Bana Hills is an exotic theme park with lots of recreational amenities perched on a high mountain (1487 meters above the sea level) in the outskirts. It is located 35 km from Da Nang center and approximately 45 km from Hoi An ancient town. To reach Bana Hills, you need to take one of the world’s longest cable car systems.
Quick introduction of Bana Hills cable car
The cable car system was built with Australian technology, with equipment imported from Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. Basically, these cable cars are similar to those you’d find in the Alps. The Ba Na telpher system has a total of 201 cabins and a capacity of 3,000 people per hour. Each cabin covers six metres per second and accommodates up to ten people. The entire network brings approximately 1 million visitors a year to Ba Na mountain. It will take you about 15-20 minutes to travel from the foot of the mountain to the top of Ba Na by modern cable car system
Bana Hills cable cars four Guinness World Records
Wining 04 world records, Bana Hills cable car has been voted as one of 10 most impressive cable cars in the world.
- It is the longest single-wire cable car system in the world, Ba Na hills cable car length of 5,771.61 meters.
- This is the cable car route with the highest difference between the departure and arrival stations in the world, with a distance of 1,368.93 meters.
- It is the world’s longest unconnected cable car route, with a length of 11,587 meters.
- The Bana hills cable car has the heaviest cable reel in the world, with 141.24 tons.
Bana Hills cable car is not only for transporting passengers up and down Bana Hills but also a very attractive tourist product. It is extremely amazing looking down from Bana Hills cable car and getting whisked up into the clouds before spotting the French village atop the mountain is quite a strange experience. You’ll also spot natural attractions such as waterfalls and mountain range throughout the ride. The cable car ride is totally worth the price alone.
Bana Hills cable car lines
Now, Bana Hills has 5 cable car lines and soon more with on-going constructions. Not only 2 rides to go up and down, here travelers have the chance to experience extra without charge, with a pair of transiting lines between major areas.
The line 1&2
This is the first cable car line built in Bana Hills history. Launched in March 2009, it immediately holds 2 world records: the line of the largest elevation between its stations (over 1,290 meters) and the longest single-track line (5 km). The first is always special. Each of its 94 cabins is designed with a shape of bell cherry blossom, the emblem of the hill station. Number of passengers allowed is 8 persons maximum. While sitting in its cabin, it’s possible to view Toc Tien waterfall flowing down from a 700-meters-high cliff. If getting another cable car, you just can see a part or can’t see. Whichever ride up or down, Line 1 is the favourite of so many people and sometimes forgotten because of newer lines. Line 2 is from the end of Line 1 to the Bana Hills French Village.
The line 3
Because of stunning experience and two world records, the first cable line became popular to visitors quickly and so that, overloaded. To make the queues shorter, Line 3 was constructed in 2013. Up to day, this second-built line is still only non-stop, from foot of the hills to the French village. With an addition of 80 meters, it replaces its older brother’s place, to be the world’s largest elevation between two terminals. Three other records of it are the longest unpatched wire (11.587 meters), the longest one-wire sling (5.777 meters) and the heaviest cable roll (approximately 142 tonnes). This is also to celebrate the 38th commemoration of the Vietnam war stopping in Da Nang.
86 cabins are designed to be able to transport 3,000 passengers per hour and each one contains 10 people maximum. It takes 17 minutes to complete a ride in Line 3. Thanks to being without transit, lots of travelers choose it, to avoid joining the queue twice in high seasons. However, the guide in organized tours also recommends his visitors to return to the city by this line, making its upper station (L’Indochine) often packed.
The line 4&5
Opened from 2017, Line 4 and 5 are the youngest Ba Na Hills cable car, aiming to serve visitors the quickest ride to awesome attractions as possible. Line 4 starts from a station by open landscaped spaces inspired from Hoi An town and ends in somewhere near the Golden bridge. So, it becomes the best choice for those who would like to visit that world-famous bridge first. Thanks to being modernest, cabins of it contain most passengers. For a big group, that’s so great to sit beside and enjoy everything together. Line 5 gives a ride from flower gardens to the French village (same to Line 2). It’s free of charge and takes only a few minutes.
Suggested lines for Bana Hills
The best itinerary is that of selecting one line to reach up the mountain and another to go down. But if most lines are run at the same time, which one is nicest to begin the first ride?
Hoi An Station – Golden Bridge + Love Garden + Wine Cellar, Linh Ung Pagoda – Bordeaux Station – Louver Station – French Village+ Amusement Park, Spiritual Zone – L’indochine Station – Da Nang
Entering from Hoi An Station (05). Get to the lower level first, and walk on the Golden bridge (20) before the crowds hit. Once you are finished at the Golden bridge, you can also visit Love Garden and Wine Cellar or ride the Funicular from Le Jadin Station (13) to D’amour Station (12). Finally, take the short cable car route from Debay Station (11) to Morin Station (29) and the French Village.
On your way out, don’t go through the lower level again. Instead, head to L’indochine Station (30) taking the long cable car straight to the ground floor. This way, you have the chance to ride the longest cable in the world on your way down (5.801 meters). But also, if it’s still daylight, enjoy the stunning waterfall that can be seen from this route.
Read more: A Complete Guide to Bana Hills
Bana Hills cable car stations
There are 10 stations at the moment, 3 in the foot of the mountain and 7 in the upper parts. In addition, 3 of 10 serve as a transit place for the rides between two main areas: the Golden bridge and French Village. Name of stations links to local history and French culture.
Toc Tien and Ba Na Stations (Line 1)
Toc Tien and Ba Na are two cable car terminals of Line 1, the first in Bana Hills. Toc Tien (for departures) is named the same as a breath-taking white water fall nearby. It means “the hair of fairy lady”. To get to it, visitors need to walk upstairs quite far from the ticket counters. Escalators are available but sometimes broken down because of high air humidity. After leaving the station for a few minutes, you can see that wonderful waterfall from the cabin.
The last station is Ba Na and it takes 15 minutes to get there. From Ba Na station, you can take a short walk to Debay station (to reach the French village). With the same distance, D’Amour station provides a funicular ride up to a place between Golden bridge and flower gardens. Before the presence of the mountain train, you access Linh Ung pagoda by a road and steps close by. Now, many people still choose to avoid the queue in stations during the high seasons. Some nice pictures can be taken en route, with cabins moving through clouds, above wooded mountains or colorful hydrangea flowers.
Debay and Morin Stations (Line 2)
Line 2 allows you to get to the French village after Line 1 finishes. To take a ride on its cabins, come to Ba Na station near the lower station of the funicular and downstairs from Linh Ung pagoda. During its 5-mins duration, you can view Vong Nguyen hill where old French villas still stand and Da Nang’s largest mountain roller coaster. The arrival station is Morin, name of a French businessman who built the first hotel in Bana Hills. He also owned many others around the country in the colonial time. After getting off the cabin, you need to walk upstairs for a while. From the main entrance of the station, a broad view over the French village is provided, popularly appearing in social media. Upper floors are home to the Morin restaurant where a la carte menu is served.
From Morin station, it’s convenient to get all parts of the whole area. Turn right, you can get Morin hotel, Starbuck, the Twelve zodiac signs, high viewpoints and Beer Plaza restaurant. Walking down all the steps and turning left, the entrance of Fantasy theme park is on the lowest terrace. Going straight, temples in the summit and the rest of the village can be accessed.
Suoi Mo and L’Indochine Stations (Line 3)
As the highest cable car station, Suoi Mo is where the cabins of Line 3 depart. Its name is taken from the nearby waterway, meaning “the Fairy stream”. The stream can be seen from the cabin at the beginning. It takes 17 minutes to arrive at the next (last) station, L’Indochine, name of the French colonial federation for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. During a ride of this non-stop line, passengers move above the untouched environments of Ba Na-Nui Chua nature reserve. To the further left, the highest peaks are in Bach Ma national park and much closer, on-going construction of a new line. After leaving the cabin in the upper station, you will walk upstairs or get escalators, and at the end of the passageway, that is the centre of French village. From there, all places are easily reached. In the late afternoon (high seasons), the line of waiters for the return ride is really long.
Hoi An and Marselle Stations (Line 4)
Because of being youngest, Hoi An station is the largest cable car terminal in Bana Hills. From ticket counters, you need to walk in the big Three-arched Gate first. Then, walk upstairs to the upper terrace and follow the signal boards. Generally, the station is to the left and on the way, Hoi An-inspired landscaped gardens provide much photo opportunties. To meet the cabins, once again, it’s needed to walk over steps and while being close by them, you can see a scene of Hoi An at night. Sit back and enjoy fantastic sceneries along the 15-mins ride, among the bests you can see. Giant outcrops are such spectacular below the cabin, featuring tree-free surfaces (like Australian Uluru).
The arrival is Marseille station. From there, insprirational Golden bridge is after a short walk to the right. In the Dome, live circuits and performances of dancers usually occur. The way leading to the station for reaching French village is just nearby (namely Bordeaux). If don’t take a cabin in Line 2 (or it doesn’t open), you have to return here to reach the village, another draw.
Bordeaux and Louvre Stations (Line 5)
Line 5 is among the shortest lines in Ba Na Hills cable car network, from Bordeaux station near Golden bridge to Louvre station. It takes a few minutes to transfer, but allows you to see some historical sites. There are a white villa sitting atop the hill that the owner of Bana Hills gave to sir Thanh Da Nang’s first president, and remains of French villas. In the near future, leisure houses will be reconstructed to provide tourists rooms to stay over. The road the colonists built to get to the hill station is visible too. Because of these reasons, both stations are named by famous cities in France. When arriving, you need to walk quite long (slippery on rainy days) to go to other places. At the end of the passageway with paintings inspired by French art, just go straight to get to the Arapang buffet restaurant.
Read more: Guide to Visit the Golden Bridge Like a Pro
Bana Hills cable car timetable
Bana Hills opening hours are from 7:00 am to 9:30 pm daily. Therefore, you can experience the cable car service in that period of time. However, it can change depending on weather conditions, maintenance and number of tourists in the day. The top tip is that you should have a double check with the staff right in the place, to ensure opening and closing times of all lines made sense.
Bana Hills cable car tickets
One ticket provides access to all cable car lines and entrance into almost all areas of Bana Hills Park. You can book the Bana Hills cable car on spot or book online here. Although many cashiers are available, you should book it online since it is cheaper than the official price and you don’t have to queue in a long line at the counter.
Booking online Here with Up to 20% Discount
Some notes when taking Bana hills cable car
The cabin door is automatically opened and closed, so do not put your hands or feet near or lean against the door. Plus, sit on both sides of the row of seats and do not lean out of the cabin. Additionally, do not bring explosives or toxic substances into the cabin.
Furthermore, no smoking in the cabin, and no litter. Besides, do not bring food or drinks into the cabin. Last but not least, when the cabin suddenly stops moving, please stay calm and stay in place.
Recommend Bana Hills tours with cable car included
With this trip, you will experience one day in Bana Hills with the longest and highest cable car ride, immerse in protected natural reserver area with variety of floral and fauna, bird and animal, have fun with many exciting games at Fantasy Park Amusement Park. On each tour stop, an english speaking guide will give you interesting information.
Some suggested tours from Da Nang or Hoi An
