This Da Lat itinerary for 3 days is grouped by area so you spend less time in traffic: day one on foot around the centre, day two south to the cable car, Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery, Tuyền Lâm Lake and Datanla Falls, and day three either the old railway or Langbiang Mountain. Each leg comes with a distance measured on OpenStreetMap, and each day leaves room for a rest.
Da Lat itinerary for 3 days at a glance
| Day | Area | Main stops | Getting around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Centre | Xuân Hương Lake, Lâm Viên Square, Da Lat Cathedral, the market, the night market | On foot |
| Day 2 | South | Cable car, Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery, Tuyền Lâm Lake, Datanla Falls | Taxi or Grab, motorbike, cable car |
| Day 3 | Your choice | The railway station and Trại Mát, or Langbiang Mountain | Taxi, motorbike, train |
Day 1: the centre on foot
Start early at Xuân Hương Lake, the man-made lake at the heart of the city. Walk to Lâm Viên Square (about 430 m), with its giant glass artichoke and wild-sunflower sculptures, then up to Da Lat Cathedral (about 1.2 km). Built from 1931 to 1942, it is known locally as the Chicken Church for the rooster on top of its 47 m bell tower; it still holds Mass, so dress modestly if you go in.
From the cathedral it is about 1 km down to Da Lat Market for lunch. In the late afternoon, rest your legs at a spa about 550 m from the market, then come back for dinner and the Da Lat Night Market.
Day 2: cable car, Trúc Lâm, Tuyền Lâm Lake and Datanla Falls
Morning: cable car and Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery
The cable car station sits on Robin Hill at the top of the Prenn Pass, about 4.3 km by road from the centre. According to Wikipedia, the line is 2,267 m long and takes about 12 minutes to reach the stop near Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery, built in 1993–1994 on Phụng Hoàng Mountain above Tuyền Lâm Lake. Dress modestly and keep your voice down in the monastery.
Midday: Tuyền Lâm Lake
At about 320 ha, Tuyền Lâm is the largest freshwater lake in the Da Lat area, dotted with small islands and ringed by pine forest. Have lunch and a slow walk by the water.
Afternoon: Datanla Falls
The falls are about 2 km from the lake. Wikipedia describes water dropping from a 20 m ledge; the name comes from the K’Ho language and means “water under the leaves”. From the falls back to the centre is about 7.4 km by road.
Evening: rest
After a day of steps and slopes, a full-body massage or a Vietnamese head spa before dinner sets you up for the last day; see massage in Da Lat.
Day 3: the old railway or Langbiang Mountain
Option 1: Da Lat Railway Station and Trại Mát
The station, built by the French between 1932 and 1938 and known for its three pointed roofs, is about 3.3 km from the centre. A 7 km tourist line runs to Trại Mát, near Linh Phước Pagoda; check the train times at the station, as they change. On the way back, stop at the Da Lat Flower Garden by Xuân Hương Lake, then buy gifts at the market before you leave.
Option 2: Langbiang Mountain
The foot of the mountain is about 12 km from the centre. According to Wikipedia, walking the 6 km paved road up to Radar Hill takes about 1.5–2 hours, or about 15 minutes by jeep. If you hike, the descent is hard on the legs the next day, so plan an easy evening.
Distances from the centre
| Place | By road |
|---|---|
| Da Lat Flower Garden | 2.5 km |
| Da Lat Railway Station | 3.3 km |
| Bảo Đại’s Palace (Dinh III) | 3.7 km |
| Cable car station, Robin Hill | 4.3 km |
| Valley of Love | 4.9 km |
| Lake of Sighs (Hồ Than Thở) | 6.6 km |
| Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery | 6.8 km |
| Datanla Falls | 7.4 km |
| Linh Phước Pagoda, Trại Mát | 9.7 km |
| Tuyền Lâm Lake | 11.6 km |
Distances are measured on OpenStreetMap from near Da Lat Market, where The Pine Spa & Wellness is about 550 m away. Da Lat is hilly and the roads wind, so allow more time than the distance suggests.
Tips for 3 days in Da Lat
- Coming from Ho Chi Minh City? Compare the flight, bus and road in Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat.
- Stay near the centre so you can walk to the night market and the lake in the evening.
- Check the season: May to October is the rainy season, so keep the plan flexible; see Da Lat weather by month.
- Dress in layers: depending on the month, nights are 6.5°C–12.1°C colder than the afternoon; see what to wear in Da Lat.
- Leave a rest stop in each day. The Pine is open from 09:00 to 21:00; book ahead by calling or messaging +84 868 097 660, also on Zalo.
- Vietnamese readers can find this itinerary at Lịch trình Đà Lạt 3 ngày 2 đêm.
