1. Happiness Road - Ha Giang Loop
To travel to Ha Giang is to travel the Ha Giang Loop which is actually the Happiness Road that connects Dong Van and Meo Vac through the King off All Passes – Ma Pi Leng Pass. Happy Road has a long and heroic history of itself starting from the days even before its birth. Ha Giang without a road was so remote to travel to that no one ever thought of coming to Ha Giang for tourism purposes. - car tour it good but if you can motorbike tour or ride the bike you will reall much enjoy the time for you spend stop any where you want
Many volunteers, workers from several ethnic groups had joined hands to open the toughest mountain road in Vietnam, very first road in Ha Giang. Some of them sacrificed their lives on the span of 7 years of making this road. The name of the road is also the wish for happiness that the local people here sent to the future.
Happiness Road has a total length of 185 kilometers, running from Ha Giang City to Dong Van and Meo Vac. The road was opened in year 1965.
2. Quan Ba - Heaven Gate & Twin Mountains
Quan Ba Twin Mountains are a lovely sight to behold from the road. The two round-shaped green hills lying side by side on the middle of the rice field will sure will catch your eyes because of its charming appearance.
Right near the Twin Mountains lies the Heaven Gate which is on a height of 1500m above sea level, offering breathtaking views of the valley below. It’s such a wonderful experience to take in such scenery during your trip. You can stop at Quan Ba to a quick rest before go up the winding road to Dong Van Karst Plateau.
3. Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark
Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark is the main thing to do in Ha Giang. Listed as a member of UNESCO Geopark Network, Dong Van features a vast area of limestone which covers most of the four provinces of Ha Giang. Located on the height of 1400 – 1600 meters above sea level, the geographical characteristics of Dong Van Plateau are just as dramatic as it can get with sheer mountain cliffs running to the horizon.
There’re huge mountains and deep canyons to be found here of which the highest peak is Mount Mieu Vac (1971m) and deepest canyon is Tu San (800m). The landscape at Tu San Canyon has become something you should look forward when climbing up Ma Pi Leng Pass.
One of the mysterious things in Dong Van Rock Plateau is the scripts found on many rocks – ancient letters but until now, the meanings to these letters are left unknown.
4. Meo Vac - The Pass and The Love Market
There are two things to talk about Meo Vac: Ma Pi Leng Pass and Khau Vai Love Market. Both are excellent examples of its kind – Ma Pi Leng yields to no other in its majestic beauty and Khau Vai is the most authentic love market that only happens once a year.
Held on 27th day of the third lunar calendar, Khau Vai Love Market is a festive event where the ethnic people celebrate love, meet their ex-lovers, potentials lovers and show affection. Ethnic people get dressed up for this event and turn the atmosphere very vibrant with the colorful costumes. It’s a great opportunity to travel to Ha Giang during this time.
5. Hoang Su Phi
If you think Ha Giang don't have graceful golden terraced rice fields like Sapa or Mu Cang Chai, we gladly to let you know that Hoang Su Phi in Ha Giang has some of the most dramatic and scenic terraced rice fields in Vietnam.
Hoang Su Phi is a district in the western of Ha Giang Province, at the foot of Tay Con Linh Mountain. Thanks to its geographic characteristics, coming to Hoang Su Phi during harvest season, travelers will have the chance to see the golden terraces covered in the white clouds.
The terraced fields has long been considered as the artworks of the locals' hard work and no longer just agricultural cultivation. Hoang Su Phi offers breathtaking views of layers and layers of rice fields on mountain after mountain.
*When is the best time to visit Hoang Su Phi?
Late September and October is the best time to visit and to witness the terraced fields turning golden and the hard labor of the people during harvest time.
6. Soak up the Culture in Dong Van Sunday Market
One of the must-do things to do in Dong Van is to visit the fair market that is held on every Sunday. Occupied at Dong Van Old Quarter, the market is a delightful highlight which turn the highland town vibrant and exciting from 5am to 10am every Sunday morning.
The ethnic people, including Hmong, Tay, Nung and Hoa ethnic minorities stay true to their identity and tradition by dressing with their finest costumes to attend the weekly fair market. The event is a chance for local people to purchase their tribal goods, self-grown li, socialize, and eat good foods. It’s a very local, friendly atmosphere and you’ll find yourself enjoying the market in no time. So why not set your alarm and wake up earlier to join the one of the most important fair markets in North Vietnam? You won’t be disappointed.
7. Conquer The Northernmost Point of Vietnam - Lung Cu Flagpole
Lung Cu Flag Tower is Vietnam North Pole the furthermost point to the North of Vietnam, lying close to China-Vietnam border.
The road up to Dong Van is already hard, the road up to Lung Cu flagpole is even harder, car or motorbike. Once you reach the flagpole’s entrance, you’ll have to climb almost 400 steps to reach the actually flagpole. Continue to climb some more steps, the views on the top will reward your effort.
Lung Cu is a great place to take panoramic photos of Dong Van, Ha Giang, especially the winding Happiness Road below.
Note: Foreigners visiting Lung cu Flagpole will have to get a permit. Book tour with Motorbike tours Ha Giang you won’t have to worry about this issue.
*Admission: 20,000VND per person
8. Enjoy The Night at Dong Van Old Quarte
The 100-year-old Dong Van Old Quarter is the highest old quarter in Vietnam with the typical Chinese architecture on the dramatic backdrop of sheer mountains and green rice fields. Most of the houses in the Old Quarter are Trinh Tuong Houses, lived in by Hmong, Tay, Kinh, Zao, Hoa ethnic people. These age-old houses has two floors of which the first floor often is opened for small business like restaurant or store, the second floor is used for living.The old quarter is also the place the Night of Old Quarter takes place on three nights on 14th, 15th, 16th lunar days of March. It’s when the local people hang their red lanterns, showcase their traditional brocade products, foods and perform cultural activities. It’s a great opportunity to visit Ha Giang during this time.
9. Visit Mansion of Vuong Family
The Vuong family’s mansion is just like a stone castle among the nature, protected by the high canopy of special trees in Ha Giang. The mansion itself is a masterpiece of architecture, taking 10 years of construction to finish as it’s seen nowadays. At the time the mansion was built, the amount of money spent on its expense was considered a very large sum which equalizes about 150 billion of Vietnam Dong.
Vuong mansion was built by the skillful of craftsmen who came from Yunnan (China) along with the best of the H’Mong workers. Therefore, the structure has architecture of China reign of Thanh combined with essence of the H’Mong.
*Admission: 20,000VND per person
10. Ride Motorbike on Ma Pi Leng Pass
Riding motorbike on Ma Pi Leng Pass will bring you exhilaration, that’s how beautiful the pass is. However, we only recommend those who have enough riding experience to take on the challenge because the road leading up Ma Pi Leng is no joke. It’s winding, narrow and two-way.
Ma Pi Leng means a bridge of a horse's nose, describing the shape of its shape. Have long been ranked by locals, Ma Pi Leng is among the top 4 passes in Vietnam which are both beautiful and dangerous.
How is you can not ride motorbike or scooter if it the best way to see Ha Giang Loop , you you may not worry about it any more here we are motorbike tour Ha Giang we have easy rider, we provide ha giang motorbike tour have rider for you you just sit behind with our rider, will safe for you and motorbike also can take you to the small road as car can not driver in to you will have chance to see more thing interesting
11. Take a Selfie at Tu San Canyon
Once you are on the 20-km long Ma Pi Leng Pass, make sure you know when to stop for a picture of Tu San Canyon. Why this particularly canyon is such a big deal? It’s the deepest canyon of all Dong Van Karst Plateau with the famous and poetic green Nho Que river running through its two grey cliffs.
Looking down at the canyon from the pass will blow your mind because of the grandeur of nature. Take a camera with you to capture your special moment.
12. Lung Cam Village - Highland Romance
A romantic hangout for friends and family in the middle of rock plateau. Lung Cam village is one of the best sites to visit in Ha Giang, only about 25km away from the town of Dong Van.
Lung Cam Village is also the village where the famous house of Pao in the famous movie Story of Pao is located. The house is opened for visit with admission of 10,000VND per person.
The village is nested in a very romantic valley with 61 households in total of which are 53 households of Hmong ethnic people. Coming to Lung Cam village, visitors can enjoy the idyllic landscape and the peaceful way for life of the locals.
13. Du Gia Village - Highland Romance local market & waterfall
Du Gia villages located at the deep valley of muon moutain where concentrain all of amazing landscape, some thing like waterfall, rock mountain, terrace rice paddies fields, and here Du gia villages where concentrain 10 ethenic minority live together at the same villages, also have alot of culture , famoust market day, you should come here if you do 3 days tour and also have alot of home stay, if you stay here included food just around 250 to 300.000 dong