Travel Schedule
My girlfriend and I went in early December, the itinerary was 3 days and 2 nights, basically as follows:
- Day 0:
- HCM -> Hanoi: by plane
- Hanoi -> Ha Giang: by coach bus
- Day 1 – by bike:
- Morning departure from Ha Giang City -> Dong Van Town
- On the way we will stop by:
- Quan Ba heaven gate
- Yen Minh pine forest
- Tham Ma slope
- Pao’s House
- Vuong family palace
- Day 2 – by bike:
- Dong Van Town -> Lung Cu flagpole
- Before going to Meo Vac town to rest, we stopped by Nho Que river
- Day 3:
- Meo Vac Town ->Ha Giang City: motorbike
- Ha Giang -> Hanoi: coach bus
You can see the detailed travel schedule on the map below.
Real Experience
During the three days I went to check the weather, two days were sunny and one day was light rain; however, when we went, it rained all three days, and the combination of dew + rain was oh so chilly: numbing cold.
We viewed video evaluations on Tik Tok while researching before the trip. However, they stated that the journey would be relatively light, but when we got in the bike, we learned that life is not a dream, and there are three things. You must mentally take notes.:
- 80% of the route is uphill and downhill, thus the more powerful your car, the better; don’t skimp on this.
- If it rains, wrap yourself and your clothes carefully.
- Ha Giang Road is wonderfully beautiful.
Okaylah, let’s get to the specifics for each day.
Ha Giang - Day 1
You go straight from the bus to the motorcycle rental company; the two locations I know are QT Motorbike (where I hired) and Giang Son (which has a golden duck MBH).
Please keep in mind that luggage should be small and compact while going by motorcycle; do not bring a suitcase as it will bounce about on the bike and ruin everything.
- The most popular automobile is the Honda Blade; nevertheless, this type of mountain pass is a bit tough to climb, so if you know how to drive, choose Future, Exciter, or manual clutch vehicles.
- Items will be covered in plastic and secured to the vehicle’s back (as well as the front).
In terms of clothing, you should bring a 2-piece raincoat; they will be sold at the motorcycle rental location; buy two sets for each person to be safe.
You will have a better set of raincoats if you rent a car in Giang Son.
And, especially, you should prepare shoe covers ahead of time (I purchased on Shopee), because plastic shoe covers are difficult to cover all shoes, are slippery, and can be harmful.
When we reach milestone 0, we’ll be officially on our way; don’t forget to serve a bowl of pho and a cup of coffee before we begin.
Day 1 goal: Reach Dong Van as soon as possible
The first location you can see clearly (because to the large number of people parked) is Quan Ba heaven gate, however on the rainy + dew day I went, I didn’t see anything (an important reason to visit Ha Giang in a sunny day).
The Yen Minh pine forest is the next stop. When traveling to Yen Minh, choose the left fork towards the pine forest; the right fork is shorter; these two roads will intersect at one point, but the route through the pine forest is more attractive.
Everyone, the scenery is breathtaking at this point.
When you reach at Yen Minh around midday, you should stop for lunch before continuing your run; there is a very large restaurant with many cars coming in, delicious cuisine, and a wonderful scenery, so give it a try.
You’ll then see Pao’s mansion and the Vuong family’s palace before heading to Dong Van. These are tourist attractions that you should see because they are short on time.
Then you simply proceed to Dong Van. To safeguard your safety, arrive at Dong Van town before dusk.
You may try the famed black chicken hotpot here at night in Ha Giang.
Ha Giang - Day 2
This is the main day of the tour; in the morning, you can have Ha Giang rice rolls and five-color sticky rice before proceeding to the Lung Cu flagpole, Vietnam’s northernmost point.
The route past the Lung Cu flagpole is fairly easy and close; nevertheless, everyone, it’s extremely chilly because it’s moving to quite a high altitude, so you should still be fully covered in cold-resistant water clothes before beginning.
We will then return to Dong Van town for lunch before continuing on to our next destination: Ma Pi Leng, Nho Que River, and Meo Vac town. This is the most enjoyable portion of the journey.
You will descend to Meo Vac town from Ma Pi Leng, hugging the pass. However, before returning to the next town, you will halt beside the Nho Que river. Once you arrive, you will notice that this is the location of the hydropower plant. You will tour and photograph the Nho Que River by boat.
Meo Vac Clay House, located in Meo Vac Town, specialized in organizing trips for Westerners. They eat, drink, and sing extremely enthusiastically at night; because to our short travel schedule, we went to bed early (partly due to the cold nights).
Ha Giang - Day 3
We only rode motorcycles from Meo Vac to Ha Giang these days, so there’s not much to evaluate; one unique feature is that convoys frequently run in the opposite direction:))
Tips for you if you plan to travel to Ha Giang
- Ride your motorcycle as well as you can; when you receive the bike, properly inspect the brakes.
- Everything is determined by the weather, so go when it’s sunny.
- Make sure you have enough warm garments and rain gear if you go out in the rain.
- As a result, traveling in a group (3-5 automobiles) will be more enjoyable and easier to assist one another.
- Shoe covers should be as well-prepared as feasible.
- In my opinion, the most comfortable schedule is four days and three nights.
- Don’t overlook Ma Pi Leng.
Conclusion
That’s all there is to it; maybe, this honest post can assist you if you ever want to visit Ha Giang.