Because tourist attractions in Ha Giang are far apart, you should choose a journey of at least 3 days and 2 nights to have enough time to “ride horses to see flowers”. A 3-day, 4-night itinerary is suggested by many tourists, or a more generous 5-day itinerary.
Below is a reference itinerary for a 3-day, 2-night trip.
Day 1: Hanoi – Ha Giang – Dong Van
To be able to attend the Dong Van market on Sunday morning, you should depart from Hanoi on Friday night. At 8:00 a.m. the next day, you can leave for Dong Van and take photos along the road, when the morning air is still pleasant. bear. The road from Ha Giang City to Dong Van should be divided into stops to enjoy while walking rather than running all at once.
Stage 1: Ha Giang – Quan Ba Heaven Gate (40 km)
From the city, the first point is milestone Km 0, then move to Quan Ba about 40 km. There is a sky gate here that is a famous check-in point, but if you go in winter, you are likely to encounter clouds and fog. If the weather is clear, you can take pictures and admire the fields below.
From here you can see Nam Dam lake, located in Nam Dam village, a famous Dao homestay village in Quan Ba. In addition to the heaven gate, you can also visit Co Tien Twin Mountain not far away.
Stage 2: Quan Ba Heaven Gate – Yen Minh Town (30 km)
Note, when going to Can Ty bridge, there are 2 turns, the uphill path will save you 20 km, but is also more difficult and requires strong steering. Calculate the time to get to Yen Minh and have lunch there.
Stage 3: Yen Minh town – Dong Van ancient town (45 km)
This is a route with many beautiful scenery and famous tourist attractions. That is Doc Tham Ma or Deo 9 Khoanh, the symbolic check-in point of Ha Giang. Here, you can easily meet foreign friends, landscape photographers, and especially Mong children carrying baskets full of flowers.
Pho Cao (Phố Cáo) – an ancient village that has not been commercialized so it still retains many traditional features of the ancient Mong people. Or Pao’s house, the setting of many Vietnamese movies, is also a place you should visit. Currently, Pao’s house is both a residential house and a tourist destination. The above points are 10 km apart, please visit and pay attention to the time to reach Dong Van in time for darkness.
Day 2: Dong Van – Meo Vac
Take some time in the morning to go to the market, a unique feature of the region that nowhere else in the lowlands has. The market is bustling with many items, from common things of the Kinh people such as electronics, vegetables, clothes… to ethnic specialties such as linen, brocade, buckwheat cakes, and thang co. .. If you buy gifts, remember to choose things that are easy to carry like spices or linen.
In addition to the market, in Dong Van you can also visit King Meo Palace. The relic site is nearly 3 hectares wide, located in the valley of Sa Phin commune. King Meo’s Palace was built in the early 20th century, modeled after Chinese architecture (Manchu Qing Dynasty) with curves, curves, and exquisite carvings. Entrance ticket costs 20,000 VND per visit.
If you don’t go to the market or King Meo palace, you can depart at 6:30 from Dong Van to Lung Cu to visit the flagpole in the morning. This distance is 25 km long, you have to go through many bad sections with gravel, steep curves, potholes, etc. Travel time is about 1 and a half hours. Upon arriving, tourists climb to the flagpole and look at the mountains and forests at the beginning of the country. If you’re relaxed, the North Pole Coffee Shop is also an option to rest.
At around 9:30, you move back to the old road to Dong Van, then go in the direction of Meo Vac to Nho Que River. The motorbike road going down to the wharf is very steep, some places are under construction so you need a strong driver. If you are not confident, you can hire a motorbike taxi service from a local for 150,000 VND round trip.
The road is difficult, with many bumpy sections, but the beauty of the emerald river will partly dispel the fatigue of visitors. Weaving through the winding road hugging the cliff, you will reach the boat dock. The price for a boat trip on Nho Que River is 100,000 VND per person, the journey is about 40 minutes long. The boat often stops in front of Tu San Alley, where there is the most beautiful scene for guests to take photos.
Around 2:30 p.m., you move towards Meo Vac to visit Ma Pi Leng pass. Although the pass is winding, it is wide and flat, with mountains on one side and cliffs on the other.
Surrounding the pass are sky, clouds and mountains so visitors can leisurely admire the scenery and take photos. At the foot of the pass, you visit the Happiness Road Museum, learn about the difficult construction history of National Highway 4C, from Ha Giang city to Dong Van, Meo Vac.
Around 5:00 p.m., you can stop at the 12 km marker area to Meo Vac. This is one of the beautiful spots to watch the sunset on Ma Pi Leng pass, with a view of the Nho Que river in front. After watching the sunset, you move about 10 km to the Mong Ethnic Cultural Village in Pa Vi to stay overnight.
Day 3: Meo Vac – Ha Giang City – Hanoi
In Pa Vi, the landscape has peaceful colors. When visitors wake up, they will see surrounded by lush, green mountains. Meo Vac is about 150 km from Ha Giang, you should depart early to catch the bus back to Hanoi. There are two bus time frames for you to choose from: 2pm (returns to Hanoi at 9pm) and 9pm (returns to Hanoi at 4am the next morning).
If you choose the 2:00 p.m. time frame, you should depart at 8:00 a.m. at Meo Vac and run straight in the direction of Mau Due – Yen Minh – Quan Ba – City. Ha Giang, non-stop sightseeing. Note that the road from Meo Vac to Mau Due is quite bad, with many potholes and elephant holes.
If you choose the bus departing at 9:00 p.m. from Ha Giang city, you will have time to visit some more places. You go on Mau Due – Duong Thuong road, then visit Lung Tam Weaving Village, pass through Quan Ba, visit Lung Khuy cave. Then move to Ha Giang City.
