Travel to Ha Giang – Ha Giang is a stunning destination in Northern Vietnam, boasting majestic landscapes and unique cultural experiences. To ensure a fantastic trip, we provide important tips for traveling to Ha Giang.
1. About Ha Giang
Ha Giang is a province in Northeast Vietnam. It shares its borders with Cao Bang province to the east, Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces to the west, Tuyen Quang province to the south, and the People’s Republic of China to the north. Ha Giang has a natural area of 7,884.37 square kilometers, with the widest point stretching 115 km from west to east and 137 km from north to south.
At the northernmost point of Ha Giang’s territory, also the northernmost point of the country, located about 3 km east of Lung Cu, is latitude 23°13’00”. The westernmost point is about 10 km southwest of Xin Man, with a longitude of 104°24’05”. The easternmost point, located about 16 km southeast of Meo Vac, has a longitude of 105°30’04”.
2. When is the best time to visit Hà Giang?
You can visit Hà Giang at any time of the year. People often come to Hà Giang during the harvest season of golden rice in autumn. The most beautiful time is from October to December when the buckwheat flowers or mustard fields are in full bloom. In spring, apricot and plum blossoms turn the forest white, making you feel like you’re floating on clouds.
In May, the terraced fields are flooded with water. In June and July, many people miss out on Hà Giang due to sudden summer rains. However, thanks to this humidity, the mountains and forests here are covered with a lush green that will captivate your heart.
3. Destination for a trip to Ha Giang
Lung Khuy Cave
Lung Khuy Cave, the most beautiful cave in Ha Giang, is the first destination you should explore on your upcoming self-sufficient travel journey. From Tam Son town, Quan Ba district, you drive about 5km to get to Lung Khuy Cave. After arriving, you leave your car and walk into the cave to witness the pristine beauty of the cave, which is millions of years old.
When entering the inside of Lung Khuy Cave, a deep cave more than 1,000m long appears in front of you. The most impressive point of Lung Khuy Cave that adventurers want you to observe carefully is the system of various-shaped stalactites and stalagmites, and the enormous dark yellow stone columns. In addition, Lung Khuy Cave is also associated with a romantic myth about the love of a Hmong couple.
Lung Cu Flag Tower
Located at an altitude of 1,600m above sea level, Lung Cu Flag Tower is a tourist destination with many spiritual meanings of the ethnic people. The flagpole marks the northernmost milestone and the border with China. From the location of the flagpole, you can admire the beautiful scenery of the valley, hills and mountains in Ha Giang.
Dong Van Old Quarter
Dong Van Old Quarter is one of the tourist destinations that you cannot miss in the list of experiences when visiting Ha Giang. Although the old quarter is not as spacious as Hoi An Old Quarter, it owns unique houses of 100-300 years old with a distinctive architecture combining the architecture of the mountainous ethnic people and Chinese architecture. Coming to Dong Van Old Quarter, you not only admire the impressive old houses but also participate in highland market areas and enjoy a cup of strong coffee in the highland of Ha Giang.
(Nguồn: Internet)
Sung La Valley – Lung Cam Cultural Village
Sung La Valley (Dong Van) – where Lung Cam Cultural Village is located – has become more well-known in recent years through the film “Story of Pao”. This place always appears with a simple and quiet landscape of the people and the “sharp-cornered” beauty of the Trinh Tuong stone houses.
Hoang Su Phi
Hoang Su Phi is about 50km from Ha Giang city. This is a highland border district that attracts many adventurous tourists. The reason is that the road here is quite dangerous. The best time to come to Hoang Su Phi is during the flood season. May is the beginning of the new crop season, so people are busy going to the fields. September is the time when the rice terraces turn yellow, making the scenery here more beautiful.
4. Means of transportation when traveling to Ha Giang
4.1. Means of transportation to Ha Giang
* Traveling by motorbike
The “backpacking” road from Hanoi to Ha Giang by motorbike takes about 6-7 hours and has 2 routes:
Route 1 through Vinh Phuc:
Starting from Hanoi, head towards Nhat Tan Bridge, then onto Vo Chi Cong – Vinh Ngoc road. After traveling 15km on Vo Nguyen Giap road, turn right onto National Highway 2A. Continue along the highway to Vinh Yen city (Vinh Phuc province), then turn left onto National Highway 2C. From there, go towards Tuyen Quang city to get to Viet Quang town (Ha Giang province).
Route 2 through Phu Tho:
This route is longer than the previous one by about 7km but it’s easier. From Hanoi, head onto Thang Long Avenue. After 27km, turn onto National Highway 21. Continue for another 20km and then turn onto National Highway 32. Travel along the highway towards Trung Ha Bridge, pass through Phu Tho commune to National Highway 2C. From this point onwards, it is similar to Route 1, heading towards Tuyen Quang city, passing through Viet Quang town to reach Ha Giang.
Regardless of which route you choose, the road to Ha Giang is quite winding and dangerous. Therefore, make sure you have a steady hand on the handlebars and experience in riding long distance or mountain roads to ensure a safe trip to Ha Giang.
(Nguồn: Internet)
* Traveling by car
Passenger car:
There are many reputable bus companies such as Hung Thanh, Bang Phan, Quang Nghi, and Hai Van at My Dinh bus station, with a variety of trips from 16:00 – 21:00 for you to choose from. Ticket prices range from 200,000 – 300,000 VND/bed. To save time, you can choose a late-night trip to sleep and arrive at your destination in the morning.
Note: If you are from the South or Central region, you can ask the bus company to pick you up at Noi Bai intersection (near Noi Bai airport) to save travel time.
Limousine car:
Limousine car tickets are more expensive than bus tickets since it’s a private 9-seat vehicle. The average ticket price ranges from 250,000 – 350,000 VND/ticket. If you are traveling in a group of more than 8 people, you can consider renting the entire car with prices ranging from 2,800,000 – 3,500,000 VND, which is both cost-saving and provides private space while being flexible in pick-up/drop-off time.
To quickly and easily book tickets for your Ha Giang trip with a variety of vehicle options to choose from, please visit the Travel – Transportation section on the MoMo app and don’t forget to keep up with the latest promotions!
4.2. Transportation in Ha Giang
Renting a motorbike:
Due to the continuous hills, narrow roads, and sharp turns in Ha Giang, motorbikes are the most popular means of transportation among tourists. There are many motorbike rental services in Ha Giang, but to ensure safety when conquering this rugged terrain, it is important to choose a new motorbike, registered within 2 years, and not to be too hasty to rent a cheap one for 20,000 – 30,000 VND, as the quality can vary greatly.
Traveling by taxi:
Choosing a taxi helps groups of friends or families have more flexible and proactive experiences in terms of time and location. Additionally, you can also hire a driver who doubles as a dedicated “consultant” for interesting destinations and local cuisine that few tourists know about. There are many taxi companies in Ha Giang to choose from, such as Mai Linh Taxi (Hotline: 0219 3 25 25 25), Thanh Cong Taxi (Hotline: 0219 3 826 826), and Ha Giang Taxi (Hotline: 0219 3 82 82 82) with prices equivalent to those in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
5. Where to stay in Ha Giang?
Right now, you can refer to and book rooms at many reputable Ha Giang hotels on Traveloka. Check out the TOP reputable hotels in Ha Giang below:
Phoenix Hotel Ha Giang: No. 92 T Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Trai Ward, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang
Cao Nguyen Hotel: No. 297 Tran Phu, Minh Khai Ward, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang
Duc Lan Hotel – 143 Tran Hung Dao Street, Nguyen Trai Ward, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang
Truong Xuan Resort – Km5, Nguyen Van Linh Street, Quang Trung Ward, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang
Dinh Gia Hotel – QL2, near No. 10 Nguyen Trai Street, Phuong Thien Commune, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang
6. What to eat in Ha Giang?
Five-colored sticky rice
The ethnic communities in the Northern mountainous region possess a diverse and unique culinary culture. Among them, the five-colored sticky rice gathers traditional values, carries the meaning of the universe concept, Yin-Yang philosophy, and noble human values.
Sour porridge
In Ha Giang, there are many unique dishes that make tourists never forget once they have been there. Bitter porridge, or sour porridge, is such a type of cuisine.
Ha Giang corn wine
April is the harvest season of corn in Ha Giang, so it is also the season to make corn wine. To make this fragrant corn wine, people have to choose plump and evenly round corn kernels to get the best taste. Making corn wine takes a lot of time and effort, so it is a must to buy this specialty for family and friends to try.
H’mong corn cakes
After the corn harvest, the corn is classified, dried with the husk intact, then placed on a rack and torn into pieces for gradual use. Corn is sorted, cleaned, and then finely ground with a stone mortar. Grinding corn requires skill and time. When grinding, there must be two people, one pulling the stalk, the other standing to drop the grains. The ground corn must be smaller than the size of rice grains, evenly to facilitate cooking. When cooking the corn cake, a little water is sprinkled, covered, placed on the boiling water pan, and then cooked until fragrant. It is more careful to make the cake twice. The first time is not completely cooked, poured into the sieve, stirred until cool, then sprinkled a little water and put it back into the pot for the second time. The corn cake that people usually call H’mong corn cake.
Thang Co
One of the famous specialties that cannot be missed in Ha Giang is Thang Co. The distinctive flavor of herbs, ginger, fennel seeds, and meat blended together creates the unique character of this dish.
(Nguồn: Internet)
Buffalo meat at the hearth
To say that buffalo meat at the hearth is a specialty only found in Ha Giang is not entirely accurate. In other provinces such as Son La, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, and Lao Cai, this dish is also available. The taste may differ slightly in each place due to differences in culinary culture. Therefore, when visiting many provinces in the North, you can try and compare the taste of buffalo meat at the hearth in each place.
7. Tips for traveling to Ha Giang:
- Plan your trip ahead of time.
- Check your vehicle thoroughly before leaving.
- Observe traffic laws when driving on the roads.
- Bring appropriate luggage for the trip.
- Don’t just visit Ha Giang for photo opportunities.
- Be mindful when communicating and interacting with local residents.
