Da Nang is the easiest of Vietnam’s three big cities to visit with children: direct flights, a short drive between the beach and the centre, and sights that sit close together, so you never change hotels.
This guide covers the five-day plan, which sights to pick, where to stay and how to handle transport.
- One main sight a day with children; leave the rest of the time for the beach and the pool.
- Arrange the car for the airport run and the trips to Ba Na Hills and Hoi An, and the whole trip runs more smoothly.
Is Da Nang good with children?
Yes, and it is the easiest of the three to plan.
The reason is simple: the sights fall into three clusters — My Khe Beach, the city and Hoi An — and none of them is a long drive from the others, so you never move hotels to see something new.
The other thing is that the beach and the hotel pool fill half a day on their own. The children get their fill of the water, and you get to sit down with a coffee instead of thinking about the next stop.
Weather is the one thing to watch. May to August is hot, so stay indoors in the middle of the day; September to November is the rainy season, so have indoor options ready.
How many days do you need?
- 4 days, 3 nights: a day at Ba Na Hills, a day for Hoi An and the city, the rest at the beach. A little tight, better with older children.
- 5 days, 4 nights (our pick): three full days in the middle — Ba Na Hills, Hoi An and the beach — with one main thing each day.
- 6 days or more: keep a day completely free, or add somewhere further out such as Hue or My Son.
With children it is not about how many sights you tick off, it is whether each day has some space in it. The five-day plan below is built that way.
Da Nang with kids: a 5-day plan
Leave your luggage at the hotel and go straight to My Khe Beach for sand and shallow water. Do not plan sights on the first day; after a few hours on a plane the children need to run around, and they will sleep better for it.
This day is Ba Na Hills only. Cable car up, photos on the Golden Bridge, then the indoor park until early afternoon. It is cooler up the mountain, so pack a light jacket for the children.
Spend the morning at the hotel pool or sleeping in, then head to Hoi An after lunch. Start with the basket boats in the nypa palms, reach the old town at dusk, and stay for the lanterns and the paper boats on the river.
No plans in the morning, just the pool until lunch. In the afternoon pick two short stops: photos at the Pink Church and fruit and snacks at Han Market. On a weekend evening, the Dragon Bridge show is right there.
Pick up coffee and cashews before checking out, then head to the airport. Leave some slack on the last day rather than filling it.
The plan turns on days 3 and 4: the mornings are deliberately empty. Children who have slept in and had their time in the water are in much better shape when you head out after lunch.
Add our Lanytrip official LINE and send us your party size, luggage count and what you are after, and our team will suggest a version that fits your family.
Which sights to pick
Start with the four you can spend longer at, then fill the gaps with the ones you pass anyway.
Worth half a day to a full day
Cable car and the Golden Bridge, plus an indoor fantasy park for rain or strong sun
Fine sand and a gentle slope; small children can dig by the water for a whole afternoon
Best once the lanterns come on; flat streets for a stroller and plenty for children to look at
The round bamboo boats spin on the water, usually the part children remember most
Short stops on the way
There is a lift to the top, so you do not have to climb the whole way
A drive up the hill, with a chance of spotting monkeys on the way
A few photos and you are done, easy to slot between other stops
Fire and water show at weekends; watch from a little further back with children
Each sight has its own guide on our site if you want the detail. Opening hours do change, so check again before you go.
Where should families stay?
- Around My Khe Beach (our pick): a few steps from the sand, so you can go back to the room whenever the children need a nap or a break. Most hotels have a pool. Map
- Hai Chau city centre: best for markets, street food and the Dragon Bridge in the evening, but you cross the river to reach the beach. Map
- Near Hoi An: quiet, with large resort grounds, good for a slower trip. Allow for the drive into Da Nang. Map
One hotel for the whole stay is easiest with children. Packing once over five days buys you an extra half day with them.
Getting around with children
Short rides in the city are easy to hail. The three legs worth arranging in advance are the airport run, the trip to Ba Na Hills and the drive back from Hoi An at night — the times when you are carrying a stroller, luggage and a sleeping child.
Transfers are private, not shared, and your driver waits at the arrivals exit with a name sign, with one hour of free waiting after landing. The evening before, our Chinese-speaking team in Vietnam sends you the driver and vehicle details.
A child seat can be added for an extra fee. Please message our official LINE pre-sales team before you book with your party size and travel date, and they will arrange it.
Count your luggage before you book, too: a stroller usually counts as two pieces under most operators’ rules.
What to pack
- Insect repellent: mosquitoes are more of a problem than at home, especially by the river and in the old town at dusk.
- A small medicine kit: something for fever, an upset stomach, itching, plus plasters. You may not find the brands you know locally.
- Sun protection: hat, light long sleeves and sunscreen, for the beach and for Ba Na Hills.
- Familiar snacks: a couple of packs will get you through a meal that does not suit them.
- Cash: small eateries and markets are mostly cash only, so change some small notes. See our Vietnam money guide.
- Stroller or carrier: a stroller works at the hotel and the beach, but the old town and the markets are not always easy to push through, so bring both if you can.
Sort your visa and entry card before you fly: see our Vietnam e-visa guide and Vietnam entry card guide.
How do we plan a family trip?
Lanytrip can arrange it. We are a Taiwan-based travel agency, and we can set up the transport and tickets across the region in one go, so you are not finding a car for every leg.
We have Chinese-speaking staff in Taiwan and in Vietnam, so there is someone to reach before and during your trip, which makes travelling with children easier.
Ask our LINE team first if you are unsure how to order the days, whether to add a guide, or which vehicle size you need.
Send the following to our official LINE team when you get in touch, and they will come back to you in order as quickly as they can.
- Date: which day you need the car, and what time you want to set off
- Party size: how many adults and how many children
- Luggage: for example 3 large suitcases and 1 stroller (a large item counts as 2 pieces)
- Planned route: for example Da Nang hotel ▸ Pink Church ▸ Han Market ▸ lunch ▸ Hoi An ▸ Hoi An hotel
- Anything else: a child seat, a Chinese-speaking guide
If you are not sure how your luggage counts, tell our official LINE team what you are bringing and they will confirm the right vehicle.
