What’s So Cool About Da Lat, Vietnam?
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The average yearly temperature is 20° C, making Da Lat a pretty cool city, article over.
This is probably funnier to me than most people. But since you’re already here, you expect to read whether Da Lat is worth visiting and what is there to do in and around the City of Eternal Spring – a nickname given to at least 10 other cities around the world.
Yes, you should visit Da Lat and frankly, there are plenty of odd, exciting, or pretty places to visit in both the city and the region. It’s my favorite city in Vietnam and here’s why.
Da Lat is part of my 1 month Vietnam backpacking itinerary.
Why I like Da Lat
Besides the pleasant climate, which is strikingly different from the Vietnamese lowlands of either Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, or Mui Ne where you’d most probably be coming from, Da Lat is also a romantic, tidy, beautiful, quirky, and adventurous city.
It’s different than other Vietnamese cities
I cannot tell most Vietnamese cities apart based on their street design and organization. I suppose it’s the Communist standardization principle at play here. The reason is immaterial – most cities (with very few exceptions of preserved old architecture) are very much identical.
Da Lat is different. It was planned, built, and developed by the French colonialists. It almost became the capital of French Indochina – it was that popular in the 1920s and 30s.
Created in a markedly “Swiss resort” style, Da Lat was built to have all the posh amenities for the colonial overlords (think golf courses, spa centers, parks, villas, etc).
This is not a defense of colonialism or Western architecture – it’s just that Da Lat’s history (and by extension its present) is markedly different than most other Vietnamese cities.
It has a big lake
The Xuan Huong Lake in the middle of Da Lat is just… *chef’s kiss*. Pretty, romantic, serene.
This is no small lake either. It takes a solid 1-1.5 hours to go around the lake, strolling on the footpaths.
Oh, and you can rent a swan-shaped pedal boat and explore on the water for just 60.000 VND (~2.5 USD)!
There are a bunch of quirky places
- A bar where you can literally get lost, especially after a few beers while trying to find the way out. It’s so, so well-made (100 Roofs Cafe, aka Maze Bar)!
- An entire complex (doubling as a hotel) that feels as if taken straight from Antoni Gaudí’s dreams (Crazy House).
- A sculpture park where everything is made of clay (Clay Tunnels).
- A massive creepy half-abandoned building, half housing a bizarre biological museum, plus, as if it can’t get any weirder, a chocolate shop at the back (Scientific Research Institute of Highland). Seriously, this place is ridiculous.
And an awesome night market
Chợ Đêm Đà Lạt, as it’s called in Vietnamese, is always busy. This is not necessarily a good thing, as the hordes of people are not the most pleasant to navigate through, but this is the price you pay for popularity (and being cool).
The night market sells so many things it’s hard to list all. My favorite is of course the food section where you can have the local specialty Bánh Tráng Nướng (aka Vietnamese pizza), roasted chestnuts, grilled skewers, strawberries, and more.
Don’t forget to go inside the main building in the middle of the market for the dried fruits. I recommend the natural mango and the jackfruit chips.
It’s hilly
As a Hill Station town, Da Lat is built on, well, hills. That creates a curvy topography with many of the modern-day neighborhoods built on slopes and boasting scenic views of the city or the valley.
It’s just pretty, yo!
What to visit in and around Da Lat
Although I’ve already mentioned some of Da Lat’s attractions and notable places in the section above, here are a few more worth visiting and some wonderful activities for all ages.
Take a train to Trai Mat
Da Lat was connected by rail to the rest of Vietnam. No More.
Da Lat’s railway station is the oldest and highest railway station in Vietnam but today only sees a handful of tourist trains per day. And you should take one of them.
The trains run between Da Lat and Trai Mat, some 7 kilometers away. The wagons are old-timey and quaint. A return ticket costs between 100.000 and 150.000 VND (4-6$) depending on the type of seat.
| Da Lat to Trai Mat | Trai Mat to Da Lat |
| Train 1: 05:40 – 06:10 Train 3: 07:45 – 08:15 Train 5: 09:50 – 10:20 Train 7: 11:55 – 12:25 Train 9: 14:00 – 14:30 Train 11: 16:05 – 16:35 | Train 2: 06:40 – 07:10 Train 4: 08:45 – 09:15 Train 6: 10:50 – 11:20 Train 8: 12:55 – 13:25 Train 10: 15:00 – 15:30 Train12: 17:05 – 17:35 |
Visit the Elephant Waterfall
This enormous waterfall is around 25 km south of Da Lat. You can get there as part of most organized tours but save some cash and go independently by public transport to rent a motorcycle (like I did) and be super flexible.
The main entrance has been closed for some time but you can still enter the trails under the waterfall from the south gate. The fee to enter is 50.000 VND.
You can also opt to see the waterfall from afar without going under. That’s completely free and still gives you a good appreciation of its scale.
Enter Linh Ẩn Pagoda
Linh Ẩn Pagoda is right next to the Elephant Waterfall. You can see each from the other, they are mere meters away. The enormous, blindingly-white Lady Buddha statue is hard to miss.
Go inside the statue and scale to the top for wonderful views of the whole area.
Go Tobogganing
A “Summer toboggan” is a bobsled running on narrow railway tracks. More commonly known as an Alpine Coaster.
Just 7 km away from Da Lat’s downtown is the Datanla Alpine Coaster which is so cool! You can book tickets online or directly at the entrance.
Read my full review of the Datanla New Alpine Coaster.
Go Canyoning
With high elevation come canyons and waterfalls. Da Lat has many of them.
And humans being humans, we naturally want to get to all nooks and crannies and explore the hardest places to get to. Enter “Canyoning”.
You get tied to a rope and let down multiple waterfalls and dry gorges. It’s an exhilarating activity that comes in a gradient of levels for all fitness skills.
Book this canyoning experience, which includes entry to the Alpine Coaster, for the best value for money.
Chill at Tuyen Lam Lake
Near Datanla and just 10 km away from Da Lat is its best-known natural attraction – the huge Tuyen Lam Lake.
It’s curvy and no, you cannot go around the whole lake. But you can pick a quiet spot and have a picnic. Or just enjoy the views.
Drive around the countryside
No destination, no itinerary, no attractions to visit.
Just rent a scooter for a day and go outside Da Lat. I guarantee you, no matter which direction you choose, the scenery will be spectacular, the air fresh and the experience memorable.
Road DT722 northwest of Da Lat is a good choice.
Indulge your sweet tooth at Lien Hoa Bakery
No matter when you go, Lien Hoa Bakery (very close to the Night Market) is always busy. With a massive collection of fresh Vietnamese pastries, cakes, sandwiches, snacks, etc, there is something for every tongue.
Or make your own Bahn Mi sandwich – nothing tastes better than the food you make yourself, am I right?
Where to stay in Da Lat
Da Lat is a resort town, hence there is an abundance of places to pick from. Hostels, hotels, guesthouses, cabins, resorts, etc. Plenty of choices for everyone.
Budget backpackers – rejoice! Da Lat has the cheapest hostels in Vietnam. You can stay for as little as 1 USD. And it’s not a shithole either – clean dorms, helpful and friendly staff (not a given in Vietnam), nice common area.
The best hostel to offer 1 USD (or very close to) beds is the Dalat Family Hostel. If you’re willing to spend a bit more for fewer bed dorms and individual cabins, look no further than Mooka’s Home.
If you want a private room instead, I recommend Thảo Nguyên Guesthouse – spacious rooms, friendly owner, and a rather cheap price for what you get.
Where to after Da Lat?
If you’re northbound, your next stop can be Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, or as far as Da Nang and Hoi An.
If you’re southbound, you can choose to either go to Mui Ne or Ho Chi Minh City.
Check out my complete 1-month Vietnam itinerary to plan your journey!
