Where to Go in Vietnam: the 11 Best Cao Dai & Vietnamese Pagoda Tours

1.Ninh Binh, Trang An, Mua Cave and Bai Dinh Pagoda

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 345 reviews · from $38Our pick

Spend a full day outside Hanoi with an English-speaking guide such as Duc, Kate, Ruby, or Jadon. Visit Bai Dinh Pagoda, climb Mua Cave for sweeping Tam Coc views, eat a Ninh Binh buffet lunch, and glide through Trang An’s caves by sampan. Round-trip Old Quarter transport and entrance fees are included, though Bai Dinh’s 100,000 VND electric car ticket costs extra.

“Fantastic tour. Jadon and the other guide were excellent as was our driver. The tour is planned so that you have the option of seeing almost everything people recommend in Ninh Binh, including Bai Dinh, Trang An, and a choice between Hoa Lu and Hang Mua. It was one of the best organized tours we’ve taken in Vietnam, with simple pick up and drop off from our hotel in Hanoi, and the guides knew us all by name so we never worried about getting lost. The bus was air conditioned and comfortable. Jadon was a particularly compelling and knowledgeable guide who was able to answer all our questions and happy…”

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2.Tay Ninh – Cao Dai & Ba Den Mountain + Optional Cu Chi Tunnels

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 275 reviews · from $38Best reviewed

Leave Ho Chi Minh City for Tay Ninh, where you’ll visit Ba Den Mountain, the colorful Cao Dai Temple, and, on the longer option, the Cu Chi Tunnels. An English-speaking guide, lunch, water, and transport are included. The cable car costs extra, and the full day can run 11 to 12 hours.

“Our trip was very good, our guide Sam was very professional and knowledgeable and the sights were amazing . We would recommend to others”

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3.Small-Group 1-day: Cao Dai Temple & Ba Den Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 249 reviews · from $99

Spend 11 to 12 hours outside Ho Chi Minh City with an English-speaking guide such as Stark, Tuyen, Tom, or Phat. Visit Cao Dai Temple, ride the cable car up Ba Den Mountain, explore the Cu Chi Tunnels, and eat lunch at a local restaurant. Hotel pickup, bottled water, transport, and entrance fees are included.

“Fantastic tour. Phat is a phenomenal guide. Very personable knowledgeable and speaks excellent English”

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4.Exploring Bai Dinh Pagoda -Trang An -Mua Cave with Buffet Lunch 1 Day From Hanoi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 195 reviews · from $48

Travel from Hanoi Old Quarter to Bai Dinh Pagoda, Trang An, and Mua Cave on an 11 to 12-hour guided day trip. You’ll see Vietnam’s largest pagoda complex, eat a buffet lunch with local specialties such as goat meat, row through cave passages, and climb about 500 steps for wide views. Guides may include Ruby, Jack, or Quyen.

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5.HCM: Cu Chi Tunnels, Cao Dai Temple, Black Virgin Mountain

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 176 reviews · from $47

See the Cu Chi Tunnels, watch the noon prayer at Cao Dai Temple, and ride a cable car up Ba Den Mountain. Pickup is available in central Ho Chi Minh City, with English-speaking guides such as Sam, Anna, Tom, and Lan assigned according to the day. Expect a full day, long drives, and a packed mix of war history, religion, food, and mountain scenery.

“Fully recommend the trip. Succinct information, small groups that form connections through shared activities, and a good timing execution with both free and intense times. Worth the money!”

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6.Full-Day Perfume Pagoda Private or Small-Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 174 reviews · from $67

Travel from Hanoi to Perfume Pagoda with an English-speaking guide, glide for an hour along Yen Stream, visit Thien Tru and Huong Tich Cave, and eat lunch near the mountain. You can walk the steep route or pay extra for the cable car. Guide Minh has earned especially warm praise for his clear explanations and good humor.

“The activity was really well planned and I would highly recommend this tour to family and friends”

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7.1-Day Tour of Black Virgin Mountain – Cao Dai Temple – Cu Chi Tunnels from HCMC

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 167 reviews · from $62

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Black Virgin Mountain, Cao Dai Temple, and the Cu Chi Tunnels in a small group of up to 15 people. You’ll ride a return cable car, eat lunch at a local restaurant, and learn about Cao Dai faith and wartime tunnel life. Guides such as Khanh, Thanh, and King Cong have earned praise, but English quality can vary.

“I wanted to see the Cu Chi Tunnels and take advantage of the journey to see other nearby attractions but didn't want to be subjected to all the vendors at the Mekong Delta, so this was the perfect tour for me. The amount of time spent at each venue was perfect and the lunch had a variety of choices and was delicious. Our tour guide "King" Cong was fantastic sharing not only information about the locations but also photos and background information via WhatsApp. My only complaint was the discrepancy in the estimated return time. Several people were told 8pm and others (including me) were told 6pm.”

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8.Trang An Eco-tourism & Bai Dinh pagoda full day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 148 reviews · from $37Cheapest good one

Travel from Hanoi to Bai Dinh Pagoda, Trang An, and Mua Cave with an English-speaking guide. You’ll see vast Buddhist halls, row through limestone caves, eat a Vietnamese buffet lunch, and climb Ngoa Long Mountain for wide views. Guides may include Harry, Sy, Nemo, Tezzy, or Hai, depending on the departure.

“Everything was great. Tezzy was a great host and guide.”

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9.Full-Day Perfume Pagoda Group Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 141 reviews · from $48

Leave Hanoi’s Old Quarter for a full day at Perfume Pagoda, traveling by coach, electric vehicle, bamboo boat, and on foot. Visit Huong Tich Cave and Thien Tru Pagoda with an English-speaking guide such as Minh or Long. Expect beautiful scenery, sacred sites, a local lunch, and a tiring climb unless you choose the cable car.

“Excellent host (minh) very proud of his family history in the area and expressed this on the tour. Very well organised. It’s a long tiring day so wear comfortable shoes and we recommend the cable car for either up or down and walk the other.”

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10.Black Virgin Peak, Cu Chi Tunnels & Cao Dai Temple – Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $125

Leave Ho Chi Minh City early for Black Virgin Mountain, Cao Dai Temple, and the Cu Chi Tunnels. You get private transport, an English-speaking guide, lunch, entrance fees, bottled water, and a round-trip cable car. Guides such as Bin and Max are praised for clear explanations, though traffic can stretch the day to 11 hours.

“We booked a day tour with Bin and it was the highlight of our trip to Vietnam! Bin was so friendly and made the entire day a wonderful experience. He picked us up from our hotel in the morning and explained to us what was planned for thRead more”

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11.Hue Day Tour, Imperial Citadel, Khai Dinh Tomb & Thien Mu Pagoda

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $57

Travel from Da Nang to Hue for a full day of imperial sights, including Khai Dinh Tomb, the Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda and Lang Co Bay. The small-group tour includes transport, lunch, bottled water, insurance and a guide. Guides such as Loan, Vi and An have led past departures, though English clarity can vary.

“Even the weather wasn't great, even our group was big and diverse so the guide Lane declared everything twice in English + Vietnamese (we booked eglish speaking tour!), but she was so knowledgeable and kind than couldn't put lower score than 5”

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