Embarking on a One-Day Trip to Yen Tu

The Yen Tu Temple Festival extends until the end of the third lunar month, offering travelers the opportunity to explore the scenery, historical relics, and temple vistas here in just one day.

Embarking on a One-Day Trip to Yen Tu

Mount Yen Tu, standing at 1,068 meters above sea level in the Dong Trieu mountain range of Northeast Vietnam, straddles the border of Bac Giang and Quang Ninh provinces. The total length of the road to the summit of Yen Tu (Dong Pagoda) is about 6,000 meters, requiring approximately 6 hours of continuous trekking through thousands of stone steps, mountainous forest paths... Despite the availability of two cable car routes serving tourists visiting the temple and attending religious ceremonies, many still seek to challenge themselves with the hiking journey.

The Yen Tu Temple Festival

Yen Tu hosts a Spring Festival, usually held annually starting from the 10th day of the first lunar month and lasting until the end of the third lunar month.

Best Time to Visit

The ideal duration for a trip is one day and one night. Visiting during festivals can be crowded (especially in January), while other days offer a serene and refreshing atmosphere at Yen Tu.

Route

You can travel to Yen Tu by motorbike, car (individually), or bus. For those coming from Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, traveling by motorbike is the most convenient option.

From Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh directions, simply head to Uong Bi (at the intersection of National Highway 10 and National Highway 8, then turn left towards Den Trinh, after which, turn left again and drive 10 km to Yen Tu).

From Hanoi direction, go to Bac Ninh on National Highway 18, then drive straight to Den Trinh. From here, turn left and drive 10 km to Yen Tu.

Travelers departing from Hanoi typically opt for group tours or purchase day trips to Yen Tu, or take coaches. You can catch a coach to Cam Pha, Mong Cai... from Hanoi, and ask the driver to drop you off at Trinh Temple on Highway 18. Then, take the 16-seater bus operated by Tung Lam Company directly from Highway 18 to the foot of Yen Tu Mountain (10 km) for a fare of 20,000 VND per person. Alternatively, you can take the regular bus for 10,000 VND per person per trip.

Essential Items to Bring

Money: Carry an adequate amount of cash to avoid potential theft, especially during peak tourist seasons.

Footwear: Opt for sports shoes (such as Bata) or hiking boots instead of office shoes. The paths involve stone steps, some sections require hiking, and visitors can leave their shoes or rent sandals at the mountain's base.

Backpack: Since it's a day trip, bring a small, lightweight backpack to carry a minimal amount of food and water.

Clothing: Wear lightweight, warm clothing and consider bringing a light jacket to tie around your waist or pack in your backpack for climbing.

Water: It's advisable to purchase two 500ml bottles or one 1.5-liter bottle to bring along for the journey, as water on the mountain is significantly more expensive.

Food: You can pack some lunch items such as milk bread, pate bread, sticky rice... Additionally, you can have lunch on the mountain with sausages, corn, potatoes, pho... although the prices are higher than usual.

Walking Stick: If you're hiking, consider buying a bamboo stick at the foot of the mountain for 5,000 VND. With this stick, you'll conserve energy, especially on the descent, preventing knee pain.

Attractions at Yen Tu

Trinh Temple: a place to visit before ascending Yen Tu.

Truc Lam Yen Tu Monastery: a place for Buddhist monks and practitioners to meditate. Similar to a university campus, it's not a place for worship, but you can visit before climbing the mountain.

Guilt Redemption Bridge and Temple: where concubines and court ladies of King Tran Nhan Tong are worshipped. Out of deep love for the king, desiring his return to the court, these ladies threw themselves into the stream and drowned.

Hue Quang Tower: where a portion of King Tran Nhan Tong's remains are kept; the rest is revered at the Tran Temple in Nam Dinh province.

Hoa Yen Pagoda: the central and largest temple in the Yen Tu relic area. In ancient times, Hoa Yen Pagoda was where the Buddha preached.

One-Roof Pagoda: a place of worship for Quan The Am Bodhisattva, with a refreshing water spring nearby.

Bao Sai Pagoda: where the Buddha attained Nirvana.

Van Tieu Pagoda: a place of meditation for Buddhist monks.

An Ky Sinh and the statue of King Tran Nhan Tong Buddha: a stone statue of a monk and a very large bronze statue of King Buddha.

Dong Pagoda: the tallest pagoda at the mountain peak.

Itinerary for Sightseeing: Monastery – Guilt Redemption Bridge – Guilt Redemption Temple – Hoa Yen Pagoda – One-Roof Pagoda – Bao Sai Pagoda – An Ky Sinh and the statue of King Tran Nhan Tong – Dong Pagoda – An Ky Sinh – Bao Sai Pagoda (via cable car) – Hoa Yen Pagoda – Guilt Redemption Temple – descend to the parking lot.

Prices for Services at Yen Tu

Price for 16-seater bus ticket from Trinh Temple to Yen Tu: 20,000 VND per trip.

Price for electric car ticket from parking lot to the mountain base: 10,000 VND per trip.

Private Bedrooms: from 150,000 to 500,000 VND per room.

Dormitory Beds: from 100,000 to 180,000 VND per bed.

Restaurant Services: from 40,000 to 80,000 VND per meal (both vegetarian and regular options available).

Yen Tu Cable Car Ticket Prices

If taking the cable car, it's advisable to purchase tickets for both ways. Even with the cable car, you'll still need to hike about 200 meters to reach the An Ky Sinh statue. Many prefer hiking up to Dong Pagoda and then taking a one-way cable car down. Avoid purchasing midway as the prices are higher.

Route 1 (Guilt Redemption – Hoa Yen): One way 120,000 VND per person – Round trip 200,000 VND per person

Route 2 (One-Roof – An Ky Sinh): One way 120,000 VND per person – Round trip 200,000 VND per person

Both Routes: One way 120,000 VND per route per person – Round trip: 280,000 VND per person

Note: Free tickets for children under 6 years old (height under 1.2 meters), elderly over 70 years old (with valid ID), monks, and veterans (with ID card).

Cable Car Service Hours:

Festival season (from the 1st to the 3rd lunar month): from 5am to 8pm daily.

Off-peak season (from the 4th to the 12th lunar month): from 7am to 6pm daily.

Source: Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour