Things to Do in Ba Na Hills

Golden Bridge sunrise walk

Arrive just before the first cable car and you'll own the colossal stone hands supporting this 150-m pedestrian bridge. Morning mist pools in the valley. The walkway floats on cotton wool. First rays ignite the gilt railing. The whole structure shimmers against green abyss. Worth the alarm clock.

Funicular to the French Village

A short funicular hauls you from the cable-car station up to cobblestone squares lined with turreted châteaux, flower clocks and a replica vintners' church whose bells toll on the hour. The breeze smells of cypress and fresh baguettes drifting from a corner boulangerie. Buskers noodle on accordions. The illusion holds.

Fantasy Park indoor rides

Inside a faux-mine complex you'll find roller coasters, drop towers and 4-D theatres wrapped in neon tubing and arcade bleeps. Even if you skip the rides, the popcorn aroma, shrieks echoing off rock walls and sudden whoosh of the mine-cart coaster overhead create a carnival atmosphere that keeps kids buzzing for hours.

Linh Ung Pagoda & 27-m Buddha

A short climb above the village brings you to a tranquil courtyard where incense coils around a three-storey bronze Buddha that gazes seaward. Wind carries both chime tinkle and distant pop music from the park below. Odd combo. Memorable soundtrack.

Wine cellar tasting in the mountain

Descend spiral staircases into a 100-m-long stone tunnel where barrels of Syrah and Cabernet age in the cool, damp dark. You'll taste two reds and a floral white while the guide recounts how French missionaries first planted vines near Da Nang. The swallow of oaky wine feels warming after the crisp upland air outside.

Mercure French Village - half-timbered façade right in the theme park, fireplaces in lobby lounges

L'Eden Hotel - smaller boutique on the ridge road below the cable car, quieter at night

Ba Na Hills Hostel - budget dorms in Hoa Vang town at the mountain's foot, good for early ascent

Villa on Sea Capella - serviced condos with kitchenettes near Linh Ung Pagoda, families like the space

Da Nang city centre - stay coastal and day-trip up, nightlife and beach restaurants within walking distance

Hoi An ancient town - 45 minutes south-east, lantern-lit evenings balance the mountain kitsch