DaLat a charming small city in the mountains of South Vietnam is a very beautiful colonial town with a fantastic scenery, charming people and colonial architecture. Famous as the HoneyMoon city by the locals, DaLat offers many different attractions for tourist to visit.
DaLat is very accessible to reach by bus from the main hubs of South Vietnam such as Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang.
We recommend you plan your visit to DaLat for at least 2 nights so you can get the most out of your stay in DaLat. We stayed 4 nights and had something new to do every day. If you are still deciding if you should visit DaLat while you are in Vietnam we definitely recommend it as we enjoyed our days in this beautiful little city.
Here is a list of what to do in DaLat
Visit the Thien Vuong Pagoda and Monastery by the Truc Lam Cable Car
The Thien Vuong Zen Buddhist monastery is nested on top of a mountain in Da Lat. This beautifully well kept monastery is a must while you are in DaLat. The views to the lake from the top are amazing, the gardens are beautiful and the whole place has a very serene and calm atmosphere. You can visit the monastery either by bus, taxi or Cable Car. We totally recommend you take the ride on the Truc Lam Cable Car as you will get a birds eye view of DaLat and its surroundings.
Take the Train to the Linh Phuoc Pagoda Pagoda
DaLat train station is the oldest one in Vietnam and they keep it very well. Taking the train to the Linh Phuoc Pagoda pagoda by train will make you feel like you step back in time. The small cabin train used to take tourist to the pagodas looks like something out of a 1930s movie and the train station itself is very unique.
The Linh Phuoc Pagoda Pagoda is a work of art. It is completely made out of shattered pieces of glass and ceramic. They have an onsite art workshop where you can see the talented artist working on new sculptures, pieces of art, wood and cement furniture and much more. The pagoda has different building filled of beautiful pieces of art, giant Buddhas as much more.
Crazy House.
The crazy house designed by Dang Viet Nga has been her life project taking more than 20 years to be completed, and as of 2015 is still in progress as they are building a “Crazy Hotel” adjacent to it. The crazy house is a pretty cool place to visit while in Da Lat, its amazing and genius architecture makes it one of the most unique places to visit in Da Lat.
Elephant Falls
Most tourist will book a tour to the Elephant Falls and some of the other sights of DaLat, including local villages and silk weaving factories. Make sure you shop around as you know every single tourist office will offer you different prices. We took a tour offered by our hotel by motorcycle, it was $35USD per person with everything included.
The Elephant Falls are beautiful and a very nice place to visit. Make sure you take good hiking shoes or sneakers as the walk down to the waterfalls is pretty slippery.
Walk around the Xuan Huong Lake.
The — lake is probably one of the best sights of DaLat and makes the whole town look that much more interesting. Take a stroll around the late at any time, and stop at one of the many cafes around the lake to have a very relaxing drink with a beautiful view.
City Center and Market.
DaLat city center has one big market and many different shops around it where you can find anything from clothes to fresh food. Walk around the city center area and explore the daily life of locals in DaLat.
NightLife
Da Lat is famous for its Karaoke scene, so if you enjoy going to karaoke with a couple of your friends you will have plenty of options for this. On the other hand Da Lat offers many cafes, restaurants and bars around the city center where you can enjoy some beers or local wines at night. Keep in mind that most bars in DaLat seem to close around 11pm. You can find a handful of Disco Clubs that open till 2am.
Do not hesitate to shot us an email if you have any questions about the best things to do in Da Lat, Vietnam.
