Stay tuned for how to have the best gluten free travel experience in Da Nang, Vietnam. Staying near the beach is the best area of the city to stay in. If you can stay near here, you will be on your way to staying in the best location of the whole city.
I will you share with you the best spots to try, everything you need to know about transportation, what to do and which apartments to book. I have it all in one spot, so your vacation planning can be easy.
Da Nang had a nice mix of city life and beach time. The area has a great ambiance. We met up with some friends we made in Thailand and they were just as excited as us for a fun time in Da Nang.
How to Plan Your Gluten Free Trip in Da Nang
We found a local Vietnamese restaurant where we showed the Vietnamese restaurant card and the manager spoke fantastic English, so we looked at the menu and all the sauces included. It was an ideal situation and they were willing to answer all my questions. For the best questions to ask while out, click the link.
The Vietnamese are very friendly, if you can find someone where you are staying to take you to nearby restaurants and ask all the questions, you should totally do it.
You will get the real local experience by shopping at the local food markets that the Vietnamese locals go to every day to get your staples. For fresh produce, we walked 15 minutes to a huge local market. You can get a huge bag of fruit and vegetables for $10. You get a great deal at the local markets even though they are probably overcharging us.
Take a Local Cooking Class
Taking a cooking class is a creative activity that you can do to get a new cultural experience. Click here for 3 amazing cooking classes.
How to Eat Gluten Free in Vietnam
You should always try to book a place with a kitchen, so you can cook for yourself and not rely on others to prepare your meals. This is the key to living a celiac life without borders.
While you read other people’s articles on how cheap it is to travel in Vietnam, these are going to be hostels without kitchen access or access to a cross contamination nightmare. For that reason, I like to show you the actual cost of my accommodations.
We paid $40-45/per night. Our place was in the best location in the city. We had a small, but modern place with a kitchen. It was cleaned daily, and they provided us with fresh towels and extra cooking items that I requested. The atmosphere in the neighborhood was awesome. We met up with some friends and they fell in love with our area after staying in other places in the city. This really confirmed to us that we found the best place.
Check for prices on a beautiful apartment with epic beach views >> Click Here<<.
The Best Place to Stay in Da Nang
The My An area is the hands down the best place in the city. We had great service, cleaning and linen/towel changes every day, a printer and the best service we have ever had.
I have a great listing above for you to check out. The My An area is minutes from the beach and had cafes and bars everywhere.
While I loved it by the beach, you may want to stay in another part of the city. For recommendations of budget-friendly, mid-range and luxury options in the city – Read this guide to the 2 Best Areas in Da Nang.
Transportation to and from Da Nang
Finding flights into Da Nang is easy because it is a major airport. Hiring a car for our day trips was very easy. In the city, we mainly used the GRAB app to get everywhere when we didn’t feel like walkng.
| Type of Transport | Where to Book |
|---|---|
| Flights | Check out Flights Here |
| Hired Car | Check out Car Service |
| Hired Car - Grab | Download the GRAB App Here |
3 Easy Gluten Free Vietnamese Meals
THAT YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF
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Gluten Free Restaurants in Vietnam
I did find a restaurant two houses down from our place, called Pho Viet Kieu. I ate here almost everyday, because I am a loyal customer once I find a place where I can eat safely.
Pho Viet Kieu uses gluten free fish sauce in their kitchen. They are a cash only business, so bring money. See the Pho Viet Kieu Facebook page
Address: 201 Le Quang Dao, My An, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang
Hours of Operation: 11:00 am to 2 pm and 6 pm to 8 pm.
Da Nang Hyatt Restaurant (Green House) has many gluten free dishes on their menu and is open for breakfast, lunch and supper. You can find their menu here.
Address: 5 Trường Sa, Hoà Hải, Ngũ Hành Sơn
Hours of Operation: 6:30 am to 11 am; noon to 2:30 and 5:30 pm to 10 pm.
Restaurants can change owners, chefs and menus: please contact the restaurant to ensure a gluten free meal can still be offered.
Da Nang Vietnam and the Amenities in the Area
There is an abundance of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, pubs, surfing rentals, convenience stores and spas in the My An area. We would hang out here every single day and we did not have to leave it and we loved that! My favourite coffee shop was Venus Coffee, but we liked quite a few that were around and you will to.
Not to mention, we did not have to worry about transportation as much, because we could walk to almost everything we needed in the area. I will give you an idea about transportation and driving in Vietnam below in the video and you do not want to miss it.
Da Nang has the Best Beaches in Vietnam
The beach area on My Khe Beach, just 5 minutes from our place, had the best lounging area and bar on the beach. The chairs and umbrellas were the best and there were palm trees for shade too. The chairs cost approximately $5 for the day. This is a sweet deal for shade and entertainment for the whole day. There were swimmers, surfers, sun bathers and a lot to see in this area, without being crowded at all. Because the beaches are so nice, there will be tourist buses stopping by and everyone getting out of the bus to take selfies on the beach. This was always entertaining.
Cleaned and Maintained Beach
On another note, they had nice beach bathrooms right there. Maybe not important to some, but I sure enjoyed nice and clean bathrooms with hand soap, the small things are significant too right! The beach was clean as well and nicely maintained. If you have read anything about Asia, I am sure you have come across the large garbage and plastic that washes onto shores everywhere. The beach was cleaned and taken care of. There were also lifeguards spread out on the beach where they congregated in swimming areas. It is a wave break beach with many waves, so safety is important and there are designated swimming sections.
As there were waves, there were also surfers. While I did not surf, my husband has taken the sport under his wing on our travels and went every second day while we were in Da Nang.
Beach Access
You must cross a very busy street to get to My Khe Beach and there was a nice underpass located right there for us to use. Again, until you see the traffic in Vietnam, you may not understand how important this is! Well, I will give you an idea of a random ‘quiet’ side street while we had coffee….
The Best Bar in Da Nang
This is the best gem in Da Nang, anyone who is anyone will know about Minske (aka. Freedom). It has a unique vibe that you will love no matter who you are, young or old, black or white, it has a place for you. That is the best part of atmosphere, that everyone is welcome.
It will be one of the few times you go somewhere that Wi-Fi will not be available, because they have a message of communication and meeting your neighbor. It works because no one is looking at their phone and you get a chance to meet people. They have a band every Wednesday night and it is the best time ever. We were there every Wednesday.
Eating Gluten Free in Vietnam by Shopping at Grocery Stores
If you have not followed me for long, you may not know that I have celiac disease. That means I must eat gluten free for life. If you are eating gluten free because of celiac or other health reasons, finding the local supermarkets are a must.
For grocery shopping we went to the Big C Super Market or the Lotte Mart. I prefer the Big C Super Market, but both work. We took a short Grab ride to the mall. Here is where I picked up meat and snack foods for myself. The best thing to do is to download the Grab app and you can access very inexpensive rides to the grocery store to get all the food you want. The average cost that we paid to go to and from the store was $5.
Big C Supermarket – Da Nang, 255-257, Hùng Vương, Thanh Khê District, Da Nang, Vietnam
Lotte Mart – 6 Nại Nam, Hoà Cường Bắc, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam
Gluten Free Vietnamese Recipes
This Vietnamese Vegetable Rice Noodle Bowl is one of my favourite gluten free Vietnamese meals and gluten free Asian recipes in general. The Vietnamese use rice vermicelli, also the kind of noodles used in this recipe.
Vietnamese cuisine has a lot to offer those who eat gluten free and some Vietnamese restaurants have figured that out. I encourage you to explore this cuisine and to try making this dish at home or while you are visiting this lovely country.
Ingredients
- 3 large carrots
- 2 bell peppers
- Large broccoli head
- 8 mushrooms
- Bunch of green onions
- Cilantro
- Vermicelli noodles (or any other rice noodles that you have)
- 1/2 cup Gluten Free soy sauce
- 1/2 cup of Gluten free fish sauce
- 1 lemon – freshly squeezed
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- Pepper & salt – to your liking
- 3 table spoons of sugar (optional)
- Crushed chilies – to your liking (optional)
Directions
Place rice noodles in large bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Chop up the vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms and broccoli) and saute with the minced garlic.
Prepare sauce by mixing the soy sauce, fish sauce, lemon juice, sugar, crushed chilies and salt and pepper.
Mix all together, top with chopped green onions and cilantro and enjoy!
Weather Da Nang Vietnam
The best time to travel to Da Nang Vietnam is January to August. Central Vietnam has temperatures that can hit the mid-thirties while the rainy season starts September to November. This offers lots of sunshine, beach time and surfing if you are into it.
How Long Should You Spend Here?
I would suggest 6 days where you can spend a few days on the beach and use the strategic location to do day trips. We stayed here for longer than that, but it would be a great start.
There are some epic trips that you can make outside of the city. If you want a guided tour and a place where you can meet people, check this out these Tours in Da Nang.
Things to do in Da Nang
Marble Mountain Vietnam
It is a short Grab ride to Marble Mountain. You arrive to a cluster of marble and limestone hills where you have a panoramic view of the surrounding area. There are Hindu and Buddhist sculptures that you find when you navigate the tunnels and caves. I would highly recommend going to see this as it is beautiful, and you will surely get some amazing photos.
The Lady Buddha in Vietnam
Even if you are not Buddhist, visiting the pagoda is a must during your stay in Da Nang. It is not all about the religion, but also about the Vietnamese architecture. You have a different view and vantage point from the location too. Just remember that you should always dress modestly when visiting.
A Trip to Ba Na Hills
A stay in Da Nang would not be complete without a trip to see the Ba Na Hills. This is where the Golden Bridge is and it has has amazing views! Who wouldn’t love a cable ride up the mountain? For all the best tips for this trip, check out this article to see everything you need to know about Ba Na Hills.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An is a shortish GRAB ride from Da Nang and was 40 minutes and only $25. The city is on the central coast and is known for its well-preserved ancient town. We just did a day trip and found it to be enough. It is tourist central and we preferred the non-tourist vibe of Da Nang much better for long-term stay. Things can be excessively priced, so you will have negotiate.
They city has many stores for custom leather shoes, bags and belts which looked amazing.
In the old part of the city there are many small booths where they try and get you to pay to walk around the old town. They were generally inconsistent, and we walked in and out of the area and did not have to pay.
Surfing in Vietnam
The surfing in Da Nang is for beginners. While I did not surf, I was on the beach all of the time watching surfing and it was always entertaining. My husband took lessons and rented the surf board from Surf Shack, check out their website here if you are interested. They had a really chill vibe there and everyone was always having fun.
The Best Beach in Vietnam
As I mentioned before, the beaches in Da Nang were great. The city really takes care of maintenance on the beach, which is not apparent in other places. There are bathrooms, garbages, beach chairs and beautiful sand to play in.
We enjoyed many beach days while in Da Nang because we were staying a 5-minute walk from the beach. There were people doing yoga, playing football, hacky sack, sunbathing, jogging and people watching. We loved it and so will you.
Travel Insurance in Vietnam
Make sure you have insurance for your trip. Don’t let the unexpected ruin your trip. Double and triple check you have it purchased before you go. If you want a quote, check below.
Get Packing
My husband and I perfected travel to Vietnam. I have a detailed checklist for everything you need to pack for Vietnam, so do not miss out on it.
Getting a Foreign Currency in Vietnam
We were looking for USD dollars to pay for our VISA once we arrived in the next country we were going to. The banks in Vietnam will not give you USD or other currencies so you have to go to gold sellers and exchange Dong for USD. It was a bizarre experience, but so worth the adventure. The gold sellers are near the Big C Super Market, so we tried two vendors and they gave us a very good deal and very close to the actual exchange rate. If you need USD in Vietnam, go to the gold sellers and try it out. It was great!
Gluten Free Travel in Vietnam is Possible
If you are going to be Hanoi, I have you covered for all things Gluten Free in Hanoi, click the link. There were tons of places to eat in Hanoi. I have a great country guide to Gluten Free Vietnam to check out too.
You can do this and have a blast. My friend Ben writes about how Da Nang is an underrated Vietnam city, I can’t agree with him more.
We had such a wondrous time. If you have other gems you have found in Da Nang, please let me know via a comment or email. I want to hear from you. Reach out and send me an email at GlutenFreeTraveller. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
Vietnamese Cookbooks and Art
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If you are one of those people who want to learn about the country before you go, take these cookbooks into consideration:
Cheers, I hope you enjoyed my lovely trek,
Brett – The Ultimate Gluten Free Traveller
27 thoughts on “Gluten Free City Guide: Da Nang, Vietnam UPDATED”
I’m glad you managed to find some good stuff, it’s always hard when you’re traveling! Also, those beaches look amazing 🙂
The beaches in Da Nang were pretty amazing. Lots of interesting things to see at the beach.
Thanks for this extremely helpful post, and also the nifty recipe for those who want to cook instead of eating out all the time. I have a friend who is a celiac and I would be sharing this her for her upcoming Vietnam trip.
Thanks Arunima! Hope your friend enjoys it.
Good to know. As much as I love cooking, I prefer not to cook on vacation as it’s for exploring places and foods. Cooking is for home and regular life for me but for those on special diets, this is a great option.
I totally agree Kemi! Vacations are great for exploring different cuisines.
I am a vegetarian and sometimes find eating out when travelling tricky or a bit boring. This is a great idea to write a gluten free guide to travelling in different countries and places. And useful to include the recipe too.
Thanks Ali 😉
I love the idea of a gluten free traveller! I am on a gluten free diet for a month due to suspecting allergies, and I really hope at the end of the month I get to go back to eating gluten products. I think Asian cuisine is a little more permissive in regards to gluten free options, and I love a Special Fried Rice or some Fried Rice Noodles with Chicken! I alo liked the recipe you proposed, and I will be trying it sometime next week!
I hope you like the recipe!
I used to be a vegetarian traveller before the wave veggie and vegan places hit Europe. It can be super hard. It looks like you’ve found ways to thrive even with your restrictions. I wouldn’t have even tried to venture to Asia with a food restriction, but it feels possible now!
It is totally possible now. Cheers.
I can imagine that it must be a huge problem in some countries when you are following a gluten-free diet to find food that you can enjoy. Vietnam is one of my favourite SE Asian countries and visiting Hoi An is a must if you are in Danang.
Agreed! Hoi An was beautiful and an easy day trip.
Heyyy since we turned towards “no wheat food”, I love “Gluten Free Food” recommendations when traveling abroad. I am saving this for future 🙂
Definitely save it for when you head to Vietnam.
Knowing that you can travel and visit a place without worrying if you can continue your diet is a must! This is very informative for those who are in this kind of diet!
I totally agree Nina!
Wow, you have provided us a great tip. Anyway, knowing that the area you guys stayed had a great ambiance is something I look forward to experience as well if I travel to Vietnam. Yes, cooking my own meals is something I always do, hence, choosing a place with kitchen is something I should consider. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
No problem!
Thanks for sharing wonderful guide on Da Nang in Vietnam. I too loved your idea to stay near the beach My khe. Being vegetarian, I loved the recipe for gluten free rice noodles.
That is the best beach by far! Thanks for stopping by.
This guide is quite helpful for travelers with Gluten intolerance. I have seen more and more people adopting a wheat free diet owing to its benefits. I, as a vegetarian traveler definitely understand the importance of finding a kind of food we live on in another country.
Thanks Anjali!
As a Danang citizen, I’m still amazed by your post 😀 . Kindly allow me to share this to my celiac disease customers for their next trips to Danang.
And if it’s a bit helpful, we’re also providing a gluten free food, named Caromi noodle, which is extremely easy to serve but tasty as hell! 🙂
Hi Hana! Yes, Da Nang is really amazing. Of course, you can share with your gluten free guests.
Awww, thank you!