Da Lat, as we know it
Ask a Saigon family where they go to cool off and the answer is Da Lat. We treat it the same way: a coffee farm before the tourist sights, the central market at the hour the growers arrive, and a night in a pine-shaded villa rather than a tower hotel.
Sitting at around 1,500 metres in the Central Highlands, Da Lat owes its whole character to altitude: temperatures stay mild all year even as Vietnam's coast and lowland cities bake, earning the town its 'City of Eternal Spring' nickname. French colonial settlers chose the site for a hill-station escape in the early twentieth century, and their legacy survives in the villas, pine woodland and tidy gardens scattered across town.
Xuan Huong Lake sits at the centre of town, ringed by hillsides growing flowers, coffee and vegetables for much of the south, with shrines, cascades and a scattering of golf courses further afield. Lien Khuong (DLI) is Da Lat's own airport, and the town is also within a 4-5 hour drive by road of either Mui Ne or Ho Chi Minh City.
The cooler climate and unhurried pace make Da Lat a good change of tempo after a beach or city stretch of a trip, and it's a favourite with couples travelling on a honeymoon or anniversary itinerary.
What fills the days in Da Lat
Crazy House
An eccentric, tree-shaped guesthouse that has become one of the town's best-known landmarks — nothing else on a Vietnam itinerary looks like it.
Datanla Waterfall
A forested waterfall reached on foot or by a toboggan-style descent.
Truc Lam Zen Monastery
Reach this active Zen Buddhist monastery by riding a cable car above the pine forest.
Xuan Huong Lake
The town's central lake, easy to walk or cycle around.
Lang Biang Peak
Get here on foot or by jeep for sweeping views across the highlands around town.
Flower gardens & Da Lat Market
The central market and nearby flower farms reflect Da Lat's status as a major supplier of Vietnam's produce and blooms.
The practical bits
| When to come | Mild all year thanks to the altitude; December to March has the least rain |
| Getting in | Lien Khuong Airport, or four to five hours by road up from Ho Chi Minh City or Mui Ne |
| Getting about | On foot around the lake, by car for farms and waterfalls outside town |
| Height | Roughly 1,500 metres above sea level |
| Money | Vietnamese Dong; the market is cash only |
Our trips that pass through Da Lat
10D/9N Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne, Da Lat & Da Nang
A longer south-to-central route that adds Da Nang after Da Lat.
We can reorder a Da Lat visit around Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne, or stretch it onward to Da Nang or Nha Trang. Send us your travel dates and group size, and we'll reply with a day-by-day itinerary and hotel choices.