How to Get to Dalat: Detailed Transportation Guide 2025

1. Getting to Dalat by Plane

The closest airport to Dalat is Lien Khuong Airport (DLI), located about 30 km from the city. It’s small, modern, and serves a limited number of flights. Flying is the easiest and safest way to get to Dalat.

There are multiple daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and one daily flight from Da Nang and Hai Phong. There is also one international route from Kuala Lumpur.

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Domestic Flights

Four airlines operate domestic flights to Dalat:

• VietJet Air — The main low-cost airline in Vietnam. Tickets are usually the cheapest, but delays and service issues are extremely common. This is my least favorite airline and I generally avoid VietJet, especially for flights departing from Ho Chi Minh City. I’d rather pay an extra $20–30 to fly Vietnam Airlines. I only choose VietJet when the difference is $50–100 and the timing is convenient.
• Vietnam Airlines — My personal favorite. It’s the national carrier, more reliable, more comfortable, and usually more expensive than low-cost airlines.
• Bamboo Airways — mid-range option, decent service.
• VASCO — small regional airline operated by Vietnam Airlines with a smaller and older fleet.

Price ranges, one-way trip:

• from Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat: $35-60
• from Hanoi to Dalat: $40-80
• from Da Nang to Dalat: $45-60
• from Hai Phong to Dalat: $50-80

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International Flights

Dalat Airport is primarily domestic. We used to have two international routes connecting Dalat to Malaysia and South Korea. Now there is only one route left: a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Dalat. This flight is operated by AirAsia 4 times a week (Monday, Wednesdey, Friday, Sunday).

There is one direct international route from Kuala Lumpur (AirAsia), which is convenient if you're coming from Malaysia.

Price ranges, one-way trip:

• from Kuala Lumpur to Dalat: $40-60

Getting from the airport to the city

There is NO public bus and NO airport shuttle. You have three options:

1. Official Airport Taxi (I recommend this)

• Price: 155,000–180,000 VND
• Time: 30–45 minutes

There are multiple taxi operators work inside the airport (Lado Taxi is my usual choice). You will see taxi stands near the domestic arrivals exit, inside the airport building. Choose any counter, tell them your hotel/address, they will give you a card with your fare and destination written on it. Walk outside to the taxi area. The staff will guide you to your car, and also inform the driver about your destination and the fixed fare.

2. Grab Taxi

• Price: 250,000–300,000 VND

I used to get Grabs on my early trips, and I still used Grab a lot for the rides within the city. But specifically for this airport route, I prefer local taxis. Note that Grab cars aren’t allowed to drive at the airport taxi lane. Your Grab driver will meet you at the airport entrance, take your luggage and guide you to the parking lot located next to the airport (it’s a 1-minute walk).

3. Hotel Transfer

• Price: 300,000–400,000 VND

Most hotels can arrange this for you. It’s the most convenient option is you are arriving late in the evening.

⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT LATE ARRIVALS

If your flight lands after 8:30 PM. Transportation becomes unpredictable after the last flight of the day.

• Grab usually stops working in the airport area after 9:00 PM (you’ll see the price, but no drivers).
• Official taxis gradually disappear from the airport.
• The price for a remaining taxi jumps from 155,000 VND to 400,000+ VND.
• And if you wait too long, you may not find a taxi at all.

2. Getting to Dalat by Bus

There are only two practical bus routes for travelers, from Ho Chi Minh City (7-8 hours on the way, many buses available at day and at night) and from Nha Trang (3-4 hours, many buses available at daytime). There are buses from Da Nang or even Hanoi, but these take more than a full day and are not recommended.

This is the cheapest way for getting to Dalat, but it’s also the least comfortable and even possibly dangerous way if you’re traveling during the rainy season. The drivers often drive recklessly, and while the roads are good, there is a possibility of landslides in the mountain roads. Literally the last week we had a massive landslide on the road from Nha Trang to Dalat (with casualties in one of the buses taking this route) and two massive landslides on highways leading to Dalat from Ho Chi Minh City’s side (thankfully, no casualties for these accidents).

I do use these bus routes but only during the time when there wasn’t much rains before my trips.

I suggest using Baolau for checking all available bus options, it’s easy and reliable but charges a small service fee. If you want to save that fee, use Futa Bus app (for Futa buses only) or Vexere app (for other bus operators).

From Ho Chi Minh City

The best operator for this route is Futa Bus.

All Futa tickets cost 290,000 VND when bought through the Futa app or directly at the station.

I recommend taking a bus from the new West Bus Station (Bến xe Miền Tây mới) — it’s clean, modern, and conveniently located next to the last stop of Metro Line 1.

Bus layout: two floors of 3 rows of sleeper seats. Window seats are fine, but avoid the middle row as you will be stuck in the middle of the bus with no access to window.

Amenities on the bus: every passenger gets a clean blanket and a small bottle of water. Every seat has a privacy curtain, USB and USB-C ports for charging, tiny lamp and A/C.

The journey takes around 7-8 hours. All Futa buses have the same layout: 3 rows of sleeping seats (two located by the window and one located right in the center of the bus, not recommended). You’ll get a clean blanket and one bottle of water. Every seat has a privacy curtain, USB and USB-C ports for charging, tiny lamp and A/C.

⚠️ There is no toilet onboard.

The bus stops at dedicated rest areas 2 times on this route. The first stop happens 2-2.5h after departure, another stop happens 5.5-6h in the way, and after the second stop the bus proceeds directly to Dalat. The rest areas have restrooms, snacks, coffee and food stands.

From Nha Trang

This is a short route that takes only 3-4 hours that included 1-2 stops on the way. There are many smaller bus operators on this route, I recommend using either Baoluo (more convenient for purchasing) or Vexere (local app) for checking and purchasing tickets. Most of the buses from Nha Trang to Dalat are actually smaller vans and this trip costs anything between 250,000 VND to 300,000 VND.

Important notes: check the departure and arrival locations. Many bus operators also offer a free pick-up AND a free transfer to your hotel in Dalat. Futa buses have a dedicated transfer stand at the bus terminal where you can request a transfer to your hotel (you take off a big bus and take a small van), while smaller bus operators deliver passengers straight to the hotels on the same bus/van.

Important Bus Notes

• Always check departure location (HCMC has many bus stations).
• Always check arrival location (some operators use private offices).
• Many buses offer free hotel transfers.

3. Getting to Dalat by Train

There is no active train line to Dalat.

The historic Dalat Railway Station now operates a short scenic ride to Trại Mát Village and is worth visiting.