If you love driving up and down winding roads and waking up in foggy villages high up in the mountains and deep valleys, then let me introduce you to Ha Giang province, located in the northern region of Vietnam.

In early November of 2022, I had the absolute blast cruising through Ha Giang with my partner, my brother, and his wife. We booked 3 nights & 2.5 days, a private tour with a driver/tour guide with everything arranged and planned out for us. I’m typically not a tour person, but I’m glad we did it this way the first time because the roads in Ha Giang are no joke. 

In this blog post, I’m sharing with you all of the road trip stops and fun things we’ve done, most are included in the tour package. Make sure to check out my other Vietnam travel guides right below and read to the end of this post to find out more information about this exact tour package and how you can book the exact or similar one like that, too.

This blog post is part 3 of 4 part series of my Vietnam Travel Guide series. Comment if you’d like to add or want me to answer anything, I’d love to help make your Vietnam trip the best ever!

Part 1: 10 Things to Know Before Visiting Vietnam

Part 2: Hanoi Travel Guide 

Part 3: Ha Giang Travel Guide (this blog post)

Part 4: Dong Nai Travel Guide (my hometown)

Ha Giang (Hà Giang), Vietnam

Hà Giang is a province in the northeast region of Vietnam, and it shares a portion of the border with China’s Yunan province. Hà Giang city is the only provincial city in Hà Giang province.

Ha Giang has lots of mountains, limestone formations and peaks, and springs. Ha Giang City is located on the left bank of Lô River. Lô River and Miện River are the only two rivers in the region. Due to the mountainous topography, the area is limited in terms of agriculture, and much of the land is covered by forests. Road access is also limited, and as the result, access to schools and healthcare services is also limited.

While Vietnamese is still the main language being spoken and Kinh (Vietnamese) is the majority, people who live in Ha Giang province are mostly ethnic Vietnamese groups such as Tày and H’Mông. They do speak their own languages and practice their own cultures. 

Note that many areas in Ha Giang are undeveloped or still being developed, it might take some time to get used to ways of living. Simple daily tasks, such as, going to the bathroom or taking a shower might be completely different than what you’re used to. Try your best to take things with context and live like the locals, and most importantly, eat like the locals!

OUR HA GIANG TOUR DETAILS (3 NIGHTS & 2.5 DAYS)

On Wednesday night (November 2, 2022), we got picked up by a commuter van from Hanoi Old Quarter to My Dinh station. This first part of the trip took about an hour because they had to pick up some people along the way. Most guests seemed to be tourists and locals who were all heading to Ha Giang.

After that, we transferred to a bigger bus with beds to lie down on. The bed space was pretty tight for two people, but we managed to fit in and sleep for a bit while the bus was in motion. They did stop us once for a bathroom break. This second part of the trip took about 6 hours through the night. We arrived at Ha Giang City in Ha Giang province at around 4 am the next day (Thursday, November 3, 2022). Our tour planner arranged a hotel for four of us to rest until the morning.

DAY 1

At 7 am, our tour guide/driver, named Huynh, picked 4 of us up in his 5-seater Toyota car at the hotel we stayed at. For breakfast, we had rice rolls (Bánh Cuốn) with eggs and hot bone broth with some pickled vegetables (Ha Giang style) at a local spot in town.

Note that I won’t be naming these food spots of restaurants because I didn’t really keep track of those. Our driver/tour guide either stopped us at places he’d been and paid for us or at places pre-paid and included in the tour package. People in Vietnam tend to stop by wherever on the way, you’d get tasty and inexpensive food almost anywhere you go in this area. 

CHECK-IN #1: Km0 (kilometer zero) Monument (Cột mốc Km0)

Km0 monument is off the main road in Ha Giang city. This is our first check-in after breakfast. I’d call these road trip stops ‘check-ins’ and number them in the order that we did.

Km0 monument marks the beginning of most Ha Giang adventures.

CHECK-IN #2: FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH LOCAL HMONG PEOPLE

Our driver stopped us at this viewpoint where there was a small group of local Hmong people gathering. I’m guessing that they’re Hmong by their clothing and the language they’re speaking. There was a small stand where the ladies were selling bananas, sweet potatoes, corn, and some other locally grown vegetables. It’s also a good spot to take some first photos of Ha Giang’s mountain range.

CHECK-IN #3: Heaven’s Gate Coffee (Cafe Cổng Trời) & the Fairy Bosom

The coffee shop, Heaven’s Gate Coffee (Cafe Cổng Trời), is a must-stop for every Ha Giang trip. It’s crowded, but the service is decently fast. I’ve seen some pictures and videos shot here early morning, and the cloud actions are pretty impressive. There are some tables and high chairs with plenty of space to walk around for pictures.

We then stopped at the side of the road (not too far from the coffee shop) to spot the twin peaks (identical and similar in size to a woman’s breast), called Fairy Bosom. There’s a love story or legend associated with it, and it’s pretty cool.

morning coffee with a view – Cafe Cổng Trời

Fairy Bosom – can you spot the twin peaks in the valley?

CHECK-IN #4: Lone tree of Ha Giang (Cây cô đơn Hà Giang)

We’re still in Quản Bạ District of Hà Giang.

You’d most likely notice this tall singular tree growing and hanging off the main road. We took some pictures and decided to get some snacks like fruits, grilled sweet potatoes, and purple corn from the streetside vendors. 

CHECK-IN #5: Tham Ma Pass (Dốc Thẩm Mã – Upper Viewpoint)

Dốc Thẩm Mã is also the starting point of Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. Most of the geopark is covered by limestone with huge mountains and deep canyons.

At the Tham Ma Pass’ upper viewpoint, you’d most likely encounter local people that sell Ha Giang specialties and kids carrying flowers hanging around. You’d see food stands like this all throughout Ha Giang.

Scroll to check-in #8 for a list of local food you to try and Ha Giang specialties to bring home.

There’s a debate in terms of whether or not you should take photos and/or give money to the local kids here. In our tour package, we were told to only give these kids candies, so my sister-in-law had prepared a few bags of candies to give to the kids throughout this trip. We gave some kids who played the musical instruments a small amount of cash, but other than that, we try not to engage with them yet still being friendly back by saying hi and smiling.

We didn’t take any photos with them but did take some photos of them. I’m also trying to be mindful about sharing strangers’ and kids’ photos on my page. Obviously, this toursity thing is new to many locals in Ha Giang, and they’re trying their best to help bring in income. From some angles, it can look like child or woman exploitation, and I’m not sure what the right thing to do here. What would you do in this case?

Dốc Thẩm Mã – Upper Viewpoint

CHECK-IN #6: Lung Cam Cultural Village (Làng Văn Hóa Lũng Cẩm) & Pao’s House (Nhà của Pao)

Làng Văn Hóa Lũng Cẩm is located in xã Sủng Là, huyện Đồng Văn, Hà Giang province. You’d most likely encounter Tam giác mạch, purple buckwheat flower fields if you’re traveling from October to December. 

You’ll be charged a small fee to enter the flower fields for photos, to use the bathrooms, and to enter the Pao’s House (if you choose to!).

Pao’s House was filmed in Story of Pao or Pao’s Story (2008) movie. I had heard of the movie but did watch it at the end of that day when we got to our hotel.

The movie (in Vietnamese) is on Youtube if you’re interested HERE.

I didn’t like how crowded Pao’s House was at the time, but I really enjoyed walking through and checking out the interior and decoration of the space. It’s pretty aesthetic!

Pao’s House

Fees to enter these Tam giác mạch flower fields is included in the tour.

CHECK-IN #7: H’Mông Lords of Sà Phìn’s Palace (Dinh thự Vua Mèo)

You can book a tour guide to learn more about the history of this place, Vuong Palace, and the owner, Vua Mèo Vương Chính Đức. Vua means king, and Mèo is the old name of Hmong people. He is also known as the King of the Hmongs.

Vuong Palace is also dubbed as the Opium Palace as the place was used to store opium and whatever business Vua Mèo was into. His son later took over the empire and spent his life fighting the French. Surviving members of the Vuong family still live near the area, working as caretakers and tour guides of this historic place. You can also browse the internet or ask locals about Vua Mèo and his stories.

Vuong Palace is free to enter.

CHECK-IN #8: Dong Van Old Town (Phố cổ Đồng Văn)

We checked in our hotel for the night right next to Dong Van Old Town in Dong Van City (thị trấn Đồng Văn, huyện Đồng Văn, tỉnh Hà Giang). Thị trấn is like a city smaller than a city, and huyện is like a province but smaller than a province.

For dinner, we were introduced to some local specialties at a restaurant that the driver took us to. We got to try Corn wine called Rượu Ngô Men Lá, a braised intestine dish called Thắng Cố, and a black chicken hotpot called Lẩu gà Đen.

Don’t forget to check out Dong Van Old Town at night. There’s a bonfire, games, and many food spots open, and it’s super fun to walk around. You can buy local goods or souvenirs to bring home as gifts as well. 

DAY 2

We had northern-style pho for breakfast and had coffee at a coffee shop in Dong Van Old Town. Dong Van Old Town reminds me of Hanoi (read my Hanoi Travel Guide) or Hoi An. It’s a lovely relaxing morning.

Other Dong Van specialties that you can enjoy fresh or buy home as gifts:

• Smoked buffalo jerkey (Thịt trâu gác bếp)

• Sliced pork dish (Lợn cắp nách)

• Ha Giang-style sausages

• Sticky rice cooked inside bamboo tubes (Cơm lam)

• 5-colored glutenous rice dish (Xôi ngũ sắc)

• congee (Cháo ấu tẩu)

• Rice rolls with egg (Bánh cuốn trứng – dish we had the first morning in Ha Giang City)

• Mochi balls in sugar syrup (Thắng dền)

• Buckwheat cake (Bánh tam giác mạch)

• Mint honey

• Wild peppercorns (Hạt mắc khén)

• Tiny red chilies (Ớt gió)

• Tea (Trà Shan tuyết cổ thụ)

• Wild mushrooms

• Tiny apples (Táo mèo), and many more.

CHECK-IN #9: Lung Cu Flag Point (Lũng Cú Flag Tower)

Lũng Cú Flag Tower is a monument built to mark the northernmost point in Vietnam (although the farthest north point of the Chinese-Vietnamese border is 3.3 km away). It is located in Lũng Cú commune of Dong Van district in Ha Giang province.

The tower is topped with a large Vietnamese flag, a red flag with a yellow star, so be sure to grab a photo just for the memories. Up here, you’ll have a 360-degree view of the area.

After that, we stopped by a Tam giac mach flower field to take some more pictures and headed back to Dong Van for lunch.

CHECK-IN #10: Mỏm đá rồng A Páo & Happiness Road

CHECK-IN #11: NHO QUE RIVER (Sông Nho Quế)

Boating on Nho Que river is a part of our tour package, so it is paid for.

Transportation from the parking lot to the boating area was chaotic yet super fun. I wish the boats were better designed and built, and other than that, I’d highly recommend this boating experience. The water of Nho Que river reminds me so much of Diablo Lake in Washington state. Its clear and bright turquoise-green water is mesmerizing. Just make sure you aim for a nice sunny day!

CHECK-IN #12: MA PI LENG PASS (Mã Pí Lèng)

The road trip through Mã Pí Lèng pass reminds me so much of the Going-to-the-sun road in Glacier National Park. Its windy road with grand views of the mountains overlooking the blueish-turquoise water of the Nho Que river will surely leave you speechless. 

My jaws dropped a few times. It is truly one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever been.

CHECK-IN #13: PA VI HOMESTAY (Pả Vi homestay)

We made it to our third-night stay in Ha Giang which was included in our tour package. 

Pả Vi homestay is located in Mèo Vạc District, Ha Giang, and it’s actually a village built for tourists with help of the government. There are different types of accommodations (private rooms or rooms for big groups) with restaurants, free private parking, a bar, and a shared lounge with free wifi.

Our room is located on the second floor of one of the houses. It’s small with basic amenities. I don’t like that the walls are paper-thin, and it’s loud pretty much all the time during the day. However, the village view with the mountain background from the second-floor window is pretty spectacular!

We walked to a restaurant inside the village for dinner and stopped by one of the houses for a spontaneous group gathering. People gathered around the bonfire, dancing, and singing until late at night. It was pretty fun, but we left after 15 minutes to catch up with our sleep after a long day on the road.

DAY 3

It’s our last half-day in Ha Giang. Our driver took us back to Dong Van for breakfast. We did stop by a spot to check out some ancient rocks, and then we were back to Ha Giang City by noon.

My sister-in-law scheduled the same bus with beds to Hanoi at around 2 pm on a Saturday (November 5th, 2022). Six hours after, we arrived at My Dinh station and grabbed a car to our hotel near Hoan Kiem Lake.

Our flight was not until noon on Monday (November 7), so we did get to explore Hanoi for another 1.5 days.

HANOI TRAVEL GUIDE

Pa Vi Homestay’s welcoming gate

road to Pa Vi Homestay

OUR HA GIANG TOUR CONTACTS:

FACEBOOK PAGE WITH TONS OF HA GIANG REVIEWS AND HELPFUL INFORMATION: HA GIANG REVIEW TAT TAN TAT

OUR TOUR PLANNER: CHU CHU & TOUR GUIDE/DRIVER: HUYNH

My sister-in-law found Chu Chu on the Ha Giang Review Tat Tan Tat Facebook page. He got tagged in many reviews, so she went with that. I also have Huynh’s business number if you’re interested in having him as the driver and guide for your Ha Giang trip. It’s cheaper to work directly with the actual tour guide/driver rather than going through the tour planner, but there’s a risk to it if you don’t know the person.

Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @antrieu via DMs. Happy to provide their contacts either way!

CHECK OUT MY OTHER VIETNAM TRAVEL BLOG POSTS:

10 Things to Know Before Visiting Vietnam

Hanoi Travel Guide