Ha Giang Loop: Epic 4-Day Itinerary

Want to experience an off the beaten path travel to Vietnam? Why not go on a Ha Giang Loop tour where you can explore the mountainous region of Ha Giang through intense but awe-inspiring passes, valleys and peaks in the north of Vietnam. This journey will take you through breathtaking landscapes and give you an insight to the lives and culture of the ethnic minorities that live there. If that sounds like something that you would enjoy, check out our 4 day guide to an epic Ha Giang Loop tour from A to Z.

How to get to Ha Giang

From Hanoi (~300 km)

To do the Ha Giang Loop, you need to 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.

From Sapa (~235 km)

The West of Ha Giang borders Lao Cai, so it's very common to travel to Ha Giang by bus or motorbike from Sapa. If you do decide to travel by bike, the landscape along the way will be stunning but be careful because there are many dangerous passes, even landslides and extreme weather conditions during rain season. The safer choice would be taking a van or a sleeper bus to Ha Giang, travel time is about 5-6 hours. Techbus VN and Grouptour have several daily buses to Ha Giang from 15 USD (367.000 VND), from 6:30 AM to 7:45 PM.

What to eat in Ha Giang

Ha Giang attracts tourists from everywhere not only for its breathtaking scenery, it's warm people and rich customs and cultures, but also for its unique cuisine. You definitely need to try these dishes while in Ha Giang:

- Trau gac bep: smoked buffalo meat, meaning "Buffalo meat hung up in upstairs kitchen".

- Com lam: grilled rice in a bamboo tube with a rustic taste and aroma.

- Thang co: stir-fried horsemeat with local spices.

- Banh cuon trung: similar to regular Banh cuon, but they add an egg to the steamed ravioli, and is eaten with hot soup instead of nuoc mam.

- Banh tam giac mach: a cake made from buckwheat flower, giving it the distinguished purple color and scent of the flower. This buckwheat cake is flavorful, soft, chewy and all around delicious. 

- Reu nuong: stone moss seasoned with herbs and spices then grilled on charcoal. It's a delicious and healthy dish that helps improve blood circulation and detoxify.

- Xoi ngu sac: five-colour sticky rice, made from edible plants and natural ingredients to colour the rice - gac fruit (red), pandan leaves (green), tumeric roots (yellow), purple rice (purple) and original sticky rice (white).

- Thang den: a dessert similar to Banh Troi Tau, containing sticky rice balls with a mungbean, sesame and coconut filling, eaten with sweet soup and topped with peanuts.

Itinerary

Day 0: Hanoi / Sa Pa - 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 Town. Stop by 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.

In the afternoon, stop by Dong Van Stone Plateau, renowned for its stunning karst landscape, characterized by limestone formations that have been eroded over millions of years, resulting in dramatic peaks, caves, sinkholes, and terraced fields. 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

If you happen to be in Dong Van on a Sunday, you're in luck because you can visit the Dong Van Sunday market. In addition to the purpose of trading, the market is also a place for cultural exchange between ethnic minorities groups in Ha Giang.

But if you're not here on a Sunday but you do have 2-3 hours to spare, you can also make a detour before starting Day 2 of the Loop by visiting the Lung Cu flag pole, the northernmost point of Vietnam.

Now get ready for the ride of your life: the Ma Pi Leng Pass.

Ma Pi Leng Pass, a mountain pass located in Ha Giang province, connecting the towns of Dong Van and Meo Vac, 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.

Ma Pi Leng is a famous destination for travel enthousiasts, especially fans of adventure, for its breath-taking scenery, rugged cliffs and bends almost everywhere along the roads, making it one of the most impressive passes in Vietnam. 

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.

Arrive at Meo Vac, check in at a homestay or hotel and night in Meo Vac.

Where to stay:

• Lo Lo Homestay & Cafe Meo Vac: a rustic guesthouse near town center with a great view and friendly host, which costs 160.000 VND ($6.5 USD) /person/night in a dorm room and 390.000 VND ($16 USD) for a double room.
• Little Yen's Homestay: a homestay build in the style of traditional H'Mong houses with yinyang roofs, with included services like campfires, traditional herbal baths and massages, etc. A night in the dorm room costs 200.000 VND ($8 USD)/person and a double room with a private bathroom costs 900.000 VND ($36 USD).

Day 3: Meo Vac - Du Gia

Day 3, we leave for Du Gia town. On the way you'll be mesmerized by beautiful golden terraced rice fields, winding mountain passes and cliffs overlooking the emerald water of Nho Que River. Visit locals villages like Mau Due and Lung Ho to admire daily lives of the ethnic groups and to have a bite of the local specialties. In the afternoon, continue the trip towards Du Gia waterfalls where you can even have a swim. 

Night in Du Gia town.

Where to stay:

• Du Gia - Muong Tra Garden Homestay: a nice little homestay with a garden and mountain view and accomodating hosts, who serve you family style meals everyday. A night in a dorm room costs 100.000 VND ($4 USD) and 350.000 VND ($15 USD) for a double room
• Du Gia Field View Homestay: has a garden, a sun terrace and a vegetarian breakfast available every morning, and costs 110.000 VND ($4.5 USD) /person/night in a dorm room and 250.000 VND ($10 USD) for a double room with a mountain view.

Day 4: Du Gia - Bac Me - Ha Giang

Head back to Ha Giang whenever you're ready and catch a bus back to Hanoi or Sapa.

We hope this article was helpful, you can also check out out 3 day 2 night itinerary here, or read more about the prices for the Ha Giang Loop tour here.