Nha Trang to Da Lat (Đà Lạt): Transport, Pass Hours and Itineraries

At one end is a beach town, at the other a city of pine-covered hills. Between them runs the Khanh Le Pass, 33 km of switchbacks where cloud can sit right on the road, with steep cuttings on one side and deep drops on the other. Your plan comes down to this pass: what time you cross, in what vehicle, and which day you keep free.

Which way first, and what time to leave #

Let your flight home decide the direction. With a return ticket to Cam Ranh, Nha Trang's airport, you cross the pass twice. Da Lat's Lien Khuong (Liên Khương) Airport reopened on August 19, 2026, with domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) and Hanoi (Hà Nội); fly into one city and out of the other and you only cross once.

From September to December, we suggest: cross in the morning, put the mountain leg in the middle of the trip, and arrive in your departure city at least one night before your flight. The pass maintenance company says mornings there tend to be sunny, with rain more likely in the afternoon, so a 6 or 7am departure works well.

Monthly averages cannot tell you which city will be drier during a four- or five-day trip, so check the forecast before deciding the order. Outside the rainy season, we like to end at the beach for an easy last day.

Sleeper bus, limousine van, private car or self-drive #

On the direct route, each option crosses Khanh Le Pass. What changes is how you sit, where you are picked up and how much control you have over timing.

Night buses, "double" berths

With the current pass hours, an evening departure either detours via Route 27 or waits until morning to cross. Ask the operator which road that night's bus takes and when it arrives. As for "double" berths, Vietnamese coach standards allow one person and one seat belt per berth (see our bus guide), so book two.

Private car, self-drive

A private car gives families more control over breaks. Agree on safe stopping places and a departure time that fits the pass opening hours. Book through your hotel or a company that issues receipts, get the price and route confirmed in a message, and pay any deposit only into an account in the name of the confirmed company.

If you drive yourself, go in daylight, use a low gear on the descents and never overtake on a blind bend. You need a license that Vietnam recognizes; our license guide explains which international permits qualify.

Khanh Le Pass: opening hours and how to check #

Since February 13, 2026, the Khanh Hoa Department of Construction has allowed all vehicles over the pass from 5am to 6pm daily. Since September 26, 2026, notices at both ends of the road have stated that the Km63-Km65+543 section is closed to all vehicles from 6pm to 5am. As of October 16, 2026, we have found no announcement lifting these hours.

As of late September 2026, nine damaged sections from the 2025 rainy season were still being repaired. At two points where rocks could fall, traffic may be stopped for up to an hour at a time during quiet periods, so leave room for delays; the one-hour limit applies to each stoppage, not the whole journey.

Hours may change once the work is finished. On the morning you travel, check the sources in the quick facts box (plus Lam Dong (Lâm Đồng) news if you are coming from Da Lat) and ask your operator: are you using Khanh Le today, which road if it shuts, and when do we arrive?

Photo: The Erica Chang

If the pass shuts: the other roads #

The usual detour runs south on Highway 1 to Phan Rang, then up Route 27 over the Ngoan Muc Pass. According to VnExpress in December 2024, Nha Trang to Phan Rang is about 100 km, roughly two hours; Phan Rang to Da Lat is about 100 km too but takes three to four hours on mountain roads. If you stay overnight in Phan Rang, allow a separate day for sightseeing and keep the following morning for the mountain drive.

In the rainy season, check both passes before you commit. On September 21, 2026, heavy rain set off landslides at Km218+730 on the Ngoan Muc Pass. If your route enters Da Lat via the Prenn Pass, note that Lam Dong declared a natural-disaster emergency there on September 22, 2026 because of landslides.

Photo: Nguyễn Thanh Quang

VnExpress estimated eight to nine hours for the routes via Buon Ma Thuot (Buôn Ma Thuột) or Dau Giay (Dầu Giây) in December 2024. Ask the operator for a current estimate.

Combining Nha Trang and Da Lat: 4-day and 5-day plans #

For the days in Nha Trang, pick from our Nha Trang itinerary.

4 days, 3 nights: fly into Da Lat, out of Cam Ranh

• Day 1: arrive in Da Lat, walk around Xuan Huong (Xuân Hương) Lake, dinner near Da Lat Market.
• Day 2: a full day in Da Lat, early night.
• Day 3: leave at 6-7am for Nha Trang, check in at lunchtime, an afternoon by the sea.
• Day 4: a morning in Nha Trang, then Cam Ranh airport in the afternoon.

On a four-day return trip to Cam Ranh, two crossings take up a substantial part of a short stay, especially if there are delays. In the rainy season, we would skip Da Lat and save it for another trip.

5 days, 4 nights: return flights to Cam Ranh

• Day 1: arrive in Nha Trang, rest, an evening walk along the seafront.
• Day 2: leave at 6-7am for Da Lat, arrive around midday, explore the center.
• Day 3: a full day in Da Lat.
• Day 4: leave at 6-7am for Nha Trang, a free afternoon.
• Day 5: a morning in Nha Trang, then the airport.

Keep the afternoon of day 4 free for delays. If Khanh Le closes, ask the operator whether an alternative route is open and when you would arrive; the buffer does not guarantee a same-day return. For the night after Da Lat, staying on Tran Phu (Trần Phú) means dinner is a walk away.

Packing for two climates, and motion sickness #

The table shows average daily low and high temperatures and average monthly rainfall for 2015-2024.

Photo: Андрей Бобровский (Andrey Bobrovsky)

Summer clothes are fine in Nha Trang, plus a light rain jacket; month-by-month detail is in our guides to October, November and December; still choosing a month? See the best time to visit Nha Trang. For Da Lat, add a windproof jacket, a fleece or light sweater for the evenings and closed shoes with good grip for wet, steep streets. Keep the jacket in your day bag; it gets cooler as the road climbs.

If you get carsick, the NHS suggests sitting near the front, looking ahead at a fixed point, getting fresh air where possible, not reading or watching screens, and avoiding heavy meals, spicy food and alcohol before and during the journey. On a sleeper bus, ask for a lower berth near the front if you can choose. For travel-sickness medicine, ask a pharmacist, especially for children, during pregnancy or if you take other medication.

FAQ: Nha Trang to Da Lat #