Skip to content What is Po Nagar?
Po Nagar is one of the oldest and best-preserved relics of the Champa kingdom in Vietnam, a temple complex on a hill outside the centre of Nha Trang. The towers are dedicated to the goddess Po Nagar, called Thien Y A Na by the Vietnamese, who is said to have taught the local people farming and weaving. Local people built the main tower in gratitude, according to the legend.
The Chams were a trading civilisation that held much of southern and central Vietnam from about the 2nd century AD until the 17th century, and they were more a rival of the Khmers and Vietnamese than a great military power. Their temples drew on India, and you can see the likeness to Hindu temple design in the towers’ shape and carvings.
The four towers
Four brick towers survive from an original eight, built over several centuries, roughly between the 8th and 13th, which is why each has a different style. The largest, about 23 to 25 metres high (sources differ), is the main tower, dedicated to Po Nagar. It faces east and holds a statue of the goddess seated cross-legged with ten hands.
The other towers honour different deities, including Shiva (the south tower, with a boat-shaped roof) and Ganesha (the north-west tower). The central tower is said to bless worshippers with fertility, and childless couples come to pray. Offerings of incense, fruit and flowers are left at the shrines.
Cham dance and music performances take place at the complex at weekends and on holidays, though schedules vary.
Opening hours, tickets and dress code
The complex opens daily from about 6 am to 6 pm (2026 listings). The ticket is 30,000₫ per person (the rate from 2023), with free entry for residents and some other groups. The address is 61 Duong 2 Thang 4, at the north end of Xom Bong bridge, about 2–3 km from the beach road.
Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. Wraps are lent at the site. Go early in the morning or in the late afternoon: between 10 am and 3 pm the heat and glare are fierce, and there’s little shade on the hilltop. The temple’s festival, around the third lunar month (usually April or May), draws very large crowds.
Getting there and what to combine it with
Po Nagar is a short taxi or motorbike ride from the beach road, and it’s the first or last stop on many days. Right next to it the Thap Ba hot springs offer mud baths, hot mineral pools and massages, a good way to spend a grey afternoon. The Hon Chong promontory is nearby and uses the same ticket price.
Coming to Nha Trang by road, the towers are at the northern end of town, so if you arrive before 6 pm they are an easy first stop. See our Nha Trang guide for getting there from Saigon or Cam Ranh airport, and the Da Lat to Nha Trang transfer if you are coming down from the highlands.