My Son Sanctuary tour: sunset boat on Thu Bon River

Walk through ancient ruins, then glide past riverside life at sunset on Thu Bon River

This guided tour from Hoi An takes you to My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site of Champa ruins, for two hours of walking and learning with an English-speaking guide, followed by a boat trip back down the Thu Bon River at sunset. Hotel pickup is included; the tour runs about five hours total. Lunch (set menu) comes with the morning option; both departures include a Champa Apsara Dance performance and a bottle of water.

Step-by-step itinerary

My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An boat trip

• Pick up at hotel
• Travel to My Son Sanctuary
• Walk and explore My Son site
• Watch Champa traditional performances
• Transfer to wharf
• Boat trip on Thu Bon River
• Arrive and drop off at Hoi An hotel

The Experience

The guide picks you up at your hotel between 1:00 and 1:30 pm and drives you to My Son Sanctuary, arriving around 3:00 pm. You have two hours to walk through the landscape of ancient Champa temples, learning the history of the site from your local guide. During this time, you'll watch a Champa Apsara Dance performance in the My Son Tower—a traditional performance that connects you to the culture that built these ruins. The site itself sits in a valley, which the operator notes helps you avoid the crowded areas where most visitors cluster.

At 5:15 pm, you head back to the van and transfer to the wharf for the boat trip. The Thu Bon River is the largest river in Central Vietnam, and the journey back to Hoi An takes you through the Vietnamese countryside at the hour when the light is best for photographs. Local people work along the riverbanks—fishing, farming, moving goods—and the boat moves slowly enough that you can watch their daily routines. The breeze off the water cools the late afternoon heat. You arrive back in Hoi An around 6:00 pm and are dropped at your hotel.

The morning option includes a set-menu lunch; both versions include the guide, air-conditioned transport, water, the Champa dance, and the boat ride. Entrance fees to My Son Sanctuary are separate. If you choose the boat trip, an electric car ticket inside the sanctuary (30,000 VND per person) is also separate. Tips for the guide and driver are your choice.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An.
• English-speaking local guide.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• a bottle of mineral water.
• Champa Apsara Dance performance at My Son Tower.
• two hours walking through My Son Sanctuary.
• boat trip on the Thu Bon River at sunset.
• Vietnamese Banh My food (set-menu lunch included with the morning option only).

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Venus Travel

Is this one for you?Book the sunset departure if you want the river journey timed to the best light for photographs and the cooler breeze of late afternoon. Choose the morning option if lunch matters to you—it is the only version that includes a meal, and the earlier start gives you more daylight at the ruins before the boat ride home.

Traveler reviews

4.85★★★★★★★★★★

603 verified traveler reviews

5 ★536

4 ★48

3 ★13

2 ★6

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What is My Son Sanctuary and why is it worth the trip from Hoi An?

My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site—a valley of ancient Champa temples built between the 4th and 14th centuries. The ruins show the architectural and religious history of the Champa Kingdom, which ruled Central Vietnam before the Vietnamese expansion. Walking through the site with a guide who can explain the history and the Apsara Dance performance that happens there makes the ruins legible in a way a solo visit would not.

How much time do I actually spend at My Son, and what do I do there?

You have two hours at My Son Sanctuary. You walk through the temple landscape with your guide, who explains the history and significance of the structures. During this time, you also watch a Champa Apsara Dance performance in the My Son Tower. The operator notes the site has relax space away from the crowded areas, so you are not fighting crowds the whole time.

What is the boat trip back to Hoi An like?

The boat trip on the Thu Bon River takes you from the wharf back to Hoi An at sunset, traveling through the Vietnamese countryside. You see local people working along the riverbanks—fishing and farming—and the breeze off the water cools the late afternoon. The journey is slow enough for photography, and the timing catches the light when it is best for pictures of the river and the activities along its banks.

Does this tour include lunch, and what do I eat?

Lunch is included only if you book the morning option—it is a set menu of Vietnamese food. Both the morning and sunset departures include Banh My, a Vietnamese local food, as part of the tour. If you choose the sunset departure, you will want to eat before the tour or plan dinner after you return to Hoi An.

What costs are not included in the tour price?

Entrance fees to My Son Sanctuary are not included in the tour price and are paid separately. If you take the boat trip, an electric car ticket inside the sanctuary costs 30,000 VND per person and is also separate. Tips for your guide and driver are optional.

Does the tour work for families with young children?

Yes. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and infants can sit on an adult's lap. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The operator does note it is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, since the two hours at My Son involve walking through the temple landscape.