Where to Stay in Da Nang? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay

If you’re wondering where to stay in Da Nang, it helps to know that this is Vietnam’s third-largest city and one of the few big cities in Asia where you have a long sandy beach right outside your hotel door. The airport sits in the middle of the city, the Han River splits it in two, and in the evening the Dragon Bridge lights up. The Marble Mountains, the Son Tra Peninsula and Hoi An are all within half an hour’s drive.

The city is bigger than many people think, though, and staying by the beach is very different from staying in the centre or at a resort on the peninsula. Here are my five picks for areas, with three hotels in each, from the most expensive to the cheapest.

Where to Stay in Da Nang: The Best Areas

• My Khe Beach - best area for first-time visitors
• An Thuong - best area for food, bars and digital nomads
• Hai Chau by the Han River - best area for city life and low prices
• Son Tra Peninsula - best area for luxury and nature
• Non Nuoc & Marble Mountains - best area for families and resort holidays

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in March for two people, and £1 is roughly 34,000 dong. Expect prices to rise during the summer holidays and around Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, which falls in January or February.

1. My Khe Beach - best area for first-time visitors 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 2 kilometres east of the Dragon Bridge. It’s a five to ten-minute drive across the Han River to Hai Chau.
• 🚕 Transport: There’s no metro or tram, so you walk or take a taxi or Grab. A Grab car to the centre usually costs around 40,000 to 70,000 dong (around £1 to £2).
• ✈️ Time from Da Nang Airport: About 15 minutes by car. The airport is inside the city, and a Grab car usually costs around 100,000 to 150,000 dong (around £3 to £4.50).
• 💰 Price level: ₫₫ to ₫₫₫. The three hotels below cost around 1,250,000 to 2,400,000 dong (around £35 to £70) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and lively until late. Watch out for the currents when you swim, and ideally swim where the lifeguards are on duty.

My Khe Beach is Da Nang’s city beach, stretching for several kilometres south along the beach road Vo Nguyen Giap from the foot of the Son Tra Peninsula. The sand is pale and wide, the water is warm most of the year, and in the morning the round basket boats, thung chai, sit at the water’s edge while the locals swim before it gets too hot. Across the road are the seafood restaurants, where you point at fish, prawns and mussels in tubs and tanks and have them grilled on the spot.

The northern part around Pham Van Dong and Phuoc My is where most international visitors stay. Here you’re close to both the beach and the bridges over the Han River, and you can take an evening stroll along the water or grab a Grab across the Dragon Bridge to the river and the bars in the centre in under ten minutes. The beach is public all the way along, so you don’t need to stay at a beach hotel to use it.

See hotels on My Khe Beach here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Da Nang and you want the beach by day and the city by night without spending ages in a car. It’s also a good place to start or finish a tour, and if you’re travelling on around the country, I’ve gathered the best bases from north to south in my guide to where to stay in Vietnam.

The downside is that the beach road is wide and busy, so you have to cross several lanes of traffic to reach the water, and many of the hotels look alike. If you want more atmosphere in the streets, look at An Thuong a little further south.

Hotels on My Khe Beach

Four Points by Sheraton Danang - five-star hotel with a rooftop pool right across from the beach

Four Points is on Vo Nguyen Giap in the northern part of My Khe, and you just cross the road to reach the beach. It’s a large five-star hotel with a rooftop pool, spa, sauna and restaurant, and from the upper floors you can see both the sea and the Son Tra Peninsula. Several guests do mention, however, that the pool is small for the size of the hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were very accommodating and helpful.”

See photos and book Four Points by Sheraton Danang here.

BlueSun Danang Beach Hotel - popular four-star hotel with an indoor pool

BlueSun is a few hundred metres further south on the same beach road and has a score of 9.1 from almost 2,000 reviews on Booking.com. There’s an indoor pool, spa, sauna and buffet breakfast, and the hotel can arrange an airport transfer for a fee. Some guests feel that the rooms and the building are showing their age.

From one review: “The hotel is lovely, but it’s the staff who make it fantastic.”

See photos and book BlueSun Danang Beach Hotel here.

White Sand Boutique Hotel - budget boutique hotel a few minutes from the beach

White Sand Boutique Hotel is on Vo Van Kiet, one of the streets running from the beach towards the river, and it’s a couple of minutes’ walk to the sand. There’s a heated indoor pool, spa and gym, and the price was the lowest of my three picks on My Khe. On the other hand, several guests say the choice at the breakfast buffet is limited.

One guest highlights: “Excellent hotel just a short walk from the beach, and the breakfast is really good.”

See photos and book White Sand Boutique Hotel here.

2. An Thuong - best area for food, bars and digital nomads 🍜

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 3 kilometres south-east of the Dragon Bridge and a few minutes’ walk from My Khe Beach.
• 🚕 Transport: The neighbourhood is small enough to get around on foot. To reach the centre, take a Grab or a taxi; the journey takes around ten minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Da Nang Airport: Around 15 to 20 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: ₫ to ₫₫₫₫. The three hotels below cost around 950,000 to 5,500,000 dong (around £30 to £160) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and lively in the evening. Keep a firm grip on your bag and phone when walking along the road, as bag snatching from mopeds happens all over the city.

An Thuong is a small grid of side streets just behind My Khe Beach, south of Nguyen Van Thoai, where the streets are simply called An Thuong followed by a number. Many of the city’s expats live here, and you notice it straight away. Coffee shops, bakeries, Korean chicken joints, Italian pizzerias and Vietnamese noodle soup stalls sit side by side, and most signs and menus are in English.

In the evening, this is where travellers head out. The bars are packed into the streets around Tran Bach Dang, some places have live music, and the spas and massage parlours stay open late. The beach is at the end of the street, so you can easily start the day with a swim and finish it with a cold Larue or Bia Saigon on a street corner.

See hotels in An Thuong here.

I would choose An Thuong if you are travelling solo or as a couple and would rather go out to eat than stay at a resort. It is also the most obvious choice for digital nomads, as there are lots of cafés with good wifi and plenty of apartments for longer stays. And because everything is within a few minutes’ walk, you will hardly need a Grab until you head into town to the river or on to the Marble Mountains.

The downside is that An Thuong feels more like an international tourist district than the rest of Vietnam, and food and drinks cost more than in Hai Chau. The streets are narrow and some hotels sit right next to the bars, so if you want an early night, ask for a room away from the street.

Hotels in An Thuong

M Hotel Danang - five-star beach hotel with a rooftop infinity pool

M Hotel is on Vo Nguyen Giap, right on the beach at the end of the An Thuong streets, so you have the sea on one side and the restaurants on the other. There is a rooftop infinity pool, a spa, a sauna and a breakfast buffet, and its score of 9.4 from over 3,000 reviews is one of the highest in the city. It is also the most expensive hotel in the neighbourhood, and several guests complain about slow lifts.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is brand new, super stylish and knows how to give guests a wonderful experience.”

See photos and book M Hotel Danang here.

Sofiana My Khe Hotel & Spa - rooftop bar with a pool in the heart of An Thuong

Sofiana My Khe is on Tran Bach Dang in the middle of An Thuong, a few minutes’ walk from the beach. The hotel has a rooftop pool and bar, a spa and a breakfast buffet, and with 9.5 from over 3,500 reviews it is one of the best-rated hotels in the whole city. The rooftop pool is small, and several guests mention that there are too few sun loungers.

From one review: “It was our third hotel on the trip so far, and it has been our favourite.”

See photos and book Sofiana My Khe Hotel & Spa here.

LUK Inn Hotel - budget adults-only hotel

LUK Inn is on An Thuong 4, one of the little side streets lined with restaurants and bars, and only accepts adults. There is a rooftop pool, massages and breakfast, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. A few guests found the pool closed without warning, so ask if it matters to you.

One guest highlights: “The staff were very accommodating, friendly and very helpful.”

See photos and book LUK Inn Hotel here.

3. Hai Chau by the Han River – best area for city life and low prices 🐉

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre on the west bank of the Han River. From the Bach Dang promenade, it’s a few minutes’ walk to the Dragon Bridge and Han Market.
• 🚶 Transport: You can do most things on foot along the river. To get to the beach, take a Grab across the Dragon Bridge, which takes around ten minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Da Nang Airport: Around 10 minutes by car. The airport is less than 3 kilometres from the river.
• 💰 Price level: ₫ to ₫₫₫. The three hotels below cost around 1,000,000 to 2,550,000 dong per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but the traffic is chaotic. Cross the road at a calm, steady pace so the mopeds can ride around you.

If you’re weighing up where to stay in Da Nang, Hai Chau is the city centre and the part of town where locals shop, work and eat. A long promenade runs along Bach Dang on the west bank of the Han River, and from here you can watch the city’s bridges light up in the evening. The Dragon Bridge is 666 metres long and shaped like a yellow dragon, and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 9pm the dragon’s head breathes fire and sprays water over the road. Stand by the head on the east side of the river if you want to see the show up close, but expect to get wet.

Within the neighbourhood you’ll find Han Market, where you can buy clothes, coffee, spices and dried fruit, the more local Con Market, and the pink Da Nang Cathedral from 1923. The Cham Museum by the river has the world’s largest collection of sculptures from the Champa kingdom, and a ticket costs 60,000 dong (around £1.50). In the evening, the street kitchens serving mi quang, banh xeo and grilled skewers are the big draw, and you’ll pay far less here than by the beach.

See hotels in Hai Chau here.

I’d stay here if you’re more into the city than the beach, if you’re travelling on a tight budget, or if you only have a night or two in Da Nang on your way elsewhere. If you’re coming from Hanoi, the flight takes around an hour and 20 minutes, and if you haven’t booked in the capital yet, you can read my guide to where to stay in Hanoi and find out how to get from Hanoi airport to the city centre.

The downside is that you don’t have the beach right outside the door, and many of the cheap hotels face busy streets. Choose a hotel by the river if you want a view and a bit of breathing space, and bear in mind that it gets very crowded and noisy around the Dragon Bridge at weekends if you’re staying right next to it.

Hotels in Hai Chau

Novotel Danang Premier Han River – five-star hotel with an infinity pool above the river

Novotel Premier sits on Bach Dang at the northern end of the promenade, and from the upper floors you can look out over the Han River and the sea. There’s a rooftop infinity pool, spa, sauna, kids’ club and a balcony in many of the rooms. A few guests mention that the pool isn’t always well maintained.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic hotel with a great location, comfortable beds, a lovely view from the balcony, an excellent pool, and all the staff provided good service.”

See photos and book Novotel Danang Premier Han River here.

Brilliant Hotel – four-star riverside hotel with afternoon tea

Brilliant Hotel is on Bach Dang, a few minutes’ walk from Han Market and the Dragon Bridge. There’s an indoor pool, spa, sauna and restaurant, and afternoon tea is included in the price. On the other hand, the breakfast is criticised for being cold and having a small selection.

From one review: “We love everything about the hotel, especially the staff’s service.”

See photos and book Brilliant Hotel here.

Avora Hotel – simple three-star hotel on the promenade

Avora is on Bach Dang just a few doors from Brilliant and is a simple three-star hotel with a restaurant, bar and breakfast, but no pool. In return, you get to stay by the river for less than half the price of the Novotel. Some guests have been bothered by noise, so ask for a room away from the road.

One guest highlights: “We were really happy with our stay at the hotel.”

See photos and book Avora Hotel here.

4. Son Tra Peninsula - best area for luxury and nature 🐒

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 10 to 15 kilometres north-east of the centre, depending on where on the peninsula you stay. From the resorts on the north side, it’s about a 30-minute drive to the Dragon Bridge.
• 🚗 Getting around: You’ll rely on a car, Grab or the resort’s shuttle bus. The roads across the peninsula are steep and winding, so don’t hire a scooter unless you’re used to riding in the mountains.
• ✈️ Time from Da Nang Airport: Around 30 to 40 minutes by car to the resorts and around 20 minutes to Man Thai at the foot of the peninsula.
• 💰 Price level: ₫ to ₫₫₫₫₫. The three hotels below cost roughly 1,050,000 to 21,700,000 dong (around £30 to £640) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe, but the roads are dark and deserted in the evening. Keep your distance from the monkeys at the pagoda, and don’t feed them.

The Son Tra Peninsula rises almost 700 metres just north of My Khe and is covered in rainforest, home to the rare red-shanked douc langurs. On the south side you’ll find Linh Ung Pagoda with its 67-metre-tall white statue of Lady Buddha, which you can see from most of the beach, and entry is free. Head out there early in the morning, before the heat and the tour buses arrive.

The peninsula is Da Nang’s luxury address. On the north side, the InterContinental cascades down the hillside towards Bai Bac bay, and on the south side there are a few smaller resorts with their own beaches. If you’d like to stay for less, look at Man Thai and Tho Quang at the foot of the peninsula, where the fishermen still haul their basket boats up onto the beach in the morning, and where you’re close to both My Khe and the seafood restaurants. The coastal road around the peninsula is one of the most beautiful drives in the whole city.

See hotels on the Son Tra Peninsula here.

I’d choose Son Tra for a honeymoon, a luxury holiday or a few days when you mostly want to stay at the hotel and by the pool. It’s also a good choice if you want nature and peace and quiet but still want to be able to get into the city in half an hour. It works well combined with a few nights at My Khe or in Hai Chau, so you see both sides of Da Nang.

The downside is the distance. You’ll need a car every time you want to eat outside the hotel, and the resort restaurants are expensive. The InterContinental is also one of the most expensive hotels in Vietnam, so consider whether you’d rather spend the money on more nights somewhere else.

Hotels on the Son Tra Peninsula

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort - one of Vietnam’s best-known luxury resorts

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort sits on the hillside above Bai Bac with its own beach, several pools, a spa, a kids’ club and a range of restaurants. Its score of 9.5 is the highest in this guide, but so is the price: it was around 21,700,000 dong (around £640) per night when I searched. A few guests mention rubbish in the water by the beach.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “This hotel was the best for us so far. Everything was so lovely, including the quality of the food in the restaurants and the hospitality.”

See photos and book InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort here.

Son Tra Beach Resort & Spa Danang - villas with a private beach on the south side of the peninsula

Son Tra Beach Resort is at Bai Nam on the south side of the peninsula, with a private beach, an outdoor pool, a spa and villas with kitchens. The price was around a quarter of the InterContinental’s when I searched, and you get the same nature and tranquillity. Several guests do say, however, that the villas could do with updating.

From one review: “Excellent, helpful staff, especially Ms Hang, who helped us with all our requests.”

See photos and book Son Tra Beach Resort & Spa here.

Seashore Hotel & Apartment - budget hotel by Man Thai Beach

Seashore is on Hoang Sa, right opposite Man Thai Beach at the foot of the peninsula. There’s a rooftop infinity pool, a gym and apartments with kitchens, and with 8.6 from over 2,200 reviews it’s a safe bet on a small budget. Some guests say the water in the rooftop pool can be cold.

One guest highlights: “Incredible breakfast, I’m completely blown away by the choice and the quality.”

See photos and book Seashore Hotel & Apartment here.

5. Non Nuoc & Marble Mountains - best area for families and resort holidays ⛰️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 8 kilometres south-east of the centre. It’s a 15 to 20-minute drive to the Dragon Bridge and 25 to 30 minutes to the Old Town in Hoi An.
• 🚕 Transport: Grab, taxi or the resort’s shuttle bus. Many of the resorts run guests to Hoi An and the centre, so ask when you book.
• ✈️ Time from Da Nang Airport: About 20 to 25 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: ₫₫ to ₫₫₫₫. The three places below cost around 1,750,000 to 5,200,000 dong (around £50 to £150) a night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet. The beach road, Truong Sa, is deserted in the evening, so take a Grab rather than walking long distances in the dark.

Non Nuoc is the southern stretch of Da Nang’s coast, where the city gives way to resorts with palm trees, golf courses and long, peaceful beaches. Rising up in the middle of it all are the Marble Mountains, five limestone outcrops named after the five elements, with caves, temples and steps leading up to viewpoints over the coast. Entry to the largest, Thuy Son, costs 40,000 dong (around £1), and a lift takes you up the first part for 15,000 dong (less than 50p) each way. Huyen Khong Cave, with its Buddha statues lit by the openings in the roof, is what most people come for.

At the foot of the mountains lies the stone-carving village of Non Nuoc, where figures have been carved from stone for generations, and the shops sell everything from little Buddha figurines to statues that need shipping home in a container. It’s a short trip from here to Hoi An, and if you’d rather stay in the old trading town itself, I’ve written a guide on where to stay in Hoi An.

See hotels near Non Nuoc and the Marble Mountains here.

I’d choose Non Nuoc if you’re a family who wants a pool, kids’ club and beach all in one place, or if you want to split your holiday between Da Nang and Hoi An without changing hotels. The resorts sit in a long row along Truong Sa, and most have their own beach with sunloungers and parasols.

The downside is that restaurants outside the resorts are few and far between, so you’ll end up eating most of your meals at the hotel. There are hardly any budget hotels, so if you want to stay cheaply out here, it means an apartment or a homestay.

Hotels near Non Nuoc & the Marble Mountains

Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa - large family resort with its own beach

The Hyatt Regency sits on Truong Sa with the Marble Mountains behind it and a long private beach in front. There are several pools, a waterslide, a kids’ club, a tennis court and a spa, and you can choose between rooms, apartments and villas of various sizes. A few guests feel that some of the rooms could do with some maintenance.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic hotel with a beautiful beach and lovely pool areas.”

See photos and book Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa here.

KOI Resort & Residence Da Nang - five-star resort with a spa and villas with private pools

KOI Resort & Residence is on Truong Sa, a few minutes’ drive from the Marble Mountains. Spa access is included in the price, and there are both indoor and outdoor infinity pools, a water park for the children and villas with their own pool. Some guests have had problems with the air conditioning and hot water, so let them know straight away if something isn’t working.

From one review: “The private pool was excellent!”

See photos and book KOI Resort & Residence here.

Moc Son Apartment - apartment with a kitchen close to the Marble Mountains

Moc Son Apartment is on a quiet side street close to the beach and a couple of minutes’ drive from the Marble Mountains. You get an apartment with a kitchen and room for families, but no breakfast, and it was the cheapest option out here when I searched. A few guests mention noise from karaoke in the neighbourhood, which is common in Vietnamese residential areas.

One guest highlights: “The best hosts in the world.”

See photos and book Moc Son Apartment here.

Where not to stay in Da Nang?

Lien Chieu and Hoa Khanh, in the north-west of the city on Da Nang Bay, have cheap hotels, but the area is dominated by industry, universities and major roads, and you’re a long way from My Khe, the centre and Hoi An. The same goes for the hotels in Cam Le and around the airport, which only make sense if you have a very early flight.

Don’t stay at Ba Na Hills either, unless you specifically want to be there when the theme park closes. Ba Na Hills is about 40 kilometres west of the city, and the famous Golden Bridge with its two giant stone hands is inside the Sun World park, where a ticket including the cable car costs 900,000 dong (around £25) for adults. It’s easier to go on a day trip to Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge with hotel pick-up.

If it’s your first trip to Da Nang, I’d stay by My Khe Beach, or in An Thuong if you’d rather eat out than lounge by the pool. Travelling with children, Non Nuoc gives you the most holiday for your money, and if you can afford to treat yourselves, Son Tra is hard to beat. Hai Chau is for those who want the city on their doorstep and low prices.

Use Da Nang as a base for day trips so you’re not constantly changing hotels. Hoi An’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 30 kilometres from My Khe, and a Grab there takes around 45 minutes. The rainy season from September to December can bring heavy rain and storms to central Vietnam, and entry requirements change, so check the official foreign travel advice for Vietnam, and if you need a visa, you’ll find the application in the official e-visa guidance.

Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇

• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers

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