Marble Mountains in Da Nang are five limestone hills, but only Thuy Son is open to visitors, and a normal visit takes two to three hours. Adult entry costs $1.6 (40,000 dong) on the official tariff page , the lift adds $0.6 (15,000 dong) per ride, and the ticket office works from 07:00 to 17:00.
Is Marble Mountains worth visiting, and for how long?
Yes, if you want caves, pagodas and viewpoints in one compact stop. The mountain holds a cave temple lit by shafts of daylight, working pagodas and two lookouts over the Han River, the city and the sea. A thorough visit takes two to three hours, and a quick loop with the lift, one cave, one pagoda and one lookout fits into about an hour.
Add 30 minutes for the stone carving village at the foot of the mountain. I would go early: tour buses from Hoi An and the beach hotels start arriving around 09:30, and by midday the steps are hot and crowded.
Which of the five mountains can you visit?
Only Thuy Son, the Water Mountain, is equipped for tourists. The other four hills are Kim (metal), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth), and they are effectively closed or have no paths. Thuy Son rises about 100 meters and sits 8 to 10 km from central Da Nang, according to Vietnam Tourism .
The ticket covers every cave and pagoda on Thuy Son. The lift and Am Phu cave are paid separately, and the stone carving villages at the base are free to walk through. For the rest of the city, see our Da Nang itinerary guide .
Which caves and pagodas deserve your time?
Four stops are worth planning around: Huyen Khong cave, the narrow Van Thong passage, the Tang Chon grotto and Tam Thai pagoda with the lookouts. The lift stops at a middle level near Linh Ung pagoda and the 28-meter Xa Loi tower, so the main cave and the summit both mean stairs.
Huyen Khong cave
Huyen Khong is the biggest cave on the mountain. Holes in the ceiling drop beams of light onto the altars, and sources put the best window anywhere between 09:00 and 13:00, with nothing to see on an overcast day. During the war guerrillas used the cave as a hospital and shelter.
Van Thong and Tang Chon
Van Thong is a narrow passage with two chambers, a small shrine and an open vault covered in inscriptions, so skip it if tight spaces bother you. Tang Chon, a small grotto temple behind Linh Ung pagoda, is quieter than Huyen Khong.
Tam Thai pagoda and the lookouts
Tam Thai is the main pagoda on the mountain and has three doors. The lookouts Vong Giang Dai, facing the Han River and the city, and Vong Hai Dai, facing the sea, round out the loop.
What do tickets, the lift and Am Phu cost?
Adult entry to Thuy Son is $1.6 (40,000 dong), students pay $0.4 (10,000 dong) and children under six enter free, according to the official page of the monument’s management . Tourist guides updated in 2026 quote the same figures.
- Lift: $0.6 (15,000 dong) per ride, so a return trip costs double.
- Am Phu cave, known as the hell cave: $0.8 (20,000 dong) for adults, with the entrance at the foot of the mountain.
- A full visit with one lift ride and Am Phu: about $3 (75,000 dong).
What is the best time to visit, by hour and by season?
Be at the gate at 07:00 and leave before tour groups fill the steps. Official hours are 07:00 to 17:00, some travel sites say 17:30, and the ticket office stops selling around 17:00, so an evening visit only works as a short stop.
Dry months in Da Nang run from February to August, with the clearest skies from April to June. Rain starts in September, so autumn and early winter can be grey.
How do you get there from Da Nang and Hoi An?
From central Da Nang it is a quarter to half an hour by taxi or Grab, about $2 to $5 (50,000 to 120,000 dong). From Hoi An the coastal road is about 20 km and takes 25 to 45 minutes. A Grab from there costs roughly $8 (200,000 dong) to $11 (280,000 dong). Sources disagree on prices, so check the app before you go.
Search for Huyen Tran Cong Chua street in Ngu Hanh Son district. There are two gates: the first leads to Tam Thai pagoda by 156 steps, the second to Linh Ung pagoda by 108 steps and to the lift. You can buy a ticket at either.
What else can you fit into the same day?
The beach at Non Nuoc is five minutes away by car, so the mountain plus the beach fills half a day. The mountain plus Hoi An fits into one day, with the old town about 20 minutes away. Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills in a single day is possible if you enter at 07:00 and leave around 10:00, though two travel guides call that plan too tight. Our Ba Na Hills ticket guide covers the second stop.
The combination breaks at the handoffs: one hour lost at the ticket window or the lift queue pushes the whole day back. The mountain with Hoi An is easy to do alone, because a Grab and a ticket are enough. For travelers who prefer to hand over timing and transport, I have run central Vietnam tours since 2023, and days like this are already planned. Message me on Telegram with your dates and I will say what fits.
Da Nang and Hoi An are part of our 12-day route with Sapa, Halong and Hoi An . Other programs are listed on the home page .
What should you wear and pack?
Bring at least one liter of water per person, a hat, sunscreen and closed shoes with grippy soles, because the marble gets slippery in the rain. Shoulders and knees must be covered in the pagodas, and shoes come off in prayer halls. Carry small banknotes.
From September to December add a light rain jacket. Am Phu cave is not for small children, and several lookouts have low or missing railings. For visitors with limited mobility the lift only reaches the middle level, and the caves, Tam Thai and the summit mean stairs, so a wheelchair cannot manage the mountain.
How to decide: a quick stop or the full loop
A one-hour stop works if the mountain is just a break between Hoi An and the beach: lift, Huyen Khong, one pagoda and one lookout. The full two to three hour loop with Am Phu, Van Thong and Tang Chon suits travelers who came for the mountain itself. Either way, arrive in the morning.
Picking a morning, calling a Grab and buying a ticket at the window is easy to do yourself. But if the whole central Vietnam trip is still open, with hotels in Da Nang and Hoi An, transfers between cities and excursions that are hard to book from abroad, send me your travel dates on Telegram and I will help fit these days together without awkward gaps.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a guide at Marble Mountains, and what does one cost?
A guide is optional: you buy the ticket at the window and can walk the loop alone. A licensed guide for a group charges $2 to $4 (50,000 to 100,000 dong), and an organized excursion with transfer costs $16 to $28 (400,000 to 700,000 dong).
Can I pay for the ticket by card?
The ticket office mostly takes cash, and cards work unreliably. On weekends the queue at the window moves slowly, so withdraw dong in advance.
Can I get there on a rented motorbike?
Yes, a day of motorbike rental costs $4 to $6 (100,000 to 150,000 dong). Parking at the entrance is paid in some sources and free in others, so keep small change.
How do I avoid pushy sellers at the entrance?
Buy your ticket only at the official window. The souvenir shops at the foot are often named as a spot for pushy sales, so decide in advance that you are buying nothing and keep walking.
How much do stone souvenirs cost in Non Nuoc village?
Small figures start at roughly $4 to $8 (100,000 to 200,000 dong). The craft is about 400 years old, but the marble is mostly imported from Thanh Hoa and China, so do not treat the pieces as local stone.
Are there monkeys at Marble Mountains, and is Linh Ung the Lady Buddha pagoda?
There are no monkeys here. Monkey Mountain is the Son Tra peninsula, about 20 km north, and the 67-meter Lady Buddha stands at a different Linh Ung pagoda there. Da Nang has three pagodas with that name, so check the map pin before you leave.
