Da Nang for Families: Ba Na Hills, Beaches
Families do well in Da Nang because the headline attractions are easy to reach by car and many are free or cheap. The biggest day out is the Ba Na Hills theme park, and the rest of the city fills in with a long beach, a cave mountain, a free fire-breathing bridge and a wildlife peninsula. Prices below are in Vietnamese dong (VND) and approximate, so check them before you go.
Sun World Ba Na Hills
Ba Na Hills is a built mountaintop resort about 45 minutes from the city, so plan a full day. The all-inclusive ticket covers the cable cars, the Golden Bridge, the French Village and the indoor Fantasy Park, and there is an alpine coaster on site. Adults pay about 1,000,000 VND, children between 1 and 1.4 metres about 800,000 VND, and children under 1 metre enter free. The mountain is cooler than the coast, and heavy rain can pause the cable cars, so check the forecast before you commit the day.
Beaches and the sea
My Khe, Non Nuoc and Man Thai beaches are free to enter. March to August is the hot, sunny season with calm water, which suits swimming. From September to December big surf and rip currents arrive, and red flags on My Khe mean the water is closed to swimmers, so obey them and keep children out of the sea on those days. In summer, daytime temperatures can reach the mid-30s Celsius, so pack sunscreen, hats and water.
Marble Mountains
Kids tend to enjoy the caves. Entry is about 40,000 VND, and the glass elevator up Thuy Son costs about 15,000 VND one way if little legs tire. Huyen Khong Cave has a hole in the roof that lets shafts of sunlight in. Am Phu Cave, known as Hell Cave, shows demon figures and scenes of karmic judgment that can frighten younger children, so look at it from the entrance first. Its ticket is quoted at 20,000 to 40,000 VND, so ask locally.
Dragon Bridge and the river
The dragon on Dragon Bridge breathes fire and then water vapour every Saturday and Sunday at 21:00, which is late for small children. The show is free. Spectators directly under the head get drenched, so stand back from the front if you want to stay dry. A 45-minute Han River cruise at about 150,000 to 250,000 VND a person is a calmer way to see the bridge lit up. Son Tra Night Market, near the bridge, is free to browse.
Son Tra wildlife and the Lady Buddha
Wild red-shanked douc langurs live in the forest of the Son Tra Peninsula, and early morning, around 6:00 to 8:00, is the best time to see them. They are wild animals, so watch from a distance. Chua Linh Ung is free and the 67-metre Lady Buddha is visible from the grounds. The steep roads beyond the Linh Ung checkpoint ban automatic scooters, so families are better off in a taxi or a Grab car than on a rented bike.
Getting around with children
Grab cars are the simplest option, with short city trips costing about 30,000 to 60,000 VND. If you rent motorbikes, the traffic police require a valid International Driving Permit and a helmet.
Read more: see the couple activities guide for evening ideas once the children are asleep, or the day trips guide for Hoi An and beyond. Browse Ba Na Hills family tickets on GetYourGuide . The resort publishes current prices at sunworld.vn .