Ba Na Hills

This is probably the most popular place and a must visit in Da Nang during summers but a must avoid place during monsoons. It is a beautiful resort recreation park by the Sun World. Strategically located on top of Ba Na hills 27 km west of Da Nang, this is a place which caters to every age.

It offers cable rides, entertainment zones, game zones, themed parks, wax museum, French styled buildings, restaurants and resorts. It has some of the most stunning views in the world, therefore, avoid cloudy weather which fogs your views. You can choose a day trip to this place or you can stay in one of the may hotels and resorts present here to enjoy the place in totality. However, please note, staying there can cost you a bomb. We suggest a day trip is enough to cover the place. It is a short ride of about 40 minutes from the city to this the Sun World park. The road leading up to this place is in very good condition and the trip will be comfortable with great natural views. You can easily take a bike to this place.

Tickets

The ticket price is a whopping 8,50,000 VND (2023) without the lunch buffet. Buffet lunch costs 3,50,000VND which you can buy separately or with the tickets. You can book tickets online here as well to avoid crowds. One very important thing to note about this place is that it is built over a large area with different parts having different entertainment places. It becomes difficult to find your way around. So, always have a look at the map and plan your route to avoid missing any part and making the most of your time here. We will try to explain in short, how you can approach your trip.

The above map displays the layout with all the important places marked using colored numbers. Different colors refer to different areas like restaurants, parks, monuments, squares etc. The legends are described at the bottom. You may explore on your own without the map but it causes a lot of confusion specially if you are a first timer. For instance, it will be difficult to track the places left to visit and specially the direction to take which kills your time. Therefore, preparing a route map is helpful.

Cable Cars

There are 6 cable car routes in Ba Na Hills (2023). Some are dedicated to the tourists checking in to hotels and resorts present here. Rest are allowed for other tourists. You get to ride the world’s longest single wire cable car ride of about 20 minutes each way covering roughly 7 km. There are several laurels to its name, Guinness Record for the longest single wire sling, the largest difference between departure and arrival stations’ elevation, the longest unpatched wire and the heaviest cable roll.

The views that this cable ride offers is unparalleled. Most of your ticket price is recovered riding this cable car. This is the real reason why you should avoid it during monsoon months. Since it is on top of a hill, it is cloudy and cooler. In monsoons, this place is always raining and covered with clouds or fog. You will not be able to see anything. Many shows are also closed then specially outdoor activities. You will not be able to see the city view or the breathtaking sea shore from atop or from the cable car. You will always be in a raincoat or an umbrella. Even the golden bridge is invisible in the mist.

Always, trust us, make the plan for Ba Na hills in the summer (February-August) or you will waste your money. Our hotel receptionist worked there previously, she suggested August month to be the best to visit Da Nang.

Navigation

It is equally important to be able to read the map once you have it. Although the map is descriptive, we found it very hard to understand things. Stations are dark blue, pagodas in dark orange, important squares and show places in light orange, points of interest in light blue, parks in green, restaurants in red and hotels in purple. You may start from any one of the starting stations and reach the top. Make sure you are aware of the station you are at, so that, you may proceed accordingly and finish your tour on the other end for your way back downwards.

How to Approach

For example, if you start from Hoi An station (01) at the entrance, you will arrive at the top at Marseille station (02). First thing to visit will be the Golden Bridge(light blue 01) and the Heaven Garden(light blue 02). Refer to the map and proceed to explore the Le Jardin D’Amour(light blue 03), Linh Ung Pagoda(orange 01), the Buddha Statue and return to Bordeoux station (03) to take the cable car to Louvre station (04). From here you may exit towards the Eclipse Square(light blue 04) and explore the Lava Castle(light blue 05), Volcano Peak(light blue 06) and then the Lunar castle(light blue 07).

After your time here, you may take the cable car from Dragon Den station (16) to the Mystery Well station (15) and exit towards the Solar Castle(light orange 05) to the French Village(named after the French colonists who made this place a resort for French tourists and also due to the French style buidings here).. After exploring the Union Square(light orange 01), Forever Square(light orange 02), Fantasy Park(green 03), Snow Theatre(light orange 03), St. Denis Church(green 06), the Linh Phong Thien Pagoda(orange 02), Linh Chua Linh temple(orange 03) and Linh Phong tower(orange 04), make your way toward the Helios Waterfall(light orange 04). Proceed to Taiga station (14) via the Market Square(light orange 06) and on the cable ride down arrive at the Champa station(13) down the hill for your exit.

Entrance

Golden Bridge

Golden Bridge is the gem of the Ba Na Hills. This pedestrian bridge is golden in color. Two hand structures known as Hands of God, appear to be holding it in place. The look of the bridge makes it appear heavenly. The view from the bridge is stunning, provided it is not a cloudy day. Due to the height of the Ba NA Hills, it is almost always cloudy. Unless it is summer, you will have at least a drizzle up here. In spite of the clouds, this is the most crowded area as it is consistently flocked by tourists. Try to come early in the day here to avoid the crowds.

Le Jardin D’Amour

The garden of Love hosts a dancing girl statue made of flowers and leaves in the middle of garden. On one side you have a puzzle garden and a thought garden. On the other, there is white pillared hall giving a Roman look. There is also a beautiful terraced garden with water falling in a stream down the passageways. One passage leads to a giant Buddha seated in meditation. The last point is the Linh Ung Pagoda.

Lunar Castle

The lunar castle is a beautiful 4 floor castle. There are a few dance shows performed here. The schedule is provided in the map. There is a terrace that offers a view of the hills. The cable car that connects this area to the French Village is a colorful toy train shaped cabin. It connects Dragon Den station to the Mystery Well station.

French Village

This is the main area with numerous restaurants, entertainment options and hotels. All the buildings in this area are reflective of the old French colonial structures. Ba Na hills used to be the hill station for the French when Vietnam was a French colony. For this reason, the architecture of Ba NA Hills is French. The French village area being the reminiscent of the same. You get a feeling that you have arrived in France.

Pagodas

In the French village, a little further up, there is a religious cluster of Linh Phong Thien Pagoda, Linh Chua Linh temple and Linh Phong tower. It is quite a decent climb up with beautifully curated gardens depicting small creatures like squirrel and birds.

Helios Waterfall

This is a beautiful Roman structured staired waterfall with stairs on both its sides. Pleasant to the eyes and worth many pictures. This place will lift your spirits.

This place has so much to offer that either you are sure to miss something or you will be wound down by the end of the day. The last cable ride down is at 5:00 Pm so make sure you arrive at one of the stations by this time. You may choose any route that suits you to explore the resort. The Fantasy Park has so many rides that it consumes most of your time. Almost all the activities require additional tickets like rides and visit to the museum and some shows. You will definitely have a wonderful time here and plenty of memories to take back with you.