A 2 Day 1 Night Ha Giang Loop Tour

The Ha Giang Loop is a fantastic adventure for those seeking an authentic and awe-inspiring experience in Vietnam. This scenic and adventurous route takes you through some of the most stunning landscapes in the country, offering breathtaking views of lush rice terraces, towering limestone peaks, and remote ethnic minority villages. You have 2 days to spare and want an adventure of a life time? This article is for you, as we'll go through a detailed Ha Giang guide on when to visit, how to get around, what to eat and what to do. Without further ado, let's dive right in.

Best time to visit Ha Giang

• January - March: the season of plum and peach blossoms, it's usually during Tet Holiday so the weather is nice, not too cold
   
• April: you can stop by Khau Vai love market - a unique market in Ha Giang that only happens once a year, where people find their special someone after years of being apart to rekindle their love for eachother
   
• September: the best time to visit Ha Giang pass, for it's the season of ripped yellow rice paddies, the terraced rice fields are covered in yellow, and it's early autumn, which means the weather is cooler.
   
• October - December: its also a great season to travel to Ha Giang, you can admire field after field of purple buckwheat flowers from October to November, and golden rapeseed flowers everywhere along the road during December

How to get to and around Ha Giang

Option 1: Bus + Motorbike

This is the most common way to explore the Ha Giang Loop. You can take a bus from Hanoi, we recommend getting on a comfortable sleeper bus and take the night ride to save energy for the Ha Giang Loop. Bus prices ranges from 250.000 - 550.000 VND, depending on the quality of the vehicle. Travel time is about 6-7 hours. Visitors from the Central or the South of Vietnam need to get to Hanoi first and then take a bus to Ha Giang. Read all about bus companies and how to get to Ha Giang from Hanoi here. And from there, you can rent a motorbike and explore the Loop at your own pace. For motorbike rentals:

Here are a few motorbike rental shops in Ha Giang:

• Hong Hao:
  • Address: 10 Pham Hong Thai, Minh Khai, Ha Giang
  • Phone: 0165 398 2928
• Hang Thuong
  • Address: 15b Pham Hong Thai, Minh Khai, Ha Giang
  • Phone: 0836 399 888
• MOTOGO:
  • Address: Cau Me, Phuong Thien, Ha Giang
  • Phone: 0338 023 344 
• Giang Son:
  • Address: Cau Me, Phuong Thien, Ha Giang
  • Phone: 098 847 08 63 

Helmets, bungees cords, waterproof plastic bags and 24-hour support are already included. Elbow and knee pads are also available for rent. If you do decide to ride a motorbike, make sure to have your license, IDP and the Ha Giang Loop Permit ready. Read all about how to get them here. 

Option 2: Private car or motorbike from Hanoi

The ideal choice if you want a private travel.

Motorbike travel guide

Hanoi - Son Tay - Trung Ha (to the junction of Son Tay, take turn right) - Co Tiet - Phong Chau Bridge - Phu Tho Town - Doan Hung and turn to Tuyen Quang through the QL2 to Ha Giang.

This route is without traffic and takes roughly 9 hours including stops for food, pictures and enough time to rest.

Private car

Other than taking the bus or going by motorbike, if you have the opportunity, we highly recommend booking a private car via a local travel agency, for it's less dangerous and will save you a lot of time and effort. You don't have to look up the directions nor worry about whether you're going the right way, or worry about booking a ticket online for a cheap price before it sells out, because they got that and everything else covered for you.

If you are interested, check out one of my favorite local agencies that I've had the opportunity to travel with: Vietnam Original Travel. They are a local travel agency that specializes in private and customized tours in Vietnam and in Southest Asia, with almost 20 years of extensive experience in tourism. One of their bestselling tours is Northern of Vietnam, including tours in Ha Giang and other mountainous regions.

What to eat in Ha Giang

As for what to eat, Ha Giang is home to a plethora of specialties that highlights the cuisine of the mountainous region. Here are some of the must-tries:

5-Colour Sticky Rice

5-Colour Sticky Rice (Xoi Ngu Sac) is prepared by mixing glutinous rice with natural colorings to create five distinct colors making it visually appealing. Each color is obtained from natural ingredients, which also adds subtle and different flavors to each serving of colored sticky rice. The five traditional colors of xoi ngu sac are: green (pandan), yellow (curcumin), red (gac fruit), purple (Vietnamese purple rice) and white (plain glutinous rice).

Egg Banh Cuon

This dish is similar to the typical Banh Cuon but raw eggs are added to the rice flour before cooking them. It is eaten with a hot soup with chả and aromatic herbs. Banh Cuon Trung is a dish typical of Vietnamese mountainous regions and often served as breakfast.

Au Tau Porridge

Chao Au Tau is a very unique rice porridge made from Au Tau, which is actually a very toxic plant, but the preparation makes it harmless, and mixing it with two types of rice - sticky and classic - with meat and spices, makes an excellent and healthy soup. Chao Au Tau is only served at night, this is because it is nutritious and can help you fall asleep.

Thit Gac Bep

“Thit gac bep” is a traditional Vietnamese dish that literally translates to “meat in the upstairs kitchen”. The main ingredient is pork or buffalo meat. Traditionally, pieces of fatty pork are used to obtain a tender and juicy texture. Spices usually include garlic, shallot, chili pepper, lemongrass, turmeric powder, salt, pepper and other local herbs and spices. Fish sauce is often used to marinate meat and add flavor to the dish. This dish is usually served at parties, family celebrations or other special events.

Thang Den

This is a very popular dessert in the Province, quite similar to Banh Troi Tau. This is a dessert made from glutinous rice flour and mung beans, shaped into little balls then boiled. Served with a sweet soup and topped with ginger, it is the perfect dessert or light snack on a cold winter day. 

Itinerary

Day 0: Hanoi - Ha Giang

After a 6-7 hour ride on the bus, dine at a local restaurant in Ha Giang and check in and spend the night in a hotel to get ready for the Ha Giang Loop. 

Where to stay:

• Ha Giang Loop Hostel & Tours: a quiet and affordable hostel right near city center, with free bikes, an outdoor swimming pool, a garden and a shared lounge. A night in the dorm room costs 108.000 VND ($4 USD)/person and a bungalow room with a virew of the garden and the mountains costs 405.000 VND ($16 USD).
   
• Ha Giang Hostel: a sustainable hostel with a built in bar, shared lounge, 24/7 reception and money exchange service, which costs 180.000 VND ($7 USD) /person/night in a dorm room and 495.000 VND ($20 USD) for a double room with a queen sized bed.

Day 1: Ha Giang - Dong Van

After breakfast, head for Dong Van town. About 40km from Ha Giang city, Quan Ba Pass or Quan Ba Heaven Gate is a famous check-point ressembling a doorway to Heaven, where you get a full view of the Twin Mountains, the valley and small villages down below. In addition to the Heaven Gate, you can also visit Co Tien Twin Mountain - two symmetrical hills adjacent to each other - which is not far away.
Continue your visit and head toward Yen Minh pine Forest, located right next to Highway 4C, about 100 km from Ha Giang city. The pine forest is like a miniature Da Lat that attracts many tourists for its beautiful pine trees and lush green grass. Here you have the choice to camp within the forest. Continue through Chin Khoanh Pass and Tham Ma Pass on the 4C route. Take as many stops as you need to rest and to admire the landscape.

Next, visit the H'mong King's Palace, notoriously known as the "Opium Palace", is a century old mansion that survived 2 major wars - the French war and American war - and now recognized as the symbol of past glory for the H'Mong.

Arrive at the town of Dong Van, where you will spend the night. Here you can visit Dong Van Ancient Town, where you can see historical remnants and ethnic groups with their ancient customs.

Where to stay:

• Binh Minh Hostel, which costs about 200.000 - 300.000 VND ($9 USD) per night for a double room, located right next to Dong Van market and Dong Van Ancient Town.
   
• Dong Van Cliffside House: a beautiful hotel with a beautiful view in the center of Dong Van, which costs about 1.200.000 VND ($52 USD) per night for a double room with a king sized bed.

Day 2: Dong Van - Meo Vac - Yen Minh - Ha Giang

Today, head towards Meo Vac via Ma Pi Leng Pass, a mountain pass located in Ha Giang province, connecting the towns of Dong Van and Meo Vac, that is 20 km long and at the altitude of 1,500 m (4,900 ft). This spectacular mountain pass, whose name means "bridge of a horse's nose" in the Hmong language, is one of Four Great Passes in Northwest Vietnam, along with O Quy Ho Pass, Pha Din Pass and Khau Pha Pass.

You can stop by the emerald Nho Que River for a boat ride before getting back on the road. 

Along the way, you'll want to take multiple stops just because everything is so beautiful. Check out our article for a detailed Ma Pi Leng guide.

The route continues to Yen Minh, where you will get to see beautiful landscapes and the cultures of ethnic groups in Mau Due and Lung Ho villages and to have a bite of the local specialties. 

Arrive in Ha Giang city and take a bus back to Hanoi, finishing your 2 day tour.

Final thoughts

We hope you find this article helpful. Generally, we would recommend doing the Ha Giang Loop for at least 3 days for it gives you more time to rest between stops and to visit more on the way. But if you only have 2 days and you want to spend it on this beautiful mountainous region of Vietnam, then that's great too! Feel free to skip any places or replace them to make the most of the trip.

Interested in a longer stay? Check out our detailed 3 day / 4 day / 5 day /6 day tours in Ha Giang and more down below.