Marble Mountains is one of the popular tourist destinations in Da Nang. This unique complex of nature and spiritual architecture has become a symbol of Da Nang. When coming here, you not only get a chance to admire the beautiful panorama of Da Nang from above but also can visit many beautiful temples and caves.
Marble Mountains are also known as “Ngu Hanh Son” in Vietnamese. Marble Mountains are located near the sandy Non Nuoc Beach, so many local people also called Marble Mountains as Non Nuoc Mountains.
Marble Mountains consist of 5 large limestone mountains. The story of ancient times is telling that a giant dragon flew there to lay an egg. Then the egg grew bigger and bigger, until one day it hatched a beautiful fairy, the eggshell split into five pieces and became five limestone mountains. The mountains are named by King Minh Mang according to 5 elements that make up the universe: Kim Son (Mountain of Metal), Moc Son (Mountain of Wood), Thuy Son (Mountain of Water), Hoa Son (Mountain of Fire), and Tho Son (Mountain of Earth). Each mountain has its own beauty in shape, position, stone material, cave, and pagoda.
Kim Son (Metal Mountain)
Kim Son is the bell-shaped mountain, located in the southeast, on the banks of Co Co River. At the foot of Kim Son, there is a famous cave, that is more than 50 m long, nearly 10 m wide, and 10-15 m high. There are also 2 pagodas - Quan Am and Thai Son leaning against Kim Son Mountain and facing the river. Every spring, the festival named Hoi Quan Yin takes place in the pagoda.
Moc Son (Wood Mountain)
Moc Son is located to the east, close to the sea, near Thuy Son. Although the mountain belongs to the element of wood, you will find only few trees there. Moc Son is also known as Mong Ga Mountain, possibly due to the appearance of the mountain resembling the chicken crest. There is no temple on this mountain like on the others, but there is a white marble stone that looks like a person sitting there.
Thuy Son (Water Mountain)
Thuy Son, located in the northeast, is called the center of Marble Mountains. This is the largest and also the most beautiful mountain of all 5. The mountain is 106-meter-high, stretching from East to West with an area of 15 hectares. This is the place where many caves and pagodas gather. The famous spots at Thuy Son are Non Nuoc Pagoda, Tam Thai Pagoda and Linh Ung Pagoda. To reach the top of the mountain, you can choose to climb over a hundred steps or take a transparent glass elevator.
Hoa Son (Fire Mountain)
Many people mistakenly believe that Marble Mountains consist only of 5 mountains but there are actually 6 mountains because Hoa Son consists of 2 mountains, connected by a natural stone line rising above the ground. The western mountain, located near Kim Son on the bank of Co Co River, is Duong Hoa Son. On Duong Hoa Son Mountain, there are caves and Pho Son Da pagoda. On the eastern side, near the road to Hoi An, Am Hoa Son Mountain is standing.
Tho Son (Earth Mountain)
Tho Son is a mountain located to the north from Kim Son and to the west from Thuy Son. This is the lowest but the longest mountain, looking like a dragon lying on the sand. Deep inside the mountain, there is Coc Cave, also called Bo De Cave. The entrance to the cave is very narrow, only one person passes through.
Attractions in Marble Mountains
Linh Ung Pagoda
Linh Ung Pagoda is a large temple on Thuy Son which is visited by many tourists. There is a 10 m high Thick Ca Buddha statue located in the middle of the complex. This place is not only a spiritual place that attracts a large number of visitors but also an ideal peaceful place for those who want to calm their mind away from bustling cities.
Tam Thai Temple
Tam Thai Temple is a large Buddhist temple in Marble Mountains. The pagoda has 3 gates: the main gate which is the most important is for monks, the left gate for men and the right one for women to cross. The temple has an ancient architecture and has undergone many repairs due to natural disasters, and wars.
Non Nuoc Stone Sculpture Village
Not only is the beautiful landscape, Marble Mountains are also the source of an extremely valuable natural stone. The stone here is mainly marble in various different colors. For example, the stone of Thuy Son is often pink, Moc Son is white, Hoa Son is often red, Kim Son is blue and Tho Son is often brown. Because of this rich source of marble, Non Nuoc Stone Sculpture Village is a popular destination for many tourists visiting Marble Mountains. Here you will admire stone sculptures made by extremely talented Non Nuoc artisans.
Am Phu Cave
Am Phu Cave is one of the major caves in Marble Mountains. This is a natural cave with mysterious dark features. Am Phu Cave has many legends about the birth and death and goodness and evil. There are two paths in the cave, one leading to heaven and one to hell.
Hoa Nghiem Cave
Hoa Nghiem Cave is one of the most beautiful caves in Marble Mountains. The cave is open-air and has an extremely unique structure with circular arches outside, so it is always filled with light.
Non Nuoc Beach
Non Nuoc Beach is located not far from Marble Mountains. You can easily combine your relaxation at Non Nuoc Beach with a fascinating visit to Marble Mountains. The beach attracts visitors by its fine white sand stretching along the clear blue sea.
Marble Mountains Tickets
When you arrive at Marble Mountains, you’ll see many souvenir shops around. Look up for the elevator, you’ll find the ticket booth of Gate No.1 at the base of it. If you’re not taking the elevator, you can buy your tickets at the base of the stairs by Gate No. 2
Marble Mountains Entrance Fee:
- Adults: 40,000 VND per person
- Students: 10,000 VND per person
- Children under 6 years old: Free of charge
Elevator ticket price: 15,000 VND per person one-way (round trip is 30,000 VND per person)
The elevator operates from 7:00 to 17:00 daily
Guide - Voiceover: 50,000 VND per group
Am Phu Cave Entrance Fee:
- Adults: 20,000 VND per person
- Students: 7,000 VND per person
- Children under 6 years old: Free of charge
How to get to Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains is located in Hoa Hai, Ngu Hanh Son district, about 10 km south of Da Nang City center. You can easily get there by a motorbike, taxi, bus or by joining the tour.
By Motorbike
Taking a motorbike is a good choice for visiting Marble Mountains because it is flexible. Motorbikes are easy to rent in Da Nang and should cost just from 80,000 – 150,000 VND per day. Travel time from Da Nang City is only about 20 minutes.
By Public Bus
You can take a public bus No. 1 running from Da Nang to Hoi An. The bus departs from Da Nang Central Bus Station and you need to get off at Marble Mountains. Bus ticket shouldn’t cost more than 30,000 VND. Travel time is about 30 minutes.
By Taxi
Taxis are abundant in Da Nang. This mean of transportation is suitable for people traveling with family or in a group. If you will decide to take a taxi, don’t negotiate the price but insist on the meter. It should cost around 50,000-70,000 VND to get from Da Nang to Marble Mountains.
By Grab
Grab service is also available in Da Nang and is used by many people. Grab cars tend to hang around the area of Marble Mountains too, so finding a ride back shouldn’t be difficult.
By Tour
Marble Mountains is normally a part of most Da Nang and Hoi An tours, so you can join one of the tours to save time and money and fully experience the place.
Currently there are plenty of day tours that bring you to visit Marble Mountains and give an opportunity to visit other tourist destinations such as Museum of Cham Sculpture, Han Market and Non Nuoc Stone Sculpture Village at the same time. One of the best tours including a visit to Marble Mountains can be booked here: Da Nang Day Trip.
How much time to spend at Marble Mountains
To admire all the beauty of Marble Mountains you need about 3-4 hours. If you have more time, you should also visit the village for souvenirs and food.
If you want to save time, money and effort, they are many tours ready to bring you to explore the numerous tunnels and caves of the mountains. The Marble Mountains from Hoi An tour van help you to visit the best attractions in Marble Mountains even if you don't have much time.
Best time to visit Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Da Nang that you should not miss.
March to September is the ideal time for visitors to come to Marble Mountains in Da Nang, as at this time the weather in Da Nang is nice, stable and bringing less rain. You can enjoy the fresh air and admire the impressive beauty of the clear blue sea and white sand from above.
Hotels near Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains is located not too far from Da Nang city and Non Nuoc Beach, so there are many hotels for you to choose. We have listed several nice hotels with a convenient location for visiting Marble Mountains:
Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa
Delicious food in Marble Mountains
Quang Noodles
Quang Noodles is one of the specialties of Da Nang City. This delicacy is made with sweet and rich broth, ingredients including noodles, chicken, shrimps, and served with crispy sesame crackers.
Seafood
Marble Mountains’ area is also famous for housing fresh seafood restaurants nearby the beach. All kinds of fresh seafood such as shrimps, crabs, squids, octopus, snails, are on offer here.
Tips
Get early to avoid crowds.
The location of Marble Mountains is near Da Nang and Hoi An so many people can combine exploring Marble Mountains and visiting Hoi An Ancient Town.
Marble Mountains is home to many sacred temples, so you should dress politely and neatly: avoid wearing sleeveless shirt, tight pants or skirt above knees.
Marble Mountains is relatively easy trek so children can participate as well.
If you want to make it all the way to the top, good fitness level might be needed.
Wearing comfortable shoes is a must.
You can prepare food and drinks to energize during the journey.
Some of the sights on Marble Mountains are quite dark, especially in caves, so bringing a flashlight might be a good idea.
At the foot of the mountain, there is a village of art sculpture art. You can buy stoneware products and jewelry as souvenirs there.
If you are flying to Da Nang, book a discounted Vietnam SIM Card online and pick it up on arrival at Da Nang International Airport.