Vietnam attracts tourists not only with its long beautiful coastline but also with many hills and mountains creating wonderful scenery. Mountains occupy three-quarters of the territory. Especially, there is the Truong Son range extending from the North to the South, so almost everywhere on the S-shaped land, you can enjoy climbing, camping, and trekking with nature.
Here, Vietnamdrive will introduce to you the top 10 famous mountains in Vietnam for your journey of discovery.
1. Fansipan Mountain
- Location: Sapa, Lao Cai
- Altitude: 3,134 meters
- How to visit: Climbing – serious difficulty, cable car – easy
When it comes to mountainous travel in Vietnam, it is impossible not to mention the most famous mountain peak and also the highest mountain in this country considered the roof of Indochina, Fansipan.
Fansipan peak has an altitude of 3,134m above sea level, with a steep slope. So conquering this mountain top by road is a risky activity, requiring the good health of the conqueror.
However, recently there has been a cable car service, so it is easy to get to this roof of Indochina. On the cable car to the mountain peak, you will admire the amazing beauty of Muong Hoa valley.
No worries when conquering the Fansipan Mountain, so you just need to carry your backpack to start discovering this mountain. If you like the sight of clouds dancing on the top of the mountain, don’t miss this place from February to April every year. You will be through the clouds to the top of Fansipan.
2. Ba Den Mountain
- Location: Tay Ninh
- Altitude: 986 meters
- How to visit: Climbing – serious difficulty, cable car – easy
If in the north, there is Mount Fansipan – the roof of Indochina, in the south, there is Ba Den mountain with an altitude of 986m, considered the highest mountain in Southeast Vietnam.
Ba Den Mountain belongs to Tay Ninh Province, 15 km northeast of the city center. Together with Heo and Phung mountains, Ba Den mountain forms a large area up to 24km2, with attractive scenery, still retaining wild beauty.
To visit and explore Ba Den mountain, you can choose: to climb or take the cable car. Climbing will not be recommended for people who are not in good health or do not have much time, because the path is difficult and dangerous. The cable car ride is simple and fast, suitable for most travelers.
On the top of the mountain, you will be able to admire the immense beauty of the fields of the Mekong Delta, the soaring bronze Buddha statue, the arhat road…
The dry time to explore Ba Den mountain is from November to April next year with beautiful sunshine. However, if you like festivals, February will probably attract you with many festivals taking place in this area, such as Nui Ba Spring Festival, and Via Ba Festival.
3. Bach Ma Mountain
- Location: 60km from Hue city
- Altitude: 1,450 meters
- How to explore: Car and on foot
Bach Ma is 60km southwest of Hue city center, located in the highly protected Bach Ma national park. With the top of Bach Ma 1,450 meters high, this is an interesting natural discovery tourist destination for you when traveling to this romantic city.
Bach Ma has many lush green big trees in four seasons, a beautiful Do Quyen waterfall up to 400 m high, and interesting trekking paths through the forest for nature lovers. At the same time, you can learn about history through the remnants of ancient villas here.
You can stay overnight in small hotels located near the top of the mountain. But note that there are not many dining and nighttime entertainment options on the top of the mountain, but in return, you will be immersed in the quiet nature, and cool air.
To explore Bach Ma, you have to hire the car transport at the garden gate or you have to rent a car from Hue city. Motorcycles are not allowed on the mountain. In the area near the top of the mountain, you can do a hike through the forest, explore the waterfall, and go to the top to watch the sunset or sunrise.
If you are discovering Bach Ma for the first time, Vietnamdrive recommends that you should go with a guide or staff of this national park to ensure safety.
4. Ba Na Mountain
- Location: 30 km from the city. Danang
- Altitude: 1,487 meters
- How to visit: Cable car
Ba Na Hills belong to the beautiful and sacred mountains of Da Nang, 30 km northwest of the city center. This place has a cool climate all year round, so it was once chosen as a resting place for officers and the rich during the French colonial period.
Today, Ba Na has become a modern tourist area with full functions, including large restaurants, nice hotels, and modern entertainment areas.
Although there is a road for cars to circulate up the mountain, it is a very risky way to explore Ba Na, most tourists choose to take the cable car from the foot to the top.
Exploring Ba Na mountain, you will not be able to ignore the famous Golden Bridge, flower gardens, interesting games, and watch the sunset on the sacred Ba Na peak.
If possible, stay one night on this hill, you will feel the quiet space, and cool air. And do not forget to step on the Golden Bridge early in the morning to welcome the dawn. You will have wonderful moments.
5. Marble Mountains
- Location: Ngu Hanh Son District, City. Danang
- Altitude: 106 meters
- Method of Sightseeing: Climbing or Elevator
Located on the route from Da Nang Airport to Hoi An, the Marble Mountains are a famous tourist destination here. Five scattered mountains create an impressive landscape in the middle of the city.
With five large and small mountains, the most prominent is Thuy Son Mount, where most tourists choose to stop during their journey from Hue to Hoi An, or vice versa.
You have to climb more than 100 high-level steps to explore the many caves and temples in Thuy Son mount, typically the Huyen Khong cavern that belongs to the top beautiful caves in Vietnam. If you don’t want to climb a lot, there is an elevator service near the entrance to the seaside that will take you halfway up the mountain; you can explore caves, beautiful surroundings, and pagodas in this area.
Exploring the Marble Mountains is easy compared to other mountains in Vietnam. You can go alone, following detailed instructions on each path.
One thing you need to pay attention to is that the steps are quite high and slippery, so you need to be very careful when going up and down.
6. Son Tra Mountain
- Location: Son Tra District, Da Nang
- Altitude: 670 meters
- How to explore: Motorcycle and walking
The mountain with the same name as Son Tra Peninsula is considered a beautiful screen of Da Nang city. Son Tra Mountain is very familiar and close to most people in this coastal city.
Son Tra Mountain has many regions to explore, such as the area of Linh Ung Pagoda – which attracts many tourists to visit, and the top area of the chessboard – where few tourists visit, but quite interesting for the journey to enjoy the view from above.
If you just visit Linh Ung Pagoda, you can easily ride a motorbike or car up here. But if you want to get to the top of the chessboard, you have to be a good motorbike rider and walk to the top of the mountain with a beautiful view, especially in the early morning when you can catch the first rays of sunlight.
Not only exploring the surrounding scenery, but you can also trek to discover the extremely rich flora and fauna ecosystem on this peninsula. Remember to follow an experienced guide to show you interesting things.
And on this area, lying on the side of the mountain is the most luxurious resort in the world: Intercontinental Resort. The resort is luxuriously designed, immersed in nature, one side is the mountain and the other is the sea.
7. Bai Tho Mountain
- Location: Ha Long Bay
- Altitude: 168 meters
- Sightseeing method: Climbing
Bai Tho Mountain is a small one, located in a good position compared to Ha Long Bay, forming a great scenic spot for you to enjoy the panoramic view of the bay.
To explore Bai Tho mountain, you have to follow a small path with many steps, there are places with steep cliffs to get to the top of the mountain.
Currently, Bai Tho mountain has not been officially put into tourism exploitation. But with the stunning beauty of the surrounding scenery from the top of the mountain, this place attracts many people who wish to climb this peak to satisfy their eyes.
The entrance to Bai Tho mountain is quite small, nestled behind the street, so you have to pay attention, you can ask people around for directions to the top.
Like other places, be careful to avoid slippery when climbing. Stand sightseeing in a safe place, do not risk climbing in dangerous places.
8. Cam Mountain
- Location: An Giang, Vietnam
- Altitude: 706 meters
- Sightseeing mode: Car, motorbike, cable car
Cam Mountain has become a sacred place to visit and pray not only for locals but also for tourists from all over the country. However, in the past, this place used to forbid people to go to the mountain because of the sacred forest with poisonous water and luxuriant trees, so the people called it Cam Mountain, meaning Forbidden Mountain.
Cam Mountain is located in An Hao Commune, Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, Vietnam; 90 km from the center of Long Xuyen City (An Giang). Currently, the forbidden mountain is built into a very beautiful tourist area, called Lam Vien Tourist Area.
Exploring Cam Mountain is quite easy with many options for traveling by cable car, car, or motorbike. However, the road to the mountain is a bit zigzag, so traveling by car is very cautious. The mountain is not interesting for trekking from the foot of the mountain; so, you can just walk around when you reach the top.
Famous as a sacred place, you cannot ignore the temples in Cam Mountain, such as Van Linh Pagoda, Big Buddha Pagoda or a 13-storey temple, and some famous attractions such as Thien Tue Lake, Thuy Liem Cave, Bo Hong, Thanh Lang stream, Tiger cave…
9. Mau Son Mountain
- Location: Lang Son Province
- Altitude: 1,541 meters
- Type of sightseeing: By car
Mau Son locates in the northeast of Lang Son province, about 30 km east of Lang Son city. This mountain range runs in the direction of East-West, and the whole mountain has an average altitude of 800-1000 meters above sea level.
On top of Mau Son, the government is building motels to develop resort tourism because the weather is quite cool in this area.
However, the winter from November to March next year seems a bit chilly, the temperature is around 7-15 degrees Celsius, and sometimes it drops below 0 degrees, so there may be Vietnamese snow at the top of Mau Son. From April to October, the temperature is warmer but often rains, so pay attention to the weather forecast before planning to visit this area.
Mau Son is currently a favorite spot of many young people who like to “hunt clouds”. The clouds drifting in the early morning when the sun breaks are probably the most beautiful and charming time in this place.
Accommodation services, as well as meals in Mau Son, is limited. If you plan to stay longer on the top of Mau Son, you should bring some fast food and drinks.
10. Tam Dao Mountains
- Location: Vinh Phuc Province
- Altitude: 900 meters
- Type of sightseeing: Car, motorbike
Tam Dao belongs to Vinh Phuc province, 80 km from Hanoi, so it is chosen by many tourists from the capital as a short-term resting place.
Called Tam Dao because this mountain area is formed from three mountains: Thach Ban, Thien Thi, and Phu Nghia. On clear and sunny days, you can see Tam Dao undulating from high places in Hanoi.
Because this place attracts many tourists from Hanoi, it has a variety of services. You can find many options for staying from budget guesthouses near the mountain to high-end resorts built on Tam Dao mountain.
Usually, on weekends, Tam Dao is very crowded, so you should pay attention to this point to plan your trip.
And don’t miss the attractions when exploring Tam Dao, including Tam Dao TV Tower, Ancient Stone Church, Heaven Gate, Cloud Bridge, Tam Dao National Park…
FAQ about mountains in Vietnam
1. What is the highest mountain in Vietnam?
Mount Fansipan is the highest mountain in Vietnam with an altitude of 3,134 meters in Lao Cai province. Conquering Fansipan by climbing requires good health and endurance. Next is Pu Ta Leng mountain with an altitude of 3,096 meters in Lai Chau province. Both mountains are located in Northwest Vietnam.
2. How much territory do mountains occupy in Vietnam?
Due to the special topographical structure, there are many islands in Vietnam, and hills and mountains were formed thousands of years ago. If we consider the mainland, hills and mountains occupy 3/4 of the territory. This is a great opportunity for tourism development, such as trekking tours, mountain climbing, and exploring nature.
3. What is to pay attention to most when climbing mountains in Vietnam?
With climbing activities, in addition to requiring good health, you need to learn how to survive in the forest because most of the mountains in the S-shape land are covered by dense forests.
However, you need to pay special attention to weather issues if you are doing long-distance climbing because sometimes the rain and wind are very erratic in the mountainous areas in Vietnam.
These famous mountains in Vietnam can enrich your exploration of beautiful nature.
If you don’t have much time to explore all the mountains mentioned above, Vietnamdrive recommends you choose Fansipan peak when you visit famous attractions in Sapa; Bach Ma Mountain, and Ba Na Hills when you visit Hue and Da Nang; and Ba Den mountain when you have time to go to Tay Ninh.
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