Marble Mountains tickets and opening hours

The three tickets

1. Entry to Thủy Sơn

This is the main ticket. It covers the pagodas, caves, stairways and viewpoints on the mountain. Adults pay 40,000 VND (about US$1.50), and children under 6 go free.

2. The elevator (optional)

A glass elevator runs up the first section of the mountain, saving you roughly 150 stone steps. It costs 15,000 VND one way or 30,000 VND return, on top of the entry ticket. Most people ride up and walk down, which lets you finish at Tam Thai pagoda on the stairs down. From the top, short stairways lead into the caves and up to the viewpoints.

3. Âm Phủ cave (separate)

Âm Phủ is at the foot of the mountain and has its own entrance and ticket, at 20,000 VND (about US$0.80). See what's inside.

Which gate?

Thủy Sơn has two ticket gates. The one on the side with the elevator, at the foot of the stairs up to Linh Ứng pagoda, is where most visitors start, and it's where elevator tickets are sold. The other gate is at the foot of the staircase to Tam Thai pagoda, on the opposite side. If you plan to take the elevator, tell your Grab driver it's the elevator gate you want (thang máy).

Opening hours

The site is open every day, including weekends and holidays, from 7:00 to 17:30. Ticket sales stop around 17:00.

Best time to visit

• Early morning (7:00–9:00): cooler, quieter, and the best time for photos from the viewpoints
• Late morning: when the sun is high enough to send shafts of light into Huyền Không cave, if that's the shot you want.
• From about 15:00: a quieter, cooler visit before closing
• Wet season (roughly autumn to early winter in central Vietnam): wear shoes with grip, as the stone steps can be slippery.

For official notices, see the management board's site, nguhanhson.org (Vietnamese).