Marble Mountains & Monkey Mountain from Hoi An: Caves & Buddha Statue

Two limestone peaks, three caves, and a 17-meter Buddha statue in one morning

You're picked up from your hotel and driven to two limestone peaks near Da Nang. At Marble Mountains you walk through a 300-year-old marble carving village, climb through three caves with Buddhist shrines, and learn about the philosophy carved into the stone. After lunch you visit Monkey Mountain to see the Lady Buddha statue and walk a bonsai garden. The tour includes entrance fees, transport, lunch, and an English-speaking guide, so you don't arrange any of it yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Marble Mountains4h · entry included
2. Son Tra Mountain1h · entry included

Visit Marble Mountains and Monkey Mountain

• Pick up from hotel and transfer to Da Nang
• Arrive at Marble Mountains and visit stone sculpture village
• Climb Marble Mountains and visit pagodas and caves
• Visit Âm Phủ cave and learn about Buddhism
• Have lunch at local restaurant
• Transfer to Monkey Mountain
• Explore Lady Buddha statue and bonsai garden
• End tour and return to hotel

The experience

The van picks you up between 7:30 and 8 a.m. and heads south toward Da Nang, about 30 kilometers from Hoi An. You'll arrive at Marble Mountains, Ngu Hanh Son in Vietnamese, by 8:30, and the first thing you do is walk through the stone sculpture village at its base. Craftsmen have been carving here for over 300 years, and you'll see them working in open-air workshops, chiseling Buddha heads, dragons, and temple ornaments from blocks of marble and limestone. It's not a polished gallery. It's people actually making things, dust in the air, tools everywhere.

Then you climb. The Marble Mountains are five limestone hills shaped like fingers, and you'll spend the next hour and a half moving through them: up stairs, into caves, past pagodas built in the 19th century. An elevator exists if you want it, but most people walk. You'll pass through Huyền Không and Tàng Chơn caves first, both cool and dim, with Buddhist shrines tucked into the rock. Then comes Âm Phủ, the biggest cave, where light filters through openings in the stone ceiling and the walls are covered in Buddhist inscriptions and carvings. Your guide will explain the philosophy behind the imagery, though honestly the space itself does most of the talking. By 11 a.m. you're back down and eating lunch at a local restaurant: real Vietnamese food, not tourist versions of it.

After lunch, the van takes you to Monkey Mountain, also called Son Tra. The main draw here is the 17-meter marble statue of the Lady Buddha, visible from the Da Nang coastline on clear days. You walk through a bonsai garden (rows of small, shaped trees), and the whole place has a quieter, more meditative feel than the Marble Mountains. No crowds, no climbing. Just the statue, the view of the coast, and the sound of the wind. By 1 p.m. you're heading back to your hotel, which means the whole thing takes about five and a half hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned van, entrance fees to Marble Mountains and Monkey Mountain, a guided walk through the marble carving village and three caves, lunch at a local restaurant, bottled water, and an English-speaking guide throughout.

Options for this experience

9 options

Group Tour: Marble AfternoonGuide in English · 13:30Afternoon Marble Mountain outing: picks up from hotels in central Hoi An and Da Nang meeting points, visits Marble Mountains, Am Phu Cave and Monkey Mountains, then drops off at those hotels and meeting points. No lunch or dinner. Pickup is included.

Group Tour: Marble MorningGuide in English · 07:30Morning Marble Mountain outing: picks up from hotels in central Hoi An and Da Nang meeting points, then visits Marble Mountains, Am Phu Cave and Monkey Mountains; drops off at the same hotels and meeting points. Light local lunch included. Pickup is included.

Marble and Hoi An from Da NangGuide in English · 13:45Group tour: pickup in Da Nang from central hotels and meeting points, visiting Marble Mountains, Monkey Mountains, Hoi An Ancient Town and Hoi An Night Market. Drop-off at Da Nang central meeting points around 9 pm and in Hoi An around 8 pm. Dinner features Hoi An specialties (Cao Lau, chicken rice, wonton). Vegetarian and vegan options are available on request before booking. Pickup is included.

See 6 more options

Marble and Hoi An from Hoi AnGuide in English · 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00Group tour: pickup from Hoi An hotels and central meeting points, visiting Marble Mountains, Monkey Mountains, Hoi An Ancient Town and Hoi An Night Market. Drop-off at Da Nang central hotels or meeting points around 9 pm, or at Hoi An central hotels and meeting points around 8 pm. Dinner features Hoi An specialties (Cao Lau, chicken rice, wonton). Vegetarian and vegan options are available on request before booking. Pickup is included.

5. Private Tour: Marble MountainGuide in English · 8 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 15:00Private program: Marble Mountains, Am Phu Cave and Monkey Mountains, half day. Pickup and drop-off in central Hoi An and Da Nang. Pickup is included.

9. Marble + Coconut Jungle + Hoi AnGuide in English · 08:00Lunch and dinner: one local dish for lunch plus one set menu dinner. Full-day tour covering Monkey Mountains, Marble Mountains, Coconut Jungle and Hoi An. Pickup is included.

Private Tour: Marble and Hoi AnGuide in English · 7 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 14:00Private Tour of Marble and Hoi An: city tour covering Marble Mountains, Am Phu Cave, Monkey Mountains, Hoi An Ancient Town and Night Market. Pickup and drop-off in central Hoi An or Da Nang. PROMO CODE: DISCOUNT, plus advice on things to do. Please contact us! Pickup is included.

Private: Marble and Da Nang CityGuide in English · 7 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 14:00Marble and Da Nang City Tour: itinerary covers Hoi An/Da Nang, Marble Mountains, Am Phu Cave, Monkey Mountains, Cham Museum and Han Market. Pickup and drop-off at central Da Nang hotels or central Hoi An hotels. Pickup is included.

Group: Marble and Golden BridgeGuide in English · 07:30One-day tour covering Marble Mountains, Am Phu Cave, Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge. Pickup and drop-off in Hoi An and at meeting points in Da Nang. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day12 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 15:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (9 to 75 years) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 22 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see two major limestone sites and a famous Buddha statue without arranging transport, tickets, or a meal: the fixed schedule and included guide mean you step out of the van and walk, nothing else to organize.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years); Infant (under 4).

How long is the tour?

About 5.5 hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, including the drive to Da Nang, both sites, and lunch.

Is there an elevator at Marble Mountains?

Yes, an elevator is available if you don't want to climb the stairs, though most visitors walk.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, entrance fees to both sites, lunch at a local restaurant, bottled water, and an English-speaking guide.

How far is it from Hoi An?

Marble Mountains is about 30 kilometers from Hoi An, roughly 45 minutes to an hour by van.

Can I skip the caves and just see the Buddha statue?

The tour visits both sites as a package. If you want only Monkey Mountain, you'd need to arrange separate transport.

Is the tour suitable for people with limited fitness?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. You can use the elevator at Marble Mountains if climbing isn't comfortable, and Monkey Mountain involves mostly flat walking.

What time does the tour end?

The tour ends around 1 p.m., with return to your hotel by early afternoon.

Is lunch included?

Yes, lunch at a local restaurant with authentic Vietnamese cuisine is included.