Discover the highlights of Da Nang, a coastal town situated on the Han River and surrounded by beautiful bays, long stretches of pristine beaches and towering mountains.
Da Nang has a colorful history reflected in its many cultural attractions and colonial architecture, remnants from the days when the French and Spanish occupied the area during the 17th and 18th centuries. As a major US Marine base during the Vietnam war, Da Nang was a strategic air and seaport, and the scene of some of the most brutal fighting of the war. Today, Da Nang sports a scenic river embankment, tree-lined boulevards with sidewalk cafes and old colonial villas.
You’ll visit the Cham Museum, founded by a group of French scholars in 1915, the old sandstone museum houses the best collection of Cham art in the world, including over 300 sandstone and terracotta sculptures. Drive to the lively Han Market for a stroll through its stalls offering a variety of fresh foods, handicrafts and clothing. Re-board your coach and drive outside the city limits to the Marble Mountain. Both the Vietnamese and the Cham used these mountains to build their shrines, making it a picturesque spot with grottoes, caves and pagodas.
Proceed to Non Nuoc Stone Village, a marble carving village at the base of the mountain. Built in the 18th century, it is the home of master stone carving artisans. See the carvers at work with the white and rose-colored marble quarried from the mountain. Before returning to the ship, you'll make photo stops at Marble Beach, known as the beach used by US soldiers during the Vietnam War, and the Buddhist Temple at Fairy Mountain.
