5 Ha Giang Loop Itinerary For First Time Travelers

Ha Giang loop tour 4-day itinerary

If you are in love already with the region or simply wish to stay here longer, let me reveal my 4-day plan for your motorbike loop.

• 1st day: Ha Giang city – Heaven’s gate – Fairy breast mountain – Du Gia (by motorbike)

Taking the way of TL176 from Ha Giang city, you are on the way to Du Gia which is said to be a fairy land by the locals. Du Gia is a small village at the bottom of a valley between two mountains. On the way, you will stop at Heaven’s gate and Fairy breast mountain just like the other itineraries. It is the entrance to enter the heaven so prepare yourself to live up on heaven in next few days.

The road towards Du Gia snakes up and over several ranges and the scenery just keeps getting more and more spectacular and fascinating.

Arriving at the village, there’s a waterfall about 10-15 minutes from the main road. This is a good spot for a swim. But even if you don’t track down the waterfall, it’s an absolutely stunning ride through the rice paddies as the sun goes down.

Our night ends with a lot of drinks and laughter. Be careful with the rice wine or you’ll be in for a very tough next day!

• 2nd day: Du Gia – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Sky Path – Dong Van (by motorbike)
• 3rd day: Dong Van – H’Mong King Palace – Sung La (Lung Cam village) – Lung Tam village – Nam Dam (by motorbike)
• 4th day: Nam Dam – Lung Khuy Cave – Then head back to Ha Giang city center (by motorbike). END TOUR.

Ha Giang loop tour 5-day itinerary

With a total of 5 days, it gives more space for me to plan a trip that can satisfy even the most difficult traveler. Take the following itineraries into consideration if you wish a combination of motorbike and hiking and you are active enough to conquer the challenging mountain trails here.

OPTION 1: 3 days of easy rider and 2 days of hiking

I found Thôn Tha village by chance when I got lost driving a little away from the Ha Giang city center (no more than 15 minutes riding). This is a Tày ethnic minority village which consists of 90 stilt homes made from wood and bamboo, with palm-thatched roofs. The village is surrounded by flooded rice terrace fields, as wet rice cultivation is the primary means of livelihood. The mountain valley to the west of the village is covered in rice terraces, which are great to trek through. There are a few homestays here which are run as community-based tourism. It makes the village a surprisingly perfect haven for me and those who wish to get away from the hustle bustle of hotels downtown.

• Day 1: Thon Tha village – Trek to Ha Thanh village – Thon Tha

From Thon Tha, trekking for 16km through the palm forest and many terrace fields, you will come to the neighbouring Ha Thanh village with a dream-like waterfall where you can swim. Tha village is a peaceful village with 100% of Tay ethnic minority. I am personally fascinated by the tranquil and liveliness of this village. Especially, it is still well-preserved with not many tourists.

Then go back to Thon Tha for a cozy dinner with the host family and some homebrew corn wine. People tend to make generous meals with food supplies from their mountainside: such as black pork, free-range chicken, wild bamboo sprout and sometimes edible veggies they find deep in the forest.

• Day 2: Thon Tha village – Trek to Khuoi My village – Thon Tha

The second day highlights a 19km-long hike uphill to the Red Dao village. This trail is very challenging and long even for the locals, not to mention for inexperienced hikers. However, be patient because with incredible views along the way, you won’t regret it. As you continue walking up into the mountains, the landscape changes quite dramatically. Remember to watch your feet or you will fall off the slippery rice terraces. One minute you’ll find yourself in the middle of an old tea field, and then suddenly being under a canopy of palm trees.

By lunchtime you will reach Khuoi My village – home to 200 families from the Dao ethnic group. You may find no food stalls because the life here is very basic. Luckily when I was here, my companion reserved lunch at a local family. They were incredibly welcoming, proudly showing off their collection of traditional Dao costumes and even let me try one on!

After lunch, let’s trek back to Thon Tha to get some rest for the next motorbike trip the following day. The itinerary for 3 days is already described clearly above.

OPTION 2: 4 days of motorbike trip and 1 day of hiking

An alternative to the 5-day plan can be: one trekking day and 4 days of easy rider trip. Personally, I would do this route simply because my back is too fragile to do 2 full-day treks.

Ha Giang loop tour 6-day itinerary

I had only 2 days in Ha Giang back when I was the first timer there and I did regret not staying a bit longer. And after many visits to the region, here’s my detailed 6-day itinerary.

• 1st day: Thon Tha full day trekking
• 2nd day: Take the route from Thon Tha and sleep overnight in Du Gia (by motorbike)
• 3rd day: Du Gia – Ma Pi Leng Pass – Sky Path – Dong Van (by motorbike)
• 4th day: Trekking in Dong Van

Dong Van is mostly known for its Sunday fair market and a place to stay after a long ride to the sentimental Ma Pi Leng Road. But Dong Van is not just the little town with a couple of main roads as you may see. Going further for about 15-18km, you will see a completely different world which remains unsullied by tourists. Very few travellers hike up here, which makes it an off-the-beaten-track place. That’s why I highly recommend including a whole day trekking around this region.

Last time I was there, I learnt that the people I met on the way don’t usually see many foreigners in these parts and it provided a welcome distraction from the road. They would offer a smile, a wave, a hello or a puff on their tobacco bongs without ever asking for anything in return.

And then there’s the scenery, it’s getting dramatic and beautiful as you move toward the border area with China. Passing through a random stream, I feasted on the scenery that surrounded me.