Ha Giang Loop Travel Guide

One of my absolute favorite destinations to date is the route of the Ha Giang Loop in Northern Vietnam. Experiencing serene densely populated and lively villages, rolling mountains with terraced rice fields, nature that is still somehow untouched, and the local people who will leave you with a time in Vietnam you’ll never forget.

I could argue that riding towards Ha Giang is comparable to our adventurous exploration of Nothern Thailand!

This is one place that you will be able to get a truly local experience. You get to stay with local families in small villages. You get to have conversations through google translator or in very broken English. Cheers with several shots of happy water with smiles only. And sleep in a room with just a bed on the floor. This may not be the most glamorous trip, but it surely will be your most memorable.

This was so authentic, just like our whole trip to Laos which is just across the border!

In this guide, I will provide you with everything you need to know before going on the Ha Giang Loop. It will prepare you for things you didn't expect, add places that you wouldn't have seen otherwise, and make sure you are packed appropriately. So here we go!

A full 4-5 day Ha Giang Loop itinerary

I, unfortunately, did the Ha Giang loop in 3 days, but I would highly recommend you plan to do 4-5 days. This is not an area to rush through.

There are so many things to do and see, people to meet along the way, and “happy water” to drink with your homestay family.

So pick and choose what is best for you, but this is the perfect itinerary in my eyes! If you’re looking for the perfect way to make an itinerary, check out my blog post here!

First things first, Ha Giang is located about 8 - 10 hours (300km) north of the capital city of Hanoi by bus.

Some people just take a bus and rent scooters in Ha Giang but more confident drivers drive all the way after exploring chaotic Hanoi.

Day 1: Stay in Ha Giang

When you arrive at the beginning of the Ha Giang loop, you should plan to stay somewhere for one night. This will give you time to plan for your next 4 days and relax before the madness!

Where to stay:

There are several places to stay that will be helpful for your journey. However, I would highly recommend staying at Green Hill Hostel (this is more of a homestay than a hostel). We stayed here and literally didn't leave. They have a restaurant with amazing food, fast wifi, comfortable accommodations, the most amazing coconut coffee, free bicycles and nice motorbikes for rent. Not only that, but they are also located right on the route to the loop. They provide tours if you don't feel comfortable doing the loop yourself as well.

Another accommodation highly recommended by other tourists is Bong Hostel. This one books pretty quickly since it is recommended by all the blogs, so if your heart is set on staying here I'd recommend booking it ASAP.

Day 2: Start your journey

Today you will start your journey, however, if you don't have an international driver's license, you actually won't begin until 11:30 am or, you can set out around 6 am to avoid the police.

Police set up shop right before the loop begins trying to catch tourists without international drivers licenses and make them pay an insane fee of 1 million Dong... it's crazy. SO, to avoid this, make sure you start before 7 am, between 11:30-1 pm (their lunch break), or after 5 pm.

You will start along the route towards Quan Ba, a small remote village that feels very untouched. It takes around 1 1/2 hours to reach, without stopping, which you will do several times!

Things to see on day 1 to mark on your map:

Doc Bac Sum: The first big turned uphill road you will do. Take a stop at the top to gaze out at what's beyond!
Heaven's Gate: I feel like I'm going to repeat myself here, but this is another viewpoint with windy roads. Make a stop and enjoy the view.
Fairy Mountain: A stunning viewpoint of all the ginormous mountains next to one another. This is one you don't want to miss out on.
Lung Khuy Cave: A cool cave that you will need to pay a small fee to enter. We didn’t end up going because we were going to see other caves throughout Vietnam, but if you aren’t, this could be one to visit.

Note: don't be afraid to make a lot of stops, but cautiously. Use your blinker and make sure you are checking your blind spot before pulling off. It's pretty difficult to tell where all these spots are when driving.

Where to stay:

There were a few accommodations on our list, but we actually went with Toong Homestay, which we ended up finding driving around the village.

The host and his family (wife, daughter, mom and dad), were so kind and wonderful. The room and bed I will say were not the most comfortable, but that was part of the experience of staying in the village.

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Day 3: Getting to Dong Van

Today you will head to Dong Van, which will take around 3 hours without stops. However, we took several stops, starting around 9 am, and didn't get to Dong Van until around 5 pm! There is just so much to see along the route.

Things to see on day 2 to mark on your map:

Tham Ma Slope: An S-shaped road that is very insta famous for its cool viewpoint from above.
Dong Van Karst Plateau: Just past the Tham Ma Slope is the Plateau that is just an incredible view of the mountains that look like a bunch of huge ant hills together.
Sung LaDinh Vua Meo - Hmong King's Mansion: While I didn't go here, I was told about this along our route as a "hidden gem".
Lots of insane views along the way: Don't be afraid to pull over to enjoy the views. There are seriously so many viewpoints that aren't on the map. Make your own way!
Yen Minh Pine Forest: I wish we left ourselves more time to explore here. But this forest is just flowing with trees and it reminded me a bit of home (USA).

Where to stay

We loved staying at Dong Van Hmong Homestay (unfortunately not on booking.com). It is a bit more remote and outside of the town, which made it more quiet and fun. Don't worry, you can put it right into google maps and it will lead you there (have the offline map downloaded beforehand!). There were plenty of people staying there, making the family dinner at night very enjoyable. We actually ended up meeting some of them in various places throughout Vietnam afterwards!

Note: It is a little confusing about how to get here. Off the main road, there will be a sign that says Hmong Homestay, so you will take this little path on your motorbike down.

Day 4: Drive the bumpy road to Du Gia

This is one day I highly recommend you to take your time as it was honestly one of my favorite scenic days. I regretted speeding through the trip so much this day because there were so many places to stop and take in the views that we didn’t have time for. Spend the full day exploring the eastern side of the loop, including Meo Vac and plan to drive until you get to Du Gia.

However, if you aren't short on time and want to extend your trip, you can also plan to stay in Meo Vac, THEN Du Gia the next day. Meo Vac has plenty of beautiful scenic places to visit and explore, and a place I wouldn't look over. A lot of travelers tend to skip this area.

Things to see on day 3 to mark on the map:

Pai Lung Cave: This cave you will see as you are driving along the Ma Pi Leng Pass. It is a ginormous cave in the center of one of the mountains. You can't miss it!
Ma Pi Leng Skywalk: As cool as this was, the drive is very sketchy. The views are stunning, but I would personally park my bike and walk the pass.
If you drive up just a little way you will arrive at a small village. I am going to recommend paying the small fee which is really nothing to us foreigners and everything to the local people.
Several people parked along the street, but if we can help out by paying $.75, then I think we can manage. Don't you?!
Trollunga - Mapileng Peak: When you get up to the top of the skywalk, you will arrive at a peak. This has another small rock hanging out of the cliff, which is petrifying, so I didn't do it. But if you're a daredevil, like my boyfriend, then this might be for you.
Ma Pi Leng Pass & Viewpoint: This is the mountain pass you will drive along which has the coolest views of the windy road that you will drive along!

Where to stay in Du Gia:

Although we, unfortunately, didn't stay here (because we were dumb and tried rushing back), the place we were planning to stay was Du Gia Homestay. This was recommended by everyone we met with great ratings.

Day 5: Drive back to Ha Giang

Day 5 is a sad sad day as it's your last one (unless you want to continue on) exploring the loop.

From Du Gia, I'd recommend driving up DT181 to have a nice new scenic drive through the mountains.

The drive back through DT176 (the "faster" way on google maps) is supposed to be a very bad road, so it’s best to go back the way you came from Ha Giang.

However, check with your hostel as they may know how the conditions are when you go.

Nervous to do the Ha Giang loop alone? You don’t have to!

While we opted to drive ourselves, a lot of people don't know how to drive a motorbike or are nervous too. Or maybe you are traveling alone and want to be with a group!

Don’t stress about having to do it alone, as there are plenty of tours that you can do. You can either ride your own motorbike or get on the back of a local driver with the tour group.

We met several people who did both, and all were really happy with their tours. This also allows you to enjoy the scenery a bit more too. Locals also know the good locations to go to throughout the journey! AND it helps support them as well.

Additional tips to consider for the Ha Giang Loop

There are some additional key tips that you should remember while traveling the Ha Giang Loop. Here are a few to take note of.

If you do not have your international driver’s license, plan to go before 7 am, between 11:30-1 pm or after 5 pm. There is a police stopping point where they will fine you if you don’t have an international driver’s license.
If you haven't left for your trip yet, I'd highly recommend getting your international driver’s license before you go. It will save you money and stress!
Do not drive at night if possible. It is extremely dangerous. The roads are very windy and steep, and large trucks are often driving during the night. It’s best to stick with driving when there is sunlight.
Don't be afraid to go off of the main road and explore. There are tons of villages in the mountains and other scenic points that the map doesn't include.
Download the app Maps.Me as an offline map that includes places from other travelers including hidden waterfalls, restaurants, and places to stay.
Also, make sure to download google offline maps while you have service. Cell phone service can cut in and out while you are on the road, so it’s good to have an offline version to fall back on.
When drinking happy water with one person, shake hands afterwards. Yes, you will be drinking plenty of happy water with your host family. But also be wary of getting too intoxicated. Not only will it be a miserable ride the next day, but also it is not appropriate, especially for women, to get too drunk in the Vietnamese culture. Respect their culture.

The Ha Giang loop is a trip to remember, and one place you should not skip during your trip to Vietnam. I cannot wait to hear how you take this itinerary and make it yours. Especially if there are any additional hidden gems you may find! Don’t forget to take roads that aren’t on the direct route and explore off the beaten path. You may find rural villages, kind people, delicious local food or even hidden waterfalls. Make this trip your very own.

About the Author:

Kelsey from The Tiny Traveler Blog is a New England based travel blogger writing about her adventures throughout the globe. Her ultimate goal is to inspire others to step out of their comfort zone to see the world. She does this by being upfront with trip costs, how to save and budget, and helpful travel itineraries.

When she’s not traveling, you’ll find her photographing adventurous couples, crushing pancakes smothered in real maple syrup, or reading a good self-love book. You can find her on Facebook or Instagram.

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