How to visit Dalat, Vietnam

Think everywhere in Vietnam is hot? Think again!

The Central Highlands region in Vietnam is hilly and temperate. It’s quite different to the rest of the country.

I visited Dalat, the most popular city to visit in the region, back in November 2023, and had mixed feelings – although I can see all the great things that make it a firm favourite for locals, they didn’t quite work for me.

Following my visit, I’ve written this guide to the city to help you plan your own visit. It contains information on what to do and where to stay, as well as my honest thoughts on the Dalat experience. I hope it’s useful!

About Dalat

Dalat is a city in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam.

Completely different to other places in Vietnam, the Central Highlands are hilly, with a higher altitude. Here, you’ll find a cooler climate reminiscent of Western Europe, which is conducive for growing crops like strawberries, flowers and grapes.

The Central Highlands are also known for being home to upwards of thirty ethnic groups with their own traditions and culture.

A popular destination for domestic tourists

During my time volunteering in Da Nang, I often asked the locals we met where they’d like to visit most in Vietnam. Almost everyone said Dalat!

Why? They quoted the cooler climate.

Considering this, it’s no surprise how popular Dalat is with domestic tourists. In particular, we were told it’s popular for honeymoons due to its romantic atmosphere.

I can understand why people think that. You could feel the difference when visiting as well – compared to other tourist cities in Vietnam, it felt like there were a lot more places catering to local tourists.

Dalat as a destination for international tourists

Dalat is also pretty popular with international tourists. It’s often included as a stop between Hoi An to the north, and Ho Chi Minh City to the south.

I personally think that Dalat isn’t as impressive for international tourists as it might be for locals. Its landscapes and climate are quite similar to something you’d see in the UK and Western Europe, so it didn’t have the same wow factor for us. We liked the city and surrounding countryside, but part of the appeal was that it reminded us of British summer!

Still, Dalat is a good option if you want to experience a bit more of the south and get a flavour of this region. If you don’t want to take a domestic flight, it makes for a sensible stopover between other cities.

What is Dalat like?

Like the surrounding land, Dalat is undulating and hilly. The city feels culturally similar to the rest of Vietnam, but, as it’s cooler, most people are wearing long trousers, jackets and even coats – quite different to the shorts attire worn elsewhere!

It’s common to see architecture in a European style. That’s because Dalat was popular with French colonialists, who developed it as a holiday retreat.

Head out of Dalat and you’ll find rolling forest and farmland, with plenty of rural villages.

The Central Highlands are also known for being the only place in Vietnam that can produce wine and coffee. It makes it a very fun place to visit for trying out different foods and drinks!

Ratings

As part of this blog, I give every place I visit a rating so that I can easily compare destinations and decide whether they’re worth a visit. Those are the scores you see at the top of the page!

This is how Dalat rated:

• Safety: 5/5 – Dalat feels very safe and I never had any concerns.
• Accessibility: 3/5 – it’s easy to get to Dalat. However, as with the rest of Vietnam, a lot of places don’t have step-free access. Also, many of the activities require the use of a scooter to access them.
• Enjoyment: 3/5 – I enjoyed my time in Dalat but, as it’s somewhere relatively similar to home, I didn’t feel like I got as much enjoyment out of it as I did in other areas of Vietnam. I also found it difficult to explore without using a scooter.
• Value: 5/5 – the accommodation is the cheapest of all the places I visited in Vietnam, and many of the attractions are free or reasonably priced!

Overall score: 4/5

If you’ve already visited, let me know if you agree with these ratings! Just to note, the ratings are my personal opinion based on my visit, so you might have a completely different experience.

More: how I rank destinations using the Everywhere Ratings system

How to get to Dalat

It’s fairly easy to get to Dalat. There are direct domestic flights to the city from places, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi, for fairly low prices.

Another option is to catch the bus from destinations in Central and Southern Vietnam, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Miu Ne and Nha Trang. There’s a bus conveniently leaving from Ho Chi Minh City every hour, and a sleeper bus leaves to Hoi An every evening as well.

The sleeper buses in Vietnam are generally okay. The route from Dalat in either direction doesn’t cover the best roads, as there are some bendy sections, but I didn’t find any of it a problem.

For bus booking, I’d recommend organising it with your hostel or hotel. We found all the hotel staff and owners to be very hospitable and happy to organise onward journeys. They often will organise your taxi and transfers as well.

However, 12go.asia is a great resource if you want to book it yourself, for access to the greatest range of departures and bus companies.

Dalat is also connected to Mui Ne by train, but I don’t have any experience on this route! It’s the only train link that Dalat has.

Where to eat in Dalat

Dalat is a fairly big city and I frankly have no idea which restaurants are best.

Most hostels in Dalat offer a family dinner option, which we took up several times. These dinners normally have a homely, comforting vibe, and are a great way to meet other travellers in the region.

When in Dalat, I’d recommend trying some of the foods the area is known for, such as strawberries, coffee and wine. You can visit farms which grow this produce, and try it at coffee shops and bars throughout the city too.

Where to stay in Dalat

Dalat is a walkable city. Not all the hostels and hotels are located near the main city attractions, but that’s okay as the centre isn’t too big.

We stayed at the Note Hostel, which had a nice vibe. It wasn’t fancy in the slightest, but we liked the family running it. Like most hostels in Dalat, they offer a family dinner, which gives it a gentle social vibe. Most importantly, they had the friendliest cat, Ken!

There are plenty of other hostels and hotels in the centre, most of which are affordable, with hostel beds going for a couple of dollars.

What to do

1. Ride the Alpine coaster at Datanla Waterfall

The area surrounding Dalat, being so mountainous, is FULL of waterfalls. One such waterfall is Datanla, around 15 mins’ drive from the centre.

To be honest, I didn’t find Datanla Waterfall to be that impressive. The water is very brown! However, most people aren’t visiting to see the waterfall itself: more so to ride their Alpine coaster.

Alpine coasters are coasters which you can control the speed of, which make for fun rides. There are two tracks you can choose from to take you down to Datanla Waterfall.

At 250,000 dong ($10 / £8) per person for the longer coaster, I thought it was a little steep. However, it was fun and is certainly something different to do when you’re in the area!

2. Visit a farm to try local produce

Given the cooler climate and higher altitude of the Central Highlands, you’ll find the production of many products which are only grown in this area of Vietnam. If you’re a Brit like me, it’s closer to what you’ll find at home!

There were three foods that really tempted me in the area (strawberries, coffee and wine). We ran out of time to get to all of them 🙁

You can find strawberry farms all around the outskirts of Dalat so it’s super easy to visit one of these. We went to Deo May which was super nice; the owners were so friendly and even gave us a free bouquet of chrysanthemums to take with us!

Most vineyards and coffee plantations are slightly further out and best accessed using a scooter.

3. Visit Tam Tuyen Lake

We were recommended a visit to Tam Tuyen Lake. This is a big reservoir on the outskirts of Dalat, super close to Datanla Waterfall, which offers pretty views. They also have boat trips and pedalos.

However, I can’t lie: I didn’t get the vibe of the lake or why it was recommended to us. It felt more like a place where tourists would come to pose and take pretty photos, instead of an actual destination you’d want to visit.

It is close to Truc Lam Monastery though, so it’s something to nip down to if you go to this area!

4. Truc Lam Monastery and Dalat Cable Car

For a more spiritual experience in Dalat, head to Truc Lam Monastery. Overlooking Tam Tuyen Lake, it forms a complex which is very peaceful. Additionally, it’s freeee!

Getting to Truc Lam Monastery is easy to get to, not just by road, but also by cable car. Since the early 2000s a cable car has connected the monastery to the outskirts of Dalat. The cable car takes you on a 2 km journey over pretty forest, with views of Tam Tuyen Lake in the distance.

The cable car costs 120,000 dong ($5 / £3.70) for a return ticket or 100,000 dong ($4 / £3) one-way. Don’t expect as luxurious an experience as in other areas of Vietnam – Ba Na Hills, I’m looking at you – but I thought it was quaint, or as quaint as you can get a cable car to be, at least.

5. Head for a hike in the mountains

Of course, considering Dalat is in the mountains, I couldn’t write this list without adding in a hike…

Possibly the most popular hiking trail is at Lang Biang, around 10 km from the city. But there are other options which you can explore either on your own or on a group tour.

6. Take a canyoning tour

If you like adventure activities, a canyoning tour in Dalat may be perfect for you.

We didn’t do this as the trip works out fairly expensive – expect to pay around $80 to $90 (£60 to £70) per person for a day trip. However, I heard great things.

7. Go on Mr Rot’s Secret Tour

For an unusual experience, check out Mr Rot’s Secret Tour. We did this and really enjoyed it. It rates as one of the most interesting experiences we had in all of Vietnam!

I won’t tell you what we did – that would ruin the secret. But check it out once you get to Dalat!

8. Visit Elephant Falls

Another place of interest is Elephant Falls, also known as Thac Voi. Around 1 hour from Dalat, this waterfall is hard to get to outside taking a tour or renting a scooter.

I liked the waterfall, but to be honest I don’t think it’s worth a trip on its own – although I have seen a lot of waterfalls, so perhaps I am a bit spoilt in this regard. However, it’s right next to Linh An pagoda, so if you’re going there you may as well add Elephant Falls to your trip as well!

9. Climb up the Lady Buddha statue at Linh An Pagoda

You’ll find Linh An Pagoda on the hillside, overlooking Elephant Falls. This pagoda is notable for its large Lady Buddha, which you can climb up!

You can go up the stairs to the top of the statue, visiting shrines at each level. I have no idea if you can do that at other Lady Buddha statues and I just never knew, or if it’s something unique to this one.

It was actually quite eerie. It was dark inside and the lights weren’t on, but music was playing, so the whole experience felt spiritual. The walls, ceilings and floors inside are intricately decorated, and I felt like I was in a painting! The shrines inside are so pretty and interesting to see.

10. Take an easy rider countryside tour

Many experiences outside Dalat can be combined as part of a countryside tour, which is a good way of seeing lots of places if you don’t drive a motorbike. There are many agencies offering this tour, either inside a minibus or on an easy rider.

Whilst being in a minibus doesn’t sound too bad, easy rider tours, where you’re on the back of a motorbike, are so fun. Being on a scooter, with 360 degree views, hits different, and I always feel a stronger connection to my surroundings.

11. Join a multi-day easy rider tour

If you want to experience more of the surrounding area, another option is to join a multi-day easy rider tour. Depending on what you want, you can do multi-day round trips from Dalat through the Central Highlands, visiting indigenous villages and local communities; from Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City, visiting Miue Ne and other towns along the way; or visiting local homestays on the way to Nha Trang.

I only met one person who did this, but we seriously considered it; we just didn’t have enough time to do it (or money – it costs around $75 / £60 per day excluding food). It sounds like a great way to experience some spots off the beaten track!

12. Visit a silk factory

A common stop on a countryside tour is to see a silk factory. There’s several in the area.

I have to say, I wasn’t that bothered about visiting a silk factory until I went myself. It’s actually super interesting to see the production process and I’m glad I went!

13. Explore the Crazy House

One of the top attractions in Dalat is the Crazy House. This is a hotel which was developed in a fantastical way. Think spiralling staircases, brightly painted murals, and mystical walkways.

I ran out of time to visit the Crazy House. However, I heard good things. Apparently it’s very fun to visit!

14. Have a drink at the Maze Bar

Another Dalat attraction is the Maze Bar. This bar was developed as a multi-level maze, full of hidden nooks and crannies, random designs and staircases!

I loved Maze Bar and think it would be quite fun when drunk. You just buy a drink at the entrance and are then free to explore!

Tip: head in before 9 pm, as the outdoor garden area (which is worth exploring) closes at this time. Most hostel groups don’t leave until after 10 pm, which is sensible if you’re only going for a social party experience, but you will miss the garden area on these trips!

Conclusion

Dalat is an interesting city in Vietnam which is worth a visit if you’re missing a cooler climate. It makes a good stop if you’re travelling between South and Central Vietnam, and may particularly appeal to you if you love hiking or waterfalls.

That being said, I wasn’t as keen on the city as I expected. Regardless, I’m glad I experienced it as it is so popular with the Vietnamese!

Do you have any questions about visiting Dalat? Let me know in the comments.

Heading on a longer tour of Vietnam? Check out my guides to Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Hoi An