The Empire's Escape

Best Time to Visit

Da Lat stays cool and spring-like all year, so the light and the temperature are pleasant almost any day. The dry season, roughly from December through March, gives the clearest skies and the easiest walking. In the wetter months, from about May through October, mornings are usually bright and the rain tends to arrive in the afternoon, so start early. Weekday mornings are calmest at the station and the square; weekends draw larger Vietnamese crowds.

Pro Tips

• •Bring a light jacket or layer even on sunny days. The air near fifteen hundred metres stays cool, and it turns chilly once clouds or evening arrive.
• •Start early, especially in the wet season. Clear mornings often give way to afternoon rain, and the light on the station and cathedral is best before midday.
• •At the Lycee Yersin, admire the curved facade and bell tower from outside. Interior access for visitors has been restricted in recent years.
• •The railway station usually charges a small fee, a few thousand dong, to step onto the platform among the old rail cars. The forecourt and exterior are free.
• •The cathedral is a working church. Time your visit outside Mass, and if a service is underway, keep to the edges and stay quiet.
• •Distances between some stops are longer than the map suggests, and the town is hilly. If your legs tire, a short taxi or motorbike ride between sites is easy to find.