My Son Sanctuary Guide: Morning, Sunset or Full Day?

My Son Sanctuary is the most important site of the ancient Champa civilisation in Vietnam: a valley of centuries-old brick temples, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about an hour's drive from Hoi An. The main question is not whether to go but how: a morning tour, a sunset tour, or a full day that adds Hoi An Ancient Town. This guide from the AmGo Travel team in Hanoi's Old Quarter compares the My Son tours we offer from Hoi An and Da Nang.

What you see at My Son Sanctuary

My Son was a religious centre of the Champa kingdom, and its temples show an architecture you will not see anywhere else in Vietnam. On every tour we offer you spend about two hours at the site with a local English-speaking guide:

• The arrival. An electric shuttle takes you part of the way in, then you walk through green countryside to the ruins.
• The temples. Your guide explains the history and culture of the Champa people while you walk among the brick towers and carved stone.
• Apsara dance. A traditional Champa dance performance is part of the visit.

The entrance fee is 150,000 VND per person. Most of our My Son tours include it, along with the electric shuttle; the budget sunset tour does not, so you pay it on the day.

Morning, sunset or full day?

Morning tour from Hoi An: My Son plus the river

Pick-up at your Hoi An hotel is 7:30 to 8:00 AM. After My Son you visit a local house for rice paper making, have lunch with cold herbal tea at another local home, then take a boat back to Hoi An on the Thu Bon River, the largest river in central Vietnam. You are back at your hotel at about 1:30 PM with the afternoon free.

Best for: travellers who want the cooler morning hours and a relaxed river ride home.

Sunset tour from Hoi An: My Son plus banh mi on the boat

Pick-up is 1:00 to 1:30 PM. After the temples you board a boat on the Thu Bon River and float back to Hoi An as the sun goes down, with a Vietnamese banh mi on board. You are back around 6:00 to 6:30 PM, and you can ask to be dropped at the Old Town instead of your hotel. This is the lowest-priced option, but the entrance fee is extra.

Best for: late risers, photographers who want the evening light on the river, and budget travellers.

From Da Nang: morning or afternoon

If you stay in Da Nang, two tours pick you up at your hotel in the city (about 110 km round trip):

• Morning: pick-up 7:30 to 8:00 AM, My Son, rice paper making and lunch at a family home, back at about 1:30 PM.
• Afternoon: pick-up 1:00 to 1:30 PM, My Son, rice paper making and a traditional dinner at a local home.

Both run as small groups of 2 to 12 guests, with a minimum of 2.

Full day: My Son and Hoi An Ancient Town

To see both of the region's UNESCO sites in one day, choose the full-day tour from Hoi An. The morning is My Son and the Apsara dance, then lunch at a local house and the Thu Bon River boat. After about an hour's break at your hotel or a café, the afternoon is Hoi An Ancient Town: a traditional arts performance, the Museum of Trade Ceramics, Tan Ky Ancient House, the Cantonese Assembly Hall and the Japanese Covered Bridge, free time at the night market, a set dinner of Hoi An specialities, and a flower lantern release from a small boat on the Hoai River.

Best for: travellers with only a day or two in Hoi An who want everything planned.

Tips for visiting My Son

• Wear comfortable shoes and a hat. You walk between the temple groups, and the valley can be hot.
• Bring water and sun cream. Each tour includes a bottle of water.
• Dress modestly. My Son is a sacred site.
• Plan around public holidays. Prices are higher on 1 January, 30 April, 1 May and around Tet, when some departures do not run.
• Children's prices: ages 1 to 4 travel free when sharing a seat and meals with parents; ages 5 to 9 pay the child price; from 10 years the adult price applies.

FAQ

How far is My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An? About an hour by road. Our Hoi An tours cover about 100 km round trip.

How long do you need at My Son? About two hours is enough to walk the main temple groups with a guide and see the Apsara dance.

Is My Son better in the morning or at sunset? The morning is cooler and quieter; the sunset tour ends with a boat ride in the evening light. Both include the same two hours at the temples.

Where can I book a My Son Sanctuary tour? AmGo Travel, a Vietnamese team of trip planners and guides based at 61 Hang Ga in Hanoi's Old Quarter, offers My Son tours from both Hoi An and Da Nang, with hotel pick-up. You can book at amgotravel.com or message the team on WhatsApp.

My Son Sanctuary tours with AmGo Travel

Hoi An

My-Son-Heiligtum Vormittagstour mit Reispapierherstellung & Bootsfahrt auf dem Thu-Bon-Fluss – ab Hoi An

Tagesausflug

Ab 30 $

Hoi An

My-Son-Sonnenuntergangstour mit Thu-Bon-Bootsfahrt & Banh Mi – ab Hoi An

Tagesausflug

Ab 16 $

Hoi An

My-Son-Heiligtum & Reispapierherstellung – Vormittagstour ab Da Nang

Tagesausflug

Ab 32 $

Hoi An

My-Son-Heiligtum & Altstadt Hoi An – Ganztagestour mit Thu-Bon-Bootsfahrt & Laterne – ab Hoi An

Tagesausflug

Ab 56 $

See all Hoi An tours, or message AmGo Travel on WhatsApp and a local trip planner will help you pick the right time to visit.