Place · Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn)
Marble Mountains (Thủy Sơn)Ngũ Hành Sơn – Núi Thủy 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.
Time on site
75–100 min
p95 150 min
Price
on site
bring cash
Hours
07:00–17:30
typical, check
Best time
at opening
quietest window
28″ bags
No
Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn): forbidden
- 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.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
What to know before you go, how long it takes, when to be there
Weather here, next 7 days
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Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
60min
Worthwhile
75min
Typical
100min
p95
150min
Ticket-office hours posted at the gate (commonly 07:00–17:30); not printed as known until verified.
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.
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, 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
- Exit
- —
- 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.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Tour groups 09:00–11:30 and 14:00–16:00.
- Sensory load
- 3/5
- Exposure
- medium
- Queue rule
- Switch if the queue passes 10 min; come back when under 5.
Bailouts
heat
Huyền Không cave (cool)
rain
Non Nước stone shops under cover
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Main gate and lift base (shade, toilets)
Combine in the same cluster
- Beach afternoon (15 min north)
Red lines
- Wet stone steps are slippery: skip in heavy rain.
- Some cave passages are tight and dark: use a light.
More on the groundPrices · Closures · Rules on site · Access and kids · Next door
Tickets and prices
| 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) | — |
Closed days and closures
| When | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy rain | check before you go | Parts may close for safety. |
“Check” means the date moves year to year or is not published far ahead: confirm on the official page for your date.
Rules on site
- dress
- Shoulders and knees covered in the pagodas.
- climbing
- Stay on paths; do not climb rock faces.
Access and kids
- with kids
- Caves are an adventure for school-age children; carry toddlers.
Next door, in walking order
- +2′Non Nước stone-carving street
- +15′Non Nước beach
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
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
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterMarble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn)nearest point: Main gate and lift base (shade, toilets)120 m · 2 min walk
- ClusterMỹ Khê beach and An Thượng5.2 km · ride, not a walk
- Sleep areaMỹ Khê beach strip6.4 km · ride, not a walk
- PlaceMỹ Khê Beach6.6 km · ride, not a walk
- EatBé Mặn seafood (beach road)6.8 km · ride, not a walk
- PlaceDragon Bridge7.4 km · ride, not a walk
Photos
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