How to Spend a Perfect Day at Ba Na Hills

Ba Na Hills (Sun World Ba Na Hills) is a hill resort some 40 km west of Da Nang, constructed in the 1920s as a French hill station and redeveloped in the present form as a complex of theme parks. Situated at some 1,500 m above sea level, it is cool and misty relative to the coast line. The only access is by cable car (15-20 minute ride covering ~5.8 km), itself is a big attraction.
Just so you know, CNN ranked the gondolas of Ba Na as among the world's 10 most impressive cable-car systems, and they set four Guinness records (longest spans, etc.)

Around 22,000 people visit Bana Hills daily

Once you get up top, get ready for a packed day of fun because you will get to experience Europe-like villages, gardens, thrilling rides and much more. Below are our top recommendations on how to get the most of one memorable day in Ba Na Hills:

1. Ride the Award-Winning Cable Cars

Take a ride in a world-class gondola at the bottom station where you will glide effortlessly up the mountain through forests and across waterfalls. On a clear morning you can enjoy panoramic 360° views all the way back to Da Nang and its beach. (The experience takes around 15-20 minutes.)
To avoid crowds, go for first cars at 8 AM. Bring a change of clothes because while it may be hot in Da Nang it is often cool or misty at the top.
Note: the cable cars are wheelchair accessible and manned to assist with boarding so Ba Na is accessible to most all travelers.

2. Capture the Golden Bridge (Cầu Vàng)

The famed Golden Bridge is a 150 metre long walkway held up by giant stone hands which is Ba Na’s star attraction. This is the one you see in most pictures about bana hills online!
It feels like you’re strolling among the clouds. To get that signature “empty bridge” shot, arrive here first thing in the morning before tour groups arrive. The broad balustrade is lined with planters and offers panoramic mountain views; on a clear day you can see for miles across the jungle and coastline.

Tip: an overnight stay at Mercure Danang French Village Ba Na or an early shuttle means you can catch sunrise at the bridge, which is magical!

3. Stroll through the Fairy-Tale French Village

Once you descend from the Golden Bridge, you're in a storybook French-style village. Picture cobblestone squares, pastel villas, a small Gothic cathedral and even a clock tower. Stroll between cafes and stores, strike a pose by the fountain or under a church spire and enjoy live music in the plaza.
The village itself is in classic 19th-century French/medieval design (even Notre-Dame-inspired St. Denis Cathedral looms at its center). It is quite photogenic around every corner with arch topped balconies, flower boxes and old-fashioned bicycles. 
Take your time as this is so pretty you'll want to take a sip of a coffee in a street-side cafe and take it all in.

A lot of Vietnamese tourists who visit Ba Na hills come here especially for French village photo shoots!

4. Enjoy a Casual Stroll Through the Le Jardin D’Amour (Garden of Love)

Take the hillside funicular or the tram to Le Jardin D'Amour, Ba Na's expansive bloom garden. It is a set of nine theme gardens (Italian, Japanese, Renaissance, etc.) in a line between the village and Linh Ung Pagoda.

 
Highlights are a giant chessboard plaza and hedge maze. Specifically of note is the Love (Couple) Garden with a ballerina-statue centerpiece. In the spring annual flower festival this spot is a blaze of color, but at other times of the year it is loaded with roses, orchids and neatly trimmed bonsai. It is a quiet spot to sit back and take photos on arching bridges or maze walks and experience a more peaceful time amidst the blooms.

5. Get Your Adrenaline Fix at Fantasy Park (with Alpine Coaster)

Adjoining the French Village is Fantasy Park, a huge indoor amusement center (three floors of games, rides and cinemas). Kids and grown-ups alike can spend hours here. Try classic arcades and bumper cars on Level 1, or catch a 3D/4D/5D movie on Level 2. The real thrills are up on Level 3: there’s a 29m drop-and-twist tower (built like a wild descent from a Jules Verne novel).
Outside the park, don’t miss the Alpine Coaster which is a toboggan-like roller-coaster that you control with hand brakes as it races down the hillside (up to 40 km/h). Lines can build up by midday, so if you’re an adrenaline junkie head here right when the park opens, or loop back late in the afternoon.

6. Snap Photos with Waxwork Celebrities

The Ba Na Wax Museum is a silly diversion, worth a visit if you're looking for an indoor break or if you're traveling with children. Life-sized replicas of world celebrities line the corridors: take silly selfies with wax Taylor Swift, Obama, David Beckham, Bruce Lee and more. It is included in the price of your ticket and provides an odd but family-friendly break from activity. 
Tip: the wax museum is on the route to Linh Ung Pagoda, so it works well in this section of the loop.

7. Find Serenity at Linh Ung Pagoda (Big Buddha)

A very short walk from Fantasy Park is Linh Ung Pagoda at the spiritual center of the Ba Na Hills. Here is a massive 27 meter tall white Buddha statue on a round temple plateau. At 1,500 m altitude it is the highest temple in central Vietnam and has terrific views back down the mountains below.
It is a peaceful place where you should take a moment to inhale the incense and take in the panorama of Danang in front. (Behind the main Buddha is the Linh Phong Zen monastery and the Holy Mother Shrine if you wish to explore more.) 

Most of people we talked to said that the peace they felt at Linh Ung and the panorama of the Buddha gazing down the valley is one of the most memorable experiences up top. Even if you are not a religious person, this might be worth it!

8. Savor a Historical Wine-Tasting at Debay Cellar

Below the pagoda is the Debay Ancient Wine Cellar, the sole surviving remnant of colonial Ba Na. Carved into the mountain in 1923, it used to store French wine at a stable cool temperature. Nowadays you can explore the stone tunnels and barrels and taste wine that is produced in Ba Na. 
If you're visiting in May, do take in the Ba Na wine festival where stalls sell Vietnamese wines and eats amidst the barrels right here. Even outside of festival seasons, the cool damp environment inside the cellars is a nice foil to the warm garden above.

9. Sip Tea at Tru Vu Teahouse with a View

Relax at Tru Vu Tea House. The turn-of-the-century wooden pavilion is right among pine trees and overlooks the mountainside. Stop by for a hot Vietnamese tea or coffee for a short break. The outdoor setting lets you enjoy the Mountain fresh air and valley views while you take a break amidst the thrills of Fantasy Park. (There are also snack booths and a cafe house in the French Village square in case you're looking for something similar to a European-American coffee shop.)

10. Visit Ba Na Golf Course (or Simply Enjoy the View)

If you've still got time and inclination, the Sun World Ba Na Hills Golf Club is a breathtaking way to round the day off. This 18‑hole, par-72 championship golf course (by Luke Donald) goes through the mountainous landscape. Even if you're not a golfer, the 12th tee is itself one of Vietnam's most dramatic vistas with lush fairways tumbling into forest with the far mountains providing a background. 

If golfing is not your activity of choice, one of the restaurants perched up on the hill or a viewing platform is a great spot to sit back and enjoy the sunset on the Ba Na Hills. Once it gets dark the French Village is ablaze with soft bulbs and the cable cars keep going until 10:00 PM, providing you with a final whimsical ride down the mountain after a busy day of exploration.

11. Sip Bavarian style brews at the mountaintop brewery

See the distinctive Ba Na Brew House which is a glass-fronted microbrewery at 1478m, to experience Sun Kraftbeer, the park's German-style in-house craft lager. Tour the brewing tubs and taste freshly tapped beer amidst refreshing mountain scenery.
If you're visiting in summer (approximately May-Aug), budget for the Sun Kraftbeer Festival which is a fun beer and food extravaganza on the hilltop where you can savor the unique tastes of the world of crafts beer with Bavarian sausages and live music. 

Tip: Combine a sunset cable-car ride with a late afternoon brewery visit so you're tasting in the cooler air. (The Beer Plaza restaurant also has a buffet dinner - approximately 450K VND - with draft beer.)

Follow our advice and you will get to experience all the hotspots without falling into the usual traps. With a mix of great scenery, culture and entertainment in store, the Ba Na Hills is a memorable one-day outing for the whole family. Enjoy the climb up the mountain!