring two richest historical and cultural attractions of the region, very knowledgeable tour guide with an excellent English skills, chance to see traditional dancings of Champa’s descendants, chance to get own tailor made suit

– Additional options: (1) lantern making class, (2) lantern boat ride to view the town at night, (3) dinner with Vietnamese foods, (4) local food sample tour

Full-day My Son Tour from Da Nang

My Son is a holy complex of Hindu temples 55 km southwest of Da Nang centre. In 1999, it won the Unesco title and since then, has been known by tourists. For the United Nations organization, it was the best remains of the fallen Champa Kingdom which ruled the region from 2^nd to 19^th century. Because of long-time abandonment, its surroundings are covered by forests and diverse wildlife.

Guided My Son tours from Da Nang are available daily, on both half-day and full-day basis. Transport and sightseeing in the world heritage site takes a morning or afternoon. So, a day trip has to include another destination to fill the rest of sunny times. The best to combine are Hoi An old town, another world heritage site or the Marble Mountains, a group of striking and sacred mountains. See what to expect for the first itinerary above.

Day trip from Da Nang to My Son Sanctuary and the Marble Mountains, allows travellers to know a lot about culture, history and religion. While My Son is a Hindu site and non-active, the hills are dedicated to Buddhism and still active. While one is constructed by the Chams, the other is a Vietnamese holy place. On the other hand, this day tour provides chances to be closer to nature. That is a walk around a valley with many forests and a hiking up to peaks coupled with cave explorations. Interestingly, both were communist’s bases during the Vietnam War. All ensure a day full of fascinations. See details in Full-day My Son Sanctuary and Marble Mountains.

The Best of Da Nang and Hoi An Old Town

Hoi An Old Town & Marble Mountains

See details in The Best of Da Nang and Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour or Monkey Mountains, Marble Mountains and Hoi An Town

This day tour introduces one of the best in Da Nang and the best of Hoi An. The Marble Mountains (Five-element Mountains) is the most visited attraction near the city center. A visit to its best sights requires a hike with steep steps, and provides so much fun. There are ancient, richly-decorated Buddhist temples, amazing caves, and peaks with a 360^o view. Around the hillfoots, locals are proud of their tradition in carving stone sculptures.

Nearly 20 km south of it, Hoi An Old Town is a world heritage listed in 1999. It has been preserving over 1,000 timber houses and lots of perfectly-preserved buildings. Its streets are filled by lanterns, flowers, tailors, souvenir stores, shophouses, markets, coffee shops, restaurants, and some pavement stalls. All are enough to keep the day interesting and full of excitement.

To make the trip busier a bit, a top attraction is added into the itinerary. There are Am Phu Cave, Lady Buddha and its pagoda, or Museum of Cham Sculpture. The cave is a hiding place of Vietcong communists and links to an interesting Buddhist concept about life and death. The statue of Lady Buddha is the tallest in Vietnam, 67 meters and the pagoda next to it is bigger than any others. The museum accommodates the largest collection of Cham sandstone sculptures, brought from My Son Sanctuary and important archaeological sites.

Da Nang Day Trips to the Best of Hoi An

Hoi An Old Town Sightseeing & Coconut Village

See full details in Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour and Coconut Village Experience

– What to expect: This day trip includes the morning with ecotourism in Cam Thanh Coconut Village and afternoon walking tour around Hoi An Old Town. In the first half of the day, travelers will have a stunning basket boat ride through a well-kept palm forest. Then, learn how to cook some traditional dishes and enjoy herbal foot massage by local therapists. Lunch is served in a local family with delicious foods cooked by the wife.

Hoi An Old Town is the next destination where travelers wander around  quarters of yellow houses and sightsee best-preserved historical places. Besides so much information, the guide recommends other highlights of the town and town’s culture while walking to enrich the visit. Known as Vietnam’s capital of tailors, the best tailors are included. After the sunset, extremely colorful lanterns, a diverse street food scene and bustling night market absolutely can be expected.

– Additional options: (1) lantern making class, (2) lantern boat ride to view the town at night, (3) dinner with Vietnamese foods, (4) local food sample tour

Hoi An Old Town Sightseeing & Countryside Bicycle Tour

See full details in Full Day Hoi An Ancient Town and Countryside Bicycle Tour

– What to expect: This day trip from Da Nang gives travellers a chance to get insight into both urban and rural slices of life in Hoi An. In the Unesco-listed town, the guide will take you to 5 most typical historical places and explain everything there. Moreover, he/she also recommends other highlights of the world heritage today, such as tailors, coffee shops, handicraft workshops, street food stalls, etc. Lunch is served in a Vietnamese restaurant here. In the afternoon, it’s time for travellers to meet a new friend (local guide) and discover beautiful and peaceful countryside around Hoi An. The experience is made on the wheels of a bicycle. Rides across rice paddies, small villages and a visit to a local household to know its father-to-son craft. 

– Options: Travellers can choose to explore the north and east countryside, or Cam Kim Island (the south) to spend the afternoon with a bicycle. Highlight of the first option is a visit to Tra Que herb village and basket boat ride in palm forest. There are hands-on experiences in making things in an artisan’s home in the second option.

Cham Island Tour from Da Nang

Cham Island is a marine park 20 minutes by canoe off the coast of Hoi An. It’s home to about 3,000 people, and owns white sandy beaches and wonderful snorkeling/diving spots thanks to high biodiversity under the water. Activities and tours in this Unesco biosphere sphere are active in the summer months.

A Cham Island day tour from Da Nang always includes a round trip transfer from the hotel (city center), speed boat, a walking tour, snorkeling, beach, lunch with seafood and local specialties, and local guide. It begins early in the morning and travellers will return to the hotel before sunset. All local tour operators and reputable online sites can help to arrange. A trip to this tropical paradise provides outdoor experiences that are unrivaled in the region. Sure, it’s worth a visit. See travel guide to Cham Island Hoi An for further information.

Classic Da Nang Day Trips

Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge

Ba Na Hills (station) is a complex of entertainment, 40 km west of Da Nang. Established by the French in 20^th century and rebirthed in the 2000s, this is the most visited attraction in the city. Thanks to being located at an elevation of 1,500 meters, the weather here is cooler than the plains. To get to it, travellers are transported by one of cable cars that hold 4 world records, including the longest of the world. From the cabin, astonishing sceneries are visible. There are endless wooded mountains, pristine forests, white-water falls, amazing outcrops, and clouds. After landing, the inspirational Golden Bridge and the huge French village are next points of interest. The bridge is a new wonder, with a gorgeous and mythical beauty. Lunch is served in a buffet restaurant in the village. See details of the tour in Da Nang Ba Na Hills Tour (or Da Nang Golden Bridge Tour).

Da Nang City Tours (the Best of Da Nang)

A day tour around Da Nang is really popular. It covers the best sights of the city center and outliers, including the Marble Mountains, the Lady Buddha, Linh Ung Pagoda Son Tra Peninsula, Museum of Cham Sculpture, the Pink Church, and Han Market. 3 first places are what travellers will explore in the morning, and the rest is for the afternoon, after lunch with Vietnamese foods. This tour is a choice for those who like to decipher every secret of the city. See details in the Da Nang City Discovery (Full Day Da Nang City Tour).

Hai Van Pass & Lang Co Bay

See details in The Coastal Adventure (Full-day Hai Van Pass and Lang Co)

Hai Van Pass is the best coast road in Vietnam, 30 mins drive from Da Nang center. It’s 20 km long, featuring many twists, turns and especially, hairpins near its top at an elevation of 1,500 meters. During the ride up and down here, travellers will feel so many fresh and adventuring vibes, see panoramic and picturesque outlooks, and learn about history a bit at old remains. After “done” the pass, Lang Co “the Blue Lagoon ” is a must see. This stopover is famous nationally for its mind-blowing landscape from turquoise water to forests and mountains with clouds around the top. There are some breezy stilt restaurants here, to taste fresh seafood dishes. In 2009, Lang Co became a member of the Club of Most Beautiful Bays of the World.

For more fun rides, this option takes travellers to Monkey Mountain. Scenic routes along a striking coast or through jungles, and sweeping viewpoints to the city or the light-blue sea are what to expect. If lucky, will see the red shanked douc monkeys, one of the rarest primates on the planet.

Da Nang to My Lai Massacre Village

My Lai Massacre Village (aka Son My Village or Pink Village) is 150 km south of Da Nang, 2,5 hours drive by new expressway. On 16^th March 1968, 504 unarmed inhabitants were killed by the American soldiers, and the world was shocked after pictures taken in this event were leaked. Until the end of the Vietnam war, it’s still the widest impact and best documented. In the burning village, a large memorial and new houses are built, and smiles are on the faces of locals. A day trip from Da Nang to here is a possibility. See tour option and travel guide in our article for My Lai Massacre Village. 

Da Nang to Hill Tribe Villages

Section of the Annamite Range to the west of Da Nang is the traditional home of Katu people (aka Co Tu people). Their population nowadays is 74,000 people, living in both Vietnam and Laos. To introduce the culture, custom and lifestyle of this ethnic minority, there are some guided day tours arranged by local operators. Most of them are private, run by car or motorbike and provide a knowledgeable guide. Experts recommend a stay in the Katu family’s house if having time. 

Trekking and Hiking

Bach Ma National Park Trekking

The best trekking trails near Da Nang are in Bach Ma National Park, some 60 km northwest of the downtown. This protection zone is home of wealthy ecosystems, old forests, nice weather (especially around its top) and very high waterfalls. In 20^th century, French colonists established a hill station in the highest elevations. It’s important for bird conservation, so it also attracts bird watchers all over the world, not just trekkers. See all information in our guide to trekking in Bach Ma National Park.

Hiking in Son Tra Mountain

Hiking trails through Son Tra Mountain’s nature reserve start from the plain to peaks with an elevation of 700 meters. There are scenic routes, with many viewpoints overlooking the eastern coastline and the city, and blue sea. To finish a loop, hikers need to walk over a length of around 30 kilometers. The jungles are home of red shanked douc langur, a very rare primate species on the planet. If lucky, you may see. During the year, some hiking competitions are held here. See full information in our guide to hiking in Son Tra Mountain.

Customized Da Nang Day Trips

This kind of day tour allows travellers to create their own itinerary with favourite attractions and activities. It’s the best way to fit all of your personal requirements and likings, therefore, travellers fully enjoy the day out. If you don’t know where to start, read the above guided tours to know how they work, and customize. Simpler, just asking direct to local experts (tour guide) who have many experiences and are knowledgeable about the area.

If you would like to tailor your own day trip from Da Nang for yourself, we may help. Our whatsapp number is +84968009827 and email is centralvietnamguide@gmail.com.

Da Nang Day Trips by Yourself

Rentals in Da Nang

Private car and bike rentals are easy to find and book in Da Nang. Travellers can go down to hotel reception, the nearest tour operator or hire online. Private cars are popular for day trips to Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge, Hue, Hoi An Old Town and My Son Sanctuary. Its price depends on the number of seats, distance, time and seasons. Bicycle and motorcycle rentals are much cheaper. It’s convenient for a motorbike to reach and access any corners of the city (automatic bikes not accepted in Son Tra Peninsula). The cost often excludes fuel and damages. Hai Van Pass, the Monkey Mountains and My Son Sanctuary are favourites of the cyclists. 

Da Nang Private Tour Guide

A local guide who is knowledgeable and fluent in English, is really needed for a day trip from Da Nang. If planning to sightsee destinations with a rich history, travellers will learn a lot from him/her in-depth explanations. Many of which are never mentioned by travel blogs or guidebooks (known by locals only). Based on experiences, he/she suggests a perfect itinerary to tour around the attraction, just for yourself but covering all highlights. Good places to eat, drink, shop and visit for free are also easy for them. Read our articles for Da Nang private tour guide to know how to find one for the upcoming trips.

To save time, let us know your requirements. We will help to seek a suitable local tour guide. Our whatsapp number is +84968009827 and email is centralvietnamguide@gmail.com.