Visiting My Son Vietnam – Cultural Heritage Site

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One place I hadn’t really heard too much about prior to my trip was My Son Vietnam (Mỹ Sơn), a historical sanctuary. When I had been researching Vietnam and the two weeks I would spend traveling through the country, the main wonder that kept showing up with Halong Bay.

But when I arrived in Hoi An, in Central Vietnam, I soon learned about My Son Sanctuary and immediately wanted to make sure that I did not miss this phenomenal looking place in the middle of the Vietnamese countryside.

What is Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary

My Son is a cultural heritage site, a UNESCO site, in rural Vietnam, not far from Hoi An. The sanctuary, as it’s called, is actually a number of Hindu temples that have been abandoned and ruined. Think of it as a smaller, Vietnamese Angkor Wat.

The place has a lot of cultural significance, even though a lot of it has been devastated over the years. Most recently during the Vietnam war when the area was heavily bombed.

The buildings, some of which date from the 4th Century, are impressive even in their beaten down forms, and walking through the area is breathtaking.

Where is My Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary is in Quang Nam province in Central Vietnam. It’s just over an hour away from the popular city of Hoi An by car, and about the same distance from Da Nang, the other most popular destination in the region.

There are highways for quite a bit of the way, but then when you get closer to My Son Sanctuary you will find the roads get smaller, narrower, more rural and a little less well maintained. It’s an adventure, but I wouldn’t say it’s difficult to get there.

How do I get to My Son Vietnam?

The best way to visit Mỹ Sơn sanctuary is by tour. Because it’s in the middle of nowhere, unless you have access to your own vehicle you won’t find it easy to get to.

Doing a tour doesn’t mean you’re going to be crammed onto a bus with 50 other people. You could book a private tour like I did.

When we arrived in Hoi An we found many tour options offered. There were early morning tours so you could arrived before the crowds. Afternoon tours that would have you there over the sunset time of day.

A lot of the tours were return tours from Hoi An, although I’m sure there are similar tour options from Da Nang.

We decided to make use of our travel day, the day we would leave Hoi An for a flight out of Da Nang. Our flight was at 8pm and since we had to be out of our hotel by noon, we booked a day tour from Hoi An to Da Nang airport with the stop at My Son Sanctuary on the way.

The great thing about a private tour is that you can kind of dictate how long you spend in a place.

We had a comfortable ride in a clean air conditioned car with our driver. We booked it when we got to Hoi An. The only thing I might have done is booked in advance because we ended up with a driver who didn’t speak English. We perhaps could have looked around a bit more, but sometimes booking ahead of time can help. Try this tour on Viator.

Click here to read more about another tour I took in Vietnam, between Hue and Hoi An

How much is entry

My Son, Vietnam, was one of the more expensive attractions we visited. Still cheap by Western standards, but if you’re budgeting based on Vietnamese prices then this is just a heads up. The ticket was 150,000 VND (about $8 USD).

While that doesn’t seem like much, it is on the higher end of the scale for things to do in Vietnam. Of course, that’s just your entry. You also need to get there and back, so you’ll have to add on the cost of the tour also.

The ticket gives you access to the cultural site. You walk into the main grounds of the sanctuary and to a bus loop where there is a small open bus (think big golf cart) that will take you the short distance to the start of the temple route.

How long should I spend there

We were there in total about 2 hours. We could easily have spent longer although I was not feeling great that day. I was full of cold, and the day was getting hotter which didn’t help. So after dragging my feet a fair distance we just wanted to get back to the air conditioning.

I would recommend you budget for at least two hours. The temples are all spaced out, but there is a clear path taking you from one to the next.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: If you want to get photos without people in them then I would recommend getting there earlier. You’ll also spend longer while you wait for people to move out of the shot, but the results in your photos will be worth it.

What can I see at My Son, Vietnam?

The first thing I noticed when I got to My Son was that it was so green all around. I mean we were in the middle of the countryside after all. But the first part of the walk from where we were dropped off by bus to the temples was littered with beautiful flowers and trees.

I have never seen so many exquisitely colorful butterflies since visiting the butterfly house at the zoo when I was a kid. Trying to get them to stay still long enough for a photo is almost impossible. But it was lovely walking along the quiet path surrounded by so many colors.

There is a clear path that does lead you around the temples so you don’t miss any of them. And the way it is laid out we realized the ruined temples got more and more impressive the further we got along the trail.

The first sites we saw were statues in various states of disrepair and some ruined areas, so I wasn’t sure how good this was going to be. But the first full building we found was already spectacular to look at.

As we proceeded the temples became larger, and with more intricate carvings. Some of them you could go inside and they had on display some of the other artifacts they’d found.

How busy is My Son sanctuary?

This is a difficult question to give an accurate answer to. A lot of this depends on the season you travel. Another big part is the time of day you visit. And then there’s just sheer dumb luck.

I was advised that early mornings are better. Less busy as it is often before the larger tour groups arrive. I think this is typical for most sites like this. Then it is also somewhat quieter later in the day after the big tour groups have left.

Then of course Vietnam has distinctly high season of February to April and August to October. Outside of this time you might find it quieter, but the weather could be hit and miss.

We lucked out completely because the morning we were set to leave Hoi An it absolutely poured down. The weather was terrible, so dark and cloudy and torrential rain. I never thought it was going to stop.

We were picked up and drove about an hour and were amazed that just as we arrived it stopped raining. The clouds began to part and the blue sky came through. It all lined up perfectly for a glorious day.

The rain had helped keep the day relatively cool. The rain had also probably put off a lot of people who woke up that morning and thought “not today“. So we had the place mostly to ourselves and with some stunning lighting.

I was able to work my photos around the small groups of people so from the photos I took, you’d never know anyone was there.

How do I book my trip to My Son, Vietnam?

You can wait until you arrive in Hoi An or Da Nang and book with a local tour provider. You could rent a vehicle and make the journey yourself. But if you want to have the best experience I would recommend a local driver with your own tour. My friend and I went with that option.

We didn’t go as part of a big tour, as I wasn’t keen on being rushed through in an hour and surrounded by a large group. This way we took our time, and were in control of our day. Look at some of these tour options through Viator:

• This small group tour that starts at 6am from Hoi An to avoid the crowds
• This half day tour with English speaking guide leaving from Danang
• This private half day tour from Hoi An with return drop off

Some last minute tips for visiting My Son Sanctuary

The Sanctuary itself is a wonderful place to visit. But whether your are joining a larger tour or a smaller private tour (or getting there yourself) there are a few things I would recommend to make your visit better:

• Wear comfortable shoes – There is a bus that takes you from the main entrance to the starting point for the tour. But you still have a bit of walking to do and the ground is not always even.
• Allow plenty of time – Don’t rush yourself by telling your driver you’ll be back in an hour or so. Take the driver’s number and message if you need to. Most of the tour drivers we met were all about Whatsapp.
• Be respectful – Remember that you are at a religious place. While some of the temples may be in a ruined state, you should still stick to the paths and not climb all over the buildings.
• Be patient – There are often a lot of people who want the same photo as you. Don’t take forever on your own personal photo shoot, and likewise be patient waiting for others to finish taking their shots. I was able to use the buildings to my advantage, angling my camera when people walked behind the buildings so they weren’t in shot.
• Bring a reusable water bottle – It can get hot out there with limited cover. Alternatively remember to carry cash for drinks and food services at the entrance and within the sanctuary. Although there aren’t any places to buy things once you’re on the walk.

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

Is My Son, Vietnam worth a visit?

Definitely! If you’re in Central Vietnam, which let’s face it you most likely will be since everyone goes to Hoi An, then get yourself there. It’s easy enough to get there with a tour and is rather spectacular.

A lot of the historical sites around Vietnam are war-era based so it’s a refreshing change to get something like this. And as a UNESCO site you know it’s well protected and has a lot of cultural value.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to My Son Vietnam? What other similar travel experiences have you had?