Recommended Ba Na Hills 1-Day Itinerary for First Timer

Morning: Hoi An Station, Golden Bridge, Flower Garden, Old Wine Cellar, Big Buddha, Linh Ung Pagoda, Bordeaux Station

Ba Na Hills is easy to get from Da Nang or Hoi An. Many visitors book a private transfer 2 ways by car/van/bus from local companies because of convenience and affordable price. If ride the motorbike from Da Nang, the best route is by Ba Na – Suoi Mo Road, one of the widest and most beautiful roads in the area. The park’s entrance is at the end of this road. From Hoi An, the new and wide Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Road is absolutely the best way to go to Ba Na Hills. 

To go up to Ba Na Hills which lies on a mountaintop, visitors need to take the cable car. There are 4 major cable car routes in operation now, all are longer than 5 kilometers and sure, in the list of world’s longest cable cars. They are constructed by engineers and technologies imported from Europe, meeting every international standard. See more information & details

Besides amazing engineering, during the cable car ride at Ba Na Hills, visitors have a stunning experience. The cars will go above an untouched Ba Na – Nui Chua Nature Reserve, home to old and tall forests, rugged mountains, whispering streams, tall waterfalls, majestic outcrops. All of them are soaked in the clouds on many days of the year. Plus the breath-taking view to the city, the ride is totally worth doing.

In the morning, we suggest visiting the Golden Hands Bridge because this is a world-famous place and a reason why many travelers travel to Da Nang/Hoi An. The nearest (direct) cable car to reach it boards from the Hoi An Station. This footbridge becomes a social media hit right after it’s opened to the public. Visitors are curious about its giant hands which depict the hands of god, recalling the internationally famed novel and then film ‘the Lord of the Rings’. See more information & details

Le Jardin d’Amour Flower Garden is the next place. 5-10 mins walk from the Golden Bridge, it’s a series of beautifully designed gardens, each with a different style. One of the gardens sits atop the hill, offering a stunning view to huge castles and a giant buddha statue, and two of the gardens offer a fascinating panoramic view to the area below as well as a view to magic hands above the jungle. The rest of this garden area, central gardens, is always busy because of many photo opportunities and vibrant live shows/performances throughout the day. See more information & details

In a lower place, the Giant Buddha of Ba Na Hills depicts an Amitabha Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism who sits or meditates on the lotus blossom, overlooking the city. He is 27 meters tall, visible from almost everywhere in the mountain resort (that’s why it’s easy to find). A worshipping room or small temple lies within him, just like the famous Lady Buddha at Son Tra Peninsula. See more information & details

Downstairs from the Big Buddha, there is Linh Ung Ba Na Pagoda. This Buddhist temple was inaugurated in 2006, leaning against the hills and overlooking the sea. It’s one of three ‘Linh Ung pagodas’ in Da Nang city, older than the one at the Son Tra Peninsula and much younger than the one at Marble Mountains. From its entrance gate, visitors can capture a spectacular landscape stretching from mountain to ocean. On many days of the year, a ‘sea of cloud’ will be seen. See more information & details

To see other places in Ba Na Hills, visitors need to go back to the Golden Bridge. From the Pagoda, let’s climb stairs to the Buddha and then go uphill by the same path until seeing the bridge. From here, walk upstairs to find the Bordeaux Station and take the cable car to Louvre Station lying in another mountain.

Food Options & Restaurants at Ba Na Hills

Visitors can not bring food to Ba Na Hills. Before taking the cable car, staff will check those who carry a bag. So, if spending a day here, it’s needed to go to the restaurant to have lunch/dinner. At the present, there are many food options and restaurants to choose from in Ba Na Hills, especially the French Village area. From the Louvre Station, visitors just need to follow the signs or instructions of staff to find the stone walking path to this village. At the restaurant, both card and cash payment are accepted.

Here, if do not take a buffet which has over 90 dishes and complimentary beverages, a la carte restaurants still have Vietnamese food and other Asian food to try (such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Indian). Many people like Korean style meat barbecues served with kimchi and chili/tomato sauces (often sold with grilled homemade sausages), together with a cup of draught beer. There are many many outdoor tables to have a seat, enjoy the cool and fresh air in the mountain and watch art performances. See more information & details

Afternoon: Lunar Castle, Eclipse Square, Funicular, French Village, Fantasy Park, King Peak, Ba Na Brew House, L’Indochine or Taiga Station

In the afternoon, we recommend visiting Eclipse Plaza first and then Lunar/Moon Castle. These places are in the same direction from Louvre Station. The Square is inspired by St Peter Square in Vatican and its glass conical structure looks like the Glass Pyramid at Louvre Museum of Paris in France. After about 10 mins walking downhill, visitors will see the Atlas Statue and the Lunar Castle.

In the lowest floor of the Lunar Castle, visitors can have an experience of a funicular ride (mountain climbing train ride) to the French Village. This is a good chance to skip the long walk to the village (the next attraction), see beautiful scenery on the way and learn about technology from Switzerland. After the transfer finishes, please go upstairs by elevator/escalator and follow the stone-paved path on the left side to see the entrance of the French Village. See more information & details

In the French Village, the oldest part of the area, highlights are Saint Denis Church, Helios Waterfall, and Ba Na Brew House. In the heart of the village, the church boasts a majestic Gothic architecture and beautiful stained glass paintings. Sadly, no service or mass is available here because it’s new. The waterfall (cascade) is just 4 minutes walk from this building. It’s modelled on one of the greatest cascades in the world, particularly the one at Peterhof Palace in St Petersburg city, Russia. Like its name, Helios (God of Sun) is the highlight. He rides a carriage pulled by horses. Above him and on both sides, there are nearly 40 yellow bronze statues sculpted by Italian artists from a reputable gallery/workshop. Next to it, Ba Na Brew House shows the equipment and production of German craft beers as well as serves them with delicious food.

The Fantasy Park, the amusement park of Ba Na Hills is not far from the French Village. It’s a must see for children and young adults. Here, visitors participate in nearly 90 games and types of entertainment for free, such as drop tower, bumper car, Jurassic park, shooting game, etc. The Wax Museum of Ba Na Hills is in this park, showing about 100 wax figures of famous people worldwide (extra fee to visit). To get to the Fantasy Park, let’s find the entrance of L’Indochine Station first and the staircase down to the park’s entrance is a short walk from there. See more information & details

To go down the mountain and then back to the city, visitors need to take the cable car at L’Indochine Station or Taiga Station. If it’s too crowded at L’Indochine Station, Taiga Station is better to go and skip the long queue. Sometimes, the only choice is walking back to Louvre Station and then ride the cable car two times (transit at Golden Bridge).

If take the cable car from L’Indochine Station or Taiga Station, visitors will have the chance to see Toc Tien Waterfall (or Waterfall of Fairy Lady’s Hair), falling from the top of a 70-meters-tall rocky cliff. Definitely, it’s the most beautiful waterfall in the area.