Am Phu Cave Complete Travel Guide

What is Am Phu Cave in Da Nang?

Am Phu cave is Da Nang’s longest natural cave (300 meters). Its entrance is at the foot of Hon Thuy Son (the Water mountain) – the largest of the Marble mountains. Meaning that the cave is a part of the Marble mountains. It’s famous for its name, its extensive chambers and its historic role in the Vietnam war. In addition, this marvel connects with Buddhist culture about life after death, and karma.

Fact: In Vietnamese language, the name of Am Phu cave means “the hell”. Local people explain that it’s dark, mysterious and scary before, so they call it the hell cave.

To know about the rest of the mountain, please read information in https://centralvietnamguide.com/marble-mountains-vietnam/.

Location of Am Phu Cave and How to Get There

Where is Am Phu Cave in Da Nang?

Am Phu cave is in the Marble mountains of Ngu Hanh Son district, Da Nang city. It’s 10 kilometers away from the Dragon bridge (city’s downtown), and 15 kilometers from the Lady Buddha. From Hoi An center – the Old town, the distance is 18 kilometers.

By Taxi and Private Car

From Da Nang city centre, it takes travelers only 15 mins to get to Am Phu cave by car. Taxi is most convenient because it’s available anywhere and anytime, and its fare is metered. The cost from the Dragon bridge may be around 150,000 VND (one way). If not just to visit the cave and the Marble mountains, traveling with a private car is easier. The price will be the same as a taxi but no extra fee to wait when the passengers like to go with the same driver. From Hoi An, a roundtrip costs from 700,000 VND (depending on size of the car). Text us in whatsapp number +84968009827 for further details and book your private car.  

By Bus (from Da Nang)

In Da Nang, there is a public bus and a hop-on-hop-off bus with the Marble mountains in their reschedule. The public one (Bus 1) departs from the Da Nang central bus station and then picks up passengers around the city centre, before the mountain. The nearest drop off point is called “Non Nuoc station” by locals, on Le Van Hien St. From there, it’s needed to walk along Huyen Tran Cong Chua St. The first accessible road to the left is to climb the mountain, and the second is for Am Phu cave.

Hop-on-hop-off-bus comes to pick up passengers at different tourist places before arriving at the mountain. Visit time is 45 minutes (or 1,5 hours).

By Motorbike

Am Phu cave and the Marble mountains are less than a 30 minutes drive from Hoi An or Da Nang. Travelers can hire a scooter from the hotel, with a price from 100,000 to 200,000 VND for one day (or 24hrs). From Da Nang centre, there are two roads to reach the mountain: Le Van Hien boulevard and Vo Nguyen Giap Rd. We recommend the second road because it runs along a beautiful coastline. No matter which road you choose, you have to access Huyen Tran Cong Chua St. At its intersection with Moc Son 3 Rd, turn left to see the cave’s entrance.

The quickest and easiest way from Hoi An is the coastal road, namely Lac Long Quan Rd in Hoi An and then Truong Sa Rd in Da Nang. It has 4 lanes or more, with a median strip in the middle. A few petrol stations stand in major crossroads on it to fill the tank. From Hoi An, just riding straight (on the right hand side) and when it’s close to the mountain, visitors will see many stone sculptures. Huyen Tran Cong Chua St is to the left.

Parking at Am Phu Cave

Bus can park right in the area outside of the Am Phu cave. For motorbikes and bicycles, it’s needed to go to nearby private shops and houses. The fee is 10,000 VND.

Am Phu Cave Opening Hours

Like the Water mountain where it’s located, Am Phu cave opens from 7 am to 5 pm everyday, including Vietnamese national holidays and weekends. Between October and December, typhoons may hit the area, causing heavy rains and floods. For safety, the cave is closed.  The wet season starts earlier than October and ends later than December, so travelers need to check the weather forecast in advance.

For those who don’t like to see crowds, the best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon. Inside Am Phu cave, it’s cooler than outside, therefore tourists don’t have to think about the heat if come in the midday. In common hours, exploring Am Phu cave first and then climbing to the mountain is our recommendation. When it’s dark, Hoi An is the best choice for an evening experience if you go from Da Nang.

Am Phu Cave Entrance Fee and Tickets

At the present, Am Phu cave entrance fee is 20,000 VND, no matter locals or foreigners. This is excluded in the entry fee for the Marble mountains (40,000 VND) although the cave belongs to the mountains. If see both, each person will pay 60,000 VND.

Tickets for Am Phu cave and the Marble mountains (the Water mountain) are sold separately, so visitors need to come to the right counters to buy. The Am Phu cave ticket counter stands to the left of the cave’s entrance. Cashiers don’t know much English and often show a price table to let people know the total cost. After that, it’s needed to go upstairs and staff there will check the tickets again (first but last time!). There are no additional fees during the visit.

History of Am Phu Cave

Before the Vietnam War

Am Phu cave is a part of the Marble mountains, a group of striking outcrops rising from the surroundings. In Vietnamese legend, the Dragon comes from the sea and leaves her egg on a nearby beach. Over time, it gets bigger and breaks when the dragon baby is born. Meanwhile, pieces of the shell become the mountains.

In 19^th century, Minh Mang king visited the complex and named the hill where Am Phu cave belongs, the Water mountain (based on Five elements theory). He also sent soldiers to discover the cave by lighting torches, but was not successful. Locals say that if it’s very deep and an underground river is at the bottom. Therefore, they throw a pomelo into Am Phu cave to see how far it goes. The next day, they see it on a nearby beach.

Am Phu Cave in the Vietnam War

In the Vietnam war, particularly 1968, Am Phu cave was the hiding place for Vietcong communists. They also established a field hospital here, to rescue those injured in battles. To keep it a secret, the cave’s entrance was covered (just opened recently). The Americans and South Vietnamese army attacked this hidden place many times, and faced the bravery of the communists.

Near the cave was the Marble mountain facility controlled by Americans, with camps and an airport. Under the ground, the communists hid in caves and tunnels in the garden of local families (today called K20 resistance base).

What to Expect in Am Phu Cave?

Am Phu cave is longer than any caves in Da Nang. It’s 300 meters long, with impressive marble chambers and a link to local Buddhist culture. Its entrance looks enormous from outside. In traditional belief, after death, people will go to hell. They must walk across a slippery bridge, and those of bad behaviors fall into the river below.  

To the left of the Main chamber, the staircase leads to the highest point of the Am Phu cave. There, locals call it “the Heaven”. That’s why visitors will see Buddha statues, birds, clouds, etc that remind about heaven. Stairs are steep in general, especially around the top, and sometimes the hands must be used. We advise paying attention and staying careful while walking up and down.

Walking further inside and looking to the right, there are the 10 Kings of hell who judge the dead in the Last Judgement. Up to what people act, the kings determine which place they should be sent later: hell, heaven or continue to live on Earth. Before that, the Ox Head and the Horse Face take them from their families.

In the 18 Levels of Hell, visitors go stairs to see different faults of human beings (when they’re living) and physical tortunes they face after death. In Vietnamese culture, the most serious fault is impiety to parents. In lower places, others are shown, such as being procurer, robbing, thief, using mouth to harm people. Adults are advised to consider allowing kids to visit this section of the cave due to scary scenes. At the end of the passage, Buddhists can pray and confess.

The last chamber features tall, vertical walls and it’s open at the top. Sun rays fall in it at noon time, giving a wonderfully fairy spectacle.

Places to Visit near Am Phu Cave

Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village

Along Huyen Tran Cong Chua St, there are a lot of marble sculptures and marble shops. Together with surroundings, the area is called “Non Nuoc stone carving village”. The carving tradition has been continued from 16^th century. Today, 300 households make a variety of products for sale, and for exportation.

Linh Ung Pagoda

Linh Ung pagoda at the Marble mountains is the first of three Linh Ung pagodas in Da Nang. It’s constructed in 1826 by request of Minh Mang king who ruled the country from 1820 to 1840. To get to this temple, visitors have two options: by elevator (15,000 VND per person) or climbing stairs. Behind it, there is Tang Chon cave and its chambers where monks lived in the past.

Tam Thai Pagoda

On the other side of the mountain, Tam Thai pagoda has the same year of construction as Linh Ung pagoda, 1826. Minh Mang king built it because of the promise of his father – founder of the Nguyen dynasty. During his reign, this was recognized as the national temple, indicating its importance in the spiritual life of the family.

Huyen Khong Cave

Behind Tam Thai pagoda, Huyen Khong cave has the largest single chamber in the Marble mountains. Within it, local people and monks build small temples and shrines for Buddha, gods and goddesses. Here, visitors enjoy spectacular natural formations and amazing shafts of sunlight falling down from the top. No doubt that many photographers come to capture special photos, especially at midday.

Quan The Am Pagoda

1,5 kilometers away from Am Phu cave, Quan The Am pagoda is a new and massive Buddhist temple by the Metal and Fire mountains. Its name means “Lady Buddha” so it’s for veneration to her. On 19^th day of the 2^nd lunar month each year, monks and locals celebrate the Lady Buddha festival – the biggest religious festival of Da Nang.

Am Phu Cave Tour

To fill a half day, our Am Phu cave tour also includes the rest of the Marble Mountains and Linh Ung pagoda on Son Tra peninsula. Depending on the location of the hotel, our guide and driver will take you to the cave. After that, for convenience, Buddhist temples, caves and peaks of the Water mountain are next places to visit. An elevator ride is available to go up, and skip 106 steps to reach the first sight. Following this itinerary, Linh Ung pagoda – Da Nang’s largest temple is the last. It comprises grand worshipping halls amid bonsai gardens, beautiful view to the city, and Vietnam’s tallest Lady Buddha statue (67 m). See details in https://centralvietnamguide.com/tour/am-phu-cave-tour/.