Menu
Destinations→Locations→Blog→Map→About→
📍 mountain · nature · temple

Núi Chứa Chan (Chứa Chan Mountain)

Núi Chứa Chan (also known as Gia Ray or Gia Lào) is the second-highest peak in southern Vietnam after Núi Bà Đen, about 100-110km from Ho Chi Minh City. A cable car reaches the cave pagoda partway up, while a numbered power-pole trail leads hikers on to the summit through forest, past old French colonial and wartime relics, to camping spots with sweeping views over the Đồng Nai plains.

⛰️ Southern Peak🚡 Cable Car & Summit Trek🛕 Cave Pagoda📸 Photography
🧭 Get Directions

Overview

Best Time to Visit
📅 Nov - Apr (dry season; wet season trails are muddy and slippery)
Entry Fee
🎟️ Free to enter the mountain itself. The cable car to Bửu Quang Pagoda is a separate paid ticket - reported round-trip adult prices have ranged from roughly 160,000 to 200,000 VND depending on the year, with reduced child pricing. Check current rates locally, since they change fairly often
Opening Hours
🕐 Mountain trails open daily, dawn to dusk. Cable car: Mon-Thu 6:00 AM-6:00 PM. On weekends and major lunar pilgrimage days (1st, 14th, 15th, 29th & 30th of the lunar month), the service may operate 24 hours
Address
📌 Xuân Trường, Xuân Lộc, Đồng Nai

Things to Know

👥Crowds
Less crowded than Núi Bà Đen; popular with Vietnamese campers and pilgrims on weekends and lunar holy days, when the cable car also switches to 24-hour operation
🥾Difficulty
Moderate. The cable car covers the steepest, most exposed section in a matter of minutes. The power-pole trail on the other side of the mountain takes roughly 4-6 hours round trip with some steep sections, but is well-marked by numbered poles (20 to 145) and considered one of the more beginner-friendly mountain treks in the south, provided you have basic fitness.
⚠️Safety
Old military and wartime relics exist on the mountain. Venomous many-banded krait snakes have been reported, particularly relevant for anyone considering a night trek without an experienced guide. Phone signal is very weak on the upper mountain (Viettel only, and patchy even then). Stick to marked trails and avoid entering any fenced-off or restricted/construction areas.
🚶Accessibility
Reachable without a private vehicle from Saigon via bus to Long Khánh, then taxi or xe ôm to the base. The cable car makes the pagoda accessible to visitors who couldn't manage the full climb, running daily with extended 24-hour hours on weekends and lunar holy days - though it only reaches the pagoda, not the true summit.
🌤️Seasonal
Very hot with little shade on exposed upper sections - start early or consider a night hike (with an experienced guide) to avoid the worst heat, and bring sunscreen regardless. Fog is common at the summit, especially overnight and in early morning. Camping elevations are noticeably cooler under tree cover.

About This Place

What Makes Núi Chứa Chan (Chứa Chan Mountain) Special

Núi Chứa Chan - also known as Gia Ray or Gia Lào - rises to 837 metres above the flat agricultural plains of Xuân Lộc district in Đồng Nai province, making it the second-highest peak in southern Vietnam after Núi Bà Đen in Tây Ninh, and the highest point in the southeastern lowlands between Ho Chi Minh City and the coast. Recognised as a National Scenic Site in 2012, the mountain is about 100-110km from central HCMC - close enough for a day trip, far enough that it sees a different crowd from the city's usual weekend escapes. A cable car (opened 2016, running 1,265 metres on European-built equipment with 44 eight-person cabins) now carries most pilgrims and casual visitors up to Bửu Quang Pagoda, also known as Chùa Gia Lào - a temple built into a natural cave shaped like a dragon's mouth, founded in the early 20th century on the site of an older clay-built shrine from the Nguyễn dynasty. Beyond the pagoda, a numbered power-pole trail continues to the true summit through forest, passing four streams that rise on the mountain (Gia Ui, Gia Miên, Gia Liêu, and Gia Lào, one for each point of the compass) and natural spring pools locals call giếng Tiên (Fairy Wells). The mountain also carries older, less-visited layers of history - a former tea garden planted for Emperor Bảo Đại, the remains of a French colonial governor's rest house, traces of a wartime airstrip, and Mật Khu Hầm Hinh, a revolutionary-era guerrilla base - alongside a handful of smaller temples (Lâm Sơn Tự and Linh Sơn Tự, the latter also called Chùa Ông Ngộ) and a sacred banyan tree with three trunks and a single canopy. The combination of cable car access, a genuine forest trail, meaningful elevation gain, and working religious sites makes Chứa Chan one of the more complete and varied mountain day trips accessible from southern Vietnam's largest city.

How to Get There

🚗 Getting There

Núi Chứa Chan is located in Xuân Trường commune, Xuân Lộc district, approximately 100-110km east of Ho Chi Minh City. By motorbike or car, follow National Highway 1A east through Biên Hòa and Long Khánh - the mountain and its cable car station are well signposted from the highway, and the trip takes roughly 2-3 hours depending on traffic. Public bus options run from HCMC's Miền Đông bus station toward Long Khánh (or further to Bình Thuận/Đức Linh, stopping near the site), from where a taxi or xe ôm to the base costs around 100,000-150,000 VND. Note that the cable car/pagoda route and the power-pole trailhead have separate parking areas roughly 8km apart by road - decide which route you're starting from before you arrive, since they aren't within walking distance of each other.

What to Expect

👀 On the Ground

Most visitors now ride the cable car to Bửu Quang Pagoda rather than climbing the full ~300-step staircase - the roughly 8-minute cabin ride gives sweeping views over the surrounding forest and plains that the stair climb doesn't offer until much higher up. Note that the cable car and stair route only reach the pagoda, about a third of the way up - reaching the true summit from there requires the separate power-pole trail, and isn't recommended via the pagoda side, because the pagoda route and the power-pole trail are separate systems that don't connect naturally. The pagoda itself, built into its dragon-mouth cave, is an active place of worship with incense, offerings, and a steady stream of pilgrims, especially on weekends and lunar holy days. Hikers wanting to reach the true summit generally start instead from the power-pole trailhead - a rougher path through secondary forest, marked by 125 sequentially numbered telecom-cable poles that make navigation straightforward even without a guide, taking roughly 4-6 hours round trip depending on fitness. The upper section opens onto views across the Đồng Nai plains - on clear days the flat agricultural landscape extends to the horizon in all directions, giving a strong sense of how isolated the peak is in this terrain, and fog is common at the summit, especially at night and in the early morning, making it a decent spot for 'cloud hunting.' As of early 2026, the summit itself is a visible construction site as part of a planned upgrade, so it can look less pristine than photos suggest for now. Along the way, older relics - Bảo Đại's former tea garden, a French rest house, wartime airstrip traces, and the Mật Khu Hầm Hinh guerrilla base - reward those interested in the mountain's history beyond its natural scenery. The mountain has also hosted Vietnam's national paragliding championship, held here for the first time in 2021. A popular weekend plan is to set off Saturday afternoon, camp overnight near pole 135 or 144, and wake for sunrise on Sunday before heading back down.

Travel Tips

🧳 Tips

Chứa Chan is not a wilderness experience - the cable car, the pagoda, and the weekend crowds mean this is a social mountain as much as a natural one. For solo travellers it works best as a half-day physical challenge combined with genuine cultural observation: watching local pilgrims make the journey is as memorable as reaching the summit itself. A common approach is to take the cable car up to visit the pagoda first, then follow the power-pole trail further up or down for a more active, trail-based experience, rather than treating the staircase as the only route. Start early, carry water, and plan to be back at the base by noon before the heat peaks.

Insider Tips

Based on real traveler experiences and commonly mentioned advice from multiple visitors.

Bring all camping supplies (water, food, tent, gear) if staying overnight - there are no shops on the upper mountain
Follow the numbered power poles as trail markers if hiking rather than taking the cable car, and bring a flashlight if you'll be moving after dark
Pack out all trash to help prevent the kind of environmental degradation seen at other popular mountain sites
There are two separate, unconnected routes up the mountain, and the two base-area parking spots are about 8km apart by road - if you plan to go up one way and down the other (a popular combination), you'll need a taxi or xe ôm to get back to wherever you left your vehicle, not a short walk
The 'power-pole trail' (đường cột điện) is actually marked by telecom cable poles rather than electricity poles, but everyone still calls it by that name - 125 numbered poles run from No. 20 to No. 145 up the mountainside, so you can track your progress easily. To find the trailhead, search online for 'Chị Yến gửi xe đường cột điện leo núi Chứa Chan' - a well-known local parking spot for this route
Camping spots with flat, open ground exist at both pole No. 135 and pole No. 144 - both are popular for pitching a tent overnight
As of early 2026, the summit area is undergoing major redevelopment (part of a planned upgrade similar to Núi Bà Đen's, eventually aiming for a cable car all the way to the true summit), so it can look torn up and unfinished - the usual summit check-in spot has been temporarily relocated down to pole No. 129 in the meantime
Take the cable car up to Bửu Quang Pagoda and hike down, or vice versa - most locals recommend riding up (or at least one direction) rather than climbing the full ~300-step staircase both ways, since it's a long, genuinely tiring route despite being mostly steps
Night trekking is possible and gives a different experience, but only go with someone who knows the route well - it's easy to lose the trail in the dark, and venomous many-banded krait snakes (rắn cạp nia) have been reported on the mountain. A trekking pole is worth bringing either way
Phone signal is very weak on the upper mountain - Viettel sometimes gets a patchy connection depending on the exact spot, but other carriers generally have none at all. Let someone know your plans before heading up
Start before 7AM to reach the summit before midday heat - the exposed upper trail gets very hot by late morning
Bửu Quang Pagoda (also called Chùa Gia Lào) is built into a natural cave shaped like a dragon's mouth, founded in the early 20th century - it's an active pilgrimage site, so dress modestly and be respectful of worshippers
Bring 1.5-3 litres of water per person, more if camping overnight - there are drink stalls along the route and near the pagoda, but bring cash since card payment isn't a given
Weekend mornings and lunar-calendar holy days see large crowds of Vietnamese pilgrims and day-trippers from HCMC - weekday visits are significantly quieter, though the cable car switches to round-the-clock operation on those busier days
Litter left behind by camping groups is a real and visible problem on the upper mountain - pack out everything you bring, since informal burning by some visitors isn't an effective or encouraged solution
Beyond the pagoda, look out for the mountain's other historical traces - Emperor Bảo Đại's former tea garden, the remains of a French colonial rest house, an old wartime airstrip, and Mật Khu Hầm Hinh, a revolutionary-era guerrilla base - scattered across the slopes for those interested in the mountain's layered history

FAQ

Common questions from travelers who've visited this place.

Is there a cable car up Núi Chứa Chan?›
Yes - a 1,265-metre cable car opened in 2016 and carries most visitors up to Bửu Quang Pagoda, a temple built into a natural cave partway up the mountain. Reaching the true summit beyond the pagoda still requires hiking the power-pole trail on foot.
How long does it take to reach the summit?›
By cable car to the pagoda, then hiking the power-pole trail onward, plan for roughly 2-4 hours round trip depending on fitness and how far you go. Climbing the full staircase route from the base instead takes longer and is considerably more tiring.
Can I camp overnight at the top?›
Yes - a popular camping spot exists around power pole No. 135, with tree cover for shade. Bring your own tent, sleeping gear, and all food and water, as there are no facilities on the upper mountain.
What historical sites are on the mountain besides the pagoda?›
Núi Chứa Chan holds a surprising amount of layered history: a former tea garden planted for Emperor Bảo Đại, the remains of a French colonial governor's rest house, traces of a wartime airstrip, and Mật Khu Hầm Hinh, a revolutionary-era guerrilla base used during the resistance wars.
Is trekking Núi Chứa Chan dangerous, or suitable for beginners?›
The main power-pole route is considered one of the more beginner-friendly mountain treks in the south - a well-marked trail with some stair sections, no steep cliff sections. That said, it's genuinely tiring for anyone who doesn't exercise regularly, especially the descent, which can leave unsteady or shaky legs on tired hikers. If in doubt, take the cable car one way (up or down) and hike only the other direction.
Can I visit Núi Chứa Chan as a day trip, or do I need to stay overnight?›
A day trip is possible and plenty of people do it, but it's tiring and skips the mountain's best-loved experience - camping overnight near the summit and waking up to sunrise and stargazing. If your schedule allows, 2 days and 1 night is the more rewarding way to do it.