Hoi An Express – All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

To kick off the tour, me and my partner were met by our tour guide Vinh, who arrived early at our hotel (I appreciate punctuality 🙂). We then made a stop at another hotel to collect more passengers before making our way into Danang. We were provided with ice cold water as the day was hot 🥵.

The journey into Danang was a pleasant one. Vinh was very knowledgable and was able to speak on the history of the country and the areas we passed through. He also provided a breakdown of what the day entailed.

Linh Ung Pagoda

Our first stop was the Linh Ung Pagoda which was mind blowing! We were dropped off near the rear entrance and Vinh took us through a beautiful river passage which offered stunning views to take pictures and appreciate the scenery.

From there we made our way through the Bhudda Temple (with the Sleeping Bhudda) and then onto the pagoda. We were allowed enough time to take pictures with Vinh taking some great shots! 📸

On to the Lady Bhudda. Standing at 67m tall, it really was a spectacular view!

Marble Mountain

Next, we stopped off at a marble shop to see how the marble statues and sculptures are crafted, before heading onto Marble Mountain. We were allowed some time to browse the shop and buy soverneirs if needed.

When we reached Marble Mountain we were given the option of taking the elevator to reach the top or to go through a different cave at the bottom. We chose the elevator.
FYI – please wear comfy clothes & well gripped shoes as the marble within the caves is quite slippery and there are some tight/awkward spaces to get through!!

After making it through the cave (just about!) we made our way down the mountain (ALOT OF STEPS!!) and then into another cave. (We didn’t go all the way into this cave as we were still recovering from the previous one! Lol).

After overcoming more steep steps (😩😩) we finally made our way to the bottom where we were met by our driver and taken back to our hotels.

Positives/Improvements

Overall the tour was a great experience and we couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide! We were allowed time to take in the magical wonders and take plenty of pics. We didn’t feel rushed.

I would however, maybe suggest that some time is given for longer breaks. Although you have about a 15/20 min break during the trip from Linh Ung to Marble Mountain, it would have been nice to have some time to relax a little more between the different locations. Especially with Marble Mountain as it can be taxing on your fitness. And with the day being a hot one, it would have been nice to rest in the shade and have a nibble or two!

The stop at the marble shop was ok and I would have purchased a small item, however, the staff were not that friendly and followed us around the store so we didn’t feel at ease when browsing.