10 Things to do in Dalat, Vietnam
Updated: Sep 18
A lot of people skip Dalat, but I personally loved it. While it is in the south of Vietnam, it’s in the mountains so it is a lot cooler which is lovely. I stayed 3 nights which is a lot more than most people, but my days were packed. Here are 10 of the best things to do in Dalat, Vietnam.
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The Best Things to do in Dalat, Vietnam
Canyoning
Canyoning in Dalat was hands down one of the best experiences I had in Vietnam. I booked through my hostel - all hostels will use one of the two tour operators in the city: Highland Adventure Travel or Highland Sport Travel. It is on the expensive side, and costs around £60, but is worth every penny.
You will abseil down waterfalls (up to 25m high!), go down natural waterslides, ziplines, and have plenty of time for swimming. It includes a great lunch (vegan and veggie friendly!), and plenty of photos of you in action. I cannot recommend it enough.
Tour of Dalat’s Hotspots
There are several companies offering tours of Dalat’s hotspots, including waterfalls and other attractions. You can also hire a driver for a day if you’re a bigger group. Our driver took us to Elephant Falls, Lady Buddha, the Alpine Coaster, Dantala Falls, Mongo Land, a silk farm, cricket farm, and the Crazy House. Of these things, Mongo Land and the cricket farm were not worth visiting, and the alpine coaster is only worth doing if you haven’t done the one in Ba Na Hills in Da Nang.
Elephant Falls and Lady Buddha
Elephant Falls is visitable from behind Lady Buddha for free. You head down the stairs behind Lady Buddha, and you can scramble a bit through the forest to get closer. Otherwise, you will have to go in through the main entrance and pay a fee.
Dantala Falls
Dantala Falls is where the alpine coaster is. You can enter and see the waterfall for 50,000 VND (approx. £1.50), but you’ll have to pay an additional 130,000 VND (approx. £4) for the cheapest alpine coaster if you want to take it down to the falls. Walking down is free. Pongour Falls is the biggest waterfall in Dalat. I regret not visiting this one because it does look amazing, but it is quite a bit further away.
Silk Farm
The silk farm was quite cool to see. It cost 20,000 VND (approx. 60p) to enter and someone is usually there to explain the process which is really interesting.
Crazy House
The Crazy House is one of the biggest and busiest attractions in Dalat. It costs 60,000 VND (approx. £1.85) to enter, and you can spend a lot of time walking around and exploring. It’s difficult to describe but definitely worth a visit!
Maze Bar
Maze Bar is another iconic place in Dalat. You need to buy a drink to enter, and then you will go downstairs into a labyrinth of narrow passages and stairs to find the main bar area. It’s a strange atmosphere in there but worth it for the experience. It shuts at midnight.
Paddle Boarding
I booked a tour through my hostel for £16 that took me to Tuyen Lam Lake for paddle boarding. Even if you don’t book a tour and have a bike, head over there to look because it is beautiful and so peaceful. Unfortunately, it is getting really built up around the lake which is sad, but I was literally one of the only people on the lake which was magic. You can choose to go for sunrise, in the morning, or sunset.
Camping Excursion
The same company as I did the paddle boarding through offers a camping excursion on the lake, which looked incredible. Unfortunately they have a minimum number required to go ahead with the trip, and those numbers were not met when I wanted to go. If you are interested, try and find people to go with and speak to your hostel!
I hope this gives you a good overview of the best things to do in Dalat. It was one of my favourite stops on my Vietnam itinerary, and is an absolute must if you like nature and need a break from the busy Vietnamese cities. As always, please look after the places you visit, and only leave your footprints behind :)
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