The Marble Mountains, Ngu Hanh Son in Vietnamese, are a cluster of five marble and limestone hills rising out of the flat coastal sand about 8 to 9 km south of central Da Nang, on the road to Hoi An. Only one of them, Thuy Son, is set up for visitors: a 106-metre hill of pagodas, caves and viewpoints joined by stone steps.
A visit to Thuy Son takes two to three hours and costs 40,000 VND (~$2) to enter. The best of it is inside the hill, in caves such as Huyen Khong, where sunlight falls through openings in the roof on sunny mornings.
Thuy Son, timed for the light
Our guides plan the climb so you reach Huyen Khong while the sun is still in it, then take you to the stone carvers below.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursSee the tour →What are the Marble Mountains?
The Marble Mountains are five hills named after the five elements of East Asian philosophy: Kim Son (metal), Moc Son (wood), Thuy Son (water), Hoa Son (fire) and Tho Son (earth). Hoa Son has two peaks, so there are six summits in all, spread over roughly two square kilometres of coastal land.
Emperor Minh Mang visited in 1825 and gave the hills the names they carry today; he returned twice more and confirmed the names by decree in 1837. French writers later called them the marble mountains, and the local name for the whole group is Non Nuoc.
| Hill | Element | What you find there |
|---|---|---|
| Thuy Son | Water | The largest and highest, 106 m, with the pagodas, most of the caves and the viewpoints. This is the one you climb. |
| Moc Son | Wood | A smaller hill on the east side, not set up for visitors. |
| Kim Son | Metal | The western hill, near the old river landing. |
| Tho Son | Earth | The lowest and longest hill, stretched out to the northwest. |
| Hoa Son | Fire | Two peaks to the south, Duong Hoa and Am Hoa. |
What is there to see on Thuy Son?
Thuy Son packs three kinds of sight into one small hill: working pagodas, caves that double as shrines, and viewpoints over the sea and the city. Two old stone stairways built under Minh Mang climb it, 156 steps on the west side and 108 on the east, and an elevator lifts visitors to the terrace by Linh Ung pagoda.
The pagodas
Linh Ung pagoda faces the sea from the main terrace, with a white seven-storey relic tower beside it, built in 1997 and filled with stone statues. Tam Thai pagoda sits higher up near the entrance to Huyen Khong cave. Both are active places of worship, not museums.
The caves
Huyen Khong is the largest cave and the reason most people come: a high hall with shrines cut into the rock and openings in the roof that let in shafts of light on sunny mornings. Tang Chon and Hoa Nghiem are smaller and quieter. Van Thong is a narrow rock chimney you can climb towards a circle of sky.
Am Phu cave, at the foot of the hill
Am Phu is a separate cave with its own entrance and ticket at 20,000 VND (~$1). It is laid out as the Buddhist underworld, with a bridge between life and death, scenes of judgement and a steep climb up towards daylight.
Why are there inscriptions on the rock?
The cliffs and caves of the Marble Mountains carry 78 texts carved in Chinese characters and Vietnamese Nom script, dating from the first half of the 17th century to the 20th. They were written by Nguyen emperors, mandarins, senior monks and scholars, and they record poems, dedications and the history of the place, including the stone-carving village below.
In November 2022 the inscriptions were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World register for Asia and the Pacific, the first internationally recognised heritage in Da Nang. The largest groups are in Hoa Nghiem and Tang Chon caves, with 20 inscriptions each.
What is Non Nuoc village?
Non Nuoc is the stone-carving village at the foot of the hills. Its craft was listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2014. Stone is no longer quarried from the mountains themselves, but the carvers still rough out statues by hand and chisel in yards along the roads around them.
The same roads are lined with large marble showrooms. Many coach tours stop at one of them, and the stop is a common complaint in reviews of those tours. A working yard, where you watch the carving rather than browse a shop floor, is a different visit.
When should you go, and for how long?
Go early. The gates open at 7:00, coach tours arrive from about 9:00, and the beams of light in Huyen Khong fall roughly between 9:00 and 11:00 on sunny days. Arriving at 7:30 to 8:30 gives you the stairs while they are quiet and puts you in the cave at the right hour.
| Plan | Time to allow |
|---|---|
| Thuy Son: pagodas, main caves and one viewpoint | 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Add Am Phu cave | +30 minutes |
| Add a stone-carving yard in Non Nuoc | +30 minutes |
February to May is the most comfortable time of year, dry and not yet at full summer heat. From September to December the steps are often wet and slippery, and the elevator can close in heavy storms.
What should you wear?
Cover shoulders and knees; the pagodas are places of worship and the rule is applied at the doors. Wear shoes with grip, because the marble steps are worn smooth and turn slippery when damp, and expect to take them off at the shrine rooms. Bring water and a hat: most of the climb is in the open.
Want the caves explained, not just photographed?
Two private days from Da Nang, each with a licensed local guide, every entrance fee paid and no stop at a marble showroom.
Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone Carvers5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern Light10 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountain, Vietnam: quick answers
Which of the Marble Mountains can you climb?
Thuy Son, the largest of the five hills, is the one set up for visitors, with its pagodas, caves, viewpoints, stairways and elevator. The other hills are smaller and not part of the ticketed visit.
Are the Marble Mountains really made of marble?
They are a mix of marble and limestone. The French gave them the name marble mountains in the late 19th century, and the stone of the hills was once carved in the village below.
How far are the Marble Mountains from Da Nang and Hoi An?
The Marble Mountains are about 8 to 9 km south of central Da Nang, around 20 minutes by car, and about 20 km north of Hoi An, around 25 to 40 minutes depending on traffic.
Is the elevator worth it?
The elevator replaces the 108-step east stairway from Gate 2 and stops at the terrace by the Xa Loi tower, just above Linh Ung pagoda. The caves and viewpoints beyond it are still reached on foot, so plan on climbing steps either way.
Spend the morning inside the mountain
Pick your group size and the price covers the whole day: private car, licensed guide, every ticket and water. Free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursfrom$39/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$135BOOK →2 guests$140BOOK →3 guests$150BOOK →4 guests$155BOOK →See the full tour page →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursfrom$89/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$265BOOK →2 guests$295BOOK →3 guests$325BOOK →4 guests$355BOOK →See the full tour page →Facts on the hills, inscriptions and opening hours were checked in September 2026; ticket prices are pulled from our booking system.