Things to do in Da Lat
Attractions and distractions
Attractions and distractions
The moment that Rot started making naughty jokes about vegetables in the middle of the market, we knew this tour was special. Mr Rot’s Secret Tour is a refreshing alternative to conventional Da Lat Easy Rider tours. And though we left the market in stitches, it’s not all fun and games. The Secret Tour is a window into Vietnamese and K’Ho minority ... Read more about Mr Rot's Secret Tour .
What is canyoning? Da Lat is a great place to learn what it is first hand. You’ll navigate your way down a canyon and waterfalls by abseiling (aka rappelling), scrambling, zip lining, jumping and swimming. No previous experience required, just a little ... Read more about Canyoning .
If you had to summarise Da Lat, it would be countryside and waterfalls, and motorbike is the best way to experience both. Get on two wheels in order to smell the pines, see the flowers, feel the cold air brush your skin and drink in the stunning pastoral ... Read more about Easy Rider Tour .
Fewer tourists venture to Pongour Waterfall given its distance from Da Lat and that means the falls is almost free of tourist kitsch. Pongour is worth the journey and if you had to choose just one waterfall to visit while in Da Lat, we’d rank this over both Datanla and Elephant Waterfalls. Entrance costs 10,000 VND and the parking pad has a few of the usual overpriced drinks and snack shops. ... Read more about Pongour Waterfall .
Crazy House lives up to its name. It is crazy, as well as wacky, eccentric and weird. Enter through the gate and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a Salvador Dali painting and Disney’s Haunted House with a dash of Hobbiton rolled into one. The buildings, which you can freely explore, have melting walls, fluid organic lines, gnarled twisted forms. Pillars grow like tree roots and the ... Read more about Crazy House .
Truc Lam Pagoda is a Zen Buddhist monastery six kilometres south of Da Lat city centre. Set on top of a hill shrouded in pine forest, it’s a pleasure to take a quiet stroll through the grounds which are full of exceptionally pretty ... Read more about Truc Lam Pagoda and Tuyen Lam Lake .
Consisting of three peaks, Lang Biang Mountain offers a fantastic vista of the surrounding hills and lakes. Visitors have the option of venturing to the old radar station-turned-tourist centre at 1,950 metres by old Russian jeep or on their own two feet through pine forest up to Lang Biang Peak (2,167 metres). You’ll be rewarded with a view worthy of the three-hour uphill ... Read more about Lang Biang Mountain .
The Elephant Waterfalls or Thac Voi is a waterfall located at Nam Ban village, 28 kilometres from Da Lat’s city centre. It is an impressive sight, especially since you can stand quite close to the cascade, and it is a stop on most Da Lat motorcycle/Easy Rider day tours. It only takes 10 minutes to reach the bottom of the falls but the way down is tricky. The first half is on bricked stairs ... Read more about Elephant Waterfalls .
Datanla Waterfall (Thac Datanla) itself is an attractive series of cascades – but the falls themselves are the secondary attraction in this case study of “how to enhance nature”. Nature just couldn’t be left alone. Datanla is a choose your own adventure fun park. For 50,000 VND, you can zip down the hill to the bottom on a control-your-own-speed alpine coaster (think of it as a ... Read more about Datanla Waterfall .
Float through pine forest and soar over Da Lat’s famed verdant hills on the city’s 2.4-kilometre cable car. On a clear day you’ll be able to see farmland, greenhouses, lakes and distant mountains. The cable car connects Robin Hill, which has the usual cafe and souvenir shop, to Truc Lam Pagoda and Tuyen Lake – both are definitely worth the visit. Robin Hill is three kilometres south of ... Read more about Cable Car .
Completed in 1952, Linh Phuoc Pagoda is covered in ornate, colourful mosaic made from pieces of pottery and glass. The tile-work is stunning and begs for a closer look. In addition to a main temple, there is a 36-metre tall tower with an 8,500 kilogram bell. It also won’t be hard to spot the 49-metre long flying dragon statue in the garden, its scale made from broken glass bottles. The ... Read more about Linh Phuoc Pagoda .
Built in 1940, Linh Son Pagoda is a peaceful respite located on a small hill in the city and a stroll through here is a quiet pleasure. We visited here at 16:00 and we discovered we were the only person there except for a lone monk chanting prayers, the steady beat of his bell and drum ringing throughout the temple. Behind the main hall there is a small garden where city noise seems to ... Read more about Linh Son Pagoda .
Bao Dai Summer Palace (Dinh Bao Dai) was said to be Bao Dai’s favourite among his many holiday retreats because of the good hunting on the grounds. Hunting was a favourite pastime for the Emperor, whose legacy is that of puppet king controlled by the French and a playboy who led a lavish lifestyle. Born Prince Nguyen Phuoc Vinh Thuy, Bao Dai was the 13th and last emperor of the Nguyen ... Read more about Bao Dai Palace .
If you are a romantic and have visions of strolling hand in hand with your beloved, then the Valley of Love is the place. If you’re a cynic, this place will curl your toes. Da Lat is the honeymoon capital of Vietnam and this park is one of the most popular attractions for domestic tourists. The park’s central feature, Da Thien Lake, is actually beautiful – if you can imagine away the ... Read more about Valley of Love (Vallee d’Amour) .
Sent every Monday, our newsletter is full of travel advice, news & special deals. Read past issues.