Son Tra Peninsula - A Scenic Landscape in Danang, Vietnam

Son Tra Peninsula is the forested mountain jutting into the sea north-east of central Da Nang. It is worth half a day for Linh Ung Pagoda (10–12 km by road from the Dragon Bridge), the views from Ban Co Peak and a chance of seeing red-shanked doucs. Automatic scooters, though, are banned on its mountain routes.

Son Tra Peninsula is 10km from the center of Da Nang City to the North-east and its highest peak is 696m high above sea level, so it can be seen from every place in the city. Son Tra looks like a mushroom of which cap is Son Tra Mountain and stalk is a beautiful sandy beach that affords an ideal area for bathing, playing sports, fishing and swimming.

1. Highlights of Son Tra Peninsula

With its sea-oriented appearance, Son Tra acts as a giant screen protecting Da Nang from storms and cyclones coming from the sea. Son Tra is a protected nature reserve, and visitor access is run by the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourist Beaches. The Peninsula is famous for its plentiful plants and fauna as well as the attractive scenery. It is said that fairies used to come here for singing, dancing and playing chess so Son Tra is also called Tien Sa (Fairies’ landing place). 

Of the peninsula’s roughly 4,390 ha, about 4,370 ha is natural forest, according to the city tourism portal, with nearly 300 types of plants and several hundred kinds of fauna, including rare animals. From the top of the mountain, you can see the overall view of Danang City, My Khe Beach, Marble Mountains and Ba Na – Mount Chua.

There is also Suoi Da (Stone Stream), which lies by the side of the foot of the mountain, fine sandy surfaces run round the peninsula, several breaks of waves are running steadily up and down and washing up on the stones heaped up around the seaside. 

2. Things to Do in Son Tra Peninsula

2.1. Explore the monkeys path

In the past, US Troop named Son Tra peninsula  Monkey Mountain, since there were so many monkeys in the mountain. In fact, most of the monkeys live far inside the forest.

At present, Son Tra Nature Reserve is strictly protected under the national regulations due to its invaluable natural advantage. Visitors may not feed, touch or chase the animals, pick plants, light fires or camp outside approved areas, (Tuoi Tre, August 2026).

Another one of a kind highlight of the Son Tra Nature Reserve is the presence of the red-shanked douc langur (voọc chà vá chân nâu), a rare primate. The city tourism portal gives nearly 300 on the peninsula, while the conservation group GreenViet estimates more than 1,300. Additionally, there are also other monkeys, birds and reptiles, not to mention countless insects.

Seeing the doucs takes luck. Walkers in Nhân Dân’s October 2025 report met a douc family near the heritage banyan, and several Google reviews from mid-2026 mention seeing monkeys, one of them around Linh Ung Pagoda.

2.2. Linh Ung Pagoda – the destination for tranquility

If you are a person of religion, or simply someone who’s looking for a quiet and tranquil place, then Linh Ung Pagoda (Bai But) might be the perfect place waiting for you.

Linh Ung – Bai But Pagoda stands on the 20-hectare land of Son Tra mountain with many items: the main hall, the lecture hall, the ancestral house, the road halls, the library, the cafeteria, and the Arhat statue garden. The pagoda is a combination between the contemporary style and the traditional style of Vietnamese temples.

The most important and visible highlight of the Linh Ung pagoda is the Lady Buddha statue – 67m high, standing on a lotus base about 35m across. Entry to the pagoda is free, and Hoang Sa road, which leads there, is not one of the controlled mountain routes.

As time goes by, Linh Ung pagoda has become a famous place of worship, a place for the monks and nuns living and studying, as well as an interesting and peaceful sightseeing place for visitors. You will have a chance to understand more about Vietnamese belief and rituals. Cover your shoulders and knees for the main hall. For an older pagoda on the same peninsula, the city tourism portal lists Buu Dai Son Pagoda.

2.3. Dong Dinh Museum – The Garden of Memory

Located on the steep upstream terrain of Hoang Sa Street, Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang, Dong Dinh Museum – The Garden of Memory – has become a unique cultural site for tourists, vividly reproduced the ancient values ​​with the harmonious combination between the security of forest ecological space and cultural and artistic space.

Dong Dinh museum is 10km far from downtown, on mountain-side of major road up to the peak. This was founded by Mr. Doan Huy Giao, and it is a privately run museum. Inside the museum, there are a lot of artifacts that dated back to 100 – 2500 years ago. A few examples are: belongings of ancient cultures like Sa Huynh, Dai Viet, Cham Pa… – most of these things were collected from central and highlands tribes.

Travel sites list it as open daily from about 8 am to 5 pm. Published entrance prices disagree, so check at the gate.

2.4. Giant Banyan Tree

In the northeast of Son Tra Peninsula, there is a giant banyan tree with many big roots that are spanning down to ground. Nobody knows its exact age: the city tourism portal puts it at more than 800 years and its height at 22m, with the trunk and aerial roots spreading up to 85m around.

This Banyan tree is about 20km by road from the Dragon Bridge, along winding and hilly roads. Since September 2025 the last stretch, from the Bai Bac junction, has been for walkers only; OpenStreetMap puts the tree about 5.5km from Bai Bac beach, and some sections are very steep. It is a favorite place for tree lovers, especially during the hot summer days. On clear days, you can also enjoy the overview of Danang, Cham Island and Son Tra main path – all from the location of this tree.

2.5. Vong Canh Viewpoint and Army Radar Station

Lookouts on the mountain, such as the Vong Canh viewpoint, offer a panoramic view of the whole Da Nang city, Son Tra Beach and the surrounding forest. Nearby is the army radar station, a wartime site considered as “Mat Than Dong Duong” – “Indochina Miraculous Eyes”. It is a military area, and defence zones are off-limits to visitors, so you see it from outside.

2.6. Enjoying the Nature

Sunrise is out, since the barriers open at 7:30 am. Sunset comes close to closing time all year, so watching it from Ban Co Peak means starting down straight away.

You can also swim in the cool sea and enjoy the fine view of the sandy banks run round the peninsula. The quiet Bai But beach offers you relaxing times sitting in small nice houses to hear the sound of waves and look swallows fly to the mount cliffs. The colorful coral reefs at the foot of the mountain is an ideal condition for the development of diving tourism.

3. What to Eat in Son Tra Peninsula?

A day trip around Son Tra Peninsula will not be completed without a stop for food. Near Son Tra, there are numerous restaurants serving different kinds of dishes for tourists to enjoy. On the peninsula itself, Citron, at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, takes table reservations online, so book ahead.

Check out some local food in Da Nang here: Cho Con Market: An Affordable Food Paradise in Danang

4. How to Get to Son Tra?

Linh Ung Pagoda and the Dong Dinh Museum are on Hoang Sa, the coast road, and any taxi or Grab car can take you there. In order to reach Ban Co Peak, it is better if you depart at Yet Kieu Road; the top is about 17 km from the Dragon Bridge by road, then a steep flight of steps.

Can you ride a scooter up Son Tra?

Not on the mountain routes. Automatic scooters (xe tay ga) have been kept off them since a pilot scheme began in November 2019, and the ban stayed when the routes reopened in September 2025. Rent a manual or semi-automatic motorbike, or go by car (up to 24 seats).

Since the September 2025 reopening, individual visitors get a green card at the checkpoint and hand it back the same day.

Which Son Tra roads are open in 2026?

The routes reopened on 16 September 2025 after nearly three years of landslide repairs. The peninsula closed again for heavy rain from 8 October 2026 and reopened on 14 October (Báo Văn Hóa).

• Yet Kieu – Ban Co Peak – Bai Bac: one way downhill from Ban Co to Bai Bac. Cars up to 24 seats and manual or semi-automatic motorbikes; no scooters or bicycles.
• Tien Sa – Suoi Om – Ban Co Peak: bicycles, motorbikes other than scooters, and walkers; closed for storm repairs in August 2026 (Tuoi Tre), so ask whether it has reopened.
• Bai Bac junction – Heritage Banyan Tree: walkers only.

How long do you need on Son Tra?

The city tourism portal suggests 3–5 hours for a half day (Linh Ung Pagoda, the Dong Dinh Museum, Ban Co Peak) and 6–8 hours for a full day, which the banyan walk needs.

5. Tips on Visiting Son Tra

• The best time to visit Son Tra Peninsula is the dry season, roughly March to August, per the Da Nang tourism portal; from September to December, rain can close the roads
• When exploring Son Tra, a taxi may cost much more than a motorbike, but if you rent one, make it a manual or semi-automatic bike: automatic scooters are turned back at the checkpoints
• Taking sunscreen and wearing shoes rather than flip flops are recommended, since you might have to ‘fight’ some sand and rocks to take photos of the views.
• Around Son Tra Peninsula, the signal is not very good, so it’s better if you have map of the area, plan the trip ahead or go with a local tour guide.
• Flying a drone over the peninsula needs permission from the authorities.

6. Is it safe to hike on Son Tra?

Only on the approved routes. Self-guided trekking down to Huc Lo, Mui Nghe and Bai Da Den is banned, and the roads have no guardrails along their full length, so keep back from the cliff edges. On the morning of 8 August 2026, waves swept three young women off the rocks at Mui Nghe, and a man who went in after them was carried away too; two were still missing four days later (Tien Phong).

Sources: Da Nang tourism portal (danangfantasticity.com): Son Tra page, suggested itineraries; Tuoi Tre, 17 August 2026; VietNamNet, 15 September 2025; distances: OpenStreetMap