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VietnamDescription and Is it Worth Visiting
Marble Mountains (Marble Mountains) is one of the most famous attractions of central Vietnam, and simply a must-visit place, especially if you are vacationing in Da Nang or Hoi An. Moreover, even if you have been here several years ago and have come again, you probably won't recognize much, as a lot has changed for the better: new caves and beautiful lighting inside have appeared. However, the popularity of this place has also increased, and during the peak of the day, it is literally packed with tourists from Asian countries.
The Marble Mountains consist of five stone hills. Long ago, when everything around was covered with water, these were islands formed from marble. Later, when the water receded, natural caves remained in the hills, inside and around which Buddhist shrines and temples were built. The largest of the mountains, Thuy Son (Ngon Thuy Son), to this day remains a popular place for pilgrims, and each of them, according to local beliefs, represents one of the five elements of the universe and has a corresponding name: Thuy Son (Water), Moc Son (Wood), Hoa Son (Fire), Kim Son (Metal), and Tho Son (Earth).
On Thuy Son Mountain (Water), you can visit several caves with shrines and temples, climb one of the two viewing platforms. One of the viewing platforms is especially interesting, the passage to which is through the Van Thong Cave via a very steep and narrow passage that not everyone can overcome. There is also the Highest Peak viewing platform, which offers an excellent view of the sea and all the other four mountains. But to enjoy the views, good weather is needed. To avoid getting lost on the way, signs and maps are installed everywhere. In addition to the caves, along the route you will see Buddhist pagodas and shrines.
At the foot of the mountains are two stone carving villages. The most famous is Non Nuoc village, where you will encounter many shops with countless statues, all kinds of figurines, jewelry, and even marble tableware. You probably won't find such a quantity of marble products anywhere else in the world. Prices are more than reasonable, but you need to bargain, sometimes very hard. For example, a small souvenir in the form of a deity figurine or just a geometric figure (ball, pyramid) can be bought for just 1 dollar. If you choose a serious sculpture for yourself here, you can arrange its delivery by sea to any point in the world right here.
The main visited tourist area of the Marble Mountains is Thuy Son Mountain (Ngon Thuy Son) or Water Mountain. This is where the equipped part with the ticket office at the entrance is located, with stairs, paths, ticket offices, and viewing platforms. In this mountain, the Heaven and Hell Cave (Am Phu Cave) is also located, which is also definitely worth visiting.
But in addition to the main tourist part of the Marble Mountains, which is visited for a fee, there is also a non-tourist part, which is very rarely visited. After all, there are as many as 5 mountains!!! We have explored all five mountains in detail and told about their non-tourist part in a separate article – "Secret Marble Mountains: what mass tourists are not shown". We also showed this part in our video. If you are interested in less-traveled tourist trails, we highly recommend it!
Our video about the Marble Mountains of Da Nang
Practical information, tips and how to visit
- How much time for visiting the tourist part: Allow 3 hours for a full visit to the tourist Water Mountain and the Heaven and Hell Cave, although if desired you can run through everything in 1 hour, but you will see little.
- How much time for visiting all the mountains: To visit both the tourist part and the other non-tourist mountains, you need at least half a day, and with travel here, plan a full day.
- Route: We recommend taking the "circular route", i.e., enter through one entrance and exit through another. After the main route, be sure to visit the Heaven and Hell Cave.
- Navigation: To avoid getting lost and not miss the most interesting things on the tourist mountain, use the paper map given with the ticket, or photograph the maps on the information board at the entrance.
- Elevator ride: for 15,000 dong you can take the elevator up the mountain. But honestly, this won't particularly ease the difficult fate of a heavy walk around the mountain, since you will still have to walk a lot.
- Sun protection: Bring water and sun protection. Locals walk around the mountains protecting themselves from the sun with an umbrella.
- Footwear: Be prepared to walk a lot, up and down. Sports shoes won't hurt for this, but in flip-flops it will be difficult in places.
- Parking: If you come here by rented transport, then in our opinion it is better to leave it in the paid parking lot (5-10 thousand dong), not in the conditionally free parking near souvenir shops, so as not to fend off "aggressive marketing" later.
- Free parking: If you want to park for free as a matter of principle, there is a lot of space near the non-tourist mountains between Metal Mountain and Fire Mountain, and from there walk 400-500 meters across the road.
🕐 Opening hours
From 07:00 to 17:00, no days off.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
40,000 dong (1.52 USD, )see Vietnamese currency and its exchange rate), parking 10,000 dong (0.38 USD), elevator ride up and down – 15,000 (0.57 USD).
🚶 How to get there
The Marble Mountains are located on the outskirts of Da Nang when heading towards Hoi An (mountains on the map). The easiest way to visit them is to buy a group tour from Da Nang and Hoi An. You can buy them at street agencies, hotels, or online on these sites with reviews:
- 📷 Tours in Da Nang on Trip.com
- 📷 Tours in Da Nang on GetYourGuide
- 📷 Tours in Da Nang Sputnik8
- 📷 Tours in Da Nang Tripster
But in our opinion, visiting with tours still has a big drawback - the time limit. But fortunately, it is very easy to visit the Marble Mountains independently. Here are the instructions:
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By taxi
You can order a taxi via the Grab, Xanh Sm, Maxim apps, by phone, or through hotel staff. A one-way trip from Da Nang will cost from 80,000 dong, from Hoi An from 250,000. More details about Da Nang taxis can be found in our guide.
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By rented transport
Rent a motorbike in Da Nang and Hoi An from 120,000 dong, a car from 30 dollars. We have a detailed guide and video about motorbike rental in Da Nang, you can check it out, it has everything.
From Da Nang, it's a 10-30 minute drive, from Hoi An 20-40 minutes. Free parking a little away from the mountains, 10,000 dong near the entrance, or free near souvenir shops on the condition that you buy something from them later.
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By bus
Attention! The old bus route No.1 to the Marble Mountains no longer runs.
From Da Nang, bus No.16, 02/LK-02, 06 goes here. Fare from 8,000 dong. All three buses pass through Dragon Bridge; you can board at a stop near it, here it is on the map. Bus No.06 is slightly more convenient; it runs along the embankment and My Khe beach on Vo Nguyen Giap Street. More about Da Nang buses and how to use them is told in a separate guide.
From Hoi An, bus No.02/LK-02 runs. The fare is 15,000 + 8,000. The peculiarity with it is that it is a conditionally combined route. In Hoi An, you board route LK-02, which goes to the final stop a little short of the Marble Mountains (final stop on the map). There it changes number to 02 and goes further to Da Nang, so you will need to pay an additional 8,000 for the second ticket on No.02. Moreover, sometimes LK-02 does not continue further after the final stop, then you will need to get off there and wait for the next No.02, No.16.
Buses do not run frequently. According to schedule every 15-30 minutes, but in fact, due to traffic in Da Nang, it may be longer. But overall, this is a quite workable and inexpensive option; we have traveled on it several times. If you want to know more, read our guide to Da Nang buses.
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From Nha Trang, Hue and other resorts
It is best to visit the Marble Mountains from other resorts with an overnight stay in Da Nang or Hoi An, as it is very difficult to make a round trip in one day. And even better to spend a few days in them. To make this journey, our guide "How and on what to get to Da Nang" will help you.
On-site, to enter Thuy Son Mountain (Ngon Thuy Son), you need to buy a ticket at the ticket office at one of the two entrances, and then go up the stairs on foot, or use the elevator for an additional fee.
More photos of the Marble Mountains
