Things to do in Da Nang

Da Nang is a beach city on the Han River. It lies 764 km south of Hanoi and 964 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. My Khe beach runs along the east side.

Things to do in Da Nang start in town and finish in the hills. Hoi An lies about 30 km down the coast. Many visitors use Da Nang as the base for it.

What the city holds

• The river. A line of bridges crosses the Han, the Dragon Bridge among them. A three-hour dinner cruise runs on it in the evening.
• The Museum of Cham Sculpture. Stone carvings from the Cham towers along the central coast.
• Son Tra. The peninsula that closes the bay to the north carries the Linh Ung Pagoda, with views back over the city.

Where the day trips go

• Ba Na Hills. A hill resort above 1,400 metres. A cable car climbs to the Golden Bridge, held up by two stone hands. The trip runs as a full day with lunch, or as an evening visit with dinner.
• Marble Mountains and Hoi An. Caves and pagodas, the stone-carving village of Non Nuoc below them, then Hoi An old town for its lanterns. A six-hour trip leaves in mid-afternoon.
• Hue. About 102 km north, by the Hai Van Pass and the Lap An lagoon. It brings the Imperial City, Khai Dinh's tomb and the Thien Mu Pagoda. Plan on 11 hours.

Practical

• Weather. January runs 19 to 25C. July reaches 34C by day and 26C at night. Rain peaks in October (about 630 mm) and November (about 450 mm), and typhoons are possible from September to December.
• Ba Na Hills. It is much cooler at night, and rain and fog are common at the top in the wet season. Take a layer.
• Tickets. On some private tours the Ba Na Hills ticket is paid separately, at around a million dong.
• Dragon show. The dinner cruise is timed for the Friday to Sunday fire show, which can be cancelled without notice.
• Airport. It lies inside the city, a short taxi ride from the river.