A private car picks you up from your hotel in Hội An or Đà Nẵng first — the US Army Jeep doesn't have a permit on all urban routes. The Jeep takes over at the foot of Sơn Trà Peninsula and covers the full mountain route. Same for the return: Jeep brings you back down, car drops you at your hotel.
One Price.
Mountain, Sea & History.
$63 covers your Jeep, the private car transfer, English-speaking driver, 2 bottles of water, petrol, road tolls, parking fees and hotel pickup from Hội An or Đà Nẵng. No extra charges on the day.
Private US Army Jeep + Car
A private car handles the hotel pickup and city transfer. The open US Army Jeep covers the full Sơn Trà mountain route — open sides, open sky, the wind off the South China Sea. Never shared with strangers.
English-Speaking Driver
Your driver knows the peninsula well — the wildlife, the history, the best viewpoints. Not a licensed tour guide, but knowledgeable about every stop on the route.
Water & All Road Costs
2 cold bottles of water per person in the Jeep. All petrol, road tolls and parking fees for the full 80 km route — nothing extra to pay on the mountain.
Hotel Pickup & Drop-off
Door-to-door from your accommodation anywhere in Hội An or Đà Nẵng city centre — both directions included, both cities.
All Viewpoints & Stops
Radar Station, Lookout Hill, US Heliport, Bàn Cờ Peak and Linh Ứng Pagoda — your driver takes you to each stop and waits while you explore.
Wildlife Sighting Opportunities
Your driver knows where the douc langurs and macaques are most often seen and will slow down and stop when wildlife is spotted on or near the road.
One of the World's
Rarest Primates. Here.
Sơn Trà is the last significant habitat in Vietnam for the red-shanked douc langur — an endangered primate found almost nowhere else on Earth. It is also home to large troops of macaques. Both species live wild, free and within reach of the road.
Red-Shanked Douc Langur
One of the most visually striking primates on Earth — black and white with vivid red-orange legs and a white face. Listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, the douc langur population on Sơn Trà is one of the last significant wild groups in Vietnam. They live in the forest canopy and are regularly seen from the road, particularly in the early morning when the Jeep is climbing.
Macaque Troops
Large troops of rhesus macaques live freely on the peninsula — by the road, in the trees overhead, sometimes sitting on the Jeep itself when parked. The babies (born from January to March) are especially photogenic. They are wild animals and feeding is not encouraged, but close-range encounters on the road are common, especially near the summit viewpoints.
Five Stops.
History, Views & Silence.
Every stop on Sơn Trà carries weight — Cold War infrastructure, Buddhist reverence, panoramic views and a summit chess table where, according to legend, two immortals played through the ages.
Old Radar Station
A Cold War-era radar installation built on the peninsula's high ground, with views down both sides of the mountain. The rusting equipment and concrete bunkers give the stop a raw, forgotten-world quality. One of the most atmospheric places on the tour.
- Cold War American radar installation
- Panoramic views from the high ridge
- Atmospheric abandoned military architecture
Lookout Hill
A sweeping viewpoint with the South China Sea stretching to the horizon, the Cham Islands visible on clear days and the full arc of Đà Nẵng Bay below. This is the kind of view that stops conversation. The Jeep parks and you stay as long as you want.
- 360° panoramic views over the East Sea
- Cham Islands visible on clear days
- Đà Nẵng skyline and coastline below
US Heliport
An American War-era helicopter landing pad cut into the peninsula's ridge, still intact and overlooking the sea. A sobering and fascinating piece of history in a setting of extraordinary natural beauty — the kind of place no tour bus ever stops at.
- Original American War helipad
- Intact military infrastructure from the 1960s–70s
- Direct ocean views from the ridge
Bàn Cờ Peak — Chess Summit
The highest reachable point on Sơn Trà. A giant chess board and the stone figure of an immortal chess player sit on a flat summit rock — legend says two gods played here through the centuries. The views from this ridge are the best on the peninsula: Đà Nẵng, the mountains, the sea.
- Iconic chess board and immortal stone statue
- Highest accessible viewpoint on Sơn Trà
- Best photography stop on the entire tour
Linh Ứng Pagoda
A major Buddhist temple complex perched on the peninsula's south-facing slope with one of Vietnam's largest Lady Buddha statues — 67 metres tall, visible from the city below. The complex opens to a courtyard facing Son Tra Bay and the open sea.
- 67-metre Lady Buddha statue
- Beautifully maintained Buddhist complex
- Panoramic view over Sơn Trà Bay and the coast
Wild Monkey Encounters
The monkeys don't have a fixed stop — they appear where they appear. Douc langurs favour the upper forest canopy in the early morning. Macaques are found throughout the peninsula and often sit by the road. Your driver knows the best spots and will stop whenever wildlife is within camera range.
- Red-shanked douc langurs — endangered, rarely seen elsewhere
- Macaque troops — frequently near the road
- Best sightings: early morning on the ascent
5 Hours.
The Whole Peninsula.
The best time to be on Sơn Trà is early morning — the douc langurs are active, the light is clean and Đà Nẵng is still quiet below. The 7:00 AM departure is timed to catch all of this.
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07:00
Hotel Pickup — Hội An or Đà Nẵng
Private car arrives at your hotel. For Hội An guests, the drive to Đà Nẵng is a coastal run along China Beach — a scenic start in its own right. Đà Nẵng guests are picked up directly from the city centre.
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07:45
Foot of Sơn Trà — Switch to Jeep
The car drops you where the Jeep is waiting. Helmets aren't needed — this is a four-wheel-drive, open-top Jeep, not a motorbike. The road starts climbing immediately.
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08:00
Old Radar Station
First stop on the ridge. The rusting American radar dish and concrete bunkers sit in partial jungle reclamation — the kind of ruin that feels genuinely untouched. Views down both coasts from here on the clearest days.
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08:30
Lookout Hill — Panoramic Views
Open sky, open sea. The Đà Nẵng shoreline curves away below, with the Marble Mountains visible to the south and the Hải Vân range to the north. On good days, the Cham Islands are a clear silhouette on the water.
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09:00
US Heliport
A short stop at the original American War helipad — still intact, still facing the sea. The mix of military history and natural beauty at this altitude is something you won't find anywhere else in central Vietnam.
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09:30
Bàn Cờ Peak — Chess Statue
The summit. The chess board carved into the rock. The immortal statue contemplating the next move across the sea. The views from this ridge are the best on the entire peninsula — north, south, east — all three at once. Take your time here.
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10:15
Linh Ứng Pagoda
The descent brings you to the pagoda complex on the south-facing slope. The Lady Buddha stands 67 metres tall and can be seen from the city. The grounds are open and peaceful — a quiet end to the mountain route before the return.
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11:15
Descend & Return to Hotel
The Jeep brings you back down to the city. The car then takes you to your hotel in Hội An or Đà Nẵng. Return around 12:00 noon.
Real Guests.
Real Views.
Everything You Need to Know
Full transparency. Nothing hidden.
Local Operator.
We Know the Mountain.
DDTravel is based in Hội An and has been running tours to Sơn Trà for years. Our drivers have made this route hundreds of times and know exactly where the douc langurs are most likely to appear in each season, which viewpoints are best at which time of day, and how to get the most from five hours on the mountain. Book directly and you talk to us — not a platform.
What Guests Say.
Unfiltered.
"We saw three douc langurs in the first 20 minutes on the mountain — I didn't even know that species existed before this tour. The Bàn Cờ Peak chess statue at golden hour was the photo of the trip. Do this one early morning; the light is perfect."
"The heliport stop was unexpectedly moving — standing on an intact piece of the American War, with the sea below, in total silence. Then macaques walked across the road in front of the Jeep. Brilliant tour. Completely different from anything else in the area."
"Sitting on the bonnet of the Jeep at the summit, watching the sun come up over Đà Nẵng — that was the moment of the whole Vietnam trip. Book from Hội An, they pick you up early and the drive along the coast before the mountain is beautiful in itself."
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything guests ask before booking.
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Yes — hotel pickup and drop-off from both Hội An and Đà Nẵng city centres is included in both directions. Note that a private car handles the hotel pickup first, as the US Army Jeep does not have a permit on all urban routes. The Jeep takes over at the foot of Sơn Trà Peninsula and covers the full mountain route. The return works the same way: Jeep to the bottom, car to your hotel.
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Wild monkeys are regularly seen on Sơn Trà, including the endangered red-shanked douc langur — one of the world's most colourful primates, found almost nowhere else. Common macaques are also frequently spotted along the road. Sightings depend on the time of year and time of day and cannot be guaranteed, but they occur on the majority of tours, especially early-morning departures when the animals are most active.
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The red-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) is an endangered Old World monkey native to Indochina, listed on the IUCN Red List. It is one of the most visually striking primates in the world — black and white with vivid red-orange lower legs and a white face. The population on Sơn Trà Peninsula is one of the largest remaining wild populations in Vietnam and is actively protected. They live in the canopy and are most active in the early morning.
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Bàn Cờ (Chess Peak) is the highest accessible point on Sơn Trà Peninsula. The name refers to a large chess board carved into the summit rock, beside a stone statue of an immortal chess-player — according to Vietnamese legend, two gods played chess here through the ages. The views from the ridge take in all of Đà Nẵng Bay, the East Sea, the Marble Mountains and the Hải Vân range simultaneously. It is the most photogenic stop on the tour and one of the most distinctive landmarks in central Vietnam.
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Yes — 7:00 AM is the standard recommended departure time (particularly for Hội An guests, since the drive to Sơn Trà takes about 45 minutes). If you need an earlier or later start, contact us when booking and we'll adjust the timing. Note that early morning is the best time for douc langur sightings and the cleanest light for photography at Bàn Cờ Peak.
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Not included: a licensed tour guide (the driver speaks English but is not a licensed guide — a guide can be arranged for an additional fee, contact us when booking); food and drinks during the tour; personal travel insurance; and any other services not listed. Everything else — US Army Jeep, private car, English-speaking driver, 2 bottles of water per person, petrol, road tolls, parking and hotel pickup and drop-off from Hội An or Đà Nẵng — is fully covered in the $63 price.
