Trek to Ha Giang, how to succeed on your journey?

A very special region where pink flowers and greyish limestones, breath-taking slopes and magnificent terraced rice fields intermingle, Ha Giang has everything to satisfy trekking enthusiasts. It is also the only place in Vietnam where one meets the rocky fence surrounding the Hmong house, and where the culture of living in the heart of the rocks continues.

Ha Giang Guide 2019

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Location

At an altitude between 800 and 1,200 metres and located in the northern region, Ha Giang province is made up of dizzying massifs, several mountains of which are more than 2,000 metres high. In the middle of its wild forests lie hidden caves like Tung Ba, Lung Ma in Vi Xuyen, Tung Vai in Quan Ba, Hang May and Sang Tung in Dong Van.

In particular, the Dong Van limestone plateau of Ha Giang is the first in Vietnam to be recognized by Unesco as a global geological park due to its exceptional values.

Weather in Ha Giang

Due to its geographic nature, Ha Giang has two distinct seasons. The rainy season lasts between May and October and the dry season is between November and April. It is warmest in Ha Giang for two months in June and July with an average temperature of around 27°C. Please note that there is a high risk of precipitation and even torrential floods in the mountains, especially between June and August.

From October, it is cool during the day with the sun at noon, cold at night and the temperature can reach 10 and 13°C in the Dong Van plateau.

November is the start of winter with the present risk of drizzle. The temperature drops to 9.10°C and even 4.5°C at night.

The months of December and January mark a pungent cold. There’s a possibility to see the snow falling in the Dong Van plateau.

When to go to Ha Giang?

Ha Giang can be visited all year round for a fairly pleasant climate. It is better to refer to the specifics of each period to know when to leave.

January and February, the spring holiday season for ethnic groups in Ha Giang, where colourful traditional games take place and attract many visitors.

March, peach and plum blossoms are in bloom

April, Khau Vai Love Market

The Khau Vai lovers' market held on the 27th of the 3rd lunar month is a long-awaited meeting of lovers in colourful ethnic costumes from different hamlets.

May, bucolic painting of the flooded season

If some areas are shimmered in April while others, much later, in July, the rice fields of Ha Giang are normally watered by the rains between May and June when transplanting is in full swing. The wild landscape is also worth seeing.

Between June and August, the beautiful summer sun is at the rendezvous

You can consider taking sublime photos of the limestone plateau under a bright sun. In the middle of the rainy season, Ha Giang also experiences a significant number of rainy days.

September and October, picturesque scenery of the harvest season

The smell of ripe rice awaits you from the end of September until October to enjoy a breath-taking natural spectacle from the rice terraces of Ha Giang.

November, buckwheat flower season

Nobody knows since when the small buckwheat flowers along with the limestone rocks become emblematic of Ha Giang and the November marks the meeting with the meadows of buckwheat.

December, mustard flower season

You will meet the mustard fields in bloom along the roads of Quyet Tien, Pho Cao and Sung La.

How to get to Ha Giang?

Found about 300 km from Hanoi, Ha Giang is accessible by motorbike or bus, as you wish.

+ By motorbike, between 8 and 10 hours of driving
+ By bus with berth: from My Dinh bus station, Hanoi, around 6 hours drive, the ticket price varies between 260,000 and 300,000 VND.

Option 1: Route Hanoi - Ha Giang (291km) via national road 2, around 6 h 20 min drive

Option 2: Route Hanoi - Ha Giang (311 km) via national road 32, around 7 hours drive.

From the city, start your trek at Ha Giang towards the remote mountain districts. Fancy a motorcycle adventure? The two wheels for rent are available with prices from 200,000 VND per day.

           >> Read more: Hanoi - Ha Giang: How to get to Ha Giang from Hanoi?

Unmissable sites to visit in Ha Giang

The Dong Van limestone plateau

Head to the Dong Van limestone plateau to explore the world geological park, located about 150 kilometres from Ha Giang city. Covering four districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac, it will impress you with a particular relief constituting an endless rocky forest of unique geological value.

This land will still surprise you with the extraordinary adaptability of the ethnic groups who live and cultivate corn in the middle of steep rocks.

The Vuong family palace

Surrounded by lush greenery, this setting with remarkable architecture is a fabulous heritage of the family of the King of the Hmong. This majestic work tells you the anecdotes linked to its construction and its mystical history for almost a century.

     >> To read more: The most beautiful setting for the Hmong King in Ha Giang

Lung Cu flag tower, the northernmost point of Vietnam

Climbing the northernmost point means 385 stone steps to climb before 140 additional ones set in a spiral. Admire the 54 square metres flag-waving representing 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups while enjoying a spectacular view of the entire region from the Lung Cu flag tower.

The Hanh Phuc road or Happiness Road

The vertiginous loops constituting the 20 kilometres of this road are the fruit of six years of work (1959-1965) deploying young volunteers from 16 ethnic groups from eight northern provinces. The road crossing the Ma Pi Leng pass alone required eleven months of risky work.

Ma Pi Leng pass

An obligatory passage of the adventurous ones by roaming the mountains of the north, Ma Pi Leng pass is named one of the Kings' passes of Tonkin, with O Quy Ho, Khau Pha and Pha Din.

Dong Van Old Quarter

In the middle of the limestone mountains reveals a small district where peace reigns, Dong Van old district, a must-visit place in Ha Giang. You can walk along the houses with the architecture typical of the ethnic groups of Hmong, Tay and Nung. which have hardly changed for two hundred years. You will also have the opportunity to meet the locals and immerse yourself in the nearby Dong Van market.

Quan Ba twin mountains

From Quan Ba Sky Gate, 46 km from the city, let’s admire the magical scenery offered by the twin mountains, which are also called fairy mountains for their mythical form. Emerging onto the green fields and endowed with a Da Lat climate but set in Ha Giang, this place is undoubtedly a stopover as magnificent as it is pleasant.

Hoang Su Phi rice terraces

Classified as a national natural heritage in 2012, Hoang Su Phi rice terraces represent above all a great achievement of ethnic farmers conquering the mountains. Fields renew themselves with the seasons to delight hikers and photography lovers alike.

Popular dishes from Ha Giang

Before leaving, do not hesitate to try some typical Ha Giang flavours, the most popular of which are:

- Small egg pancake in Dong Van old district 
- Buckwheat cake
- Thang co soup or horse offal or beef offal soup
- Au Tau porridge
- Smoked Chinese sausage
- Steamed sticky rice with five colours

Where to stay in Ha Giang?

It is possible to find accommodation in the districts of Quan Ba, Dong Van and Meo Vac by choosing the hotel or homestay for a reasonable cost.

The price of homestay varies between 70,000 and 150,000 VND day per person

The hotel price is between 200,000 and 500,000 VND day per person

All the articles to see before leaving

>> 4 seasons in Ha Giang

>> 6 typical foods of Ha Giang

>> What to buy in Ha Giang

>> Ha Giang Travel Guide

>> The forgotten ancient village in Dong Van - Ha Giang

>> An insight into ethnic minority groups in Ha Giang

>> Places you must see in Ha Giang

>> Visit Ha Giang during the buckwheat season

>> The most beautiful setting for the Hmong King in Ha Giang

>> Lolo Chai, a legendary village on the Dong Van plateau

>> The mountain markets in Ha Giang, colours of the karst mountains

>> Thien Huong, a century-old village forgotten in Dong Van

>> Meeting Tay people at Tha village in Ha Giang

>> How to visit Ha Giang in 3 days?

>> The old Dong Van district, a jewel in the middle of the karst plateaus

>> How to visit Ha Giang in 3 days?

>> Thien Huong, a century-old village forgotten in Dong Van

>> Ha Giang Vietnam: Top 10 things to see and do

>> 3 days trek in Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang

>> Trekking Hoang Su Phi - Ha Giang in 3, 4, 5, 6 to 7 days, what to do?

>> Visit Ha Giang in 3, 4 or 5 days, what to see and do?