Da Lat flower season calendar: what blooms each month, where to see it, when to shoot

Da Lat calls itself the City of a Thousand Flowers, and it earns the name, but timing is everything. Each Da Lat flower season lasts only a few weeks, and a trip planned off an old Instagram post can land you in front of bare branches. The tool below lines up 12 blooms month by month, each backed by a dated Vietnamese press report, and adds a golden hour and blue hour planner so you know exactly when the light will be kind to those petals.

How to use the Da Lat flower season calendar#

The tool has three parts. The month bar at the top jumps to the current month in Vietnam time and lists everything in bloom, tagging the flowers at their best as “At its best.” Tap another month to see which Da Lat flower season your dates fall into. Each card tells you where to look, how reliable the timing is, which of our guides covers the spot, and the press source with its date.

Below that is a 12-month timeline. Solid cells mark the peak months according to our sources; lighter cells mark months when you may still see flowers. A pink dot flags the current month. The table works even with JavaScript switched off. The “Add to calendar” button downloads an .ics file you can import into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. The file is built on your own device; nothing is sent anywhere.

The last panel handles the sun. Pick a photo spot (Xuan Huong Lake, the Cau Dat tea hills, Langbiang Mountain, Golden Valley, Robin Hill, Tuyen Lam Lake, Da Phu Hill or the Valley of Love) and a date, and you get the morning blue hour, sunrise, morning golden hour, solar noon, evening golden hour, sunset and evening blue hour, plus the compass bearing of the rising and setting sun. Coordinates come from OpenStreetMap and the math runs on the open-source suncalc library.

The Da Lat flower season month by month#

The table is the full dataset behind the tool. A flower only makes the list if at least one major Vietnamese outlet reported its timing and location. Blooms that appear only on tour-sales blogs or in a single one-off farm story (sunflower fields, lisianthus and the like) are left out.

January is the heart of the Da Lat flower season, thanks to the cherry blossoms. CafeF (January 14, 2026) says the trees usually flower from late December through January into early February, in dry, gently sunny weather. Mimosa is out on Mimosa Pass and the white bauhinia starts on Tran Phu Street. Mornings are cold, so read our Da Lat weather in December guide for what the year-end chill feels like.

February brings the last cherry blossoms, bauhinia at full strength and scattered mimosa; coffee may flower on outlying farms after an off-season shower. March keeps the bauhinia going until the end of the month, while jacaranda turns the central streets purple from mid-March and coffee blossom peaks on Lam Dong’s usual schedule.

April holds on to jacaranda until early in the month. VnExpress (March 29, 2025) warns that one heavy shower can strip the trees. May through August is the rainy season, and our press sources record no standout wild bloom: it is the quiet stretch of the Da Lat flower season. Hydrangeas flower almost any month in tended gardens, and lavender plots have been reported at their best in May.

September starts the persimmon season. October sees the first wild sunflowers late in the month, orchards at their most photogenic as leaves drop, and buckwheat budding at a few camping sites; afternoon rain is still common, as covered in Da Lat weather in October. November is the busiest month of the Da Lat flower season: wild sunflowers peak, pink grass arrives, buckwheat is out and mimosa buds. Our November guide has a three-day plan that pairs sunflowers with cloud hunting. December closes with the last pink grass, mimosa and, some years, the first cherry blossoms, plus the Flower Festival.

Where to see each bloom#

Here is the detail behind each bar of the Da Lat flower season calendar, with where to go and what trips people up. For opening hours, tickets and directions, our guide to 30 places to visit in Da Lat covers every spot mentioned.

Cherry blossoms (mai anh đào), headliner of the Da Lat flower season, December to February

Da Lat’s cherry is the wild Himalayan cherry, Prunus cerasoides, not the Japanese sakura. VnExpress (January 6, 2026) puts the whole season at 6–8 weeks, with each tree peaking for only 1–2 weeks. In 2026 the Cau Dat trees bloomed 10–15 days early. According to Viet Nam News (January 1, 2026), a cold spell at the end of December triggered the early start.

Classic viewing spots are around Xuan Huong Lake, along Tran Hung Dao and Hung Vuong streets, at the Cau Dat tea hills (show a driver “Đồi chè Cầu Đất”) and at Tuyen Lam Lake. In January 2026 the city opened a roughly 2 km cherry blossom walk among the French villas of Tran Hung Dao Street, reported by VietNamNet (January 29, 2026). Saigoneer (February 20, 2021) compared the new habit of cherry viewing to Japan’s hanami.

White bauhinia (hoa ban), January to March

Few visitors know Da Lat has a bauhinia season. The street trees were planted around 2007 and now reach 10–12 meters. According to Mực Tím, a Tuoi Tre title (February 28, 2026), they drop their leaves and flower together from the start of the year until late March, mostly along Tran Phu and Quang Trung streets and near the Da Lat railway station. White petals flatter almost any outfit.

Jacaranda (phượng tím), mid-March to early April

Jacaranda is South American. VnExpress International (March 21, 2019) credits engineer Luong Van Sau with bringing seeds from France in 1962. VnExpress (March 29, 2025) lists Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street by the market, Tran Phu, Hoang Van Thu, Hai Ba Trung and the Xuan Huong Lake shore; that year the trees flowered early, from mid-March.

Coffee blossom, February to April

Coffee flowers are white, fragrant and gone in days. Bao Lam Dong (March 26, 2026) explains that trees set buds after 2–3 dry months and open when rain or irrigation arrives, while badly timed rain ruins the bloom. That timing is for Lam Dong province generally; we found no press date specific to Cau Dat Arabica. To visit a farm, see our list of Da Lat coffee farms that welcome visitors.

Hydrangea (cẩm tú cầu), almost year-round

Hydrangeas grow mostly in tended, often private, gardens, so something is flowering in almost any month. Dân trí (November 11, 2017) described a roughly 2-hectare field beside Provincial Road 723 in Lac Duong at its peak, and VnExpress (February 7, 2018) rounded up five gardens for Tet, including Trai Mat and the Valley of Love. Ticket prices in those stories are years old, so we leave them out. If you visit in the rainy season, hydrangeas are the safest bet of any Da Lat flower season.

Lavender, planted plots only

Lavender does not grow wild here. VnExpress (May 6, 2017) found the Valley of Love plot at its peak in May, while VietNamNet (February 1, 2020) lists September to November. The sources disagree because each farm plants and prunes on its own schedule, so message the farm before you go.

Wild sunflowers (dã quỳ) open the late-year Da Lat flower season, late October to late November

Wild sunflowers are the roadside weed everyone loves. Tuoi Tre News (November 8, 2024) says the season usually runs from late October to late November, along the Lien Khuong – Prenn expressway, around Voi Mountain in Hiep An and Hiep Thanh, and in Don Duong and Duc Trong; go before 10am or after 3pm. Some years run late: in 2024 the flowers lasted into the December Flower Festival, Tuổi Trẻ reported (October 31, 2024).

Pink grass (cỏ hồng), November to December

Pink grass happens once a year. VnExpress (November 26, 2023) puts it from early November to late December, best in late November. Golden Valley (Thung Lũng Vàng) is about 15 km from the center, Suoi Vang lies near Dankia Lake, and Masara Hill is roughly 80 km out, per VnExpress (November 28, 2024). Tuổi Trẻ (December 13, 2025) recommends 5:30–8am, when dew turns the slopes white before sunlight flips them pink.

Mimosa, November to February

Mimosa arrived from Australia via the French in Da Lat’s early years, and the southern pass is named after it. VnExpress’s Ngôi Sao section (January 5, 2022) has buds from early November and full yellow from late December to early February, on Mimosa Pass and the road to Than Tho Lake. Bao Lam Dong (September 16, 2025) adds Tran Hung Dao and Yersin streets. One 2020 VietNamNet piece says March–April, so we follow the two sources that agree.

Buckwheat and mustard flowers, late in the year

Both exist in Da Lat, but only where someone sows them. VietNamNet (November 6, 2022) reported a 1,000-square-meter buckwheat field at a Xuan Tho camping site, grown from Ha Giang seed, budding in late October with about two good months. Mustard has been reported below Ta Nung Pass in November–December and at a Cau Dat farm about a month after Tet (VnExpress Ngôi Sao, February 5, 2020). Check before you ride out.

Persimmon season: not a flower, still stunning

We include persimmons because late October orchards are among the most photogenic sights of the year. According to Tuổi Trẻ (September 20, 2026), the season runs through November, sometimes into early December, and looks best when leaves fall and red fruit hangs on bare branches. Orchards and drying sheds are covered in our Da Lat dried persimmons guide.

Golden hour and blue hour in the Da Lat flower season, explained#

Golden hour is when the sun sits low. Its light crosses more atmosphere, turning warm and soft, with long shadows that give petals shape. Blue hour is just before sunrise or after sunset, when the sky turns an even deep blue and street lights balance with it. The tool uses the common photography convention: blue hour with the sun 6° to 4° below the horizon, golden hour from 4° below to 6° above.

Under the hood, suncalc provides the −6° and +6° events and we add −4° with its addTime function. Coordinates come from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), shown in Vietnam time. Checked against the first-light table in our Da Lat cloud hunting guide, the times match within a minute or two, which is good enough to plan a Da Lat flower season shoot day by day.

Two things stand out. At about 12° north the sun climbs almost vertically, so golden hour is short (roughly 40–45 minutes) and blue hour lasts only 8–10 minutes; snooze for 15 minutes and you lose half the good light. And the sunrise direction swings with the seasons, from east-southeast in January to east-northeast in June. For backlit cherry blossoms in January, stand on the west side of the tree and face southeast.

Da Lat flower season photo tips, bloom by bloom#

This section is our editorial advice, not data. As a rule, skip roughly 10am to 2pm, when harsh sun flattens petal color and throws heavy shadows under people’s eyes. If midday is all you have, work in open shade or shoot close-ups under the canopy.

• Cherry blossoms at Xuan Huong Lake: best in the morning golden hour, while the water is still and traffic light. Shoot into the light so it glows through the petals and pull exposure down a touch to keep the sky.
• Cherry blossoms at Cau Dat: leave before the morning blue hour; early sun through the mist gives the tea rows depth. Thanh Nien quoted a photographer praising exactly that early light.
• White bauhinia: white clips easily. Mực Tím suggests 5–7am or after 4pm; on a phone, tap the flowers to lock exposure.
• Jacaranda: the flowers sit high against the sky. Try the evening golden hour so the sky is not blown out, or step back to frame a whole row with the villas.
• Wild sunflowers: before 10am or after 3pm, per Tuoi Tre News; the orange-yellow deepens in the evening golden hour.
• Pink grass: be there by the morning blue hour and shoot the white dew, then the first light on the slope.
• Flower Festival and night streets: use the evening blue hour, just 8–10 minutes, while the sky is still blue and the decorations are lit. A mini tripod or a railing helps.

Outfit colors that work against each bloom (white, black or navy with cherry blossoms; white, denim or brown with wild sunflowers; avoid matching the flower) are in the photo colors section of our what to wear in Da Lat guide. For an aerial view, the Da Lat cable car crosses farm valleys between Robin Hill and Truc Lam, but it keeps its own hours, so it rarely lines up with morning golden hour.

Why bloom dates shift, and how we compiled the data#

Flowers ignore the calendar. Cherry trees respond to a cold spell followed by warmth; 2026’s early chill made Cau Dat bloom early. Coffee needs 2–3 dry months and then rain. Jacaranda hates heavy showers. Wild sunflowers follow the end of the rainy season, and a long wet season pushes them back. Any Da Lat flower season calendar that promises exact dates for next year is guessing.

Our method: each flower needs at least one major outlet (VnExpress, Tuoi Tre, Thanh Nien, Dân trí, VietNamNet, Bao Lam Dong and others) reporting its month and location. Where sources agree we take the overlap; where they clash (mimosa, lavender) we say so rather than picking one. Older reports from 2017–2020 are used for months only, never for prices. We review the Da Lat flower season data twice a year, after cherry season in March and before sunflower season in October.

Flower etiquette: no branch-breaking, respect private gardens#

Every Da Lat flower season, and cherry season in particular, brings a sad story. In early February 2026 a man cut cherry branches in a government housing compound on Quang Trung Street, in Da Lat’s Lam Vien ward, and loaded them onto a minibus. Tuổi Trẻ (February 6, 2026) reported that police questioned him, and local officials urged residents not to break or cut branches in public spaces, since the trees are planted to beautify the city.

• Do not break branches, pick flowers, shake trees for a petal shower or climb cherry trees.
• Hydrangea, lavender, buckwheat and mustard plots are mostly private. Some sell tickets, some ask for a donation: CafeF (March 1, 2026) described a late-blooming lisianthus garden in Xuan Huong ward asking a voluntary VND50,000. Ask the owner before stepping between the rows.
• Stay off the beds in the Da Lat Flower Garden and public planters.
• On pink-grass hills and camping sites, carry your trash out and pitch tents on sparse ground (VnExpress, November 28, 2024).
• Never stop mid-pass to photograph sunflowers or mimosa; the passes carry trucks and tight bends.

Da Lat Flower Festival 2026 and the cherry blossom festival#

According to Thanh Nien (June 16, 2026), the 11th Da Lat Flower Festival, themed “Da Lat – A Harmony of Flowers and Music,” is scheduled to open on the evening of December 19, 2026 and close on December 31. Lam Dong’s investment and tourism promotion center (June 15, 2026) lists 11 main programs. The festival is an event rather than a natural bloom, but it overlaps with late pink grass and early mimosa. Countdown and booking tips are in the Flower Festival section of our Da Lat guide.

Early in the year there is also a cherry blossom festival. Viet Nam News (January 21, 2026) reported the 2026 edition ran from January 20 to February 15, 2026. Dates for 2027 have not been announced.

Planning a trip around the Da Lat flower season#

If flowers are the point of your trip, we suggest three windows. Late December to mid-January: cherry blossoms, mimosa and early bauhinia in dry weather, plus the Flower Festival if you arrive before December 31. Crowds and room rates peak around Christmas, New Year and Tet (Lunar New Year), so book early with our Da Lat travel tips. Mid-March: jacaranda, late bauhinia and coffee blossom, with fewer visitors. Mid-November: wild sunflowers, early pink grass and buckwheat, with cloud hunting on the side.

A sample pink-grass morning: wake around 4:45, ride to Golden Valley in time for blue hour, shoot the white dew and then the first sun on the slopes, and be back in town for breakfast at 8. In the afternoon, find a sunflower-lined road before golden hour. Treat the Da Lat flower season calendar as a map, not a promise: build in a spare morning, be ready to switch spots if a bloom is late, and leave every branch for the next visitor.