Da Lat Travel Guide

Da Lat city, known as “Le Petit Paris” or “the City of Eternal Spring,” is the jewel of the central highlands, 300 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City, in a temperate region dotted with lakes, waterfalls, forests, and gardens. Dalat’s cool climate and scenic surroundings make it an ideal place to escape the heat of southern Vietnam, as well as the most popular honeymoon destination. Check out the following Da Lat travel guide if you are planning a trip to this romantic city of Vietnam.

General information

Da Lat, located in the mountains between Central and South Vietnam, has breathtaking scenery, including waterfalls, lakes, green meadows, flowery valleys, and fruit trees, and is home to 33 ethnic communities. 

During the colonial period, the “city of eternal spring” was a popular retreat for the French, allowing them to escape the suffocating heat of Saigon. Summer temperatures never exceed 25°C, and winter temperatures never fall below 10°C.

Many young Vietnamese couples come here for their honeymoon because it is regarded as a romantic city. On your honeymoon in Vietnam, don’t forget to visit Da Lat.

Da Lat Weather and Best time to visit

The average temperature ranges from 14 to 23 degrees Celsius (57 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit). Da Lat’s highest temperature was 32.0 °C (89.6 °F), and its lowest was 0.6 °C (30.9 °F). Mist blankets the adjacent valleys almost all year. Its temperate climate makes it ideal for agriculture as well.

In contrast to other seasonal tourist destinations, Dalat is enjoyable all year round because each season has its own unique beauty. You are free to choose the best time to visit Da Lat.

Da Lat is best visited between December and early March. This is the dry season in Da Lat, making it ideal for enjoying the outdoors. Temperatures typically range from 19°C to 24°C. During this time, the flower gardens and patches in Da Lat are in full bloom.

If you want to see the cherry blossoms around Xuan Huong Lake, you should visit Dalat between February and April, when the flowers are at their most beautiful. The rainy season in August is the best time to see many waterfalls in Dalat. Wild sunflowers bloom from October to December.

Tips: During this season, you can dress comfortably in summer clothes. If you want to walk around Da Lat at night, you’ll need a woolen set. A raincoat and umbrella are required due to the light rain.

How to get to and around Da Lat 

By plane

You can fly to Da Lat with low-cost carriers such as Vietjet Air (www.vietjetair.com), Jetstar Pacific (www.jetstar.com), or Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com). Two low-cost airlines frequently have promotional tickets available online.

– At Lien Khuong Airport (DLI): located 30km south of the city, on the road to Ho Chi Minh City.

– From/ To Ho Chi Minh city (SGN): 305km, Duration: 50 minutes

– From/ To Hanoi (HAN): 1430km, Duration: 1h50′

– From/ To Danang (DAD): 660km, Duration: 1h20′

By bus, by car

There is no train connection from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat; instead, you must travel by bus, minivan, private car / taxi, or plane. You can also take a bus from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City, Phan Thiet, and Mui Ne in southern Vietnam. Traveling by bus from Ho Chi Minh to Da Lat is the most convenient and cost-effective option. Depending on the mode of transportation, the journey takes between 6.5 and 8 hours.

– Dalat bus station: street 4 thang 4, 3km south of the city center.

– From/ To Nha Trang: 150km, Duration: 3h

– From/ To Hoi An: 630km, Duration: 13h

– From/ To Phan Thiet – Mui Ne: 180km, Duration: 3h

– From/ To Ho Chi Minh – City: 310km, Duration: 7h

– From/To Ban Me Thuat: 220km, Duration: 5h

From Ho Chi Minh, frequent day and night sleeper buses depart for Da Lat. Luxury vans and limousines are other options that provide luxury services at reasonable prices. The following transportation companies are recommended: Phuong Trang (Futa), Minh Tri, Hoang Vu, and The Sinh Tourist.

Tips: You should take a night bus from Ho Chi Minh City to reach Da Lat in the morning.

In the city center

Dalat is well served by Grab Taxi and local taxis, making it simple to navigate the city. However, if you want to experience Dalat’s natural beauty, you should hop on a motorcycle and leave the city. You can also choose to travel by bicycle or private car. You can rent a bike from some hotels, homestays, or local agencies. You can contact us if you want to book a private car in Vietnam.

Where to stay in Da Lat

When visiting Da Lat, the best place to stay is in the city center. This part of town has a great selection of affordable hotels.

There are also many restaurants serving traditional Vietnamese cuisine, as well as cafés and street food vendors selling soya milk and “Pho,” the famous Vietnamese soup. All airport transfers terminate in this area, making your inbound journey pleasant and easy. It is conveniently located for visiting the city’s other major attractions, including the Buddhist Pagoda, the Bao Dai Emperor’s Palace, and the famous Elephant Falls. The well-known Da Lat Night Market is also nearby, making it easy to get there on foot.

Places to visit in Da Lat

Activities in Dalat include a walk around Xuan Huong Lake (or, better yet, a horseback ride around the lakes) and visits to nearby waterfalls. The Dalat Flower Garden, the “Crazy House,” Bao Dai’s Summer Palace, the Railway Station, and the “Valley of Love” park are among the other attractions. The majority of visitors spend their time exploring the beautiful countryside on foot, motorcycle, or bicycle.

Dalat is also becoming popular for outdoor adventure activities such as trekking to nearby minority villages, cycling, canyoning, kayaking, rock climbing, and rappelling.

Furthermore, with its cool weather and the 18-hole Dalat Palace Golf Club, Dalat is a popular golfing destination.

Da Lat Waterfalls

Pongour Waterfall

Pongour is a seven-story waterfall located in the Duc Trong district, 50 kilometers from Da Lat, also known as Thien Thai. It is spread over 100 meters and is surrounded by lush vegetation.

Prenn Waterfall

Prenn Waterfall is located in the last remaining wild forest, and from a distance, it appears to be a strip of white silk. The entire large hill of pines can be seen from the Prenn waterfall. It is about 10 kilometers from Da Lat’s center at the foot of the Prenn Pass.

Dambri Waterfall

This waterfall creates two magnificent 40-meter-high streams. It is necessary to walk approximately 138 steps to reach the top of the falls. Dambri provides exciting activities such as building a fire at the camp and exploring the primitive forest.

Datanla Waterfall

Datanla is a large waterfall located in Datanla’s tourist area, 8 kilometers from Prenn waterfall and 10 kilometers from Da Lat city, and is an ideal location for adventure tourism. This 20-meter-high waterfall creates a body of very clear water known as Suoi Tien (fairy stream).

Da Lat Lakes

Tuyen Lam Lake

Tuyen Lam Lake is a freshwater lake in the city of Da Lat. Because of its rugged beauty, it is known as the most beautiful lake in the south. Tuyen Lam Lake is located southeast of Truc Lam Monastery, at the foot of the Phuong Hoang Mountains. This location is thought to be a complex of many beautiful landscapes and tourist areas.

Xuan Huong Lake

Xuan Huong Lake, located in the heart of Da Lat, has long been regarded as the city’s symbol. There are pine forests, lawns, and flower gardens all around the lake. It is a popular stop for hikers and horse carriages on their way to Da Lat. Ho Xuan Huong Lake is a man-made lake with a circumference of about 5 km and a width of 25 ha.

Dankia Lake/ Suoi Vang Lake (Golden Stream)

Suoi Vang Lake is a well-known landscape in Lam Dong province, about 20 kilometers north of Da Lat. It is Da Lat’s largest freshwater lake, supplying drinking water to the entire city.

Lake of sighs (Ho Than Tho)

This charming pine-lined lake gets its name from an ancient legend: a young man must leave as soon as possible to join the army. His fiancée threw herself into the lake to end his life, believing he no longer loved her.

Religious and historical sites

Da Lat Cathedrals

Da Lat Cathedral, also known as the Chicken Cathedral, is the largest cathedral of St. Nicholas of Lam Dong. A large bronze chicken sits atop the cathedral bell tower. Da Lat Cathedral was constructed in 1942. It looks like a gingerbread house with its pink walls and stained glass windows!

Bao Dai Palace

From 1933 to 1938, the Bao Dai Palace was constructed. It is where the last Nguyen Dynasty king lived and worked. The entire design of the Bao Dai Palace was created by a French-Vietnamese architect, so it was influenced by European architecture.

Truc Lam Monastery

Truc Lam Monastery was founded in 1994 and is home to Truc Lam Yen Tu. The monastery is located on Phung Hoang Mountain, above Tuyen Lam Lake, 5 kilometers from downtown Da Lat. It is not only the largest monastery in Lam Dong, but also a popular tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors.

Tran Le Xuan Villa

Tran Le Xuan Villa is a three-villa complex located at No. 2 Yet Kieu Street in Da Lat. The villa is now the headquarters of the National Archives IV. The villa has a total area of over 13,000 square meters.

Other attractive sites

Crazy House

The Crazy House (official name Villa Hang Nga) is one of Dalat’s most famous landmarks and one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. The fairytale house was designed by local architect Dr. Dang Viet Nga and is one of the world’s most unusual architectural structures.

Valley of love

Love Valley, located about 5 kilometers north of the city center, is one of the most romantic spots in Da Lat. The Love Valley is an excellent ecotourism destination.

Cu Lan Village

Cu Lan village is a relatively new tourist attraction. Visitors will be able to experience the culture of the K’ho people, who are honest and friendly. Cu village is in Suoi Can village, 20 kilometers from Dalat.

Da Lat Train Station

Da Lat bus station is a tourist attraction that houses many of Da Lat’s cultural values. This station is no longer in operation, except for Trai Mat tourists.

Da Lat Flower Garden

This is the place where all the beautiful flowers of Da Lat and the world come together. It is also an excellent location for wedding photographs. The flower festival is held every year in order to attract tourists as well as domestic and foreign investors for the development of Da Lat.

Lang Biang Mountain

Langbiang Mountain is made up of two mountains: Ong Mountain and Ba Mountain, and it is located 12 kilometers from Dalat in the Lac Duong district. Langbiang is Da Lat’s “roof of the house” and the city’s main tourist attraction.

Festival in Da Lat

Da Lat Flower Festival – The most attractive festival in Da Lat

– Date: The festival is held once every two years at the end of the year.

– Location: downtown Da Lat

This festival is primarily held near Xuan Huong Lake and features spectacular performances by thousands of professional and amateur artists.

Within the framework of the festival, you can take part in exciting activities such as the flower show, street flower parade, trade fairs, love festivals and marriage ceremonies of couples from all over the country, wine festivals, Mount Langbiang conquest, and so on.

Tea festival

– Date: Typically held in December.

– Location: In addition to the festival area, the other three tea areas are Bao Lam, Di Linh, and Cau Dat (Da Lat).

The tea festival, one of the largest and most unique festivals in Da Lat, is held every year as part of the fresh and clean raw materials movement organized by tea companies. The festival has a theme each year, and it includes art activities, tea competitions such as tea gathering, tea knowledge, and tea songs.

Gong Festival – Cultural Festival in Da Lat

– Date: The Gong Festival is held annually in rotation.

– Location: Provinces with a gong culture, including Lam Dong.

UNESCO has designated the Gong Cultural Festival as non-material heritage. The gongs are the only link between humans and the gods during the festival.

What to eat in Da Lat

Banh mi xiu mai (baguette with shumai bowl)

This dish is a must-try in Da Lat cuisine. The shumai balls are served with a bowl of hot sauce into which the baguette can be dipped. You can also request fried pork skin or a chili pepper to be added to your soup.

Address: Mrs. Thuy’s, at the intersection of Bui Thi Xuan and Thong Thien Hoc streets, Anh Sang Hamlet. 

Banh can (mini pancake)

Mini pancakes are a popular breakfast dish in Da Lat, a city in the Central Highlands. It can be found in a variety of locations, including Tang Bat Ho Street and Anh Sang Hamlet.

The pancakes, which are slightly burned and filled with eggs, are eaten with fish sauce. To make the sauce more flavorful, some restaurants add meat balls. Normally, a serving of 5 pairs of pancakes costs VND20,000 ($0.86).

Banh uot long ga (steamed rice paper with chicken intestine)

This dish is popular due to its unique flavor. It’s a little sour because it’s served with chicken salad instead of the more common pork roll. The dish is made with simple ingredients such as rice paper, chicken meat or intestine, and fish sauce.

Address: Tang Bat Ho Street, Phan Dinh Phung Street

Banh trang nuong (grilled rice paper)

Grilled rice paper is becoming increasingly popular in Da Lat, with more restaurants offering the dish. You can sit near a coal stove at these restaurants and watch the chef prepare this dish. The chef coats the rice paper with oil before adding the shrimp paste, cheese, and green pepper. Following that, an egg is added and stirred with chopsticks until the dish is completely grilled. It’s even better when topped with fried onion and pork floss.

Grilled rice paper is easily found at street food stalls in Da Lat Market, Thong Thien Hoc Street, Nguyen Van Troi Street, and Hoang Dieu – Tran Nhat Duat from 3 p.m. to midnight.

Lau ga la e (chicken hot pot with basil leaves)

At night, the hot dishes are always popular. While chicken hot pot with aganonerion (giang) leaves is popular in the south and chicken hot pot with wormwood is popular in the north, chicken hot pot with basil leaves has been popular in Da Lat for the past two years. The chicken is served with fresh bamboo and basil leaves, as well as a pepper lemon sauce that has a sweet and spicy flavor.

VND200,000 ($8.6) gets you half a chicken, a large noodle disk, a plate of mushrooms, basil leaf and vegetables.

Mi Quang (Quang-style noodle)

Da Lat invented a different style of Quang noodle, with the dish served with more sauce. The red-orange sauce, yellow noodles, and cashew-colored meat make the dish look so delicious. It goes well with vegetables and herbs.

Address: Nguyen Cong Tru Street, Nguyen Du Street

Nem nuong (grilled pork sausage)

Though not particularly popular among Da Lat residents, nem nuong remains the most popular lunch option among visitors. Before you can eat this simple dish, it must be thoroughly prepared. The grilled pork sausage is accompanied by a greasy yellow sauce made of pork broth and ground chili. This dish is unforgettable due to the fattiness of the pork, the sweetness of the sauce, and the crispiness of the fried rice paper.

Address: Hoang Van Thu, Phan Dinh Phung, Bui Thi Xuan streets

Kem bo (avocado ice cream)

Even though it is usually cold in the evenings in Da Lat, people enjoy eating avocado or fruit ice cream at this time. The fatty flavor of the ice cream combined with the taste of avocado, this mountainous city’s famous fruit, transforms this simple snack into an amazing dish.

Address: Nguyen Van Troi Street

We hope the above article has been helpful in providing you with information about Da Lat. Don’t hesitate to contact us and plan your Da Lat tours right now!