Nha Trang and Da Nang are both well-known cities located in central Vietnam. Nha Trang is a small coastal city with a population of over 500,000. Da Nang is a city with a population of over 1.1 million people and is the third-largest city in Vietnam based on population. These two cities have a very different atmosphere and vibe from each other, with a lot to do in each city.
Nha Trang is a coastal city that is known for its beaches and scuba diving and has become popular with backpackers in recent years. Da Nang is also a coastal city that has become popular with digital nomads in recent years. In Da Nang, you can explore the local temples and enjoy the amazing local food.
In this post, we will compare Nha Trang and Da Nang in Vietnam. Let’s get started!
Learn More About Vietnam
- Which City Has the Best Nightlife in Vietnam?
- How Much Does Beer Cost in Vietnam?
- How To Get From Hanoi To Halong Bay Vietnam?
- Where To See Monkeys in Vietnam?
- How To Get To Sapa From Hanoi Vietnam?
- Hoi An or Hue, Which One Should I Visit?
- Can You Drink Tap Water in Vietnam?
Nha Trang Or Da Nang
As mentioned earlier Nha Trang and Da Nang are both coastal towns, so a lot of the activities in each city are around their beaches. The two cities are around 530 km apart from each other. It takes between 8 to 9 hours by train or bus.
Which One Has Better Beaches?
Nha Trang and Da Nang are coastal beach towns with long beautiful sand beaches with bars and restaurants along the beach.
The beaches are busy in the late afternoon. And there is a good range of restaurants and bars all waiting to serve up some pretty good local food.
Beaches In Da Nang
Da Nang is a large resort town with the development of multiple beach properties along the beachfront, particularly along Da Nang beach.
Here is a list of some of the beaches in Da Nang Vietnam.
- Da Nang beach.
- Son Tra beach.
- Thanh Binh beach.
- Bac My An beach.
- Bai Bac beach.
Beaches In Nha Trang
Nha Trang’s beaches are a little nicer and have more of a chilled vibe. Nha Trang Beach is the most popular beach in Nha Trang and because of this, it is also the busiest.
Here is a list of some of the beaches in Nha Trang Vietnam.
- Hon Tre Beach.
- Doc Let Beach.
- Bai Tru Beach.
- Jungle beach.
What Is The Nightlife Like?
Generally, Vietnam is not known for its nightlife, particularly with bars closing early. There are stay places that do stay open until 4 am. Making it decent for travelers looking to party.
Let’s compare the nightlife between Nha Trang and Da Nang.
Nha Trang’s Nightlife
Most of the best bars and clubs are in and around the center of the Nha Trang. The main streets with bars and clubs are Tran Phu, Tran Quang Khai, and the beach strip.
The best thing about the nightlife in Nha Trang is that everything is within walking distance making it easier to go bar hopping.
There is a good range of bars to choose from in Nha Trang. Making it a great place to spend the night hopping from the Rooftop Lounge to the ZIMA Club to the Sailing Club.
Da Nang’s Nightlife
Da Nang’s nightlife is more lively and busier than Nha Trang. There is a wide range of bars and clubs in Da Nang from rooftop bars, beach bars, clubs, and live music bars.
Either way, you will have a great night at Da Nang bars.
There is a good range of bars to choose from in Da Nang. Making it a great place to spend the night hopping from Seventeen Saloon Da Nang to Oasis Tapas Bar to Golden Pine Pub Da Nang.
What Is The Accommodation Like?
Choosing the right accommodation is important regardless if it is in either Nha Trang or Da Nang as there are a lot of options from cheap hostels to expensive accommodation.
The challenge is getting one with good standards, and this requires reading the reviews left by their previous guests.
Staying In Da Nang
Da Nang accommodation is very well developed and has loads of big hotel chains and pools, beach views, and amazing sunset bars waiting for you.
The hostel prices start from $7 but these tend not to be near the old town. With a really good standard hotel in a good location that is a few minutes walk from Da Nang Beach, where prices start from $12 upwards.
Staying In Nha Trang
Nha Trang definitely has a range of resorts, hostels, and hotels. A lot of the accommodation in Nha Trang is by small local businesses and there are also the bigger ones.
The hostel prices start from $6, with the really good standard hotels in good locations, starting prices at $10.
What To Do See In Da Nang And Nha Trang?
Da Nang and Nha Trang are both blessed with amazing beaches. And both have a long and rich history with temples and war stuff to see.
Here are only some of the things to do in each city.
Things To Do In Nha Trang
Nha Trang is not as lively as Da Nang but it is a good place if you want to relax at the beach and explore the town and the near scenery.
Here is our list of things to do in Nha Trang Vietnam.
- Explore Nha Trang beach.
- Visiting Vin Pearl Land.
- Try mud bathing.
- Visit the National Oceanographic Museum.
- Explore Nha Trang city.
Read more about things to do in Nha Trang here.
Things To Do In Da Nang
Da Nang is a lively beach town with a lot to explore like visiting the My Son Sanctuary or the Golden Bridge.
Here is our list of things to do in Da Nang Vietnam.
- Visit Linh Ung Pagoda.
- Explore My Son’s Sanctuary.
- Go to the Museum of Cham Sculpture.
- Visit Golden Bridge.
- Visit Marble Mountain.
Read more details about things to do in Da Nang here.
Does Da Nang Have An Airport?
Yes, Da Nang has an airport and is 2 km from the Da Nang city center. It is called Da Nang International Airport and is the third busiest airport in Vietnam.
Does Nha Trang Have An Airport?
No, the nearest to Nha Trang is Cam Ranh International Airport. It is in a town called Cam Ranh, about 35 km from Nha Trang. This is the main airport for the Nha Trang area.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, which one to choose really depends on one’s personal preference but it is hard to separate these two. For people looking for vibrant nightlife, with beachfront hotel chains and a little bit of a touristy feel then it is Da Nang.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a more of a small beach town vibe with good nightlife and amazing golden beaches then Nha Trang is for you.
And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on the Nha Trang or Da Nang has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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