Things to do in Dalat by motorbike: 15 places worth the ride

Dalat is spread over pine-covered hills, and most of what is worth seeing lies outside the town centre — some of it a long way outside. That makes a motorbike the easiest way to get around: you can go where you like, stop where you like and be back for dinner. Here are fifteen places worth the ride, grouped by how far you have to go. Distances are approximate, from Xuan Huong Lake in the centre.

Before you ride

• Dalat is hilly. Streets are steep, and some are one-way. Take the hills slowly and give yourself space behind other traffic.
• Parking. At most sights you pay a small fee to a guarded car park and get a ticket. Keep it — you need it to get your bike back.
• Mornings are clearer. In the rainy season (about May to October) clouds build around midday, so do the far-away places early.
• Papers. To ride yourself you need your home licence and an International Driving Permit (1968 convention, category A). See our IDP guide.

In town: within about 5 km

1. Xuan Huong Lake

The crescent-shaped lake in the middle of Dalat. There is a road all the way round, about 5 km, so a slow lap is the easiest first ride in town. Park up and walk the shore, or come at dusk when the lights come on across the water.

2. Crazy House (Hang Nga)

About 1.5 km south-west of the lake. A guesthouse built like a fantasy tree, with tunnels, twisting stairs and bridges, designed by the architect Dang Viet Nga. Go early, before the tour groups.

3. Dalat Railway Station

About 1.5 km east of the lake. A 1930s station with a striking Art Deco front and old carriages on display. A short tourist train runs from here to Trai Mat; you can ride out and meet it at the other end.

4. Cam Ly Falls

About 2–3 km west of the centre. A small waterfall right in town — not dramatic, but an easy stop on a first afternoon.

5. Valley of Love

About 5 km north of the centre. Gardens, a lake and a lot of photo spots. Popular with Vietnamese couples and families; quiet on weekday mornings.

6. Flower and strawberry farms

Van Thanh flower village, a few kilometres east of the centre, has rows of greenhouses and flower fields. Strawberry farms are scattered around the edges of town, especially towards the north. Many let you pick your own; ask before you walk into any field.

Half-day rides: 5 to 25 km out

7. Linh Phuoc Pagoda

About 8 km east, at Trai Mat. A pagoda covered inside and out in mosaics of broken glass and pottery, with a tall bell tower and a huge dragon. One of the most photographed places near Dalat.

8. Trai Mat

The village around the pagoda, surrounded by vegetable farms and greenhouses. The tourist train from Dalat Railway Station ends here, and the small market is a good place to see everyday life outside the tourist trail.

9. Truc Lam Monastery and Tuyen Lam Lake

About 6 km south. A Zen monastery set in pine forest above Tuyen Lam Lake, the biggest lake around Dalat. You can ride all the way there, or park at Robin Hill and take the cable car over the forest. The quiet roads around the lake are some of the nicest easy riding near town.

10. Datanla Falls

About 6 km south on the Prenn Pass road (QL20). A series of cascades in the forest, with a mountain coaster down to the falls and steps if you prefer to walk. The main road here is busy with buses, so pull in and out carefully.

11. Lang Biang mountain

About 12 km north, at Lac Duong. The highest mountain around Dalat, with views over the whole plateau from Radar Hill. See our Lang Biang guide for jeeps, walking and the best time of day.

12. Ta Nung Pass

About 15 km west, on the road to Nam Ban. A winding pass through pine forest with viewpoints over the valley and the coffee farms below. Often misty in the morning.

13. Coffee farms

Coffee is everywhere around Dalat. Hillside farms along the Ta Nung Pass and around Cau Dat, south-east of town, grow arabica at altitude and many have a café where you can taste it looking over the plantation.

Full-day rides: 25 km and beyond

14. Elephant Falls

About 25–30 km south-west, near Nam Ban. A wide, powerful waterfall reached by a steep, slippery path down the rocks — wear proper shoes. The Linh An Pagoda, with its large Buddha statue, stands right next to it.

15. Pongour Falls

About 45–50 km south, off QL20 beyond Duc Trong. A broad waterfall that tumbles over many steps of rock, at its best in and just after the rainy season. Combine it with Elephant Falls in a loop — see day trips from Dalat.

Which bike?

For in-town sights and half-day rides, an automatic scooter such as the Honda Vision or Air Blade is all you need. For the full-day rides, the passes and the dirt roads around Lang Biang, a manual bike like the XR150L is more comfortable and more capable. You pick your bike up at our shop in the centre; see all our rentals.

Rather not ride yourself?

You can see most of these places on the back of a local guide's bike, with no licence needed. Our half-day Dalat city tour covers the Crazy House, the railway station, Linh Phuoc Pagoda, Truc Lam and Datanla; the full-day countryside tour takes in flower farms, the Ta Nung Pass, a coffee farm, Elephant Falls and Pongour. Your guide picks you up at your hotel. See all our tours.