Exciting Educational Adventures with kids in Da Nang, Vietnam
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!
Discover Cultural Beauty and Unique Geology at Da Nang’s Marble Mountains
(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 the Marble Mountains!
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!
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!
Enjoy a bustling market and an exciting fire show at Da Nang’s Dragon Bridge
(Google Maps) Friday and Saturday at 9pm
One of the best-known architectural pieces the area is the 2,185 foot-long (666m) Dragon Bridge located in the northern part of Da Nang. The bridge itself is a fairly standard bridge, but its namesake dragon is something special!
It’s a real-life fire-breathing dragon!
Twice a week, on Saturdays and Sundays, the dragon bridge breathes out fire blasts for everyone to see. It 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 chose to spend a few hours in the Son Tra Night Market (located at the base of the bridge) before the show. When it was time for the show, we grabbed some seats and a cup of peach tea at one of the street vendors facing the bridge just as the festivities started.
Is this the most educational field trip on this list? Not really. But it is a ton of fun, and a great way to introduce the concept of dragons as a part of Vietnamese mythology!
Get out of the city and explore nature at Son Tra Mountain (Monkey Mountain)
(Google Maps) Free Entry | Alltrails.com
If you’re looking for a way to get outside the city and into nature for a few hours, Son Tra Mountain makes an excellent choice! The Son Tra Peninsula, where the mountain is located, is a protected area and home to a wide variety of interesting animals. These include Asian bears, cloud leopards, and, of course, monkeys!
While most of the larger mammals tend to stay (far) away from the parts of Son Tra that people visit, you will almost certainly spot at least some monkeys.
Endemic Monkey Species – the Red-Shanked Doucs
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 Vietnam and Laos. That means this is one of only a few places in the world where they can be seen in the wild!
If you’re hoping to see some, it’s best to join a guided hike of the mountain, since the guides often have a better idea of the locations where the doucs hang out. Even so, seeing them on your trip is not guaranteed, as they are fairly private creatures.
Note: While the red-shanked doucs are relatively calm monkeys, they are not the only species if monkey on the mountain. You will almost certainly also encounter long-tailed macaques, which are very accustomed to humans and can even be aggressive towards people. Do not let them know you have food or they will try to take it from you.
I am not a fan of macaques.
Son Tra 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. You may be allowed past, or you may not be, and unfortunately it’s hit or miss.
If botany is more your speed, Son Tra has a real tree-t for you!
The thousand year banyan tree in Son Tra is, somewhat ironically, not 1,000 years old, yet, though it is over 800 years old and going strong. This is a huge 22m (72ft) banyan tree with a complex web of supporting branches.
This isn’t the oldest or largest banyan out there, so it’s not really worth a trip to Son Tra just to see the tree. But if you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a look !
Lady Buddha Statue
(Google Maps) Free entry
If you look towards Son Tra from almost any of Da Nang’s coastal areas, you’ll be able to see this magnificent statue. The Lady Buddha statue is the tallest statue in Vietnam, standing at 67m (220ft). That’s roughly the same size as a 20-story building!
Linh Ung Pagoda
(Google Maps) Free entry
The Lady Buddha statue is only one part of the Linh Ung Pagoda grounds. The grounds also include a main worship pagoda, a sprawling Arhat statue garden, and living facilities for the monks who live on the grounds.
I found that I really enjoyed wandering the grounds, though during the day it can get quite hot.
**Bonus activity**
Take your kids paragliding to see Son Tra from above!
While we really enjoyed Son Tra Mountain from the ground, our favorite activity in the area had less to do with admiring the scenery and more to do with strapping ourselves into a paraglider and running off a cliffside!
Our kids had seen several paragliders floating gracefully through the sky above Son Tra, and mentioned that they wished they could do that. So, 2 days and a couple internet searches later, we found ourselves getting ready to fly!
Our kids were 8 and 9 when we did this, and they loved it. Plus, this is one of the least expensive places in the world to do paragliding, which makes it worth a look if you’ve ever wanted the experience of flying!
Slow down and enjoy a rest at Phap Lam Pagoda
(Google Maps) Free entry
Da Nang has a much busier city vibe than most of the locations that we visited in Vietnam, but it also has plenty of quiet spots for those who want to slow down. Phap Lam Pagoda is one such spot.
Located in the heart of Da Nang, Phap Lam’s grounds cover an impressive 3,000 km² of area. They feature tranquil gardens, delicately carvings, and plenty of space to wander around.
Phap Lam was inaugurated in 2009, so it isn’t a particularly old pagoda. Even so, it’s an excellent place to visit if you’re interested in learning a bit more about world religions in the modern era, or just for a rest.
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:
- Han Market (Google Maps) – fresh seafood, inexpensive souvenirs and clothing
- Bac My An Market (Google Maps) Open 6:00am-7:00pm – Lots of delicious street food!
- Mega Market Da Nang (Google Maps) Open 6:00am-10:30pm – Not a tourist spot or an educational location. However, it is a great place to buy groceries in Da Nang!
Learn more about Vietnam as a whole at Da Nang’s many 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!
Da Nang Museum
(Google Maps) Open 8:00am – 5:00pm | 20k VND ($0.80)/person
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.
If you’re interested in learning more about Da Nang 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 considered to be the original indigenous people group of central Vietnam. They descended from Austronesian peoples and have possibly been in the area since as far back as 1000 BCE.
However, the Cham people are most closely associated with the Champa culture which flourished in Vietnam as early as the 2nd century CE. Their culture had interactions with the Khmer of Cambodia to the west, as well as 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 works.
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 check out in Da Nang
- 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!
