Da Nang is split into two distinct sides: the city and the beach. The Han River, running north-south, splits the two sides. There are five bridges connecting the two sides of Da Nang, with the Dragon Bridge being the most central.
All of the bridges have sidewalks. You likely won’t go over the northernmost bridge, the Thuan Phuoc Bridge, because it’s out of the way a bit, but it’s fun to cross on a scooter. The views of Da Nang Bay are awesome.
One of the major pros of Da Nang is that its international airport is right in the city. The Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is about 15 minutes from My Khe Beach. It’s also typically a pretty smooth experience to fly in/out of compared to elsewhere in Vietnam. Getting around Da Nang is pretty straightforward, and I detail the best options below.
If you’re in trip-planning mode, learn the best time to visit Da Nang (and elsewhere in central Vietnam, like Hoi An). Check out my common Vietnam travel FAQs guide, the visa requirements, and learn how to get your SIM card. And if you’re still choosing your accommodations, I have guides on Da Nang’s best hotels and beach resorts, too.
Don’t forget my guide to things to do in Da Nang. Join my Da Nang and Hoi An travel planning group, where I’ll personally answer any questions you have on either city.
Related getting around guides:
• How to Get Around Hoi An for First-Time Visitors
• How to Get Around Ho Chi Minh City for First-Time Visitors
The Grab App
When giving advice to first-timers traveling to Vietnam, the first thing I always tell them is to download the Grab app—it’s the Uber of Vietnam. You can see my other recommended travel apps here.
Within the app, you can book scooter taxis (GrabBike), car taxis (GrabTaxi), private car services (GrabCar), food delivery (GrabFood), order groceries, and more. You can read my guide on how to use the Grab app.
You don’t need to input or use your credit or debit card in the Grab app. You can select Cash and pay after getting a taxi ride or for food delivery.
Booking a GrabBike (Scooter Taxi)
A motorcycle taxi (“xe om” in Vietnamese) through the Grab app is undoubtedly the most popular way to get around Da Nang—unless you rent your own scooter. More on that further down.
GrabBike drivers provide helmets. Once aboard, if you’re unsure where to put your hands because you don’t want to hold onto your driver’s belly, reach behind and use the seat’s rear structure as handles. Then, hold on!
Here are some shots I took of people riding GrabBike taxis in Da Nang:
You can pay with cash or put your credit/debit card in the Grab app and go cashless. This is what I do.
Tips for the driver are not necessary. But adding a couple more bucks is easy in the app if you want to tip.
As you can see from my screenshots above, a GrabBike taxi ride around Da Nang can cost as little as 14.000 VND for a short trip.
Booking a GrabCar or GrabTaxi
In addition to offering moto-taxis, Grab offers the option to order a private car (GrabCar) or a taxi (GrabTaxi). I use this when flying into Da Nang International Airport (DAD) and needing to get into the city. Otherwise, you’ll be bombarded by random drivers offering you their services when you exit the arrivals area.
You can also order an airport transfer ahead of time through Klook. This is also a good way of getting from Da Nang to Hoi An.
Currently, Grab offers GrabCar, GrabCar Plus, and GrabCar 7. GrabTaxi is another option inside the app. This will book a regular taxi through the app but will tell you the price ahead of time. Many taxi drivers also work for Grab.
The Grab app also offers the ability to hire a driver by the hour for both moto-taxis and cars. This is useful if you want to see a few tourist attractions or parts of the city and don’t want to order rides after each one.
Vehicle models in Vietnam are a bit different from those in other countries, so with GrabCar, don’t be surprised if something the size of a Toyota Yaris shows up. GrabCar Plus will be a bit bigger—something mid-size like a Toyota Camry. And with GrabCar 7, it’s always been some type of SUV whenever I’ve used it—something like a Toyota Fortuner.
If you plan on visiting some attractions in Da Nang, see my guides on the Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha, and the My Son Sanctuary. You can use Grab to reach all of these sites.
Walking Around Da Nang
Much of Da Nang is very walkable. Depending on where you’re staying and where you want to go, you can skip renting a scooter or using taxis to get around. Skipping renting a scooter makes sense for safety reasons, but I highly recommend using the Grab app.
As far as walking, for example, if you’re staying in the My An area near My Khe Beach, you can walk within this entire area. The beach has a paved walking path that extends several kilometers. All of the popular streets, the An Thuongs, are walkable.
Search for hotels near My Khe Beach on Agoda.
If you stay in the city side of Da Nang (Hai Chau), the popular areas are Tran Phu Street (where the Pink Cathedral is) and Bach Dang Street. This area is entirely walkable.
Search for hotels in Hai Chau on Agoda.
The city and beach sides of Da Nang are connected by five bridges, plus a dedicated pedestrian-only walking bridge called the Nguyen Van Troi Walking Bridge.
All five bridges have raised sidewalks to safely walk across, including the Dragon Bridge, which is the most central of the five bridges.
Here’s a video I filmed while riding over the Dragon Bridge. You can see the raised sidewalk.
So, if you’re staying in the city, you can walk across the bridges to the beach side and vice versa. This is an activity you’ll want to do anyway because the views up and down the Han River are awesome on a sunny day.
Renting a Scooter
This has long been my favorite way to get around in Vietnam. I’ve spent hundreds of hours exploring Da Nang (and nearby Hoi An) on a scooter. When I first went to Da Nang in 2018, I would go on three or four-hour rides in no particular direction, wander through and to the edges of the city, then find my way back.
Technically, you need a motorcycle license to ride a scooter over 50cc in Vietnam. This can be either the A1 or A2 license. However, a 50cc bike, like the Honda Cub, will be pretty dinky for larger folks. Most rental places will ask if you have a license but still end up renting a scooter to you without one. You’ll have to assess the risks of getting into an accident or not and if your travel/health insurance will cover you if you drive unlicensed.
A great and reliable starter bike is the Honda Air Blade. It comes in 125cc, and there are 150cc and 160cc versions, too.
Depending on the motorbike, a rental can cost anywhere from 100.000 to 300.000 VND per day. You get better rates if you rent monthly. I paid 2.6 million VND per month to rent my 2022 Yamaha NVX 155, pictured above. I’ve also rented newer Air Blade 125s for 1 to 2 million VND per month. Renting in Da Nang and Hoi An is cheaper than renting in Ho Chi Minh City.
The good news about riding a scooter in Da Nang is that it’s a great place to learn. There’s hardly any traffic at all. The city is wide open and more spread out, and there are quiet parts you can go to to practice. I learned to ride a motorbike in Da Nang.
If you want to rent a scooter in Da Nang, I recommend contacting Quang Nga Motorbikes Rental in the My An area. Here is their location on Google Maps.
