Da Lat Night Market: What to Eat, What to Buy and How to Get There

Where and when

The Da Lat night market (chợ đêm Đà Lạt) grows every evening around the central Da Lat Market (Chợ Đà Lạt), just above Xuan Huong Lake. Stalls spread along the street in front of the market and up and down the wide steps, so it's easy to walk around in an hour or two. Vendors start setting up in the late afternoon; the market is busiest after dark, roughly from 6 to 10 pm. Weekends and Vietnamese holidays are very crowded — on weekdays it's calmer and easier to find a seat.

Da Lat evenings are cool, often around 15 °C or less in the dry season, so bring a jacket. That's also part of the fun: hot snacks and warm drinks taste much better in the mountain air.

What to eat

• Bánh tráng nướng — rice paper grilled over charcoal with egg, spring onion and sauces, often called "Da Lat pizza". The classic night-market snack.
• Hot soy milk (sữa đậu nành) — sold from big pots, usually with small cakes and pastries on the side. Perfect on a cold evening.
• Grilled corn and sweet potatoes — simple, cheap and warming; you'll smell the grills before you see them.
• Grilled skewers — meat, seafood, tofu and vegetables cooked to order.
• Bánh căn — small rice-flour cakes made in clay moulds, dipped in fish sauce with pickles.
• Avocado ice cream (kem bơ) — a Da Lat favourite: creamy avocado with coconut ice cream, found around the market area.
• Chè — sweet soups with beans, jelly and coconut milk, served hot or cold.

Most stalls have small plastic stools. Point, smile and ask the price before you order — many stalls don't post prices. Vegetarians can look for grilled corn, sweet potato, tofu skewers and bánh tráng nướng without meat (ask "không thịt").

What to buy

• Warm clothes — knitted hats, scarves, gloves and jackets, including many second-hand stalls. Useful if you underpacked for the cool mountain nights.
• Dried fruit and candied fruit (mứt) — dried persimmons, strawberries, mulberries and more; you can usually taste before buying.
• Artichoke tea (trà atisô) and local coffee — popular gifts from Da Lat.
• Fresh produce — strawberries, avocados and other highland fruit, depending on the season.

Shopping tips

• Bring small bills in cash; card payments are rare at stalls.
• For clothes and souvenirs, polite bargaining is normal; for food, prices are usually fixed.
• Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket — crowds can be dense on the steps.
• Take your rubbish with you or use the bins at the stalls.

Getting there by bike and parking

The market is in the very center, so it's an easy short ride from most hotels. In the evening the streets right around the market are packed with people, so don't try to ride through the crowd: park a little away from the busiest part and walk the last few minutes. Use a guarded parking lot (gửi xe), keep the parking ticket and remember where you left the bike. If you plan to drink, leave the bike at the hotel and walk or take a Grab — no alcohol when riding.

After the market, a short ride or walk around Xuan Huong Lake at night is a nice way to end the evening. For daytime ideas see our page What to See in Da Lat by Motorbike: 5 Routes.

Explore Da Lat on your own bike

A scooter makes evenings easy: dinner at the night market, a lake view café afterwards, and back to your hotel whenever you like. At Van Phu every bike — Honda Vision 110cc, Honda Air Blade 125cc or electric scooter — costs 150,000 VND per day, with no cash deposit (you leave your passport or ID card), a free helmet and a phone holder. Message us on WhatsApp and we'll share our favourite night-market snacks too.