Seven days in Da Nang is enough to do everything properly — and "properly" is the operating word. Three to four days covers the headline attractions. The remaining days allow for the slower pleasures that define the destination: a full morning on the beach with nowhere to be, an early motorbike ride to Son Tra before the heat builds, a long lunch that becomes dinner in Hoi An.
This itinerary balances the three things Da Nang does best — beach, culture, and food — with the two essential day trips (Hoi An and Ba Na Hills) and leaves Day 7 genuinely flexible. Use it as a template and adjust based on your pace, interests, and how seriously you take afternoon naps.
Land at Da Nang Airport (DAD), buy a Viettel SIM at arrivals (150,000–200,000 VND), Grab to your hotel (60,000–90,000 VND to My Khe). Check in or drop luggage. First stop: An Thuong street for breakfast — bánh mì from a street cart (25,000–35,000 VND) and a cà phê sữa đá at any café on An Thuong 2 or 3.
Walk to My Khe Beach — 5 minutes from most An Thuong hotels. Check the flag colour before swimming. Spend the afternoon on the beach: most hotels have sun loungers, or rent from the beach operators (30,000–50,000 VND). This is a deliberately light afternoon — you've just arrived, the goal is acclimatisation, not sightseeing.
Walk An Thuong in the evening — the street comes alive at dusk. Dinner at a mid-range Vietnamese restaurant: try mì Quảng (Da Nang's signature dish) if you haven't already. Walk the beachfront promenade after dinner. Early night — tomorrow is an active day.
Grab to the Marble Mountains (80,000–110,000 VND from My Khe, 22 minutes). Arrive at opening — 7:30am. Buy entrance ticket (40,000 VND) and elevator (15,000 VND). Follow the recommended route: elevator up, Linh Ung Pagoda, Huyen Khong Cave (morning light through the skylights is the main event), Vong Giang Dai summit viewpoint, Linh Nham Cave, walk down. Allow 3 hours. See our Marble Mountains guide for the step-by-step route.
Walk 500m east from the Marble Mountains exit to Non Nuoc Beach — quieter and less crowded than My Khe, with a long stretch of sand backed by casuarina trees. Swim, lunch at a beachside café (bún bò Huế or cơm gà, 60,000–100,000 VND), and an unhurried afternoon on the sand. Grab back to My Khe (80,000–110,000 VND) by 4–5pm.
Dragon Bridge evening walk — the bridge is 10 minutes by Grab from My Khe (50,000–70,000 VND). Walk the Han River promenade, which is lit beautifully after dark. Dinner at a riverside restaurant overlooking the water. If it's Saturday or Sunday, stay for the fire and water show at 9pm (free, from the bridge banks).
Leave your hotel by 7:00am. Grab to Ba Na Hills takes 35–45 minutes (250,000–420,000 VND one way). Buy tickets at the gate (750,000–1,100,000 VND depending on age and season). Board the cable car early — queues are minimal before 9am and the views down to the forest canopy and Da Nang coast are exceptional with morning clarity. Head directly to the Golden Bridge before other visitors arrive.
After the Golden Bridge, explore at your own pace — the Fantasy Park rides, the French Village, the Linh Ung Pagoda on the summit, and the gardens. Lunch at the Ba Na Hills complex (overpriced but expect it — 150,000–300,000 VND per person, acceptable quality). The afternoon is when the crowds build, particularly at ride attractions — use this time for the quieter temple and garden areas.
Leave by 5–6pm (cable car queues can build at closing time — factor this in). Grab back to Da Nang. Low-effort dinner — you'll be tired. A local pho shop on An Thuong or delivery to the hotel via Grab Food is entirely acceptable after a full Ba Na Hills day.
Note: Days 3 and 5 (Ba Na Hills and Hoi An) are both high-activity, high-spend days. If your schedule is flexible, avoid placing them back-to-back — Day 4 as a recovery and active exploration day between them works well.
Rent a motorbike from your hotel or a nearby hire shop (120,000–150,000 VND/day). Leave by 7am for Son Tra Peninsula — the 15-minute ride from My Khe to the base of the peninsula is straightforward. The summit road through protected forest rises 693m above sea level with ocean views on both sides. Stop at the Lady Buddha pagoda (free entry, 67m statue overlooking the bay). Allow 3 hours for the full circuit at a relaxed pace.
Return to My Khe Beach for a long beach afternoon — this is the relaxation day. Swim, read, rent a sun lounger, or find a beachside café and work through the Vietnamese coffee menu. No agenda for the afternoon other than recovery from Day 3. If you want more activity, Bãi Bụt beach on the south side of Son Tra is accessible by motorbike and is quieter than My Khe with good snorkelling.
Da Nang seafood dinner — the highlight meal of the week. Head to a local seafood restaurant away from the tourist strip (the Bắc Mỹ An area south of My Khe has excellent options). Order: grilled tiger prawns, steamed whole crab, garlic clams, and morning glory with garlic. Budget 300,000–600,000 VND per person. This is what fresh South China Sea seafood actually tastes like — meaningfully better than tourist-strip equivalents at three times the price.
Grab to Hoi An Ancient Town — 40 minutes, 220,000–300,000 VND. Arrive by 8–8:30am, before the main tour groups. Buy the Ancient Town ticket (120,000 VND, covers 5 heritage sites). Walk the old streets while they're still quiet: Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Breakfast at a riverside café — bánh mì Phương is 2 minutes from the Ancient Town and widely considered the best bánh mì in the world (40,000–60,000 VND).
Explore the covered market, tailor shops (allow 2–3 days for tailored clothing — not practical on a day trip), and the Thu Bon riverside. Lunch at a proper Hoi An restaurant: Cao Lau (100,000–180,000 VND) and White Rose dumplings (70,000–120,000 VND) are the two dishes unique to Hoi An that you cannot get elsewhere. By 2–3pm the streets are at peak crowd density — move to An Bang Beach (4km, 60,000 VND Grab) for an afternoon swim if you need respite.
Stay for the evening if you can — Hoi An after dark with the paper lanterns lit over the Thu Bon River is genuinely beautiful and worth the late return. Dinner at a riverside restaurant (200,000–400,000 VND per person). Grab back to Da Nang by 9:30–10pm. Alternatively: book one night in Hoi An and return to Da Nang on Day 6 morning — the overnight adds the dawn Ancient Town experience, which is the best version of the place.
No agenda before 9am. Late breakfast at a café — 43 Factory Coffee Roaster or Cong Caphe on An Thuong. Take your time: order the filter coffee, read, watch the street. Then walk or Grab to My Khe for a beach morning. This is the day with no schedule — resist the urge to add another attraction. See our best cafes guide for An Thuong options worth lingering in.
Spa afternoon — Da Nang has excellent massage and spa options at prices significantly below Western equivalents. A 90-minute traditional Vietnamese massage at a reputable spa runs 250,000–450,000 VND. Book in advance for the better properties. After the spa, return to the beach or take a slow walk through the Cham Museum (60,000 VND) if you haven't been — one of Vietnam's most important and most undervisited museums.
Dinner at a rooftop restaurant or one of the better An Thuong international options — this is the meal for something slightly more upscale than the rest of the week. Budget 300,000–600,000 VND per person. Nightcap at a rooftop bar overlooking the beach or city. Early night if departure is tomorrow.
Leave by 7am. Private car via the Hai Van Pass (100km, 2 hours scenic) or via tunnel (1h 40min faster). In Hue: Imperial Citadel (150,000 VND entrance), Thien Mu Pagoda (free), riverside lunch (bún bò Huế — the dish's origin city). Return by 7pm via tunnel. Cost: 800,000–1,200,000 VND for private car, shared tour options from 350,000 VND per person. Best combined with the Hai Van Pass viewpoint for the drive scenery.
If Day 7 is a departure day, use the morning for a final My Khe swim, a slow An Thuong breakfast, and last-minute shopping at the Han Market or along the beach strip. Da Nang's Han Market has the best concentration of local produce, Vietnamese coffee beans, lacquerware, and silk products at reasonable pre-negotiation prices. Build in 30 minutes extra for airport queues during peak season.
Da Nang Airport (DAD) is 5km from My Khe — 12 minutes by Grab (60,000–90,000 VND). International check-in opens 3 hours before departure; domestic 2 hours. T1 is domestic, T2 is international — confirm your terminal on your boarding pass. See our airport guide for departure-day details.
Best Areas to Stay for a 7-Day Trip
For this itinerary, My Khe Beach (An Thuong area) is the optimal base for all 7 nights. It places you on the beach, within walking distance of the best café and restaurant strip, and within easy Grab reach of the airport and every attraction. Splitting between Da Nang and one Hoi An night (Day 5) adds the overnight Ancient Town experience without complicating logistics.
For luxury travellers, the Son Tra Peninsula properties (InterContinental Sun Peninsula in particular) offer a qualitatively different experience — more secluded, more resort-like — at the cost of a slightly longer Grab to everything. Worth considering if the resort experience matters more than convenience.
Sample 7-Day Budget
| Category | 3-Star Budget | 4-Star Mid-Range | 5-Star Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (7 nights) | $280–420 | $490–700 | $980–1,960 |
| Food (all meals, 7 days) | $80–120 | $140–210 | $280–490 |
| Transport (Grab + motorbike) | $40–60 | $55–80 | $80–140 |
| Ba Na Hills (tickets + Grab) | $42–60 | $55–72 | $55–72 |
| Marble Mountains | $4–6 | $4–6 | $4–6 |
| Hoi An entry + transport | $18–25 | $22–30 | $30–50 |
| Spa + activities | $20–35 | $35–60 | $80–200 |
| Hue day trip (optional) | $20–30 | $35–50 | $50–80 |
| 7-Night Total (per person) | ~$500–750 | ~$840–1,210 | ~$1,560–3,000 |
Excludes international flights. All prices in USD at 25,000 VND = $1. See our full Da Nang budget guide for a detailed breakdown by category.
When This Itinerary Works Best
March to May is the optimal window — warm and sunny (28–33°C), beach conditions consistently good, Ba Na Hills uncrowded on weekdays, and hotel prices near annual minimums. The Hoi An day trip is most enjoyable before high summer crowds peak.
June to August works well for beach-focused travellers despite higher temperatures (35–38°C). The sea is flat, swimming conditions are excellent, and the beach culture is at its liveliest. Ba Na Hills and Marble Mountains require very early starts to beat the heat. Book hotels at least 4–6 weeks in advance for this period.
December to February is dry and good for sightseeing with cooler temperatures (22–28°C) — ideal for Ba Na Hills and Marble Mountains, less ideal for prolonged beach swimming. Hotel prices spike around Christmas, New Year, and Tết. Book 8–12 weeks in advance for these peak dates.
Avoid October and November for this itinerary. Heavy rain, typhoon risk, and poor beach conditions affect 4 of the 7 planned outdoor days significantly. See our best time to visit guide for month-by-month detail.
Rainy Season Alternative Plan
If You're Visiting October–November
Restructure the week around indoor-friendly and rain-resilient activities. The cultural attractions work well in any weather.
→ Budget Guide — detailed daily cost breakdowns by travel tier.
→ Where to Stay — neighbourhood breakdown with hotel picks for each area.
→ Ba Na Hills Guide — timing, tickets, route, and what to expect.
→ Marble Mountains Guide — complete visitor guide with cave highlights and route.
→ Da Nang vs Hoi An — if you're deciding how to split your time.
→ Transport Guide — Grab pricing, motorbike hire, and Hoi An/Hue logistics.