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Hà Giang unveils its unique beauty in every season. If you're planning a 3-day, 2-night trip to Hà Giang, make sure to check out the detailed itinerary below.
Explore the detailed itinerary for a breathtaking 3-day, 2-night trip to Hà Giang for just $100 per person!
TRANSPORTATION
– If you're in Hanoi and looking to visit Hà Giang, you can pre-book tickets with Cầu Mè bus company. They offer sleeper buses for $10 per way and limousine services for $15 per way.
Contact Cầu Mè bus company at: 0219.386.2206 – 0912.033.123
– For our Hà Giang trip, we rented motorbikes from QT Motobikes. Not only do they offer rentals, but they also have a workshop for repairs and maintenance, ensuring the bikes are always in top condition and safe. They have a variety of bikes to choose from. We rented a scooter for $7/day, which includes bungee cords for luggage, helmets, nylon bags for backpacks, and staff assistance in securing luggage if needed.
– The bus arrived at 3 a.m., so QT Mobikes arranged free accommodations for everyone to rest until morning. When returning the bikes, they also provide shower facilities and resting areas while waiting for transportation. Additionally, they offer motorcycle insurance for $3/bike. If you need advice on destinations, pit stops, or itinerary planning, they're happy to assist.
Contact QT Mobikes at: 0975.278.711
ACCOMMODATION
– Night 1: We stayed at QT Mobikes. Since we rented bikes here, we were allowed to stay for free until morning to pick up our bikes. The room had bunk beds, one per person, with shared bathrooms. They provided separate towels for those who needed them.
– Night 2: For the following night, we stayed at Homestay Ancient House in Dong Van Town. This historic house is over 200 years old and located in the Old Quarter of Dong Van (city center). The rental price is $5/person/bed. Upon entering the homestay, we were impressed by the beautiful vintage decor.
Contact Ancient House Homestay (Dong Van) at: 0388.120.866
– Night 3: For our final night, we stayed at Hoa Cuong Guesthouse in Meo Vac Town. A room with up to 4 double beds (accommodating at least 8 people) is only $30/night. The bathroom is spacious and comfortable, equipped with towels, bath sponges, toothbrushes, and hairdryers.
ACTIVITIES
The total length of the Hà Giang tour route: Approximately 500km, forming a circular path.
Day 1: Hà Giang City – Quan Ba Heaven's Gate – Twin Mountains Quan Ba – Yen Minh Pine Forest – Yen Minh – Tham Ma Pass – House of Pao – Vuong Family Mansion (King of the H'Mong) – Dong Van Town
– The distance from Hà Giang City to Dong Van is about 140km. The road is quite beautiful, with many winding mountainous stretches, so be sure to observe carefully and drive cautiously. Along the way, we'll pass through Bac Sum Pass Heaven's Gate, Quan Ba Heaven's Gate, Yen Minh Pine Forest, Twin Mountains Quan Ba, Tham Ma Pass, House of Pao, and Vuong Family Mansion (King of the H'Mong).
– On the first day, make sure to head quickly to Tham Ma Pass, House of Pao, Vuong Family Mansion, and Dong Van Town before nightfall. Night falls quickly here, so by 5 p.m., you'll need to turn on your headlights and drive slowly because it gets dark.
Day 2: Dong Van Town – Don Cao – Lung Cu Flagpole – Dong Van – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Death Valley – Panorama Café – Tu San Alley (Boat ride on the Nho Que River) – Meo Vac
– We still decided to wake up at 5 a.m., freshen up, pack our belongings, leave them in the room, and then climb up to Don Cao to watch the sunrise. Don Cao is a mountain located right in Dong Van Old Town, and it only takes a 30-45-minute hike to reach the top. Sitting on the summit of Don Cao, you'll have a panoramic view of Dong Van Town, enjoy the sunrise, and breathe in the incredibly fresh air. I highly recommend it.
– Then we set off to Lung Cu Flagpole for check-in. The road to Lung Cu is quite rough, with lots of dust and potholes due to heavy traffic. After about 2km, look to your right, and you'll see a hill covered with buckwheat flowers. This is the most beautiful buckwheat hill I've seen here.
– From Dong Van, continue on to Ma Pi Leng Pass. Along this pass, you'll check in at various points: Death Valley, a viewpoint overlooking the Nho Que River, Panorama Café, and Tu San Alley (boat ride on the Nho Que River). Along the way, you'll come across A Pao Café on your right, where the road splits into two directions. If you're not afraid to climb up to Death Valley, take the upper road (marked with a sign saying “Ma Pi Leng Pass”). After about 2-3km, you'll reach Death Valley. After checking in, return to the old intersection, take the lower road to reach the next points.
– After taking photos, continue to Panorama Café. The entrance fee is $2.50 (includes a drink). This is a great spot for beautiful photos overlooking the Nho Que River. After taking photos here, head down to the pier for a boat ride on the Nho Que River (check-in at Tu San Alley).
Contact to book boat rides on the Nho Que River: 0865.325.666
Day 3: Meo Vac – M Pass – Mau Due – Du Gia – Hà Giang City
– We took the route back via Mau Due – Du Gia towards Hà Giang, the scenery was stunning and retained its pristine beauty. I would rate this as the most beautiful route in this Hà Giang trip, even more so than the Ma Pi Leng Pass. However, the road from Du Gia to Hà Giang has many rough sections. Everyone, please drive slowly.
– By the time we reached Hà Giang, it was already evening. We returned to QT Mobikes for showers, personal hygiene, dinner, and at 8:45, we boarded the bus back to Hanoi. The trip concludes.
FOOD AND DRINK IN HÀ GIANG
Day 1:
– Roadside pho restaurant (40k/bowl). The pho is quite delicious, especially with the pickled bamboo shoots, which are amazing.
– Lunch at Cuong Thu restaurant in Yen Minh. Only 350k for 6 people.
– For dinner, try the black chicken hotpot at Thach Son Quan Cuisine right in the Old Quarter. It's also the first time I've had triangular buckwheat flowers. They have a sour, sweet, crispy taste that I really enjoyed. This hotpot is priced at 750k for 6 people.
Day 2:
– Enjoy colorful sticky rice.
– Visit A Pao Café.
– For dinner, we grilled at Quyet Hang restaurant (Opposite the central market in Meo Vac Town). The food wasn't exceptional, and the wait was too long. The service was very slow, but they were quick at billing. You might want to try other restaurants. This dinner cost us 690k.
Day 3:
– I had breakfast at Huong Han restaurant (near the central market). They serve everything from noodles, pho, to bun cha. I tried the bun cha set and it was quite delicious. The total cost for breakfast for the whole group was 350k.
– For lunch, we stopped by Binh Ban Du Gia restaurant. This lunch cost us 420k. After lunch, we went to High Bar café across the street for coffee and some rest. The café is very charming, I didn't expect to find such a cute spot here. The total cost for drinks was 225k.
– In the evening, we had the most delicious hotpot at Viet Hoa hotpot restaurant on 886 Double Road (opposite QT Mobikes). The food was delicious, and the service was very fast. The cost for dinner was 780k.
IMPORTANT NOTES
– It's advisable to carry a backpack instead of a suitcase. We need to tie our luggage throughout the journey. If you bring a suitcase, it will be difficult to tie, and if you force it, the suitcase might get damaged.
– You can ride a motorbike up to near the top of Lung Cu Flagpole via the electric car route. It's not necessary to park your motorbike at the foot of the flagpole to take the electric car.
– On the way from Hà Giang City to Đồng Văn, you'll pass through Cán Tỷ Bridge, where there are 2 roads. The lower road is the old one, and the upper road is the new one. This new road will significantly shorten the distance from Hà Giang to Đồng Văn with breathtaking scenery.
– At Tu San Alley, skip the first alley and head down to the boat at the second alley.
– If you're not climbing the Death Valley rock, you don't need to take the road with the sign “Ma Pi Leng Pass”
– Taking photos with the children at various spots is free. But if possible, consider giving them some sweets.
– It's advisable to keep some dry food like bread, sausages, fruits... to eat along the way. Because we never know when we'll take a break, and rest stops are often on mountain roads where there might not be food available.
– If you're renting a motorbike, it's best not to bring a suitcase, just bring a backpack.
– On the first day, try to reach Đồng Văn quickly before it gets dark. Limit unnecessary photo stops.
– The road from Meo Vac to Hà Giang is rough, with many intersections. It's best to follow Google Maps for the right direction. Stick together with the group, avoiding separation as it's easy to get lost.
– Taking photos with buckwheat flowers always costs money. You won't see anyone collecting fees when you enter, but they'll be ready to collect when you leave.
The total cost for this trip is 2 million per person. It's incredibly cheap for an experiential journey and exploration of the homeland's frontier region.
By John Doe
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Reference: Travel Guide by Wanderlust.com
Wanderlust.comJune 22, 2021
