Ba Na Hills Cable Car: World Record, Cost, Reschedule, Map

Quick Introduction of Ba Na Hills Cable Car

Constructed by the Sun Group and Austrian engineers, the network of cable cars is an inseparable part of the famed Ba Na Hills. The first was built in 2009 and since then, there are 3 others added. Because of being responsible for transporting people to the top of Da Nang’s summit, the height and length of some lines in this network hold world records. Today, cable cars are the only choice to reach the mountain resort and its attractions. At least one line construction is on-going and opened to tourists soon.

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Height

Ba Na Hills cable car carries travelers to a height of 1,485 meters above the sea level, Nui Chua summit.  

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Length

The largest length of a line of Ba Na Hills cable car is 5,801 meters.

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Lines

Now, Ba Na Hills mountain resort has 5 cable car lines and soon more with on-going constructions. Not only 2 rides to go up and down, here travelers have the chance to experience extra without charge, with a pair of transiting lines between major areas.

The Line 1&2

This is the first cable car line built in Ba Na Hills history. Launched in March 2009, it immediately holds 2 world records: the line of the largest elevation between its stations (over 1,290 meters) and the longest single-track line (5 km). The first is always special. Each of its 94 cabins is designed with a shape of bell cherry blossom, the emblem of the hill station. Number of passengers allowed is 8 persons maximum. While sitting in its cabin, it’s possible to view Toc Tien waterfall flowing down from a 700-meters-high cliff. If getting another cable car, travelers just can see a part or can’t see. Whichever ride up or down, Line 1 is the favourite of so many people and sometimes forgotten because of newer lines. Line 2 is from the end of Line 1 to the Ba Na Hills French Village. See information of their stations below here.

The Line 3

Because of stunning experience and two world records, the first cable line became popular to visitors quickly and so that, overloaded. To make the queues shorter, Line 3 was constructed in 2013. Up to day, this second-built line is still only non-stop, from foot of the hills to the French village. With an addition of 80 meters, it replaces its older brother’s place, to be the world’s largest elevation between two terminals. Three other records of it are the longest unpatched wire (11.587 meters), the longest one-wire sling (5.777 meters) and the heaviest cable roll (approximately 142 tonnes). This is also to celebrate the 38^th commemoration of the Vietnam war stopping in Da Nang.

86 cabins are designed to be able to transport 3,000 passengers per hour and each one contains 10 people maximum. It takes 17 minutes to complete a ride in Line 3. Thanks to being without transit, lots of travelers choose it, to avoid joining the queue twice in high seasons. However, the guide in organized tours also recommends his visitors to return to the city by this line, making its upper station (L’Indochine) often packed.

The Line 4&5

Opened from 2017, Line 4 and 5 are the youngest Ba Na Hills cable car, aiming to serve visitors the quickest ride to awesome attractions as possible. Line 4 starts from a station by open landscaped spaces inspired from Hoi An town and ends in somewhere near the Golden bridge. So, it becomes the best choice for those who would like to visit that world-famous bridge first. Thanks to being modernest, cabins of it contain most passengers. For a big group, that’s so great to sit beside and enjoy everything together. Line 5 gives a ride from flower gardens to the French village (same to Line 2). It’s free of charge and takes only a few minutes.

Which is the Best Line?

Ba Na Hills cable car lines are operated on a reschedule that may be changed daily. So, the best line is what is available to get on, rather than a personal favorite. The best itinerary is that of selecting one line to reach up the mountain and another to go down. But if most lines are run at the same time, which one is nicest to begin the first ride?  

Above all, the selection depends on which place you would like to see first: French village, Golden bridge, the Buddha or theme park? If you prefer the Golden Bridge, a must-visit for Instagrammers, you should get the Line 4. There is just a short walk from its arrival station to that place. If it does not open yet, choose Line 1 (from Toc Tien station). If like to come to a buffet lunch restaurant or take a ride on Alpine Coaster first, Line 3 is your choice. For the views from the cabin, Line 3 and Line 4 allow to see the most spectacular sceneries.

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Stations

There are 10 stations at the moment, 3 in the foot of the mountain and 7 in the upper parts. In addition, 3 of 10 serve as a transit place for the rides between two main areas: the Golden Bridge and French Village. Name of stations links to local history and French culture.

Toc Tien and Ba Na Stations (Line 1)

Toc Tien and Ba Na are two cable car terminals of Line 1, the first in Ba Na Hills. Toc Tien (for departures) is named the same as a breath-taking white water fall nearby. It means “the hair of fairy lady”. To get to it, visitors need to walk upstairs quite far from the ticket counters. Escalators are available but sometimes broken down because of high air humidity. After leaving the station for a few minutes, passengers can see that wonderful waterfall from the cabin. Browse centralvietnamguide.com/da-nang-waterfalls to know other pretty falls around the city.

The last station is Ba Na and it takes 15 minutes to get there. From Ba Na station, travelers can take a short walk to Debay station (to reach the French village). With the same distance, D’Amour station provides a funicular ride up to a place between Golden bridge and flower gardens. Before the presence of the mountain train, tourists access Linh Ung pagoda by a road and steps close by. Now, many people still choose to avoid the queue in stations during the high seasons. Some nice pictures can be taken en route, with cabins moving through clouds, above wooded mountains or colorful hydrangea flowers.

Debay and Morin Stations (Line 2)

Line 2 allows tourists to get to the French village after Line 1 finishes. To take a ride on its cabins, come to Ba Na station near the lower station of the funicular and downstairs from Linh Ung pagoda. During its 5-mins duration, passengers can view Vong Nguyen hill where old French villas still stand and Da Nang’s largest mountain roller coaster. The arrival station is Morin, name of a French businessman who built the first hotel in Ba Na Hills. He also owned many others around the country in the colonial time. After getting off the cabin, passengers need to walk upstairs for a while. From the main entrance of the station, a broad view over the French village is provided, popularly appearing in social media. Upper floors are home to the Morin restaurant where a la carte menu is served.

From Morin station, it’s convenient to get all parts of the whole area. Turn right, you can get Morin hotel, Starbuck, the Twelve zodiac signs, high viewpoints and Beer Plaza restaurant. Walking down all the steps and turning left, the entrance of Fantasy theme park is on the lowest terrace. Going straight, temples in the summit and the rest of the village can be accessed. 

Suoi Mo and L’Indochine Stations (Line 3)

As the highest cable car station, Suoi Mo is where the cabins of Line 3 depart. Its name is taken from the nearby waterway, meaning “the Fairy stream”. The stream can be seen from the cabin at the beginning. It takes 17 minutes to arrive at the next (last) station, L’Indochine, name of the French colonial federation for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. During a ride of this non-stop line, passengers move above the untouched environments of Ba Na-Nui Chua nature reserve. To the further left, the highest peaks are in Bach Ma national park and much closer, on-going construction of a new line. After leaving the cabin in the upper station, travelers will walk upstairs or get escalators, and at the end of the passageway, that is the centre of French village. From there, all places are easily reached. In the late afternoon (high seasons), the line of waiters for the return ride is really long. 

Hoi An and Marselle Stations (Line 4)

Because of being youngest, Hoi An station is the largest cable car terminal in Ba Na Hills. From ticket counters, travelers need to walk in the big Three-arched Gate first. Then, walk upstairs to the upper terrace and follow the signal boards. Generally, the station is to the left and on the way, Hoi An-inspired landscaped gardens provide much photo opportunties. To meet the cabins, once again, it’s needed to walk over steps and while being close by them, travelers can see a scene of Hoi An at night. Sit back and enjoy fantastic sceneries along the 15-mins ride, among the bests travelers can see. Giant outcrops are such spectacular below the cabin, featuring tree-free surfaces (like Australian Uluru).

The arrival is Marseille station. From there, insprirational Golden bridge is after a short walk to the right. In the Dome, live circuits and performances of dancers usually occur. The way leading to the station for reaching French village is just nearby (namely Bordeaux). If don’t take a cabin in Line 2 (or it doesn’t open), travelers have to return here to reach the village, another draw.

Bordeaux and Louvre Stations (Line 5)

Line 5 is among the shortest lines in Ba Na Hills cable car network, from Bordeaux station near Golden bridge to Louvre station. It takes a few minutes to transfer, but allows visitors to see some historical sites. There are a white villa sitting atop the hill that the owner of Ba Na Hills gave to sir Thanh Da Nang’s first president, and remains of French villas. In the near future, leisure houses will be reconstructed to provide tourists rooms to stay over. The road the colonists built to get to the hill station is visible too. Because of these reasons, both stations are named by famous cities in France. When arriving, passengers need to walk quite long (slippery on rainy days) to go to other places. At the end of the passageway with paintings inspired by French art, just go straight to get to the Arapang buffet restaurant. 

Champa and Taiga Stations (Line 6)

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Schedule

Ba Na Hills cable car is operated from 7:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m daily, but most frequently before 5:30 p.m. Its lines have their own reschedule that depends on weather, maintenance and number of tourists in the day. In the high seasons, should follow the crowds or tour guides, to get the operating station easiest for reaching up the mountain resort.

Line 4 usually opens earliest because it provides the quickest ride to the Golden bridge and surrounding flower gardens. Morning is the best time to visit them. Moreover, sightseeing in that area first serves the convenience in travel itinerary too. Nearly all of the restaurants and outdoor celebrations occur in another zone, so if “done” things to see and do there, it’s unnecessary to go back anymore. Last cabin leaving Line 4 departure station is between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m. Line 1 is operated many times during the peak seasons, to support Line 4. In the late afternoon, Line 4 reopens, to solve the congestion in French village.

In the midday, cabins in Line #3 start moving to take visitors straight to the French village where restaurants are served and live performances occur. In later hours, visitors also get these to go down the mountain, because of being without transit. After 5, the frequency of Line 3 is changed, caused by decreasing number of tourists. At the time, passengers (up) were chiefly travelers who stayed over in Ba Na Hills hotel. If planning to explore the hill station at night, Line 3 is the only choice to return.

Reschedule of Ba Na Hills cable car is changeable. Therefore, the top tip is that you should have a double check with the staff right in the place, to ensure opening and closing times of all lines made sense. 

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Tickets

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Cost

Ba Na hill station cable car price is 850,000 VND for adults and teenagers above 1,4 meters in height. For childrens from 1 to 1,4 meters, it’s 700,000 VND and for smaller ages, it’s free of charge. Because of being exactly the same as Ba Na Hills entrance fee, travelers just need to reserve or buy an official ticket to experience the rides. All local tour operators, booking desks, tourist information centers and travel agents can book with the same price. Besides, tickets are also available in online sites, with a cheaper cost at some times (promotion in low season). On the webpage of Sun World Ba Na Hills, travelers can buy it too.

No matter which places you buy, it’s necessary to come to the counters near Ba Na Hills cable car stations to exchange physical tickets. In the high season, full booking seems to never occur, so you don’t need to reserve in advance but definitely stand in long lines in front of the counters anyway. Several big online booking channels deal with the owner company to help their customers skip the queues. Asking directly to know whether you have that policy or not.   

Ticket Counters

Ba Na Hills cable car ticket counters are to the right of the main walkway (leading to the bridge and a big gate). Cash in Vietnam dong is preferred there, but if have not enough, it’s possible to have an exchange from USD. Don’t expect the rate to be high, because the counters are far from any banks. In high seasons, long queues before the cashiers often occur and to save time, should book a ticket online. If you travel on rainy days, the weather in the mountain is clearly shown in screens nearby. See how the weather is before purchasing the ticket. In the afternoon, do the same to avoid disappointments.

Ba Na Hills Cable Car Ticket Reservation

Local travel agencies can help to reserve Ba Na hills cable car tickets in advance for tourists. In high seasons or weekend, a reservation assists to skip long queues at ticket counters. Text us in whatsapp number +84968009827 to make it.

Luggage Storage

Luggage storage is necessary if you travel Ba Na Hills with suitcases and bags, especially when heading over straight away after hotel check out or an airport arrival. This convenience is provided for free and available from 8 a.m to 9 p.m. A numbered tag will be given for verifying later. 

Parking Lot

Parking lots for free are many to park your bicycle near the traffic circle at Ba Na Hills’s entrance gate (not the one by the golf course). Simply, just ride along Ba Na-Suoi Mo road and when you can’t ride further, the staff will show the direction to come to the right place. The keepers give to the riders a card with a number, and when returning, the holders have to show it for the authentication. In high seasons, motorcycles may be so many, therefore you should remember the license plate to find it easier. After taking the card, walk to the left and the ticket counters are to the right. Don’t come in the Big gate, the counters are nearer than you think.  

Experience during Ba Na Hills Cable Car Ride

Experience during a cable car ride in Ba Na Hills is worth a trip, first of all because of the picteresque natural scenery. Passengers can expect to see green hills below the cabin to purple mountains near the horizon, small to huge outcrops, high waterfalls, streams, reservoirs, big and ancient trees, animals and blooming flowers at some times. Most of them hide and show during the ups and downs of the cabin. Don’t forget to look back, whole of Da Nang plain, mountains, villages and nearby sea are in your sight. The best time to see it is in the morning when the waters become shimmering. In the evening, millions of lights in the city impress any travelers.
This scenic and well-preserved landscape is enriched by weather phenomena like clouds, fogs, and rainbows. The most seen one is the cloud that when the cabin moves through, it seems to be in a different world. On many days, from the mountaintop, the sea of clouds is visible and making the attraction become a surreal island. Some issues passengers may encounter (because of altitude change) also are extra factors to make the ride more interesting. Of course, fresh air and photo opportunities are provided all the time.

Cabin of Ba Na Hills Cable Car – A Review

Ba Na Hills cable car lines have different numbers of cabins and individually, each cabin has a different capacity. The main reason is that they were constructed at different times in history. Cabins on the first line (Line 1) house from 6 to 8 people, but it can be up to 30 for the newest line. While all passengers sit close together in an arc in the earliest-operated cabins, the later ones allow passengers to sit in two rows parallel and facing each other. There is one door only and it’s closed and opened automatically. Manually-opened windows are available, at least 2 in each cabin, to allow passengers to breathe the clean air during the ride. In Line 3, glass floors can be seen, but just some. Travelers are advised to put the phone out the window to take photos or stand on the settings.

Additionally, sick bags and maps in several languages are also added for free (usually Vietnamese, English, Chinese, and Korean). Not always, the music or introduction about the destination is on, really nice to listen to. In bad weather (like thunder), the cabin may stop to ensure safety for passengers. How long it occurs depends on weather conditions, of course. So, if meet this situation, should be calm because the engineers know it and do their best to reoperate safely the cable car. If possible, experience in a sunny day.

Changes During Ba Na Hills Cable Car Ride

Passengers may encounter some small issues while being on Ba Na Hills cable car, caused by sudden changes in elevation, air pressure, and temperature. Tinnitus is most popular and then to little headache and nervousness. Although all feelings last not long, children and kids may be scare of that. The easiest change to guess is about temperature. It’s so different between the hill station and city, commonly 10oC difference.

The Best Time to Get Ba Na Hills Cable Car

An experience with a cable car in Ba Na Hills is one of the most unforgettable memories in Da Nang. It’s loved and popular by nearly all tourists traveling to the city, so it is usually busy. During the high seasons, the stations are packed. Therefore, plenty of travelers try to arrive early to avoid the crowds. When the temperature decreases in late hours of the afternoon, they move down the mountain and go back to the hotel. However, this itinerary is not really unpopular. Organized tours and bloggers recommend the same, so the line is still long but shorter than in the midday.

The evening is also nice, because at that time, it’s cooler, peaceful and there are no long queues anywhere. Repeat visitors often like it, but for first timers, should sightsee in the daytime when all sights still open, activites still occur and the landscape is visible. About the months, avoid stormy days in the end of the year. Cable car may be stopped operating to ensure passengers safety. Sceneries are “hidden” by brown clouds.   

Why Build Cable Car to Ba Na Hills?

Different from many Da Nang tourist attractions, Ba Na Hills is located on the top of a mountain range. In colonial times, French built a road leading to it, but small and bumpy, and that one was abandoned when the colonists left. In the 1990s, leaders of local committees put their care into the hill station to develop tourism. So, the former road was improved and enlarged, allowing transportation by cars and mini vans. However, the ride up the mountain is still long and potentially dangerous because of dense fog. In 2009, the first Ba Na Hills cable car was inaugurated to solve problems that visitors had faced previously. Cable cars serve quicker and safer rides. On the other side, this addition helps to prevent forests from cutting down to widen roads and reduce air pollution. Wildlife under the cabins is among the richest one in the region.

Ba Na Hills Cable Car – Lost and Found

If passengers forget a personal belonging or lost something in the cabin, they should announce it to any staff near them first. Responsible persons in the cable car network will check cameras to help to find out quickly then. However, many visitors remember they left something when they were already at the hotel or somewhere far from the hills. In that case, it’s necessary to let the customer service know via contacts in Ba Na Hills’s official sites. When found, the staff will let the loser know or help to send home upon the request. On the way from cable car stations to the parking lots, travelers may see “lost and found” corner. Owner of the items kept there may don’t realize the loss or may come to get one day.

Brothers and Sisters of Ba Na Hills Cable Car

Ba Na Hills cable car lay a foundation for Sun World’s cable car network that is present in many tourist destinations around Vietnam. Its younger siblings are the Fansipan Legend in Sapa, Cat Ba island, Hon Thom island in Phu Quoc, Baden Mountain and Ha Long Bay.