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Introduction to the location of Da Lat city
Da Lat city covers an area of 394.64 km², situated on the Lam Vien Plateau. It has an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. Da Lat is 307 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, 1,500 km from Hanoi, and 658 km south of Da Nang.
Geographical location of Da Lat city:
Da Lat is located in the subtropical highland climate zone, characterized by two distinct seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season starts from April and ends in October, while the dry season lasts from November of the previous year to March of the following year.
The average monthly temperature in Da Lat is always below 20°C, even during the hottest months. In the winter months, the average monthly temperature remains above 15°C.
Map of Da Lat city
When is the best time to visit Da Lat?
White Ban Flower Season in Da Lat
Prominent Tourist Attractions in Da Lat
Langbiang Da Lat
Langbiang Mountain in Da Lat is one of the famous and captivating tourist destinations in the foggy city. With an elevation of 2167m above sea level, Langbiang Mountain is the highest peak in Da Lat.
Here, you can enjoy the fresh and cool air and admire the beautiful natural landscape from above. You can also participate in activities such as mountain climbing, paragliding, jeep tours, horseback riding, etc. Or learn about the culture and history of the K'Ho ethnic group and indulge in the delicious specialties of the Central Highlands region.
Lang Biang Da Lat
Bao Dai Palace
Bao Dai Palace in Da Lat is one of the famous historical landmarks of the city. This was the residence of King Bao Dai, the last king of the Nguyen dynasty. The palace features a blend of French and Eastern architecture, built on a high hill overlooking the city of Da Lat.
Here, you can admire artifacts, paintings, and materials related to the life and career of King Bao Dai. Additionally, you can enjoy the breathtaking natural scenery surrounding the palace, such as Xuan Huong Lake, pine forests, and the characteristic flowers of Da Lat.
The palace is open from 7:00 to 17:00 every day. The entrance fee is 30,000 VND for adults and 15,000 VND for children.
Bao Dai Palace Da Lat
Truc Lam Zen Monastery
Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Da Lat is a renowned Buddhist temple. It is constructed on the summit of Phoenix Mountain, overlooking Tuyen Lam Lake. The monastery features unique architecture, blending French and Eastern styles. It includes various structures such as the main hall, bell tower, pagoda, library, flower garden, and meditation areas. This is an attractive spiritual tourism destination in Da Lat, attracting many domestic and international visitors annually.
Truc Lam Zen Monastery Da Lat
Da Lat Flower Park
Da Lat Flower Park showcases and cultivates hundreds of beautiful and rare flower species. With over 300 different types of flowers including orchids, begonias, dahlias, impatiens, pansies, lavender, and more.
This place comprises various areas with flower beds organized by species and themes such as Vietnamese, Japanese, Dutch, English gardens, and more. Additionally, the flower park features many creatively shaped floral structures like an elephant made of lavender, a dolphin made of impatiens, and more.
Da Lat Flower Park
3D Trickland Museum
3D Trickland Museum in Da Lat is a fun and unique tourist destination where you can take photos with vivid and humorous 3D paintings. There are over 10 exhibition rooms with different themes including the animal world, fairy tales, and more. You can pose and create your desired photos using available accessories and props.
Photo Shooting Area at 3D Trickland Museum in Da Lat
Datanla Waterfall Da Lat
If you're seeking beautiful waterfalls in the city, head to Datanla waterfall. It features the longest forest slide system in Southeast Asia and other exciting activities. Datanla waterfall is located on the slope of Pulen Pass, over 20m high, and is the upper stream of the stream so the water flow is always steady and gentle.
When visiting the Datanla waterfall tourist area, you can experience a variety of games. Especially, you must try the exhilarating unique slide in Da Lat. You can also participate in high rope swinging games or challenge your courage by swinging over the waterfall. Of course, Datanla is an unmissable stop for boating, cable car rides to explore the nature of Dalat's forests.
Adventure Activities at Datanla Waterfall Da Lat
Zoodoo Zoo Da Lat
This is an interesting and unique tourist destination, suitable for families with young children. It's a place where you can get close to many rare and friendly animals. You can experience feeding the animals, playing, or taking Instagram-worthy photos at Zoodoo Zoo Da Lat.
Zoodoo Zoo Da Lat is located about 30km from the city center. It's built in Australian style with various imported animals such as starlings, meerkats, wallaby kangaroos, and ponies. Additionally, the zoo also has a dedicated area for camping overnight or enjoying coffee while admiring the scenery.
Zoodoo Zoo Da Lat
Xuan Huong Lake
Xuan Huong Lake Da Lat is a beautiful and romantic lake located right in the city center of Da Lat. You can stroll, take photos, paddle boats, ride bicycles, or go fishing. Or enjoy the local specialties of Da Lat at cafes and restaurants around the lake. From here, you can easily reach other attractions such as Lam Vien Square, Chicken Church, Dalat Flower Garden, etc.
Xuan Huong Lake Da Lat
Lumiere Light Garden Da Lat
Lumiere Light Garden Da Lat is an interesting and unique tourist destination where you can take photos with vivid 3D paintings. It's a sensation with 7 experiential rooms and various themed areas. You'll marvel at the artistic works created by modern LED and laser light technology. Or interact with incredibly magical light effects.
Lumiere Light Garden Da Lat
Travel Activity: Dining - Culture in Da Lat
Dining
Chicken and Sour Soup Hotpot: A signature dish of Da Lat featuring tough native chicken, delicious broth, and spicy sour leaves. You can enjoy it with noodles or rice paper, fresh vegetables, and dipping sauce.
Chicken and Sour Soup Hotpot Da Lat
Banh Mi Xiu Mai: This is a popular breakfast dish in Da Lat, with crispy bread and flavorful meatball stew. The meatballs are made from ground pork, mushrooms, and spices, cooked in tomato broth with onions. You can have it with fresh vegetables and chili.
Banh Mi Xiu Mai Da Lat
Snakehead Fish Noodle Soup: This is a delicious and nutritious dish, with noodles made from glutinous rice flour, clear broth from pork bones, and snakehead fish. You can enjoy the noodle soup with crispy fried snakehead fish, boiled water spinach, and green chili.
Snakehead Fish Noodle Soup Da Lat
Culture
Dalat Flower Festival: This is the largest and most anticipated festival in Dalat, held at the end of the year to honor flower growers and the beauty of the city of thousands of flowers. The flower festival features many exciting activities such as flower exhibitions, flower parades on the streets, wine festivals, mass weddings, conquering Langbiang Peak, and more.
Tea Festival: This festival is held in December every year to promote the tea products of Dalat, one of the famous specialties of this region. Here, there are many interesting activities such as tea picking competitions, tea knowledge contests, tea singing contests, and more.
Tay Nguyen Gong Festival: This festival embodies the rich cultural identity of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands, held around March every year. With various performances including gong performances, traditional dances, buffalo stilt walking, and courtship rituals.
Tay Nguyen Gong Festival in Dalat
Getting to Dalat Guide
Traveling from other provinces/cities to Dalat
Traveling by bus:
This is a budget-friendly option chosen by many travelers when they need to travel from Ho Chi Minh City or other provinces/cities in the Southern region to Dalat. The average travel time is about 6 to 8 hours. Ticket prices range from 200,000 VND to 700,000 VND depending on the bus company and type of vehicle.
Bus companies will provide pick-up services at major bus stations: Old Eastern Bus Station, New Eastern Bus Station, and Western Bus Station. Additionally, you can go to bus company offices to catch or drop off buses at various points along the route.
Traveling by plane:
This is the fastest and most convenient means of getting to Dalat from major cities. You can fly from Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City), Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi), or Da Nang Airport to Lien Khuong Airport (Dalat). Flight times are approximately 50 minutes from Saigon, 1 hour and 40 minutes from Hanoi, and 1 hour and 10 minutes from Da Nang. Airfare ranges from 500,000 to 2,000,000 VND, depending on the airline and time of travel.
Bus to Dalat
Moving around in Dalat City
Motorbike: This is the most popular and convenient means of transportation in Dalat, as you can freely explore the tourist attractions and natural landscapes here. You can rent a motorbike at tourist spots, hotels, or rental shops in the city center. Motorbike rental prices range from 80,000 to 150,000 VND/day, depending on the type of bike and rental period. You need to bring your personal documents and a driver's license when renting a motorbike. Also, you should thoroughly check the condition of the bike, fuel, and tires before taking it.
Taxi: This is a safe and fast means of transportation in Dalat, but it's also more expensive than motorbikes. You can hail a taxi at tourist spots, hotels, or call in advance. It's advisable to choose reputable taxi companies like Mai Linh, Lado, Thang Loi, International... to avoid overcharging. Taxi fares range from 10,000 to 15,000 VND/km, depending on the taxi company and vehicle type.
Bus: This is the cheapest means of transportation but also comes with inconveniences such as waiting time, limited luggage, and lack of flexibility in schedules. You can catch a bus at bus stations such as Phuong Trang Bus Station, Lien Tinh Bus Station, or Dalat Bus Station. Ticket prices range from 4,000 to 30,000 VND, depending on the bus route and distance.
Renting Motorbikes in Dalat
Common Public Transportation in Dalat
Ride-Hailing Motorbike Services
Technology-based motorbike taxi services like Grab and Gojek are quite popular in Dalat. You can book a ride quickly with just a few taps on the ride-hailing app.
Taxi Service in Dalat
With the occasionally chilly and sudden rainy weather in Dalat, taking a taxi is a sensible choice to ensure that travelers can avoid the weather's impact. Taxi companies operate 24/7, so you can rest assured that you can always find a taxi whenever you need one.
Some taxi companies in Dalat you can consider: Lado Taxi Dalat, Mai Linh Taxi Dalat, Quoc Te Taxi Dalat, VinaGold Taxi Dalat, and more.
Bus
Public buses are a cost-effective transportation option favored by travelers. You can travel from Lien Khuong Airport to downtown Dalat by bus, or travel back and forth from Dalat to other districts such as Bao Loc, Duc Trong, Lac Duong, Xuan Truong, and more.
Some popular bus routes:
- Lien Khuong Airport – Dalat (Airport Shuttle Bus) operates from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
- Duc Trong – Dalat operates from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM daily.
- Don Duong – Dalat operates from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM daily.
- Lac Duong – Dalat operates from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM daily.
- Bao Loc – Dalat operates from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM daily.
- ...
Taxi Service in Dalat
Bus Terminal in Dalat City
Dalat Bus Terminal is a bustling hub with a high density of vehicles. Built years ago to meet the needs of tourists, the terminal continues to expand to accommodate the growing traffic flow.
This is where many high-quality bus companies converge, connecting various provinces to and from Dalat. The frequency of trips is dense, and you can easily purchase tickets at any time of the day. Ticket office staff are also very helpful. The ticket offices usually have staff on duty 24/7, so travelers can buy tickets urgently without any hassle or time wastage.
Interprovincial Bus Terminal in Dalat
Getting to the Nearest Airport
Dalat currently doesn't have an airport. So, if you choose to travel by air, you'll need to go to Lien Khuong Airport in Duc Trong. Lien Khuong Airport is approximately 30km from the city center of Dalat. You can choose one of the following two ways to get there:
Taxi
Traveling by taxi is quite fast and convenient. The journey takes about 40 minutes. The taxi fare from the center of Dalat to Lien Khuong Airport typically ranges from 250,000 VND to 400,000 VND depending on the taxi company and type of vehicle.
It's advisable to book through reputable taxi companies like Mai Linh, Lado, Thang Loi,... to avoid being overcharged.
Route: Dalat City Center - National Highway 20 - Nguyen Tat Thanh - Tran Quang Dieu - Nguyen Huu Canh - Lien Khuong Airport.
Bus
Traveling by bus is also an interesting option. However, it's quite inconvenient because of the waiting time for buses and the lack of flexibility in scheduling,... Taking a bus to Lien Khuong Airport can also be inconvenient if you have a lot of luggage.
You can catch the Airport Shuttle Bus or the buses operated by Lam Dong Transport Joint Stock Company at terminals like the inter-provincial bus station, or Dalat bus station to directly reach Lien Khuong Airport. The ticket price ranges from 30,000 to 40,000 VND depending on the route. The average travel time is about 1 hour.
Route:
Airport Shuttle Bus: Le Thi Hong Gam - National Highway 20 - Lien Khuong Airport.
Lam Dong Transport Joint Stock Company's buses: Mai Anh Dao - Phu Dong Thien Vuong - Dinh Tien Hoang - Nguyen Thai Hoc - Le Dai Hanh - Hoa Binh Area - Tran Phu - National Highway 20 - Nguyen Tat Thanh - Lien Khuong Airport.
Bus from Lien Khuong Airport to Da Lat
Railway and Waterway Stations in Da Lat City
Railway Station in Da Lat
Da Lat Railway Station is one of the unique architectural landmarks of the city. It was built in 1932. Previously, Da Lat Station was one of the only stations operating on the Thap Cham - Da Lat route. However, this route ceased operation in 1972 due to war and natural disasters. It was only partially restored in 1991.
Currently, Da Lat Station only operates tourist trains from Da Lat Station to Trai Mat Station with a distance of about 7 km.
Information about Da Lat Station:
Da Lat Railway Station
Waterway Station in Da Lat
Travelers from major cities like Saigon, Hanoi, and Danang usually reach Da Lat by road using transportation such as coaches, motorcycles, self-driving cars, or air travel. Therefore, Da Lat does not have waterway stations to serve inter-provincial transportation needs.
The above article provides a compilation of information about tourism in Da Lat: transportation, tourist attractions, exciting activities, etc. Hopefully, the article will provide useful information for your next trip.
Posted by: Nguyet Trieu
Keywords: Da Lat Tourism - Compilation of transportation, travel tips, attractions, dining, and entertainment venues
