We’ve explored a lot of places around the world, but Vietnam has to be one of the most incredible thus far; and Ba Na Hills and SunWorld in Da Nang, Vietnam? Hands down, it takes the cake. Ba Na Hills was one of the first adventures we did when we arrived in Vietnam over a week ago, and I’ve thought about it since, not knowing how to describe it properly. Part theme park, part foodie excursion, part…I don’t even know…Sun World Ba Na Hills in Da Nang is a trip. Literally. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Sun World Ba Na Hills in Da Nang, Vietnam

We did a lot of research before visiting Ba Na Hills and adding it to our itinerary, but we couldn’t find a really definitive description of exactly what we were in for. That is, of course, until we found this blog from the Wandering Wheatleys. Now, by this point, we’d already booked our trip, but we really wanted an accurate idea of what Ba Na Hills and SunWorld are all about, and I still think they said it best. “I’m still pretty confused about the entire experience.”

I know. I totally sold you on it now, right? Here’s what the media outlets have to say about Ba Na Hills: “Sun World Ba Na Hills is the most significant resort and recreational complex of Vietnam.” Okay, so, as long as when you visit, you’re expecting wild climate changes, epic views (maybe), crowds galore, a wide variety of cuisine, lots of walking, cable cars, and everything in between, then you’ll know exactly what to expect!

What Time to Visit Ba Na Hills

Let me caveat the entire rest of this post with the fact that Ba Na Hills and SunWorld get crowded. Like, really crowded. We’d read this ahead of time, and our plan was to arrive around 9:30 AM. It’s about 20(ish) km from Da Nang city and My Khe Beach, so we left our villa in Da Nang at 8:30 to arrive by 9:15 AM. Spoiler alert: it was already crowded, much liked we’d guessed it would be. Thankfully, our Airbnb hosts had already purchased our tickets, so all we had to do was roll up and head in line for the cable cars to take us up to Ba Na Hills which, yes, are only accessible by cable car.

There are three cable cars that lead to the top, but neither really indicates where you’re going to end up unless you have a map in hand. I really wanted to visit the hand bridge before it got too crowded (more on that later), but we also just wanted to get on a cable car and head up. So, we were [not so gently] funneled into a line that led us to the third cable car and all the way up to Hill Station at an awe-inspiring 4,900 feet above sea level – and well into the clouds where it was chilly, misty, and had basically zero visibility! It was wild.

What is Sun World Ba Na Hills Known For?

Ba Na Hills might have actually flown under the radar except for the SE Asian tourist community if it weren’t for the eponymous Golden Bridge making its debut on the internet and garnering interest from foreign tourists. I’ve seen it on Pinterest before, but I had no idea it was a real bridge until we learned of Ba Na Hills. But yes, the Golden Bridge – or the “hands bridge” is what really put Ba Na Hills and SunWorld on the map. And yes, it was insanely busy. 

By the time we made it from Hill Station down a level to the Bordeaux Station where the Golden Bridge lies, the bridge was absolutely packed with tourists. If you want to induce nightmares for the Moore family, this is how. Yet, I was determined to capture a photo of the bridge in all its glory – despite the thick clouds and dense fog enveloping both the bridge and the crowds. And I did! We inched across quickly to get through the crowds, and that was it. Done.

SunWorld Ba Na Hills Price

Our visit to SunWorld Ba Na Hills was actually the most expensive part of our entire trip to Vietnam (except Ryan and my Michelin-starred dinner…more on that later). The rates for Ba Na Hills were as follows:

• Adults: 750,000 VND
• Children (height of 1-1.3 meters): 600,000 VND
• Children under 1 meter: Free

Included in your tickets are the cable car fees, which you’ll use to navigate the tiers of the park, your VAT tax, and the games/rides at Fantasy Park, which is an underground amusement park within the park, itself. Drinks and meals cost additional, and our Airbnb hosts actually bought us combo tickets that included the buffet, but we chose to forego Le Jardin d’Amour, the wine cellar ,and the wax museum, one of the most sought-after attractions within the park, simply because we didn’t want to fork out additional money for attractions that didn’t appeal to us too much. Altogether though, our trip to Ba Na Hills SunWorld was 5,400,000 VND or about $228. Was it worth it? Yes. Do I know why? No…I still don’t know what we really did there…

Is Ba Na Hills Worth a Visit?

I asked Ryan this question point blank, and he says, “If you’re on a budget, no, it’s not worth it.” This is basically the Vietnamese interpretation of a Disney-esque experience. You can get so much for your money in Vietnam, but this was more paralleled with a theme park experience – and price – from the US. It was a lot of fun and I’m glad we experienced it, but we wouldn’t pay to do it again. We aren’t “crowd” people, and this was too crowded and chaotic for us. Even the buffet and dancing show, which was an experience in and of itself, was wild, and it felt a lot like an Asian interpretation of European shows. Yes, exactly as weird as it sounds.

That being said, I’m glad we went, and I’m glad it’s done! Confused by this entire post? We’re still confused, too!