DA NANG LIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY, FROM WHICH HANOI CAPITAL IN THE NORTH AND HO CHI MINH CITY IN THE SOUTH ARE ALMOST EQUALLY SPACED. DA NANG IS ALSO THE CENTRAL POINT CONNECTING THREE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES: HUE CITADEL, HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN AND MY SON SANCTUARY.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 16TH CENTURY, WHEN HOI AN WAS A BUSY CENTER OF THE SOUTH, DA NANG WAS RELATIVELY A SMALL VILLAGE THAT WAS COLONIZED BY THE FRENCH IN THE 17TH CENTURY. IT GRADUALLY DEVELOPED INTO A COMMERCIAL PORT REPLACING HOI AN IN THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY. IN 1954, THE FRENCH CEDED CONTROL OF THE CITY AND DA NANG EXPERIENCED A PERIOD OF SUBSTANTIAL POPULATION GROWTH.

DA NANG IS A COASTAL CITY WITH A 60-KM LONG SHORELINE. NOT ONLY IS THE CITY FAMOUS FOR ITS BEACHES, DA NANG’S CHARM ALSO LAYS IN ITS GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION : LEANING AGAINST THE MAJESTIC TRUONG MOUNTAINS, AS WELL AS HAVING SON TRA PENINSULA EMBRACING THE SEA. HAI VAN PASS SHAPED BY THIS IDEAL GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE IS PRAISED AS “THE MOST MARVELOUS SCENERY OF ALL” FOR HAVING AN AMAZING VIEW OVERLOOKING THE SEA ! SINCE THE OPENING OF HAI VAN TUNNEL, (VIETNAM’S LONGEST ROAD TUNNEL) TRAFFIC FLOW AND SAFETY HAVE IMPROVED. FROM THEN ON, HAI VAN PASS HAS BECOME THE DESTINATION TO NATURE-LOVING EXPLORERS AND MOTORISTS WHO DARE TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES ON THESE NOTORIOUS ROUTES.

THE COASTAL CITY OF DA NANG BUSTLES WITH FRENCH COLONIAL INFLUENCE AND A LOW-KEY, BEACHY SPIRIT. STOPPED ON A DA NANG CRUISE AND YOU’LL QUICKLY DISCOVER THE CITY’S ANCIENT HISTORY AS WELL AS ITS QUIRKY SIDE. AT DRAGON BRIDGE, A DRAGON SCULPTURE SPITS OUT WATER AND FIRE EVERY WEEKEND NIGHT IN A CRAZY SPECTACLE.

DURING THE AMERICAN WAR, DA NANG HAD A MAJOR US AIR FORCE BASE. MANY US AND ALLIED TROOPS ENJOYED R & R HERE, AND YOU CAN VISIT THE FAMOUS CHINA BEACH.

TODAY, DA NANG IS BEGINNING TO COME INTO ITS OWN AS A TRADE CENTER AND A PLACE WHERE JOBS IN WEB AND TECHNOLOGY ARE BOOMING TOO. DA NANG’S CULINARY SCENE IS REMARKABLY UNPRENTENTIOUS AND SOME OF THE BEST EATS ARE FOUND IN STREET MARKETS AND BACK STREETS.

PORT NAME AND LOCATION

Most cruise ships in Da Nang dock at Tien Sa port. Bus travel from the port to Danang City is around 30 min. At the port's entrance (approx 500 m / 1650 ft from the cruise pier) there is a taxi rank. Smaller cruise ships often dock at the city's Han River Port (on the river's western bank).Taxis cost about US$10 each way. To get to Hoi An will cost about US$16-25.

The Da Nang cruise port is minimally equipped, but there are some basic open-air market stalls with jewelry, clothes, and other Vietnamese souvenirs available for tourists to purchase.

PORT LOCATION MAP

TRANSPORTATION in Hue/Da Nang (Chan May)

There are limited transportation options from the port of Tien Sa Port. The best ways to get around are to book private transportation or take one of the local taxis into the city from the Da Nang cruise port. When you book a shore excursion, transportation comes included.

TOP SIGHTS AND ATTRACTIONS FOR CRUISES TO HUE/DA NANG

HUE

Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage site located along the beautiful Perfume River. This city near Da Nang is home to the massive Đại Nội Citadel. Get acquainted with Vietnam’s last royal dynastic family by exploring what survives of their 143-year reign. A tour of the palace starts at the ornate Meridian Gate. Roam the palaces, pavilions and theatres of the Hue Citadel and make time to visit the tombs of emperors Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh.

The temples, ruins, and the Purple Forbidden City are must-sees during your time here on a Da Nang cruise.

HOI AN

Hoi An is a small village that offers travelers a peek into the daily life of the Vietnamese people who live here. Like Hue, it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site and just a 45-minute drive from Da Nang. Whether you relax at the white sandy An Bang Beach or walk through Hoi An’s Ancient Town district, there’s plenty to see on foot in the expertly preserved Hoi An.

In this one-time trading port, the Thu Bon River, past crumbling shop houses and weathered pagodas, while sampans come and go from the old ferry quay. Outside the Old Town, two-lane roads slice through waving rice fields and emerge at a frothy coastline.

Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. Hoi An Ancient Town offers a breathtaking mix of ornate Chinese temples, a Japanese-designed bridge, wooden shophouses, French colonial houses, and old canals. It’s very charming with its lantern-lit streets of the old town. The Chinese, Japanese and French influences translates back into the street scene where traditional old wooden colonial buildings stand side-by -side.

LANG CO BEACH

Lang Co Beach is regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Vietnam. Bring a beach towel and sit beneath one of the hatched umbrellas, or enjoy a relaxed lunch at Lap An Lagoon, a local restaurant. It’s less than an hour to get there by car from Da Nang.

DRAGON BRIDGE

One of Da Nang’s quirkiest sights is Dragon Bridge, which is a yellow-orange bridge that breathes fire and water into the air. Both a bridge and a stunning modern sculpture, the Dragon Bridge lights up at night and promises fun shows every Saturday and Sunday night. You won’t find a bridge like this anywhere else.

WALK THE GOLDEN BRIDGE (CAU VANG)

Da Nang city is also home to Ba Na Hills – a well-marketed brand of Da Nang tourism. Explored and constructed since the French colonization, Ba Na Hills has increasingly become a popular tourist attraction with 2 Guinness World Records holder cable cars and the greatest indoor amusement complex in South East Asia – Fantasy Park (Sun World Danang Wonders). Two giant stone hands hold up the massive, bright yellow walking bridge, which extends nearly 500 feet across. The Golden Bridge hands are called “the hands of God,” so you’ll be awed by their scale and magnificence as you walk across. It is a 150-metre-long (490 ft) pedestrian bridge in the Bà Nà Hills resort, near Da Nang, Vietnam. It is designed to connect the cable car station with the gardens (avoiding a steep incline) and to provide a scenic overlook and tourist attraction.

HOI AN COCONUT VILLAGE

At the Hoi An Coconut Village, travelers can find a basket boat ride across the immense palm forests. It’s an experience that allows the passengers to know better about the life of local fisherman, explore the communist base in the Vietnam War and unique ecosystems after boarding. It’s fun, stunning and gives an adventuring vibes.

Basket boat (round boat or coracle) is a Central Vietnamese signature watercraft. It features a circle shape, waterproofed and made of interwoven bamboo. Local people propel it by a paddle while sitting inside or on bamboo seating. The size of the boat is tailored to the conditions of the area. In Hoi An, its owners use it to access small, shallow and interlaced waterways that were hard or inaccessible for common boats. They aim to catch fish, shrimp, crab, etc and cut and collect the palm leaf to buy (for house roofing). On the beach, it’s also helpful to assist fishers to move across the shallow sea, to approach the big boats. In recent decades, locals have encouraged tourists to visit their hometown’s palm forests.

For about 1 hour, local fishermen will carry visitors by a basket-like boat made of bamboo through canals lined by palms. Usually, 2 adults sit in the same boat. Not just seeing, also having the chance to know about how locals catch fish by net, catch small purple crabs with a rob, and their daily entertainment. Of course, after a demonstration, visitors can practice by themselves. The most exciting activity is the performance in which a man spins the boat around and around, amazing the audience. Besides, people also sing in the river (folk songs included) or racing.

It’s a part of the Unesco-recognized world biosphere reserve.

Watch the performance of the spinning boat from local men and try it later. It’s one of the coolest things to do in Hoi An now. Visitors feel they’re in a water park!

MARBLE MOUNTAINS 

From Ba Na Hills – the western part of the city , visitors can turn to explore Son Tra Peninsula in the North East – a jungle in the middle of the city with a rich vegetation, fauna and flora; along the unspoiled rough and rocky coast. Heading towards South East, you will be caught by the renowned Marble Mountains where scenic beauty, culture and religion are preserved.

TOUR THE THIEN MU PAGODA

Walk the grounds of this seven-story pagoda along the Perfume River, which is also where the Purple Forbidden City is located. History buffs will enjoy learning about the pagoda and its significance in Vietnamese history. Its iconic seven-story Phước Duyên pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city, and the temple has often been the subject of folk rhymes and ca dao about Huế.

SEE THE HISTORIC MY SON SANCTUARY

Not far from Da Nang , My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site 40 kilometers from Hoi An. Tucked into a valley near a shaded stream, these temples were built by the Cham people. The surviving structures date from the 7th to the 13th century.

The temples here hold precious Hindu significance and are dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

TOP FOOD AND DRINK SPOTS NEAR HUE/DA NANG CRUISE PORT

Dining in Da Nang An is pure pleasure. Farms and fishing boats contribute just-picked vegetables, seafood, herbs and fruit to the markets daily. In Da Nang, the proximity to the water as a port city has greatly influenced the cuisine of the area. Get some relief from the hot, humid climate with the area’s rich, fresh juices and smoothies.

Try banh beo, or steamed rice cakes with mung bean paste and shrimp, or a crispy pork belly dish called banh khoai. What’s interesting about this part of Central Vietnam is that vegetarianism is incredibly common here, so those following vegetarian diets will find plenty of options in Da Nang.

SHOPPING

There’s not much at the cruise terminal itself in the way of shopping, but once you head into Da Nang, bargains await along Le Loi Street. Riverside Market in Hoi An is popular with locals. Some of the best silk in the area is sold here, like at the Hoi An Silk Village, where you can tour a silk manufacturing plant. Open-air markets and a walkable set of storefronts in Hoi An make it an easy, relaxed day of shopping.  

LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING CUSTOMS

Use the official currency of Vietnam, the dong, or VND, while you’re traveling in the country. Cash is preferred when you’re making purchases in Da Nang, but sometimes American Express, MasterCard, and Visa are accepted at bigger establishments and restaurants. When you’re at a restaurant, there’s already a service charge included in the total bill. Taxi drivers don’t expect a tip either, but you can leave an additional VND if you’d like.