How much does it cost to travel to Da Lat? Which places should you visit? These are the two most common questions asked by international visitors to Vietnam, so let’s find the answers with me.
1.1 Cost of traveling to and from Da Lat
To get to the city of thousands of flowers, visitors have many means of transportation. Depending on your starting point as well as your personal needs to choose the appropriate means of transportation.
Cheap Vietnam Tour. Airplanes are the fastest means of transportation but also the most expensive. One-way tickets from Saigon to Da Lat cost around 1,000,000 VND on week days. From Hanoi and northern provinces, the price will be higher, around 1,000,000 VND to 2,000,000 VND. During holidays, the price may increase double or even triple, so visitors should book tickets early to save costs.
For the form of travel by bus, it is mainly preferred by tourists in Ho Chi Minh City. Partly because the fare is cheap, only about 200,000 to 300,000 VND, besides the travel time is quite short, within 6 to 7 hours. As for the routes from northern provinces to Da Lat, the fare will be higher, you should contact the bus company in advance to receive a detailed quote and book tickets in advance. Normally, the fare from Hanoi to Da Lat will be around 800,000 to 1,000,000 VND.
During your stay in Da Lat, there are two popular forms of transportation: one is renting a car to drive yourself, the other is calling a taxi or motorbike taxi. Price for renting a motorbike per day is about 100,000 to 200,000 VND, the price for renting a car is from 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND. If you choose to take a taxi or motorbike taxi, the cost will definitely be higher, depending on the distance you want to go. So to save money, we encourage visitors to choose to rent a car to comfortably travel and explore Da Lat for about 500,000 to 800,000 VND.
1.2 Cost of hotel accommodation
If you choose to stay at a regular budget hotel or motel, it costs you around 300,000 to 500,000 VND a day. For more upscale hotels and homestays, the cost will be higher, rooms with a beautiful view will cost up to over 1,000,000 VND/night.
Before starting the journey to Da Lat, you should find out information in advance and book a room. This will save time and ensure that your travel plans are not interrupted. When choosing a room, you should also check with tourism news sources to avoid renting a poor quality room at a high price.
1.3 Cost of food and drink
Cuisine is definitely one of the things not to be missed when coming to Da Lat. The dishes here are quite affordable, each portion of food is only about 30,000 to 60,000 VND for one person. If you go in a large group, there are many options such as hot pot, buffet, grilled food… According to the experience of our clients, a typical 3-day trip will usually cost about 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 VND to comfortably enjoy all the delicious dishes of this city.
1.4 Cost of visiting famous destinations
In Da Lat, there are places that require admission to visit. Specifically, the admission fees at typical Da Lat tourist destinations are as follows:
– Boats to visit Tuyen Lam Lake: price 50,000 VND/adult and 25,000 VND/child.
– City Flower Garden (end of Xuan Huong Lake and Doi Cu Golf Course): Entrance fee is 40,000 VND/adult and 20,000 VND/child.
– Hang Nga Villa is famous as one of the 10 most bizarre houses in the world): admission fee 50,000 VND
– Da Lat Cable Car – Truc Lam Zen Monastery: Round-trip cable car price is 100,000 VND/adult and 70,000 VND/child. One-way ticket: 80,000 VND/adult and 60,000 VND/child.
– Datanla Waterfall: Entrance fee is 30,000 VND/adult and 15,000 VND/child.
– Clay Tunnel: Entrance fee is 60,000 VND/adult and 30,000 VND/child.
– Valley of Love: Admission fee is 100,000 VND, including entrance ticket, boat or duck pedal boat on the lake and sightseeing train.
– Dream Hill: Admission fee 50,000 VND/adult and 25,000 VND/child.
To save money, you should prioritize choosing free places to visit. Especially in Da Lat, there are many cafes with beautiful views and unique decor,.
2. Typical itinerary for 3 days 2 nights in Da Lat
Besides the cost of a trip to Da Lat, the schedule of which places to visit is also something that many people wonder about. With a rather limited amount of time, you must choose and consider where to go, because Da Lat has too many hot spots that cannot be missed.
I suggest that tourists should depart in the evening, around 10 to 11 pm to arrive in Da Lat early in the morning. After a good night’s sleep, you will be ready to explore the city.
Day 1 Activities
Visit: Xuan Huong Lake – city flower garden – Da Lat station – Rooster church – Lam Vien square.
Morning: Visitors can choose to have breakfast with meatball sandwiches, Quang noodles, beef noodles… Then go straight to Xuan Huong Lake, enjoy the cool early morning air, take photos as much as you want. At around 9am when the sun rises, visit the city flower garden to see the flowers and check-in.
Noon: There are many restaurants around the central area that you can choose from, then return to the hotel to rest. In the early afternoon, visit Da Lat station, Con Ga church to take pictures and visit. At 5:00 p.m., go to Lam Vien square, join the crowded crowd here, eat grilled rice paper, check-in with the Artichoke tower.
Evening: The evening temperature in Da Lat drops very low, this is the food paradise to enjoy hot pot and attractive grilled dishes. Next, visit snack shops to enjoy Banh Can, strawberry shake, soy milk. Visitors should return to the hotel before 10pm to prepare for the next day.
Day 2 Activities
Visit: Bao Dai Palace – Tuyen Lam Lake – Truc Lam Zen Monastery – Datanla Waterfall – Valley of Love Tourist Area – Van Hanh Pagoda – Cu Lan Village – Am Phu Market
Morning: To watch the sunrise on Tuyen Lam Lake, visitors must wake up early and have breakfast very early. At around 5:30 am, move to the lake, you will see the extremely magnificent sunrise scene. Then move to Truc Lam Zen Monastery, Bao Dai Palace, Datanla Waterfall for sightseeing.
Afternoon: After lunch, you should rest until about 2pm then visit Van Hanh Pagoda, Love Valley tourist area, Cu Lan village.
Evening: Around 7pm, the Am Phu market starts to get crowded, you can choose to have dinner first and then stop by the market for snacks. There are many dishes such as avocado ice cream, strawberry shake, grilled rice paper, vermicelli soup with crab… for visitors to choose from. In addition, here you can also buy clothes or souvenirs, specialties as gifts for relatives and friends.
Day 3 Activities
Visit: Langbiang peak – hydrangea garden – strawberry garden – Cheo Veooo coffee
Morning: After breakfast, you should move early to Langbiang to avoid the sun. After climbing to the top and checking in, visit the Cam Tu Cau garden to take some impressive photos.
Afternoon: You can choose strawberry gardens near hotels and motels to stop by and pick strawberries to bring home. Then go to Cheo Veooo cafe to watch the sunset and rest before leaving this beautiful city.
Evening: Collect your luggage, around 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. move to the bus station to return to the city.
3 Tips to save money when traveling to Da Lat
To have a budget trip to Da Lat, please note the following tips:
– Book flight tickets and hotel rooms 1 to 2 months in advance. Because the closer you book to the departure date, the higher the ticket and room prices will be. Booking early also prevents the situation of sold out tickets or rooms.
– To save on food costs, you can choose affordable restaurants that are still high quality and delicious. In addition, you should order moderate amounts of food to save money and avoid waste.
Above is the cost a trip to Da Lat as well as the itinerary that I would like to suggest to you. Wish you a smooth and enjoyable trip.
Source: https://cheapvietnamtour.com/blog/how-to-plan-a-cheap-visit-to-dalat-yourself.php