Besides famous tourist sites in major cities like Hanoi, Da Nang, and Saigon, you should make a trip to hike or trek one of the beautiful mountains in Vietnam to immerse yourself in the beautiful scenery nature and to understand yourself better, break your limits and connect with your inner self through adventurous sports. When you travel in Vietnam, some of the most scenic landscapes are best enjoyed on foot. Check out these mountain trails in the Southern part of Vietnam with their heights sorted in ascending order.
Ta Cu Mountain – Binh Thuan Province – 649m
With a height of 649 meters high, bordering Highway No. 1A, and located 28 kilometers to the Southern part of Mui Ne in Binh Thuan province, Ta Cu Mountain is a beautiful place for hiking in Vietnam. To climb to the peak of Ta Cu Mountain in the protected forest, hikers first need to take 2 hours to hike through the 2,290-meter slippery mountain slopes. Bang Lang is the highest hill, tilted at 45 degrees angle. From the top of the mountain of Ta Cu, there is a spectacular view of the rice paddies and dragon fruit farms below.
For those who do not want to hike up the mountains, you can take the cable car ride, which is 500 meters high to reach the top of Ta Cu Mountain in 10 minutes. The cable line is 1,600 meters long. From the cable car view, you can observe the green vast forest below. On Ta Cu Mountain, there is a reclining Gautama Buddha statue expanding 49 meters in length, which is the largest reclining Buddha in Southeast Asia! Built in 1962, the statue is made of concrete and painted white. Ta Cu is one of the popular religious hiking areas in South East Asia, along with the Nepal’s mountains. Check out more information on trekking in Nepal here.
Forbidden Mountain (Nui Cam Nature Reserve) – An Giang Province – 716m
Nui Cam Mountain is 716 meters high, which is the highest mountain in the mysterious Seven-Mountain (Bay Nui) area of An Giang Province, which borders the plain of the Mekong Delta. You can feel the cooler mountainous climate and the picturesque landscape when being here. Nui Cam Nature Reserve has many legends and myths, attracting hikers to climb and conquer the mountain. From a distance, the road leading up the top of Nui Cam Mountain looks like a winding path, zig-zagging from the foot of the mountain to the upper part of it.
At each different height, something is interesting. If you start the climb from the early morning, you will see the white clouds hovering low above the ground, encompassing the vast rice fields.
Ba Ra Mountain – Binh Phuoc Province – 733m
Ba Ra Mountain is 733 meters high, located in Phuoc Long Town, Binh Phuoc Province. Ba Ra is the mountain of serenity, romance, and breathtaking nature. To get to Ba Ra Mountain, you will need to take the cable car before you can hike to the top. To get to the 500-meters long cable car, from Dong Xoai Town along Provincial Road No. 741, go through the center of Phuoc Long Town. Another option is you can ride a bike up to the height of 150 meters to get to Bang Lang Hill. On the right side of Bang Lang is the stone steps forming the main road to hike to Ba Ra Mountain’s top. On both sides of the road are intertwined bamboos, providing shade for the climbers.
At the top of Ba Ria Mountain, you can enjoy taking a panoramic view of Mo Waterfall (Thac Mo), the hydropower lake, and the magnificent sight.
Chua Chan Mountain – Dong Nai Province – 800m
Located in Xuan Loc District, Dong Nai Province, 110 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Chua Chan Mountain is 800 meters high. On the mountain, there’s Buu Quang Temple, which is the biggest temple and situated at the highest location compared to other temples in the region. There is a cable car system that operates up and down to the temple. The one-way cost is VND 90,000 per person.
If you want to combine hiking Chua Chan Mountain and visit Buu Quang Temple, you can get through the main entrance gate of Chua Chan Mountain tourist area, climb nearly 400 steps to reach Buu Quang Temple, then hike through the jungles to get to the peak of Chua Chan Mountain. This is a great clean trail to go hiking in Vietnam. Half-way up of the mountain, if you decide to go the stairs and steps route, you will encounter this sacred tree connected by 3 roots.
The sacred tree at Chua Chan Mountain
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Black Virgin (Ba Den) Mountain – Tay Ninh Province – 986m
Being the highest mountain in the Southeast of Vietnam (986 meters high) and located 11 kilometers to the Northeast of Tay Ninh Province, Black Virgin Mountain attracts a large number of hikers every weekend to climb the mountain. From a distance, the Black Virgin Mountain can be seen as a conical hat situating on the earth. It challenges and attracts adventurous hikers to conquer it.
The higher you are, the cooler the atmosphere is. At the peak of the Black Virgin Mountain, you can take the spectacular view of a primitive-but-scenic landscape.
Nui Chua National Park – Ninh Thuan Province – 1,000m
Located in the South of Nha Trang and beautifully situated in the area of Ninh Hai District, Ninh Thuan Province, Nui Chua National Park (Nui Chua Mountain) has a splendid view. The common way to get to the peak of Nui Chua (1,000 meters high) is to start from Da Hang Hamlet, crossing through the terraces of ethnic Raglai, halting and camping at O Liem Stream, and setting off again the next day to climb to the top.
Along the way, you will see the splashing stream tumbling over rocks and the mountain goats in their quest for food or lie down resting under the tree canopy. When you get back near to the foot of Nui Chua, you can trek through jungles to the sea to enjoy the wilderness of Vinh Hy Bay. This is a beautiful trail to go trekking in Vietnam.
Ta Nang to Phan Dung Mountains – Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan, to Binh Thuan Provinces – 1,100m
The Ta Nang – Phan Dung trekking path runs from the Central Highlands (Lam Dong Province) to the Central Coastal area of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan Provinces. From the height of 1,100 meters down to 500 meters above sea level, adventurous trekkers love to explore this path. On the highest hilltop, it is an ideal place for camping as you can see the light fog layers and feel the cool breezes with the best view.
If you decide to tackle this Ta Nang – Phan Dung trekking route, you will need to arduously get through 55 kilometers of forest paths and walk across streams. In return for the effort, you will get rewarded by the gorgeous view of natural wonders in Vietnam.
See how to travel from Ho Chi Minh to Lam Dong Province:
Lang Biang Mountain – Lam Dong Province – 2,167m
Located in Lac Duong District, 12 kilometers North of Dalat and 2,167 meters above sea level, Lang Biang is the second-highest peak in Nui Ba National Park. From the top of Lang Biang, you get a spectacular mountainous view of Dalat and the highlands, the beautiful Golden Stream (Suoi Vang) and Silver Stream (Suoi Bac).
Once you conquer Lang Biang Mountain, standing on the top, you will feel like you are in a fairyland, pacing across the heaven, and enjoying the magnificent nature with fuzzy fogs flying. This trail is great for a one-day hike in Vietnam.
Bidoup Mountain (Nui Ba National Park) – Lam Dong Province – 2,287m
Bidoup Mountain is the highest mountain (2,287 meters high) in Nui Ba National Park, Lac Duong District, and 50 kilometers away from Dalat Province. If this is your first climbing trip and with a normal health condition, you can opt for the itinerary with the first day starting from Provincial Road No. 723 to get up to the campground, near the mountain’s peak (17 kilometers long). On the second day, hike from the campground continuing to the top and then get down to Long Lanh stopover (10 kilometers long).
During this hiking trip in Vietnam to conquer Bidoup Mountain, you will be able to contemplate the attractive landscape with an exceptional view of pine trees, patterned vegetation, and waterfalls.
Checklist before You Go Hiking and Trekking in Vietnam
If you are particularly interested in climbing mountains, you should tackle the mountains listed above when you come to the South of Vietnam. Note that hiking equipment are not abundant in Vietnam, so it is best to purchase them online before traveling. Here is the recommended list of essentials to carry along for your overnight hiking and trekking trips in Vietnam:
1. Map
2. Compass
3. Polarized sunglasses, sunscreen
4. Extra clothing
5. Headlamp (flashlight)
6. First-aid supplies
7. Firestarter, matches
8. Knife
9. Extra food
10. Tent and sleeping bag
11. Tape
12. Rope, nylon cord
13. Camera
14. Sandal
15. Knee pad, Ankle Guard, and Anti-blister socks
16. Bottle of water/Hydration pack
17. Thermos flask/vacuum flask
18. Trekking shoes
19. Trekking Pole
20. Raincoat or Jacket
21. Backpack
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Besides the famous mountains, Vietnam is also famous for its beautiful beaches and exciting cities. Check out other things to do in Vietnam or leave a comment for us below