This two-day itinerary in Da Lat was suggested by two tourists from Ho Chi Minh City and one tourist from Hanoi.

Day 1

8am: Breakfast with meatball sandwiches

Meatball sandwich is one of the "exclusive" dishes of Da Lat, suitable for breakfast. Meatballs are often found in popular eateries, made mainly from minced pork, mixed with ingredients such as shallots, bread crumbs, pepper, steamed, then poured over thick sauce made from tomatoes or broth. Da Lat meatballs are best eaten hot, with bread.

Some reference addresses: 47 Hoang Dieu, Be Linh Meatballs, Co Suong Meatballs, 207 Phan Dinh Phung, Gia Phuc Cup Meatballs...

9am: Tung Coffee

The location that appeared in the movie "Em va Trinh" is located right in Hoa Binh area, the city center. Phong Vinh, a tourist who has been to Da Lat, thinks that Tung is suitable for people who like nostalgia and want to experience the old Da Lat.

"Existing for more than half a century, Tung Coffee is still rustic with old tables, faded paintings, wooden wall panels and a door that is slightly open to welcome the sunlight. Some people come here to watch the street and people, some come to listen to some old music, and some sit in the shop just to find nostalgia," Vinh said. Drinks at Tung are traditional coffees, each cup of coffee is carefully prepared by the owner, priced from 15,000 VND.

>> See more: Old Dalat in a 50-year-old coffee shop

10am: Walk around the center

The center of Da Lat is often mentioned as including the locations around Xuan Huong Lake. This is an area that cannot be missed, especially for first-time visitors. Some famous photo spots in the center include: Xuan Huong Lake with Y-shaped bridges, Lam Vien Square with an artichoke-shaped building, Hong Kong corner at Da Lat market. If the weather is not too sunny, you can take a walk around the lake.

12:00: Chicken hotpot with perilla leaves

Chicken hotpot with perilla leaves is a must-try dish. The hotpot has a clear, refreshing broth with a slightly sweet taste. This is a popular dish, ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 VND per pot, including mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and chopped chicken, and especially, perilla leaves. Chicken hotpot with perilla leaves is served with vermicelli, a bowl of chili salt or lemon pepper salt to dip the meat. The chicken is tender, the mushrooms are sweet, the bamboo shoots are crunchy, absorbing the spices and feeling the slight spicy taste of perilla leaves.

There are many restaurants selling chicken hotpot with perilla leaves, the method and taste are not different, depending on the location you choose, Tao Ngo or 668 chain.

>> See more: Two hot pot dishes you can eat forever in Da Lat

15:00: Visit Da Lat station and go to Trai Mat

After resting, in the afternoon, visitors can go to Da Lat station. This is an old station, built by the French in 1932, with a three-roofed pyramidal architectural style, stylized as the three peaks of Langbiang mountain or the Central Highlands communal house. This is a unique railway line of Vietnam with about 16 km of cogwheel track, 1,500 m above sea level.

If you are short on time, you can just visit and take photos, but if you have more time, take the train to Trai Mat station. The train runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, each trip takes about 30 minutes. The first trip departs at 9:50 from Da Lat station, the last trip leaves Trai Mat at 17:05. From March, train tickets are sold online. Round-trip tickets cost 160,000 VND and one-way tickets cost 90,000 VND.

19:00: Snails and oxtail hotpot

Eating stuffed snails and oxtail hotpot is very suitable in the chilly weather of Da Lat evenings. Each portion of snails costs about 150,000 - 200,000 VND, enough for two people. The snail meat is minced and mixed with minced meat marinated with spices, lemongrass and steamed, brought to the table still fragrant and steaming hot. The restaurant also sells oxtail hotpot alongside the signature dish of stuffed snails. A hotpot ranges from 200,000 VND to 300,000 VND.

Some reference addresses: 33 Snails stuffed with meat restaurant on Hai Ba Trung street; beef hotpot Quan Go at the end of Hoang Dieu alley.

Day 2

7:30: breakfast and coffee outside the city center

Another "specialty" of Da Lat is its beautiful cafes. Therefore, the next morning, visitors should leisurely leave the city center. In the early morning, the air in Da Lat is fresh. Choose a spacious cafe, on a hill, among pine forests, with a wide view in front. If you wake up early, you can also hunt for clouds. Have breakfast and enjoy the peaceful morning at these cafes, you "will immediately fall in love with Da Lat", Anh Kiet, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City who once sat at the Chenh cafe in Da Lat, shared.

Some other reference addresses: Binh Minh Oi, Suoi Mo Cafe, Lo Coffee Da Lat, Tui Mo To, Doi Mot Nguoi...

10am: Pick strawberries and take pictures while admiring hydrangeas

On the way out of the city, experience a series of activities such as strawberry picking and visiting hydrangea gardens. "Hydrangeas in Da Lat are very big, bloom a lot and every corner of the garden can bring beautiful photos", said a tourist from Hanoi. Entrance tickets to the flower garden range from 30,000 VND to 50,000 VND. Some addresses include: Clay Tunnel, Trai Mat field, Lac Duong field...

Leaving the flower garden, choose one of the nearby strawberry gardens. Da Lat has long been famous for its delicious strawberry gardens. The strawberries in Da Lat are not too big, but they are fresh and quite sweet. After picking the strawberries, you can take them home. The garden owner will weigh and box them for your peace of mind when transporting. The price per kilo of strawberries ranges from 150,000 VND to 200,000 VND.

15:00: Take photos at Dalat Pedagogical College

If you are a first-time visitor to Da Lat, stop by the Da Lat Pedagogical College and ask to take photos. The school is located about 2 km from the city center, on Yersin Street. It was recognized by the World Association of Architects as one of the 1,000 unique works of the world in the 20th century. The school does not charge an entrance fee, but if you want to walk around and take photos or visit the campus, remember to bring your ID card or other identification documents.

16:30: Music show Wandering Clouds

"When you come to Da Lat, you must listen to music and watch the sunset" is the suggestion of a tourist in Hanoi. May Lang Thang is an outdoor music space with two stages located in an alley on Tran Quang Dieu or Hoang Hoa Tham street. The most suitable show to enjoy music and watch the sunset, usually takes place from 5pm to 7pm. Ticket prices range from 150,000 VND to 1.2 million VND depending on the seat and the singer.

19:30: Dinner

Street food around the center will make for a light dinner and dessert with avocado ice cream. "One of the most famous avocado ice cream shops in the center is Thanh Thao. Be patient because you may have to wait in line for quite a while," Hanoi tourists share their experience.

Tam Anh