My Son UNESCO Tour: Cham Temples & Da Nang Visit

Walk through centuries of Cham temple ruins, then see how the kingdom's art survived in stone sculpture and modern Da Nang.

This shore excursion departs from Chan May or Tien Sa Port and takes you to My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage site built by the Cham people between the 4th and 13th centuries. Your English-speaking guide leads you through the temple complex, explains the history of each structure, and helps you photograph the Hindu tower-temples and bas-relief carvings. After lunch at a local restaurant, you visit the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture (the largest collection in Central Vietnam), the Da Nang Cathedral, and the Dragon Bridge before returning to port an hour before your ship departs. The tour runs 8 hours and includes entrance tickets, transport, bottled water, and a modern vehicle with a safe driver.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. My Son Sanctuary1h 30m · entry included
2. Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture30m · entry included
3. Dragon Bridge15m · entry included
4. Da Nang Cathedral30m · entry included
5. My Khe Beach10m · entry included

My Son and Da Nang City Tour

• Pick up from Chan May or Tien Sa Port
• Transfer to My Son Holyland UNESCO site
• Explore My Son temples with guide
• Enjoy scenic views around My Son
• Transfer to Da Nang city
• Have lunch with local food
• Visit Cham Sculpture Museum
• Visit Da Nang Cathedral
• Take photos at Dragon Bridge
• Enjoy Da Nang modern city views
• Transfer back to port

The experience

How do you fit a UNESCO site, a major museum, and a city tour into a port day without missing your ship? This excursion solves that by timing everything to your departure: you pick your own pickup time from the port, and the guide gets you back exactly one hour before the vessel leaves. The route moves from the temples themselves to the art they inspired, so you see both the ruins and how the Cham kingdom's vision survived in sculpture and architecture.

My Son Sanctuary is the core of the day. The temples were built without mortar, stacked stone by stone from the 4th century onward, and your guide walks you through the layout explaining which structures date to which period and why the Cham people chose this valley surrounded by jungle. You'll see the tower-temples decorated in bas-relief and learn how the kingdom built and rebuilt the site over nine centuries. The countryside views on the drive there set the scale of what you're about to walk through.

After lunch with local food, the focus shifts to how the Cham legacy moved into the modern city. The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture holds the biggest collection in Central Vietnam, so you see the same artistic language in smaller, portable form. The Da Nang Cathedral combines five religions in its design (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Catholicism, and Islam), and you get 30 minutes to photograph it. The Dragon Bridge, the symbol of Da Nang itself, rounds out the city portion before the drive back to port.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off from Chan May or Tien Sa Port timed to your ship's schedule.
• English-speaking licensed guide throughout.
• entrance tickets to My Son Sanctuary and the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• bottled water.
• modern vehicle with a safe driver.
• photo stops at the Dragon Bridge and Da Nang Cathedral.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Da Nang Hoi An Private Tours & Shore Excursion

Is this one for you?Book this if your ship docks at Chan May or Tien Sa: your guide times the tour to match your departure, picking you up from port and returning you before you need to board.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How much time do I actually spend at My Son, and what can I see in that time?

My Son Sanctuary takes up the main portion of the 8-hour tour. Your guide leads you through the temple complex, explaining the history of structures built from the 4th to 13th centuries, pointing out the bas-relief carvings and tower-temples, and showing you how the Cham people constructed the site without mortar. The surrounding valley and jungle views are part of the experience.

Will the tour get me back to the ship on time if I have a tight departure window?

Yes. You provide your pickup and drop-off times when you book, and the guide coordinates with your cruise ship schedule. The tour is timed to return you to port one hour before your vessel departs, giving you a buffer for any delays.

What is the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, and why does it matter?

The Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture holds the largest collection of Cham art in Central Vietnam. After seeing the temple ruins at My Son, the museum shows you how the same artistic tradition survived in portable stone sculpture, giving you a second angle on the kingdom's visual language.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food will I eat?

Yes, lunch at a local restaurant is included. The tour describes it as local food, giving you a chance to eat what people in the region actually cook rather than tourist-focused fare.

What is the Dragon Bridge, and how much time do I spend there?

The Dragon Bridge is the symbol of Da Nang city. You stop to take photos of it as part of the city portion of the tour, which follows your museum visit and lunch.

Do I need to be in good physical shape to do this tour?

The operator notes that travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. My Son involves walking through the temple complex and exploring the ruins, so some mobility is needed, though the pace is set by the guide.