Da Lat itinerary: how to spend 1, 2 or 3 days

How many days

• 1 day: Day 1

  One day covers the early train to Trai Mat, the Chicken Church, Crazy House, Datanla falls, the lake and the night market, and leaves out the mountain and the farms.

• 2 days: Days 1 to 2

  Two days add Lang Biang by jeep, a coffee farm in a K'Ho village, the cable car to Truc Lam and Tuyen Lam Lake.

• 3 days: Days 1 to 3

  Three days add Pongour falls and Linh An Pagoda south of the city, and Bao Dai's summer palace.

Day 1

The Trai Mat train, Crazy House, Datanla falls and the night market

07:30 to about 17:30 · 8 stops · entry fees VND 230,000 a person

1. 07:301

   

   Do · 20 min

   Da Lat station and the first train

   Cost: One way on the 07:50 train; later daytime trains VND 87,000 hard seat or VND 101,000 soft seat.

   The station east of Xuan Huong Lake, designed in 1932 and opened in 1938, is the end of the old line down to Thap Cham, and only the 7 km to Trai Mat still runs. Take DL1 at 07:50, the train with the lowest fare; later departures are at 09:55, 14:05, 16:10 and 18:15, with 12:00 and 20:20 when there is demand. Each way takes half an hour and the train waits about 30 minutes at Trai Mat. Buy a return at the counter.

   Image: Nguyen Huong / Unsplash

   ↓By train, 4.9 km. DL1 07:50 to Trai Mat, arriving 08:20.

2. 08:202

   

   Sight · 30 min

   Linh Phuoc Pagoda at Trai Mat

   Cost: Free; donations welcome.

   Linh Phuoc Pagoda, a few minutes' walk from Trai Mat station, is covered in mosaics, and its dragon's head is made from 12,000 beer bottles. The half hour between trains was enough for it, the Mini Adventures blogger found when she rode out. Leave at least five minutes to get back to the platform, she advises, because crossing the road can take a while. Dress for a temple, with shoulders and knees covered, and take your shoes off where others do.

   Image: Hai Nguyen / Unsplash

   ↓By train, 6.8 km. DL2 08:50 back to Da Lat, arriving 09:20, then a Grab car of about 2 km.

3. 09:403

   

   Sight · 30 min

   Da Lat Cathedral, the Chicken Church

   Cost: Free

   Locals call the cathedral of Saint Nicholas on Tran Phu Street the Chicken Church, after the bronze rooster on top of its 47 m bell tower. It was begun in 1931 and opened in 1942, and its 70 stained-glass panels were made by the Louis Balmet workshop in Grenoble. The doors are open for Mass; at other times you may only see the outside from the steps. Crazy House is a short walk on.

   Image: Quang Lê / Unsplash

   ↓About 10 min walk, 0.9 km. About 1 km along Tran Phu and Huynh Thuc Khang.

4. 10:204

   

   Sight · 1 h

   Crazy House

   Cost: Adults 1.4 m and taller; VND 30,000 from 1.2 to 1.4 m; under 1.2 m free.

   Hang Nga guesthouse, at 3 Huynh Thuc Khang, is a house of tree-trunk shapes and spider-web walls designed by the architect Dang Viet Nga, and it still takes guests overnight. Narrow stairs and walkways wind over and between the buildings, so hold the rails and take care with children. It is open to visitors 08:30 to 18:00 every day. Come at opening time, before the groups, and look into the rooms whose doors are open.

   Image: Polina Rytova / Unsplash

   ↓About 20 min walk, 1.6 km. About 1.5 km downhill to the market area, or a short Grab ride.

5. 11:455

   

   Eat · 1 h

   Lunch by Da Lat market

   Cost: Market eateries; prices on the board or ask first.

   Vietnam's tourism site describes the central market's stalls as packed with fresh flowers and colourful produce, and the streets around the market hall are lined with small eateries. Try banh mi xiu mai, bread to dip in a bowl of pork meatballs in tomato broth, or a bowl of noodle soup, then walk through the fruit and flower stalls. Agree prices before you buy anything by the kilo.

   Image: Vinnie Cartabiano / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

   ↓About 10 min by taxi or Grab, 6.4 km. About 7 km south on the Prenn pass road; Grab car or taxi.

6. 13:306

   

   Do · 1 h 45 min

   Datanla falls and the alpine coaster

   Cost: Entry to the first fall; coaster 1 VND 130,000 extra; coaster 3, 2,400 m, VND 250,000 with entry included.

   Datanla, on the Prenn pass 7 km from town, is run as a park by Dalattourist. You can walk about 1 km and 200 steps through pines down to the first fall, or ride the coaster: line 1 runs about 1,200 m, line 3 runs 2,400 m and you control the speed. Gates take visitors from 07:15 to 16:30. Canyoning down the falls is a separate half-day booked ahead from 08:00 to 11:00.

   Image: Prenn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

   ↓About 10 min by taxi or Grab, 7.2 km. About 6 km back to the lake; Grab car or taxi.

7. 15:457

   

   View · 1 h 15 min

   Xuan Huong Lake

   Cost: Free

   Xuan Huong Lake, Vietnam's tourism site says, is the focal point of the city. Walk part of the lakeside path under the pines as the light goes golden; the full loop is long, so turn back when you have had enough. Lam Vien Square, where the flower festival opens in December, is on the shore beside it. The air cools fast after sunset at this height, so bring the warm layer.

   Image: Uyên Hoàng / Unsplash

   ↓About 20 min walk, 1.4 km. About 1.4 km round the lake to the market.

8. 17:308

   

   Market · 1 h 30 min

   Da Lat night market

   Cost: Street food from small stalls; prices on the board or ask first.

   From about 17:30, Vietnam Airlines' city guide says, the night market fills Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street by the market hall. Look for banh trang nuong, rice paper grilled over charcoal with egg and toppings, and a cup of hot soy milk, and browse the stalls of warm clothes for the cold nights. It is crowded at weekends, so keep your bag in front of you and agree prices before you order.

   Image: Tien Vu Ngoc / Unsplash

Day 2

Lang Biang, a K'Ho coffee farm and Truc Lam monastery

07:30 to about 18:30 · 6 stops · entry fees VND 900,000 a person

1. 07:301

   

   Do · 2 h 30 min

   Lang Biang and the jeep to Radar peak

   Cost: Entry to the Langbiang tourist area; the jeep to Radar peak is VND 120,000 a person and leaves when 6 people are aboard.

   Lang Biang, north of the centre, is the mountain Vietnam's tourism site suggests for hiking. Shared jeeps run 6 km up through pine forest to Radar peak at 1,950 m, where you look over the Suoi Vang lakes and the city. Gates open 07:30 to 17:00; go first thing for the clearest views, especially from May to October, when afternoons are often wet. If you walk instead, ask at the gate about the trail and allow most of the morning.

   Image: Damian Vo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

   ↓About 5 min by taxi or Grab, 2.2 km. About 2 km to the K'Ho village; Grab car or taxi.

2. 10:302

   

   Do · 3 h

   K'Ho Coffee farm tour

   Cost: Half-day coffee tour per person, lunch included; book ahead.

   K'Ho Coffee is a farm and roastery in the K'Ho village at the foot of Lang Biang, and Vietnam's tourism site recommends its tour of the sustainable farm. On the half-day tour you walk among the coffee trees to see the berries up close and learn how the beans become coffee, and lunch is included. It costs VND 700,000 a person. The garden cafe and shop are open 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Saturday, so do this day on a weekday.

   Image: Sara Hobbs / Unsplash

   ↓About 15 min by taxi or Grab, 14.2 km. About 17 km south to the cable car station on Robin Hill; Grab car or taxi.

3. 14:153

   

   Do · 20 min

   Cable car from Robin Hill

   Cost: Adult cable car ticket on Dalattourist's page; children VND 120,000.

   The cable car from Robin Hill, on the Prenn pass road, glides over pine forest to Truc Lam monastery. Dalattourist, which runs it, lists weekday hours of 07:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, and 07:30 to 17:00 at weekends, with the last boarding at 16:45. If you would rather come back by road, a Grab car from the lake is easy. There is a vegetable buffet restaurant on the first floor of the station.

   Image: Quang Huy Nguyễn / Unsplash

   ↓By cable car, 2.3 km. Over the pine hills to the Truc Lam station.

4. 14:454

   

   Sight · 45 min

   Truc Lam Zen monastery

   Cost: Free to walk the grounds.

   Truc Lam is one of Vietnam's three largest Zen monasteries, Dalattourist says, set on a hill above Tuyen Lam Lake. Walk the gardens and look into the main hall quietly, dressed for a temple with shoulders and knees covered, and keep to the paths open to visitors, since this is a working monastery. Then follow the road down from the monastery to the lake shore below.

   Image: Phương Huy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

   ↓About 10 min walk, 0.8 km. About 600 m down to the lake shore.

5. 15:455

   

   View · 1 h

   Tuyen Lam Lake

   Cost: Free to walk the shore.

   Tuyen Lam is a lake among the pine hills south of the city, quiet on a weekday afternoon. Walk along the shore below the monastery and sit by the water before heading back. Go back up by the cable car before the last boarding at 16:45, or take a Grab car from the lake road to the centre. In the rainy season, start back before the usual late-afternoon downpour.

   Image: Nguyen Huy Hoang / Unsplash

   ↓About 10 min by taxi or Grab, 6.9 km. About 6 km back to the centre; Grab car or taxi.

6. 18:306

   Eat · 1 h 30 min

   Hotpot dinner in the centre

   Cost: Hotpot is priced per pot for two or more; ask before ordering.

   A cold evening at 1,500 m is the time for lau ga la e, chicken hotpot with the peppery leaves of the e plant, or an artichoke and pork soup, both served in eateries around the market. Order one pot to share and eat it with rice noodles. If you are still hungry, the night market is on the same street. Ask the price of the pot and of extra plates before you order.

Day 3

Pongour falls, Linh An Pagoda and Bao Dai's palace

08:45 to about 16:30 · 5 stops

1. 08:451

   

   Sight · 1 h 30 min

   Pongour falls

   Cost: Ticket at the gate; we found no official price.

   Leave Da Lat at about 07:30 by car or scooter: Pongour is about 50 km south off Highway 20. The falls drop over a broad staircase of rock, a short forest trail below the car park. They run fullest during and just after the rains, from June to November; in the dry months there is less water but you can walk out on the ledges. Wear shoes with grip, as the rocks are slippery when wet.

   Image: Nguyen Huong / Unsplash

   ↓About 35 min by taxi or Grab, 24.9 km. About 25 km north to Nam Ban; car or scooter.

2. 11:002

   

   Sight · 40 min

   Linh An Pagoda

   Cost: Free; donations welcome.

   Linh An Pagoda stands beside the road through Nam Ban, on the way back from Pongour. Walk the terraces for the view over the valley and dress for a temple. Do not take the path down to Elephant Falls next to it: the falls have been officially closed to visitors since 2021, the path is not maintained, and in July 2026 the commune ordered an end to the tickets that were being sold there illegally.

   Image: Tuong Lam Photos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

   ↓About 25 min by taxi or Grab, 28.2 km. About 30 km back to the centre; car or scooter.

3. 12:303

   

   Eat · 1 h

   Lunch in the centre

   Cost: Market eateries; prices on the board or ask first.

   Back in town, eat on the streets around the market: banh can, small rice cakes cooked in clay moulds and dipped in fish sauce, or a bowl of noodle soup. Most places post their prices; where they do not, ask first. Rest in the early afternoon, then go out again when the sun has moved round, because the palace is uphill.

   Image: Saigon Time / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

   ↓About 5 min by taxi or Grab, 2.5 km. About 2 km south to the palace; Grab car or taxi.

4. 14:304

   

   Sight · 1 h

   Bao Dai's summer palace (Dinh III)

   Cost: Ticket at the gate; we found no official price.

   Dinh III, also called the Head of State's palace, was Bao Dai's summer residence and office from 1938 to 1954, while he was emperor and then head of state of the State of Vietnam. It stands in a pine park on a hill south of the centre. OpenStreetMap lists it as open 07:00 to 11:00 and 13:00 to 17:00 daily, so do not arrive during the lunch closure; we found no official ticket price.

   Image: Prenn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

   ↓About 5 min by taxi or Grab, 2.6 km. About 2 km back to the market; Grab car or taxi.

5. 16:305

   

   Eat · 1 h

   Coffee by the market

   Cost: Cafe prices; a coffee costs about what it does elsewhere in Vietnam.

   End the trip the way Da Lat residents do, with coffee grown on the slopes around the town, which Vietnam's tourism site calls some of the country's best. Pick a cafe on the streets climbing up from the lake or around the market, where you can watch the night market set up below. Order ca phe sua nong, hot coffee with condensed milk, against the evening chill.

   Image: Phương Huy / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Tips for Da Lat

Getting there, where to stay and the weather by month are on the Da Lat page. Plan checked 24 October 2026.