Marble Mountains is a cluster of 5 hills located just off the main road between Da Nang and Hoi An which has been used as a place of worship for hundreds of years, and more recently has become a major tourist attraction.
- Opening hours: 07:00 to 17:30
- Entrance fee:
- Mount Thuy: 40,000 VND
- Elevator up Mount Thuy: 15,000 VND
- Am Phu Cave: 20,000 VND
About the Marble Mountains
The Marble Mountains, known in Vietnamese as Ngũ Hành Sơn meaning five elements caves, are each named after the different elements in ancient Chinese and Mahayana Buddhist science: metal (Kim), water (Thuy), wood (Moc), earth (Tho) and fire (Hoa). All five hills are open to visitors, although the most interesting and easily accessible of the hills is Thuy Son, or Mount Thuy. Mount Thuy features 5 pagodas, 6 caves, and 2 viewpoints, all connected by a series of paths. You need around two hours to visit all of these attractions, and at least another three hours to visit the other three hills which have temples, the other hill, Moc Son, has been heavily mined for marble and holds little of interest for visitors.
Marble Mountains near Da NangTravel to the Marble Mountains
It’s very simple to reach the Marble Mountains from either Da Nang or Hoi An. The cheapest way to get there is to take Bus #1 which runs along on the main road between Da Nang and Hoi An. You can ask the bus driver to stop on the side of the main road near the junction with the approach road to the Marble Mountains, and from there its an easy walk to the base of the hills. A round trip by taxi from Da Nang to the Marble Mountains, including waiting time, costs around 500,000 VND if negotiated in advance.
Visiting Mount Thuy
The entrance to the Marble Mountains is in Non-Nuoc Village, which features lots of stalls selling statues made from marble, and workshops with skilled craftsmen working busy making marble sculptures. Whilst this cluster of stalls and workshops is clearly aimed at the tourist market, the quality of the products on sale is generally very high and they are not cheap as a consequence. From the ticket office in Non-Nuoc Village you have the option of walking up the main mountain via one of two routes, each with other 150 steps, or boarding a glass elevator that takes the effort out of the 40 metre ascent. The paths across Mount Thuy are themselves steep and for most people walking up the mountain and then walking between all the various attractions would be tiring so a popular option, even for young and fit people, is to take the elevator up the hill and then to walk back down at the end of the visit.
Location of the Marble Mountains
The Marble Mountains are located 11.2 km by road from Da Nang Railway Station.
