Ho Chi Minh to Da Lat: Best Ways to Travel 2024

Ho Chi Minh city is the largest city in Vietnam. It is a great place to start your trip in Vietnam as it has Tan Son Nhat international airport, which welcomes a lot of direct international flights from Europe, Australia, and many other countries in Asia.

After Ho Chi Minh city, many tourists choose to travel to Dalat, which is a great escape from the summer heat. Located 1,500 meters above sea level, Dalat has a cool climate all year and is surrounded by scenic highlands filled with fragrant pine forests, vast lakes, picturesque waterfalls, and green rolling hills. The city is great for sightseeing, strolling, and taking pictures.

The distance between Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat is approximately 308 kilometres, and it takes about 6 hours to travel between these two cities by car or 1 hour by flight. There are many ways to travel from Ho Chi Minh to Dalt such as motorbikes, buses, cars, or flights.

By bus

The bus is one of the most popular and economic travel ways. It takes between 7 - 8 hours to transfer by bus from Ho Chi Minh to Da Lat and cost you about 10$ - 30$ depending on bus type.

There are 3 different types of bus: normal bus, sleeper bus and limousine shuttle bus.

A limousine shuttle bus is cheaper than a private car but gives more convenience than a sleeper bus as it has a capacity of about 10 people. The shuttle bus provides door-to-door service, it is modern, and has English speaking tour guide. You will need to share the bus with other people, most of them are tourists.

The sleeper bus is a double-deck bus equipped with fixed berths and a capacity for 40–46 passengers. In, the sleeper bus you can lie down, relax.

Normal local bus capacity between 40 - 46 passengers and normally local tourist will travel by this type of bus.

By Flight

• Flight distance: 308 kilometres
• Duration: 50 minutes
• Departure: Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN)
• Arrival: Lien Khuong Airport (DLI)
• Price range: 500,000 – 1,500,000 VND depending on the airline.

Travelling on the plane is the fastest way to get from Saigon to Dalat, only 55 minutes on the flight, but you need time to check-in and travel to and from the airport. In comparison with the bus, or train, it does not save your travel time much.

Currently, there are a few companies operating scheduled flights from Ho Chi Minh to Da Lat. Most of the flights are operated by Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo airway, and VietJet Air. There are 11 flights per day, the earliest flight departs at 5:30, and the last one departs at 21:15. However, depending on the date, your flight schedule can be changed. You can choose to book Economy and Business Class only as Premium Economy and First Class are not available on the route.

Pros: The fastest and the most convenient way to travel.

Cons:

• It is more expensive than any other kind of transfer, and you will need to pay for the transfer from and to the airport as well.
• It can be time-consuming if your flight is delayed.

By motorbike

• Duration: 7- 10 hours
• Price (Motorbike rental): 120,000-300,000 VND/ day
• Route: Ho Chi Minh city - Suoi Tien them park - Big C Dong Nai - Dau Giay - Dau Giay post office - Thong Nhat district (Dong Nai province) - Bao Loc City - Lien Khuong Intersection - Dalat city

The road from Ho Chi Minh to Dalat is broad, well-constructed, and beautiful with a lot of tea plantations, pine hills along the way. However, due to the long-distance and mountain pass, riding a motorbike can be challenging. To hire a motorbike, you will need a photocopy of your passport.

Recommended motorbike shops

• Tigit Motorbikes ( B2-00.01 Sarimi, Sala, 72 Nguyen Co Thach, An Loi Dong Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City; 5 km from District 1)
• Flamingo Travel (30A Do Quang Dau Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1;)
• Scooter Saigon Rental (23 Han Mac Tu, Tan Thanh Ward, Tan Phu District; about 10 km from District 1)
• Saigon Scooter Center (151 Luong Dinh Cua Street, Binh An Ward, District 2; 5 km from District 1)
• Chi’s Cafe (185/30 Pham Ngu Lao Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City)

Pros: You will have the chance to see marvellous scenery, beautiful passes such as Pren mountain pass and Bao Loc pass. These are great spots to stop for relaxing and taking photos

Cons: Riding a motorbike is not for everyone as it can be dangerous. You will need to have driving experience before

By private car

• Distance: 330 kilometres
• Travelling time: 6 hours
• Price from: 200 USD

Ho Chinh Minh to Dalat by private car is the most comfortable and flexible transfer. The private car has English speaking driver, who is willing to stop at any places such as pine forests, jungles, flower gardens; industrial crop gardens, coffee hills of Cat Tien National Park for you to take photos, have lunch, or drink coffee, enjoy the fresh air… On the private car, you can see the local life, local culture of the Dalat people.

A private transfer will not only pick you up at any hotel in Ho Chi Minh City centre at any time but also, it will drop you off at any hotel in Dalat city centre. You will not need to go to the bus stop, railway station… or no need to rent a taxi to the hotel in Dalat when your arrival. It can help to save your time and money.

Private transfer service includes air-conditioned private car, English speaking driver, petrol, road tolls, parking fees, wifi free, water. Moreover, we provide a baby car seat for your kid-free of cost. So surely, you will have a great trip travelling in the private car

Pros: It gives you comfort, convenience, and privacy when travelling in the private car

Cons: The price for a private car is quite high if you travel alone, or in a small group.

Due to the short distance from Ho Chi Minh to Dalat, flight on this route does not save much time and money. This way of transfer is for people who can travel by car, and are not confident with the motorbike.

The private car is the most convenient way to get from Ho Chi Minh to Dalat but is quite expensive. That is great if you travel with your family or a group of friends.

Budget customers often choose sleeper bus as it saves a lot of money, and even night accommodation. This option is for people who do not have difficulty with sleeping, do not mind sharing the vehicle with strangers

A lot of tourists choose a shuttle bus because it does not cost as much as a private car, but gives customers a lot of comforts. Customers also do not have to carry heavy bags to the pickup and drop-off point.

A motorbike is not for everyone, but traveling by motorbike is an unforgettable experience. If you have driving experience and know the driving road, try it. Beautiful scenery along the way will not disappoint you.

Hope that you were able to find the best way to get from Ho Chi Minh to Dalat. Dalat is a city of thousand of flowers with a charming atmosphere, fresh air, beautiful nature, and interesting activities. It may keep you staying there more than you planned. Visit our website to book Dalat tours, and have a great time in this city.

Jenny

Sources: Internet