Tay Ninh: Ba Den Mountain & Cao Dai Temple with Cu Chi Tunnels

Driving three hours north to where Vietnam's spiritual and wartime history meet

You're picked up from your hotel early and driven north to Ba Den Mountain for cable car views, then to Cao Dai Temple to learn about a unique Vietnamese faith, lunch included. After that comes Cu Chi Tunnels, where you explore the underground network that shaped Vietnam's wartime history. The guide handles all the talking and logistics, and you're back in the city by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Cao Dai Temple1h · entry included
2. Cu Chi Tunnels2h · entry included

Tay Ninh tour with Ba Den and Cu Chi

• Hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City
• Drive to Tay Ninh Province
• Visit Ba Den Mountain summit
• See tallest bronze Buddha statue
• Enjoy local lunch
• Explore Cao Dai Temple
• Witness Cao Dai noon ceremony
• Visit Cu Chi Tunnels
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City

The experience

Driving out of Ho Chi Minh City at 7am, you leave the motorbike chaos behind and settle into a three-hour journey toward Tay Ninh Province. The road opens up, and the landscape shifts from urban sprawl to rice fields and low hills. Your guide sits up front, and the van moves steadily north. This is the rhythm of the day, and it doesn't stop until evening. The first real stop is Ba Den Mountain, the highest peak in southern Vietnam, where a cable car carries you up to the summit. From there the view spreads out: countryside, rice paddies, the distant border with Cambodia. At the top stands Asia's tallest bronze Buddha statue, and the air is cooler, quieter than the city felt.

After descending, you head to Cao Dai Temple, about two hours away. This is where the day gets stranger and more interesting. The temple is the center of Caodaism, a religion unique to Vietnam that blends Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, and Confucianism into one faith centered on the "Eye of God." The architecture is vivid (bright colors, symbolic details everywhere), and if the timing works, you might catch the noon ceremony, when followers gather to pray. Your guide explains the beliefs as you walk through, and the whole thing feels less like a tourist stop and more like stepping into something that actually matters to the people who worship there. Lunch happens at a local restaurant after, with authentic Vietnamese dishes that taste nothing like what you'd get in the city.

Then comes Cu Chi. The tunnels stretch 200 kilometers underground, a network that housed the Viet Cong during the war. You walk through the narrow passages (some sections are tight, and you have to crouch or crawl), and see the hidden rooms where soldiers lived: hospitals, weapon factories, command centers. It's the kind of history that feels heavier when you're actually inside it. Your guide talks about survival tactics, and they serve you cassava with tea, the same food soldiers ate during the war. It's a small detail, but it sticks with you. The whole experience is about two hours underground, and then the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City begins. You'll arrive around 7 or 7:30pm, depending on traffic.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from central Ho Chi Minh City (Districts 1 and 4), round-trip transport by van or car, entrance fees to all three sites, a local lunch with fresh Vietnamese dishes, bottled water, tapioca and hot tea, and an English-speaking guide for the full 12 hours. The Ba Den Mountain cable car ticket is optional and can be prepaid to skip queues.

Options for this experience

6 options

Large bus, two sites without Cu ChiGuide in English · 07:00Large bus with pickup, covering only Cao Dai Temple and Ba Den Mountain; cable car tickets not included.

Large bus, three sites with Cu ChiGuide in English · 07:00Large bus with pickup, covering Cu Chi, Cao Dai Temple and Black Virgin Mountain; cable car ticket not included.

Minibus or van, two sites without Cu ChiGuide in English · 07:00Minibus or van with pickup, covering only Cao Dai Temple and Ba Den Mountain; cable car tickets not included.

See 3 more options

Van or minibus, three sites with Cu ChiGuide in English · 07:00Van or minibus with pickup, covering Cu Chi, Cao Dai Temple and Black Virgin Mountain; cable car ticket not included.

DCAR limousine, two sites without Cu ChiGuide in English · 07:00DCAR limousine with pickup, covering only Cao Dai Temple and Ba Den Mountain; cable car tickets not included.

VIP limousine, three sites with Cu ChiGuide in English · 07:00Luxury limousine with pickup, covering Cu Chi, Cao Dai Temple and Black Virgin Mountain; cable car ticket not included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

AgesAdult (8 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 7 years) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Note: This is a group tour. Please arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before pickup time. Pick-up and drop-off are available at Ben Thanh Market or SST Travel office.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by SST TRAVEL

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see three major Tay Ninh attractions in one day without arranging transport, tickets, or timing yourself: the fixed schedule and included guide handle all the logistics, and the long drive is what makes visiting the mountain, temple, and tunnels possible in a single trip.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 7 years). Under 3: they can't be included in the booking.

How long is the full tour?

About 12 hours total, including pickup at 7am and return around 7 to 7:30pm.

Is the Ba Den Mountain cable car included?

No. The cable car ticket costs extra and you can prepay with the tour operator to skip the queue, or skip it entirely and walk the grounds instead.

What's included in lunch?

Authentic Vietnamese dishes at a local restaurant. Bottled water, tapioca, and hot tea are also provided throughout the day.

Can I skip Cu Chi Tunnels?

Yes. If you don't join the Cu Chi visit, you'll be transferred to another vehicle for the return to Ho Chi Minh City.

How far is Tay Ninh from Ho Chi Minh City?

About 3 hours by van from the city center.

Is there a guide?

Yes, an English-speaking guide is included for the entire day.

What's the group size?

The reference doesn't specify a maximum, but you travel by van or minibus.

Are there extra charges on holidays?

Yes. A surcharge of VND 200,000 per person applies on certain dates: Apr 26, Apr 29–May 1, Sep 2, Dec 24–25, Dec 31–Jan 1, Feb 3–11. Payable on site.