The Wildest Cable Car Ride in Vietnam!

Ba Na Hills sits in the mountains outside Da Nang, and getting there is half the fun: a cable car ride you won’t forget. I rode it with new friends from my week in Da Nang, and we laughed the whole way up.

I went with a large group, so we took a bus out from Da Nang. Standard Sun World Ba Na Hills tickets were 950,000 VND (about $38 to $40) for out-of-town adults and 750,000 VND for children between 1 and 1.4 meters tall. Check current prices before you go.

The cable car. The cabins are rated for eight people. Eight Asian people, that is, not eight Americans; the little figures on the sign did not account for us. It runs like a ski lift, slowing down whenever someone is getting on or off, and yes, there’s a barf bag in the cabin. The ride up is beautiful, with butterflies drifting past and the mountains opening up around you.

We joked about it the whole way, but it wasn’t scary. Most people will find it a relaxing, scenic ride, even if you’re a little nervous about heights.

Stop one: the Golden Bridge. The first stop is where you’ll find the Golden Bridge, held up by the giant stone hands that most people come to photograph, plus gardens and a temple. The hands are cool, but the mountains behind them are even better. On a clear day you can see Da Nang down in the valley by the ocean. Blessed to be alive, what a wonderful day.

Stop two: the French village. The next stop is the amusement park area, a medieval-castle-style village with shops, restaurants and a hotel. It’s massive. We had lunch up here, and I didn’t even know how much was up there. Next time I’m in Da Nang, I definitely plan on staying at a hotel on the mountain. Look for that review on Crash Course Hotels.

If you’re in Da Nang, Ba Na Hills is worth a day, and the cable car alone is worth the trip.