Nui Ba Den
At 986 M The Highest Mountain In Southern Vietnam, A Lone Peak Rising From A Flat Plain, With Pagodas And Shrines On Its Slopes And A Cable Car And Alpine Slide. A Pilgrimage Site For Locals, Very Crowded At Tet And On Weekends, With A Long Hike To The Top For The Fit · Tay Ninh, Tay Ninh
Nui Ba Den, the Black Virgin Mountain, rises 986 m from a flat plain in Tay Ninh province, about 11 km north-east of Tay Ninh city and 100 km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City. It is the highest mountain in southern Vietnam, and as the only relief for miles it can be seen from far off. Locals treat it as a pilgrimage site and climb it for luck, with pagodas and shrines on its slopes, a legend of a faithful maiden, and offerings at the caves. Cable cars lift visitors most of the way, an alpine slide runs down, and fit walkers climb the full trail in roughly three to five hours. It is very crowded at Tet and on weekends, hot for much of the year, and the lower area is busy and commercial. Macaque monkeys beg and snatch food. The mountain was also a military zone: during the war, a US firebase sat on the summit while Viet Cong forces held the slopes and caves. The Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh is a separate place.
Nui Ba Den, the Black Virgin Mountain, about 11 km north-east of Tay Ninh city and 100 km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Tay Ninh, Vietnam
The cable car and park gates run daily from early morning to late afternoon, with exact times varying by season, so confirm them. Hiking is possible from before dawn, and many locals start in the dark to avoid heat. Cable cars can pause for strong wind or maintenance, and the alpine slide closes in rain. Pagodas on the slopes are open through the day. Nothing is FREE at the cable car or slide, as tickets are paid, though walking the trail and visiting the pagodas costs little or nothing and entry rules should be confirmed. It is not closed on a fixed weekday; weekends and Tet are the busiest.