Da Nang wants you to see more than its beach. On October 23, the central Vietnamese city announced a list of 100 tourism experiences for 2026, chosen through an unusually democratic process: more than 1,500 nominations from residents, visitors, businesses and communities, whittled down to 477 finalists and settled by a public vote that drew over 42,000 ballots.
The programme, run by the municipal Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and launched back in April, is a deliberate push beyond the usual checklist. City tourism officials describe it as a way to recognise experiences that create lasting memories and connections, widening the definition of a destination to include craft villages, local dishes, community spaces and everyday routines, not just landmarks and seafronts.
The 100 touchpoints are sorted into six themed groups: Identity, Flavours, Untouched Nature, Tranquillity, Moments and Everyday Life. Officials stress it is not a ranking but a menu of ways to explore the city, designed to be stitched together into themed itineraries around heritage, crafts, food, nature or community life.
Two of the chosen spots made an early showcase at the announcement. Loc Yen ancient village in Thanh Bình Commune offers a glimpse of traditional village architecture and rural life, while Bai Say – Song Dam in Bàn Thạch Ward highlights the river-and-mudflat scenery on the city's edges. Presenting them as a linked pair rather than standalone stops points to how the list will be used: the tourism sector plans to build connected routes that let visitors experience several touchpoints in one trip.
For travellers, this is essentially a crowdsourced insider guide to Da Nang, shaped by the people who live there rather than by marketing departments. If you have already done the Golden Bridge and My Khe Beach, the list gives you a ready-made reason to return and go deeper: hunt down street-food dishes in the Flavours category, seek out quiet corners under Tranquillity, or visit craft villages that rarely appear on group tours.
Da Nang sits conveniently in central Vietnam, so any of these themed routes can be combined with Hoi An's old town just to the south or the imperial city of Hue to the north. Expect the full list and suggested itineraries to roll out through the city's tourism promotion channels as 2026 unfolds.
