Black Virgin Mountain
Black Virgin Mountain
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GREGORY F
Adelaide, Australia355 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Family
Ba-Den Mountain is a definite must see for travellers to Tay Ninh. Have visited numerous times over the last decade. Major improvements and construction has happened over the last couple years, and is still underway. A brand new large cable car now takes you to the top of the mountain, where you can see the largest Buddah statue in Vietnam. A new mall at the bottom offers good coffee and a variety of shops up the escalators. At the top you will also find eateries and what I believe is the construction underway fir a new hotel.
Written 15 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

WCOB
Paekakariki, New Zealand647 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Solo
I visited Ba Den after a visit to Cu Chi with a friend. It's quite serene up there and offers majestic views of the area. It's a very peaceful place and the steam rising was mystical. Somehow, I lost my elevator ticket so had to buy a return ticket to get down for another 800,000 Dong. Clearly no common sense or logic but hey one had to get down!
Written 23 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shaun T
Sydney, Australia1,051 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Family
Really enjoyed our day here with plenty to do. We tried to take our 4 year old up the mountain but only got to the half way point given the climb and the steps... so will def come and do an adult climb. Plenty to do here between the alpine racer, multiple cable cars and temples as well as gardens to try and visit. To get the best out of the day... definitely best to come up the night before... Great day out
Written 11 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelTravelTravel
Toronto, Canada98 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2019 • Solo
I read a lot of reviews and tried to understand how to climb Ba Den the best way in advance. But it was not clear enough. So I will try and clarify everything in one review.

I climbed to the very top. There are basically 3 ways you can enjoy the mountain. 1 - go to the top, 2 go 60 percent of the way to the look out. 3 Go to the gondola top which is the area where the Pagoda's are.

I will talk mostly about 1 and 2 above as going to the Pagoda area is really for locals and their families and not for someone travelling there. I assume if you are going all the way to Tay Ninh you want to go up the mountain. However, if you are staying in Tay Nihn for other reasons then it is ok to go see the Pagoda or ride the car on the way down but i would say that is a family activity and not worth it for true travellers.

Here is my data.

Arrive at the park 7:35 am enter for 15k, I went straight through until i was climbing so these times are quite tight.
- 7:45 board tram that takes you from parking lot to the Gondala base. 7.49 board the Gondola for 150k. 7:55 arrive at the top of the Gondola.
- 9:35 arrive at the look out (which is about 60 percent of the way from the top of the Gondola to the Top of the mountain. ). 10:10 I left the look out as i sat and had a drink for 35 minutes, i met some people there and chatted.
- 10:55 reached mountain peak. 11:05 Left mountain peak. to go back down
- 11:55 arrived at the look out. 12:05 left the look out to go down
- 13:10 Reach Godola/temple area. 13:25 reached bottom. 13:35 left the location.

So it took me a total of almost 6 hours. 4 hours up and 2 hours down, this includes stopping for drinks/chats twice and seeing the various buildings and taking a lot pictures.

My fitness is ok, i am 55 years old. So it is possible you can do it in 5 hours if you dont stop for drinks, take less pictures and dont hang around in certain nice spots. However, that hour is time well spent enjoying the mountain.

So if you want to bike there from HCM, climb to the top and then bike back, it looks like it is a tough day. However, it can be done. But I was sweating very hard, my shirt was entirely drenched and so was my footware. If you read below you will see that often bikers from HCM would not make it to the top as they would run out of time. If you leave at 5:30am or so, from HCM then no problem. But bring a clean set of clothes and shoes for the bike home. You can leave a bottle of water in your bike too wash a little for the ride home.

The climb gets harder as yu go up. You will see, after the Gondola, an area of stairs, that is funny because it is misleads you into thinking that the climb is easy. But it gets harder. Most of the way up to the look out though is pretty easy but you do have to use your hands several times to help you over or up a given bolder or cluser of bolders. The top 40 percent, yu use yur hands a lot. However, it is not a walking hike, it is using your quads a lot.

The look out is amazing. If you decide to just go to the look out, you will have experienced the most beautiful parts of the climb. The top 40 percent however is the most interesting from the challenge or athletic aspect. The very top is actually a mess, it is not nice at all, But there is a an area where they have the beacon for the peak which has great pictures and is very nice. The top is worth it in my view because the trip itself is quite a long trip so might as well do the full climb. But if you bike from HCM and want to get back that day then it is perfectly fine to just go to the look out. You could even climb 15 minutes above the lookout just to have some climbing and then retreat.

Staying in Tay Nihn is the best way to go. Go up there the day before. The hotels there are great and very reasonable. There is a super vietnam war memorial. A very classy shopping mall, a high end hotel, some nice parks. It is not a busy place, but it certainly is a fabulous break from HCM.

I really loved it.

On the moutain, i only saw 13 other people climbing. They were all 15-20 year old vietnamese and they mostly wore bare feet. So on a week day you can get the mountain to yourself.

I took 1.5 L of water but drank it quickly on the lower parts of the mountian. I did not want anything in my hands or on my back. There are a couple of places to stop for water at almost the same costs as water in convenience store. So no need to worry too much about brining anything. Climbing with nothing just makes you feel more free. But that is my style anyway for most things i do.

I really poured sweat. I had a shirt i know is good for sweating in. It was not hot like HCM, I actually did not feel hot at all. Mostly you are in the shade. Sure it was 35 out but i did not notice the heat. Not like i do walking around D1. But the effort causes a lot of sweat. like a sports level of sweat.

It is a good work out. But not crazy at all. However, if you have never walked up a mountain for 3/4 hours, then this is not the place to do it the first time. It is harder than most tourist type walks up mountains that you find when you are travelling. If you like taking those walks up mountains, then this is an excellent challenge.

The Gondola saves you a long flat walk into the base. I felt it was worth it as 6 hours was enough on the mountain. However, if you only want to go to the look out and are wanting a hike rather than a climb, then it is perfect to skip the gondola and walk in and just go to the look out. If you want an 8 hour hike/climb, then skip the gondola and go to the top. Looking down, it seems like a very nice walk.
Written 6 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa H
Grafton, Wisconsin120 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2012 • Couples
This mountain stands tall among the very flat land of the area where my husband was stationed during the Vietnam war 3/4 cav 1969-1970. He wanted to go explore it. We got there at 8:30 am on a Sunday with our tour guide on a holiday weekend and it was very packed with visitors but it was sure fun to watch people! We were the only nonVietnamese there during our stay so folks took pictures of us and practiced there English on us which was really fun. We took the cable car which took us about 1/3 way up the mountain. The people come to worship at the temples. There are tons of food shops in all areas even a few during the longest climb. There is a beautiful view from the large sleeping Buddha statue.

My husband was determined to climb to the top of Nui Ba Din. This is an activity reserved for young vietnamese folks. I walked with him until the stairs ran out. There is rubble and boulders and a very challenging climb to the top. If this were in the US, the park service would close it. In the US folks would have gear and special shoes and ropes and hooks. What equipment did we see? Flip flops or bare feet. No kidding! To make it more interesting, we visited it the day the Typhoon went inland (I am not kidding) bringing significant wind and rain! I made it to about 3/4 hour from the top. I waited on a rock while my husband went to the top with a bunch of lovely young people offering him help, water and encouragement! This is a steep, steep climb. What a cool symbol of living in the present of Vietnam.

This is a steep climb even if you take the chair lift.
Written 4 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

yebziSydney
sydney146 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
This site has an interesting historical/ folklore significance and alot of money has been put into developing it as a tourist attraction but has been completely spoilt by the hawkers.

We came by private van so maybe if we came with a tour group we would have been warned but we were complete targets as soon as we stepped out of the van.

As we paid for the cable car tickets men came at us from all directions selling bags of rice to take up the mountain as donations to the monks. A few Buddhists in our group felt obliged and bought some bags. After we went through the gate more men came selling boxes of noodles . There was a train just inside the gate and we all sat on the train and were told we had to pay again which we did. Therwasher no other guests but we sat on the train for at least half an hour before the driver came and drove us the 1 km to the cable car. It was too hot to walk with our elderly parents.We had to pay again to go on the cable car and to come back down , not sure why it couldn't have been included in the entry ticket. The cable car seems very safe and there were alot of staff helping you on an off. As we were waiting more men came at us harassing us to buy more food for the monks. When we got to the top there were even more hawkers. They even followed my buddhist friends into the temple whilst they were kneeling on the floor harassing them to buy things.It was simply awful. We stood outside and there was strangely no viewing platforms on the side of the temple that had the best views. We were continued to be harassed by these hawkers to buy things for these monks who i actually could not see.I wonder whether the donation room where we were told to deposit the food was simply a recycling room as there was no security with dozens of hawkers walking around .My friends were very distressed by the experience and we left without being able to enjoy the temples. We went to other temples in Vietnam where this did not happen so I'm not sure whether this temple is just mismanaged or there's some collusion . This place is a very bad example of tourism in vietnam and should be avoided.
Written 13 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

m995
Singapore, Singapore47 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2011
Sometimes called just Black Mountain, this is a previously volcanic mountain that has steps carved into it from long ago. It is a long climb but lots of people do the climb. If you want, there is also a cable car you can take to save your legs for walking around. The cable car takes you most of the way to the top. There is a crazy "rollercoaster" ride where you ride these little carts down to the bottom. Each coaster has its own brakes, but there are inevitable bumps between the little vehicles. At the top are many temples and religious sites. During Tet, lunar New Year celebrations, this place is crazy busy and maybe it is the most fun then. If you are going to Cao Dai Temple, you are most of the way there. I think the temple is worth 30 minutes and Black Mountain will keep you entertained for many hours.
Written 26 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Daniel M
7 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2016
The drive from Ho Chi Minh was 2 hours to reach the mountain. The place is definitely not filled with tourist but it is filled with people trying to sell you stuff and ripping you off. They kept asking us to buy bags of rice and noodles for the monks but I definitely knew they were overpriced since I knew how to speak Viet. If you want to help the monks out, better to donate money once you're at the temple.

The cable car ride was short but the view of the small town of Tay Minh was amazing. The cable car ride was 80,000 dong up then 80,000 dong down. Overall, a nice place to visit if you have time and near the area but don't buy anything as they will try to rip off tourist!
Written 10 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Outdoor Steventures
10 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Couples
Me and my girlfriend tried to do climb Black Virgin mountain on a day trip by motorbike from HCMC last weekend, but only made it halfway due to bad logistic planning i.e. ran out of time. Therefore if you want to do this, here a few considerations:

Even though we didn't succeed (some logistical problems making us running out of time), this trip is doable this way. However, make sure your leave latest 7am from HCMC D1. To get there is 3 hours (solid pace, including a short coffee break to give the bum a rest). Then it takes roughly another hour to park your bike, get into the park, take the chairlift and have some food, as you are going to need it. This is not a walk in the park kind of hike, but a bouldering trail, straight up. Some make sure you have proper shoes, snacks and more than enough water (at least 1.5L per person)
So contrary to what some people/blogs say, the chair lift, only takes you up a quarter of the mountain to 260m, so still 750m altitude to go, which roughly would take you 2-3hrs, including breaks and photo stops. Going down typically takes half the time of going up so, give it 1.5hrs including some time at the top. Then it is back to your motorbike and a three hours drive back to HCMC, ready to experience some lovely rush hour at the end :). So start at 7am, 3 hours drive, 1 hour to get to the start and food, roughly 5 hours up and down the mountain and then 3 hours drive back, gets you home at 7pm.

Doable, but I wouldn't recommend it. You will be six hours on a bike, of which 3 hrs after you are already tired from the climb, and climbing at the hottest part of the day. Our shirts were both drenched in sweat after 100m climbing, the hike is not in the sun, but sheltered from any breeze. Maybe ok in January when it is the coolest part of the year, not really in April, the hottest month. If you got a car, the drive might be a bit more comfortable, if you are ok with climbing in the heat and humidity.

If we would do it again, we would drive up the day before, stay the night and do the climb as early as possible to avoid the heat and not be rushed by time. This would also avoid us coming back in the dark at rush hour in HCMC.

ps. maps.me show a hiking trail leading to the top; this is not it (we made that mistake). The park from which the hike starts is on the east side of the mountain.
Furthermore, besides the cable car, there is also a luge starting at the same point, which might be a fun way to get back.

So is it worth it? It is a good trip if you are living in HCMC and want to escape the city for the weekend.
If you are traveling/on holiday/limited in time, I would use my time on something else. It is a good climb and the views are quite cool, but nothing unique or extraordinary that you can't see somewhere else and/or better. Considering what else is to see and do in Vietnam (and I have spent two months traveling around), I would not waste it on this hike.

Good luck wit the hike!
Written 10 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Thư M
22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2018 • Friends
As known as the tallest mountain of the Southeast region, Bà Đen is the best for trekking. There are lots of ways to get the top. From the peak, you will enjoy a perfect view of the valley that immediately relieves the fatigue of the climb.To get down the mountain, we chose to take a grass slider trip. It is a soft adventure activity and safe as the slope is gentle and tourists can control the brake of the slide.
Written 27 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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