# Truc Lam Zen Monastery, Da Lat > Truc Lam is a Zen monastery in pine forest on Phung Hoang hill above Tuyen Lam Lake, 6 km south of central Da Lat, built in 1993–1994. Entry is free, and it's open roughly 7:00–17:00. Most people arrive by the 2,267 m cable car from Robin Hill: tickets are 150,000 VND, 120,000 VND for children. Allow 1.5–2 hours for the monastery and the cable car. Web page: https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat/truc-lam-monastery - City: [Da Lat](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat), Vietnam - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Entry: Free; cable car 150,000 VND - Opening hours: Monastery roughly 7:00–17:00 (unofficial); cable car Mon–Fri 7:30–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 7:30–17:00 - With kids: Fine with kids - Monastery entry: Free; donations optional - Monastery hours: Roughly 7:00–17:00; some guides say 5:00–21:00 - Cable car: 150,000 VND adults, 120,000 VND children - Cable car hours: Mon–Fri 7:30–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 7:30–17:00 non-stop, last entry 16:45 - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; quiet and shoes off in the hall - Closed areas: The monks' and nuns' quarters are off-limits to visitors - Payment: Cash in VND at the cable car - Coordinates: 11.90250, 108.43600 - Facts checked: 08.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1993–1994** — the monastery was built, opening on 13 March 1994 (source: English and Vietnamese Wikipedia) - **Truc Lam** — Vietnam's Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen school; founded by master Thich Thanh Tu (source: Vietnamese Wikipedia) - **24 ha** — of grounds, with buildings covering about 2 ha (source: English Wikipedia) - **2,267 m** — the cable car from Robin Hill (1,517 m above sea level) to the monastery (source: Dalattourist website (08.11.2026)) - **150,000 VND** — an adult cable car ticket; children 120,000 VND (source: Dalattourist website) - **≈ 1,300 m** — the altitude of the monastery's plateau above Tuyen Lam Lake (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 50 + 50** — about 50 monks and 50 nuns live at the monastery (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 6 km** — by road from Lam Vien Square to the monastery gate; 2.2 km to the lower cable car station (source: OpenStreetMap; OSRM route) ## Entrance fee, cable car price and opening hours **Entry to the monastery is free**, with donations optional. There's no published visiting timetable: most guides say **roughly 7:00–17:00**, some 5:00–21:00. Come in the daytime — it's a working monastery, and evenings are for meditation. **The cable car**, according to the operator Dalattourist, costs **150,000 VND for adults and 120,000 VND for children**. It runs **on weekdays 7:30–12:00 and 13:00–17:00**, and **at weekends 7:30–17:00 without a break**, with last entry at 16:45. Guides still quote old prices of 80,000–100,000 VND, which no longer apply. Bring cash in dong. > **Cable car up, walk down to the lake** The best route: ride the cable car from Robin Hill over the pines to the monastery, then after your visit walk down the stone stairs to Tuyen Lam Lake. Get back by Grab from the lake or take the cable car again. On weekdays the cable car breaks for lunch from 12:00 to 13:00; at weekends it runs straight through, with last entry at 16:45. ## What is Truc Lam Monastery? **Truc Lam** is a Zen monastery of Vietnam's **Truc Lam Yen Tu** school and the largest in Lam Dong province. It was founded by master **Thich Thanh Tu**, built in **1993–1994** and opened on 13 March 1994. It sits among pines on Phung Hoang hill above **Tuyen Lam Lake**, at around 1,300 m. The grounds cover about **24 ha**, with buildings on about 2 ha. There's a public part — the main hall, courtyard, gardens and bell tower — and closed quarters where about 50 monks and 50 nuns live. The main hall is simply furnished, with a Buddha holding a lotus flower; around it are well-kept gardens and views of the lake and mountains. ## What to see - **The cable car** — 2,267 m over pine forest from Robin Hill; the ride is half the experience. - **The main hall**, with a Buddha holding a lotus; shoes off, and quiet please. - **The bell tower** — wooden, visible from afar as you approach. - **The gardens**, with flowers and ponds between the halls. - **Views of Tuyen Lam Lake** and the mountains from the terrace. - **The stone stairs down to the lake**, through the triple gate to the water. > **What to wear and how to behave** This is a working monastery. Cover shoulders and knees, take off your shoes before the hall, keep your voice down and stay out of the closed monks' and nuns' quarters. Don't photograph monks up close without permission or during meditation. If you're in shorts, bring light trousers or a scarf. ## How to get to Truc Lam Monastery 1. **By cable car** — first 2.2 km from Lam Vien Square to the lower station on Robin Hill (5 minutes by Grab; search for "Cáp treo Đà Lạt"), then 2,267 m on the cable car to the monastery. 2. **By car to the gate** — about 6 km from Lam Vien Square via the Prenn Pass and the turn towards Tuyen Lam Lake, 15 minutes by Grab. Search for "Thiền viện Trúc Lâm". 3. **On foot from Tuyen Lam Lake**, up the stone stairs through the triple gate (sources say 140 or 222 steps). 4. **On to Datanla Falls** — about 2.5 km by road, 5–10 minutes by car. 5. Return by cable car to Robin Hill, or by Grab from the gate or the lake. ## How long do you need, and when to go? With the cable car both ways, allow **1.5–2 hours**; walking down to Tuyen Lam Lake makes it half a day. **Mornings** are best — quieter, cooler and shorter cable-car queues. On weekdays, remember the cable car's 12:00–13:00 break. The **dry season, November to April**, brings clear views of the lake and mountains; in the **rainy season, May to October**, afternoon showers are common and the cable car may pause in strong wind. Bring a sweater — it's cool up on the hill. ## Is Truc Lam Monastery worth visiting? Yes: the cable car over the pines, a peaceful monastery and the view of Tuyen Lam Lake make one of Da Lat's best combinations. Entry is free, and with Datanla and Prenn it makes a great morning. The YesGo take: the monastery itself is modern and not huge — its value is in the atmosphere, the gardens and the views. At weekends and holidays it's busy with tour groups and far from serene, so come on a weekday morning. To save on the cable car, take a Grab to the gate — cheaper, but you miss the best view. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Clothes covering shoulders and knees - [ ] Cash in dong for the cable car - [ ] Going in the morning; on weekdays, the cable car breaks 12:00–13:00 - [ ] A sweater — it's cool on the hill - [ ] Planning to walk down to Tuyen Lam Lake - [ ] Next stop planned — Datanla Falls ## Temples in Da Lat: compare and choose Temples and monasteries in Da Lat rated by YesGo. - [Truc Lam Monastery](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat/truc-lam-monastery) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; cable car 150,000 VND - [Linh Phuoc Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat/linh-phuoc-pagoda) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## A morning on the Prenn Pass The cable car from Robin Hill to Truc Lam Monastery, then Datanla Falls with its coaster, and Prenn Falls along the same road. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Truc Lam Monastery](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat/truc-lam-monastery) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; cable car 150,000 VND 2. [Datanla Falls](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat/datanla-falls) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 80,000 VND; coaster extra 3. [Prenn Falls](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat/prenn-falls) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Combo about 110,000–250,000 VND ## Good to know Truc Lam in Da Lat is the Zen monastery above Tuyen Lam Lake — not the Truc Lam monastery on Yen Tu mountain or Ho Quoc Pagoda on Phu Quoc, though they belong to the same school. Da Lat's cable car runs here, from Robin Hill. ## Tips - Face the monastery in the cabin to watch it appear among the pines. - Walk down the stone stairs to Tuyen Lam Lake — it's quiet and lovely at the bottom. - Come on a weekday morning: weekends bring cable-car queues and tour groups. - Don't miss the bell tower and gardens — the most photogenic corners. - From here it's 5–10 minutes to [Datanla Falls](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/da-lat/datanla-falls) and its coaster. ## Questions ### Is there an entrance fee at Truc Lam Monastery? No — entry is free and donations are optional. Only the cable car is paid: 150,000 VND for adults, 120,000 VND for children. ### How much is the Da Lat cable car? According to the operator, Dalattourist, 150,000 VND for adults and 120,000 VND for children. It's 2,267 m long. ### What are the cable car's hours? Weekdays 7:30–12:00 and 13:00–17:00; weekends 7:30–17:00 without a break; last entry 16:45. ### What are Truc Lam Monastery's opening hours? There's no official schedule; it's usually open roughly 7:00–17:00. ### How do I get to Truc Lam Monastery? By cable car from Robin Hill (2.2 km from the centre), or by Grab to the gate — about 6 km from Lam Vien Square. ### What should I wear? Cover shoulders and knees, take your shoes off before the hall and keep out of the closed quarters. ### How long do you need at Truc Lam? 1.5–2 hours with the cable car; half a day if you walk down to Tuyen Lam Lake. ### When was Truc Lam Monastery built? In 1993–1994; it opened on 13 March 1994. ### Is Truc Lam Monastery worth visiting? Yes, for the cable car over the pines, the calm and the view of Tuyen Lam Lake. Best on a weekday morning. ## How we checked The cable car is from the official website of the operator, Dalattourist, on 08.11.2026: 2,267 m, Robin Hill at 1,517 m, 150,000 / 120,000 VND, hours by day of the week, last entry 16:45; the site doesn't say whether the price is one-way or return. Guides quote old prices of 80,000–100,000 VND, which we don't use. Free monastery entry is per VinWonders, VietnamTourism and Green SM; hours are 7:00–17:00 per VietnamTourism and MyTour, 5:00–21:00 per VinWonders and Vinpearl — marked unofficial. History is from English and Vietnamese Wikipedia; steps from the lake: 140 (Vietnamese) or 222 (English Wikipedia), both shown. Distances are from an OSRM route. ## Sources - English Wikipedia — Trúc Lâm Monastery of Da Lat: location, area, altitude, monks and nuns, opening on 13.03.1994, steps - Vietnamese Wikipedia — Thiền viện Trúc Lâm Đà Lạt: Truc Lam Yen Tu school, founder, construction years, main hall, 140 steps - Dalattourist website (dalattourist.com.vn) — Da Lat cable car (08.11.2026): length, Robin Hill altitude, prices, hours, last entry - VinWonders, Vinpearl, MyTour and Green SM guides — free entry and monastery hours - OpenStreetMap — coordinates of the monastery, cable car station and Lam Vien Square; OSRM route — distances - YesGo general facts for Vietnam — cash and Grab --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.