Da Nang

Stay on the beach side unless nightlife matters more than sand. The My Khe beach strip is the default: hotels of every price face the sea, and the An Thuong pocket behind it has the cafes, bars and cheap eats. The Han riverside, on the city side, puts you near the Dragon Bridge, night markets and local food — a 10-minute Grab from the beach.

Non Nuoc, south towards the Marble Mountains, is the five-star resort stretch — big pools and quiet, but you will ride 15–20 minutes for every meal outside the resort. Families splitting time with Hoi An sometimes stay here as a halfway base. Mid-range beach-area hotels run about ₫700,000–₫1,500,000 ($27–$57) a night, less outside summer.

Da Nang is the easiest Vietnamese city to do with children. Mornings at My Khe are the gentlest — calm water in the swimming months, lifeguards on duty, and space to dig before the sun gets serious around 10 am. Ba Na Hills works from toddlers up: the cable car takes all ages, and Fantasy Park's indoor rides suit roughly 4–12, with height limits only on the biggest. Treat it as a full day and head down by mid-afternoon, before tired-kid hour. Asia Park's Sun Wheel makes a calmer evening outing.

Families do best on the beach side or in the Non Nuoc resorts (see Where to stay) — pools cover the midday hours. Traffic is the main hazard: crossing the beach road, hold hands and move at one steady pace so riders can flow around you. One big outing a day is plenty.

Ba Na Hills is the big one, covered above. Two more are worth planning around.

Hue, the imperial capital. About 2.5 hours north over the Hai Van Pass — the coastal mountain road is half the reason to go. The walled Imperial City costs around ₫200,000 ($8) and needs 2–3 hours; royal tombs dot the river south of town. Day tours run from Da Nang, or make it a one-night stop. See the Hue guide.

My Son Sanctuary. Cham Hindu temple ruins from the 4th–13th centuries in a jungle valley, about an hour southwest. Entry around ₫150,000 ($6). Go at sunrise or late afternoon — midday brings heat and the big tour groups at once. It is atmospheric rather than grand; temper expectations if you have seen Angkor.

The Hai Van Pass by motorbike or jeep. If Hue itself doesn't pull you, ride the pass anyway — half-day loops with a driver are cheap to arrange and the viewpoints beat anything in town.

February to August is dry and sunny — the best window for beach days plus Ba Na Hills. April to June balances heat and crowds well.

Avoid late September to November if you can: this is central Vietnam's typhoon and flood season, and Ba Na's views disappear in cloud. December and January are cool and drizzly but workable for sightseeing.

Grab covers everything: bike hops cost around ₫25,000-₫50,000 ($1-$2), cars roughly ₫60,000-₫150,000 ($2.50-$6) across town. The airport is practically in the city — 15 minutes to most hotels, about ₫80,000-₫120,000 ($3-$4.50) by Grab.

For Ba Na Hills (45 minutes) and Hoi An (45 minutes), use a booked round-trip car or a tour with pickup; one-way Grabs back from Ba Na can be scarce at closing time.

Cash still matters here. Cards work in hotels and malls, but beach shacks, markets and small restaurants want dong — withdraw a decent amount at once, since local ATM fees are per transaction.

Da Nang plus Hoi An is the natural pair — one hotel, two destinations, 4 days total. History fans can add Hue, the old imperial capital about 2.5 hours north over the scenic Hai Van Pass, as a day trip or one-night stop.

On the full Vietnam route it is the middle leg: Hanoi and Ha Long in the north, the Da Nang–Hoi An–Hue centre, Ho Chi Minh City in the south. If you only have 5 days and want beach plus culture without long transfers, fly straight into Da Nang and skip the big cities entirely — it is the easiest short Vietnam trip there is.