3 Days in Da Nang: Itinerary, Costs & Where to Stay
A practical 3 days in Da Nang plan: Han Market, Ba Na Hills and Hội An, with transport, costs, rain backups and where to stay.
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Last updated November 2026: this plan for 3 days in Da Nang puts the city and Han River on day one, Ba Na Hills on day two and Hội An on day three. Base yourself near My Khe Beach or the Han River, and weigh one trade-off: a Hội An day or a second Da Nang day. Each day has a morning, afternoon and evening block, plus a rain swap.
Featured image: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a Glance: 3 Days in Da Nang
Stay in Da Nang for all three nights and treat each day as a self-contained loop. Day one stays in the city, day two climbs to Ba Na Hills, and day three heads south. Unsure that three days is the right length? Our guide to choosing your trip length weighs the options. Airport and fare details sit in the transport section below.
| Day | Theme | Main stops | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City and river | Cham museum, Han Market, Dragon Bridge | Walk or short Grab ride |
| 2 | Mountain resort | Ba Na Hills, Golden Bridge | Private car or day-hire Grab, about 25 km west |
| 3 | Heritage town | Hội An Ancient Town | Grab or private car, about 30 km south |
- Day 1: Museum of Cham Sculpture, Han Market, Dragon Bridge and the Han River promenade.
- Day 2: Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge, with an early start.
- Day 3: Hội An Ancient Town, or Marble Mountains, Linh Ung Pagoda and My Khe Beach for a second Da Nang day.
How to Choose Your Day Order
Ba Na Hills goes on day two for a reason. A cloudy or rainy day at the summit is a poor trade, so keeping day three flexible gives you a swap. Hội An goes last because you can lengthen or shorten that day easily. If the forecast turns bad for day two, trade it with the Da Nang alternative on day three. Steep steps at Marble Mountains can be slippery when wet, so the Museum of Cham Sculpture is the safer indoor fallback.
- Pick Hội An if this is your only chance to see it.
- Pick the second Da Nang day if you already sleep a night in Hội An elsewhere on your route.
- Still undecided? Read our comparison of both bases.
Day 1: Cham Museum, Han Market and Dragon Bridge
Start at the Museum of Cham Sculpture, which houses Cham sculpture and works in any weather. Walk or take a short Grab ride to Han Market for lunch. Local dishes there include mì Quảng and bánh xèo, and cash is the safe way to pay. Walk the Han River promenade as the light fades. Dragon Bridge lights up at night and breathes fire on weekend nights. Show times are reported between 8 PM and 9 PM, so check the city tourism site for the current slot. Reach the east-bank Trần Hưng Đạo promenade by 8:30 PM for a standing spot.
- Morning: Museum of Cham Sculpture. Opening hours are on its website.
- Afternoon: Han Market for lunch and souvenirs.
- Evening: Han River promenade, then Dragon Bridge.
- Skip if: the day is a weekday and you want an early night. The Bridge show is a weekend event.
- Rain swap: stay inside the museum and market, and do the promenade after the shower.
Day 2: Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge
Ba Na Hills sits about 25 km west of Da Nang. Leave your hotel by 8:00 AM, with a private car or day-hire Grab booked the evening before. Aim to reach the 150 m Golden Bridge between 9:30 and 10:00 AM, before tour groups peak. Summit air is cooler than the coast, so carry a light layer. Current ticket prices in dong and what they include are listed on the Ba Na Hills official site. Spend the afternoon in the French Village, then head down to reach Da Nang by about 5:00 PM.
- Morning: cable car up, then the Golden Bridge.
- Afternoon: French Village and lunch on the hill.
- Evening: dinner along Phạm Văn Đồng beachfront road.
- Skip if: low cloud covers the summit. Swap with the Day 3 Da Nang alternative.
- Transit: roughly 25 km each way.
Day 3: Hội An Ancient Town or a Second Da Nang Day
Hội An is about 30 km south and takes roughly 45 minutes. A one-way Grab runs about 300,000–400,000 VND, and a return with waiting is roughly 600,000–800,000 VND. Prices and hours checked November 2026. Arrive by 8:00 AM and walk Trần Phú and Nguyễn Thái Học streets before the shops open. A combined ticket costs 80,000 VND for five sites at the Hội An Tourist Information Center. Try cao lầu and white rose dumplings for lunch, then leave by 4:00 PM. Prefer to stay local? Climb Thủy Sơn at Marble Mountains by 8:00 AM, for about 40,000 VND. Then visit Linh Ung Pagoda on the Sơn Trà Peninsula, home to a 67 m Lady Buddha. Entry is free, and shoulders and knees must be covered. Finish at My Khe Beach.
- Morning: Hội An lanes and the Japanese Covered Bridge, or Thủy Sơn.
- Afternoon: ticketed sites and lunch, or Linh Ung Pagoda.
- Evening: dinner back in Da Nang, or sunset at My Khe Beach.
- Rain swap: Hội An's assembly halls give cover, and Linh Ung works as a shorter stop.
Where to Stay in Da Nang
Pick the area that matches your priorities, since every day above starts with a ride. Options run from dorm beds to resorts, so budget and style both fit.
| Area | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| My Khe Beach strip | First-timers who want beach and city access | Rides to Han Market and the bridge each evening |
| City center near Han River | Walking to Dragon Bridge and Han Market | Beach is a ride away |
| Sơn Trà side | Seclusion and resort stays | Reported 30 minutes from the city center |
Getting Around and Airport Transfer
Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is a few kilometers from the center. A taxi or Grab ride takes roughly 10–15 minutes. Grab to Non Nước Beach is reported at 80,000–120,000 VND. Metered Grab rides are usually cheaper than negotiated taxi fares. For Ba Na Hills and Hội An, a private car or day-hire Grab saves repeated bookings. Ask your hotel to arrange it a day ahead.
Budget for 3 Days
Hotel prices swing widely, so they are shown as levels rather than numbers. Fares and fees below are the reported figures used in this plan. Ba Na Hills tickets are not listed because the official site holds the current price.
| Item | Low | Mid | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room per night | Dorm or homestay | Mid-range hotel | Beach resort |
| Airport Grab | 80,000–120,000 VND | 80,000–120,000 VND | 80,000–120,000 VND |
| Marble Mountains entry | About 40,000 VND | About 40,000 VND | About 40,000 VND |
| Hội An combined ticket | 80,000 VND | 80,000 VND | 80,000 VND |
| Hội An transport | One-way Grab, 300,000–400,000 VND | Return Grab, 600,000–800,000 VND | Private car, price varies |
Mistakes to Avoid
A few small errors cost the most time.
Ba Na Hills needs you out of your hotel by 8:00 AM. Hội An means arriving by 8:00 AM, so same-morning transfer bookings leave no slack.
- Planning Dragon Bridge on a weekday. The fire show is a weekend event.
- Wearing shorts or bare shoulders to Linh Ung Pagoda.
- Arriving at Han Market without cash.
- Booking a Ba Na Hills transfer the same morning.
- Wearing smooth shoes on the Marble Mountains steps.
Best Time to Visit and Weather Planning
Da Nang's drier months run roughly February to August, and September to January brings heavier rain and occasional typhoons. Sources vary on the best window, with March to May often named as a balanced stretch. Check Vietnam's national meteorological service before booking. For planning basics, Vietnam's national tourism authority is a starting point. In wet months, keep day two flexible and rely on the swap rule above.
Wet months make the 25 km trip to Ba Na Hills a gamble, so keep the day three Da Nang option ready as the swap.
Is It Worth It? Next Steps
For most first-timers, this plan covers the city, a mountain day and a heritage town without rushing. Our guide on whether Da Nang is worth visiting covers the case for and against. If beach time is the real goal, compare it with Nha Trang in our beach base comparison.
Useful notes for your Vietnam trip
Optional updates to our guides.
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