Where is Da Lat? Location, province and the new ward names

Your bus ticket says “Lam Dong”, your hotel booking says “Xuan Huong - Da Lat Ward”, and a friend still talks about “Da Lat City”. These names refer to different areas: Lam Dong is the province, Xuan Huong - Da Lat is one ward, and Da Lat is the familiar city name. When you book a ride or a room, check the full address as well.

Where is Da Lat on the map?

Da Lat sits on the Lang Biang Plateau, also called the Lam Vien Plateau, at an average of about 1,500 m above sea level, according to the city’s official gazetteer. The plateau belongs to Vietnam’s Central Highlands, and the town spreads across its southern side. The altitude is the main reason Da Lat is so much cooler than the lowlands.

The province around it is far bigger than it used to be. Lam Dong’s official introduction describes it as a mountainous coastal province in south-central Vietnam that runs from the southwestern edge of the Central Highlands, along the Cambodian border, down to 192 km of coastline. Da Lat is still a highland town, but its province now has beaches and an island.

How far is Da Lat from Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet?

Every road into Da Lat climbs a mountain pass, so travel times are longer than the distances suggest. These are reported figures, not bus timetables.

Flying is the quick option: Lien Khuong Airport reopened on August 19, 2026 after runway repairs. Routes, fares and transfers are in our guide to flights to Da Lat, and buses, limousine vans and private cars from the south are covered in Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat.

Is Da Lat a province?

No. Da Lat is a town in Lam Dong Province, and since 2025 that province has been about two and a half times its former size. Under Resolution 202/2025/QH15, passed by the National Assembly on June 12, 2025, Dak Nong, Binh Thuan and Lam Dong were merged into a single province that kept the name Lam Dong. Its new government started work on July 1, 2025. The merged province covers 24,233.07 km², according to the resolution, and its administrative center is the former Da Lat City, as the provincial introduction puts it.

For travelers, this means Mui Ne, Phan Thiet and Gia Nghia are now in the same province as Da Lat. The Mui Ne beach strip is Mui Ne Ward, formed from the old Ham Tien and Mui Ne wards and Thien Nghiep commune. A bus from Mui Ne to Da Lat is now a trip within one province, so booking apps may list the pickup under “Lam Dong”.

Is Da Lat still a city?

Not as an administrative unit. The Law on Local Government Organization, No. 72/2025/QH15 (June 16, 2025), cut Vietnam’s local government to two tiers: provinces, and below them communes, wards and special zones. Article 51 ended the district tier, which included provincial cities like Da Lat, on July 1, 2025. Since then there has been no Da Lat City government; the old wards and communes were regrouped into five wards administered directly under Lam Dong Province.

Official documents now say “the former Da Lat City”. For planning, the province treats the five wards as one “Da Lat urban area”: on September 6, 2026 it approved the brief for a master plan covering more than 68,000 ha. In everyday life, people still say Da Lat City, and landmarks such as Da Lat Market, Da Lat Railway Station and the Da Lat Inter-provincial Bus Station keep their names. Only the administrative part of an address has changed.

What are Da Lat’s new wards?

Resolution 1671/NQ-UBTVQH15 created five wards from the old city’s 12 numbered wards and 4 communes, plus Lac Duong town and Lat commune from the neighboring district.

An address in either outer ward can still be a long way from central Da Lat. Xuan Truong - Da Lat’s own website puts the ward about 22 km from the center, even though Trai Mat is much closer, and Lang Biang - Da Lat stretches from old Ward 7 out to Lac Duong town and Lat commune at the foot of Langbiang. If a listing gives either ward, check the exact pin before you book.

The ward is spelled Lang Biang, as in the resolution; the mountain and the tourist area usually appear as Langbiang. Our Langbiang hike guide covers the trail and the jeep ride up.

Old and new addresses: how to avoid mix-ups

Reviews, older articles and map listings were not all updated at the same time, so one hotel can appear as “Ward 1, Da Lat City” on one site and “Xuan Huong - Da Lat Ward” on another. A few habits help:

• Keep “Da Lat” in the search. The province now includes several former towns and cities, such as Da Lat, Bao Loc, Phan Thiet, La Gi and Gia Nghia. Phan Thiet also has a Ho Xuan Huong Street, so “Ho Xuan Huong, Lam Dong” could send you to the coast.
• Match by street name and number. The reorganization renamed administrative units, not streets. Match the street address and map pin when listings use different ward names.
• Give drivers a landmark. Name the street, the inter-provincial bus station or Da Lat Market rather than just “Lam Dong”.
• Know that the airport is outside Da Lat. Lien Khuong sits in Duc Trong commune, not in any of the five Da Lat wards. On August 27, 2026, the province asked the central government to upgrade Duc Trong to a ward; the outcome is still to be confirmed.

To see how the main sights cluster on the ground, start with the Da Lat map and 30 places to visit in Da Lat. Weather, budgets and where to stay are in our Da Lat travel tips.

If you spot a ward name or boundary in this guide that has changed, let us know and we’ll update it.