My Son Sanctuary is the best ancient historical site in Vietnam.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in central Vietnam, was once the royal holy site of a lost South-East Asian civilization and is one of the few remaining places where you can see their ruins.
The ruins of My Son (the proper spelling being Mỹ Sơn – pronounced ‘mee sun’) date back almost 1800 years. Once an expansive and thriving holy site, the ruins were long abandoned and swallowed up by jungle before being heavily damaged by American bombing during the Vietnam War.
In recent years, however, the Vietnamese government has invested heavily in restoring the ruins, and it has now become one of Vietnam’s top historical attractions.
Despite being among the best historical places in Vietnam, My Son Sanctuary is a little out of the way, being about an hour drive from the nearest city, and information on visiting the ruins can be a little scarce.
So, drawing from my own experience visiting the site, I’ve created this guide which provides you with everything you need to know about visiting My Son Sanctuary.
Table of Contents
A Very Brief History of My Son Sanctuary
To help you get the most value out of your visit to My Son Sanctuary, here’s a little back story…
Throughout the middle ages the area that we now called Vietnam was made up of 3 separate kingdoms. To the north was the Dai Viet (the Vietnamese). To the south was the mighty Khmer Empire (the Cambodians). And squashed in between was the Kingdom of Champa.
The Champa Kingdom was one of the major regional powers in South-east Asia for centuries, situated in a prime position on the trade route to and from China. They were often at conflict with the Khmer Empire, and even invaded and sacked the great city of Angkor.
The Champa capital cities were situated near the modern-day town of Hoi An (also founded by Champa), and it was in this region that the royal dynasties, with all their wealth, established their own dedicated holy site: Mỹ Sơn.
Mỹ Sơn was essentially the ‘royal family’s holy site’, and was used by the dynasty members and other important people in society for their religious ceremonies, worship and eventually as their burial place.
Mỹ Sơn was established in the 4th century CE, and was gradually developed and added to over the next 1000 years. By the 14th century CE, the site held over 70 buildings and was the Champa equivalent to the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
This was during a time when Indian culture reigned supreme over South-east Asia, and Hinduism along with it. Because of this, Mỹ Sơn is a Hindu site and the inscriptions you can see carved into its buildings are in Sanskrit, an ancient language from India.
By the late 16th century CE, the declining Champa kingdom was conquered and swallowed up by the conquering Vietnamese kingdom to the north. Mỹ Sơn soon fell into disrepair and was eventually abandoned.
While the site was partially restored under French colonial rule, Mỹ Sơn would be damaged even further during the Vietnam War after heavy American bombing in the area. Bomb craters can still be seen around the site to this day.
While the Champa Kingdom may be long gone, and Mỹ Sơn little more than ruins, the Cham people still exist today, and are one of the many ethnic minorities in Vietnam.
There’s obviously way more to the story of Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary than that, but that was a quick rundown of where this ancient site came from and how it became what it is today.
Best time to visit My Son Sanctuary
Best time of year
The best time of year to visit My Son Sanctuary, and Vietnam in general, is between December and April.
This aligns with the regions ‘winter’ – or rather dry season – when the daytime temperature sits comfortably around the mid-20s (celcius) and the humidity is a lot more bearable.
While you can visit Vietnam all year round, the months between May and November are the regions ‘wet season’, when spurts of intense tropical rainfall are much more common and the humidity is high enough to make your daytime adventures an uncomfortable experience.
Best time of day
The best time of day to visit My Son Sanctuary is early morning or late afternoon.
If you followed the above advice and are visiting Vietnam during their winter/dry season, then there’s no reason you can’t visit My Son Sanctuary at any time throughout the day. The daytime temperatures can still get a little warm, but nothing too intense.
But if you’re visiting Vietnam during their summer/wet season, then the time of day that you visit My Son Sanctuary is more important. To avoid the heat and humidity at this time of year, aim for the early morning or late afternoon.
If you’re visiting My Son Sanctuary in the early morning or late afternoon, keep in mind that it takes roughly one hour to drive there from either Hoi An or Da Nang, and another hour to drive back. So plan accordingly.
My Son Sanctuary Opening Hours
At the time of writing, My Son Sanctuary is open from 6am to 5pm, 7 days a week including public holidays.
Unfortunately, My Son Sanctuary doesn’t have an official website where you can check for updates to the opening hours, but the times are not known to change.
How to get to My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary is located in the highlands of central Vietnam, near the tourist hotspots of Da Nang and Hoi An. If you’re visiting My Son Sanctuary, you’ll almost certainly be based out of one of these 2 cities.
Reaching My Son Sanctuary from either Da Nang or Hoi An takes approximately 1 hour, so it really doesn’t matter which you start from.
As to how to reach My Son Sanctuary, you have a few different options…
Shuttle Bus
Currently there is a local company running a cheap shuttle bus service from both Hoi An and Da Nang to My Son Sanctuary, and this is arguably the simplest way to reach the ancient ruins.
For around $9 USD (at the time of writing), they’ll take you from a designated pick up point in either city, drive you to My Son Sanctuary, give you plenty of time to explore the site, then take you back to the same place you were picked up.
Note that this isn’t a guided tour, it’s a simple ‘drive you there and back’ service, but if that’s all you’re looking for, it’s the simplest way of reaching My Son Sanctuary.You can book your place on the shuttle bus here.
Rent a Scooter/Motorbike
If you’re down for a little adventure, then I’d highly recommend you skip the shuttle bus, rent a scooter/motorbike, and go on a road trip to My Son yourself.
Renting a motorbike is a popular thing to do in Vietnam. It’s cheap, doesn’t require a licence (or at least i’ve never been asked to show one) and is a lot of fun.
Reaching My Son Sanctuary on a motorbike is the best way to explore the region, allowing you to stop and see the sites along the way at your own leisure.
You’ll need to navigate a bit of chaotic city traffic, especially in Da Nang, and a couple of main roads, but after you get a little bit further inland its smooth sailing along quiet, scenic roads.
How do you rent a scooter in Vietnam? Well, the simplest way is to ask at your accommodation reception, because most hostels and hotels rent their own, or can at least arrange it.
If that isn’t an option, then click here to book a motorbike/scooter rental in Da Nang, or click here to book one in Hoi An.
Book a Tour
Lastly, you can skip all the hassle of the above options and simply book a guided tour to My Son Sanctuary.
No meeting at the shuttle pick up point, no riding a motorbike on chaotic city roads – it’s all covered for you, making a tour the most convenient way of reaching My Son Sanctuary.
Most tours will pick you up from your hotel, drive you to My Son Sanctuary, provide a guided tour of the site from an experienced English-speaking guide, usually provide you with breakfast or lunch, then drop you off back at your hotel.
Some tours also stop by other popular attractions in the area on the way to My Son Sanctuary.
Most guided tours are a half-day trip, depending on what’s included, and often give you the choice between morning or afternoon.
You can explore My Son Sanctuary tours by clicking here.
My Son Sanctuary Entry Ticket
At the time of writing, the entrance fee for My Son Sanctuary is 150,000 VND (about $6 USD).
Tickets to My Son Sanctuary can be purchased from the ticket booth at the site itself.
Tickets to My Son Sanctuary cannot be purchased online or in advance – at least for now.
What to expect when you arrive
After purchasing your ticket and entering My Son Sanctuary, you won’t see any ruins right away. The entry area is where you’ll find the museum and some public restrooms.
To reach the ruins, you’ll need to make your way up the hill, but thankfully there’s a free shuttle service that runs back and forth between this entry area and the ruins.
To reach the free shuttle, just follow the path straight from the front entrance and across the bridge.
The shuttle bus will drop you off at a small restaurant and souvenir store. From here, there are 2 paths leading to the ruins. The path loops around and comes back to the shuttle point, but the maps will direct you to take the path to the left/north.
Now, it’s time to explore the ruins…
Things to see at My Son Sanctuary
Museum
The first thing to see at My Son Sanctuary is the museum.
The museum is the first thing you’ll come across after entering My Son. It’s located in the ‘entry area’ of the site, before taking the shuttle bus up the hill to the ruins.
At this small museum you can learn about the history of the Cham people, the lost Champa Kingdom and of My Son itself.
Many of the top artefacts unearthed at My Son Sanctuary were taken abroad by the French during their colonial rule, but this museum still holds a few of its own, such as some impressive sculptures.
Along with infographics and maps, the museum takes you through the long and interesting history of My Son Sanctuary, and covers the building techniques used by the Cham people to construct the temples.
Checking out the museum before seeing the ruins will allow you to get much more value from your visit to My Son Sanctuary. By learning about the history of the site and how it came to be, you’ll be able to understand what you’re seeing and easily imagine what it would have been like during its hey-day.
After you’ve visited the museum, you’ll take the free shuttle up the hill and start exploring the ruins.
Group E & F
Aside from a few scattered structures, the ruins at My Son Sanctuary can be split roughly into 3 main groups, with the structures labelled with letters (not in the order you see them)
The first set of ruins you’ll come across is group E & F.
If you find the structures at Group E & F a bit lackluster, don’t worry because this is considered the least impressive group at My Son. These temples were the most heavily damaged during the American bombing, and multiple bomb craters are still visible around the structures to this day.
The largest structure in this group (temple F1) is among the most heavily damaged, being little more than a pile of bricks. It’s currently inaccessible to visitors, being fenced off and covered by a roof, as restoration work has begun.
The exception here is temple E1 which, while small, is possibly the most well-preserved single structure at My Son Sanctuary, being in almost perfect condition.
Aside from these two structures, the remaining are heavily ruined, and largely covered in grass.
Group A
Believed to have been built during the 10th century CE, Group A is the next group of ruins you’ll come across, after also passing by the lonely temple G.
At Group A you’ll find a central structure surrounded by a group of smaller temples.
The central structure here (temple A1) was the tallest and grandest of the structures at My Son, but it was also among those that took the most damage from American bombing. Thankfully, restoration on A1 has begun in recent years, and it soon may look very similar to how it was when first built.
Group A is arguably the 2nd most impressive group of temples at My Son, surpassed only by the next group you’ll come across along the path.
Group B, C & D
The ruins at group B, C & D are the main attraction at My Son Sanctuary, and the largest group of temples at the site.
Group B boasts the oldest structures at My Son Sanctuary. The oldest (temple B10), was built during the 4th century CE before being destroyed, and then re-built in the 7th century. The other structures here were built later, mostly between the 8th and 10th century.
The structures in this group are among the most well preserved at My Son, which mostly means those that were least damaged from the American bombings.
Aside from the large, intact structures you can explore in this group (including the interiors), it’s also the best place at My Son to see the Sanskrit inscriptions carved into the buildings, as well as other rock-carved reliefs and sculptures.
This included structures D1 and D2, which have been covered by a modern roof and turned into a makeshift museum, with a bunch of artefacts unearthed from My Son on display.
Group B, C & D are the final main group of temples you’ll see at My Son Sanctuary. After this, you’ll pass by a couple of small, mostly ruined, structures as you make your way back to the shuttle.
How crowded does My Son Sanctuary get?
Before visiting a historical site, it’s always helpful to know in advance if you’re about to head into a quiet hidden gem or a crowded tourist hotspot.
Personally, I visited My Son Sanctuary in June 2022, and almost had the entire place to myself. However, this was when the COVID-19 pandemic was still winding down and tourism hadn’t fully picked back up again, so admittedly it’s not a great example.
With tourism almost back at pre-pandemic levels, My Son Sanctuary can get relatively crowded, at least enough to take away from the serenity.
To avoid the crowds at My Son Sanctuary, aim to visit the site as soon as possible after opening time (6am). Most groups of tourists begin to arrive around 10am.
Alternatively, you could always visit Vietnam during the off-season (approximately May to November), although expect a higher likelihood of tropical rainfall.
Is My Son Sanctuary worth it?
Hoi An and Da Nang are tourist hotspots, and there are so many amazing things to do around the region, which begs the question: Is My Son Sanctuary worth it? Should I prioritise it over all the other amazing places to see?
Let’s put it this way: if you’re a history buff, or at least interested in history, and you’re in Vietnam, you’ll want to make time for My Son Sanctuary.
The restoration of the ruins is ongoing, but it’s undoubtedly the best ancient site in Vietnam. Most other historical places in Vietnam date back to the late middle ages and beyond, but My Son Sanctuary, being established in the 4th century CE, stands out from the rest.
My Son Sanctuary is also one of the few places where you can see the remnants of the lost Champa Kingdom.
It may not compare to other great historical sites in Asia like Angkor Wat or the Ellora & Ajanta Caves, but My Son Sanctuary is undoubtedly among the top historical attractions in Vietnam, and well worth your time as you travel through central Vietnam.
