If you are visiting Vietnam and looking for an experience that is like nothing you’ve ever had, add Ba Na Hills to your list. It’s a tourist theme park in the mountains outside of Da Nang and is a mix of botanical gardens, temples, and Epcot. Sound strange? It is, but we loved it.

Background on Ba Na Hills

This resort is built at the Ba Na Hill Station. Hill stations are towns that sit at a higher elevation and are left over from colonial times. European colonists used these towns as an escape from the summer heat. You can find hill stations throughout Africa and Asia (India has the most).

This hill station was founded in 1919 by the French colonists as a leisure spot for tourists. The land is now run by the Sun Group, which started working on this destination in 2007. The park really took off in 2018 with the addition of the Golden Bridge (which you’ll see below.)

8 Reasons Why You’ll Love Ba Na Hills

Escape the Heat

The “feels like” temperatures remained over 100 degrees Fahrenheit the entire time we were in Da Nang. The idea of taking a cable car into the mountains for temps in the 80’s was all the motivation we needed to make it happen. The property sits just below 5,000 feet above sea level, so the temps are more enjoyable in the mountains.

See the Popular Golden Bridge

This is the main attraction and you should make sure to get there EARLY in the AM if you want those insta-famous pictures walking across the bridge without hoards of tourists in the background. This was on our dream list, but we weren’t too concerned with getting the perfect picture. The views from the bridge are incredible. I have to thank the popularity on Instagram for getting us there in the first place.

Fly Down the Mountain on an Alpine Slide

We learned that our friends had never been on an alpine slide, so we made that our first priority after walking across the Golden Hands bridge. They have two different tracks – a fast and a slow. We chose the fast, and it really isn’t anything too crazy. They do not allow photos while you are riding, but they do offer these little souvenirs at the end.

Stroll though a French Village

Complete with a replica of Notre Dame in the center of the “town”, Ba Na Hills is a small replica of a French Village. It made me feel slightly like we were at Epcot but without the Disney characters. There are often musical performances in the village, which also feel very Disneylike. For whatever reason, this was the most surprising part.

Make sure you stop and enjoy a croissant. There were fantastic snacks throughout town.

Visit the Mountaintop “Spiritual Zone”

There are a few structures on the highest point of the mountain that are part of what they call the Spiritual Zone. The views are amazing from up there. You can visit temples, pagodas, and a nine-story Giant Buddha.

Explore the Colorful Flower Gardens

There are beautiful gardens that each have their own theme. I wish we would have had more time to explore this area. We ran through here at the very end of our day, but it could easily be over an hour just to walk through and take it all in.

Prost! Visit A Full German Beer Garden

Staying with my Epcot theme, there is a beer garden with giant German beers on tap. There was a beer festival going on while we were there, so you had the option to rent a German costume to wear while enjoying your giant beers. We opted out of that this time. It was really nice to sit down and cool off with an ice-cold beer.

Feel like a Celebrity

We found ourselves surrounded by Instagram models the entire time we were there. Millions of different poses, outfit changes and some acrobatic moves to get the right shot provided entertainment for us. It got strange when people started asking us to be in their photos. We stuck out a little bit, but we were surprised that people wanted us in their photos with them.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a selfie with anyone on our phones, but I did get this gem below. Can you spot Justin?

How to Get to Ba Na Hills

I recommend booking a private car from your hotel or rental in Da Nang or Hoi An. We did this, and it was awesome to have an air-conditioned car for ourselves. The driver dropped us off at the gates, and we purchased entrance tickets. At the end of the day, the driver was waiting for us in the parking lot.

If you want to skip the line when you get there, you can also purchase a package deal that includes a shuttle bus or private car plus the admission fees.

Final Thoughts on Ba Na Hills

This was one of our favorite days in Vietnam. We spent the entire day outside, and the sun was out, so it was bright and beautiful. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind spot. It helped us refresh and enjoy a mostly sweat-free day for the first time in over a week. It’s a perfect add-on to time in Hoi An or Da Nang. Plus, I can assure you that there isn’t anything else like it.

Comment below if you have any questions and pin this for your Vietnam trip.