Nha Trang Cathedral
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Long Son Pagoda, Nha Trang
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Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free — no tickets, no ticket office
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- Daily in the daytime, roughly 7:00–17:00, no published schedule
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 1 h
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Address
- 22 đường 23 Tháng 10, Nha Trang — at the foot of Trai Thuy hill
- Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off in the main hall
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - The climb
- 152 or 193 steps to the white Buddha — sources count differently
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Donations
- Optional, boxes in the main hall — cash in VND
- Busiest days
- 1st and 15th of the lunar month and Buddhist festivals
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Key facts
24 mheight of the white Buddha from the ground: the figure is 14 m, the lotus 7 m
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English, Russian and Vietnamese WikipediaVinWonders guide1886the pagoda was founded, first as a hut on the hilltop called Đằng Long Tự
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English, Russian and Vietnamese WikipediaVinWonders guide17 mlong reclining Buddha on the hillside, added in 2003
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Vietnamese WikipediaVinWonders guideGreen SM guide1900a storm wrecked the hilltop temple, and it moved to the foot of the hill as Long Son
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English, Russian and Vietnamese Wikipedia1964–1965the white Buddha statue was cast and installed
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English WikipediaVinWonders guide (Vietnamese Wikipedia says 1963)1,500 kgbronze bell, 2.2 m tall, a gift from Buddhists in Hue in 2002
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Vietnamese WikipediaVinWonders guideLocal Vietnam guide7 arhatsstand around the white Buddha, with two 7.2 m dragons in front
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English and Russian Wikipedia1938the pagoda received the royal title “Sắc tứ Long Sơn tự”
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Vietnamese WikipediaVinWonders guideRecordlisted by the Vietnam Book of Records as the country's largest outdoor Buddha statue
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Vietnamese WikipediaVinWonders guide500 mfrom the pagoda to Nha Trang railway station
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OpenStreetMapEnglish Wikipedia (400 m)Opening hours and entry fee
Long Son Pagoda is free to enter and has no ticket office. It's a working temple without a published schedule, and guides disagree: some say it's open all day with no fixed hours, others give roughly 7:00–17:00. Plan on daylight hours — the courtyard, the stairs and the white Buddha are accessible through the day — and skip very early or late visits: monks live and pray here.
You'll only need money for a donation, incense if you want it, and the ride there. Carry small notes in Vietnamese dong. Donation boxes take cash, and Grab can be paid in cash or with a linked foreign card. Foreign cards work in hotels and larger restaurants in Nha Trang, but at a temple it's cash only.
How to get to Long Son Pagoda
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Nha Trang Cathedral is about 17 min away on foot.
- Dam Market is about 24 min away on foot.
More tips
- From the Tram Huong Tower on the Tran Phu beach front, the pagoda is about 2 km west in a straight line, roughly 3 km by road. Grab or a taxi takes 5–10 minutes — search for “Chùa Long Sơn” or 22 đường 23 Tháng 10. Grab shows the fare before you book.
- On foot it's 35–45 minutes: head inland along Thai Nguyen street past Nha Trang Cathedral, then turn right onto 23 Tháng 10 street. Walk early or late — midday is hot.
- From Nha Trang railway station it's 500 m, a 7–10 minute walk west along 23 Tháng 10. Handy if you arrive by train or have time before a departure.
- City buses run along 23 Tháng 10, but guides list different route numbers and none is confirmed officially. Grab is simpler and barely more expensive.
- Enter through the gate with the mosaic dragons — no ticket needed. Walk into the courtyard and take your shoes off for the main hall.
- The stairs to the Buddha start to the left of the main hall. The reclining Buddha is at step 44, then the bell tower, then the white Buddha and the view at the top.
- Come back down the same stairs. Dam Market is about 1.3 km away — five minutes by Grab.
How many steps are there, and how hard is the climb?
Sources disagree: English and Russian Wikipedia say 152 steps, while Vietnamese Wikipedia and local guides count 193 — probably measured from different starting points. Either way it's a 10–15 minute climb for most people, with a natural rest stop at the reclining Buddha around step 44.
The stairs are stone, steep in places and mostly in the sun, so bring water and a hat. If stairs are a problem, motorbike riders by the gate offer lifts, and a side road reportedly leads closer to the top (unofficial).
What to see at Long Son Pagoda
- The main hall, with a bronze Buddha of around 700 kg. The entrance and roofs are decorated with dragons made from broken glass and ceramic — the temple's signature mosaic.
- The courtyard and garden at the foot of the hill, with ponds and statues — the quietest part.
- The reclining Buddha, 17 m long, around step 44, with a relief of 49 disciples behind it. A good place to catch your breath.
- The bell tower, with a 2.2 m, 1.5-tonne bell given by Buddhists from Hue in 2002.
- The white Buddha at the top — 24 m including the lotus, surrounded by seven arhats with dragons flanking the stairs. Nha Trang's best-known landmark.
- The view from the base of the statue over rooftops, the station, the hills and a strip of sea. Best in the morning or late afternoon light.
How long do you need, and when to go?
About an hour is enough: 15 minutes for the main hall and courtyard, 10–15 minutes for the climb with a stop at the reclining Buddha, and 15–20 minutes at the top. Allow an hour and a half if you like to take photos or just sit for a while.
Go between 7:00 and 9:00 or after 16:00, when it's cooler, the light is softer and there are fewer groups. The stone steps get very hot at midday. The pagoda is busiest on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month and at Buddhist festivals — atmospheric, but crowded.
Is Long Son Pagoda worth visiting?
Yes, if you're in Nha Trang for more than a couple of days. It's free, close to the centre, and in an hour you get a working temple plus the city's most famous view. It sits within a couple of kilometres of the cathedral and Dam Market, so it fits neatly into a half-day loop.
The YesGo take: the temple at the bottom isn't ancient or especially large — the real reasons to come are the white Buddha and the panorama. If you've already seen major Buddhist complexes elsewhere in Asia, Long Son will feel modest. Expect incense sellers and motorbike riders at the gate; a calm "no, thank you" is all it takes.
Long Son Pagoda or Po Nagar?
| Long Son Pagodayou are here | Buddhist temple from 1886 with a hilltop white Buddha | Free | ≈ 2 km in a straight line | Shoulders and knees covered | 152–193 steps to the Buddha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Po Nagar Cham Towers | Working Cham temple, 8th–13th century | 30,000 VND | ≈ 2.7 km in a straight line | Shoulders and knees covered | A low hill |
You can easily do both in one morning: they're about 2.3 km apart in a straight line.
Before you go: checklist
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Temples in Nha Trang: compare and choose
Temples and shrines in Nha Trang rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Nha Trang Cathedral | 44 | 30 min | Free | 17 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Son Pagodayou are here | 41 | 1 h | Free | — |
| Po Nagar Cham Towers | 37 | 1 h | 30,000 VND, children free | 38 min walk |
Cathedral, white Buddha and market in half a day
Start at the hilltop cathedral, walk on to Long Son Pagoda and its white Buddha, reach Dam Market by lunchtime, then cross the river to the Po Nagar towers and the Hon Chong rocks. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.
- Nha Trang Cathedral30 min · Free
- 17 min walk from the previous stopLong Son Pagodayou are here1 h · Free
- 22 min walk from the previous stopDam Market1 h · Free entry
- 21 min walk from the previous stopPo Nagar Cham Towers1 h · 30,000 VND, children free
- 25 min walk from the previous stopHon Chong Promontory45 min · 30,000 VND, children free
5 places · about 5 h 40 min with walks · 85 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
Dam Market
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Tram Huong Tower
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Po Nagar Cham Towers
Nha Trang, Vietnam
How to do it right
- Start with the main hall, then climb — aim to reach the statue in soft morning or late-afternoon light.
- Take a break at the reclining Buddha on step 44: there's shade and somewhere to sit.
- For the classic shot of the white Buddha, stand on the steps below the dragons; for the city view, step to the side of the statue.
- Bring small notes — you won't need big ones for a donation or a Grab ride.
- Walk on to Nha Trang Cathedral, about 1 km away, or take a Grab to the Po Nagar towers.
Questions
Is Long Son Pagoda free to enter?
Yes. There is no ticket or ticket office; donations are optional. If someone at the gate asks for an entrance fee, you don't have to pay it.
What are Long Son Pagoda's opening hours?
There's no official schedule. It's generally open in the daytime, roughly 7:00–17:00; some guides say all day. Treat these times as unofficial.
How many steps are there to the Big Buddha?
Sources say 152 or 193. The climb takes 10–15 minutes with a stop at the reclining Buddha.
How tall is the white Buddha at Long Son Pagoda?
24 m from the ground: the seated figure is 14 m and the lotus beneath it 7 m. It was put up in 1964–1965.
How do I get to Long Son Pagoda from the beach?
A 5–10 minute Grab or taxi ride from Tran Phu street to 22 đường 23 Tháng 10, or a 35–45 minute walk along Thai Nguyen street past the cathedral. From the train station it's a 500 m walk.
What should I wear to Long Son Pagoda?
Cover your shoulders and knees and be ready to take your shoes off for the main hall. Wraps are sometimes available at the gate.
How long do you need at Long Son Pagoda?
About an hour for the main hall, the climb and the view; an hour and a half if you want to take it slowly.
Are there scams at Long Son Pagoda?
Watch out for people asking for a gate fee, incense or flower sellers who expect payment, and unofficial guides. Entry is free and you can simply decline.
Is Long Son Pagoda worth it?
Yes for a short visit: it's free, central and has Nha Trang's best-known landmark and a city view. The temple itself is modest, so don't expect a vast ancient complex.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English, Russian and Vietnamese Wikipedia — Long Son Pagoda articles: history, statue dimensions, steps, reclining Buddha, bell
- VinWonders travel guide (10.07.2025) — history, statue dimensions, steps, reclining Buddha, bell, free entry, busiest days
- Green SM travel guide (24.02.2025) — address, free entry, visitor rules, reclining Buddha
- Local Vietnam travel guide (19.05.2026) — hours, free entry, dress code, vendors at the gate, bell
- Vietnam Airlines travel guide (Vietnamese edition) — free entry, steps, wraps at the gate, motorbike riders, main-hall bronze statues
- OpenStreetMap — coordinates of the pagoda, station, Tram Huong Tower, cathedral and Dam Market; distances
- Wikidata Q2277986
- YesGo general facts for Vietnam — cards, cash and Grab
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