Created by Jake Explains
Your first week, sorted.
Thinking of basing yourself in Da Nang? Here are my picks for where to stay, work, train and eat, plus how to meet people and build your routine in the city.
Two seasons, and the difference matters if you are picking a start month.
Dry Dry and hot, days of 33 to 36°C Wet season Peak rain
January to August is the dry season, cool to hot, with June and July the peak of summer. Rain builds from September; October and November are the wettest months by far, and December is still wet but cooler.
WMO’s 1991–2020 averages, read from its data feed on 17 September 2026: September 394 mm, October 658 mm, November 486 mm, December 272 mm. A long-run pattern, not a forecast. The dry-season notes follow the city portal’s 2016 page.
Choose an area, then check the street and apartment in person. Stay in a hotel for the first week or two while you look.
Compare the city side with the beach side, then look closely at the streets around your shortlisted apartments.
Select an area on the map or tap its name. Switch to the wider view for the peninsula.
Before you commit Visit a few apartments and walk your usual routes. Check the block by day and after dark for traffic, bars and nearby building work.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL 1.0
Book a hotel for the first week or two and view apartments in person. Hotels are cheap here: Jake budgets US$30 to 60 a night, and any hotel in the area you want to live in will do. Noise changes from one road to the next, so walk the exact street at night before you commit.
Public 2026 guides put a modern one-bedroom near the beach at roughly US$350 to 600 a month. US$400 in An Thượng buys limited, older options. Prices fall with longer terms and distance from An Thượng.
Two examples at different price points.
Stay
A modern apartment at US$800 a month.
Rent US$800 ≈ 20,800,000₫ a month
This is where I live.
Prices
Ask what the rent includes before booking.
Stay
A budget apartment at US$300 a month.
Rent US$300 ≈ 7,800,000₫ a month
Prices
Ask what the rent includes before booking.
Rough monthly numbers in US dollars. Rent is the swing factor, and food is an allowance you set.
Three example budgets
Planning scenarios, not my spending and not a survey. The couple shares one apartment; their food is US$15 per adult a day and the gym line covers two memberships.
Lean solo
About US$900
Comfortable solo
About US$1,400
Comfortable couple
total for two
About US$2,000 together
Ongoing living costs; travel, insurance and setup costs are extra.
| Monthly expense, US dollars | Lean solo | Comfortable solo | Comfortable couple total for two |
|---|---|---|---|
| One apartment | US$350 | US$600 | US$600 |
| Food | US$300 | US$450 | US$900 |
| Coffee and drinks | US$40 | US$60 | US$90 |
| Utilities and water | US$50 | US$60 | US$75 |
| Local transport | US$40 | US$60 | US$80 |
| Phone data | US$10 | US$10 | US$20 |
| Gym | US$25 | US$60 | US$120 |
| Laundry, grooming and other everyday spending | US$85 | US$100 | US$115 |
| Example total per 30-day month | About US$900 | About US$1,400 | About US$2,000 together |
Outside these totals: flights, visas, insurance, deposits, medical expenses, taxes, trips, paid coworking.
What each line costs
Rent, modern one-bedroom near the beach
What people report in 2026. US$400 in An Thượng buys limited, older options.
Food
A starting food allowance of US$10–US$15 a day. Coffee and drinks are counted separately below.
Gym
Fan-cooled local gyms at the low end, air-conditioned at the top. Tamtay’s board is higher; see its card.
Phone data
Tourist SIM bundles of 7 to 30 days.
Short Grab rides
GrabBike at the low end. Short hops cost me about a dollar.
Coworking membership, optional
A paid workspace is a separate choice from working in cafés. ACE and Coworking Danang carry their own prices.
My kind of month
Estimated from my setup.
Apartment
US$800
Meals
about US$320–US$370
Gym
about US$96
Everyday extras
about US$363
US$1,576–US$1,629 for the month with the gym-only membership.
US$1,623–US$1,675 with gym plus recovery.
A modelled month, not an audited one, and before flights, visas, insurance or deposits.
Dollar figures use US$1 ≈ 26,000₫, the model’s illustrative rate. The State Bank’s central rate was 25,617₫ on 15 September 2026.
The airport sits inside the city, so the ride to a bed near the beach is short.
Apply online at the official portal and allow at least a week. A single-entry e-visa is US$25, multiple entry US$50, valid for up to 90 days.
Layouts change and old samples circulate, so check the fields rather than the design.
Fees are set by Ministry of Finance Circular 28/2026, in force since 1 April 2026. Applicants under 14 pay US$25 either way. The official processing target is three working days once both form and fee are in.
E-visa validity must be at least 30 days shorter than your remaining passport validity, so a passport expiring within about four months will not carry a full 90 days.
Vietnam issues e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories. Exemption lists change; if your exemption is 45 days and you are staying two months, you need the e-visa.
Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone have counters in the arrivals hall. Bring your passport; every SIM is registered to an ID.
Under Decree 163/2024 a carrier cannot activate service until your details are registered; a foreign visitor registers with a passport valid for the stay.
Since 15 April 2026, authenticating a number covers four fields including a facial-biometric photo (Circular 08/2026). Authentication runs through the VNeID app, the carrier’s app or a carrier-owned shop; VNeID is built around Vietnamese ID, so expect the app or the counter. An unauthenticated line can lose outgoing service.
Book once you are outside, follow the pickup pin to Grab’s marked lanes, and see the fare before you confirm. Pay by card in the app or cash to the driver.
At international arrivals Grab’s pickup points are marked GrabCar Pickup Lane 1 and Lane 2, reached by following the guide board out of the hall. Domestic arrivals and GrabBike have separate points.
Grab publishes no fare for My Khe or An Thượng. Its Vietnam terms list domestic or international debit and credit cards among accepted methods.
Eight phrases worth learning on the plane. Show your phone if the tones defeat you.
Cash, card and QR each have a job. I barely use cash; QR is one of my favourite things about being here.
A useful backup, not the main event. Keep small notes for markets, street food and parking.
Visa and Mastercard work at hotels, supermarkets, malls and most visitor-facing restaurants. A low-fee travel card avoids your bank’s foreign-transaction charges.
Which bank is cheapest is hard to pin down: banks publish fees for cards they issue, not the surcharge on foreign cards, and bank-by-bank figures in travel blogs are uncited and change. Read the fee on screen before confirming and withdraw the maximum to spread the fixed cost.
A Vietnamese bank account is not ruled out on a tourist visa under Circular 17/2024 as amended, but branches apply their own tests and many decline short-stay visitors. Plan as if you will not get one.
The code you see everywhere is VietQR, paid from a Vietnamese bank app or a wallet. Without a local account, the Yodl card below is how I pay.
MoMo’s own help pages say a foreign passport is accepted to verify a wallet; limits and funding still vary.
Circular 41/2025 amending Circular 40/2024 requires an e-wallet provider to verify a new holder face to face, checking the identity document against biometric data.
Payments
Jake’s pickQR payments
I use Yodl for QR payments. It’s one of the things that makes everyday life here easy.
The code on every counter is VietQR. Yodl pays those codes from a stablecoin balance you hold in the app, so you do not need a Vietnamese bank account. You see the full amount before you approve.
No Yodl payment fee; the cost sits in the quoted exchange rate, and network gas can apply. Not free currency conversion.
Sort these in week one and they stop costing you attention.
Short hops across the beach side cost me about a dollar. Book in the app, the helmet comes with the bike, and pay by card or cash.
Transport
I haven’t tried this yet
Monthly rental
Electric scooter rental for longer stays, with a published monthly day-rate.
Evo200 Lite, rentals of 30 days or more 60,000₫ ≈ US$2 a day
Prices
Posted rates, not a booking. Confirm charging, damage, delivery and any other terms before you commit. The provider advertises no deposit and a passport photo rather than surrendering your original documents; confirm that for your actual booking.
Where HQ at 46 Dương Trí Trạch, with pickup points at 1 Lê Bình and 8 Ngô Thị Sỹ
Message before booking and confirm which pickup point you are collecting from. Ask how charging or battery replacement works from where you are staying, and inspect the bike before paying. Contact: WhatsApp +84 584 55 77 99 or hello@emove.vn, both published by the business.
Service
Jake’s pick
My laundry recommendation.
Where Lot 43–44 An Thượng 29, at The Sun Apartment
Service
Jake’s pick
My dry-cleaning and laundry spot.
Where 39 Ngô Thì Sĩ, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Service
Jake’s pick
My haircut place.
Contacts to save before you need them. A listing is not medical advice.
Health · Hải Châu
I haven’t tried this yet
Worth saving
English-speaking GP and outpatient clinic in Hải Châu. A contact worth saving, not a treatment recommendation.
Ask the clinic for the current consultation fee and what it covers. No official fee table was found, and a figure circulating online could not be traced to a source, so no price is shown here.
Where 96–98 Nguyễn Văn Linh, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng
Posted hours are Monday to Saturday 08:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 08:00 to 12:00; confirm before going, including holidays. Clinic line +84 236 3582 699, danang@vietnammedicalpractice.com. There is a separate 24/7 number, +84 913 917 303, which the provider describes as emergency phone calls only. That is not a 24-hour walk-in service. Call ahead and confirm appointment availability, language and price.
Where the coffee is good is not the same as where you can sit for four hours with a laptop. Both are here, kept apart.
Coworking
Jake’s pickCoworking
My main coworking recommendation.
“If you're looking to get connected with Community and a high-quality productive workspace, I recommend ACE Coworking.”
Coworking
Jake’s pickQuiet
Amazing place to get work done: comfortable chairs, great lighting, quiet, and fast internet.
Work session, five hours 45,000₫ ≈ US$2 a visit
Prices
If you work here you pay 45,000₫ for five hours, which includes one drink of your choice.
Where 20 Phan Tứ, Bắc Mỹ An, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
Coworking
I haven’t tried this yet
A dedicated workspace in a villa, with a garden, call booths and coffee, tea and water included.
Month 3,000,000₫ ≈ US$115 a month
Prices
Prices from the provider’s own site on 17 September 2026. Check the current board before paying.
Where 28 Trần Văn Thành, Khuê Mỹ
Café
Jake’s pickWork here
One of the cafés I recommend for working.
Café
I haven’t tried this yet
A coffee roaster and dining room people mention as a place to work from.
“I see a lot of people working from there every day.”
Café
Jake’s pickWork here
A new café, and an insane place to work.
Where 02 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi, Hòa Cường (new location)
Café
Jake’s pickOrder this
My favourite coffee shop, and the salted coffee is the reason.
My own list, grouped so you can find the thing you want. Prices are shown where they exist.
Two Michelin-listed places I go to, at very different price points.
Food
Jake’s pickMICHELIN Selected
Jake Tip
“The fish is my favorite.”
No current menu price could be established from any primary source. MICHELIN shows its lowest price band for the restaurant, which is a symbol rather than a figure. Aggregator prices circulating online are not reliable and are not repeated here.
Where 11/1 Lưu Quang Thuận, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
MICHELIN Selected means the restaurant is listed in the Guide by its inspectors. It is not a Star and not a Bib Gourmand. MICHELIN Guide, Da Nang selection
Food
Jake’s pickBest valueMICHELIN Bib Gourmand
Amazing, and cheap.
Phở bò tái chín 90,000₫ ≈ US$3 each
Prices
Per dish, dine-in, from the restaurant’s own menu page. Whether VAT and service are included is not stated. Watch the surcharges the restaurant publishes: paying by card adds 2.75%, ordering through GrabFood adds 32.5%, public holidays add 10% and Tet adds 20%.
Where 53 Phan Thúc Duyện, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
Open 10:00 to 22:00 daily; last orders 21:45 for dine-in and takeaway, 21:00 for GrabFood, and the gate closes at 22:15. The restaurant takes its own bookings rather than using an online system. Hours are from its own site, which carries no last-updated date.
MICHELIN gives the Bib Gourmand to restaurants its inspectors rate for good quality cooking at good value. It is a separate award from the Star, not a position on a ladder. MICHELIN, what the Bib Gourmand means (18 November 2025)
Jake Tip
“Check the offers before you pay. My orders usually arrive in around 20 minutes. Grab is one of my favourite things about living in Da Nang.”
Food
Jake’s pickOrder in
One of my best Grab orders.
The listing on Grab
I order this through Grab.
Food
Jake’s pickOrder in
One of my best Grab orders.
The listing on Grab
I order this through Grab.
Food
Jake’s pickOrder in
The protein bakery I order from on Grab.
I order through Grab; the bakery’s own flyer points there too.
Food
Jake’s pickBest vegetarian
Best vegetarian.
Food
Jake’s pickBrunch
Great brunch.
Food
Jake’s pickBreakfast
My breakfast pick.
Where 49 An Thượng 2, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Food
Jake’s pickOrder this
Really good, and the chicken sandwich is the thing to order.
Food
Jake’s pickMust try once
A must-try in Da Nang.
Pizza 168,000₫ to 440,000₫ ≈ US$6 to US$17 each
Prices
From the national menu, not the Da Nang branch, and VAT and service are not stated. Treat as a guide to the level, not the exact bill.
Food
Jake’s pick
One of my two pizza recommendations.
Food
Jake’s pick
My other pizza recommendation, separate from Motor City.
Food
Jake’s pickBest Mexican
Best Mexican.
Food · An Thượng
Jake’s pickBest Indian
Best Indian spot.
Where 28–30 An Thượng 3, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Food
Jake’s pickBest value
About US$12 for the sushi buffet when I went.
Sushi buffet US$12 ≈ 312,000₫ a visit
Prices
Jake’s approximate figure. Do not replace it with a different promotional tier.
Food · Hải Châu
Jake’s pickBest sushi
Best sushi; insane salmon.
Where 55B Nguyễn Chí Thanh, Hải Châu
Food
Jake’s pickCheap
Coconut ice cream for about a dollar.
Coconut ice cream US$1 ≈ 26,000₫ each
Prices
Jake’s approximate figure.
Where 18 Phan Tứ, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Meal service
Jake’s pickCustomised meals
Customised meals built around what you like to eat. My seven-meal quote came to 1,121,000₫, about US$43.
My seven-meal order 1,121,000₫ ≈ US$43
Prices
Ask for your own quote. Portions, sides and price are set per order.
The exact quote Jake was given, reproduced as quoted. Seven meals, not seven days of food.
| Day | Protein | Side | Vegetables | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 350 g white fish | 120 g Da Lat sweet potato | 250 g | 150,000₫ |
| Tuesday | 300 g lean beef | 120 g cooked rice | 250 g | 185,000₫ |
| Wednesday | 260 g chicken | 180 g Da Lat sweet potato | 250 g | 125,000₫ |
| Thursday | 150 g salmon + 200 g white fish | 180 g Da Lat sweet potato | 250 g | 215,000₫ |
| Friday | 260 g chicken | 120 g Da Lat sweet potato | 250 g | 120,000₫ |
| Saturday | 150 g lean beef + 170 g white fish | 210 g cooked rice | 250 g | 175,000₫ |
| Sunday | 150 g salmon + 200 g white fish | No separate starch listed | 250 g | 210,000₫ |
Gyms at three price levels, classes and sports that double as a way to meet people, and places to recover.
Budget, mid-range and the best, in that order.
Gym
Jake’s pickBest budget gym
Best budget gym.
Gym
Jake’s pick
A mid-tier option between the budget gym and the best one.
Gym
Jake’s pickBest gym
The best gym I found in Da Nang.
Gym, one month 2,500,000₫ ≈ US$96 a month
Prices
Tamtay’s own membership board, not a citywide gym price.
Everything on Tamtay’s membership board, in dong. This is one gym’s posted board, not a citywide price.
| Membership | Gym | Recovery | Gym + recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 300,000 | 250,000 | 500,000 |
| 3 days | 700,000 | 400,000 | 1,000,000 |
| 7 days | 1,200,000 | 700,000 | 1,800,000 |
| 15 days | 1,800,000 | 1,000,000 | 2,700,000 |
| 1 month | 2,500,000 | 1,300,000 | 3,700,000 |
| 3 months | 6,500,000 | 3,000,000 | 9,000,000 |
| 6 months | 12,500,000 | 5,000,000 | 16,000,000 |
| 12 months | 23,500,000 | 9,000,000 | 29,000,000 |
Group classes
Jake’s pickMeet people
Great group fitness classes, and a good way to meet people.
Pickleball · Ngũ Hành Sơn
Jake’s pickMeet people
Pickleball in Da Nang.
Where 173 Lê Quang Đạo, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
The gate is open 6:30 to 21:30 every day, but there is no published timetable, price list or booking system, so call the number on its Maps listing rather than turning up expecting a game.
CrossFit · Ngũ Hành Sơn
I haven’t tried this yet
Coached classes
Coached group training in Bắc Mỹ An, with a public timetable and online booking.
30-day training plan 3,500,000₫ ≈ US$135 a month
Prices
Prices from the gym’s own site, read 16 September 2026, with no publication date. Confirm the current terms before paying.
Where 111 Hồ Xuân Hương, Bắc Mỹ An, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
Check the timetable and book a class before heading over. Contact: +84 967 699 577 or info@crossfitlotus.com, both published by the gym.
“Everyone’s super welcoming and supportive.”
Functional fitness
I haven’t tried this yet
A functional-fitness gym that calls itself an official HYROX training club, with dedicated HYROX classes. Book through its site; it publishes no drop-in price.
Where 05–07 Dương Khuê, Bắc Mỹ Phú, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Run club
I haven’t tried this yet
Meet people
A local running club with a Facebook group and a Strava club.
Check the group before assuming a run is free.
Check the latest post in the group for the next run’s meeting pin, start time, distance and pace before setting out. The Strava club is at strava.com/clubs/danangrunners.
Outdoor bars
Jake’s pickCheap
Outdoor pull-up bars on the beach.
Health
Jake’s pickBest massage
Best massage place.
Health
Jake’s pickSauna
One of my two best sauna spots.
Health
Jake’s pickSauna
One of my two best sauna spots.
Health
Jake’s pickSauna and ice bath
Newer sauna spot. Two saunas, an ice bath, yoga, and sound healing on Sundays.
Sauna use, from 360,000₫ ≈ US$14 a visit
Prices
Sauna use is a “from” price on the site and the session length is not stated. Swimsuit, gown, hat and a drink are extra, or 100,000₫ for all four.
Where 30 Chính Hữu, An Hải, Đà Nẵng
Book through the form on the venue’s site, which offers slots from 09:00 to 23:00. Opening hours are not stated as such.
Pick a few places you enjoy and keep going back. Coworking, sport and regular events make that easier.
Community
Jake’s pickCommunity
My favorite community in Da Nang.
Where 86 Mai Thúc Lân
Open daily from 11:00 to 02:00 and runs a full calendar of events; the site lists what is on.
See Element classes → T-Army pickleball → ACE Coworking → Da Nang Runners →
Da Nang Season 2027 is being planned. Register your interest →
Back to top ↑The beach first, then the sights everyone asks about, then a couple of trips out.
Place · My Khe
Jake’s pickFree
The main beach is amazing at sunrise, and it is busy with people.
Place
Jake’s pick
Great place, and there are activities like jet skis and parasailing.
Do not assume jet skis or parasailing run every day. Check on arrival.
Place
Jake’s pickMusic
An absolute must-visit beach bar, with great music.
Where 284 Võ Nguyên Giáp, on the Mỹ Khê beachfront
Place
Jake’s pickWork here
A great place to work and chill, with beach views.
Where Lô 12 Võ Nguyên Giáp, An Hải, Sơn Trà
Open daily 08:00 to midnight, from its own site on 17 September 2026.
Photo: Alex K. Tran, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Place · Sơn Trà
Jake’s pick
I prefer Lady Buddha to Dragon Bridge.
The tall white statue at Linh Ứng Pagoda on the Sơn Trà peninsula, looking back over the bay.
Photo: Christophe95, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Place · Han River
For orientation
The dragon-shaped bridge over the Han River, lit at night. Not Jake’s top pick, but the one everyone asks about.
Place · Ngũ Hành Sơn
For orientation
Five marble and limestone hills south of the city with caves, pagodas and a view back over the coast.
Access and ticket details not quoted until sourced.
Place · West of the city
For orientation
A hill resort in the mountains west of Da Nang, reached by cable car, known for the Golden Bridge. Ticketing and current details are still being checked.
No ticket price shown until sourced.
Place · North of the city
For orientation
The coastal mountain road north towards Huế. A classic ride or drive; Jake has not done it himself.
Place · North
For orientation
The former imperial capital, a couple of hours north. Worth a long day or an overnight; a single day is tight.
Community
Jake’s pickMeet people
A speakeasy that runs an open mic on Thursdays.
Where 20 Mỹ Đa Đông 12, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Community · Mỹ An
Jake’s pickMeet people
An art space that runs art classes.
Where 18A Mỹ Đa Đông 8, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Community
Jake’s pick
Good cocktail spot with vinyl.
Where 48 Phan Tứ, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Forty minutes south and a different pace. Go for a tailor, a sauna and an evening in the old town.
Service · Hoi An
Jake’s pick
The tailor I recommend in Hoi An. Ruby there is good.
No price. A garment price without the fabric and cut is not a like-for-like comparison.
Where 12 Lê Lợi and 48 Nguyễn Thái Học, Hoi An (two branches listed)
Health · Hoi An
Jake’s pick
The sauna I would go to in Hoi An.
Where 146 or 146A Nguyễn Phan Vinh, Hoi An (addresses vary between sources)