Ha Giang is a destination in the top 25 most beautiful and attractive destinations in the world. Located in the northeast of Hanoi, about 300km away, Ha Giang is increasingly being visited and explored by domestic and foreign tourists. The beauty of Ha Giang is the vastness and majesty of the mountains, the winding roads, the peaceful H'Mong ethnic villages in the afternoon smoke, the brilliant peach blossom season in early spring or buckwheat flower season. The beauty of Ha Giang is also the image of people clinging to rocks to live even though the weather is cold or nature is not favorable.

What is the best season to travel to Ha Giang?

Ha Giang is a tourist destination you need to visit once in your life and Ha Giang is beautiful in every season. However, the most beautiful season is the spring after Tet. At that time, the whole mountain and forest seemed to put on a new, colorful shirt with the colors of Peach and Mo flowers. In the spring air filled with joy, happiness and hope, everything also becomes more beautiful.

In addition to spring, domestic tourists also want to visit Ha Giang in October and November when Tam Giac Mach flowers bloom beautifully. The girls in beautiful outfits all want to take pictures to show off or to keep great memories.

For international tourists to Ha Giang, Vivutravel recommends going at any time. Ha Giang is too beautiful and should be explored before becoming the 2nd Sapa. (touristized)

Places to visit in Ha Giang

1. Ha Giang city: Nothing much to see in Ha Giang city. Tourists normally stop at KM 0 to take pictures and mark as starting point to explore Ha Giang.

2. Tha village: 6km from Ha Giang city, Tha village is a mountainous village with a peaceful and quiet beauty with rustic stilt houses, rice fields and green bamboo representing the typical features of the Tay ethnic group in Ha Giang. If you want a night at homestay, Tha village is highly recommended.

3.  Phuong Ho village: About 7km from Ha Giang city, Phuong Do is a peaceful village of the Tay minority (quite similar to Tha village). Foreign tourists love to stay here and spend 1- 2 days hiking around.

4. Bac Sum slope: The gateway of Dong Van rock plateau, this is the longest slope in Ha Giang province with a length of 7km and an altitude of more than 450m. Standing on the top of the slope you will feel extremely excited and do not forget to take some pictures.

5. Quan Ba Heaven gate: Quan Ba Heaven Gate is a famous scenic spot of Ha Giang at a rather high altitude of about 1500m above sea level, and is likened to the place where heaven and earth meet. Quan Ba Heaven Gate is a must-stop place for tourists when visiting this majestic rocky plateau. Standing on Quan Ba heaven gate, visitors can see the fairy twin mountain, hear about the love story or the interesting history of the land.

6. Nam Dam village: Nam Dam is a cultural tourism village of the Dao people and is increasingly known by tourists for its friendly and cozy space where tourists can see beautiful houses made of clay, experience the life of the locals with one night in homestay.

7. Tham Ma slope: This is a pass with nine extremely famous bends here, this is a familiar road for young people who love to explore, love to conquer adventure and admire the majestic natural scenery when coming to Ha Giang

This famous slope is gateway to Dong Van land - Pho Cao commune. Tham Ma slope is literally understood as the slope used to evaluate horse power. In the past, it was on this slope that people let horses carry goods from the bottom of the slope up, the horse that reaches the top of the slope is still healthy, the good horse will be kept by the people. Horses are weak and can't breathe, there are Thang Co pans in the highland markets waiting for them.

8. Pho Bang ancient town: Known as a forgotten town with rare and peaceful beauty.

Pho Bang is an ancient town hidden near the Vietnam - China border, in the territory of Dong Van district, Ha Giang province. Pho Bang is only about 5 km from Yen Minh - Dong Van route, but not many people know about its existence. Therefore, Pho Bang is still a peaceful mountain town, absent from tourists and still retains its own beauty, not mixed with any other town. The people living here are mainly Hmong and Chinese.

9, The Vuong palace: Vuong's mansion is located in Sa Phin commune (Dong Van district), a relic that clearly reflects the life of "King Meo" - Vuong Chinh Duc nearly a century ago. According to many recorded documents, the mansion of the Vuong family was built in 1919, was the residence of Mr. Vuong Chinh Duc, a wealthy landowner on the rocky plateau who was worshiped as king by the Mong people and ruled over the whole country. a large area including 4 highland districts Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac.

Vuong Chinh Duc (1865 - 1947) was known as the "leader" of the Mong people in Dong Van during the French colonial period. That's why people still call his house the "King of Cats" Mansion. This is a work with the most unique architecture of Ha Giang province, which has been ranked as a national architectural and artistic relic. For many years, this relic has become a destination that tourists cannot ignore when coming to Ha Giang.

The mansion was built in an extremely favorable location, is a mound shaped like a turtle shell, surrounded by high mountains, ensuring the elements of feng shui, defense, and solidity. Stepping into the mansion, my first impression is the rows of tall, straight, hundreds of years old sandalwood trees in front of the gate. The entrance gate to the stone palace appears to be carved quite delicately. The gate of the house is curved, winding with bat wings, symbolizing the word "Phuc". The wooden gate roof is exquisitely carved, with many types of patterns. Experiencing the visits of history, the Vuong family residence still retains a lot of historical, architectural and beautiful values in the middle of the Western mountains and forests. North.

According to documents recorded at this relic, the Vuong family mansion is a combination of 3 cultures of China - Mong - France. The architecture of the palace simulates a part of the Qing Dynasty architecture of China, combined with the patterns of the Mong people and the art of France. The palace is a blend of green stone, sandalwood and terracotta tiles roofed in the yin-yang style. Experiencing many ups and downs in history, the Vuong family residence still retains its old shape, still carrying the beauty of the superficial and majestic.

Seen from above, the palace has the shape of a tortoise shell, located in the middle of a mountain valley covered with four seasons of clouds. The large palace area is also surrounded by two stone walls, typical of the Mong people. Inside is a massive architectural block representing a highland regal family with rows of 2 houses. Horizontal and vertical layers follow each other like mountains on the rocky plateau.

The whole mansion has 3 rows of front, middle and back with 64 rooms. All three rows of houses from columns, trusses, floors, walls to roofs are made of precious wood. The main area is the residence of the "king" of the Vuong family. This is a rare and beautiful architectural work and converges the architectural quintessence of the highlands, showing the authority and regality among the rocky plateau. The road leading to the palace is paved with marble slabs carved with many patterns, surrounding the house is a garden with many kinds of trees such as sandalwood, pear, peach, etc. Currently, the inside of the mansion is still preserved. many original artifacts such as stone mortars, fireplaces, wooden tables and chairs for reception, stone baths...; Everything still retains its old charm. Currently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Giang province and the Vuong family are still constantly interested in restoring, embellishing, managing and promoting this relic to become one of the most attractive places to visit and research. leading, famous at home and abroad. This relic is now not only the pride of the Vuong family, but also a symbol of culture, history and the spirit of great solidarity in the northernmost land of Vietnam, because it is one of the places to keep The historical and cultural values ​​of a period of development of the Mong people on the Stone Plateau.

10. Pao's House: Lung Cam cultural and tourism resort, in Sung La commune, located in the valley of Dong Van rock plateau, is home to about 70 households, mainly Mong, Lo Lo and Hoa ethnic groups. The village is known to many tourists when there is a house that was chosen as the backdrop of the plastic film The Story of Pao by director Ngo Quang Hai - won the 2005 Golden Kite Award.

"Pao's house" was built in 1947, at the end of the road, is a walled house, bearing the architectural features of the Mong people in the rocky plateau, closed in four directions, in the middle is a courtyard. The yard in front of the house is also paved with stones, around which are planted plums, apricots, peaches... the typical flowers of the rocky plateau.

11. Lao Xa village: Lao Xa village is one of the most beautiful and poetic places in Dong Van rock plateau. Coming to Lao Xa is an opportunity for you to discover and learn about the culture of the Mong people as well as take advantage of the beautiful scenery of this land. The winding roads, the rows of green trees will immerse you in the rustic and ancient village picture. In particular, you will also admire the ancient house of Lao Xa Ha Giang with yin and yang tile roofs, unique 3-chamber architecture. Around that house are peach trees, plum trees blooming extremely poetic. Not stopping there, you will also see the image of barefoot children playing with each other, the houses emitting smoke from the kitchen. Although the beauty of Lao Xa Ha Giang is not so majestic and beautiful, it is very dreamy and poetic.

12. Lung Cu flagpole: Located on top of Dragon mountain. The flagpole is built in octagonal shape, with a height of 33.15 m, around the body of the pole has eight faces of Dong Son bronze drums, at the foot of the flagpole are eight relief panels illustrating historical periods of the country. . Stepping through 839 stone steps, standing on the top of the mountain, you can see the whole region of Vietnam's majestic mountains. Looking up, fluttering the 54 square meter yellow star red flag symbolizing the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam fluttering in the wind - a sacred symbol of national sovereignty. A feeling of pride and emotion is indescribable when touching the national landmark where the northern pole of the border is known as the "Rooftop" of Vietnam.

13. Lo Lo Chai village: Coming to Dong Van stone plateau, do not ignore the beautiful village of Lo Lo Chai right at the foot of Lung Cu flagpole that appears like a fairyland. Lo Lo village is becoming more and more attractive in the eyes of domestic and foreign tourists with the development with the tendency of a community tourism village.

The Lo Lo Chai village almost retains its cultural features from the past, from the material and spiritual life of the Lo Lo people in the Stone Plateau; architecture of houses, walls, roofs, tiled troughs; traditional crafts such as embroidery, carpentry,... to traditional festivals such as: worshiping ceremony to forest gods, new rice festival, new house celebration and especially folk dances.

14. Happinesss road and Ma Pi Leng pass: Ha Giang's Happiness Road was started construction in September 1959, after 8 years, it was completed. The project has a total length of about 200 km running through Dong Van rock plateau and the top of Ma Pi Leng pass to Meo Vac.

This road is called the "happiness road" because it is the result of the sacrifice of blood and flowers, the tradition of strength and solidarity of young people of 16 ethnic groups in 2 million working days. continuously. More than 1,300 young volunteers and more than 1,000 workers, they work with very rudimentary tools, just pickaxes, shovels, crowbars, sledgehammers, etc., in extremely difficult conditions, lacking food. , drinking water and the harsh climate of the highlands (sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold). However, they overcame everything, with the hands and minds of thousands of people, they opened the way to contribute to bringing a prosperous life to the nation and the people here. This can be considered a miracle that everyone must admire when traveling to Ha Giang.

15. The death cliff: The cliff of death located on the top of Ma Pi Leng pass is a protruding rock that many tourists want to come to take pictures of a lifetime or enjoy the majestic nature here. Vivutravel advises visitors not to climb out to avoid unfortunate accidents, but walking to explore Ma Pi Leng Pass, also known as "skywalk", is a must.

16. The white cliff: Known for a challenging cliff for those who love adventure and discovery. The starting point of this journey is the Happiness Road Museum, passing through the cliff of death and then to the white cliff. Now there is a convenient way for visitors to enjoy the scenery...To explore this whole route, it will take you about 3 hours but this is possibly the most beautiful trekking tour in Vietnam.

17. Nho Que river: Nho Que River has become a legend of Ha Giang province with its timeless beauty, even entering into poetry and music. In the vast and majestic mountains, Nho Que River is like a soft green thread hidden in the middle of Ha Giang.

With the terrain located at the foot of the giant and majestic cat-eared mountains, all year round, Nho Que River weaves peacefully and gently under the cliffs, creating an extremely beautiful natural boundary line between the Pass. Code Pi Leng.

The river has a length of 192 km, of which 46 km is in the territory of Vietnam. Thanks to the strong current, this river has combined with Ha Giang rocky mountains to form majestic waterfalls, splashing white foam that obscures an entire valley.

Nho Que River is located parallel to the Happiness Road. From this road, you can admire the extremely soft bend of the river as it passes through the jagged cat-eared rapids.

With a beautiful and magical emerald green color, Nho Que River makes the seemingly cold gray rocky mountains become softer, softer and greener. In the space of the old forest, Nho Que River is like a melodious dance that makes many people fall in love with the scenery here.

18. Dong Van old street: The street has only about 40 families living next to each other, forming a neighborhood hidden under the rocky cliffs. The whole picture of Ha Giang old town has the yellow color of the sun, the green color of the mountains and the nostalgic color of the roofs that have faded over time. With each Ha Giang tour, you will spend one night in Dong Van town so exploring Dong Van old town will be very easy.

19. Dong Van market: Although not as special as Bac Ha market in Lao Cai, Dong Van Market is located in the complex of Dong Van old town, meeting once a week on Sunday morning. People of the Mong, Tay, and Bo Y ethnic groups come to the market early, bringing local products to exchange, buy and sell with many unique features. If you are in Dong Van on Sunday, don't forget to visit.

20. Tu San abyss alley: Tu San is considered the "first majestic landscape" with a cliff height of up to 700-800m, a length of 1.7km, a depth of nearly 1 kilometer, a unique scenic spot of the Dong Van rock plateau.

Tu San Canyon is located on Nho Que river with turquoise water, amidst the rugged mountainous terrain of the Northeast, creating a picturesque landscape. Therefore, tourists coming to Ha Giang should definitely take a boat tour to ẹnjoy Nho Que River and Tu San Alley. This is the most beautiful tour when coming to Ha Giang.

21. Thien Huong Ancient village: Located about 7km from the center of Dong Van town, the more than 100-year-old Thien Huong ancient village attracts all visitors at first sight because of its timeless beauty that is the image of houses with layers of walls, ancient roofs, ancient banyan trees... If you stay more than a day in Dong Van, Thien Huong ancient village is worth visiting.

22. Du Gia village: Du Gia is just the name of a village with a homestay for tourists to stay. But the special thing must be that the road to Du Gia is extremely beautiful and ideal for backpackers who love to explore Ha Giang by motorbike.

23. Rice terraces in Hoang Su Phi: Located in the west of Ha Giang, close to Lao Cai province, a must-come destination for all Vietnam photopgraphy tours, Hoang Su Phi is famous as a beautiful masterpiece with beautiful terraced fields that fascinates many visitors. This is the ideal place for nature-loving tourists, who like to feel the simplicity of heaven and earth and fresh air.

Hoang Su Phi in the pouring water season has its own unique and attractive features. When summer comes, people here will take advantage of the water from above to pour into the fields for cultivation. The image of each water flowing down each step, spreading throughout the valley made Hoang Su Phi suddenly turn into mirrors reflecting the whole sky.

Unlike the season of water pouring and rice transplanting from mid-April to June, Hoang Su Phi in the ripe rice season is extremely eye-catching and lively with golden terraced fields, gliding with each wind. If you want to admire the beauty of the masterpiece of terraced fields, visitors should come to Hoang Su Phi around September - October.

If you have the opportunity, once come to Hoang Su Phi to admire the masterpiece of terraced fields in the ripe rice season, immerse yourself in the majesty of the Northeast mountains and enjoy the unique local specialties.

Best places to see amazing rice terraces in Hoang Su Phi are; Nam Hong, Nam Khoa, Luoc village, Phung village.

The best places to stay in Ha Giang

In Ha Giang city: Yen Bien luxury hotel and Phoenix Ha Giang hotel are good choice for comfotable stay.

Homestay near Ha Giang city: Tha and Phuong Do village are recommended for those who love to experience homestay with the local. Accommodation is cheap, clean and comfortable enough. Staying at homestay, you have time to walk around the villages, enjoy local dishes...

In Quan Ba district: There are some guest houses in town of Tam Son, but we recommend tourists to choose;

- Homestay in Nam Dam: Staying with local family of the Dao minority, it is basic but clean and the village is peaceful, great to take a walk in the afternoon.

- H'Mong village resort: This is the perfect combination of identity and nature, which are the materials that make up the soul of the rocky plateau. The resort has private bungalow, swimming pool, restaurants and beautifully located. H'Mong village resort is the choice for comfortable stay during your Ha Giang loop.

In Dong Van district: Dong Van is the most beautiful district of Ha Giang and considered as the heart of the Rock Plateau. Staying one night in Dong Van is a must.

- Homestay in Lung Cu: Lo Lo Chai village is perfect choice to stay when visiting Lung Cu flagpole. The village of Lo Lo ethnic minority has beautifully traditional houses. Accommodation is basic, but clean.

- In Dong Van town: Hoa Cuong is only 3 star hotel in town, and it is central located, convenient for visit and of course, the best choice. However, you should book early to avoid being fully booked.

In Meo Vac district: Homestay in Ba Vi village is highly recommended. It is not far from Nho Que river, offering private room and bungalow. very clean and comfortable.

In Hoang Su Phi district: Hoang Su Phi lodge at Nam Hong village is best choice for western tourists. Homestay is also availble here.

How to get to Ha Giang?

Ha Giang city is just 300km from Hanoi and it takes about 6 hours by car. The road condition to Ha Giang city is good. However, Ha Giang city is the gateway to Dong Van rock plateu. From Ha Giang to Dong Van, it is about 150km and it is a full day tour.

- For cheaper option: You can book sleeper bus to Ha Giang city and rent a motobike to discover Ha Giang including Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac district. It is called "Ha Giang loop". Packpackers love this adventure and in fact, it is fun trip. However, driving a motorbike in Vietnam is not legal for tourists. Police may stop you and it is quite dangerous to drive in moutainous areas.

- Recommended option: Book a private tour with a local Vietnam travel company in Hanoi like Vivutravel, we will arrange private car/bus with experienced driver and tour guide escorted you all the way from Hanoi. This is better choice, but more expensive.

Can we combine Ha Giang with other destinations?

Yes, you can combine with Sapa in the west, Cao Bang (Ban Gioc waterfall) and Ba Be lake in the east of Ha Giang. Vivutravel highly recommends you to extend your trip to Cao Bang, a picturesque destination and less visited by tourists.

Brief itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi - Ha Giang - Quan Ba (Nam Dam homestay or H'Mong village)
Day 2: Quan Ba - Tham Ma slope - Pao's House - The Vuong Palace - Lung Cu flagpole - Dong Van
Day 3: Dong Van - Ma Pi Leng Walk - Nho Que River - Pa Vi homestay
Day 4: Pa Vi - Me Pia pass - Cao Bang city
Day 5: Cao Bang - Phong Nam and Ngoc Con village - Ban Gioc waterfall
Day 6: Ban Gioc - Nguom Ngao cave - Lang Son - Hanoi

Or

Day 6: Ban Gioc - Nguom Ngao cave - Ba Be lake
Day 7: Ba Be lake - boat trip - Hanoi

Are you looking for a Ha Giang tour operator?

Vivutravel is local Vietnam tour operator based in Hanoi. We are very pioneer in promoting Ha Giang as well as the beautiful northern mountains of Vietnam for a long time. We were the first travel company that inspected Nho Que river by boat, and now the most beautiful tour in Ha Giang. Vivutravel's travel consultants, drivers, tour guides are experienced for not only Ha Giang tour, but also the whole north Vietnam. If you want a trip of a lifetime, just feel free to contact us.