9 March 2026
Ba Na Hills is a popular tourist destination in Vietnam featuring a replica of a France medieval town with beautiful flower gardens. In my last visit in Vietnam in 2017, I gave this place a miss since I was not convinced that I should spend precious travel time to see a replica French Village in Vietnam.
All that changed in June 2018 when the Golden Bridge was added. This 150 metre long pedestrian bridge appears to be cradled by two gigantic stone hands amidst the clouds and became an instant hit with travellers and photographers. The photographer in me makes me want to go see this bridge, at least once.
This striking bridge is one of the most photographed spots in Da Nang.
Getting to Ba Na Hills
Ba Na Hills is located 1,487 meters up in the Da Nang mountains and about 25 kilometres from Da Nang city center. We had booked a private van for a day for transportation from our hotel in Da Nang to Ba Na Hills and back.
We planned to arrive at 8.30 AM, before the large crowds that would come by tourist buses. The journey from Da Nang to Ba Na Hills took about 45 minutes and we arrived slightly ahead of schedule at about 8.15 AM.
En-route, we caught a glimpse of a 12 mete tall monument at a roundabout. A quick check reveal that this is a monument dedicated to a local hero named Lê Thị Danh (Mother Nhu) who sacrificed her life in 1968 to save soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Mother Nhu Monument dedicated to a local hero who died in 1968 after protecting soldiers during the Vietnam War.
The sculpture was constructed using roughly 7,000 bomb and bullet casings found in Da Nang.
Entrance at Ba Na Hills and Getting to the Golden Bridge
Despite getting to Ba Na Hills early in the morning, there were already some groups of visitors gathered outside the entrance.
Entrance area of Sun World Ba Na Hills.
As per plan, we made beeline to the Golden Bridge.
Map showing the layout of Ba Na Hills and cable car system up and down Ba Na Hills.
To get to the famed bridge, we had to take a cable car. Thanks to my travel companions, we had already booked our tickets online so we saved some time avoiding queues at the ticket booths. Each ticket cost 950,000 VND, without the buffet lunch option.
As we entered, staff members handed each of us a coupon that entitled us to 2 glasses of free beer or a snack up at the French Village.
It was a long walk from the entrance to the cable car station. Along the way, there are things to see such as statues of the Chinese Zodiac Signs, Koi pond and even shops trying to sell us some drinks, ice-cream and snacks.
There was no need for us to read the map as there were ushers pointing the way to the cable car station that would bring us to the Golden Bridge.
This is the place that our e-ticket is scanned before boarding the cable cars.
We took the cable car from Suoi Mo Station to Ba Na Station. This is the first cable car in Ba Na Hills and holders of two world records. It was the longest (5,042 m) single-wire cable car (record held from 2009 to 2013) and also the cable car of the largest altitude difference (1,291 m) between first and last stations (record held from 2009 to 2013).
Each cable car could only take a maximum of 6 persons, so our group of eight had to split up.
Ba Na Hills has one of the longest and highest cable car system in the world.
We saw some muddy waterfalls from the cable car. As we proceeded up the mountain, the visibility became worse as our cable cars entered into the thick clouds. I was wondering if we could see anything at the Golden Bridge as we could see nothing but fog from the cable car.
The cable car ride took about 15 to 20 minutes. After disembarking from the cable car, we took a short funicular ride further uphill.
The journey on the funicular took only a few minutes.
The Golden Bridge
It was slightly misty when we got onto the Golden Bridge. I think the photos that we took on the bridge did not turn out too bad, despite the misty conditions. There is no massive crowd but it would be near impossible to snap a photo with just ourselves in the frame.
Braving the cold weather on the Golden Bridge.
There was no rain but moisture from the clouds plus the slight wind made us feel chilly. My travelling companion kindly lends his new The North Face hiking jacket (bought from Han Market) to my wife to “test the insulation and waterproofness” as he puts it. The fake product passed the test. I should have bought one too!
The ladies putting on the newly bought hiking jackets.
We were feeling famished since we did not have a proper breakfast due to our early start. Thankfully there are stalls selling banh mi, hot dogs and other food inside the pavilion located at other end of the bridge.
The area at the center of the pavilion has benches and even heaters to keep us warm.
Enjoying our hotdogs and hot coffee.
After our meal, we had more time to explore and take more photos at the Golden Bridge before seeing the other attractions around this area.
Le Jardin d’ Amour or Garden of Love
There is a series of beautiful gardens stretching from Golden Bridge to Linh Ung Pagoda on the same hill. Most visitors will visit the gardens after seeing the Golden Bridge. There are lots of photo opportunities inside the massive garden.
Yellow Trumpet Flowers. There was a tulip festival during this period, so we got to enjoy plenty of colourful tulips.
Linh Ung Pagoda
Leaving the flower gardens we followed the signage that pointed us to a pagoda.
Walking towards the temple. Statues featuring the characters from Journey to the West.
Statue of Guan Yin riding on a green dragon in front of a water feature.
This is one of three Linh Ung Pagodas in Da Nang: the others are on Son Tra Peninsula and Marble Mountains.
The main attraction at Linh Ung Pagoda Ba Na Hills is the massive seated Buddha statue. It looked kind of mysterious towering above us against in the misty sky.
Statue of Buddha standing on a 6-meter-tall white lotus.
The statue’s base has an octagonal shape. Walking around it in a clockwise direction, my Buddhist friend and I discussed the eight pictorial panels that represent the life of Gautama Buddha. We also took a peek inside the base to see an altar.
Altar with a golden seated Buddha inside the lotus base.
Cable Car to the French Village
After seeing the Golden Bridge, flower gardens and Linh Ung Pagoda, the next place to visit will be the French Village located at the top of the mountain.
We had to walk back via the Golden Bridge to the Bordeaux Station to take another cable car to the Louvre Station. The ride took about 5 minutes and brought us to the French Village, located on the top at mountain at an elevation of around 1,400 meters.
The cable car is large enough for the 8 of us.
The Louvre Station complex is quite large and contains restaurants and stalls selling food and drinks. There are even massage chairs and booths with “sun heat” for those feeling cold.
These guys enjoying some warm inside this box.
Leaving the Louvre Station, we found ourselves in a 19th-century French/European village, complete with cobblestone streets, towering castle, buildings with medieval architecture and cathedral.
I originally thought this was a statue of Cupid, the god of love but it turns out I was wrong. This is Diana, the goddess of hunting.
French inspired village at Ba Na Hills.
This cathedral is real. Known as Saint Denis Church, we could go in to see the interior.
Inside the church.
Helios Waterfall located opposite the Ba Na Brew House.
Free beer and food at the Ba Na Brew House.
After checking out the French Village, we went to the brewery known as the Ba Na Brew House. It was time for a drink and we could use the coupons to claim our free beer or a dish of food. We could use the coupon to redeem 2 glasses (250 ml) of beer OR a dish of food.
Coupon that were given to everyone at the entrance to Ba Na Hills.
To get to the restaurant at the basement, we had to walk through the multi-level brewery which showcases how the beer is made.
We had to check in at the 3rd level and then made our way to the basement.
There are interpretative signs explaining the brewing process but none of my friends are interested to stop and look.
We finally arrived at the restaurant at the basement where we could hear singing and clapping led by a German band playing on stage. Very Oktoberfest kind of vibes.
The band did a good job to create an Oktoberfest atmosphere inside the Ba Na Brew House.
Once seated, we finally got our 2 glasses (250 ml) of craft beer brewed at Ba Na Hills and some French fries. I was quite amuse when I saw the server using a weighing scale to make sure I did not get more or less of the fries I was entitled to. Have to be exact.
Each couple, with 2 coupons, chose to have 2 craft beer and a small basket of French fries.
The band was still playing when we left to get our lunch.
Lunch at Ba Na Hills
Earlier when we walked into the plaza when the brew house was located, we saw and smelled the delicious aroma of chickens and pork belly roasting over charcoal fire. We could not resist the temptation. So our lunch at Ba Na Hills was BBQ chicken, crispy roast pork and beer which was pretty good.
These chickens and pork belly roasting above a charcoal fire smell so good.
We sat outdoor under a tent to enjoy the warm food and natural cool air.
Delicious and well seasoned BBQ chicken.
Kimchi is served with the BBQ Pork. Definitely a Korean influence but I am not complaining. It goes well with the meat.
Afterglow Cabaret Show
The cabaret show at Beer Plaza Restaurant is one of the highlights in Ba Na Hills. We caught the 1:30 PM performance and it is free of charge.
Ba Na Hills’s cabaret show times are from 1:30 to 2:00 PM, 3.30 to 4:00 PM, and from 6:30 to 7:00 PM everyday (except Tuesday).
The production includes an international cast of dancers and drag queens. The lead performers for the show are two renowned Thai transgender beauty queens and they are really pretty!
Nice choreography and impressive costumes.
After the show, guests are invited to take photos with the cast members.
Main stars are these two transgender beauty queens from Thailand.
Mini Amusement Park
At one end of the village there is a mini amusement park. Due to foggy and damp weather, the bumper cars and some rides were not opened.
However the spinning teacup ride was operational. Although this ride is usually meant for kids, some of us wanted to go have some fun.
Fun was what we got!
The speed of this ride at Ba Na Hills was much faster than expected and definitely not meant as a kiddy ride. The G-forces on the ride were quite strong, pushes us against the sides and I could hear people (guess who?) screaming in fear and excitement.
Screaming and hanging on for dear life!
We were all excited and laughing at ourselves at the end of ride!
The Spiritual Zone at Ba Na Hills
The Spiritual Zone at Ba Na Hills is a peaceful, high-altitude sanctuary featuring Buddhist temples, pagodas, and supposedly stunning mountain views, if we could see through the fog.
Map showing the layout of the Spiritual Zone.
There are some stairs to climb to the summit but the path is well decorated and beautiful.
Love the moss and plants growing on this figure of a squirrel.
The grand staircase with four stone dragons greeting visitors and a welcome archway with Chinese characters.
Very cute and likeable statues lined the sides of this stairs leading upwards.
There are yellow flowers that looked like trumpets above this guy.
We made a stop at the tea house located within the Spiritual Zone and we were in for a treat!
Tru Vu Tea Corner
There is a lady playing excellent music on what we thought was a guzheng. The instrument she used was actually a Vietnamese zither, known as the Đàn Tranh. Based on the Chinese guzheng, it is a traditional 16 to 17 string plucked instrument with a curved, long body and a pentatonic scale. This instrument featured in royal court music, folk melodies and even modern compositions.
Watching the lady creating beautiful sounds from the traditional musical instrument.
We sat on a wooden platform, sipping tea and mesmerised by the beautiful music coming out from the zither. She even accepted our requests to play some popular Chinese songs, including Teresa Teng’s 月亮代表我的心.
Linh Phong Tower - a nine-level, four-edge pagoda.
Leaving the tea house, we continued our way up and could hear the constant dong, dong sound of a bell being struck.
The bell is housed inside a bell tower. Guess who is ringing the bell.
Not a monk. Not a visitor.
It is a mechanised robot that rings the 1-ton bell!
Even monks are being replaced by robots.
It was slightly pass 4 PM when we took the cable car down. As we got lower, the sky cleared up a little to reveal the stunning views that we missed from the summit.
Long ride down the mountain.
On the way down, we shared the cable car with an interesting couple. The guy was a Malaysian who married a Vietnamese woman and is now living in Vietnam. During the 20 minutes ride down, we had an interesting chat about life in Malaysia and Vietnam.
Our driver picked us up as planned from the car park. We told him to take us to a Korean BBQ restaurant in downtown Da Nang for our dinner. On the way, I spotted an unusual sight of a motorcyclist with a pillion rider carrying what looked like a big kitchen sink or tub.
The Vietnamese are ingenious when it comes to using the motorcycle and solving a problem.
Overall, our daytrip to Ba Na Hills was enjoyable despite the foggy conditions. We got to see the famous Golden Bridge and we had some fun and laughter with good company.
A few weeks after I returned home, someone who is planning a trip to Da Nang asked me if Ba Na Hills was worth going.
My reply was:
Worth going to see the Golden Bridge since it is quite unique. The other attractions are sort of OK, nice but not really a must-see.
Been there, done that. I won’t be going back a second time.
200g of marinated beef ribs for 350,000 VND.
200g of Pork Belly or Samgyeopsal for 220,000 VND.
Steamed egg or Gyeran-jjim for 100,000 VND.
Seafood Soft Tofu Stew or Sundubu Jjigae for 160,000 VND.
