Ha Giang is a remote and ruggedly beautiful province in Northern Vietnam. With its towering limestone mountains, deep valleys, and winding roads snaking through ethnic minority villages, this region is best explored on two wheels – a motorcycle adventure tour. In this blog post, we’ve compiled the 16 best things to do in Ha Giang – a must-read for any adventurer planning an unforgettable motorcycle journey.
5 reasons why you should visit Ha Giang
Traveling to Ha Giang by motorbike is the best way to explore the wild and diverse beauty of this land. There are many reasons why motorbike tours in vietnam becomes more memorable and enjoyable than ever.
- Freedom to explore: Motorcycles offer freedom and flexibility in exploring remote roads and hidden locations in the mountains. You can stop anywhere in Ha Giang to admire the scenery or capture beautiful moments.
- Diverse experiences: Ha Giang possesses many rugged mountain ranges, winding passes, majestic valleys and traditional villages. Motorcycles help you access and experience all of this to the fullest.
- Exchange with ethnic people: When riding a motorbike, you have the opportunity to stop and interact with ethnic minorities, learning about their lives and culture.
- Breathtaking scenery: The steep, winding roads between the mountains and forests of Ha Giang bring beautiful scenery.
- Interesting experience: Long-distance adventures on dangerous and challenging roads will bring you exciting experiences and unforgettable memories.
Ha Giang motorbike tour offers various advantages for motorbike travelers
Top 16 things to do in Ha Giang
Not only known as the top land of the Fatherland, Ha Giang is also famous for having many historical places and neighborhoods rich in the culture of ethnic minorities. In this section, let’s explore 16 things to do in Ha Giang that cannot be missed!
1. Witness Heaven Gate & the Quan Ba twin mountains
Quan Ba district is the first gateway to the Dong Van stone plateau. There are two attractive things to do in Ha Giang that you cannot miss: Twin Mountains and Quan Ba Heaven Gate.
Quan Ba Twin Mountain, also known as Co Tien Twin Mountain, has a strange shape with two parallel peaks rising. Associated with the legend of the magical fairy milk, the land around here also has an extremely cool climate with the Mien River flowing through, nourishing lush fields.
A natural masterpiece that everyone wants to check-in when coming to Ha Giang
Quan Ba Heaven Gate is located at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level. With a prime location between two mountain peaks and right next to the horizon, motorbike visitors can capture the beauty of heaven and earth blending right into their sight. This is also a beautiful cloud-hunting spot with gentle mist surrounding the mountainside.
2. Explore Linen Weaving in the Lung Tam Brocade Village
The karst plateau is where the famous Lung Tam brocade weaving village is located, not far from Quan Ba Ha Giang’s heaven gate. Hop Tien village of Lung commune is where the H’Mong people live using the long-standing brocade weaving profession.
Visitors visiting Lung Tam brocade weaving village will admire the scene of people busy in daily life: H’Mong women sit in front of looms skillfully making beautiful fabrics or unique brocade products. Especially if you visit, you will also have the opportunity to bring home products made from natural linen.
Handloom weaving techniques have been passed down and used for many generations
3. Witness the Beauty of Pho Bang ancient town
Pho Bang town is a small and peaceful town hidden amidst the mountains and forests of Ha Giang. With a population of around 3,000 people, mainly consisting of Mong and Han Chinese ethnic groups, the town features simple terracotta houses with yin-yang tile roofs and old wooden doors. Visiting Pho Bang on rainy days adds a sense of tranquility and sadness, while nearby attractions include the rose valley and buckwheat flowers blooming along the roadside.
A corner of Pho Bang town with mud-walled houses
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4. Visit Dong Van ancient town and its weekend market
Dong Van ancient town is located at an altitude of 1,000 – 1,600 m in Dong Van district, Ha Giang, surrounded by dense mountains and forests. Originally home to Tay, Mong, and Hoa families, it later became more vibrant with the migration of Nung and Dao ethnic groups, while retaining its ancient, impressive simplicity.
The famous traditional Dong Van market, arranged in a U-shape, is a place for trading ethnic specialties, social gatherings, and cultural experiences, where motorbike visitors can witness the vibrant local life and purchase traditional brocade dresses.
Bright brocade dresses on display
5. Visit Meo Vac market
Meo Vac market is one of the most famous markets in Ha Giang. Unlike other markets that are held every day, Meo Vac market is only held on one Sunday per week. Not only is it a place for ethnic people in Meo Vac district and Dong Van karst plateau to come and buy, sell, and exchange necessities, agricultural tools, and agricultural products to serve daily life, the market is also an opportunity to for people to interact and confide.
The atmosphere is bustling with chatter and laughter at Meo Vac market
If you intend to participate in Meo Vac Market, you will have to wake up early, around 4 – 5 am. Before dawn, people from neighboring communes and districts began to flock to Meo Vac town on winding, steep mountain passes.
6. Visit H’mong King’s palace
The Vuong family palace, or King Meo palace, is located in Sa Phin Valley, only about 1 km from Dong Van stone plateau. These are famous things to do in Ha Giang tourist destination containing interesting historical traces and stories.
According to rewritten history, King Meo Vuong Chinh Duc chose this land to build his mansion because of its “spiritual land and outstanding people”. The architectural design of the mansion is influenced by Chinese culture.
You can find columns and pillars made of precious wood and many sophisticated sculptures made of marble. The villa consists of 4 horizontal houses, 6 vertical houses and is divided into three areas: front palace, middle palace and rear palace.
Mysterious and unique place
7. Visit Pao’s house
Pao’s house is located on the campus of Lung Cam tourist cultural village with ancient beauty combined with the majestic natural beauty of the Ha Giang karst plateau, creating a perfect masterpiece that makes a strong impression on anyone.
Pao’s house is 100% handcrafted with precious wood, the pillars and fence walls are made of stone, especially the top is covered with a yin-yang tile roof. Pao’s house is built in a U shape with a main room on the second floor divided into different rooms and living rooms.
The extra space is a place for cooking, storage, and raising livestock and poultry. Another special thing is that in the middle of the house is a meticulously paved yard that was extremely impressive and luxurious at that time. Not only that, at Pao’s house there are also many household and production items of the Mong people such as wells, weaving, and mills.
Pao’s house is loved by motorbike tourists because of its rare rustic and peaceful beauty
8. Visit Lung Cu flagpole
Lung Cu flagpole is located on top of Dragon Mountain at an altitude of 1,470 meters above sea level. Lung Cu flagpole has an octagonal body design with eight blue stone relief panels at the base of the flagpole simulating the motifs of Dong Son bronze drums and heroic historical pages of the nation. This is one of the must things to do in Ha Giang that you cannot miss when embarking on Ha Giang motorbike tours.
Lung Cu flagpole stands proudly in the middle of vast mountains and forests
To reach the flagpole, motorbike visitors will go through 839 steps and admire the charming landscape of mountains and water gradually appearing. Standing on the top of the mountain and looking out into the distance, you will feel the cool air of the Northeast mountains and the solemn and proud atmosphere here. In addition, when you come here, you can also walk through the villages of Lo Lo and Mong people and the clear blue Dragon’s Eye pond located right at the foot of the mountain.
9. Lo Lo Chai ethnic village
Located right at the foot of Dragon Mountain and only about 1km from Lung Cu Flagpole, Lo Lo Chai Village has been inhabited by the Mong and Lo Lo ethnic groups throughout the decades. Not owning high-rise buildings or modern, bustling commercial centers, Lo Lo Chai Village preserves many community cultural values of ethnic groups on the beautiful Dong Van karst plateau.
Lo Lo Chai village is considered a fairy tale land because of its beautiful natural scenery
This village is likened to a fairy tale world because it possesses peaceful, beautiful houses like those in the storybooks we often heard since childhood. For those who are looking for a place to escape the hustle city, this fairy-tale-like Lo Lo Chai Village will be one of ideal things to do in Ha Giang that you can keep in your Ha Giang travel guide.
10. Experience Khau Vai market
One of the things to do in Ha Giang that is not to be missed is to go to the highland market. The markets here are not only a place to trade but also a place for you to experience the unique customs and traditions of the ethnic people.
Khau Vai love market in Meo Vac district usually takes place every weekend morning or every 5 days. Here, you can comfortably shop for souvenirs, enjoy specialties, see colorful costumes of diverse ethnic groups and even participate in fun activities and interesting musical performances.
The festival is a place to find your other half for the people in the northern mountains
11. Explore Nho Que River
The section of Nho Que river flowing through Ma Pi Leng pass and Tu San Ravine is considered to have the most unique, spectacular and poetic landscape in Ha Giang with beautiful turquoise river water that captivates people’s hearts.
Along the Happiness Road running parallel to the Nho Que River, you will have the opportunity to discover the wild, intense but also gentle beauty of this blue river. After strong bends and a series of jagged rapids, the river becomes more gentle.
There is no longer the roar of the water or the sound of the wind whistling through the cliffs, only the calm flow remaining pushing the dugout boats down the smooth, blue Nho Que river.
It’s impossible to take your eyes off this enchanting beauty
12. Conquer the Ma Pi Leng Pass
Ma Pi Leng Pass is located on Highway 4C in Pai Vi and Pai Lung communes, connecting Ha Giang City and the two towns of Meo Vac and Dong Van. Motorbike visitors can ride motorbikes and explore the adventurous journey through winding turns between steep cliffs and deep abysses.
When you reach the top of the pass, you will have a full view of the vast Dong Van rocky plateau, the majestic Tu San canyon and the Nho Que river flowing gently at the foot of the mountain. Moreover, if you go during the ripe rice season or buckwheat flower season, you will have the opportunity to see beautiful terraced fields and flower valleys.
Ma Pi Leng is a winding and dangerous 20 kilometers pass
13. Visit Pa Vi Hmong village
Pa Vi H’Mong Village is one of the unique things to do in Ha Giang that attracts many visitors. Pa Vi H’Mong Village has a cultural house, exhibition house and amusement area used as a cultural and artistic performance area, promoting the beauty of local people.
Viewed from above Pa Vi H’Mong Village is as beautiful as a painting
At Pa Vi H’Mong Village, many cultural beauties of the ancient people are still preserved, from architecture, houses, and costumes. Coming to this place, you will get lost in traditional houses with impressive yin and yang tile roofs. Besides, there are images of Mong girls in beautiful brocade costumes. You can ask them to join you in fun activities, such as weaving and cracking corn.
14. Relax in Du Gia
Stretching through 4 districts of Yen Minh, Quan Ba, Dong Van, Meo Vac, Dong Van karst plateau of Ha Giang province has no shortage of beautiful roads as well as landmarks and landscapes that bring many interesting and surprising experiences to visitors. People who love to travel.
Especially in Yen Minh district, in addition to the vast Yen Minh pine forest stretching dozens of kilometers through Bach Dich, Lao Va Chai, Na Khe communes and being compared to “miniature Da Lat”, Du Gia Ha Giang attracts everyone. people because of small ethnic villages hidden in majestic mountains and forests with wild and magical natural landscapes.
Du Gia Ha Giang is peaceful on the Dong Van karst plateau
15. Explore Hoang Su Phi’s Stunning Terraced Fields
Referring to the top things to do in Ha Giang, it is impossible not to mention the national scenic spot – terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi district. The unique way of cultivating wet rice on terraced fields has made this place a landscape that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
Marvel at the beauty of terraced fields in the ripe rice season
Hoang Su Phi terraced fields have a total area of up to 3,700 hectares, located in 24 communes and towns of Ha Giang province. The poetic beauty of thousands of fields spread widely, naturally winding around the mountainous hillsides will make you immersed. Interspersed among the terraced fields are small gurgling streams, primeval forests and immense tea fields.
16. Stay one night in a homestay at Thon Tha Village
Located at the foot of the majestic Tay Con Linh mountain range, this is where the Tay people live. No noise or dust, Thon Tha Tay Stilt House Ha Giang is hidden in the middle of a charming natural picture of mountains and sky. This place brings you truly memorable experiences with the culture and close life of the Tay ethnic people when traveling to Ha Giang.
Rustic Thon Tha Tay Stilt House Ha Giang
The village still fully preserves the pure cultural features of the Tay people. When you come to Thon Tha Tay Stilt House, you will truly feel the life of the people here. Homestay appears poetic with the image of a stilt house looming in the middle of green rice fields surrounded by fish ponds. The peace here brings is something that is hard to find in the city.
As you can see, Ha Giang is a true gem in northern Vietnam with natural beauty, cultural richness, and adventure. At Indochina Motorcycle Tours, we believe that the best way to explore Ha Giang is by embracing the freedom of the open road. Our carefully curated Ha Giang motorbike tours are designed to take you off the beaten path, allowing you to discover the hidden things to do in Ha Giang that many travelers miss. So, what are you waiting for? Don’t just dream about your next great adventure – make it a reality with Indochinamotorcycletours.com. Contact us today, and let’s start planning your unforgettable journey to Ha Giang.
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