Guide to My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An
Did you know that just a short drive from super popular Hoi An, you find another unique UNESCO World Heritage Site?
My Son Sanctuary is a cluster of old Hindu temples built between the 4th and the 14th centuries by the Champa Kingdom. If you’re interested in learning about Vietnam’s ancient history, this place is a must to visit. I went there on a (very) early morning tour with a small group, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of my 3-weeks Vietnam trip. With almost no other visitors around, and a knowledgeable guide sharing stories of lost empires, bomb craters, and his own childhood memories from the area, we explored at our own pace before the sun climbed too high.
This guide covers everything you need to know to visit My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An and Da Nang.
Itinerary: 3 Weeks in Vietnam from North to South
What is My Son Sanctuary?
My Son is a complex of ancient Hindu temples built between the 4th and 13th centuries by the foot of the sacred Mt. Meru and the Thu Bon River. It was the religious and political capital of the Campa Kingdom, who ruled central and southern Vietnam for over a thousand years.
It’s located an hour’s drive inland from the coast, the temples were dedicated to Shiva and used for ceremonies and spiritual rituals. You can still see intricate reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and Sanskrit inscriptions on stone tablets today.
Hidden in the jungle, it was re-discovered by French Archaeologists in the early 20th century. Conservation of the sacred site started already back then, but unfortunately it was heavily damaged by the several 20th-century wars and especially during the Vietnam/American War. Luckily, conservation started again soon after the war and is still ongoing – today in cooperation with India.
What was the Champa Kingdom?
The Champa was a kingdom located in modern-day Central Vietnam and Cambodia. It was a powerful maritime civilisation influenced by Indian religion, language and architecture. The Cham people were originally Hindu but later adopted Islam.
The Champa Kingdom declined for centuries before it finally became part of the Vietnamese empire in the 1830s.
Why My Son is UNESCO-listed
My Son was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 due to its cultural and architectural significance. It represents the spiritual centre of the Champa civilisation and showcases an extraordinary fusion of indigenous Southeast Asian and Indian Hindu art forms.
Despite wartime destruction, the remaining temples and ruins are a great reminder of Vietnam’s diverse cultural past.
Visit the UNESCO-listed Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi
What to Expect When Visiting
The sanctuary is made up of several temple groups scattered throughout a lush valley surrounded by mountains. Some temples have been partly restored, while others remain in ruins. Bomb craters and all the broken structures bear witness to the destruction during the Vietnam/American War.
After purchasing your ticket, small electric, open vehicles take you from the entrance to the temple area. You’ll then walk along shaded paths between the temple clusters. As there are little to no information about what you see on site, I highly recommend you join a guided tour.
If you don’t, the path is a circuit so just take either left or right when leaving the vehicles. You find maps showing where you are now and then. If you don’t have all day, focus on the temple clusters A, B, C, and D.
There are toilets, restaurants and cafés on site.
My Recommendation: Book an early morning tour
If you want to explore My Son Sanctuary, I recommend booking an early morning tour and set your alarm early! And I mean early. I joined a 05:30 group tour and it was 100% worth it. Most other tours start at between 07:00-08:00 or in the early afternoon.
The drive from Hoi An take about 1 hour and you get there before the normal opening hours. Coffee orders are taken on the bus and getting a cup of perfectly brewed Vietnamese coffee as you start walking into the sanctuary is such a great bonus!
Our group of 12 had the ancient temple complex almost to ourselves, and with the brilliant guide, Taho, this was one of the best tours I did in Vietnam. Taho grew up in the area and shared lots of stories from his post-war childhood and the early excavations of the temple ruins.
The July heat didn’t really kick in until we were leaving, but first we got breakfast. Meals on group tours can be a hit or miss, and this was definitely a hit.
This is what my early morning tour to My Son Sanctury included:
- Comfortable minivan transport
- Coffee or tea ready on arrival (iced or hot, the guide will ask you in the van enroute)
- Expert English-speaking guide
- Guided tour of the site before crowds and heat
- Local noodle soup breakfast before returning to Hoi An by 11:00
Note: Entry was not included and had to be purchased by cash on arrival.
Practical Information
Location: About 40 km from Hoi An (approx.1 hr drive)
Opening hours: 06:00 – 17:00 daily
Entrance fee: 150,000 VND (cash only)
The ticket includes entry to the small Champa Museum and the traditional dance show (my tour did not include the dance show). The entrance fee is included on some tours, but not all, so double check and bring cash if needed.
Best way to visit: Early morning group tour or going with private driver
Time needed on-site: 2 hours
What to bring: Water, sunscreen, hat, and good walking shoes
Hi Anne,
Just a quick question. How is this site for people who are in a wheelchair?
Do you have any info on that?
Looking forward to hearing from you
Hi Jane,
Thank you for your question, I bet this is important to many people. I must admit that accessibility wasn’t top of mind when I visited, but as I remeber it (and looking back at my photos), My Son is not fully wheelchair accessible for wheelchairs.
You enter the sanctuary by small electric buses, and depending on the type of wheelchair I believe it’s possible to bring it along. Most of the walkways between the temple clusters should be fine, but to get close to the temples there were some steps and uneaven paths.
I’m afraid I can’t remember seeing any toilets with universal design or whether there were steps getting into the restaurant.
If you can walk a little but need the wheelchair for the longer distances I believe it’s worth visiting My Son, but if you’re 100% dependent on the wheelchair I recommend contacting the sanctuary directly or ask one the companies offering tours there.