Where to Stay in Da Nang: A Local’s Guide for First-Timers

When I first moved to Da Nang in 2018, I stayed at the Starlet Hotel in My An for ten days while looking for my first apartment. Since then, I’ve rented six different apartments on long-term leases all over Da Nang.

I’ve also been riding a motorbike since my first week here, and I’ve thoroughly explored Da Nang’s beach and cityside, its outskirts, random alleys, and more. I’ve spent hundreds of hours exploring and discovering Da Nang.

I say all this only to convey that I know the city well. If you’re wondering where to stay in Da Nang but don’t know where to start, I’m here to help. Da Nang is one of my favorite cities.

Before finalizing your trip to Da Nang, Hoi An, or elsewhere in central Vietnam, read my guide on the best time to visit and learn how to get around Da Nang or Hoi An. If you’re interested in staying in Da Nang long term, this guide covers living here.

Related Where to Stay guides:
• Saigon Uncovered: 7 Best Areas to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
• Where to Stay in Hoi An: A Local’s Guide for First-Timers

Where to Stay in Da Nang Map: My Favorite Areas and Hotels

This map highlights the three areas and hotels mentioned in the article. You can view the full map here.

How to use this map: Ahoy! Click the arrow in the top left-hand corner to view the layers. I color-coded the map with the three best areas to stay in Da Nang: Ngu Hanh Son, Son Tra, and Hai Chau. Some of my favorite hotels and resorts are the pink bed icons.

My An (Ngũ Hành Sơn)

Ngu Hanh Son (light yellow on the above map) is on the beachside of Da Nang. It borders Son Tra at Nguyen Van Thoai Street in the north and extends south about 30 minutes towards Hoi An.

The main part of Ngu Hanh Son is an area called My An (dark yellow on the above map). This area is the most touristy and popular on the beachside of Da Nang.

My An contains several streets known as the An Thuongs: An Thuong 1, An Thuong 2, An Thuong 3, etc. The My An area, or An Thuong area, is very walkable and has many hotels, cafes, and eateries. My Khe Beach is right across the street.

A walking path along the beach in the My An area extends several kilometers north to Son Tra. This path is popular for exercising. I run a 5K along the path a few days per week.

Da Nang City recently added cobblestone walking streets on some lower-numbered An Thuongs. They’ve been building this area up over the last few years; it’s much more happening than when I first came here in 2018.

This area of Ngu Hanh Son (My An) is an excellent place for first-timers in Da Nang to stay. For more info on places to stay and hotels in the area, see my guides on hotels or resorts in Da Nang.

Things to Do in My An

Every attraction link below opens its location on Google Maps.  

My Khe Beach. The most popular beach in Da Nang is right across the street from My An. There are signs calling it My An Beach. Most of this beach is very quiet during the day.

Here is a video I took of further up My Khe Beach in the morning:

Vietnamese locals are not sun worshippers. They exercise or go to the beaches early in the morning before sunrise or during/after sunset.

Wander. The entire My An area and the An Thuongs are walkable and safe to explore. You can walk west and wiggle through side streets, discovering neat cafes and family-run eateries.

Alternatively, you can walk north along My Khe Beach (there’s a paved walkway), then turn west at any point and wander. Again, it’s all very walkable.

My An Market. This local market has food stalls, fresh juices, clothes, cell phone cases, sunglasses, jewelry, hair stylist booths (yes), and more.

I first visited this market in 2018 to eat bún bò from a small stand owned by a husband and wife. Their stand is still there today.

Bún bò is a Vietnamese dish with rice noodles and sliced beef. The bún bò is 25.000 VND (roughly $1.00 USD) per bowl.

You can safely wander to this market from the My An area/An Thuong streets; it’s in the southern part of the My An area.

The Marble Mountains. A small group of mountains with statues, caves, and excellent views from the top. The mountains are about 10 minutes south of the My An area. This isn’t an activity for those with mobility issues. Wear comfortable shoes.

Read my guide to the Marble Mountains here.

Day trip or tour. The My An area is a very convenient place to base yourself if you plan on taking a day trip or tour. Most tours offer hotel pick-up and drop-off.

• This is a full-day tour of Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge.
• This tour from Da Nang goes to the Marble Mountains and Hoi An.

My Son Sanctuary. The My Son Sanctuary (official website) is one of eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Vietnam. Its ruins date back to the 4th through 13th centuries. This is an excellent half-day trip from Da Nang or Hoi An.

Here’s an early morning My Son Sanctuary tour that offers hotel pick-up from Da Nang and Hoi An.

I recently visited the ruins and spent several hours exploring them. Read my complete visitor’s guide to My Son Sanctuary for more info.

Best Places to Stay in My An

My Favorite My An Area Hotels

The area from Nguyen Van Thoai Street south to Ho Xuan Huong (dark yellow on the map) has numerous boutique and budget hotels. There are some mid-range hotels but not many luxury hotels.

I once stayed at the Risemount Premier Resort Da Nang (hotel website) for nine days. The rooms are simple, but the hotel is in an excellent location. Here is my review article of the Risemount Premier.

Son Tra to the north (blue on the map) has a higher concentration of luxury hotels. Or, heading south of My An (into the light yellow on the map), you’ll find some of Da Nang’s best beachfront hotels. The only catch with some of these is that they are about a 15-minute drive from the popular My An area. I’ve detailed this below. 

When I moved to Da Nang in 2018, I first stayed at the Starlet Hotel on Tran Bach Dang Street between An Thuong 1 and An Thuong 2 in My An (the bottom of the dark yellow on the map).

Many eateries and coffee shops line the surrounding streets. The entire immediate area is very walkable. My Khe Beach is a two-minute walk away.

The Starlet Hotel has since been remodeled and rebranded into Angel Hotels Beach Da Nang.

This area is an excellent location for your first time in Da Nang.

The My An area, across from My Khe Beach/My An Beach, is the best area for first-timers to stay in Da Nang.

Best Luxury Hotels in the My An area
TMS Hotel Da Nang Beach • Golden Lotus Grand Hotel Da Nang • Risemount Premier Resort Da Nang

Best Boutique Hotels in the My An area
Daisy Boutique Hotel & Apartment • Eco Green Boutique Hotel Da Nang

Best Budget Hotels in the My An area
Sofiana My Khe Hotel & Spa • Yarra Ocean Suites Danang • Grand Sunrise Boutique Hotel

I mentioned above that some very nice beach resorts are south of the My An area. After you leave the main touristy area of My An/An Thuong and head south towards Hoi An (into the light yellow on my map), the road is lined with many 5-star luxury resorts. Most of them have private beach areas.

Best Beach Resorts in the My An area
Pullman Danang Beach Resort • Furama Resort Danang

These two resorts are close enough that you can still walk to the main area of My An to explore, eat, drink, and visit My Khe Beach. This area has another resort, the Premier Village, but I don’t think it provides as good value as the first two.

Best Beach Resorts in Ngu Nanh Son (south of My An area)

These next four resorts are technically in Ngu Hanh Son, though closer to its southernmost end (the bottom of the light yellow on the map).

They are about a 10 to 15-minute drive south of the main area. To get into the happening part of the city, you’ll need to take a taxi or rent a scooter. 

Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa • Danang Marriott Resort & Spa • Sheraton Grand Danang Resort • Melia Danang Beach Resort

These four resorts are further down the not-as-developed stretch of road between Da Nang’s busy beachside and Hoi An, which is 30 minutes south.

You won’t be able to step outside one of these resorts and wander on foot to find cool places to eat and drink. However, these luxury resorts have everything on-site you’d need during your vacation.

The best of both worlds (privacy plus city access) would be staying here and renting a scooter. Otherwise, you’ll need to rely on Grab taxis to get around.

Sơn Trà

Son Tra (blue on the map) is north of Ngu Hanh Son. It starts at Nguyen Van Thoai Street (where the yellow meets the blue on the map) and extends north to the Da Nang Port (Tien Sa Port), including the entirety of the Son Tra Peninsula.

The further north you go along Da Nang’s beachside, the less touristy it gets. But also a bit less convenient. The beaches up here are much quieter (less touristy) than their My An counterparts.

Here’s a video from East Sea Park in Son Tra. This is one of my favorite beaches in Da Nang.

That’s not to say Son Tra won’t be convenient. In the My An area of Ngu Hanh Son, for example, there are countless food and drink options outside most hotels, no matter which direction you wander. 

There are plenty of places to eat in Son Tra, too, but you won’t be bombarded with options (and other travelers) just off your doorstep as you would be if you stayed further south.

I have been eating at An’s Cafe in Son Tra a lot lately. I highly recommend it for cheap and tasty brunch items, like omelets, oatmeal, granola, sandwiches, fresh juices, and more.

If you like Indian food, check out Lazeez Indian Restaurant. I eat here a few times per month.

To me, the positive of Son Tra is that it is far less vacationed and touristy. This will be true as you go north from Nguyen Van Thoai Street. The further north, the less touristy. I think it’s a great area.

I filmed this video on Man Thai Beach, further north than East Sea Park. You can see how quiet it gets.

If you plan on getting a scooter and staying a while, this is where I would base myself. With a scooter, you can access My An’s popular areas, which have many great places to eat, then retreat to your quieter hotel up north.

This is what I do now. I live in Son Tra and eat, explore, and go to the gym elsewhere in Da Nang. If you want to stay long-term, here’s an article about Da Nang’s best supermarkets.

Things to Do in Son Tra

Son Tra is north of the My An area and extends from the Han River to the west to the ocean. It runs north into the Son Tra Peninsula and Monkey Mountain.

Every attraction link below opens its location on Google Maps.  

Lady Buddha. The towering white Lady Buddha statue is visible from most of Da Nang’s beaches. She stands at the Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula overlooking the ocean. There are no entrance fees to the Linh Ung Pagoda or Lady Buddha.

You can read about visiting the Linh Ung Pagoda and Lady Buddha here.

There is a lot more to see here than just the Lady Buddha. The statue is just one part of the overall Linh Ung Pagoda. This is the “Main Hall” at the Linh Ung Pagoda.

You can ride a scooter to the statue by following Hoang Sa Road. Motorbike parking at Linh Ung Pagoda is free. You can also take a Grab taxi.

Son Tra Peninsula. For as long as I’ve lived in Da Nang, the Son Tra Peninsula has also been called Monkey Mountain. You can also call it the Son Tra Mountain. All names are interchangeable.

This is a video I took in 2018 on my iPhone 5s. We’re feeding the monkeys graham crackers.

Here is a newer video I filmed in 2024. This is outside the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort (hotel website). As you can see, I also upgraded my phone from the iPhone 5s, which I used to film videos in 2018.

Just near the InterContinental Resort is a military checkpoint. A gate blocks a road leading to different mountain areas. You’ll need a manual or semi-automatic bike to continue on the rest of the mountain.

This new checkpoint was installed in the last couple of years. They are now at several points on the mountain. The red sign says “Automatic Scooters Prohibited.” And those are wild mountain monkeys eating garbage.

If you continue past Lady Buddha toward the InterContinental Resort, you will encounter wild monkeys. For the most part, they mind their own business. I’ve never heard of them attacking or biting anyone.

But you may inadvertently invite several over if you try to feed them. By doing so, they may try to take things out of your hands or snatch your cell phone, camera, backpack, or purse.

Ban Co Peak. This is the peak at the top of Son Tra Peninsula. As mentioned, you’ll need a manual or semi-automatic scooter to ride here alone, but you can also take a taxi to the top.

It is 100% worth visiting, especially on a clear day. You’ll see nearly all of downtown Da Nang, including the Da Nang Airport, much of the Han River, all its bridges, and over into Da Nang Bay.

Cá Chép Hóa Rồng Statue. On a blue-skied day, this area along the Han River in Son Tra has some of the best views in Da Nang. You can see up and down the Han River, including the Dragon Bridge and other bridges.

There is a statue of a carp turning into a dragon and a pier you can walk onto. This is free.

I went out onto the pier to film this video:

East Sea Park. This is an often quiet and clean beach in Son Tra. City events, like the Da Nang International Marathon or concerts, are held here. This is a great spot to check out, then walk north further into Son Tra or south along the promenade to My Khe Beach.

Best Places to Stay in Son Tra

My Favorite Son Tra Hotels

Son Tra (blue on the map), north of Nguyen Van Thoai Street, is a great place to stay for a slightly more local feel; it’s less touristy but with just as easy access to beaches and activities as Ngu Hanh Son (My An).

The further north you go, the less touristy everything gets – beaches included. One of the better hotels in Son Tra, which I’ve stayed at, is the Sala Danang Beach Hotel. It’s in a great location, and the breakfast is excellent.

Son Tra also has some great riverside hotels, some of which are among the best hotels in Da Nang for views. I stayed at the Fivitel Hotel (hotel website) in Son Tra for a month while waiting for my apartment to open. The rooms are comfortable, the staff is friendly, the views are excellent, and it’s very affordable. Here’s my article on the Fivitel Hotel.

Here is a video I filmed from my room on the 17th floor of the Fivitel.

Best River View Hotels in Son Tra
Melia Vinpearl Danang Riverfront • Fivitel Da Nang

Best Beach Access Hotels in Son Tra
Sala Danang Beach Hotel • Monarque Hotel Danang • Radisson Hotel Danang • Le Sands Oceanfront Hotel • Hilton Garden Inn

Best Budget & Boutique Hotels in Son Tra
Estrella Boutique Hotel • Hadana Boutique Hotel Da Nang

This video is from the beach access spot across the street from the Monarque Hotel in Son Tra.

The Son Tra Peninsula is home to one of the best luxury hotels in Da Nang (and all of Vietnam): the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort (hotel website).

The self-contained resort is tucked away in a private area on the peninsula’s northern side. You won’t be able to walk anywhere from here. This ultra-high-end resort is best for those wanting luxurious privacy away from the busy parts of Da Nang.

Hải Châu

Hai Chau (orange on the map) is one of Da Nang’s city-side districts. It includes the entire north-south riverfront along the Han River and extends further west to include Da Nang International Airport (DAD). 

When crossing over the Han River from the beachside via any of Da Nang’s five central bridges, you’ll be in Hai Chau. 

Riding a scooter over the bridges into Hai Chau is easy, quick, and scenic. I regularly make trips back and forth over the bridges, sometimes going over one and then returning over another.

I filmed this video on my scooter while crossing the Dragon Bridge into Hai Chau.

Both sides of the Han River, in Hai Chau and Son Tra, have riverfront walking paths. You can cross from either the beach or the city side and walk along the riverfront.

The view is outstanding when going over any of Da Nang’s bridges or walking along the riverfront. On a clear day, you can see up and down the Han River, including the bridges, Son Tra Mountain, and its peaks.

Speaking of clear days, read my guide on the best time to visit Da Nang here.

You don’t have to ride a scooter across the bridges; all five central bridges have elevated walking sidewalks.

Things to Do in Hai Chau

Da Nang’s city center and riverside are very energetic, which is apparent after spending some time on the more laid-back beachside.

Every attraction link below opens its location on Google Maps.  

Bach Dang Street & Riverwalk. Bach Dang Street runs along the Han River in Hai Chau. The northern part of it is a very central and popular tourist area. But the path extends much further beyond this area.

In this photo, I was south of the popular area but still on the walking path. That’s the Dragon Bridge in the background.

Heading further north along the river, past the Dragon Bridge.

Han Market. If you’ve visited Ho Chi Minh City, you’ve likely been to Ben Thanh Market. It’s the same deal: a lot of stuff for sale, knockoffs—some real stuff, perhaps—vendors and tourists everywhere. It’s worth experiencing at least once.

But just like my advice about Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City, be mindful of your pockets and belongings. It’s a prime spot for pickpockets. Get into the habit of only taking a small amount of cash when exploring the city.

The market is on Tran Phu Street, which only runs south, and is a pretty busy and happening area in Hai Chau. 

Da Nang Cathedral. The cathedral is just down the street from Han Market. Along with the Han Market up the street, this entire area is loaded with cafes, shops, and restaurants. It’s also a popular spot for photos.

Anh Vu Bun Cha Ha Noi. This restaurant serves bun cha Ha Noi, right around the corner from Da Nang Cathedral. I love bun cha, a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork, noodles, broth, and lettuce.

NAM House Cafe. This great cafe is further south along Tran Phu Street, then west a bit. I visit here regularly because the interior is unique, the staff is super friendly, and the coffee is cheap and tasty. Here’s my article on NAM House Cafe.

Da Nang’s best museums are all in Hai Chau
Danang Fine Arts Museum • Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture • Da Nang Museum • Ho Chi Minh Museum

Da Nang Downtown (official website). This used to be called Asia Park, which is a small family-oriented amusement park in Hai Chau. It’s right along the river and houses the Sun Wheel—the giant Ferris wheel seen from most of the city.

Best Places to Stay Hai Chau

My Favorite Hai Chau Hotels

• 5-star river: Novotel Premier
• 4-star river: HAIAN Riverfront
• 3-star: Centre Hotel
• Great Value: Fivitel Boutique

If I were to stay in Hai Chau on a short trip, I’d stay near the river. The riverside promenade has an excellent walking path with fantastic views along the Han River.

I filmed this video outside the HAIAN Riverfront Hotel (hotel website). This hotel is in an excellent location on Bach Dang Street, across from the Han River walking area.

You can walk or exercise along the riverside paved path. As mentioned in the previous section, you can cross over the bridges toward Da Nang’s beach area; they are walkable, with raised sidewalks.

Also, hiring a Grab taxi driver from here is easy and cheap. Use them to get wherever you want to go in Da Nang.

Some of these are the best hotels in Da Nang for excellent city and river views, other than the riverside hotels in Son Tra. 

Best River View Hotels in Hai Chau
Novotel Danang Premier Han River • Hilton Da Nang • Vanda Hotel • Val Soleil Hotel • HAIAN Riverfront Hotel Da Nang

Best Center City Hotels in Hai Chai
Bay Capital Da Nang Hotel • Fivitel Boutique Da Nang • Sanouva Danang Hotel

Best Budget Hotels in Hai Chau
Centre Hotel • Wink Hotel Danang Centre • Sun River Hotel

Wherever you decide to stay, enjoy your trip! As I initially said, Da Nang is one of my favorite cities. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Alternatively, join my Da Nang & Hoi An travel planning group.