Exciting Educational Adventures in Da Nang with kids
I’m a firm believer that there are educational experiences within reach no matter where in the world you find yourself. However, finding them is far easier in some areas than others. As the third largest city in Vietnam, and the largest city in the central region of the country, it’s no wonder that there are so many educational spots to visit in Da Nang!
Visit the Beautiful Marble Mountains in Da Nang
(Google Maps) Open 7:00am-5:00pm | 40k VND ($1.57)/person | 15k VND ($0.59) for the elevator
Southeast Asia’s geology features heavy amounts of limestone landscapes. Caves, underground rivers, and tons of beautiful karsts appear all across the region. But Da Nang, in particular, is known for its Marble Mountain!
Marble is the metamorphic rock that comes from limestone, so it makes sense that there would be a large amount of it here. That’s interesting on its own, but Da Nang took things a step further with its marble mountains. The mountains have been transformed into a series of pagodas, sacred caves, and (of course) carved marble monuments.
There are 5 separate mountain peaks in the marble mountains, each named for a different element. Water, Fire, Wood, Stone, and Metal. All 5 are within easy reach of the entrance, though if you plan on seeing it all, you should prepare to spend several hours exploring.
Xa Loi Tower
Built in 1997 and standing 28m tall (91ft) , the Xa Loi Tower is the most prominent piece of architecture in the Marble Mountains. Getting to the top of the tower requires a bit of stair climbing, but its worth it for the view!
Tam Thai Pagoda
Tam Thai Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in the entire Da Nang region. It is more than 400 years old and houses several ancient artifacts. These include a signboard dating back to the 1800’s and an intricately carved bronze medal!
Are the Marble Mountains worth Visiting with Kids?
In a word, absolutely! While Da Nang has a ton of fun activities to do with kids, this is one of the best hiking activities for getting outside in Da Nang and has plenty of cultural value, as well. Definitely a top thing to do in Da Nang with kids!
While it is quite possible to visit the Marble Mountains on your own, there's a lot there to discover and it can be hard to really grasp the importance of the different spots without an experienced guide.
This particular tour combines a walk through of the area's temple and caves with a drive up the coast to explore Son Tra's Monkey Mountain!
Explore Son Tra Night Market and see Da Nang’s Dragon Bridge breathe fire!
(Google Maps) Friday and Saturday at 9pm | Market entry is free
Da Nang, Vietnam is known as the ‘City of 7 Bridges’, but its Dragon Bridge is easily the most recognizable of the bunch! The 2,185 foot-long (666m) Dragon Bridge looks like its namesake creature, complete with a fire-and-water-breathing dragon head that is easily seen from the Son Tra Night Market.
It’s a real-life fire-breathing dragon!
Three times a week, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the dragon bridge breathes out fire blasts for everyone to see. The bridge actually alternates blasts of fire with sprays of water, both of which are fun to see. But watch out! If you choose to watch the show from the bridge itself, you may get wet!
The show itself only lasts a few minutes and it starts at 9pm sharp, so you’ll want to be sure to get into place ahead of time. We like to spend the hours leading up to the show shopping and eating our weight in street food in the Son Tra Night Market before the show. For the show itself, you can either grab some seats in or around the market, or head up to one of the nearby rooftop bars to get the best possible view!
Is this the most educational field trip in Da Nang? Eh, not really. But it is a ton of fun!
Get out of the city and explore nature at Son Tra Mountain (Monkey Mountain)
(Google Maps) Hiking is Free! | Alltrails.com
If you’re looking for a way to get outside the city and into nature for a few hours, the Son Tra peninsula is an excellent choice! The Son Tra Peninsula, better known as Monkey Mountain, is a protected area and home to a wide variety of interesting animals. While these include Asian bears, cloud leopards, and more, the only wildlife you’re likely to encounter are the namesake monkeys!
You will absolutely encounter short-tail macaques hanging around the entry areas of the park, looking for food. Do NOT give them any! The macaques have little to no fear of humans and will absolutely steal food, and may even attack people to get it. Personally, I’ve found the ones here to be less aggressive than the ones in Malaysia, but they’re still one of my least favorite monkey species.
Luckily, they tend to only hang out where people congregate (because food), and once you’re on the hiking trails you aren’t likely to encounter any.
What you may see is the endangered red-shanked duoc langur!
Endemic Monkey Species – the Red-Shanked Douc Langur
The most popular, though not the most common, species of monkey on Son Tra is the endangered Red-Shanked Douc Langur. While other langur species can be found around southeast Asia, these particular monkeys are endemic to just Vietnam and Laos. That means Da Nang, Vietnam is one of the only places in the world where red-shanked duocs can be seen in the wild!
If your time is short and you’re hoping to spot some, it’s best to join a guided hike of the mountain, since the guides often have a better idea of what they’re looking for and may be more able to spot them. Seeing them on your trip is not guaranteed, as they are fairly private creatures.
That said, out of the four different hiking trips my family has taken on the mountain, we’ve seen them every single time, so there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll be able to spot some!
Note: These are shy monkeys and they will retreat farther into the trees when groups are too loud! If you spot some, be sure to keep talking to a minimum until you get your pictures!
While there's a good chance of seeing the Red Shank Duocs even when hiking on your own, those with limited time should book a guided tour to maximize their chances of spotting them!
One last note on the “trails” in the Son Tra protected areas. All of the trails are paved roads, not dirt trails. That translates into an unfortunate lack of shade in many areas, and the roads can sometimes get pretty steep. Don’t expect rugged trails through deep jungles!
Son Tra 1000 Year Banyan Tree
(Google Maps) Free Entry
Note: There are mixed reviews on Google Maps stating that the resort staff is blocking off access to the tree for non-resort guests. We didn’t encounter this on our trip, but, especially if hiking without a local in your group, be aware that this may happen.
If botany is more your speed, Son Tra has a real tree-t for you! (Sorry. I had to.) The Thousand Year Banyan Tree in Son Tra is, somewhat ironically, not quite 1,000 years old yet, though it is over 800 years old and going strong. It’s a huge 22m (72ft) banyan tree with a complex web of supporting branches, and was used as a staging area for troops during the war.
This isn’t the oldest or largest banyan out there, but I definitely think the way it spreads out is pretty spectacular, and I really enjoyed my visit! It is a bit of a hike to get there, though, so plan for a full afternoon of hiking to see it.
Linh Ung Pagoda (Son Tra)
(Google Maps) Free entry
The Linh Ung Pagoda is a Buddhist temple area located on the southern edge of Son Tra Peninsula. It’s one of the better known temples in Da Nang, and features a main worship pagoda, a sprawling Arhat statue garden, living facilities for the monks, and Da Nang’s Lady Buddha statue.
Lady Buddha Statue
If you look towards Son Tra from basically anywhere along Da Nang’s coast, you’ll be able to see this magnificent statue. The Lady Buddha statue is the tallest statue in all of Vietnam, standing at 67m (220ft). That’s roughly the same size as a 20-story building!
While the rest of the pagoda grounds are worth exploring, most visitors will be there for the Lady Buddha statue!
It’s said that the statue was built as a request to Guanyin to protect Da Nang from the annual storms that come off from the China Sea. And, while I can’t say that it’s because of her, I will say that the rainy seasons we’ve experienced here have been much calmer than in other parts of Vietnam!
Learn about the Flavors of Da Nang at Cho Con Market
(Google Maps) Open 6:00am-7:00pm (Come for lunch!)
Cho Con Market is one of the most recognizable, and largest, markets in Da Nang. It’s also an incredible place to stop in for authentic Vietnamese street food!
Cho Con Market sprawls through several multi-story buildings and boasts over 2,000 different stores, making it a great choice for those interested in an authentic Vietnamese shopping experience. Unlike the area’s supermarkets, this is an area where haggling should be expected, so be prepared for that if you plan on visiting.
While the shopping is fun, the highlight is definitely the rows and rows of street food stalls. Choose one that looks interesting, take a seat, and get ready to enjoy. We discovered bánh xèo (rice pancakes with shrimp) this way and it’s now one of my favorite foods from the region!
Interested in checking out Cho Con Market, but a little intimidated by all the street food options?
This street food tour takes you around Da Nang to give you a sampling of the area's favorite flavors and small bites, including a stop for lunch at Con Market! (if you choose the mid-day tour)
This is an excellent option for families who have just arrived and are looking to get a better understanding on the different foods of Central Vietnam!
Other great markets to check out in Da Nang:
- Cho Han Market (Google Maps) – This is one of the larger markets and my preferred market for clothes.
- Cho Bac My An Market (Google Maps) – Lots of delicious street food!
- Cho Dem Son Tra (Son Tra Night Market) – Yes, I mentioned it earlier in the article, but it’s one of the best!
Learn more about Vietnamese History at Da Nang’s museums
While I strongly believe that the best way to learn is though experience, I still really like visiting museums! Museums do a great job of helping people to see the things they’re learning about, whether it’s models of historical tools and sculptures or the biology of specific animals.
Da Nang has a variety of quality museums on a variety of topics, all of which are worth a look!
Learn about the region’s history at the Da Nang Museum
(Google Maps) Open 8:00am – 5:00pm | Free Entry
The Da Nang Museum, appropriately enough, focuses specifically on the Da Nang region itself. It has 3 floors of exhibits, each with its own focus, and it covers topics as diverse as history, ecology and culture.
We’ve been here several times now, and it’s always a hit with the kids. We particularly like that the downstairs exhibit changes fairly regularly, and, if you’re lucky, you may even stumble on a cultural festival being held here!
Hands down, this is one of the best deals in Da Nang for families looking to explore Vietnam on the cheap. And if you’re interested in learning more about Da Nang’s history, in particular, this is a great spot for doing so!
Museum of Cham Sculpture
(Google Maps) Open 7:30am – 5:00pm | 60kVND ($2.40)/person
The Cham people are the original indigenous people group of central Vietnam. They were descended from Austronesian peoples and have been in the region as far back as 1000 BCE. However, the Cham people are most closely associated with the Champa culture which flourished in Vietnam starting in the 2nd century CE. Their culture had interactions with the Khmer of Cambodia to the west, as well as with the Dai Viet to the north.
The Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang is the largest collection of Cham sculptures in existence, and features nearly 300 beautiful works. We spent nearly 3 hours wandering through the collection when we went, and really enjoyed getting a glimpse of local history!
The Cham culture was strongly influenced by Hinduism, and the vast majority of the works on display reflect this.
This tour takes you through the Museum of Cham Sculpture, providing details you may not have otherwise known. Afterwards, continue to explore what Da Nang has to offer, including delicious Pho and traditional Vietnamese Coffee!
Fifth Military Division Museum and Ho Chi Minh Museum
(Google Maps) Open 7:30am – 4:30pm | 60k VND ($2.40)/person
There are few events that had as much impact on Vietnam as the 2nd Indochina War (called the Vietnam War in America and the American War in Vietnam). Modern Vietnam was formed from the unification of North and South Vietnam following the end of the war, in 1975.
The recentness of the war coupled with its role in creating Vietnam means it still looms large in the Vietnamese consciousness. The Fifth Military Division and Ho Chi Minh Museum features a wide number of displays on the war, including vehicles and weapons from both sides. There is also a reproduction of Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house (the real one is in Hanoi).
Overall, it’s worth a visit if you’re interested in learning about the war, though you should supplement your visit with other resources.
Other great Museums to see in Da Nang with Kids
- Danang Fine Arts Museum: (Google Maps) Open 8am – 5pm | 20k VND/person (about $0.80)
The focus here is on contemporary and fine arts. Rotating collections helps keep things fresh. - Art in Paradise 3D Art Museum: (Google Maps) Open 9am – 8pm | 200k VND($8)/adult, 100k VND($4)/kid
3D Art Musuems are great for exploring optical illusions and brain science. - Da Nang Bamboo Museum: (Google Maps) Open 8am to 5pm | Free entry
This is basically a bamboo garden you can walk through with different species of bamboo from around Vietnam and the world!
Head to My Khe Beach for one of Da Nang’s Best Attractions
It probably comes as no surprise that a coastal town in a tropical location has incredible beaches, but, here we are!
Da Nang’s entire coast is literally just one long expanse of white sand from north to south, and no matter where along the beach you find yourself, it’s going to be a good experience! However, over the last couple of years in Da Nang, I’ve developed a preference for a handful of spots that I think are at least slightly better.
Note: While Da Nang’s seaside beaches have stunning white sand, they are not swimming beaches. Large waves and strong tides are the norm. No swimming signs and red flags are all over the place. Please do not let your kids in the water here unattended, and don’t go in if there’s a red flag!
Wi Wi Beach Bar and Kala Kala Beach Club
At the far south portion of My Khe Beach, basically where the paved boardwalk area ends, is a tiny beach bar called Wi Wi Beach Bar. It’s nothing particularly special, but this is one of the most popular areas for expat families with kids! You can rent beach chairs in the shade, order yourself a coffee or juice, and relax as long as you want without any problem!
If the kids end up wanting to go for a swim, there’s a restaurant/beach club with a pool called Kala Kala located just a short walk north. The food there is overpriced, for sure, but for the price of a few drinks and a plate of fish and chips, you get access to a beachside pool.
Maia Beach Bar
A bit farther north is Maia Beach Bar. Once again, the food is overpriced, but they have good drinks and picnic tables right on the sand, which makes them a great option on a sunny day! During the cooler months, we would take the kids here for some beach playtime and set our laptops up to get some work done.
East Sea Park
This is about as north as we typically go for beach access, but the sand in this area is clean, white, and really fine, which we enjoy. It’s also the area where festivals, like the Kite Festival, tend to happen because there’s a large paved area for events.
