We’ve always heard about how beautiful Da Nang, Vietnam is, and I must say it truly is as beautiful as advertised. Think golden beaches stretching for miles, misty mountain views, colorful temples, and some of the best food we’ve had in Southeast Asia.
But here’s the thing — no destination is perfect.
While Da Nang wowed us in so many ways, our experience in Vietnam wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were a few surprises, a couple of frustrations, and yes… even a few “what just happened?!” moments.
So in this post, we’re sharing it all — the good, the bad, and the ugly — to help you decide if Da Nang belongs on your travel list.
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The Good of Da Nang
Let’s start with the part that completely stole our hearts.
Da Nang is stunning. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by how visually beautiful this city is. You’ve got long stretches of sandy beach on one side and lush mountains rising in the distance on the other. It feels like a place where nature and city life blend perfectly.
1. The Da Nang Beachfront
Da Nang has a lovely beachfront, and I recommend taking full advantage of it by getting a beachfront hotel. You won’t regret having views of the hills and the ocean. The best part is that high-quality beachfront hotels start at just $40 USD nightly here.
2. Lady Buddha
From the beach, you can even spot the towering Lady Buddha in the distance, standing proudly on the hillside of the Son Tra Peninsula. We took a Grab (Vietnam’s version of Uber) up to visit Linh Ung Pagoda, and it was absolutely worth the trip. The pagoda grounds are beautifully maintained, with manicured gardens, intricate statues, sweeping coastal views, and of course, the tallest Lady Buddha statue in all of Vietnam. Seeing her up close was even more impressive than we expected.
Getting there was easy.
Getting back? Not so much.
When we were ready to leave, there were no Grabs available. So we had to take a traditional taxi to Marble Mountains, and this is where things got a little frustrating.
In our experience, some taxi drivers in Vietnam will try to overcharge tourists, sometimes asking double or even triple the normal rate. Our driver started the negotiation at 500,000 dong (about $19 USD). Thankfully, I had already checked the Grab app, which estimated the ride at around 200,000 dong ($8 USD). Having that number gave us leverage. After a bit of back-and-forth, we agreed on 250,000 dong ($9.60 USD) as a flat rate.
Was it more than Grab? Yes.
Was it worth it to avoid waiting around indefinitely? Also yes.
Lesson learned: always check Grab for a price estimate, even if you end up taking a regular taxi. Knowing the price estimate can save you a lot of money, give you more negotiating power, and a little less stress.
3. The Marble Mountains
The Marble Mountains are a cluster of five dramatic limestone hills, each named after one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. For centuries, this area has been an important pilgrimage site, and you can actually walk inside the mountains to explore caves filled with Buddhist shrines, incense-filled altars, and hidden prayer spaces carved into the rock.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can climb the stone steps all the way to the top for panoramic views. Or… you can do what we did and take the elevator most of the way up. No shame here. 😅
Either way, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of the coastline, lush mountains in the distance, and beautifully preserved temples tucked into the cliffs. It’s dramatic, peaceful, and unlike anywhere else we’ve visited, easily one of the most memorable experiences in Da Nang and absolutely worth adding to your itinerary.
4. Da Nang Cathedral
Next, we grabbed a ride into the city center to visit the Da Nang Cathedral, also known as the “Pink Church.” Although it was closed due to COVID restrictions when we visited, it was still worth stopping by to admire the pastel-colored façade and Gothic-style architecture from the outside. It’s such a unique landmark and stands out beautifully against the city backdrop.
5. Dragon Bridge
From the cathedral, we strolled over to the riverfront to check out the city skyline and the famous Dragon Bridge. We got there just before sunset and decided to hang around to see what all the hype was about.
And wow — we’re so glad we did.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky turned soft shades of pink and orange, and then slowly the city began to sparkle. The Dragon Bridge lit up in bright colors, reflections shimmered across the river, and the whole waterfront came alive. Da Nang truly glows at night — it’s vibrant, romantic, and full of energy. Definitely one of those “sit back and soak it in” travel moments.
6. Sunworld
Another super fun (and slightly surreal) experience is visiting Sun World Ba Na Hills. Plan to dedicate a full day here — it’s basically a mountaintop theme park meets fantasy village, and there’s a lot to see.
For convenience, we booked a tour through Viator, which included transportation, admission tickets, a guide, and lunch. It made the whole day completely stress-free — just show up and enjoy.
When we visited, it was incredibly foggy… and honestly? It made everything even more magical. The famous Golden Bridge, the one held up by giant stone hands, looked absolutely mystical, rising out of the mist. It felt like we had stepped into another world. I could have happily spent the entire day just walking back and forth across that bridge. It’s that cool!
But there’s so much more beyond the bridge. You’ll find colorful flower gardens, charming temples, live entertainment, games, rides, and even a European-style village perched in the clouds. It’s playful, whimsical, and surprisingly beautiful.
Whether you’re traveling as a couple, with friends, or as a family, Ba Na Hills is one of those must-see experiences in Da Nang that truly feels one-of-a-kind. I’ve included some great Da Nang tour options below that really make planning your trip even easier!
The Bad of Da Nang
Okay… time for the honest part.
We had a really rough start to our time in Da Nang.
We were originally booked for four nights at Nhu Minh Plaza Hotel, and on paper, it looked amazing. The room itself was actually one of the nicest we’d stayed in on our trip. But unfortunately, our experience with the service quickly overshadowed the beautiful space.
From the moment we checked in, there were consistent “lost in translation” moments. Normally, we’re patient and understanding — language barriers are part of travel — but things escalated when our COVID health screening paperwork was documented incorrectly. Because of the misunderstanding, the staff believed we needed to quarantine for 14 days. It was stressful and honestly, a little scary, especially since we were trying our best to communicate clearly.
Room service didn’t go much smoother.
They weren’t able to take our order over the phone because they couldn’t understand me, so a staff member had to come to our room while I physically pointed at the menu. At the time, I had an upset stomach and ordered what I thought was a simple chicken noodle soup.
What arrived? Chicken organ soup.
Let’s just say that was not the comforting meal I was hoping for. 😅
To add to the tension, staff members were often loudly arguing in the hallways, which created a pretty negative atmosphere. After a couple of days, David finally said, “We need to get out of here.” And honestly, he was right.
So we packed up early and moved across the beach to Minh Toan SAFI Ocean Hotel — and it completely turned our trip around. It was located right by the ocean, had a gorgeous rooftop pool, and most importantly, the service was warm, welcoming, and stress-free. We can confidently recommend it as a relaxing and comfortable place to stay in Da Nang.
Taxi Scams
The other downside we experienced in Vietnam — not just in Da Nang — was taxi overcharging.
Taxi scams are unfortunately common enough that we tried to avoid traditional taxis whenever possible. Drivers would often start negotiations at double or triple the normal rate, especially in tourist areas. If you’re not aware of typical prices, it’s easy to overpay.
We didn’t know how to ride motorbikes at the time, but in hindsight, renting one might have been a great way to avoid some of those issues (as long as you’re comfortable and experienced). Otherwise, using the Grab app was by far the most reliable and transparent way to get around.
It wasn’t all bad, but these were definitely the bumps in the road during our time in Da Nang.
The Ugly of Vietnam
While we’re being honest… I also had a not-so-glamorous travel moment in Ho Chi Minh City.
I signed up for a food tour because, of course, I wanted to eat everything. Vietnam is famous for its incredible street food, and I figured booking through Viator would mean everything was safe and vetted.
Well… my stomach had other plans. 😅
Let’s just say I ended up with some pretty painful food poisoning. Unfortunately, stomach issues are fairly common for travelers in Vietnam. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, sometimes it just happens. You can be eating at busy, popular places and still get hit out of nowhere.
Now for the good news.
Instead of needing to visit a hospital, I walked into a local pharmacy, explained (as gracefully as possible) that I had stomach cramps and traveler’s diarrhea, and the pharmacist immediately knew what to do. They gave me medication on the spot, no appointment, no long wait, no doctor required.
And the best part? It was incredibly affordable.
Within a short time, I was feeling dramatically better. So if you find yourself dealing with stomach troubles in Vietnam, don’t panic. Head straight to a pharmacy first. In many cases, the pharmacist can get you exactly what you need quickly and cheaply — and save your vacation in the process.
Final Thoughts on Da Nang, Vietnam
Despite the negatives, we still enjoyed Da Nang very much. It’s a gorgeous city with a lot to offer the traveler. With a little bit of caution about your hotel, your transportation, and what you eat, you will definitely have a great time!
If you do go to Da Nang, make sure you check out Hoi An as well. It’s only 30 minutes away from Da Nang and may be our favorite city in Vietnam.
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