Multiday Northern Vietnam Nature Escape Ha Giang and Ba Be Lake

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Hanoi – Ha Giang (L, D)
3 stops
1
Hanoi
We will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi at 8am and start our drive northwards along Road No. 2. As the scenery changes around you, we make a stop in Diong Lam Ancient Village, not far from Hanoi. This place is incredibly rich in history and contains sites like Monh Phu Temple and Mia Pagoda, which itself houses 287 statues and many houses centuries old. Here we will enjoy a local lunch before setting out again along the Duong Lam River deep into the mountains. Once in Ha Giang Town, we’ll bring you to a local homestay for a home-cooked dinner and overnight stay.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
2
Duong Lam Ancient Village is a special attraction for a Hanoi tour. It is the ideal choice if you are looking to explore the architecture of Vietnamese traditional houses and see the way of life of the rural people in Hanoi.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
3
Ha Giang
A border province and official Frontier Area, Ha Giang lies in the remote far northern region of the country. To visit this province is to journey back in time and encounter some of Vietnam’s most rugged and grand landscapes. Ha Giang is best experienced as a road trip on two wheels, soaking up the majesty of the landscape and the atmosphere of the remote towns and minority villages.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Ha Giang – Dong Van (B, L, D)
2 stops
4
Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark
After getting our permits from the immigration office, we set out for Dong Van through spectacular long passes. We will stop en-route for lunch in the mountain town of Tam Son, as well as spend some time visiting the nearby H’mong Palace, built by the French in the early 1900’s. We then continue our journey until we reach Hoa Cuong Hotel in Dong Van, arriving at roughly 17:00 where we’ll have dinner in a local restaurant and stay the night in a hotel.
6 hours • Admission ticket included
5
Dinh Vua Meo
H’Mong King Palace, often dubbed Dinh Vua Meo, is one of the most popular attractions in the Ha Giang loop, Vietnam. The palace was built at the end of the 19th century with unique architecture combining different cultures.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Day 3
Dong Van – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Meo Vac – Bao Lac (B, L, D)
2 stops
6
Chợ Đồng Văn
After breakfast we make a visit to the Dong Van Market, which acts not only as a place for the locals to buy and sell goods, but also as a place to socialize and meet friends they may not have seen for a while. After taking in the lively atmosphere of the market and perhaps doing some shopping, we climb up the mountain behind the town to the old colonial French fortress of Pu Lo.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
7
Ma Pi Leng Pass
After you’ve finished enjoying the views from the fortress, we set out for a 7km trek to Thien Huong Village, a small hamlet very near China inhabited by the Tay people. Here we can spend some time, giving you plenty of chances to explore the village and its unique people and culture, before heading back towards Dong Van via the stunning Ma Pi Leng Pass, considered by many to be Vietnam’s most spectacular natural scenery. We’ll then descend into Meo Vac Valley, reaching Bao Lac village where we will spend the night in a hotel and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 4
Bao Lac – Ba Be National Park (B, L, D)
2 stops
8
Today we will take you along our secret route, a small road snaking through gorgeous valleys until it reaches Cho Ra, a Tay Village, and continues on, finally reaching Ba Be National Park. National park, biosphere reserve, Ramsar site - flooded forest on limestone mountains, ASEAN heritage park, Ba Be lake is one of the 20 largest natural freshwater lakes in the world that need to be protected. It is also home to flora, fauna and ethnic minorities…and more!
3 hours • Admission ticket free
9
Here we’ll start with lunch, then a visit to Hua Ma Cave and the traditional Tay village of Coc Toc, where Mr Linh and his family will welcome you into their home and homestay. The rest of the day is free to spend as you wish, and if it’s hot we recommend copying the local kids and going for a swim in the lake! The day ends with a home-cooked meal and overnight stay with your host family.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 5
Ba Be National Park – Hanoi (B, L)
2 stops
10
After breakfast, you’ll head to Bo Lu Quay by foot and board a boat to set out for your tour of the lake and river. The time on the boat you can spend as you wish, whether that’s sightseeing, sunbathing, swimming or wildlife watching. Eventually we leave the lake behind and head down the Nang River, reaching Puong Cave, famous for its many stalactites and stalagmites. Once we’re done at the cave, our driver will be ready to take you back to Hanoi, arriving back at the capital at around 17:30.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
11
To start the day, you will take a boat ride around Ba Be Lake and along the Nang River until you reach the natural wonder of Puong Cave. The river has slowly eroded the karst, eventually breaking through to the other side and leaving behind an astonishing tunnel full of fascinating rock formations. After exploring the cave, you will continue to Cam Ha Village where you can observe the peaceful life of the Tay people amongst the green rice fields before back on the boat, on the return journey, you will visit An Ma Temple to the remote area of Widow Island on the Ba Be Lake for further exploration before cruising back to Ba Be Tourism Centre office
2 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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