3 days is the sweet spot: one beach/peninsula morning, one Marble Mountains half-day, one full day in Hoi An, and an evening on the Han River. 2 days is enough to get a real impression. 5 days lets you add Ba Na Hills and Hai Van Pass. All plans assume a base near My Khe Beach — the most central location for everything here.
3 Days Is the Sweet Spot
One day is possible but cramped. Two days leaves you wanting more. Five days risks running thin on top-tier things to do. Three days hits the beach, gets you to Hoi An properly, covers the Marble Mountains, and gives you a real Han River evening. That's Da Nang done right.
Beach Sunset → Han River → Dragon Bridge
The Da Nang evening sequence: watch the sun go down over My Khe, Grab to the Han River waterfront, walk Bach Dang, eat at a riverside restaurant, and stay for the Dragon Bridge fire show at 9pm (Friday and Saturday only). This costs almost nothing and it's the best single evening in the city.
The Plans
My Khe Beach
Morning swim before the heat and crowds. Walk the beach, buy bánh mì from a vendor, watch the local exercise groups.
Son Tra Peninsula
Grab to Linh Ung Pagoda. Walk up to the Lady Buddha viewpoint, watch for douc langurs on the drive back. Free entry.
Lunch near the beach
Mì Quảng or bún chả cá at a local spot on An Thuong or Nguyễn Văn Thoại. 50,000–80,000 VND.
Cham Museum
90 minutes, 60,000 VND. World's largest Cham sculpture collection — compact, well-labelled, don't skip it.
Han River walk
Bach Dang waterfront. Coffee or a beer by the river. Browse Han Market if you want souvenirs (6am–7pm).
Dinner + Dragon Bridge
Riverside restaurant for dinner. Stay for the 9pm Dragon Bridge fire show if it's Friday or Saturday — watch from the east bank.
Beach, Peninsula & River
Follow the 1-day plan above: My Khe, Son Tra, lunch, Cham Museum, Han River evening.
Marble Mountains
Grab south (15 min, ~60,000 VND). Take the elevator up Thuy Son, walk the caves and pagodas, descend on foot. Budget 3 hours. Entry: 150,000 VND.
Non Nuoc Beach
The beach directly below the Marble Mountains is quieter than My Khe. Lunch at a seafood restaurant at Non Nuoc, back to base by 4pm.
An Thuong Food Street
Behind My Khe on An Thuong 4. Best concentration of local food at local prices. End with a bar on An Thuong.
Beach, Peninsula & River
My Khe morning. Son Tra. Lunch. Cham Museum. Han River evening. Dragon Bridge if Fri/Sat.
Marble Mountains & Non Nuoc
Marble Mountains from 9am. Non Nuoc Beach for lunch. An Thuong food street evening.
Hoi An — depart early
Grab south, 40 minutes, ~250,000 VND. Ancient Town on foot before 10am — best before heat and tour groups. Old Town tickets: 120,000 VND (5 sites), buy at Hoang Dieu Street office.
Eat in Hoi An
Cao lầu, white rose dumplings, cơm gà. The food in Hoi An is genuinely better than in Da Nang — don't skip a proper meal here.
Return to Da Nang
Grab back by 3pm to avoid traffic. Option: stay for the Hoi An Night Market on Nguyen Hoang Street if you don't mind a later return.
Follow the 3-day plan
Beach, peninsula, Marble Mountains, Hoi An. That's the core of Da Nang.
Ba Na Hills — depart 7am
Full day, 35km west. Cable car up, Golden Bridge, French Village, back by 4pm. Tickets: 750,000–1,100,000 VND. Book online. Go midweek if possible — weekend crowds are heavy.
Hai Van Pass
Hire an Easy Rider or self-ride north from Da Nang. The pass is 40km out — allow 2 hours each way with stops. Views over both coasts on clear days. Skip Hai Van Pass if weather is poor — clouds at the summit mean no views and a wet, slippery road.
Slow finish
Specialty coffee on An Thuong. A long lunch. Last swim at My Khe. The best Da Nang days end at the beach.