Before You Arrive — Da Nang Pass

01

Get online the moment you land.

2 min

Vietnamese SIM cards at the airport kiosk are cheap (~$5) but require a passport scan, broken English, and a 20-minute wait. Skip all of that with an eSIM installed before you board.

We use Airalo’s Vietnam plan on every visit. The 5GB / 30-day plan is the sweet spot — enough for Grab, Google Maps, and a few video calls. Activate it once you connect to airport Wi-Fi at Đà Nẵng International (DAD).

Airalo · Vietnam eSIM

Moganbai · 5GB · 30 days

Installs in 4 taps. Works the second you land. No physical SIM, no kiosk queue.

from $11 −10% w/ DNPASS

Get the eSIM → Affiliate · we earn a small commission

Local tip If you’re staying more than 30 days, top up directly in the Airalo app — it’s cheaper than buying a second plan.

02

Insurance that actually pays out.

3 min

Motorbikes, street food, and a stretch of coastline known for currents — Đà Nẵng has all three of the most common “your travel insurance doesn’t cover that” categories. Read your policy carefully.

For short trips (under 30 days) most credit-card travel insurance is fine if you actually understand the exclusions. For longer stays or anything nomad-shaped, SafetyWing’s subscription model is the standard — pause when you’re home, resume when you fly.

SafetyWing · Nomad Insurance

Quote & price widget

Live pricing pulled from SafetyWing. We don’t mark up — you pay what they charge.

Get a quote → What it covers

Important Most policies exclude motorbike accidents unless you hold a license valid for the bike’s engine size. In Vietnam, anything over 50cc requires an A1 license — check yours.

03

Đồng, cards, and the airport ATM trap.

2 min

Vietnam runs on cash for street food, small cafés, and any motorbike ride. Cards work at restaurants, hotels, and 7-Eleven. Apple Pay works at Highlands Coffee and basically nowhere else.

1 USD ≈

24,500 ₫

Mar 2026 mid-market

Coffee

25–55k ₫

$1.00 – $2.30

Bowl of phở

35–60k ₫

$1.45 – $2.45

Grab across town

40–80k ₫

$1.65 – $3.30

Skip airport ATMs. The kiosks past baggage claim charge 60,000₫ ($2.45) per withdrawal and offer terrible rates. Walk to any TPBank, VPBank or Vietcombank ATM in town — most charge 22,000₫ and let you pull up to 5M₫ per transaction.

Wise & Revolut Both work at most Vietnamese ATMs. Wise gets the mid-market rate; Revolut adds a small weekend surcharge. Either beats your home bank’s 3% FX fee by a country mile.

04

From the airport to your front door.

2 min

DAD is genuinely the easiest airport in Vietnam. It’s 3 km from downtown — closer to the beach than most hotels are to the airport in other cities. Three reasonable options, depending on luggage and time of day.

Recommended

Grab

~70k ₫

To Mỹ Khê beach. App downloads work on airport Wi-Fi.

Solo & quick

GrabBike

~35k ₫

Backpack only. Driver brings a helmet. Cheap and breezy.

Group & bags

Pre-booked transfer

$12

Name on a sign, fixed rate, no surge pricing at 2am.

GetYourGuide · DAD Private Transfer

Private car · DAD → Mỹ Khê / Hội An

Fixed price, English-speaking driver, child seats on request. Worth it after a 14-hour flight.

from $12 per car · up to 4 pax

Book transfer → Affiliate · GetYourGuide

Once you’re in town, the next decision is bigger: which neighborhood?

Where to stay →