Marble Mountains (Thủy Sơn)
Place · Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn)
Two hours of caves, pagodas and sea views on a limestone hill: go at opening, take the lift up and the stairs down, skip it in heavy rain; it fits on the way to Hội An.
- Caves and pagodas
- Lift up, stairs down
- Go at opening
- Bring cash
- Shoes off inside
- Queue: switch at 10 min
- Works with kids
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 8Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…At Mỹ Khê and the other city beaches, a red flag or an em…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Vietnam ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Vietnam ↗Crossing streets: walk slowly and steadily; motorbikes flow around you — do not stop or run.
- Vietnam ↗Carry Vietnamese đồng in small notes; many stalls and taxis are cash-only.
- Central Coast ↗September–December is typhoon and flood season on this coast: build a spare day into any plan and check the storm forecast before booking boats, passes or beach nights.
- Da Nang ↗At Mỹ Khê and the other city beaches, a red flag or an empty lifeguard post means no swimming; rip currents peak from September to January.
- Da Nang ↗From September to December keep one spare day in any central-coast plan: storms close beaches, the Hải Vân Pass and some flights at short notice.
More
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Usually 07:00–17:30Usually 7:00 AM–5:30 PM
- Crowds
Go at opening
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about ₫40,000 (≈ US$2) (2026 estimate)
lower price for children (check)
- Time to spend
- 75–100 min · up to 150 min if you linger
Best time to go
Tour groups 09:00–11:30 and 14:00–16:00.
Queue rule: switch if the queue passes 10 min; come back when under 5.
By weekday: quietest Mon–Fri, busiest Sat, Sun.
Opening hours
- Hours
- 07:00–17:30 (typical, check)
- Note
- Ticket-office hours posted at the gate (commonly 07:00–17:30); not printed as known until verified.
- Hours note
- Commonly reported; check the gate.
Which month is quietest
- Janbusy
- Febbusy
- Marbusy
- Aprheavy
- Mayheavy
- Junpacked
- Julpacked
- Augpacked
- Sepbusy
- Octlight
- Novlight
- Decbusy
Quietest Oct–Nov · busiest Jun–Aug.
Estimate; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Main gate on Huyền Trân Công Chúa (lift gate), or gate 2 by the stone shops
- Ticket
- on site · official site · bring cash
- Stairs
- hill: 156 steps to the first level from gate 1; many more between caves; a glass lift to the first level
- Shoes
- Grippy shoes; shoes off in some pagoda halls.
Accessibility
- NoStep-free entrance · hill: 156 steps to the first level from gate 1; many more between caves; a glass lift to the first level
- YesLifts
- Check firstAccessible toilet
- NoWheelchair
- NoStroller · poor
Sensory load
- Sensory load3/5 Medium
Exposure: medium
What to bring and the rules
- Cash · The ticket desk is likely to take cash only.
- Clothing that meets the dress rule · Shoulders and knees covered in the pagodas.
- Footwear that suits the rule · Grippy shoes; shoes off in some pagoda halls.
- Shoulders and knees covered in the pagodas.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Bailouts
- heat: Huyền Không cave (cool)
- rain: Non Nước stone shops under cover
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Main gate and lift base (shade, toilets)
Problem
Red lines
- Wet stone steps are slippery: skip in heavy rain.
- Some cave passages are tight and dark: use a light.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Buy at the entrance on the day.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Bring cash; cards may not be taken (check).
- Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered in the pagodas.
- What's closed
- Heavy raincheckParts may close for safety.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Thủy Sơn entry | about ₫40,000 (≈ US$2) (2026 estimate) | — |
| Lift, one way | about ₫15,000 (≈ under US$1) (2026 estimate) | — |
| Âm Phủ cave | about ₫20,000 (≈ under US$1) (2026 estimate) | — |
What to see, in order
01
Huyền Không cave
A cathedral-sized cave with Buddha statues and light through the roof.
02
Tam Thai pagoda
Royal pagoda rebuilt under Emperor Minh Mạng (1825).
03
Vọng Hải Đài viewpoint
Over the beach and the other four hills.
04
Âm Phủ cave
Separate ticket; a hell-and-heaven cave climb at the foot of the hill.
How to do it well
- 1Buy the hill ticket and, if you want, the lift ticket at gate 1.
- 2Take the lift up, walk the loop of caves and pagodas, come down the stairs to gate 2.
- 3Add Âm Phủ cave (separate ticket) if you have energy.
- 4Ignore sales pressure in the stone shops; you do not have to buy to park.
Facilities
- toilets
- At the gates and on the first level.
- tickets
- Hill about ₫40,000 (≈ US$2); lift about ₫15,000 (≈ under US$1) one way; Âm Phủ cave about ₫20,000 (≈ under US$1) (2026 estimate, check).
- shade
- Caves and trees; terraces exposed.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
60min
Worthwhile
75min
Typical
100min
p95
150min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (100 min).
With the other 20 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- Non Nước stone-carving street2 min on foot · 18 min spare
- Non Nước beach15 min on foot · 5 min spare
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Inside, in order
Huyền Không cave
A cathedral-sized cave with Buddha statues and light through the roof.
Tam Thai pagoda
Royal pagoda rebuilt under Emperor Minh Mạng (1825).
Vọng Hải Đài viewpoint
Over the beach and the other four hills.
Âm Phủ cave
Separate ticket; a hell-and-heaven cave climb at the foot of the hill.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: no · nohill: 156 steps to the first level from gate 1; many more between caves; a glass lift to the first level
- Lifts: yes · yes
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: no · no
- Stroller: no · nopoor
The lift reaches the first level only; everything else is stairs and cave steps.
Rules on site
- climbing
- Stay on paths; do not climb rock faces.
With kids
- with kids
- Caves are an adventure for school-age children; carry toddlers.
- child price
- lower price for children (check)
Combine with
Combine with
- 2 minNon Nước stone-carving street
- 15 minNon Nước beach
- —Beach afternoon (15 min north)
Walk the Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn) area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately: the lift saves the first climb, but the caves and viewpoints need a few hundred steps.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Can I do it on the way to Hội An?
Yes: it is on the coast road, 20 minutes from Hội An and 20 from central Đà Nẵng; leave bags locked in the car.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Photos
Photos
Marble Mountains Photo: Graeme Maclean from Glasgow, UK, CC BY 2.0
Deep dive
Deep dive
Five hills named for the five elements, their caves and their carvers.
1Five elements1 min
The five limestone and marble hills are named Kim (metal), Mộc (wood), Thủy (water), Hỏa (fire) and Thổ (earth). Thủy Sơn, the largest, has the caves and pagodas visitors climb.
2Caves and pagodas1 min
Huyền Không cave, lit through its roof, holds Buddhist shrines; Tam Thai pagoda was rebuilt under Minh Mạng in 1825. During the war the caves sheltered a field hospital within sight of a US base.
- Tam Thai
- Rebuilt 1825
3The stone carvers1 min
Non Nước village has carved stone for generations. Quarrying the hills was banned to protect them, and most stone is now brought in from elsewhere.
Read, watch, wordsSources
Read for this deep dive
Background reading only: the text above is written by Voykit, not copied from these pages.
Sources
- officialNgũ Hành Sơn management board
- secondaryWikivoyage — Da Nang
Was this useful?
Add Marble Mountains (Thủy Sơn) to a day
Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The quietest window written into this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.