Bana Hills is 25 km from Da Nang to the Southwest and is located on the most beautiful mountain in Da Nang, 1,487 m above sea level. Bana is considered as the “green lungs” of the Central region and the “pearl of climate” of Viet Nam. This destination is very attractive to tourists because it has forest beauty, plentiful vegetational cover, fresh climate, and characteristics of the four seasons in a day. In the morning, the climate is cool because of mountain dew. At noon, it is perfect time to enjoy the sunshine of the summer in the cool air. The afternoon is the moment of autumn. And then winter comes to a romantic evening by the flickering light of the wine festival of ethnic group.
Bana Hills history
Ba Na’s name comes from a banana. When the French found Ba Na, the summit of the Lord’s mountain at 1,489 m altitude, they saw that there were many banana trees in the hill, so it’s called “Banane” in French. The Vietnamese people, then, gradually read it into Ba Na. That’s named Ba Na or Nui Ba Na – Bana Hills.
In February 1900, the General Governor of Indochina, Paul Doumer, sent the captain, Victor Adrien Debay, to research the mountains in Da Nang and Hue to find a right place to build resorts for relaxing. After many exploration trips, in April 1901, the army of Captain Victor Adrien Debay discovered Lord Mountains, which is Ba Na, a very suitable terrain to build villas here. Moreover, the tropical climate in Ba Na Mountain is very cool, airy and not far from Da Nang center to the West, so it is very convenient for resort and health care.
However, until 1912, the General Governor of Indochina finally issued a decree to Ba Na to become a forest conservation area. And, the first person to build a villa for relaxation on Ba Na Mountain was Beisson lawyer in May 1919. After many wars, especially after 1945, the resorts in Ba Na were abandoned and covered by forest trees in oblivion for nearly 50 years. In early 1997, Da Nang People’s Committee decided to rebuild Ba Na into an eco-tourism area with a system of guesthouses, restaurants and conservation areas. Thanks to that, Ba Na quickly became a top tourist destination of Da Nang city as well as Vietnam.
Weather in Bana Hills
Finest months to visit Bana Hills are from March to September. During it, there are many sunny hours and rainfall is low, which is really ideal to sightsee around and join outdoor activities. Because of being the best, you will face crowds and long queues if traveling in this period. April and May are peak months. For more pleasant weather, should arrive in early morning or late afternoon.
For first timers, morning is better because there are many interests around the mountain to explore. If being a repeater, the afternoon may be your choice to see new things, see sunset and wander around French village at night. If staying overnight in Bana Hills, you may be the first walker in any attraction there, for example Golden Bridge.
Wet months are from October to December in Da Nang. During it, Bana Hills weather features high humidity, dense midst and lots of rains. So, the scenery is often hidden away in clouds in low elevations but is blocked in higher ones. Performances of dancers are held indoors or canceled due to decreasing tourists. High humidity causes escalator breakdown and makes the steps always wet, so be careful when visiting this time.
In typhoons, the cable car is closed to ensure visitor safety, check the news or weather forecast carefully. The best time to make your trip is sunny days and in the ticket counters, the cashiers will show the weather at the time to you before any purchase.
Booking Bana Hills tickets
If you will be buying entrance tickets at the place, the price will be as displayed above. Bana Hills attracts a huge number of visitors and can get extremely crowded. To avoid the hustle and bustle of queuing at the gate, you should book Bana Hills tickets in advance. Discounts are offered when booking tickets online so you easily save not only your time but also at least USD 01 per person.
Check the price for Bana Hills Ticket now
What to explore at Bana Hills
First, of course, the Cable Car
Located at the peak of Chua Mountain, the only way to reach Bana Hills is via cable car. Bana Hills’ cable car system is one of the most impressive ten cable car lines in all over the world, so it is an attraction itself. The fee for cable car is already included in your ticket.
Read more: Exploring Bana Hills Cable Car: Price, Schedule, World Records and More
Don’t miss the Golden Bridge
The image of Golden Bridge supported by giant hands only appeared on social networks not long ago but immediately attracts the community. Located in the middle of the mountain, the bridge is designed to look soft and charming, with the entire bridge covered with a magnificent yellow. From the distance, the bridge is like a silk strip floating in white clouds. What makes the bridge more special is the huge supporting hand. Standing on the bridge, a majestic natural landscape will appear in front of you with white clouds and mountains.
Check in Le Jardin D’amour Gardens
Discovering the romantic and dreamy Le Jardin D’Amour is a must-do activity when you visit Bana Hill station. Nine different gardens will tell you nine different stories behind the architecture and the flowers. You may not be a fan of flowers, but when you encounter the lovely Arapang or the lively Daylily, your heart will skip a beat. And don’t forget to stop by the 100-year-old wine cellar nearby. You’d better prepare yourself, because you may get drunk not only on the beauty of the flowers but also on the finest wine.
Try wine in Centennial Cellar
Debay wine cellar, a one-of-a-kind structure built by the French people, was created and dug through Ba Na mountain in 1923. It is 100 meters long and in good condition with the continuous temperature of 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. But what makes it unique are the components that created the cellar. One of them is the litsea cubeba resin – which is found only in this area. This cellar challenges time every year, and it will continue to do so for centuries to come.
Pray Shakyamuni on Linh Ung Pagoda
Linh Ung, one of the most remarkable pagodas in Vietnam, is located in a poetic and sacred terrain at the altitude of nearly 1,500 meters. At the front of the pagoda there is a Benguet pine – an endangered species in the country. But what makes this place like-no-other is the 27-meter tall statue of Shakyamuni Buddha that looks forward to the city.
Take the train and climb the Mountain
Bana Hill has conducted surveys the transporting types of climbing train in Europe to allow visitors to have different experiences. The climbing train will help you easily move through landscapes such as Linh Ung pagoda, Le JardinD’Amour flower garden, and ancient villas with luxurious designs following modern European architecture.
Virtually live in beautiful French Village
Inspired by a journey around France with impressive destinations of the French missionary Pigneau de Behaine – the first foreigner set foot in Ba Na, French architectures created a stunning architectural space bold with European style of the 19thcentury.
Discover indoor Fantasy Park
The Fantasy Park is the ideal entertainment destination for the whole family. It was built and designed with the inspiration from two famous novels “Journey to The Center of The Earth” and “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” by the French writer Jules Verne. The area will open a world of amusement with lively and attractive games and activities, from wandering in the forest, exploring the dinosaur park to conquering the 29-meter tall Freefall summit and 5D cinemas. Not to mention that you will get access to over 90 free exciting games here.
Enjoy tea in Tru Vu Tra Quan (Trú Vũ Trà Quán)
Tru Vu Tra Quan tea house was built based on the traditional architecture of northern Vietnam, of which the interior is decorated with short square wood tables. It gives you the feeling of peace and tranquility thanks to its combination of great architecture, background music, and natural scenery. You will love observing the beauty of the sky, the immense primitive forest, and the splendor of the French village while sipping a cup of hot tea.
Watch Toc Tien (Tóc Tiên) Waterfall from above
On the cable car station of Toc Tien waterfall, you will be able to witness the panoramic view of Toc Tien flowing from above. According to stories from the old days, the fairies used to come to play here and admire the beautiful landscapes so they forgot to come back the sky, leaving long hair crossing over 9 floors of stones, creating heroic Toc Tien waterfall as nowadays.
Swim in the Attic Pool
Located in Mercue hotel looking like a massive, magnificent, and sumptuous castle of the populations of French Village of Bana Hills, but very few people know that, it is hidden inside a swimming pool with exclusive architecture style, reproducing the luxuries of European nobility since the ancient times.
Take part in festivals in Bana Hills
Don’t miss out on these fascinating festivals occurring in Bana Hills:
- The Flower festival from February to September
- The Carnival festival from April to September
- The wine festival during May
- The beer festival from June to September
- The Halloween festival during October
- The winter festival on Christmas
Sip divine sausages
After all, the journey of exploring Bana Hills will be fuller if you can enjoy a hot and scented sausage. In any corner of Bana Hill, you could also easily buy it. In the fresh cold air of the clouds, taking a bite of sausage is wonderful. It is said that, visiting Bana Hills without eating at least a grilled sausage during the trip means that the trip cannot be completed.
The schedule suggests visiting Bana Hills 1 day
One day tour is enough to delight you to enjoy the most unique features of Bana Hills. This itinerary for who like to explore more details with slow style. You can start later 8:30 am or 9:00 am.
- 7:00: Start moving from Da Nang or Hoi An to the foot of Bana Hills.
- 8:00: Arrive and prepare for the procedure to use the cable car. Freedom to watch and take a picture of the surrounding landscape, remember to watch the beautiful water orchestra right at the entrance. Time of cable car travel is 20 minutes – 25 minutes/trip.
- 8:30: Visit the majestic Buddha statue and Linh Ung Pagoda of Bana Hills.
- 9:30: Visit Loc Uyen and Quan Am gardens right behind Linh Ung Pagoda, continue to the second cable car up to Morin station (you can choose to go by mountain train, price is included with cable car ticket); visit Le Jardin D’Amour and Debay cellar or Pure Land House.
- 10:30: Visit Fantasy Park amusement park.
- 12:00: Have lunch at Morin restaurant.
- 13:30: Visit Ba Chua Thuong Ngan temple, Temple of Mau Thuong Ngan, bell tower, top of Bana Hills, Linh Phong Tu tower.
- 14:30: Visit the French village.
- 16:00: End and leave Bana Hills by the 3rd cable car.
Read more: A Complete Guide to Bana Hills
Souvenirs at Bana Hill
Cham Stone is the only high-end souvenir shop complex in Bana Hills with hundreds of diversified items. Here you can carve portraits or shop for unique and interesting gifts for your loved ones. Of course, prices here are quite high.
Han Market is the place where you can buy local products or gifts for friends and family significantly cheaper than here.
Reviews Bana Hills on Tripadvisor
Wonderful place to spend the day, especially if the humidity of the plains is getting you down. Lots to see and do, even now in the “off” season. Initially I thought a full day would be too long, but we enjoyed our time, and even didn’t see everything available. The Bridge was a little crowded at first, but we waited for the tour groups to pass through, then got some great photos. Being surrounded by clouds was a unique experience, but dropped the temperature significantly. Made the trip back down the cable-car surreal as you couldn’t see a few metres in front of you in the mist.
Rob P (Perth, Australia)
I’ve always wanted to visit Baba Hill and finally made. Overall experience was good and the views are just mesmerizing and beautiful, especially the view of Da Nang city from above.
My sister and I definitely enjoyed ourselves the whole day activities at the highlands. Weather was cooling and it does give you an experience of a French village.
Ng Adeline (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia)
I went to the Golden Bridge, the flowers garden and the French Village , don’t miss any it’s really a so beautiful site! From land it’s about 30min funicular to reach the golden bridge , it’s spectacular! Take your umbrella in case the rain can surprise you on top . By walk you can reach the flowers garden , the wine cellar , the love garden snd Buddha Statue, beautiful spots to take pics! Then I took another short funicular to reach the French Village , it’s a reconstruction of medieval village inspired by French , really nice! The site is very clean and full of nice souvenir shops , cafe and restaurants.
Maruzz (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
Getting to Bana Hills
All road vehicles are convenient to get to Bana Hills from Central Vietnam cities, particularly Da Nang and Hoi An. A private rental is easy to find anywhere, but looking for a seat only, Da Nang’s tour operators provide more options than Hoi An. Lots of travelers choose to ride a motorcycle by themselves, because it is cheaper. Guided day trip is another smart choice, often including round trip transfer from hotel, guide, entrance fee and tickets, cable car and lunch. Being aware that a Bana Hills tour always covers a visit to Golden Bridge and vice versa.
Parking lots are plentiful in the foot of Bana Hills, visible from the cabins. If riding your motorcycle, leave it in the area near the second traffic cirlcle. Easier, when you can’t ride further, the staff shows you where to park the bike. There is no fee charged.
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