Food & Nightlife
Da Lat Night Market: What to Eat, When to Go & Local Tips
Smoky grills, steaming soy milk and stalls piled with strawberries — the Da Lat night market is the city's living room after dark. Here's how to do it like a local.
🚶
~10 min walk
From Mooka's Home
🕖
~6–7 PM
Gets busy
🌡️
10–15°C
Evening temp
📅
Weekends
Busiest
Where Is the Da Lat Night Market?
The night market (chợ đêm Đà Lạt) spreads along the Nguyen Thi Minh Khai walking street and the steps below the main Da Lat Market building, next to the Hoa Binh area in the heart of the city. During the day this is where locals shop for produce; as the light fades, food carts, grills and clothing stalls take over the street.
Don't confuse the two: Da Lat Market (Chợ Đà Lạt) is the big covered market hall, open through the day, while the night market is the outdoor evening scene around it. Most visitors do both in one trip.
🚶 Walking from Mooka's Home (~10 minutes)
From our hostel at 02 Co Loa, head toward Xuan Huong Lake (~5 minutes), then continue into the city centre toward Da Lat Market. Ask at reception and we'll mark the route on your map.
When to Go
🌆 Weeknight evenings
Stalls get going as it gets dark and the market fills up from about 6–7 PM. Weeknights are more relaxed — easier to grab a stool and chat to vendors.
🎉 Weekends & holidays
Friday and Saturday nights are packed with Vietnamese tourists, especially visitors up from Saigon. Great atmosphere, but expect shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and queues at famous stalls.
Tip: go early for food, stay late for the atmosphere. In rainy season, showers usually fall in the afternoon and clear by evening — check our Da Lat weather guide before you head out.
10 Things to Eat at the Da Lat Night Market
Everything here is sold at cheap street-food prices — graze your way through rather than sitting down for one big meal.
🍕 Bánh tráng nướng — “Vietnamese pizza”
The dish Da Lat is famous for. A thin rice-paper sheet is laid over a charcoal grill, cracked egg and spring onion are smeared across it, then it's topped with dried shrimp, minced pork, sausage or cheese and finished with chilli sauce and mayo. It crackles as it crisps — eat it folded in half, straight off the grill.
🥛 Sữa đậu nành — hot soy milk
Da Lat nights are chilly, and locals fight the cold with a steaming cup of fresh soy milk, lightly sweet and often flavoured with pandan. Look for the stalls with big metal urns and plastic stools; pair it with a sweet pastry for the classic local combo.
🌽 Grilled corn & sweet potato
Charcoal grills line the steps with blistered corn cobs brushed with spring-onion oil and sweet potatoes roasting in their skins. Simple, smoky and perfect for warming your hands while you walk.
🥞 Bánh căn — mini rice pancakes
Small round rice-flour cakes cooked in clay moulds, often with a quail egg or seafood inside. They come to the table in a stack with a bowl of dipping sauce, pickled green mango and fresh herbs. Order a plate to share.
🥖 Bánh mì xíu mại — meatball bánh mì
Da Lat's own take on bánh mì: a bowl of soft pork meatballs in tomato broth with a crusty baguette for dunking. It's hearty, cheap and one of the most-loved breakfasts in town — but you'll find it late into the evening too.
🍲 Lẩu — hotpot
Cold nights make hotpot a Da Lat obsession. Restaurants around the market serve bubbling pots with local vegetables, mushrooms, beef or seafood. Best with a group — gather a few people from the hostel and share.
🍓 Fresh strawberries
The highlands grow most of Vietnam's strawberries, and vendors pile them into glossy red pyramids. Try them fresh, dipped in chilli salt the local way, or blended into a thick strawberry smoothie.
🍢 Grilled skewers
Meat, sausage, tofu and vegetable skewers sizzle on smoky grills throughout the market. Point at what you want, grab a stool and wait a few minutes while they're cooked to order.
🍠 Dried fruit & candied treats
Stalls overflow with dried persimmon, candied strawberries, jam and fruit leathers. Most vendors will let you taste before you buy — a handy way to find the ones you like before stocking up.
🍜 Noodle soups for a warm-up
When the temperature drops, a steaming bowl of noodle soup from a side-street shop is the perfect finish. Follow the busiest plastic-stool spots — a crowd of locals is the best recommendation you can get.
What Else to Buy
Knitwear & warm clothes
Beanies, scarves, hoodies and jackets — handy if you arrived from the coast and underestimated Da Lat nights.
Strawberries & jam
Fresh punnets, strawberry jam and syrups. Jars travel better than fresh fruit if you're heading on by bus.
Local coffee
The highlands around Da Lat grow coffee — pick up beans or ground coffee, plus artichoke tea, another local speciality.
Dried fruit
Dried persimmon, candied fruit and mixed bags make easy, light souvenirs for friends back home.
Night Market Etiquette & Tips
Bring a jacket
Evenings often sit around 10–15°C. You'll be outside for a couple of hours, so layer up.
Carry small cash
Most stalls are cash only. Small notes make paying quick and avoid change hassles.
Bargain lightly
Friendly haggling is normal for clothes and souvenirs. Food prices are usually fixed — no need to bargain for a snack.
Watch your things
Crowds get dense on weekends. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket or zipped bag.
Sit where the locals sit
Plastic stools are part of the experience. Busy stalls mean fresh food and fast turnover.
Tidy up
Use the bins or hand rubbish back to the vendor — the steps get messy fast on busy nights.
After the Market
Walk off dinner with a loop around Xuan Huong Lake. The lake is lit up at night, the air is cool, and you'll pass joggers, couples and street musicians. Nearby Lam Vien Square, with its big glass flower and artichoke-shaped buildings, is a popular hangout spot and a good place for night photos.
Then find a café. Da Lat has a serious coffee culture and many cafés stay open into the evening — cosy, candle-lit rooms with live acoustic music are a local speciality. Order a hot coffee or artichoke tea and warm up before the ~10 minute walk back to the hostel.
More Things to Do in Da Lat at Night
- 1Graze through the night market and try at least three dishes on the list above
- 2Walk the lit-up loop around Xuan Huong Lake
- 3Take night photos at Lam Vien Square
- 4Warm up in a café with live acoustic music
- 5Share a hotpot with friends from the hostel
- 6Hang out at the hostel and plan tomorrow's tour with our team
Planning your evenings around daytime adventures? Our Da Lat itinerary slots the night market into the perfect 3-day plan. Pair it with a day of canyoning at Datanla, the Da Lat waterfalls tour or an Easy Rider motorbike tour — you'll be hungry by the time you get back. For more ideas, see our guide to Da Lat waterfalls and the complete Da Lat travel guide.
Sleep 10 Minutes from the Night Market
Mooka's Home is a ~10 minute walk from the night market and ~5 minutes from Xuan Huong Lake — close enough to stroll back after dinner, quiet enough to sleep. Dorm beds from 150,000 VND, private rooms from 350,000 VND, breakfast available for a small extra charge, and all tours booked at reception. Learn more about our backpacker hostel in Da Lat.
Check availability & book →Da Lat Night Market — FAQ
Where is the Da Lat night market?
The Da Lat night market is in the centre of town, on and around the Nguyen Thi Minh Khai walking street below Da Lat Market (Cho Da Lat), near the Hoa Binh area. It is about a 10-minute walk from Mooka's Home at 02 Co Loa.
What time does the Da Lat night market open?
The night market runs in the evenings and gets busy from around 6–7 PM, once the day stalls give way to food vendors. Weekends are the most crowded, when many Vietnamese tourists visit from Ho Chi Minh City.
What should I eat at the Da Lat night market?
Start with banh trang nuong (grilled rice paper, the 'Vietnamese pizza') and a cup of hot soy milk. Then try grilled corn or sweet potato, banh can mini pancakes, banh mi xiu mai (meatball banh mi) and fresh strawberries. Hotpot is a great sit-down option on cold nights.
Is the Da Lat night market expensive?
No. Food is sold at cheap street-food prices, which is part of the fun. Souvenir and clothing stalls expect some light bargaining, while food prices are usually fixed. Bring small cash notes.
What should I wear to the Da Lat night market?
Bring a jacket. Da Lat evenings are chilly, often around 10–15°C, and the market is outdoors. Wear comfortable shoes for the steps and crowds, and keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket.
Hungry already?
Message us for our favourite stalls, the best café for live music, or help booking tomorrow's tour.