Guide · Packing

What to wear to My Son Sanctuary, and what to bring

The towers are a sacred site in a hot, often wet valley, with a fair walk between the groups. Dress with respect, plan for sun or rain, and carry cash for the gate.

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Editorial team, mysonsanctuarytour.comUpdated October 24, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes10 sources

The tour behind this guide My Son Sanctuary dawn or afternoon trip from Hoi An 4.9 (3,411 reviews) 4 to 5 hoursHotel pickup in Hoi AnEntrance ticket paid on the day from$16per person Check availabilityCancel without charge until 24 hrs before pickup

In short

01Clothes: Nothing revealing: this is a sacred site.¹
02Shoes: Comfortable, for a fair bit of walking.¹
03Sun cover: A hat, sunscreen and plenty of water for the walk.¹
04Rain: An umbrella or raincoat from October to February.
05Money: Cash for the ticket: 150,000 dong for foreign visitors on the board's 1 January 2019 notice.²

Dress for a sacred site

What to wear to My Son Sanctuary starts with respect. The towers were built for Hindu gods, above all Shiva, and the national tourism authority asks visitors to behave respectfully at what it calls a sacred site and not to wear revealing clothing.³ ¹ Think of it as you would a temple visit anywhere in Asia.

In practice that means covering your shoulders and choosing shorts or skirts that reach the knee, or light trousers. Thin, loose cotton or linen works far better in the heat than anything tight, and long sleeves in a light fabric protect you from the sun as well as satisfying the dress code.

There is no costume needed, but you will feel more comfortable among the shrines if you are dressed for them. Keep swimwear and beach outfits for An Bang, and bring a light scarf that can cover your shoulders if you prefer a vest top for the drive. A scarf also helps against the morning sun on an open path, and against the air conditioning in the van on the way back.

Before a dawn trip

Packing the night before

Evening

Lay out clothes

Light, loose and covering shoulders and knees.¹
Evening

Count out cash

150,000 dong for the gate ticket, in cash, per the board's 2019 notice.²
Evening

Charge the phone

WhatsApp must work at pickup time, so charge it.
5:30 AM

Pickup

Hat, water, snack and shoes, and off you go.
9:00 AM

Champa brunch

Breakfast comes after the towers.

Shoes for brick paths and grass

Your feet do the work. The tourism authority advises comfortable shoes because there can be a fair bit of walking involved, and one afternoon operator puts the walking at My Son at about 2 km.¹ The shuttle operator says plainly that there is a lot of walking at the site.

The paths between the groups mix packed earth, old brick, grass and steps, and after rain they can be slippery and muddy. Trainers or walking sandals with a good grip are ideal. Flip-flops will get you round in the dry season, but they slide on wet brick and offer no protection on uneven ground.

If you plan to step up into the tower doorways or onto platforms, closed shoes are kinder to your toes. And choose a pair you do not mind getting dusty or wet: red earth from the valley has a way of following you back to Hoi An. A spare pair of socks in your bag is a small luxury on a wet day, when you climb back into the van with damp feet.

Month by month

Heat and rain through the year

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Month by month: the hours of darkness at mid-month, by our own reckoning, beside the days with 0.1 mm of rain or more that the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration averages at Da Nang, 1991 to 2020.⁴

By season

What to wear month by month

Months	Average high	Rain days	Wear
February to April	26.3 to 30.9 °C	7 a month	Light cotton, hat
May to August	33.4 to 34.9 °C	9 to 14	Loose linen, sun gear
September	32.0 °C	17	Light clothes, rain jacket
October to December	25.3 to 29.6 °C	21 a month	Rain jacket, grippy shoes
January	25.2 °C	14	Light layer, raincoat

Averages for the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration's Da Nang station, 1991 to 2020; rain days count 0.1 mm or more.⁴

Three kits

Pack for the trip you chose

Early

Dawn trip

Cool start, warm finish

Wear: Light layers, hat
Bring: Cash, snack, water
Back: By 11:00 AM

Late

Afternoon & boat

Heat, then the river

Wear: Loose clothes, hat
Bring: Water, sunscreen
Winter: A warm layer

Rainy

Wet season

September to January

Wear: Rain jacket
Shoes: With grip
Bring: A dry spare top

Decision helper

What should you pack?

Find your trip and the item you must not forget

I am going at dawn I am going in the afternoon I am coming back by boat in winter I am travelling in October I booked the entry ticket online

A snack and cash

Brunch is at 9:00 AM, and the ticket is paid in cash.

Hat and water

June highs average 34.9 °C at Da Nang's station.⁴

A warm jacket

From November to February the boat can be dim and cool.

A raincoat

October averages 658 mm of rain over 21 rain days.⁴

Voucher and ID

Both are checked at the entrance, per the listing.

As this is a sacred site, visitors should behave respectfully and not wear revealing clothing. Wear comfortable shoes and a hat, too, as there can be a fair bit of walking involved.

Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel)Source 1

Sun and heat on the paths

Heat is the main challenge for most of the year. Averaged over 1991 to 2020, the daily high at Da Nang's station reaches 34.9 °C in June, and stays above 30 °C from April to September.⁴ The tourism authority recommends a hat for the walk, and one tour operator advises bringing water and sunscreen.¹

Carry at least one bottle of water per person and refill it when you can. Sunglasses help in the open areas between groups, and a small towel or cooling cloth is welcome on an afternoon visit. The shuttle operator lists a hat, an umbrella and water as the things to bring.

The simplest way to beat the heat is to go early. The dawn trip this site recommends reaches the towers at 6:30 AM and has you back in Hoi An between 10:30 and 11:00 AM. An umbrella doubles as a sunshade if you visit in the afternoon.

Checklist

Your My Son packing list

Wear

Clothes covering shoulders and knees
Comfortable shoes with grip
A hat

Bring

Cash for the entrance ticket
Water and sunscreen
Umbrella or raincoat in the wet months
Phone with WhatsApp working

Optional

A snack for a dawn start
A warm layer for a winter boat
Voucher and ID if booked online

Cost calculator

Price your trip for the group

Enter your group size; remember the cash for the gate on top.

Dawn or afternoonOur pickfrom $16 Afternoon & boatUp to 13from $15 Shuttle busNo guidefrom $4

People 2

Total from$32

each from $16

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Each total multiplies a listing's lowest GetYourGuide starting price by your party size and shows it in your currency at today's ECB rate; the entrance ticket at My Son is paid on top, and checkout gives the exact sum.

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Rain gear for the wet months

From September to January the coast is rainy, cool and cloudy, in the tourism authority's description, and from September to November it sees a lot of rain and even a few small floods.⁵ ⁶ Da Nang averages 21 rain days in each of October, November and December.⁴

One tour operator advises bringing your own umbrella or raincoat from October to February. A light, packable rain jacket is easier than an umbrella when you want your hands free for a camera, and quick-drying clothes save you sitting in wet cotton on the drive home.

If your trip includes the river, add a warm layer in winter. One boat operator warns that from November to February evenings come sooner and the boat can be dim and cool, and suggests a raincoat or a warm jacket. The tours themselves run in most kinds of weather, so pack for it rather than hoping it clears.

Cash, phone and documents

The one thing you cannot forget is cash for the gate. The trip this site recommends does not include the entrance ticket and asks you to buy it in cash on the day. The board's notice dated 1 January 2019 lists 150,000 dong for foreign visitors, and operators warn that cards are not accepted.²

Bring your phone, charged, with WhatsApp working: the operator needs a working WhatsApp number at pickup, and pickup times are precise. If you booked the entry ticket online instead, the listing asks you to show the mobile voucher and a valid ID at the entrance.

A little extra cash helps for drinks or a guide. The board's own guided walk is sold separately, and its rules in force from 1 February 2026 keep the guide ticket at 100,000 dong.⁷ Small notes make every purchase easier. Keep the ticket money in a separate pocket, so you are not counting notes in the queue while the group waits for you.

Food and snacks on an early start

On the dawn trip you eat after the visit, not before. Our pick includes a Vietnamese coffee on the way and a Champa brunch at 9:00 AM. Another early tour's notes say breakfast comes no sooner than 9:00 AM and suggest bringing your own snack for the morning.

A banana, a pastry or a cereal bar from the evening before keeps you going through two hours of walking. On the afternoon trip, eat lunch before pickup: the food on that option is banh mi rather than a full meal. Leave heavy food for the evening in Hoi An, where you have the whole old town to choose from.

If you have dietary needs, the listings help. Our pick offers a vegan version of its brunch, and the noodle tour has a vegetarian option. Say so when you book so the restaurant is ready for you.

My Son Sanctuary tips for a better morning

A few My Son Sanctuary tips beyond the packing list. Visit the My Son Museum if you can; it stands about 2 km north-west of the monuments and helps you picture the site before you walk it.⁸ At the towers, keep to the paths, never climb on the ruins, and leave carvings untouched.

Respect continues after the photo. Some areas of the buffer zone may still hold unexploded ordnance from the wars, so stay on the marked paths and follow your guide.⁹ Keep your voice down near the shrines, and take your rubbish back with you.

Finally, plan the show into your visit if it matters to you. The board's hall stages performances daily at 09:45, 10:30, 11:15, 14:00 and 16:00, and the afternoon option of our pick includes a Cham performance.¹⁰ Ask your guide how the show fits the route before you set off along the paths.

Your morning