What to see in Da Lat in 1–2 days: lake, Crazy House, waterfalls, Truc Lam monastery
What to see in Da Lat in one and two days: Xuan Huong Lake, the market, Crazy House, Bao Dai's Palace, the station, churches, Truc Lam, Datanla. Distances, hours and a route.
With one day, stay in the centre: Bao Dai's Palace III, Crazy House, the railway station, the “Rooster” cathedral, Xuan Huong Lake, then the market and night market in the evening. Spend a second day on the south and west side: Datanla Waterfall, Truc Lam monastery (reachable by cable car), Linh Phuoc pagoda, Valley of Love and the Lam Dong museum.
The nearby sights lie 1–5 km apart. Da Lat is still in Lam Dong province, which absorbed Dak Nong and Binh Thuan on 1 July 2025 (Resolution 202/2025/QH15); addresses read “Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng”. All places are in the section Da Lat attractions. For getting around, see Transport rental and Transfers.
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What to see in Da Lat: places, distances and hours
| Place | Where and how far from the centre | Hours | Time needed (our estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xuan Huong Lake | in the city centre, beside the city square | open round the clock, no hours | 1–1.5 hours |
| Da Lat Market and night market | centre, Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai street | night market about 19:00–23:00; no daytime hours found | 1–2 hours |
| Crazy House (Hằng Nga) | 3 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, a little over 5 minutes by motorbike from the centre | 8:30–18:00 (VinWonders, 14.12.2025) | 1 hour |
| Bao Dai's Palace III | 1 Triệu Việt Vương, about 4 km from the centre | 7:00–17:30 (VinWonders, 19.07.2025) | 1 hour |
| Da Lat railway station | 1 Quang Trung, in the centre | 7:00–18:00 (VinWonders, no date on page) | 30–45 minutes |
| “Rooster” cathedral (Con Gà) | 15 Trần Phú, about 1.2 km from the lake | open for visitors in the daytime; Mass times from the parish | 30 minutes |
| Domaine de Marie church | 1 Ngô Quyền, about 3–3.7 km from Lam Vien Square | open through the day (MIA, 25.03.2025) | 30–45 minutes |
| Linh Phuoc pagoda | 120 Tự Phước, about 8 km from the centre | about 8:00–16:00, sources differ | 1 hour |
| Truc Lam monastery | about 5 km from the centre towards Prenn Pass | 5:00–21:00 (MIA, 23.07.2026) | 1–1.5 hours |
| Robin Hill – Truc Lam cable car | Robin Hill station, 1 Đống Đa; 2,267 m line | Mon–Fri 7:30–11:30 and 13:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 7:30–17:00 (MIA, 30.10.2025) | 30 minutes one way including boarding |
| Datanla Waterfall | about 5 km from the centre, on Highway QL20 by Prenn Pass | 7:00–17:00 (MIA, 03.09.2026) | 1.5–2 hours |
| Valley of Love | 3-5-7 Mai Anh Đào, about 5 km from the centre | 7:00–17:00 (VOH, 2019, check) | 1–1.5 hours |
| Lam Dong Museum | 4 Hùng Vương, about 3 km from the centre | 7:15–11:30 and 13:30–17:00 (MIA, 21.12.2023, check) | 1 hour |
| Prenn Waterfall | at the entrance to Da Lat, Prenn Pass | operating (Báo SGGP, 08.10.2026); no hours in the article | 1–1.5 hours |
What to see in central Da Lat?
The centre is a lake, a market and two churches that you can walk between. Xuan Huong Lake is about 5 km round and over 26 ha; the first dam was built in 1923 and a stone dam rebuilt in 1934–1935 (MIA, 07.01.2026). You can walk it or ride around it. St Nicholas Cathedral (the “Rooster”, Con Gà) was built from 1931 to 1942 and stands 1.2 km from the lake. Go in the daytime and not during services.
What are Crazy House and Bao Dai's Palace?
Crazy House, also called Hằng Nga, is an upside-down house by architect Đặng Việt Nga: building started in February 1990 and you can walk the whole maze of stairs and rooms. It is open daily 8:30–18:00 (VinWonders, December 2025). Bao Dai's Palace III (“Dinh III”) was built from 1933 to 1938 as a residence of Vietnam's last emperor; it is open daily 7:00–17:30 (VinWonders, July 2025), about 4 km from the centre.
What about the station and Domaine de Marie?
The Da Lat railway station is a French-style building, begun in 1932 and opened in 1938. VinWonders gives 7:00–18:00; other sources differ, so call the station on 02633 834 409 before you go. Domaine de Marie convent church was built in 1940–1944; visiting is free and it is open through the day. Do not go in during a service: on weekdays there is usually an evening Mass, at weekends morning and evening.
Which temples and monasteries are worth seeing?
Truc Lam Zen monastery stands on a hill by Tuyen Lam Lake, about 5 km from the centre: building began in 1993, and it is open 5:00–21:00 (MIA, July 2026). You can get there by road or by cable car from Robin Hill station (2,267 m). Linh Phuoc pagoda (the “bottle pagoda”) is about 8 km from the centre, built in 1949–1951 and rebuilt from 1990; sources give different hours, from 8:00 to 16:00 and some to 17:00, so go before lunch.
What about Datanla and Prenn waterfalls, and Pongour?
Datanla is about 5 km from the centre and open 7:00–17:00; MIA advises calling the ticket desk to confirm before you go. Prenn Waterfall at the city entrance is operating: Báo SGGP described a working complex on 8 October 2026, though it gives no hours. For Pongour (Duc Trong district, outside the city) we found no reliable confirmation that it admits visitors: a blogger wrote about barriers in late November 2025 and there is no fresh official information. Until you have checked, do not plan around it.
What else: Valley of Love and the Lam Dong museum?
Valley of Love on Mai Anh Đào is about 5 km from the centre; an older VOH article (2019) gives 7:00–17:00, so check before you go. The Lam Dong museum on Hùng Vương, about 3 km from the centre, is open 7:15–11:30 and 13:30–17:00 according to MIA (December 2023). That is our oldest date, so check it too, especially the lunch break.
How do you fit Da Lat into 1 or 2 days?
One day (centre). From 7:00, Bao Dai's Palace III. At 8:30, Crazy House. Then the station, the “Rooster” cathedral and a walk along Xuan Huong Lake. The market in the afternoon, the night market in the evening. If you have energy left, stop at Domaine de Marie on the way.
Two days. Day 1 as above. Day 2: Datanla in the morning (opens at 7:00), then Truc Lam (cable car or highway), and Linh Phuoc pagoda after lunch, before 16:00. In the evening, or if you have time, Valley of Love and the Lam Dong museum before 17:00. This is our estimate from the distances, not a route from a tourism authority.
Also on the topic: When to go to Da Lat: weather by month, the rainy season and cold nights.
Frequently asked questions
What to see in Da Lat in one day? The centre: Bao Dai's Palace III, Crazy House, the station, the “Rooster” cathedral, Xuan Huong Lake and the night market in the evening.
What time does Crazy House open? At 8:30, and it runs until 18:00 daily (VinWonders, December 2025).
Can you reach Truc Lam monastery by cable car? Yes, the line runs from Robin Hill station (1 Đống Đa) to the monastery, 2,267 m. On weekdays it closes for lunch from 11:30 to 13:00; at weekends it runs without a break 7:30–17:00 (MIA, October 2025).
When does the night market run? VinWonders says about 19:00–23:00, possibly longer at weekends; other sources differ, so go after 19:00.
Is Pongour Waterfall open? We found no reliable confirmation: in November 2025 it was reported fenced off. Ask your hotel or operator on the day.
Which province is Da Lat in? Lam Dong, as before; on 1 July 2025 Dak Nong and Binh Thuan were merged into Lam Dong (Resolution 202/2025/QH15).
Sources and checks
Province: Resolution 202/2025/QH15, via Tạp chí Công Thương (30.06.2025). Lake: MIA (07.01.2026). Crazy House, Bao Dai's Palace, Linh Phuoc pagoda, the station and the night market: VinWonders pages (July and December 2025). The “Rooster” cathedral and Domaine de Marie: MIA (25.03.2025). Truc Lam: MIA (23.07.2026); cable car: MIA (30.10.2025). Datanla: MIA (03.09.2026). Prenn: Báo SGGP (08.10.2026). Valley of Love: VOH (26.08.2019); museum: MIA (21.12.2023). There is no fresh data for the Valley of Love and the museum, hence “check”. Distances “from the centre” follow the pages cited; visit times and routes are our estimate. No prices: they change. Text updated 23.10.2026.