Dambri Waterfall — a big waterfall wrapped in a theme park
Dambri Waterfall drops around 70 meters over a dramatic rocky escarpment into a wide pool below, sending a permanent mist across the surrounding forest. In the wet season, the volume of water is substantial — a genuinely powerful cascade with white foam churning at the base. In the dry season, the flow drops noticeably, and some visitors find it underwhelming. Timing your visit matters more here than at most waterfalls.
The falls sit at the center of a large developed tourist complex covering nearly 300 hectares of forest. Alongside the waterfall, you will find an alpine coaster, a ferris wheel, restaurants, trinket shops, a zoo, and an ethnic village attraction. The development is heavy-handed by any measure — this is firmly a domestic tourism destination, built and managed accordingly. The waterfall itself remains impressive. Everything around it is a mixed bag.
According to local legend, the falls were created by the tears of a K’ho woman named D’Bri, who waited at the forest’s edge for her lover K’Dam to return. He never did, and her grief became the stream that still flows today. The waterfall takes its name from the two of them.
What to do at Dambri Waterfall
1. The waterfall itself
The main reason to come. The entrance is at the top, and you descend either by glass elevator or stairs to reach the viewing area below. The elevator is convenient and included in the ticket price — a good option if you are traveling with young children or older family members.
The viewing platforms put you close to the falls — almost too close to take in the full height at once. A path cut into the rock leads behind the curtain of water, which is the most memorable part of the visit. Wear shoes with grip; the rocks are wet and can be slippery.
Below the main drop, the water continues in a series of gentler terraced cascades before disappearing into the valley.
2. Alpine coaster
The most consistently praised feature of the park. A 1,650-meter track winds through the forest and alongside the stream, descending to Dasara Waterfall at the base of the valley. The cars seat two people and reach speeds between 50 and 80 km/h. One ride is included in the standard ticket. It is genuinely fun and moves fast enough to be worth the detour on its own for many visitors.
3. Dasara Waterfall
Located at the bottom of the coaster route, Dasara is a smaller four-tiered waterfall with foamy, fast-moving water. It receives far less attention than Dambri but is worth a few minutes if you are already there. Most visitors walk straight past it.
4. The rest of the park
The complex also offers pedal boating, a ferris wheel, a 7D cinema, a zoo, and a Chau Ma ethnic minority village where visitors can try local food and watch cultural performances. For most foreign visitors, these are easy to skip. The 7D cinema has had recurring complaints about equipment not working properly. The ethnic village attraction feels staged. The boating and ferris wheel are aimed squarely at Vietnamese family groups.
If you have children with you, the park format works reasonably well. If you are here purely for the nature, do the waterfall and the coaster and move on.
Location and getting there
Where is Dambri Waterfall
Dambri Waterfall is located about 18 kilometers northwest of Bao Loc city center, in Lam Dong province. From Dalat, it is roughly 130 kilometers — at least two hours by car or motorbike. The waterfall is well signposted once you reach Bao Loc, and the approach road passes through a landscape of tea and coffee plantations that makes the drive pleasant in its own right.
How to get there
From Dalat, take Highway 20 westward through Prenn Pass toward Bao Loc. Once in Bao Loc, follow the signs north for Dambri — the turnoff is clearly marked in the city center. The road from the turnoff to the entrance is about 18 kilometers.
From Ho Chi Minh City, the drive is around 180 kilometers and takes roughly 3.5 to 4 hours. Dambri sits on the logical route between Ho Chi Minh City and Dalat, which makes it a natural stop on a longer road trip rather than a standalone destination.
There is no practical public transport option. A motorbike or private car is the only realistic way to get here.
Nearby — combine with a visit
Bat Nha Monastery sits about 2 kilometers from the Dambri entrance, on the road back toward Bao Loc. The monastery is built on a 25-hectare hillside surrounded by pine forest and tea fields, with a genuinely calm atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the tourist park. In January and February, yellow poinciana trees lining the path to the main hall are in full bloom. Worth a stop on the way in or out.
Tam Chau Tea Farm is about 10 minutes from Dambri toward Bao Loc. Rolling hills covered in tea, a working farm, and a chance to buy quality local tea directly. A quick and easy addition to the day.
Di Da Pagoda is further out — around 30 kilometers from Bao Loc in Bao Lam. The architecture is unusual, built in the style of a Central Highlands communal house with a stone courtyard patterned after Dong Son bronze drums. A trail behind the pagoda leads down to Tam Hop Waterfall, which is 70 meters high and far less visited than Dambri.
For more on what to see and do in the area, explore our Bao Loc guide.
Practical tips and visiting information
Opening hours
Dambri Waterfall Tourist Area is open daily from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Ticket price
The standard ticket is 250,000 VND per adult and 150,000 VND per child. This includes elevator access, one ride (typically the alpine coaster), and entry to the grounds. Motorbike parking costs an additional 10,000 VND and is paid together with the ticket at the entrance. A waterfall-only ticket at a lower price has been mentioned by some visitors — it is worth asking at the gate if the rides are not of interest.
Payment by card is accepted at the entrance.
How long to spend here
Two to three hours is enough for most visitors to see the waterfall, do the coaster, and walk the main paths. Allow a full half-day if you plan to explore more of the grounds or combine with Bat Nha Monastery on the same trip.
Best time to visit
The wet season, roughly May through October, is when the waterfall is at its best. The volume of water is significantly higher and the experience is more impressive. In the dry season — particularly from February through April — the flow drops considerably. Several visitors have found it noticeably small during this period, which makes the ticket price feel harder to justify.
Weekdays are strongly recommended. Dambri is a popular destination for Vietnamese domestic tourists, and weekends and public holidays can get crowded.
Facilities
Restaurants serving Central Highlands dishes — including wild boar, bamboo-tube rice, and can wine — are available inside the complex. Note that the cafes and restaurants require full park entry to access; there is no option to park and sit without a ticket. This has frustrated some visitors who simply wanted to wait while others explored.
Toilets are available throughout the grounds. The entrance, elevator, parking area, and restrooms are all wheelchair accessible.
What to bring
Wear shoes with grip — the paths near the waterfall and behind the falls are wet and can be slippery. A light rain jacket is useful in the wet season when the mist from the falls carries further than expected. Bring cash for parking and any additional purchases inside the park.
Is Dambri Waterfall worth visiting?
Dambri is a genuine waterfall in a genuinely impressive setting. The cascade is powerful in the right season, the forest surrounding it is largely intact, and the path behind the falls is the kind of thing you remember. The alpine coaster is a legitimate bonus — fast, well-maintained, and fun for most ages.
The honest problem is everything else. The complex has the hallmarks of Vietnamese domestic tourism development at its most excessive — ageing rides, a ghost-town atmosphere on quiet days, a zoo, staged cultural performances, and a management policy that requires full ticket purchase just to sit in a cafe. Foreign visitors consistently find the 250,000 VND price steep, particularly in dry season when the waterfall itself is reduced to a fraction of its wet-season volume.
Worth visiting if you are already in Bao Loc, go on a weekday, and time it for the wet season. The combination of the waterfall, the coaster, and a stop at Bat Nha Monastery on the way back makes for a solid half-day.
Not worth a dedicated detour from Dalat on its own. The drive is two hours each way, and the waterfall alone does not justify that unless you are building a longer day that includes the tea farms and surrounding area. Treat it as one stop on a Bao Loc day rather than the reason to go.
