Hoi An city and My Son Sanctuary – two different UNESCO World Heritage Sites in one day; the ancient Champa Kingdom of My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was the spiritual and political capital of the Champa Kingdom from the 4th to 13th Century and a comprehensive walking tour through the delightful Hoi An Ancient Town, a beautifully preserved Unesco World Heritage Site which has remained virtually unchanged through the centuries. There is no doubt that Hoi An city and My Son Sanctuary is a must do in Hoi An.
We first start the tour to Hoi An. Hoi An was a famous trading port of Vietnam from 16th to 19th century. Merchants from many countries brought their culture, cuisine, architecture here,… In early 20th century, Hoi An lost its position to Danang. Thanks to the good preservation, Hoi An can keep its original culture and architecture without any urbanism. Besides, Hoi An is also famous for its cuisine, coffee tradition. From street corners to fancy restaurants, good food and coffee can be easily found at any time of the day.
Our lovely guide will walk you through alleys to see the real Hoi An and admire the architecture, culture of this city. Especially we will visit temples, ancient houses, see the local markets, interact with local people. Besides, our guide will take you to some of the best coffee shops in Hoi An, which is also a good chance to learn about the coffee industry of Vietnam.
After the fantastic lunch, we will leave for My Son – another Unesco Heritage. On this My Son tour, our lovely guide will guide you through each temple and explain to you about the functions, architecture, history of them. Although My Son was strongly bombed by the US Airforce during the Vietnam War, the ruins is still worth seeing.
In My Son, we still apparently see the contrast between the present and the past since the complex is a mix of intact temples and restored ones. Besides, we also discover all the mysteries left by the ancient Cham People from the building techniques, the purposes.
What is Hoi An city:
Hoi An is a charming and historically significant city located on the coast of central Vietnam, in Quang Nam province. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its well-preserved Ancient Town, a former trading port that reflects a blend of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and European influences. This unique cultural fusion, combined with the city’s beautiful architecture and relaxed atmosphere, makes Hoi An a popular destination for travelers.
What is My Son Sanctuary?
In the 4th century, Cham People lived in the south of Vietnam today. They built a country named Champa Kingdom. Where Cham people came from is still unknown, but according to some research, they might come from Indonesia, or India,… Like those countries, Cham people were Hinduist.
In the 4th century, The Cham King (Bhadravarman I) built the first temple from wood, and it was burnt accidentally. In the 6th century (200 years later), A Cham King ( Sambhuvarman) built the first brick temple and later other kings built their own temples. Rumor has it each prince when they took over the throne had to built a temple ( There are about 70 discovered temples, there could be 70 kings ruling the Kingdom from the 4th to the 13th century).
All the temples in My Son sanctuary were built mainly to dedicate to Shiva ( the destruction in Hindu). Other than Shiva, they also worshiped other gods such as Vishnu (the protection), Brahma( The creation).
In the 14th century, Champa Kingdom was invaded by the Vietnamese from the North. Gradually the Vietnamese took over the Kingdom in the 19th century.
My Son was abandoned for almost a hundred years in the primary forest of My Son valley. In 1885, the French discovered it. 10 years later, they started studying inscriptions and architecture.
In 1969, My Son sanctuary was bombed by the US Airforce. 90% of the old sanctuary was destructed. In 1997, the Vietnamese government with the support of Poland, India, Italy started restoring the temples. During the restorations, the archeologists met a lot of difficulties due to lacks of documents which were destroyed in the wars.
My Son is situated in a valley and surrounded by sand stone mountains. It will be very hot in the Summer when the heat is trapped inside. Best time of the year to visit My Son is from February to April. In the rainy season ( From October to December), the road to My Son can be flooded.
There are 3 times during the day when you can visit the My Son: Early morning, morning, and the afternoon. It depends on your plans, available time, you can choose your most suitable times.
My Son sunrise: You will start at 5.00 am. You will reach My Son at 6.00. The benefit of getting early is you will have the place to yourself, avoid the heat in the summer, take a lot of good photos, see the beautiful sunrise.
My Son morning: you will start at 7.30 or 8.00. Note: the weather can be hot from 10.00 in the Summer
My Son afternoon tour: You will start at 13.00 or 13.30. If you finish late at My Son, you may see the sunset.
How to get to My Son?
From Hoi An and Da Nang, it is not difficult to get to My Son. You can easily go there by your self.
By private car with a driver to Hoi An city and My Son Sanctuary:Â You can book a car to get there, the cost is around 600,000 vnd to 1 millions vnd. The driver will pick you up from your hotels, transfer you to My Son, wait for you for 2 hours and bring you back. Taking taxi or grab car can cost more, because they will run by meters.
Motorbike taxi:Â Motorbike taxi will cost much, because My Son is quite far from Hoi An and Da Nang ( 60 km). Grab bike ( You can download the app online) is available at the cost of 200.000 vnd, but you have to make sure that driver will wait for you in My Son, because grab bike offers no service there, you will find it difficult to go back. Booking with grab bike is sometimes limited, because due to the long distance, the drivers can deny your booking.
Scooter rental:Â You can also rent a scooter and drive there yourself, which requires you to have good driving skills. The cost of a scooter rental for one day is from 180,000 vnd to 250,000 vnd. It will be fun if you can drive safely. You will not only see more things on the way but also interact more with people. Of course this is not recommended if you are not used to the traffic in Vietnam.
A Private Hoi An city and My Son tour: A private tour can have all the advantages above and eliminate the advantages. Mate Hoi An tours provides you with private tours which include tickets, tour guide, water, transportations. Book other tours here.
It takes 1 hour to get to My Son
We will begin our day trip with a visit to the capital and religious center of the former Champa Kingdom, My Son, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beautifully situated in a lush green valley, there are dozen of red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the 7th and the 13th century. It presents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in an important phase of the history of South-East Asia.
We have lunch in Hoi An
we will discover the city of Hoi An on foot. The historic town, which used to be a prosperous seaport city from the 16th to 18th century, is now a wonderful city that cannot be missed while touring the Southeast Asian region. While walking through the city, we will make a few stops to visit Hoi An Museum, many of the town’s renowned Ancient Houses which boast remarkable architecture, Assembly Halls of Chinese influence; Art Craft Manufacturing Workshop and of course the must-see Japanese Covered Bridge. You can find variety architecture styles in Hoi An Ancient Town which are Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese as well as French styles.
Free time to wander around and take photos
The tour lasts about 7 hours
It is about 60 km between the 2 places
Yes, lunch is included in this tour.
English is the used language.
We usually finish at 3.00 pm
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