Đà Lạt sits at about 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) on the Lâm Viên Plateau in the Central Highlands and, with average temperatures between 14 and 23 °C (57 to 73 °F), is Vietnam's cool mountain retreat.
Đà Lạt sits at about 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) on the Lâm Viên Plateau in the Central Highlands and, with average temperatures between 14 and 23 °C (57 to 73 °F), is Vietnam's cool mountain retreat. The physician and scientist Alexandre Yersin explored the plateau in 1893, and soon afterwards the French built a hill station here: the first hotel opened in 1907, the urban planner Ernest Hébrard laid out the town, and Đà Lạt was officially founded in 1916.At its heart lies Xuân Hương Lake, created by the French in 1919 by damming the Cam Ly River. Around it, colonial-era villas, pine-covered hills and vegetable and flower fields spread across the slopes. The Art Deco railway station, the summer residence of the last emperor, Bảo Đại, and the warren-like Crazy House show how varied the city's architecture is. Since the 2025 administrative reform, Đà Lạt has been the seat of the enlarged Lâm Đồng province.The dry season runs from November to April; from May to October it rains often.
Sights in Đà Lạt
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Museum
1Đà Lạt Station
Đà Lạt Station, an Art Deco structure from 1938 by Moncet and Reveron, protected as a national monument since 2001. It was the terminus of the Tháp Chàm cog railway, whose operations ceased mid-1960s due to war. Today, a nostalgic train runs about seven kilometers from here to Trại Mát, where you can visit the Linh-Phước Pagoda; departures are irregular.
Opened in 1990, the Hằng Nga Guesthouse, better known as Crazy House, looks like a tangle of knotted tree trunks. Its owner, Hằng Nga, is the daughter of former President Trường Chinh, which explains why the house could bypass typical building regulations. It serves as both a guesthouse and a tourist attraction; from its roof, you can gaze over the city.
The French created the lake in the heart of the city in 1919 by damming the Cam-Ly River; they named it “Grand Lac”. The lakeside path is about seven kilometers long and is ideal for walking and cycling.
Linh Phuoc Pagoda in Trại Mát village, eight kilometers from the center, is covered throughout with glass and ceramic shard mosaics. A 49-meter-long dragon of over 12,000 recycled beer bottles; its seven-story bell tower 37 meters high. The most convenient way to get here is by nostalgic train from Đà Lạt station, stopping in Trại Mát for about half an hour.
This relaxed spot on Trương-Công-Định Street near the market features bamboo decor and caters well to foreign guests. It's known for Vietnamese dishes like coconut curry and mango chicken.
The restaurant on Phan Dinh Phung Street serves moderately priced traditional clay pot dishes and hotpots; the menu also features Bò né, pan-fried beef, and Bánh mì chảo.
French Mountain StationFollowing Yersin's exploration, researchers requested Governor-General Paul Doumer to establish a mountain resort on the plateau. This spawned a city with villas, hotels, and schools. The 1938 Art Deco train station served as the terminus for the rack railway from Tháp Chàm, operating from 1933 until its wartime closure in the mid-1960s; it has been a protected national monument since 2001. Emperor Bảo Đại commissioned an Art Deco summer residence here between 1933 and 1938.Highland PeoplesLong before the French arrived, ethnic minorities inhabited the plateau. The Lâm-Đồng Museum displays crafts and tools of the Ma, K'Ho, and Churu people. In Lát village at the foot of Langbiang, you can experience the life of these mountain communities.FestivalsThis cool city celebrates its climate and agriculture: The calendar includes a Tea Culture Week, a Cherry Blossom Festival, and a Gong Festival.
The bar at 57 Phan-Bội-Châu Street, about 100 meters from the market, is a multi-story labyrinth of dim passages, uneven floors, dead ends, and stairs leading nowhere. Locals call it Đường Lên Trăng, the Way to the Moon; at the top, a rooftop garden with city views awaits. No entrance fee, but a minimum of one drink is required.
Getting ThereAirplane: Lien Khuong Airport (DLI) is located about 30 kilometers south of the city; the drive takes 40 to 50 minutes. After a roughly five-month runway renovation, it has been back in operation since August 19, 2026. Flights from Ho Chi Minh City take about 50 minutes, from Da Nang just over an hour, and from Hanoi almost two hours.Bus: From Ho Chi Minh City, it's about 300 kilometers and a six to eight-hour journey; from Nha Trang, it's approximately 140 kilometers and three to four hours. The final kilometers lead over winding mountain passes, where fog and occasional landslides can impede traffic.Train: Da Lat has no connection to the national rail network; the closest station on the North-South line is Nha Trang.In the CityThe seven-kilometer-long lakeside promenade along Xuan Huong Lake is perfect for walking and cycling. For more distant destinations like Truc Lam or Trai Mat, take a taxi or a motorbike taxi (xe ôm). A nostalgic train departs from the old station, traveling about seven kilometers to Trai Mat, though departures are irregular.
