Which Da Lat waterfall is worth it?

If you visit just one, make it Datanla: 7 km from town, with an alpine coaster and the canyoning route. Pongour — 50 km (for nature without the crowds — seven cascades 100 m wide, best in the rains); Elephant Falls — 25–30 km (pairs a powerful drop with a pagoda); Prenn — 10 km (is a landscaped park, fine as a quick stop on the pass). Skip Cam Ly in town — the water is polluted.

How much does entry to the Da Lat waterfalls cost?

Pongour and Elephant Falls — 20,000–30,000 VND (~$1, run basically nothing); Datanla — 50,000 VND (~$2, to enter, plus 150,000 VND (~$6) for the coaster); Prenn — 40,000–60,000 VND (~$1.60–2.30); Canyoning at Datanla — from 1,200,000 VND (~$46, is booked separately).

AttractionsUp to date

Da Lat waterfalls: Pongour, Datanla, Elephant and Prenn

Da Lat sits at 1,500 metres, and the highland rivers around it drop off the plateau in dozens of waterfalls. Do you need to see them all? No. Datanla has the alpine coaster and the canyoning route, Pongour has seven cascades 100 metres wide, Elephant Falls has a 30-metre wall of water with a pagoda beside it. Prenn is a landscaped park, and the in-town Cam Ly is best skipped. Here is each one: distance, entry, what it is actually like, and when to go.

Updated 16 July 20269 min read

Pongour Waterfall near Da Lat — sheets of water over the stepped rocks of Lam Dong — Pongour — the best-looking waterfall around Da Lat: seven natural terraces and 100 metres of width. Photo: Rick McCharles, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Short answer: if you only want one, make it Datanla (7 km from the centre, coaster and canyoning). For nature without the crowds, Pongour — but that is 50 km each way. Entry is almost free everywhere: Pongour and Elephant Falls run 20,000–30,000 VND (~$1), though ticket offices change prices without notice, so check on the spot. All the main falls can be looped in a day by motorbike, or for about $22 on a tour.

Our serviceAbout the service

Fast Track — no queue at the border

5–10 minutes instead of an hour in the immigration queue

AirportsNha Trang · Da Nang · Hanoi · Ho Chi Minh · Phu Quoc

from$11per passenger

Book on Telegram

Which one to pick — an overview

Elephant Falls (Thác Voi) near Da Lat — a broad wall of water against the jungle of Lam Dong — Da Lat's waterfalls range from landscaped theme parks to half-wild cascades like Elephant Falls. Photo: Hector Garcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

There are plenty of waterfalls around Da Lat, but they are not all worth the drive. Datanla and Prenn are really theme parks now — tickets, staircases, cafés, easy but touristy. Pongour and Elephant Falls sit closer to the wild, which is exactly why people make the trip. Cam Ly, right in town, has been polluted for years, so it is fairer to skip it (more on that below).

Da Lat waterfalls compared — distance, entry price, character and time needed
Waterfall	From Da Lat	Entry	Character	Highlight	Time
Datanla	7 km	50,000 VND (~$2)	Theme park	Coaster, canyoning, zipline	1.5–2 h
Pongour	50 km	20,000–30,000 VND (~$1)	Half-wild	7 cascades, 100 m wide	1–2 h
Elephant	25–30 km	20,000 VND (~$0.80)	Wild, slippery	Powerful drop + pagoda	1 h
Prenn	10 km	40,000–60,000 VND (~$1.60–2.30)	Landscaped park	Walk behind the falls	40 min

The logic is simple: a thrill means Datanla, quiet nature means Pongour, power and culture mean Elephant Falls, and a quick stop on the pass means Prenn. For canyoning at Datanla, see our tours guide — it covers operators and safety.

The waterfalls are one piece of a bigger picture. See all of Da Lat's attractions in a separate guide, or the town overview in our Da Lat guide.

Datanla — coaster, canyoning and crowds

First-person view: the metal alpine-coaster track at Datanla runs down into tropical forest — The Datanla alpine coaster — a rail run through tropical forest down to the falls. Photo: thalling55, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Thác Datanla is the closest waterfall to Da Lat and the busiest. It is just 7 km south of the centre, along the Prenn pass. A Grab from town costs around 50,000 VND (~$2) and takes about fifteen minutes.

The waterfall itself is modest, maybe 20 metres, and it is not why people come. The main draw is the Alpine Coaster: a rail run. The car carries you down through the forest to the falls, then hauls you back up, and you control the speed yourself — floor it, or crawl and take photos. Because of it, Datanla has turned into a theme park: tickets, staircases, cafés, crowds. Not much wilderness left, but it is good fun.

Try to visit on a cold, rainy day… as the bad weather tends to keep tour groups away: last time I visited, I had the entire site to myselfVietnam Coracle, 2014

Datanla prices 2026

Entry and activity prices at Datanla Waterfall in 2026
Service	Price (VND)	Price (~USD)
Entry	50,000	~$2
Alpine coaster (round trip)	150,000	~$6
Zipline	50,000	~$2
Canyoning	from 1,200,000	~$46

Canyoning is its own thing, and the reason Datanla is known outside Vietnam at all: abseiling down the rock face alongside the falls, jumps into the pools, three to four hours of soaking-wet adrenaline. Book only through a licensed operator — there have been fatal accidents here, and the cheap street stalls are not worth it. How to choose is in our tours and canyoning guide.

Pros: close to town, plenty to do, easy to reach. Cons: crowds (especially at weekends), and it closes early, before dark — plan the visit for the first half of the day.

Tip: arrive by 8:30. The first hour is almost empty and the coaster runs with no queue. By 10:00 the tour buses roll in.

Coordinates: 11.9012, 108.4488. Address: Đèo Prenn, phường Xuân Hương – Đà Lạt (formerly Ward 3).

Getting set up in Vietnam?

Visa fast-track, housing rentals, tours — our manager sorts it out for you, in English.

Telegram WhatsApp

VietnamSpot on InstagramTips, lifehacks and news for living in VietnamFollow

Pongour — seven cascades, no theme park

Pongour Waterfall near Da Lat: a wide sheet of water over stepped basalt terraces, a smooth rock slab in the foreground — Pongour — water spilling over seven natural terraces up to 100 m wide. Photo: Arian Zwegers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

The water of Thác Pongour drops over seven natural terraces more than 100 metres across.

During and just after the rains (June–November) it is a wall of water from edge to edge. In the dry season the flow thins out, but you can walk out onto the stone ledges — a different visit, still a good one.

The one big catch: it is far. 50 km from Da Lat down Highway 20 toward Ho Chi Minh City, about an hour by motorbike, or 300,000–400,000 VND (~$12–16) one way by Grab or taxi. Few tours come this far, which is a plus: the crowds are thin, there is no coaster or ticket gimmick — just the waterfall and the forest.

Pongour is a popular picnic spot in the late afternoons, so if you want to experience the falls without too many people (and less trash) try to visit during the middle of the dayVietnam Coracle, 2014

The practical bits

Entry: 20,000–30,000 VND (~$1), parking around 5,000 VND (~$0.20)
Best time: June–November (rains and just after, full flow)
Dry season (December–April): less water, but you can walk the terraces
Time needed: 1–2 hours, including the walk down and back up

The path down is a forest trail, about fifteen minutes. Grippy shoes are a must — the rocks are wet. There is a café and a few picnic gazebos on site.

The catch: it is far, and if you turn up in the dry season you may leave disappointed. Check recent photos on social media before the trip to gauge the water level.

Coordinates: 11.6873, 108.2655. Commune: xã Đức Trọng, Lâm Đồng.

Elephant Falls, Prenn and in-town Cam Ly

Elephant Falls near Da Lat — a 30-metre wall of water crashing onto the rocks — Elephant Falls — 30 metres of powerful flow that holds up even in the dry season. Photo: Ian Armstrong, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Elephant Falls (Thác Voi) — power and a pagoda

Thác Voi stands over 30 metres tall, about 25–30 km southwest of town. The flow is strong all year, so it holds up even in the dry season.

The name comes from the boulders at its base, said to look like elephants. Next to it is Linh Ẩn Tự pagoda, so you can pair nature and culture in one stop; from the pagoda grounds you get a view of the falls from above.

Entry: 20,000 VND (~$0.80)
Distance: 25–30 km from Da Lat, about 40 minutes by motorbike
Time needed: 1 hour (falls + pagoda)

The path down to the base is steep and very slick, with wet, broken steps. Non-slip shoes are essential, and it is not a descent to attempt with small children. It sometimes closes for repairs, in which case you view the falls from above at the pagoda. Check the status before you go.

Prenn (Thác Prenn) — a landscaped park on the pass

Thác Prenn sits right on the pass, 10 km south of town on the road toward the coast. After a major renovation it is no longer a wild waterfall but a manicured park: paths, footbridges, gardens, cafés. Its signature trick is a walkway behind the falling water, so you can pass through and look at the flow from the inside. It is a handy stop on the way in or out of Da Lat, but do not expect wilderness — it is all groomed for visitors. Entry is 40,000–60,000 VND (~$1.60–2.30).

Cam Ly and Tiger Falls — an honest word

Cam Ly (Thác Cam Ly) is the only waterfall inside the city, and that is exactly the problem: the river upstream collects the town's runoff, so the water is often murky and smells. You can look in for the sake of it, but there is no reason to go out of your way — cleaner, prettier options are close by. Tiger Falls (Thác Hang Cọp), 15 km east, is quiet and forested but a clear step down from Pongour and usually empty; few travellers bother.

Elephant Falls coordinates: 11.8241, 108.3349, xã Nam Ban Lâm Hà, Lâm Đồng.

Want the lot in one go? The "3 waterfalls" day tour bundles Datanla, Elephant and Pongour for about $22 per person — details in our tours guide.

When to go and what to pack

Morning mist in a valley between forested hills in Lam Dong — Mist in the valleys of Lam Dong. In the rainy season the waterfalls around Da Lat run full. Photo: Viet Anh, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Best season

Da Lat waterfall seasonality — when to go
Period	Waterfalls	Weather	Recommendation
June–November	Full and powerful	Rain, 18–22 °C	Best time for Pongour and Elephant
December–April	Lower flow	Dry, 15–25 °C	Better for the coaster and canyoning at Datanla

Da Lat runs 10–15 degrees cooler than the coast — this is Vietnam's highland retreat, not tropical beach heat. More on the town itself in our Da Lat weather guide.

What to pack

A jacket or windbreaker — Da Lat sits around 18 °C even in summer
Non-slip shoes — the rocks near the falls are wet
A rain jacket if you go in the rainy season
A waterproof phone case
A dry change of clothes — spray is guaranteed

How to loop the waterfalls in a day

By motorbike (rental from 100,000 VND/day, ~$4): Datanla in the morning → Elephant Falls at midday → Pongour after lunch. The loop is about 130 km, 5–6 hours with stops. Canyoning does not fit in — that is a separate day. For lunch on the way, the vegan restaurant Rau DAWA sits right by Elephant Falls; it and the rest of the city's eating is covered in the Da Lat food guide. Note that renting legally requires an International Driving Permit (1968 Convention) together with your national licence with a motorcycle category, and police checkpoints on the highway do stop foreigners.

Organised tour: $22–35 per person, transport and entry included. Handy if you would rather not tackle mountain roads yourself. Options are in our tours guide.

Prices current as of July 2026. Prices and conditions can change — confirm on official sources before you travel.

FAQ

If you visit just one, make it Datanla: 7 km from town, with an alpine coaster and the canyoning route

Pongour50 kmfor nature without the crowds — seven cascades 100 m wide, best in the rains
Elephant Falls25–30 kmpairs a powerful drop with a pagoda
Prenn10 kmis a landscaped park, fine as a quick stop on the pass

Skip Cam Ly in town — the water is polluted

Pongour and Elephant Falls20,000–30,000 VND~$1run basically nothing
Datanla50,000 VND~$2to enter, plus 150,000 VND (~$6) for the coaster
Prenn40,000–60,000 VND~$1.60–2.30
Canyoning at Datanlafrom 1,200,000 VND~$46is booked separately

By motorbike down Highway 20 toward Ho Chi Minh City — 50 km, about an hour. A Grab or taxi runs 300,000–400,000 VND (~$12–16) one way. There is no direct tourist bus, so a bike or taxi is easier. The road is paved and in good shape.

Pongour and Elephant Falls run fullest during and just after the rains (June–November), when they are at their best. For the coaster and canyoning at Datanla, the dry season (December–April) is more comfortable. In the dry months the natural falls thin out, so check recent photos before you go.

Yes. By motorbike the Datanla → Elephant → Pongour loop takes 5–6 hours. An organised tour ($22–35) is easier still — the driver runs the route and entry tickets are included. Canyoning is a separate day.

The waterfalls are the main reason to get out of Da Lat and into the surrounding highlands. Grab a motorbike or hop on a tour, pack a jacket (it's 18 °C up here) and non-slip shoes. Then warm up afterwards with a coffee — Da Lat is one of Vietnam's coffee centres. More in the Da Lat guide.