Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Vietnam's far north: the Ha Giang loop and Ban Gioc Falls
8 days by van from Hanoi over the Ma Pi Leng pass to Dong Van, Lung Cu, Meo Vac and Ban Gioc Falls on the China border.
8 days · Round trip from Hanoi · up to 12 guests
Rice terraces between the limestone walls of the Dong Van plateau. Photo: vi:User:Thái Nhi, vi:User:BacLuong, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RuongbacthangvanuidaDongVan.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Hanoi
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Long days in the van on mountain roads (four days of 4.5 to 6 hours), broken by short walks at viewpoints, villages and markets of up to 2 hours. Lung Cu has about 800 steps up to the flag tower, in three sections with rest points, the Nho Que boat landing is reached on a steep path or by road, and Nguom Ngao cave is about 1 km of paved path with steps. Plateau altitude is about 1,000 to 1,600 m. Every walk can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 320 (estimated price)
- Season
- Best September to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Ma Pi Leng pass in the morning, with the Nho Que river far below
- A small boat through the gorge of the Nho Que, under the walls of the pass
- Lung Cu flag tower near Vietnam's northern tip, before the day groups arrive
- The Sunday market in Dong Van, where Hmong, Lo Lo and Tay families come in from the hills
- Two nights in Dong Van's old quarter, among stone and earth houses
- Ban Gioc Falls early in the morning, and a bamboo raft to the foot of the falls
- Nguom Ngao cave and the karst valleys of the Cao Bang geopark
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 320 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Hanoi
Noi Bai International Airport to the Old Quarter
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Hanoi
We meet you at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), north of the city, and drive you to your hotel near the Old Quarter.
Afternoon
If you land by early afternoon, your guide takes anyone who wants to go to the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 to honour Confucius and later home to the Imperial Academy, a quiet place of courtyards, old trees and stone stelae carrying the names of scholars who passed the royal exams. Otherwise rest after the flight.
Evening
In the early evening the group meets for a briefing on the days ahead: the roads, the rooms in Dong Van, what to pack for the cool plateau nights and how the market day works. Then we walk to dinner in the Old Quarter, with dishes such as bun cha and spring rolls, and an early night, because tomorrow starts the drive north. If your flight lands too late for dinner, we meet you at breakfast instead.
Included
- Pick-up at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN)
- Temple of Literature with your guide, for guests who land by early afternoon
- Trip briefing
- Welcome dinner in the Old Quarter
Free time: Afternoon free to rest
North to Ha Giang
Hanoi to Ha Giang by the Lo River valley
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Ha Giang
- Drive about 5.5 h
This is one of the trip's long days, about 5.5 hours of driving, because no flights or trains reach Ha Giang or the plateau, and Ha Giang is the gateway to the loop. We leave Hanoi at about 7:30 am, before the worst of the traffic, and take the expressway north-west, then follow the valley of the Lo River through tea hills and Tay villages.
Afternoon
A coffee stop breaks the morning, and lunch is at a local restaurant on the way, around Tuyen Quang. The road climbs as the hills close in, and we reach Ha Giang city in the mid-afternoon. It is a small, green provincial town on the Lo River, the last place with larger hotels before the plateau. After check-in, the rest of the afternoon is free to stretch your legs along the river.
Evening
Dinner together tonight, with your guide explaining the route over the next days and the peoples of the plateau: Hmong, Dao, Lo Lo, Tay and others.
Included
- Transport from Hanoi to Ha Giang with your guide
- Coffee stop and lunch on the way
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: About 5.5 hours of driving with two stops.
Onto the plateau: Quan Ba to Dong Van
Ha Giang to Dong Van by Quan Ba, Yen Minh and Sa Phin
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Dong Van
- Drive about 4.5 h
Today the road is the point. We climb out of Ha Giang to the Quan Ba pass, known as Heaven's Gate, where the Twin Mountains rise from the valley floor below.
Afternoon
The road then winds through pine forest to Yen Minh, where we stop for lunch, and onto the grey limestone of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, a UNESCO Global Geopark. Here Hmong families grow maize in pockets of soil between the rocks, and fields are walled with stacked stone. In the afternoon we visit the Vuong family palace at Sa Phin, the house of the Hmong leader Vuong Chinh Duc, built of stone and carved wood in the early 20th century. We reach Dong Van by late afternoon. Driving is about 4.5 hours, a little over our usual cap, but it is spread across the whole day with short walks at each stop.
Evening
Dinner together in Dong Van.
Included
- Quan Ba pass (Heaven's Gate) and the Twin Mountains viewpoint
- Lunch in Yen Minh
- Vuong family palace at Sa Phin
Activity: About 4.5 hours of driving on mountain roads, spread over the day.
Lung Cu and the Dong Van market
Dong Van to the Lung Cu flag tower and back, then the market
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Dong Van
- Drive about 1.5 h
Departures are set so that today is a Sunday, Dong Van's market day. We go to the Lung Cu flag tower first, about an hour's drive north, arriving early before the day groups from Ha Giang. The tower stands on Dragon Mountain near the country's northernmost point, about 800 steps up in three sections with rest points, and from the top you look over Lo Lo villages and into China. On the way back the road passes terraced fields below the limestone, and we stop in a Lo Lo village to see the houses and fields.
Morning
By mid-morning we are in Dong Van for the market, when families come in from the hills to trade buffalo, pigs, cloth, tools and maize wine, and to eat thang co and corn cakes at long tables. Your guide explains what is being sold and how to ask before taking a photograph.
Evening
Lunch together, then the afternoon and evening are free in the old quarter, a short street of stone and earth houses with tiled roofs around the old market hall.
Included
- Lung Cu flag tower, early
- Lo Lo village stop
- Dong Van Sunday market with your guide
- Dong Van old quarter
Easier option: Skip the steps at Lung Cu and wait at the foot of the tower with tea.
More active option: Walk up to the Dong Van ruined French fort above the town in the afternoon, about 30 minutes each way.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in the old quarter
Activity: About 800 steps at Lung Cu, in three sections with rest points.
Ma Pi Leng and the Nho Que river
Dong Van over the Ma Pi Leng pass to the Nho Que, then Meo Vac
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Meo Vac
- Drive about 1 h
A short driving day with the best of the scenery. The road from Dong Van to Meo Vac runs about 20 km along the side of the Ma Pi Leng pass, cut into the cliffs by hand by young volunteers in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Morning
We drive it in the morning, when the light comes into the gorge, and stop at the viewpoints above the Nho Que river, a green ribbon far below. Then we go down to the landing and take a small boat along the river through the Tu San gorge, with the walls of the pass rising on both sides; the trip lasts about an hour.
Afternoon
Lunch together on the way to Meo Vac, a small town in a bowl of mountains, where we arrive in the early afternoon.
Evening
The rest of the day is free to walk the town and its square, or to rest before dinner together.
Included
- Ma Pi Leng pass viewpoints
- Boat on the Nho Que river through the Tu San gorge
- Lunch on the way to Meo Vac
Easier option: Go down to the boat landing by road instead of the steep path.
More active option: Walk a stretch of the old path along the Ma Pi Leng cliffs with your guide, about 1 hour.
Free time: Afternoon free in Meo Vac
Activity: The path down to the boat landing is steep; the road is the easy alternative. The boat runs only when the river level allows, and in the low-water months it may be shortened or replaced by the viewpoints.
Over the mountains to Cao Bang
Meo Vac to Cao Bang by Bao Lac and the Khau Coc Cha pass
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cao Bang
- Drive about 5.5 h
The second long day, about 5.5 hours of driving, because this is the only road east from the plateau to Cao Bang.
Morning
We leave Meo Vac after breakfast and drive down through Dao and Hmong villages towards Bao Lac. Before the town the road drops down the Khau Coc Cha pass, with its tight stacked bends, and we stop at the top in the morning light to look down the hairpins.
Afternoon
We reach Bao Lac, on the Gam River, around midday and stop for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon the road runs through forest and Tay and Nung farmland, with a coffee stop at Nguyen Binh, to Cao Bang city. Your guide times the stops so you are never much more than about 1.5 to 2 hours in the van at a stretch. We reach Cao Bang in the late afternoon, a provincial town on the Bang Giang River, and check in to a hotel for two nights.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Transport from Meo Vac to Cao Bang with your guide
- Khau Coc Cha pass viewpoint
- Lunch at Bao Lac
- Coffee stop at Nguyen Binh
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 5.5 hours of driving with a stop about every 1.5 to 2 hours.
Ban Gioc Falls and Nguom Ngao cave
Cao Bang to Ban Gioc and Nguom Ngao, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Cao Bang
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Cao Bang at about 6:30 am and reach Ban Gioc at about 8:30, early in the site's day. The road runs just under two hours east, about 90 km, through the karst valleys of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark. Ban Gioc is a wide, tiered waterfall on the Quay Son River, which forms the border with China here; the Chinese side, Detian, faces you across the water.
Afternoon
The morning is usually quieter at the viewpoints than midday, and a bamboo raft takes you across the pool to the spray at the foot of the falls. We walk up to the Truc Lam Ban Gioc pagoda on the hill above for the view, then drive a few minutes to Nguom Ngao, a large limestone cave with lit chambers of stalactites, about 1 km on a paved path. Lunch is near the falls, and we are back in Cao Bang by mid-afternoon.
Evening
Dinner together tonight, the last of the trip.
Included
- Ban Gioc Falls in the morning
- Bamboo raft to the foot of the falls, water level permitting
- Truc Lam Ban Gioc pagoda viewpoint
- Nguom Ngao cave
- Lunch near the falls
- Last dinner together
Optional experiences
- Pac Bo cave and Lenin Stream, with an extra night in Cao Bang. Half day with your guide on day 8, then the drive to Hanoi on day 9.
Easier option: Stay at the lower viewpoint instead of walking up to the pagoda.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: The raft runs only when the river level allows; Nguom Ngao has steps and can be damp.
Back to Hanoi
Cao Bang to Hanoi by Lang Son
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 6 h
The last long day: about 6 hours of driving back to Hanoi, which is the price of ending in the far north with no flights out. We leave Cao Bang at about 8 am and follow the valley south through Tay and Nung country to Lang Son, then take the expressway towards Hanoi.
Afternoon
A coffee stop and lunch at a local restaurant break the drive. We reach Hanoi in the mid-afternoon and drop you at your hotel or at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN).
Evening
Book flights home leaving after about 8 pm, or let us add a night in Hanoi, which we recommend: it gives you an unhurried evening in the Old Quarter and a morning flight. If you are staying on in Vietnam, our Northern Vietnam trip and our Hanoi to Saigon trip both start in Hanoi.
Included
- Transport from Cao Bang to Hanoi with your guide
- Coffee stop and lunch on the way
- Drop-off at your Hanoi hotel or Noi Bai International Airport (HAN)
Optional experiences
- Extra night in Hanoi. Per person sharing, with breakfast.
Activity: About 6 hours of driving with two stops. Book flights leaving after about 8 pm.
- Hanoi1 night
- Ha Giang1 night
- Dong Van2 nights
- Meo Vac1 night
- Cao Bang2 nights
- Hanoiend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: September to November is the best time: the rice terraces turn gold from about mid-September to early October, and the pink and white buckwheat flowers cover the plateau from about October into November, while the roads are mostly dry. March to May is green and mild, with fruit blossom early in the spring. June to August is the rainy season, when the passes can be closed by landslides and Ban Gioc is at its fullest but muddy. December to February is cold on the plateau, sometimes close to freezing, with fog on the passes. Departures avoid the week of Tet, the Lunar New Year.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Ha Giang loop's passes and markets without riding a motorbike
- People who have seen Hanoi, Ha Long and Sapa and want somewhere less visited
- Photographers, especially in the buckwheat and harvest weeks
- Anyone who wants Ban Gioc Falls and the Ha Giang loop on one trip
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who dislikes long days in a vehicle: four days have 4.5 to 6 hours of driving on winding mountain roads
- Travellers who get badly car sick on hairpin roads
- Those who need a lift or hotel comforts every night: two stops have simple homestay-standard rooms
- Travellers wanting a beach or a first look at Vietnam's classics
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Hanoi1 night
- Ha Giang1 night
- Dong Van2 nights
- Meo Vac1 night
- Cao Bang2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Hanoi, 1 in Ha Giang, 2 in Dong Van, 1 in Meo Vac and 2 in Cao Bang
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard in Hanoi, Ha Giang and Cao Bang; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Homestay-standard guesthouse rooms with private bathrooms in Dong Van and Meo Vac, the best available on the plateau
Transport
- Pick-up at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) and drop-off at your Hanoi hotel or the airport on day 8
- Our own van and driver for the whole trip, not motorbikes
- The boat on the Nho Que river and the bamboo raft at Ban Gioc
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 8
- Local site guides where a site requires them
Activities
- Hanoi: Temple of Literature (for guests who land by early afternoon)
- Ha Giang loop: Quan Ba pass, the Vuong family palace at Sa Phin and the Dong Van old quarter
- Dong Van: Lung Cu flag tower, a Lo Lo village and the Sunday market
- Ma Pi Leng pass and a boat on the Nho Que river
- Cao Bang: Ban Gioc Falls with the bamboo raft, Truc Lam Ban Gioc pagoda and Nguom Ngao cave
- All entrance fees for included sights
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 7 lunches, one on every day from day 2
- 5 dinners, including a welcome dinner in Hanoi and a last dinner in Cao Bang
Not included
- International flights to and from Hanoi
- Vietnam visa
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above
- Drinks
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Optional activities, such as Pac Bo and an extra night in Hanoi
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 320 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights of accommodation, airport pick-up, our van and driver throughout, a See Sight Tours guide for all eight days, the Nho Que boat, the Ban Gioc raft, all entrance fees in the day plan, and 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 5 dinners.
Do I have to ride a motorbike on the Ha Giang loop?
No. We travel the whole loop in our own van with one driver, so nobody rides or sits on the back of a bike. We stop at the viewpoints, markets and villages the motorbike tours use, and your guide picks the times with the light and the crowds in mind.
How long are the drives?
Four days are long: Hanoi to Ha Giang about 5.5 hours, Ha Giang to Dong Van about 4.5, Meo Vac to Cao Bang about 5.5 and Cao Bang to Hanoi about 6. Each has a coffee stop, a sit-down lunch and viewpoints. The days between are short.
What are the rooms like in Dong Van and Meo Vac?
Simple and clean, with a private bathroom and hot water, but homestay standard: no lift, basic furniture and sometimes thin walls. They are the best available on the plateau. In Hanoi, Ha Giang and Cao Bang we use 3-star-plus hotels. We name each place when we confirm your dates.
When is the best time to go?
September to November. The rice terraces turn gold from about mid-September to early October, and the buckwheat flowers cover the plateau from about October into November, while the roads are mostly dry. March to May is the second choice. June to August brings heavy rain and landslides on the passes.
How big is the group, and who leads it?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests. A See Sight Tours guide is with you from the airport on day 1 to Hanoi on day 8, and local site guides join where a site requires them. The same driver and van stay with the group for the whole trip.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Walks are short, up to about 2 hours, but Lung Cu has about 800 steps in three sections with rest points, the path to the Nho Que boat is steep and Nguom Ngao cave has steps. The plateau is about 1,000 to 1,600 m. Every walk has an easier option or can be sat out.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 320 more than the shared price, shown before you request to book. Single rooms in Dong Van and Meo Vac are limited, so we confirm yours when we confirm the trip. There is no extra charge for travelling solo beyond the room.
Will we see a Hmong market?
Yes. Departures start on a Thursday, so day 4 in Dong Van is a Sunday, when the town holds its market and families come in from the villages to trade and eat. Some smaller village markets follow a rotating calendar, and your guide adds one when it falls on our route.
Do I need a visa and my passport?
Most visitors, Canadians included, need a Vietnam e-visa, applied for online before travel. Carry your passport every day: Lung Cu and Ban Gioc are in border areas where it can be checked. Rules change, so check the official requirements for your passport before you book flights.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 1,900 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 3,420.
Can we go on our own dates?
Yes. The private trip runs for your party only on a date you choose, with your own guide, van and driver. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, send an inquiry from the dates section and we quote the hotels, van and driver for you.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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