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6 Days / 6 Nights
Daily Tour
10 people
English, Francais
6 Day Ha Giang – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Ba Be Lake from Hanoi – Group Tour: Witness breathtaking natural landscapes, traverse winding roads, admire lush terraced rice fields, and visit unique ethnic villages. But the trip’s highlight is undoubtedly Ban Gioc Waterfall, where you’ll be greeted by a magnificent sight of cascading white water from great heights, creating mesmerizing misty scenes. You can even take a boat ride along the water, immersing yourself in the pristine beauty of nature and experiencing the wonder of Ban Gioc Waterfall.
Exploring the Ha Giang Loop and visiting Ban Gioc Waterfall will provide you with incredible experiences and a chance to discover the unique natural beauty of this region.
Transfer from Hanoi to Ha Giang by sleeper bus private cabin (pick up at hotel in Hanoi old quarter from 7.30 to 8pm, arrive in Ha Giang around 3.30am and stay at homestay for refreshment and breakfast).
Summary:
Distance: 300 km / Meals: None / Accommodation: sleeping on luxury limousine or luxury sleeper bus with private cabin.
After arriving in Ha Giang town through one of the above transportation options, the loop will commence. Over the next four days, you will explore the entire Ha Giang Loop, including the highlights and rice fields around Du Gia.
You can choose to travel by car or on the back of a motorbike. On the first day, we will drive to Dong Van, located at the tip of Vietnam.
While we can stop anywhere for photos along the way, there are certain highlights that we will definitely stop at. The first of these is Quan Ba Haven’s Gate, which offers a breathtaking view of the mountains that you will be driving through in the next few days.
As we descend the pass, we will make another stop at a viewpoint where you can witness the Twin Mountains. These two round-shaped mountains sit side by side and look almost identical. At the end of the pass, you’ll stop at a local restaurant for lunch before continuing on your journey. As you drive, the views will only get better with each turn. You’ll cross over multiple mountain passes, including Tham Ma Pass and Chin Khoanh Pass, and pass through the stunning Sung La valley.
In Xa Phin town, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the palace of the last Hmong king. The Hmong people are one of the many ethnic minorities who reside in this area. After your visit to the palace, it’s a half-hour drive or more to Dong Van, where you’ll spend the night at a local homestay or hotel.
Along the way, there will be opportunities to stop for photos. Enjoy dinner and you have the option to discover the Old Quarter of this town by yourself. Stay overnight with a local family in Dong Van.
Summary:
Distance: 160 km / Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Accommodation: Standard hotel.
If your second day on this loop falls on a Sunday, you’re in for a treat as it gives you a rare chance to explore the Dong Van Sunday market. This bustling market attracts a lot of vibrant ethnic minorities who come here to trade. For the best experience, it’s recommended that you visit early in the morning before breakfast, if you don’t mind waking up early.
After having breakfast, you’ll begin your journey towards the Chinese border, but not without first admiring some of the most stunning mountain views along the way. These views are part of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, which has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eventually, you’ll reach the town of Lung Cu, which is marked by a towering flagpole atop a mountain, indicating the northernmost point of Vietnam. You’ll have the opportunity to ascend the mountain and witness a 360-degree view of both Vietnam and China.
You’ll stop for lunch at a nearby local restaurant. Following your meal, your next destination is Meo Vac, which you’ll reach by crossing Ha Giang’s most renowned mountain pass, the Ma Pi Leng Pass. The scenic views you’ll encounter on this route are among the most spectacular in Vietnam. Be prepared to be awed by the towering mountains, steep cliffs, and the winding zigzag road that snakes through the mountains. Along the way, there are numerous spots to pause and capture some breathtaking photographs. Arriving at 5pm you will stay in Meo vac.
Summary:
Distance: 160 km / Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Accommodation: Standard hotel.
8:30: Today’s journey will take you through even more remote regions of Northern Vietnam, covering a longer distance. En route, you’ll pass by small villages inhabited by various ethnic minorities and towering mountains. Around halfway through the trip, you’ll reach Cao Bang, where you’ll begin to observe a noticeable shift in the landscape.
You’ll be greeted with picturesque valleys, adorned with rice fields and meandering rivers. Few other travelers venture to these remote areas, making it a truly unique and tranquil experience. 17:00: You can expect to reach the city of Cao Bang at approximately 5 PM.
Summary:
Distance: 160 km / Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Accommodation: Standard hotel.
8:30: Following breakfast, you’ll embark on a journey further north. Upon arriving at the Chinese border, you’ll visit the breathtaking Ban Gioc Waterfall. This waterfall’s sheer size and picturesque surroundings, which include rice fields, forests, and mountains, make it appear as if it has been plucked straight out of a fairy tale.
You’re free to take your time here, capturing photos or simply savoring the incredible view and the sound of the water cascading down.
After leaving the Ban Gioc Waterfall, you’ll make another stop not too far away at the Nguom Ngao Cave. Here, you can take a path leading to a portion of the cave, where you’ll witness awe-inspiring stalactites and stalagmites.
Following this, you’ll begin your return journey to Cao Bang before heading to Ba Be National Park. You’ll spend the night at a homestay situated close to the serene lake.
Summary:
Distance: 160 km / Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Accommodation: Home-stay with several beds and mosquito nets.
Today, you will sit on our local boat on Ba Be Lake first, the boatman will take you around the first part of Ba Be Lake called Pe Lam, then cross around two islands of Po Gia Mai.
The boatman will then take you along the lakeside to watch the bunches of ancient tree roots hanging down to the water. Huge and long. Next, the area of lake two and lake three are smaller, the yellow monkeys often come down to drink and catch fish, it is crystal clear and deep water here.
Straight to Nang River at the end of the lake, the boatman will move up the river to Puong Cave, this is a very large cave with a large mouth and many giant stalactites, in a dark corner the home of thousands of bats. On the other part of the dry cave above have found archaeological remains of prehistoric people living here.
You will continue down the Nang River, the boatman will stop at a riverside to visit a Tay ethnic village, a walking tour through the village to see how people here work on the fields.
Reaching Dau Dang Waterfall, we have lunch at a nearby riverside village restaurant. Returning to Ba Be Lake, you will visit An Ma Temple and then take a short trek through the jungle and reach the wharf. If you still have energy, you can do a kayaking tour. Having dinner and stay overnight in Ba Be Lake.
Summary:
Distance: 0 km / Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Accommodation: Home-stay with several beds and mosquito nets.
Day 5 is back to Ha Giang via Na Hang. In the morning you have plenty of time to enjoy the lake. You can go swimming or just enjoy the peaceful nature of the lake.
You will stop for lunch a Na Hang, another large lake before arriving back in Ha Giang with time to get ready for a night bus back to Hanoi. Trip ended in Hanoi.
Summary:
Distance: 400 km / Meals: Breakfast, Lunch / Accommodation: sleeping on luxury limousine or luxury sleeper bus with private cabin.
Ha Giang refers to both a Province in Northern Vietnam and the capital town therein. Today it represents the least touristy and most authentic part of this region of Vietnam, and has gained the name “Vietnam’s Final Frontier” in reference to this fact. While still less visited than places like Sapa or Halong, Ha Giang now attracts travellers from all over the world who wish to experience a truly authentic look at Northern Vietnam while they go on the adventure of their lifetime through spectacular scenery.
The Ha Giang Loop is renowned for being a motorcycle ride. It’s the best way to experience the region because of the types of roads you’ll be travelling along. They’re narrow, winding, often undulated and that makes it thrilling and exciting. You won’t want to be cooped up in a car or bus watching the world pass you by through a steamed-up window. Riding up, over and through this epic mountainous region on a motorcycle is the absolute best way to really, viscerally experience it.
The mass majority of tourists and travelers who come here will do it on two wheels. After spending months riding through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines on our round the world motorcycle trip, I can easily say that Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop is one of the very best motorcycle routes and roads in the whole of Southeast Asia.
Certainly. Every tour to Ha Giang we optionally offer the possibility to start from Hanoi. You have the choice of private car, bus, VIP bus and limousine bus.
Yes, Ha Giang is impressive all year round. Because you are in the mountains you always have to take the weather into account, so we can never guarantee good weather.
There are plenty of buses to travel both by day and night. Is any option safer? We don’t have statistics to prove such answer. While traffic kills and injures many in Vietnam, we are not aware of any serious incidents with public transport to or from Ha Giang / Cao Bang in the recent years. Traffic and general commotion on/along the roads are very less at night so our gut feeling is that accidents by night is less common on northern roads in Vietnam. While most buses are sleeper coaches (even the day buses) the beds are not always adapted to large western people. We have learnt that some sleep well no matter what but for others you might not have your ultimate sleep on these buses. If you leave with an earlier night bus you will end up at your location in the middle of the night and then need to also book accommodation. On the other hand, if taking the last bus out of Ha Giang/Cao Bang (around 9 pm) you will arrive around 4.30 am AND be allowed to sleep on the bus till dawn. Hence, you may save on also booking accommodation for that night.
When traveling the countryside and northern mountains of Vietnam you are not likely to find much Western cuisine, but there will be no lack of various restaurants. And, if being a vegetarian [ăn chay] it is normally not a major problem although you may have a bit of explanation to do. When in remote areas, quality and availability of food may vary. If you are concerned about food safety you may stock some snacks and pre-packaged/processed food when passing a town. Accommodation should not be a problem. Hotels or Nhà Nghỉ (motels/guest house) are generally cheap, clean and well-equipped. In many places the only option might be to stay at an ethnic minority Homestay. While for some this might be to step out of one’s comfort zone it is a great way to meet local people and get an insight into daily life. Yes, basic and not always with private rooms most homestay would have hot/cold showers, flush toilets and of course high-speed Wi-Fi. More so, they would offer great home-cooked food and generous hospitality. However, watch out for some ‘homestays’ in towns they might be more of guest house than a genuine family home. We generally do not recommend to book accommodation ahead of your trip. For one it is not saving you any money, secondly it takes away flexibility and improvisation and thirdly it is normally never a problem to find places to sleep on arrival to a place.
This is a bit tricky. As a foreigner you are required to have proper motorcycle license from your home country supported by an International Driving License/Permit (IDP) to drive a motorcycle/scooter in Vietnam. We are not strict on this and assume all our customers are adults and can take proper decisions on risk vs. adventure. Police are not likely to stop you and check on license, they are more likely to stop you if over-speeding in northern Vietnam. Despite what you heard or read you do not need a Vietnamese motorcycle license (which is very hard to obtain for a foreigner). In Vietnam you may drive without any of above, but it is not legal. Maybe strangely, but you are seldom fined or penalized in anyway when you break this rule. However, note that if you may have an accident and injure yourself or others your ordinary travel insurance (which we certainly assume you have) might not cover you. We are aware that travel budget might be a preventive factor, but if you do not have proper license or experience on a motorcycle a much safer and practical way to experience the beauty of the northern Vietnam is behind one of our guide/drivers. You may also have read or heard that you need a special permit, the ‘frontier permit’ to travel this region as a foreigner. Ha Giang is sadly the last place in Vietnam where foreigners are required to obtain a permit – on account of the perceived sensitivity of the border with China. These permits are required to travel on the road north from Tam Son to Dong Van and Meo Vac. Nevertheless, we or your hotel are happy to assist you to get this provincial ‘admission permit’ (the Dong Van Geopark permit). It cost VND 230,000 (approx. US$ 11 per person). That said, there might be means around it and we will tell you more about that on arrival to Ha Giang.
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Halong bay
Ho Chi Minh
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