The twin towers and yellow facade of the Cao Dai Holy See at Tay Ninh
Photo: Mussi Katz / Public domain

Day trip · wait-and-return car

Ba Den Mountain & Tay Ninh

Tay Ninh, about 100 km north-west of Saigon, has the highest mountain in southern Vietnam, Ba Den (986 m), and the Cao Dai Holy See with its noon ceremony. It's 2 to 2¾ hours each way by car, so most people do it as one long day with a driver who waits and brings them back.

  • From SGN2–3 hours
  • Private car from$46
  • Ba Den mountain986 m, the highest in the south
  • Cao Dai noon serviceDaily at 12:00
  • Cable carAbout 250,000–450,000₫ return (2026)
Book online

Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN) → Ba Den Mountain or any address in Tay Ninh

  • 2–3 hours
  • 100 km
  • Door to door
  1. 1. Trip
  2. 2. Car & extras
  3. 3. Your details

Step 1 of 3: Trip

Vietnam time. We track the flight and wait 90 minutes after landing, free.
People
2
Suitcases
2
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup
  • Confirmed within 12 hours by email, with your driver's details
  • 90 minutes' free waiting after landing, flight tracked
  • No card needed. Pay the driver on the day
Book a transfer to Tay Ninhfrom $46 · 2–3 hoursBook

Fixed prices

Private transfer prices to Tay Ninh

Every route we drive into Ba Den Mountain & Tay Ninh, per vehicle. Tap a route to load it into the booking box.

Private transfer prices to Ba Den Mountain & Tay Ninh
Route Drive time Sedan
≤3 people		7-seat MPV
≤6 people		7-seat SUV
≤5 people		VIP limo van
≤7 people		16-seat bus
≤12 people
Saigon airport or city → Tay Ninh 100 km · Saigon airport transfers · Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) 2–3 hours $461.200.000₫$501.300.000₫$561.450.000₫$922.400.000₫$792.050.000₫
Return, driver waits up to 4 h Saigon airport or city → Tay Ninh and back 2 × 2–3 hours $691.800.000₫$751.950.000₫$852.200.000₫$1383.600.000₫$1193.100.000₫

Return prices include the drive back and up to 4 hours' waiting while you visit. Per vehicle, not per person, for a daytime pickup. Tolls included. Night pickups (22:00–06:00) add 10% and Tết adds 30%. Other currencies are a guide; you pay in VND.

How to get to Ba Den mountain and Tay Ninh from Saigon

A private car takes 2 to 2¾ hours from central Saigon to Tay Ninh, about 100 km, and then you do the mountain and the temple. Ba Den and the Cao Dai Holy See are both close to Tay Ninh city, so one car can do both, and the driver waits while you’re up the mountain or inside the temple.

Most people do both in a long day: leave Saigon at 6:30 or 7 am, go up Ba Den first, then reach the Holy See before the noon service and drive back in the afternoon. Expect 10 to 12 hours in total.

Ba Den by bus is possible: buses and limousine vans leave from Saigon’s bus stations for about 80,000–250,000₫ a seat (2026 guides). The catch is the last stretch: you still need transport from the bus stop to the cable car and the temple. For a family, or for anyone doing both places, a car with a driver who waits is simpler. Waiting is an extra you add when you book. We also take stops on the way, and a SIM or eSIM can be ready in the car.

Ba Den mountain

Ba Den is the highest mountain in southern Vietnam, at 986 m, rising alone from flat farmland near Tay Ninh city. It’s a Buddhist pilgrimage site, with pagodas on the slopes, and a tourist resort run by Sun World, with cable cars to the top.

Three cable car routes run: Van Son to the summit (about 8 minutes), Chua Hang to the cave pagoda partway up, and Tam An joining the pagoda to the summit. In July 2026 guides gave about 250,000₫ return for Chua Hang and 450,000₫ return for Van Son, with child fares lower and small children free. Prices change with the season and the holiday calendar, and online tickets save queueing.

At the top is the Tay Bo Da Son, a Buddha statue about 72 m tall, made of copper, with a plaza, gardens and a restaurant. Many people also go for the sunrise or cloud views. You can walk up, though the heat makes it hard work for most of the year.

The mountain is busiest on weekends, Buddhist festivals and around Tet. If you can, go on a weekday morning.

The Cao Dai Holy See and the noon service

The Cao Dai Holy See is the main temple of Cao Dai, a Vietnamese religion founded in Tay Ninh in 1926. It mixes Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and other traditions, and the temple was built between 1933 and 1955. It’s about 4 km from Tay Ninh city.

Services are held four times a day: at 6 am, noon, 6 pm and midnight. The noon service is the one visitors attend. Priests and worshippers in white, yellow, blue and red robes file into the hall for about half an hour of chanting and music, and you watch from the upper balcony. Arrive about 30 minutes before the start for a place.

Entry is free. Cover your shoulders and knees, take hats and sunglasses off inside, and photograph only from the balconies and without flash. It’s a place of worship, so keep your voice down.

Which car for Tay Ninh

Two people fit a sedan or electric VinFast. A family, anyone tall and anyone with bags should take a 7-seater. Groups can book the VIP limousine van or the 16-seater. Child seats are available on request when you book. A day with about 5 hours on the road is long, so we hold drivers to the standard of a calm, non-smoking driver and a car that’s clean and comfortable.

Cu Chi on the way

The road to Tay Ninh passes close to Cu Chi, so some people add the Cu Chi tunnels on the way out or back. That makes the day longer, and you’ll need an early start. Our guide to Cu Chi explains the two sites.

When to go to Tay Ninh

November to April has the clearest skies and least rain, so it’s the best time for Ba Den’s views. In the wet season, morning is better, as cloud and storms build in the afternoon. Weekends, Tet and Buddhist festivals are busy, and queues for the cable car can be long.

Start early whichever season: by midday it’s hot, and the noon service is the main fixed time of the day.

Back in the city, Saigon has more to do for an extra day, and Can Gio is the day trip in the other direction.

Our driver standard

The car you'd want after a long flight

Car quality in Vietnam varies wildly: a driver smoking between jobs, seatbelts tucked away or missing, a car that's done half a million kilometres. This is the standard we hold every driver to, and what we ask you about after every trip.

  • Calm hands on the wheel. Smooth, unhurried driving. Safety comes before speed, every time.
  • The horn is for emergencies. Not a musical instrument. Anyone who has sat in Saigon traffic knows why we say this.
  • No smoke, no perfume bomb. Nobody smokes in our cars, and there's no air freshener strong enough to make your eyes water.
  • Air you'd want to breathe. Cabin filters changed on schedule, so the air-con blows clean, not twenty years of exhaust.
  • Newer cars, kind suspension. Cars in good condition, with seats and suspension made for a four-hour drive.
  • Seatbelts that work. In every seat. Child seats are free on request.

Where to stay

Hotels we drive to in Tay Ninh

Tay Ninh is normally done as a day trip from Saigon. If you want to stay near Ba Den, there are hotels in Tay Ninh city. Book the car from any Saigon hotel, or type your Tay Ninh hotel at checkout.

Getting there

Private car, bus or train: the honest comparison

We're not the cheapest way to Tay Ninh. Here's what each option is actually like.

OptionTimeCostDoor to doorGood forThe catch
Private car with waiting (us) 2–2¾ h each way; a full day with the visits Per car, see the price table Yes Families and small groups, a flexible start, doing the mountain and the temple in one day More than a bus seat if you're travelling alone and light.
Bus or limousine van from Saigon 2½–3 h each way, plus getting to the station About 80,000–250,000₫ a seat (2026 guides) No Solo travellers on a budget, going to Ba Den only Fixed departures from the bus station, and you still need a ride from Tay Ninh to the temple and the cable car.
Group day tour A full day, early start Varies by operator Yes A solo traveller who wants a guide and a fixed programme A fixed schedule and stops, a long day in a minibus.
Motorbike 2½–3 h each way Fuel about 150,000–200,000₫ return Yes Confident riders on a long day A long, hot ride on busy Highway 22 with no space for luggage or children.
Why most of our travellers book a car

You know the driver and the car before you land. The price is fixed, with tolls included. Someone is waiting at arrivals with your name, the flight is tracked, and the car is clean and non-smoking with working seatbelts and child seats if you need them. After a long flight, that's worth more than the saving.

FAQ

Questions travellers ask us

How far is Tay Ninh from Saigon?

About 100 km north-west of central Saigon. Ba Den mountain and the Holy See are both near Tay Ninh city, and the drive takes 2 to 2¾ hours each way by car depending on traffic out of the city. A new expressway to the Moc Bai border isn't open yet, so the road is mostly Highway 22.

What time is the Cao Dai noon ceremony?

The Holy See holds services daily at 6 am, 12 noon, 6 pm and midnight, and the noon one is the one most visitors attend. It lasts roughly 30 to 45 minutes, and you watch from the upper balcony. Arrive 30 minutes early to get a good spot.

What should I wear to the Cao Dai temple?

Cover your shoulders and knees. Hats and sunglasses come off inside, and photography is allowed from the balconies without flash. Entry is free. The temple is a place of worship, so keep quiet during the service.

How much is the Ba Den mountain cable car?

As a guide in July 2026, a return ticket on the Chua Hang route is about 250,000₫ for adults, and the Van Son route to the summit is about 450,000₫ return, with child rates lower. Combos with lunch cost more. Prices change with the season and holidays, so check Sun World's site before you go.

Can I do Ba Den and the Cao Dai temple in one day?

Yes, from Saigon by car. Leave by 6:30–7 am, go up Ba Den in the morning, reach the Holy See before noon and watch the service, then drive back in the afternoon. It's a long day of about 10 to 12 hours.

When is the best time to visit Ba Den mountain?

November to April, in the dry season, when the sky is clearest. In the rainy season, cloud and afternoon storms can close views from the summit. Weekends, the Lunar New Year season and Buddhist festivals bring big crowds and long cable car queues.