Black Virgin Mountain, Cu Chi Tunnels & Cao Dai Temple Tour

The Cao Dai Temple holds Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and Laozi in the same room.

A private guided tour from Ho Chi Minh City covering Black Virgin Mountain, Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple over nine hours, with English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, lunch and cable car included. The itinerary moves through three distinct sites (a mountain summit with views across rice fields to Cambodia, an underground tunnel network from the Vietnam War, and a temple that blends multiple faiths) in a single day without arranging transport yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Cao Dai Temple3h
2. Cu Chi Tunnels3h · entry included

Visit Black Virgin Mountain, Cao Dai Temple, Cu Chi Tunnels

• Hotel pickup by 7:00 a.m.
• Travel to Black Virgin Mountain
• Ride cable car to summit
• View Tay Bo Da Son Buddha Statue
• Travel to Cao Dai Temple
• Explore temple and attend ceremony
• Enjoy lunch at nearby eatery
• Drive to Cu Chi Tunnels
• Watch propaganda film
• Tour tunnels and displays
• Try firing range and local tapioca
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City
• Drop off at hotel or preferred location

The experience

Hotel pickup starts at 7 a.m., and the drive into Tây Ninh province takes you through Saigon's streets toward Black Virgin Mountain. A cable car carries you to the summit of Bà Đen, where the Tây Bổ Đà Sơn Buddha, Asia's tallest bronze Buddha, stands overlooking villages and rice fields that stretch toward Cambodia. The vistas are the kind you need a camera for, and the mountain sits at the start of the day so the drive back later passes through quieter countryside.

From there, the Cao Dai Temple appears like nothing else in the region. The facade bristles with dragons and swastikas. Inside, statues of Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and Laozi stand together in a single space. You'll watch a ceremony and eat lunch at a nearby restaurant serving genuine Vietnamese dishes. The temple's architecture and the faith it represents (a Vietnamese religion that draws from multiple traditions) are the kind of detail that stays with you after the tour ends.

The Cu Chi Tunnels come next, a 40- to 60-minute drive from the temple. A short film sets the context, then you walk through weapon displays, enter the actual tunnels, and see underground kitchens, meeting rooms and ammunition stores. There's a firing range if you want it, and tapioca to taste. The return to Ho Chi Minh City takes roughly 90 minutes, and the driver drops you back at your hotel or another location you choose. The whole day runs nine hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Entrance fees to all three sites.
• a professional English-speaking guide.
• round-trip cable car to the summit of Black Virgin Mountain.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• air-conditioned vehicle for transport.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• hotel pickup and return to Ho Chi Minh City.

Options for this experience

4 options

Guide in English07:30

Guide in English07:30

Guide in EnglishAvailable from 5 Feb 2027

Guide in EnglishAvailable from 5 Feb 2027

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Indochina Heritage Travel

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to see three distinct sites (mountain, temple, and tunnels) in a single day with a guide managing the route and pacing, rather than piecing together separate visits.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What's inside the Cu Chi Tunnels and how much time do you spend there?

The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground network built during the Vietnam War. You'll see weapon and trap displays, walk through genuine VC tunnels, and tour underground rooms including kitchens, meeting areas and ammunition stores. The tunnels themselves take about an hour to explore.

Can you actually go inside the tunnels or is it just viewing them from outside?

You walk through genuine VC tunnels as part of the tour, not just view them from a distance. The tunnels are accessible to visitors and the itinerary includes time spent inside the network itself.

What does the cable car ride to Black Virgin Mountain show you?

The cable car takes you to the summit of Bà Đen Mountain, where you see the Tây Bổ Đà Sơn Buddha statue and views across the surrounding landscape: villages, rice fields and the border toward Cambodia.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food do you eat?

Lunch is included at a restaurant near the Cao Dai Temple, where you eat genuine Vietnamese dishes and experience local hospitality.

How early do you need to be ready, and when does the tour end?

Hotel pickup begins at 7 a.m., so you need to be prepared by that time. The full tour runs nine hours, with the driver returning you to your hotel or another location you prefer by late afternoon.

Does the guide speak English the whole time?

Yes, a professional English-speaking guide leads the tour throughout all three sites.