Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Marble Mountains and Hoi An Tour from Da Nang: A Private Day to Lantern Light
One long, unhurried day: the Lady Buddha and the caves of the Marble Mountains in the morning light, a stone carver at work, a bowl of mi Quang for lunch, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. Every entry fee is paid before you travel.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car for your group alone
Private, 1-4 guests, and nobody outside your party is added to it
Your own licensed local guide
Fluent in English, explaining the caves in the morning and the merchant houses of Hoi An in the afternoon — to your group alone
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in Da Nang, and dropped at your Hoi An or Da Nang hotel at the end. No meeting point to reach on your own
Every entry fee prepaid
The mountain, the elevator, Am Phu cave, the old-town ticket and the boat are bought for you. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to a marble showroom or a tailor that pays to have you delivered
Hoi An at the right hour
You reach the old town in the late afternoon and stay for dusk, when the lanterns are lit, instead of in the midday heat
Duration
10 hours
Departure
08:00 hotel pickup
Pickup
Any Da Nang hotel
from · $89 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$265 BOOK →2 guests$295 BOOK →3 guests$325 BOOK →4 guests$355 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The day, from the sea to the lanterns
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. The day ends in Hoi An after dark; we drop you at your Hoi An hotel or drive you back to Da Nang.
Hotel pickup · 08:00 · anywhere in Da Nang
Lady Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda, Son Tra
08:30 · about 40 minutes · on foot, mostly flat
No entry fee at this stop
4 photos · tap to enlarge
The 67-metre Bodhisattva of Mercy looks out over the bay from the Son Tra peninsula. Your guide explains why fishing families pray here and who the eighteen stone figures in the garden are, before the day turns south.
Drive south · about 25 minutes · along the beach road
Marble Mountains: Thuy Son caves and Am Phu
09:30 · about 2½ hours · elevator, then stone steps
Entry, elevator and Am Phu included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Up by elevator, then on foot through Tang Chon and Van Thong to Huyen Khong, timed to catch the beams of light that fall through its roof on sunny mornings. After the viewpoint over Non Nuoc beach, you come down to Am Phu, the cave carved as the Buddhist underworld, where your guide tells the story behind each scene.
Non Nuoc carving yard
12:00 · about 30 minutes · flat
No entry fee — and no obligation to buy
4 photos · tap to enlarge
A working yard below the mountains where statues are still roughed out by hand. You watch a carver at work and try the chisel on a practice block, with no sales pitch: we have no arrangement with any showroom.
Short drive south · about 20 minutes · towards Hoi An
Lunch of mi Quang
12:45 · about 1 hour · seated
Lunch included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A bowl of mi Quang or cao lau, the two noodle dishes of this stretch of coast, with fresh herbs and a soft drink or iced tea, at a local restaurant on the road south. Tell us about allergies or a vegetarian diet when you book and the kitchen will cook for it.
Into Hoi An · about 20 minutes
Hoi An old town
14:15 · about 2½ hours · on foot, flat
Old-town ticket included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Your guide walks you through the old merchant port: the Japanese Covered Bridge, an assembly hall and an old family house on the ticket, and the lanes behind the river where the town still trades. Then time on your own for a café, the market or a tailor before dusk.
A boat on the Thu Bon at dusk
around 17:30 · about 30 minutes · small wooden boat
Boat and lantern included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A small wooden boat on the river as the lanterns along the waterfront are lit, with a paper lantern to set on the water. Sunset shifts through the year, so the boat is timed to the dusk of your date.
Back at your hotel · around 18:15 in Hoi An or 19:00 in Da Nang · 10 hours after pickup
From the light in the cave to the lanterns on the river
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$265 BOOK →2 guests$295 BOOK →3 guests$325 BOOK →4 guests$355 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private car and driver
- Licensed local guide, fluent in English
- Hotel pickup in Da Nang, drop-off in Da Nang or Hoi An
- Marble Mountains ticket, elevator and Am Phu cave
- Time with a Non Nuoc stone carver
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Hoi An old town ticket
- Dusk boat on the Thu Bon river with a paper lantern
- Bottled water
Not included
− Dinner, and drinks beyond lunch and the water we provide
− Tailoring, lanterns and anything you choose to buy
− A tip for your guide and driver — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You want the Marble Mountains and Hoi An in one day without joining a coach.
You would rather see Hoi An at dusk than in the midday heat.
You are a couple, a family or a small group who likes a full day with room to pause.
You want one price that covers lunch, every ticket and the boat.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget.
A ten-hour day is too long for your group; the half day covers the mountain alone.
Steep stone steps are a real problem for someone in your group.
You already have a day in Hoi An planned.
If the mountain is what you came for, the half day covers the Lady Buddha, the caves and the carvers and has you back at your hotel by lunch. See the Marble Mountains half day. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is the tour and when does it start?
It runs 10 hours door to door, departing 08:00 hotel pickup from your hotel. The morning goes to Son Tra and the caves while the light is good, and the afternoon to Hoi An, ending on the river after dark.
Where do you pick us up, and where does the day end?
At your own hotel, with no meeting point to reach on your own. Free pickup and drop-off at any Da Nang hotel. Hoi An hotels: Transfer surcharge +$25. At the end we drop you at your Hoi An hotel, or drive you back to Da Nang if you prefer to stay for dinner in town first. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes at pickup.
How many steps are there?
About 156 steep stone steps lead up Thuy Son. The elevator covers the first stretch, but the caves and the viewpoint are reached on foot, and Am Phu has steps inside. Hoi An is flat. If the steps are not possible for someone in the group, your guide will plan the lower caves instead.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample day and every part of it can be adjusted: skip Son Tra, spend longer in Hoi An, or swap the boat for a cooking class. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the shrines of the Marble Mountains and the trading history of Hoi An as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests: four people pay less each than two, and the car is the same car. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest. Groups of five or more travel in a larger vehicle — message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes — free cancellation up to 3 days before departure for a full refund, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car and guide are already committed. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What should I bring, and do I need cash?
Shoes with grip for the stone steps, a hat, and clothing that covers shoulders and knees for the pagodas. You do not need cash at any gate or for lunch; bring your own money only for tailoring, shopping or dinner in Hoi An, and the balance for your guide if you chose to pay it in cash.
What about food allergies?
Tell us when you book. Lunch is ordered for your group in advance, so the kitchen can cook it vegetarian, without seafood, peanuts or gluten, or mild on chilli.
Book the Marble Mountains and Hoi An day
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$265 BOOK →2 guests$295 BOOK →3 guests$325 BOOK →4 guests$355 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›