Black Virgin Mountain is the English name for Ba Den Mountain (Nui Ba Den), a 986 m peak in Tay Ninh province, about 100 km north-west of Saigon and the highest point in southern Vietnam. It rises alone out of flat farmland, carries a pagoda complex where the Black Lady has been worshipped for around 300 years, and is topped by a 72-metre bronze statue reached by cable car.
Most visitors come on a day trip from Saigon and pair the mountain with the Cao Dai Holy See, 20 to 30 minutes away by car. Allow a full day: the drive alone is two to two and a half hours each way.
See how a private day on the mountain runs
Two sample days from Saigon, each with its own car and guide. Free cancellation up to 3 days before.
★Ba Den Mountain & Cao Dai Holy See Private Day TripCable car to the 986 m summit, the Lady Pagoda, then the Cao Dai noon prayer · About 9.5 hoursSee the tour →Ba Den Mountain, Cao Dai & Cu Chi Tunnels Private Day TripBen Duoc tunnels at opening, the Cao Dai noon prayer, then the mountain by cable car · About 12.5 hoursSee the tour →Why is it called the Black Virgin Mountain?
The name is a loose translation of Ba Den, which means “Black Lady”. Local legend tells of Ly Thi Thien Huong, a young woman who climbed the mountain to pray, died there defending her honour, and later appeared to monks and villagers as a protective spirit. She is worshipped today as Linh Son Thanh Mau, the Holy Mother of the mountain.
The mountain had other names before it took hers. Old records call it Nui Mot, the “one mountain”, which is a fair description: it is a single granite massif with two lower shoulders, Nui Heo and Nui Phung, and nothing else of any height for a long way in any direction.
What is on the mountain
| Place | Height | How you reach it | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base station | Plain level | Road from Tay Ninh town | Ticket halls, gardens, food court |
| Lady Pagoda (Linh Son Tien Thach Tu) | About 350 m | Chua Hang cable car, then steps | The old pilgrimage heart of the mountain |
| Van Son peak | 986 m | Van Son cable car, about 8 minutes | Summit plaza and the Tay Bo Da Son statue |
| Forest trails | Base to summit | On foot, 2 to 12 hours by route | Pilgrim steps and harder climbing routes |
The pagoda complex halfway up is the part that pilgrims care about most. It grew around caves and boulders over three centuries and is still busy with offerings every day. The summit is newer: a wide stone plaza built around Tay Bo Da Son, a standing statue of the Bodhisattva of Compassion cast in reddish bronze.
How to get there from Saigon
The mountain is about 100 km from central Saigon along National Road 22 through Cu Chi and Trang Bang. By private car it takes two to two and a half hours, longer when traffic leaves the city slowly. Buses and limousine vans run to Tay Ninh town for roughly 100,000 to 250,000 VND a seat (as of September 2026), and a short Grab ride covers the last stretch to the cable car station.
The practical difference is timing. By bus you arrive late morning and fit either the mountain or the Holy See comfortably, not both. By car you can be on the summit before the afternoon cloud and still reach the Holy See for the noon prayer.
Cable car or climb?
Three cable car lines serve the mountain: Chua Hang from the base to the pagoda area, Van Son from the base straight to the summit, and Tam An linking the pagoda area to the summit. A return on the Van Son line costs 450,000 VND (~$17), and the combined Van Son and Chua Hang ticket costs 650,000 VND (~$25).
Walking up is possible. The concrete pilgrim path takes two to three hours for a fit walker, and several rougher routes take much longer. It is hot, steep and humid most of the year, so the climb is a project in itself rather than something to add to a sightseeing day.
A day that follows the noon prayer
Both sample days are timed around the Holy See at 12:00, so the mountain gets the morning or the afternoon it needs.
Ba Den Mountain & Cao Dai Holy See Private Day TripAbout 9.5 hoursSee the tour →Ba Den Mountain, Cao Dai & Cu Chi Tunnels Private Day TripAbout 12.5 hoursSee the tour →When to go
The dry season, December to April, brings the clearest views and the most comfortable temperatures on the summit. From May to November afternoon storms are common and the summit can disappear into cloud, although that is also the season when early risers sometimes see a sea of clouds at dawn.
Crowds matter more than weather. Weekends, public holidays and the whole first lunar month after Tet bring long cable car queues. A weekday morning outside those dates is the quietest the mountain gets.
Pairing it with the Cao Dai Holy See
The Cao Dai Holy See, mother temple of Vietnam’s home-grown Cao Dai faith, stands a short drive from the mountain. Its noon prayer at 12:00 is the one fixed time of any Tay Ninh day, and it shapes how a good itinerary runs: mountain first in the morning, Holy See at noon, lunch afterwards.
Add the Cu Chi Tunnels and the day grows to twelve hours or more. It is possible, and the long tour does it, but it is not for everyone.
Questions travellers ask
How high is Black Virgin Mountain?
986 m above sea level, which makes it the highest mountain in southern Vietnam.
Is Black Virgin Mountain the same as Ba Den Mountain?
Yes. Black Virgin Mountain is a loose English rendering of Nui Ba Den, “the Black Lady’s mountain”, in Tay Ninh province.
Can I visit Ba Den Mountain as a half-day trip from Saigon?
Not comfortably. The drive is about two to two and a half hours each way, so even a short visit becomes most of a day.
Do I need a guide?
No. You can buy cable car tickets at the station and find your way around. A guide adds the stories behind the pagoda and the Cao Dai prayer, and a driver saves the bus changes.
Book a private day to the Black Virgin Mountain
Your own car and licensed guide from your Saigon hotel, cable cars and lunch included.
★Ba Den Mountain & Cao Dai Holy See Private Day TripCable car to the 986 m summit, the Lady Pagoda, then the Cao Dai noon prayer · About 9.5 hoursfrom$121/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$320BOOK →2 guests$375BOOK →3 guests$430BOOK →4 guests$485BOOK →See the full tour page →Ba Den Mountain, Cao Dai & Cu Chi Tunnels Private Day TripBen Duoc tunnels at opening, the Cao Dai noon prayer, then the mountain by cable car · About 12.5 hoursfrom$148/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$390BOOK →2 guests$455BOOK →3 guests$525BOOK →4 guests$590BOOK →See the full tour page →Heights, prices and hours checked in September 2026. Cable car prices and schedules are set by the operator and can change.