Waterfalls, canyoning, pagodas, bars with mazes in them, hostels with nightly family dinners and rollercoasters: Dalat has a bit of everything. Whether you’re interested in partying and dive bars, adventure activities or cultural tourism, spending a few days in Dalat is a great addition to your Vietnam itinerary. This guide will cover everything you need to know about Dalat, including how many days to spend there, how to get there, how to get around, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and nightlife recommendations.
How many days to spend in Dalat
Dalat is another one of the destinations in Vietnam that many travellers advise to skip or only spend 1-2 days. Only spending 1-2 full days in Dalat is not enough time to truly experience the town and all the activities and attractions you can experience outside of Dalat. Depending on your interests and preferred travel speed, you need at least three full days in Dalat. If you’re a slow traveller or enjoy adventure activities like canyoning, allow 4-5 days in Dalat.
How to get to Dalat
Dalat is located in the south of Vietnam and is easily accessible by direct bus from many destinations, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne, Quy Nhon, Hoi An and Da Nang. All buses can be booked online at 12GOAsia or through your hostel. In Dalat, some buses arrive at the main bus station, others at specific bus travel agencies like An Phu. Regardless of where the bus arrives, there are always plenty of taxis around, or you can use the Grab app to book a ride to your accommodation. The roads around Dalat are notoriously bumpy with lots of twists and turns in the road. So, if you suffer from carsickness, it’s better to take a motion sickness tablet on the bus.
How to get to Dalat from Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat is a super popular route, with sleeper buses departing virtually 24 hours a day, roughly every hour or so. There are multiple different companies as well that service this route. The journey takes around 8 hours in a sleeper bus, with around two bathroom/ food stops. Buses arrive at the Intercity Dalat Bus Station, which is around a 10-minute drive out of town. In Ho Chi Minh City, most buses will depart from the Western Bus Terminal (also called Mien Tay Bus Station), which is a 20-minute drive from District 1. Expect to pay between 300k-440k VND Vietnamese Dong ($12-27 USD) for this journey.
How to get to Dalat from Mui Ne
Mui Ne to Dalat is another super popular travel route if you’re going from the south to the north of Vietnam. The first bus departs at 7 am, and the last bus departs at 5 pm, with buses roughly departing every 1-2 hours. The journey takes around 5 hours, but most buses will be sleeper buses and include a break stop for food and bathroom. In Mui Ne, the buses depart from Mui Ne town near the fishing village or on the main road outside iHome Hostel. All the buses in Dalat arrive at the An Phu office in the centre of town (you can find the exact location on your ticket or on Google Maps). Expect to pay 295k VND Vietnamese Dong ($12 USD) for this ticket.
How to get to Dalat from Quy Nhon
There is a night bus running from Quy Nhon to Dalat through the bus company An Phu. Buses depart from Quy Nhon Town, from just outside the Kim Cuc Plaza (not the bus station). The bus departs at 12:15 (just after midnight) and arrives in Dalat just after 6 am. It is a sleeper bus, but it doesn’t have privacy curtains. The bus arrives at the An Phu Office in Dalat (as opposed to the bus station). Expect to pay 390k VND Vietnamese Dong ($16 USD) for this journey.
How to get to Dalat from Hoi An/ Da Nang
Getting to Dalat from Hoi An or Da Nang is fairly simple as there are many buses heading between these two destinations and Dalat. From Hoi An, the buses depart every half an hour from 3:30 pm to 6 pm, with multiple bus companies operating along this route. The journey takes 12 hours on a sleeper bus, so the later bus will arrive at 6 am, which is probably the most convenient time. The buses in Hoi An depart from multiple locations, depending on the company of the bus and where their travel agency is located. In Dalat, buses arrive at multiple travel agencies around the centre of town (not the central bus station). Expect to pay around 500k-745k VND Vietnamese Dong ($20-$30 USD) for this journey.
From Da Nang, the bus takes around 14 hours to get to Dalat. It departs from the main bus station in Da Nang (Da Nang Bus Central Station) and arrives at the main bus station in Dalat (Provincial Bus Station Dalat). Buses depart with multiple countries starting from 1 pm until 5:30 pm. Expect to pay around 430k-770k VND Vietnamese Dong ($17-$31 USD) for this ticket.
How to get around Dalat
Dalat is a small but hilly town, with most of the key sights and attractions in the surrounding areas, as opposed to actually in the town. Most of the hostels are located on the outskirts of the town, but are still within walking distance of the centre. This means you can easily walk to bars, restaurants, cafes, the night market, the lake, the flower gardens, Dalat Old Station and Crazy House, regardless of where you stay. The walk on the way there is mostly downhill and shouldn’t take you more than 20-30 minutes. If you don’t fancy walking, there is Grab in Dalat, so you can easily book a scooter or car pickup to take you in and out of town.
For activities such as canyoning and Mr Rot’s Secret Tour, you’ll be picked up and dropped off at your hostel, so there’s no need to worry about transportation. The other key attractions, such as the Cable Car to the Zen Monastery, Datanla Waterfall and Rollercoaster, and the Glass Pagoda, are easily accessible via Grab scooter or Grab Car.
The other option for getting around Dalat is by renting a scooter and driving yourself. While Dalat is hilly, the roads are in good condition, and the traffic is nowhere near as crazy as in bigger cities. You can expect to rent an automatic for around 250 VND Vietnamese Dong ($10 USD) per day. Most of the hostels have free scooter parking and actually offer rental through a reputable rental company. While renting a scooter is pretty affordable, so is Grab scooter if you don’t feel confident or comfortable driving yourself. I spent less than $10 USD a day getting Grab scooters to and from these destinations and didn’t have to worry about the hassle of driving.
Where to stay in Dalat
There are many hostel options in Dalat, with super affordable prices for both dorm rooms and private rooms. Two of the best hostels for social atmosphere and comfort are Taigon Hostel and Dalat Family Hostel, which are both less than $2 USD a night. The one downside to these two well-rated hostels is that neither of them is in the centre of town. However, being in the centre of Dalat doesn’t actually matter that much, as most of the attractions are outside of the city anyway, and Grab scooters are affordable and readily available should you want to visit the town centre. All accommodations in Dalat can be booked online here.
Dalat Family Hostel– best social hostel
Dalat Family Hostel is one of the best hostels for the social vibe while not being a crazy party hostel. The beds are basic and comfortable, but unfortunately, they are without privacy curtains. They have great amenities such as a gym, pool and multiple bar areas. Probably the biggest drawcard is the nightly family dinner they host for a small charge. This is excellent for making friends; afterwards, they usually have a special happy hour drink, and people play games. Every night, they have a free shuttle service to Maze Bar and then another free shuttle when Maze Bar closes to take you to King Kong Hostel for afters. The hostel is quite large, but you get to know many people, and it caters to a wide range of traveller demographics and ages.
Taigon Hostel– best party hostel
Taigon Hostel is more of a party hostel than Dalat Family Hostel, but it is still pretty tame compared to other proper party hostels in Southeast Asia. The hostel, while being located on the outskirts of town, is perched on a hill with stunning views from their balcony. The beds are basic but pod-style with privacy curtains. They have big security lockers and a bar and restaurant on-site for convenience. Most nights, they will run a family dinner for a small charge, which is great for making friends. Afterwards, they have different events such as beer pong competitions, pool competitions, karaoke nights and other games nights. It is really social; most people will drink every night, and the average age of backpackers is around 18-24. The party isn’t too crazy, but it has more of a party vibe than other hostels in Dalat.
What to do in Dalat
There are so many things to do in Dalat, whether you like adventure activities, history, cultural activities, being outdoors or just relaxing. Not all of these activities and attractions will be for everyone, particularly if you’re on a tighter time frame and trying to see a lot in Vietnam.
Mr Rot’s Secret Tour
Mr Rot’s Secret Tour is one of the best activities you can do in Dalat! Without giving too much away, it is a tour of the countryside, visiting smaller local spots instead of bigger tourist attractions. Mr Rot is a local with a great personality and knowledge of Dalat’s history. The stops on the tour are secret, but I can guarantee you it’s 100% worth it. It costs 200k VND Vietnamese Dong ($8 USD) for the whole day, including all transportation, entrance fees, guides and lunch. Mr Rot’s Secret Tour is a great full-day activity for your first day in Dalat, as Mr Rot will give you a lot of history and recommendations. Be warned, there are many copycat tours claiming to be Mr Rot’s Secret Tour. To book the tour, you can contact Mr Rot directly at:
Email: [email protected]
Whatsapp: +849139533
Canyoning
Another super popular activity in Dalat is canyoning! But be warned, this isn’t for the faint of heart or those scared of heights. If you love adventure activities, then canyoning is a must. Dalat is fairly famous for its canyoning tours, so there are lots of reputable companies running tours every single day. The tour is a half day, starting at around 8 am and finishing up at around 1 pm. It involves trekking, swimming, jumping from waterfalls, rappelling down waterfalls and ziplining. All tours include multiple guides, safety equipment including a helmet, lunch, entrance fees, transportation to and from your hostel and photographs throughout the day. Expect to pay around 1.4 million VND Vietnamese Dong ($60 USD) for the half day.
If you go canyoning, you don’t need to bring anything with you, like your phone or any money, as everything is covered. Wear a swimsuit and bring some clothes clothes to wear in the van two and from town. Once you arrive, you’ll be put in a wetsuit and given all your safety gear, and you’ll need to leave your clothes in the van. Regarding footwear, you need closed-toe shoes (no sandals allowed). You can either wear sneakers with socks if they have a good grip and you don’t mind getting them soaking wet, or you may want to consider buying water shoes from the night market (they’re pretty affordable).
Crazy House
One must-do activity that everyone will enjoy is The Crazy House. It is hard to explain exactly what Crazy House is other than a really weird architectural building, which is both a guesthouse and a work of art in itself. Parts of the house feel like a maze, other parts a fever dream, but either way, there’s a lot to explore. It costs 70k VND Vietnamese Dong ($2.85 USD) to enter. People will generally spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour here. You may want to spend longer if you’re into photography. Crazy House is located in the centre of Dalat, so it is easy to get to either by car, scooter, or food. It’s open every day from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm.
Datanla Waterfall and rollercoaster
If you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably seen this featured in many videos. Datanla Waterfall has a self-controlled rollercoaster that you can catch through the forest down to the waterfall area. If you just want to visit the waterfall you can, you just need to walk around 10-15 minutes down a path and then back up again. The rollercoaster is actually so much fun, though, as it has a handheld brake, so you can control the speed. The waterfall itself is impressive, but you can’t swim there, and it can be quite busy. There’s a whole bunch of random statues, like one of King Kong, around the waterfall.
It costs 50k VND Vietnamese Dong ($2 USD) to enter. The rollercoaster costs 100k VND Vietnamese Dong ($4 USD) for a return ticket in addition to the entrance charge. Once you pay the entrance fee for the waterfall, there’s a second ticket booth just to the right for the rollercoaster. They give you a ticket, and then you join the short queue to get on the rollercoaster. After you’ve made your way down to the bottom of the rollercoaster, an attendant will direct you to the waterfall. Once you’ve seen the waterfall, there’s not really much else to explore, only a small cafe. To return, just queue again and show your ticket, and you can ride the rollercoaster back up to the entrance gate. Most people spend less than an hour here, including both experiencing the rollercoaster and seeing the waterfall.
Visit the French Station and Glass Pagoda
The Glass Pagoda (officially known as Linh Phuoc Pagoda) is one of the most underrated attractions in Dalat! Not many travellers venture out to see it, but it is absolutely stunning. You can get there directly either via scooter or Grab car, or you can catch the old, historic train there, which is an experience in itself. To catch the train, head to Dalat Train Station in town (walkable from the centre).
The train is supposed to leave a few times a day, but depending on the time of year and demand, it may only depart once at 10:55. To avoid disappointment, make sure you arrive at the station by 10:30 at the latest to catch the only confirmed departure. You may want to arrive earlier to explore the historic station or have a coffee in one of the cafes converted from old railway trains. When you first arrive at the train station, you need to pay a small entrance fee even to view the inside of the station. This is only 5k VND Vietnamese Dong ($0.20 USD), payable to the security guard at the gate.
Getting to the Glass Pagoda
After you’ve made your way through the entrance of the station, you’ll need to pay for a one-way ticket to Trai Mat. This costs 125k VND Vietnamese Dong ($5 USD). After you’ve experienced the 30-minute ride on Vietnam’s oldest train and railway, you’ll arrive at Trai Mai Station. From the station, it’s a 5-minute walk to Linh Phuoc Pagoda. The pagoda is free to enter, but you must wear an appropriate temple dress, meaning your knees, shoulders, and torso are covered.
Pay attention to the signs as you need to take off your shoes to enter the central part of the pagoda, and no photos are permitted here. After you’ve visited the centre, you can put your shoes bag on and continue taking photos. Make sure you head to the upstairs area to see one of the tallest Buddha statues in Vietnam. Most people spend around 30 minutes exploring the Glass Pagoda, but you may want to allow extra time if you’re into photography. To get back to Dalat town, you’ll need to book a Grab Car or Scooter.
Walk around the lake and visit the flower garden
Not exactly a must-do, but it is a nice way to get some fresh air and explore Dalat on foot by yourself. In the centre of Dalat town, there is a massive lake called Xuan Huong Lake. If you fancy a walk, you can walk around the boundary of the lake, which will take you around an hour at a leisurely pace. This walk will take you past the night market, the town square, a gold course/ garden area and the Dalat Flower Garden (called Vườn hoa thành phố Đà Lạt). Once a year, Dalat holds a famous flower festival, which occurs at the end of January. If you want to enter the flower garden, it costs 60k VND Vietnamese Dong ($2.50 USD).
Catch the Cable Car to the Zen Monastery
Another great activity is to visit the Zen Monastery on the hill just outside Dalat. You can get a Grab car or drive a scooter to get here; it’s not far from the Datanla Waterfall. Alternatively, you can also get a cable car up the hill to the monastery, which is an experience in itself. The monastery is completely free to visit, but you must dress in temple-appropriate clothing, meaning your shoulders, knees and torso are covered.
If you want to get the cable car there, it is 120k VND Vietnamese Dong ($5 USD) for a return ticket. The cable car runs from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm every day. You need to make sure you don’t miss the last cable car back down at 4:30 pm. Most people will spend around 30-60 minutes exploring the Zen Monastery. If you’re also taking the cable car, allow 2 hours for the experience of the monastery and the cable car.
Where to eat in Dalat
There are many great cafes, bakeries, and other eateries around Dalat’s centre. This guide will focus more on cafes and breakfast/ lunch eateries as the majority of backpackers will either eat at the Night Market or, more commonly, family dinners at their hostel. For many day tours and excursions, chances are lunch is included, or you’ll be outside of the city and grabbing on the go, as opposed to eating in Dalat.
Dalat Night Market
Dalat Night Market is the place to go for dinner on a budget if you want an alternative to family dinner at your hostel. They have a number of street foods, such as Vietnamese pancakes, grilled skewers, noodle soup, fresh fruit and avocado ice cream. If you want more of a sit-down vibe, there are also local restaurants lining the street that offer a range of Vietnamese foods. Many of them specialise in hot pots of Korean BBQ-style meat and vegetables that you cook yourself on a little table BBQ.
Lien Hoi Bakery
This is one place you have to try, and it’s perfect if you want to grab a takeaway lunch before a day of exploring outside of the city. Lien Hoi Bakery is a self-serve bakery filled with all kinds of sweet and savoury products, with a mix of both Vietnamese and European-style pastries. You just grab a tray and tongs, pick whatever you like, and then head to the pay station. Perhaps the most impressive part is their Bahn Mi Station, which is like a Subway sandwich shop where you pick exactly what you want and eat your own custom-made Bahn Mi! If you don’t want your food to go, they have steps at the back of the store leading to a small area with tables and chairs for dining in.
One More Cafe
One More Cafe is the brunch spot in Dalat. They’re a small storefront but have three levels of seating, where they serve great brunch options and coffees. The first and second floors are perfect for people-watching, journalling, socialising and playing with their cute dogs. The third level is a free coworking space (free as long as you keep ordering drinks) with power points, fast wifi and whiteboards.
An Cafe
An Cafe is another great brunch option in Dalat! They are perched upon a hill, with seating along a few levels, facing out onto the street, which is perfect for people-watching. The cafe has a minimalist vibe and is really aesthetic, with lots of greenery. The food and coffee are both 10/10/
The Choco
This is the perfect dessert stop for after the Night Market or if you need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. The Choco is a chocolate shop and cafe where you can enjoy a free tasting of different types of chocolate made in the surrounding areas of Dalat. They have various hot chocolates, coffees, ice chocolates and cakes, including their famous Baileys Hot Chocolate.
Dalat Nightlife
Dalat Nightlife revolves around two popular institutions: Maze Bar and King Kong Hostel. Maze Bar is the most famous, and for good reason! Even if you’re not really into nightlife, it is such a cool place to explore. It’s essentially a multi-level maze with lots of nooks and crannies and hidden staircases. Maze Bar is free to enter, but you must purchase at least one drink at the door to enter. There’s a bar at the bottom and another on the top floor. Maze Bar is open during the day (but extremely quiet) and closes at around midnight. Maze Bar is the place everyone goes to after the hostel bars close, so it tends to get busy from around 9 pm to midnight. If you have a group of people, I strongly recommend playing hide and seek in Maze Bar!
Best late night party location
When Maze Bar closes at midnight, everyone heads to King Kong Hostel, which is the only place open for afters. There are usually free shuttles heading there when Maze Bar shuts. King Kong Hostel Bar is in a pretty inconspicuous location in a residential apartment building. Usually, if you get the free shuttle bus, they put you in the elevator to make sure you get to the right floor. Otherwise, make sure you go to the 6th floor (be warned, the elevator is slow!). On the 6th floor, you’ll find a lively bar/club with music, a bit of a dance floor, cheap drinks, and lots of fluro wall art. King Kong Hostel Bar only really gets busy from midnight as it is more of an afters place. It stays open until around 4 am if enough people are still partying.
Did you find this blog post helpful? Want to see more travel tips and recommendations?
Join me on Tik Tok and Instagram for daily travel content!
This blog is a free and independent source of information for all things travel and backpacking. If you benefitted from the information on this blog, please consider using the affiliate links to book hostels/activities etc. This will be at no extra cost to you but helps subsidise the cost of running a free travel blog.
