Steeped in royal history, Hue City served as Vietnam’s imperial capital and remains famous for its sprawling forbidden city and majestic Nguyen Dynasty tombs. Tucked away in a lush valley over 125 kilometers (78 miles) to the south, the My Son Sanctuary offers a striking contrast with its weathered, red-brick Hindu tower temples built by the ancient Champa civilization. Both of these historical places are must see in central Vietnam. In this article, HoiAn Day Trip Company will let visitors know the best way(s) to go to My Son Sanctuary from Hue city.
You may also like: How to Get from Da Nang to My Son Sanctuary, How to Get from Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary
• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
• Designed by Giang Cong Minh, co-founder of LS E&C LTD and his team
• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Must Knows about My Son Sanctuary Vietnam
– Location/address: My Son village, Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, Vietnam
– Name’s meaning: My Son means ‘beautiful mountain’, not ‘my son’
– How to pronounce: /mee son/
– Other name(s): My Son Ruins, My Son Holy Land, My Son Site, My Son Ancient Ruins, My Son Temples, My Son Cham Towers
– Area: 142 hectares
– Age: 4th to 13rd centuries
– Number of buildings: 71
– Opening hour(s): 6 AM to 5 PM everyday (latest 5:30 PM)
– Ticket price: 150,000 VND for foreign adults and children older than 15. It’s free for small ages, but parents still have to pay 30,000 VND for the transfer service.
– Reason(s) to visit: ancient Hindu temples amid dense jungles, a Unesco world heritage site, performances of Cham people
– Best time(s) to visit: early morning, late afternoon, sunny days
– Time to spend: 1,5-3 hours
– Recognition(s): national heritage, special national heritage, Unesco world heritage site (1999)
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/my-son-sanctuary-travel-guide
– Food & drink: yes availables
– Shopping: yes available
– Tour guide: contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo)
– Fact: My Son Sanctuary is one of the most visited attractions in the region
My Son Sanctuary Vietnam on Map
Hue to My Son Sanctuary by Private Car: The Quickest Way
Non Stop Transfer from Hue to My Son
The fastest way to get from Hue city center to My Son Sanctuary is going by a private car. Without stopping on the way, it takes visitors 3-3.5 hours (the distance is approx 130 km).
If go from Hue city in the morning (like 8 am), visitors will be in My Son Sanctuary in the noon. In this place, it’s possible to find restroom, restaurants, coffee shops,… before see the temples. You need 1-2 hours to get around, depending on walking pace, interest, and weather.
Inside My Son Sanctuary, in the afternoon, there is still a show available at 2:00 pm. During peak seasons, one more show takes place at 4:00 pm. If go to this santuary from Hue city, visitors still can come to the theater in time. See full information and details about the show at My Son
Hue to My Son Transfer with Sightseeing Stops
If like to have a scenic drive through Hai Van Pass (20-kilomeler long), the additional time is 30-60 minutes, depending on weather and traffic on the day as well as number of sightseeing/photo stops. The total duration from Hue city to My Son Sanctuary 3,5-4,5 hours.
When choose to go up Hai Van Pass, remember to stop at Lap An Lagoon. This is a peaceful brackish oasis famous for its local oyster farms and a mirror-like water surface that creates stunning, glassy reflections of the sky.
The route from Hue to My Son Sanctuary with Hai Van Pass and Lap An Lagoon is most beautiful.
Visitors should not plan to see Ba Na Hills/Golden Bridge between Hue city and My Son Sanctuary. This theme park is massive, and a couple of hours are not enough to explore and you may be exhausted. If you come from a country when medieval-style castles are too common (like Spain, France, Italy,…) or you just like to visit Golden Bridge alone, it’s still okay. However, we advise to start the trip as earliest as possible (and then taking rest in the car).
The itinerary should be: Hue – Ba Na Hills, Golden Bridge with lunch – My Son Sanctuary – Da Nang or Hoi An.
Drop Off in Hoi An or Da Nang?
In general, Hoi An is closer than Da Nang, therefore visitors tend to get dropped off in Hoi An (and stay overnight here). The distance from My Son Sanctuary to Hoi An is approx 40km, while it’s 45 km for Da Nang city core. However, Da Nang city is very big, so the distance from the santuary also depends on the drop off location (or hotel location).
When your hotel is in Non Nuoc Beach area (or Marble Mountains area), the distance from My Son Sanctuary is same with Hoi An (approx 40km).
If do not have much time in central Vietnam, we recommend to get dropped off in Hoi An. Why? Because ‘evening in Hoi An’ is a mus have experience for all travelers. If tired, you can come to Old Town of Hoi An in the morning (when it’s most peaceful), and just return after sunset to see lanterns, night markets, local life,…
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to My Son Sanctuary. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Hue to My Son Sanctuary by Train & Car: The Most Scenic Way
To have more experiences (than just a car transfer), visitors can combine a scenic train ride in the morning from Hue to Da Nang and then a private car from Da Nang to My Son Sanctuary.
Here is the breakdown:
– Go to the Hue Railway Station to catch the earliest train to Da Nang. The first tourist train (heritage train) departs at 7:45 am and arrives at the Da Nang Railway Station at 10:35 am (timings may be changed a bit on your day of travel). Local trains go earlier and choose one of them if you want to have more time for My Son later.
Remember to book the seat(s) on the left to see the views. The price is 250.000-500.000 VND, depending on the class (standard or vip) and booking date (weekday or weekend).
When booked a car/van in advance, your driver will wait you at the arrival gate of Da Nang Railway Station.
– The distance from Da Nang Railway Station to My Son Sanctuary is around 45 kilomers. The fastest and most convenient way to get there is having a private car. The drive is 1-1.5 hours.
If take the first heritage train of the day, you will arrive My Son at 11:30-12:00. There are some restaurants here to have lunch before seeing the temples.
The show at 2 pm won’t be missed. This is the last show of the day at My Son.
After a couple of hours, the car takes you back to Da Nang or Hoi An, depending on your travel plan.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to My Son Sanctuary. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Hue to My Son Sanctuary by Motorbike: The Most Adventurous Way
Here is a typical motorbike tour itinerary with pick up in Hue, drop off in Da Nang/Hoi An and stop at My Son Sanctuary for sightseeing:
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Day 1: The Mountain Route (Hue to Prao or Bho Hoong): Leaving Hue, the riders take you away from the busy main highway and head west toward the Laos border along the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail. You ride through the Truong Son mountain range, stopping at ethnic minority villages (like the Co Tu people) and hidden jungle waterfalls before spending the night in a mountain stilt house or rural guesthouse.
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Day 2: The Heritage & Coastal Route (Prao to My Son to Hoi An/Da Nang): You ride down from the mountains through beautiful countryside and rice paddies straight to the jungle-ringed Champa ruins of My Son Sanctuary. After exploring the red-brick temples, you head back toward the coast, often crossing local bamboo bridges and rural backroads to reach your final drop-off in Da Nang or Hoi An.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to My Son Sanctuary. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Guided Tours to My Son Sanctuary Vietnam
Here are popular guided tours to My Son Sanctuary:
– My Son Sanctuary Half Day Tour with Traditional Art Performance
– My Son Sanctuary Private Tour with Local Expert Guide
– My Son Sanctuary Early Morning Tour to Beat the Crowds
– My Son Sanctuary Afternoon Tour with Traditional Art Performance
– My Son Sanctuary Morning Tour with Thu Bon River Cruise
– My Son Sanctuary Afternoon Tour with Boat Trip on Thu Bon River
– My Son Sanctuary Sunset Tour to Avoid the Crowds
– My Son Sanctuary & Marble Mountain Tour
– My Son Sanctuary Tour with Chinese Speaking Guide
– My Son Sanctuary & Golden Bridge/Ba Na Hills Tour
– My Son & Hoi An Tour – World Heritage Site Tour
– My Son & Thanh Ha Pottery Village Tour from Hoi An
– My Son Sanctuary & Hoi An Coconut Village Tour
– My Son Sanctuary & Golden Bridge/Ba Na Hills Tour
– My Son Sanctuary & Tra Que Vegetable Village Tour
– My Son Sanctuary & Lady Buddha Tour from Da Nang
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to My Son Sanctuary. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Photos, Videos about My Son Sanctuary Vietnam
Here are beautiful photos and videos about My Son Sanctuary in Vietnam:
