Da Lat
Discover Da Lat
During the colonial era, Da Lat (Đà Lạt), also Dalat, in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam, was the playground of the French, who built villas in the clear mountain air to escape the heat and humidity of the plains and coastal areas. Dalat looks somewhat like a cross between Vietnam and rural France. Many of its hotels and houses are built in a European/French style. The city spreads across a series of pine-covered hills, with a small lake in the centre and surrounded by a man-made lake and higher peaks, making for some lovely scenery quite different from the rest of Vietnam. Temperatures are pleasantly warm by day, and cool at night, down to perhaps 10°C.
What to Experience in Da Lat
Taste of Da Lat...
Buses leave regularly from the Phurong Trang (FuTa) Bus Terminal in the south of the city.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsSome hotels offer special arrangements with taxi companies to ferry hotel guests to and from the airport for around 200,000 dong. Hotels can try to rip you off by asking for anything between 300,000 to 400,000 dong for an airport transfer. Be adamant on 200,000 dong. Taxi service with ☏ +84 6 3383 5583 have a fixed price of 250,000 dong. Mai Linh taxi charges 300,000 dong to the airport. If going by meter, it comes to around 577,000 dong (distance around 35 km). Or catch the airport shuttle for 150,000 dong per person (Feb 2026). They will ask what hotel you're staying in, and the airport shuttle bus will take you there. You can get the shuttle back to the airport at the Intercity Bus Station (Bến xe Liên tỉnh), also for 60,000 dong, last bus at 7 pm (Aug 2022). Most local and foreign travelers arrive in Dalat by bus, including those traveling on the famous Sinh Cafe Hanoi-HCMC open-tour buses....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Depending on where you stay, you can walk to most parts around town. You can catch a xe om (motorbike taxi) from most corners, so if you're going somewhere farther out of town, you have a fast way to get there. You can also book via app using Grab Bike. Taxi cars are also abundant and reasonable in price, yet watch the meter, as meter fixing is a common practice from north to south. As of July 2018, meter-fixing is a much diminished problem and almost all taxi meters click into life after the vehicle has traveled a few metres. The occasional taxi may take you on a circuitous route to get to your destination but opening Google maps and pointing out that you know the way reduces incidents of this kind. Taxis are cheap and an ideal way to get round Dalat. There is a local bus which passes near most of the main tourist sites. Heading south you can catch it at the bus shelter by the lake.
Where to Stay
Buses leave regularly from the Phurong Trang (FuTa) Bus Terminal in the south of the city.
Money & Budget
Most visitors to Dalat are Vietnamese, and most of them leave loaded with stuff. What they like to take home is dried and candied fruits, strawberry preserves, coffee, green and artichoke tea, local wine, dried venison, orchids, strawberries, avocados, and other fresh produce. If you take any sort of organized tour, chances are you will be off-loaded for a half hour at a shop selling these items. Local treats are also for sale in abundance in the large central market in the area around Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Le Dai Hanh. Partly covered and partly outdoors, the market has dozens of small stalls selling fruits and vegetables, clothing, and a variety of other goods. There is a supermarket on the top floor selling necessities for travellers.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Da Lat
Sunrise in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
houses near field
Love Valley, DaLat, Vietnam
Railway station
a city street filled with lots of tall buildings
Lush, green forest meets tranquil lake water.
aerial view of city during daytime
houses near lake viewing mountain under blue and white skies
green trees on mountain during daytime
Forest bordering a lake on a beautiful, bright day.
Sunrise in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
houses near field
Love Valley, DaLat, Vietnam