If you’re travelling through Vietnam, you cannot miss Danang and Hoi An, the most famous cities to visit in Central Vietnam. In this article, we’ll share how we spent four days in Danang and Hoi An and the best things to do.
We spent four days in Central Vietnam split between Danang and Hoi An during our trip to Vietnam. There are many things to do that you can easily spend one week in this area.
Our trip Vietnam was part of our two-month southeast asia adventure and we happened to be in Central Vietnam in November, which is the time of the year with the worst weather to visit this area. So, we missed a lot.
You may also like: Two-Week Vietnam Itinerary – From North to South
Travelling in Southeast Asia? Check our two-month itinerary: Two Months Traveling in Southeast Asia: Our Itinerary.
What’s Included in This Guide?
Use the links below to quickly navigate to the parts that interest you the most.
Things To Do:
Practical Information:
- Accommodation in Hoi An
- Accommodation in Danang
- What to eat in Danang and Hoi An?
- Best Time to Visit Central Vietnam (Danang and Hoi An)
- More Vietnam Travel Guides
Getting Around:
How to Get to Danang and Hoi An
Danang is served by Da Nang International airport. There is no shortage of cheap domestic flights to Danang leaving from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city. This is the best way to get there if you’re short on time.
Alternatively, Danang is also served by a bus and train network that connects it to other major cities along the country. Distances between cities of interest are usually quite long, so usually the best option is to hop on a sleeper train or sleeper bus.
To get from Danang airport to your hotel, simply get a taxi or ask for a Grab using the Grab app. It’s easy, practical an inexpensive.
How to Get to Hoi An from Danang
Once you get to Danang, it’s less than one hour by car to get to Hoi An. The best way to get there is to get a Grab taxi or rent a motorbike and drive there yourself. The roads are in good condition and the traffic is not chaotic like in Hanoi.
Related article: How to Spend Two Days in Hanoi (Itinerary and Travel Guide)
Best Things to do in Danang
Da Nang is a coastal city with several resorts next to the beach. Many people hate Da Nang, but I don’t see why. It has a relatively good beach and a great Saturday Night market. It is also home to the famous dragon bridge that spits fire and is within short distance of great places.
However, the city itself doesn’t have much charm because it’s made out of big hotels and skyscrapers. But, there’s a lot to do and I really enjoyed my time there.
Spend Some Time at the Beach
There is a long stretch of beach along the coast of Danang. Take a stroll along the My Khe beach and spend some time there. We went on a Saturday, and there were many locals enjoying the beach and swimming in the sea.
From the beach, you can see the huge Lady Buddha “Chùa Linh Ứng” in the mountains. If you have time, make sure to go there and see it up close. You’ll have beautiful views of the beach.
Hai Van Pass
The Hai Van Pass is a mountain pass with beautiful coast and mountain views. It’s approximately 21km long and goes from Danang and ends near Lang Co.
You can go and come back on the same day on a motorbike. The drive can be challenging because of sharp curves and steep roads. Make sure you have experience driving a motorbike and that there’s good weather so that you have a safe ride.
At the time of our visit, the weather was really bad. So, this was not even an option. However, that’s definitely on our bucket list for a future visit.
Rooftop Infinity Pool
Most hotels offer infinity pools on its rooftops with great panoramic views of the city. It’s a great place to watch the sunset with a cold drink.
We stayed on a great hotel with a modest but nice infinity pool for just 17€ per night (it was low season).
Son Tra Da Nang Night Market
This is a great and quite sizeable night market with lots of stalls to eat, specially seafood.
If you like lobster, this must be the cheapest place to have some. They offer quite generous seafood combos that you can choose from. Besides food, you’ll also find lots of stalls selling trinkets, souvenirs, and much more.
Dragon Bridge
Danang is famous for its Dragon bridge that spits fire and water—this fire show happens every Saturday and Sunday at 9PM. We were lucky to be there during the weekend to see the show.
The bridge is located close to the night market, so after having dinner, you can easily walk there to see the Dragon Fire Show. This is a great attraction, and many people gather by the bridge just to see the dragon spitting fire.
There’s also a great promenade starting next to the bridge along the river, where you can go for a stroll at night.
Golden Hands Bridge – Ba Na Hills
You’ve probably already seen viral videos of a Golden Hands bridge that looks quite spectacular. It is located in Ba Na Hills, less than one hour from the center of Danang.
Ba Na Hills is a resort and theme part and you need to get on a cable car to get there. Besides the golden hands, there are several attractions, amusement rides, gardens and cute little towns resembling European villages. If you’re lucky to get good weather, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of the mountains.
During our time in Danang, we got pretty bad weather, so it was not a wise choice to go there. We decided to skip it and save it for our next visit.
Marble Mountains
The Marble Mountains were my favorite place in this area. It is a group of five mountains named after the five natural elements.
We only had time to visit the biggest mountain (Water Mountain). There are lots of temples, caves, and marble sculptures carved on the rocks to explore… and many steps to climb. Make sure to get a map of the place so that you can cover the main places of interest. At the time of our visit I had to pay for the map.
This place is very mystical, we loved it. Additionally, you can climb to the top and have great panoramic views of the coast and the beach.
The Marble Mountains are very hot and humid, so you’ll get fatigued quite fast and you’ll sweat a lot. Don’t forget to bring a t-shirt to change afterwards.
Related article: Halong Bay Cruise – What to Expect and How to Choose One
Accommodation in Danang
In Danang there is not shortage of great hotels with rooftop infinity pools for very reasonable prices. There’s also lots of luxury resorts in front of the beach.
We stayed at the Sea Queen Hotel (it seems to be under maintenance at the moment). It was within walking distance to the beach, had a modest but nice rooftop infinity pool, the rooms were clean, modern and spacious… and it was super affordable. One of the cheapest places we stayed at in Vietnam.
Here are some other suggestions:
- Budget: Merry Land Hotel Da Nang
- Mid-range: Stella Maris Beach Danang
- Mid-range: Ponte Boutique Da Nang
Best Things to Do in Hoi An
Hoi An, also known as the city of lanterns is one of the most beautiful villages in Vietnam and it is a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s just 45 minutes away by car from Danang. For this reason, many people opt to stay exclusively in Hoi An and skip Danang.
Explore Hoi An Ancient Town
The best way to explore Hoi An is to get lost in its beautiful street in the old town. You can also buy a ticket to visit several temples, ancient houses, and museums.
At this point in our journey, we had already seen a lot of temples. So, we’ve just explored freely. One of the most popular and picturesque places is the Japanese bridge. Unfortunately, it was under renovation at the time of our visit.
Get Custom Clothes and Shoes
Hoi An is also one of the best places to get custom-made clothes, shoes, or even bags. They have them ready in 24 hours. You can get casual clothes, formal dresses, and even tailored suites for men.
I tried to get a casual dress done, but they wanted too much money compared to what I pay in my country on a seamstress. So, I gave up on the idea. However, it might be a good idea for people from places where its hard to find a good seamstress.
But, I bought two pairs of leather sandals for what I think is a good price (they both had my name engraved)—one pair for 22€ and another for 32€ on different places. They were pretty good quality and I loved the final result. Don’t forget you always need to bargain the prices.
I specially liked the seller a the leather shop called “Thinh”. She was super nice, not pushy at all like other seller on other stores, and she made me a good price right from the start. I really recommend.
Drink a Refreshing Mót
When in Hoi An, you cannot miss drinking a refreshing Mót.
This drink is a blend of herbs, such as lemongrass, ginger, and lime and served cold with lots of ice. It’s so refreshing, delicious, and super affordable. We went there several times.
Coconut Boat Ride
One of the most popular and touristic things to do in Hoi An is to go on a coconut boat ride. The journey goes through a scenic coconut forest first. Then, you’ll see the abilities of the fishermen demonstration fishing techniques with nets.
But, the most interesting and fun part is when they spin their boat like crazy. It’s a fun show to watch—there are many viral videos showing this.
Unfortunately, on the day we planned to go on the boat ride, it was raining non stop and many streets got flooded, so we didn’t have the chance to do it.
Boat Ride with the Lanterns at Night
In Hoi An, the entire area around the river is charming and picturesque.
It becomes even more spectacular at night when the river fills with little boats adorned with lit lanterns. It’s so beautiful! You can get on a boat or simply enjoy this magical setting from the shore or the bridge.
Accommodation in Hoi An
In Hoi An, we stayed in a nice homestay very close to the old town. The place is called “Nu Ni Homestay“. The staff was really nice, the room was clean and spacious and it even had an indoor swimming pool great for kids. If you’re looking for a budget place I really recommend this one.
Here are some other suggestions:
- Budget: Nu Ni Homestay
- Mid-range: Laluna Hoi An Riverside Hotel & Spa
- Luxury: Little Riverside Hoi An . A Luxury Hotel & Spa
How We Spent Four Days in Danang and Hoi An
Here’s a summary of how we spent our time in Danang and Hoi An.
Day 1: Danang
We got a morning flight from Hanoi to Danang. So, we had almost all afternoon to explore. We spent most of our afternoon relaxing at the My Khe Beach. Around sunset time, we got back to our hotel and spend a bit of time watching the sunset from the rooftop infinity pool.
We went to have diner at the Son Tra Da Nang Night Market. Since it was a Saturday, we went to the Dragon bridge before 9PM to see the dragon spitting fire and water.
Day 2: Hoi An
In our second day we asked for a Grab and moved to a hotel in Hoi An. The first thing we did was to search for good places to make me some leather sandals. If you want to get some leather shoes, bags, or clothes done, make sure you take care of if t once you arrive at Hoi An to make sure you have enough time to get them ready and make some adjustments if necessary.
In the afternoon, we explored Hoi An Ancient city with its beautiful yellow buildings. We tried mót, a super refreshing herbal drink. At night, we went to see the boats with the lanterns on the river—what a beautiful sight.
Day 3: Hoi An
We rented a motorbike and went to the Marble mountains. We only had time to explore the biggest of the five Marble Mountains. It was very hot and humid, which makes climbing all the steps a bit challenging.
If it was today, I would have spent one more night in Danang and visit the Marble Mountains and the big Lady Buddha from there.
In the late afternoon, I went to try on my new sandals. They fitted perfectly.
Day 4: Hoi An
In this day, we wanted to go on the famous coconut boat rides, explore the rice fields and nearby beaches by motorbike. Unfortunately, it rained heavily all day and the streets got flooded. We couldn’t do much on this day.
What to eat in Danang and Hoi An?
Here’s a short list of some of the most popular traditional dishes from this part of Central Vietnam.
Cao Lau
My favorite dish in Vietnam was definitely Cao Lau. You cannot miss it while in Hoi An. It is a bowl of noodles with pork, greens, bean sprouts, other toppings and a special sauce. This noodles are thicker and darker than “regular” noodles. We tried Cao Lau in a place suggested by our homestay called “Cao Lau Ba Lé” and we absolutely recommend.
Banh Xeo
We also tried Banh Xeo on that same place. It is a crispy pancake that can be filled with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts and lettuce.
Hoi An Chicken Rice
Hoi An Chicken Rice is basically rice cooked in chicken broth, served with shredded boiled chicken, fresh herbs and other toppings. This dish is good, but the place we chose to eat it was really bad.
Meat skewers (pork) with rice paper
These are barbecued pork meat skewers. Then, you roll them with dry and wet rice paper, cucumber, and other vegetables or herbs. It also comes with a special sauce.
Seafood
Danang is one of the best places to eat seafood. There’s lots of combo options in the night markets. Additionally, there are huge restaurants with tanks with live seafood.
How to Get Around Danang and Hoi An?
The best way to get around Danang and Hoi An is to use the Grab app (the rides are super affordable) or to rent a motorbike.
In Danang, the city is not very walkable as the distances between points of interest are usually long. So, we recommend using the Grab app.
In Hoi An, you can easily explore the historic part of the city by walking, you can get a Grab or even rent a motorbike. We rented a motorbike during one day, and it was easy to get around.
Best Time to Visit Central Vietnam (Danang and Hoi An)
The weather in Vietnam varies greatly by region and by the time of the year. The best time to visit Central Vietnam is in the dry season from February to August. For more pleasant weather, go between February and April.
We went in November which is the worst time in terms of weather to visit this region. We spent four days in this area and we caught three good days and one really bad day. It rained heavily, the streets got flooded and it was not good for sightseeing.
Where to Go After Danang and Hoi An?
If you travelling through Vietnam, don’t forget to explore Northern Vietnam. You cannot miss the chaotic city of Hanoi, a cruise in Ha Long Bay and the scenic boat rides in Ninh Binh. In Southern Vietnam, don’t miss Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta and the historic Cu Chi Tunnels.
You may also consider catching a flight to Bangkok and start exploring Thailand. We have more than 10 free Thailand travel guides.
More Vietnam Travel Guides
If you’re planning a trip to Vietnam, make sure to take a look at the following guides:
- Two-Week Vietnam Itinerary – From North to South
- How to Spend Two Days in Hanoi (Itinerary and Travel Guide)
- Ninh-Binh Travel Guide: 3-Day Itinerary and 8 Best Things to Do
- Halong Bay Cruise – What to Expect and How to Choose One
- » All our Vietnam Travel Guides «
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