Ha Giang is often known as a place of mountains, fresh nature, endlessly winding roads, colourful highland markets. However, in more detail, what is this place attractive? Where should we go to Ha Giang? Which season goes? What is the specialty of Ha Giang?
How Ha Giang is unique?
Situated in the northern highlands of Vietnam. Ha Giang is a majestic mountain range with a high altitude ranging from 800 m to 1,200 m above sea level.
This is a high concentration of mountains. According to recent statistics, it’s covering about 8,000 km2 but there are 49 high mountains from 500m – 2,500m.
This land is bestowed by nature with mountains, green rivers, and flowers of all four seasons, picturesque. This is also the residence of 24 ethnic groups, creating a diverse cultural space.
It’s becoming an ideal destination for Ha Giang tourists to learn about the culture. Although the life of the people is simple, rustic, the scenery is still wild.
But also a tourist attraction that makes many people miss when they back from Ha Giang.
Top Things To Do In Ha Giang Vietnam
1.Hoang Su Phi
Hoang Su Phi is located about 50km from Ha Giang city. This is a highland border district that attracts many adventurous tourists because the road is quite dangerous. The terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi like pulling to the horizon, the season of ripe rice or the pouring water season all have its own beauty.
2. Ma Li Peng Pass – Nho Que River
It is the name of the rugged pass road in Ha Giang, about 20 km long. Located on Hanh Phuc road connecting Ha Giang city, Dong Van district and Meo Vac town.
Ma Pi Leng calls in the Mandarin language to mean “the nose of a horse” literally, broadly depicting the danger of a mountain peak, where the slope is so high that the horse passes through the breath, or the top of the mountain stands as live nose horse.
The road passes through the cliffs, surpassing Ma Pi Leng peak at a height of 2000 meters, at the foot of the deep valley of Nho Que river like a thin four-season green jade thread.
3. Dong van old srtreet
Located in the town of Dong Van, surrounded by mountains and forests, 40 ancient roofs interspersed with each other. Especially creating a wild picture that is hidden behind the dense fog of the mountains.
Established in the early 20th century. Dong Van ancient town was inhabited by Mong, Tay and Chinese families, after that, residents of other localities came to form a crowded population group.
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This tourist spot is not only beautiful by the time. But also imbued with Chinese architecture, in the dreamy atmosphere of the Khen of the H’Mong man or the dance of a girl.
4. Lung Cu fllagpole
Lung Cu flagpole is known as the first place of the country, this is the most famous destination of Ha Giang.
The flagpole is located on Lung Cu peak, 54m wide flag symbolizing 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam, standing at the foot of the flagpole and watching the flag is extremely proud for each person coming here.
5. Vuong Family’s Palace
It located in Xa Phín commune, Dong Van district, which is ranked as a national monument. The Vuong mansion is not only hides historical stories but also a dense and attractive architectural layer.
6. Sung La Valley
Sung La Valley in Dong Van town, on the National Highway 4C, known as a paradise of alpine flowers, it is called Sung La Valley as a place where rocks bloom, previously the valley was mainly planted with cherry blossoms.
Sufficiency, now Sung La valley is famous for many beautiful flowers.
The fields and slopes of the hills here are full of flowers. Such as Buckwheat flower, Golden Mustard, Rose.
But the most famous is the Buckwheat Flower. Come here you can see the beautiful buckwheat flower fields, vast, purple, covering an entire region.
In addition to Sung La, do not forget to visit “Pao’s house”, a very famous place chosen as the setting in Pao’s home movie.
The house is very unique, featuring in the Dong Van houses, the house with stone walls, ancient architecture, around the house are lots of peach blossoms, buckwheat flower…
7. Tham Ma Slope
This is one of the most favourite check-in points in Ha Giang. Tham Ma slope is a slope with many bends in succession before connecting from Yen Minh town to Pho Cao.
The slope is quite dangerous because the bends of the sleeves have a high degree of difficulty, once conquered, it is very beautiful and attractive to look down from the top of the slope.
8. Yen Minh Pine Forest
Leaving Quan Ba heaven gate, you move in the direction of Yen Minh town and pass through Yen Minh pine forest.
Yen Minh road stretches about 50 km from Quan Ba, surrounded by immense pine forests, straight on both sides of the road.
9.Twin Mountain Quan Ba
The image of the beautiful green twin mountains at Ha Giang tourist attraction must be no stranger to tourists, located in the southwest of Dong Van Plateau Geopark.
At the foot of the twin mountains are Quan Ba rice field, four colours of four seasons cannot be mixed. Not only that, covering the space here is the colour of illusion, legend.
10. Bac Sum Slope
The next attractive tourist destination on the way to discover Ha Giang is Bac Sum Slope, this is the most dangerous place in Ha Giang connecting Minh Tan commune, Vi Xuyen district and Quyet Tien commune, Quan Ba district.
From a distance, the Bac Sum slope looks like a soft fabric across the top of the mountain. Amidst the rocky cat-eared mountains, the Bac Sum slope looms in the mist.
Cross the Bac Sum slope at Ha giang loop tour to enjoy the whole scene as beautiful as a water-colour painting.
11.Milestone KM 0
This is the first interesting check-in point on the journey to discover Ha Giang. Located in the city centre of Ha Giang, from Hanoi to go Ha Giang. Do not forget to visit and take some photos at this milestone.
Amazing Ha Giang Loop Tour Packages
Ha Giang amazing trip 4 days from Hanoi will bring you pass through the awesome landscapes of Ha Giang and the wonder Dong Van Plateau beside colorful of Dong Van Market.
Market In Ha Giang
Market sessions in Yen Minh, Ha Giang
It is a northern border district of Vietnam, in Ha Giang province, Yen Minh is 100km northeast of Ha Giang town, with 25.27 km of border.
Not only famous for its attractive pine forests, but Yen Minh is also the area with the most fairs in Ha Giang. The famous market sessions in Yen Minh are:
Yen Minh Market
The market usually meets on Sunday mornings of the week. From the early morning, every bustling crowd of people on the roads flock to the town.
Many people from remote and mountainous villages had to get up at midnight and go through steep passes to reach Yen Minh.
The quiet space of this place suddenly comes to life on a fair day, with all colours of costumes: Brocade skirt of H’Mong people, the red scarf of Dao people, the blue skirt of Tay girls, Nung’s indigo outfit…
Main commodities are agricultural and forestry products, native produce, agricultural tools, food and drinks, most of which are homegrown.
Bach Dich Market: It has 3 markets in 1 month, namely Ban Muong Market, Moc 9 Market (also called Moc 358 Market) and communal centre market.
These markets are held in sessions that fall on the Monkey day and the Tiger day of the month.
Duong Thuong Market: It is held every Friday morning of the week
Mau Due Market: Mau Due Market meets once a week on Sunday mornings
Sung Trang Market: Sung Trang Market is held on Sunday mornings. And some other markets such as Sung Chai Market, Lung Ho Market, Ngoc Long Market, Mau Long Market.
Market sessions in Dong Van, Ha Giang
Fair in Dong Van, Ha Giang is a beauty in the daily life of ethnic minorities. Besides the majestic landscapes, going to the fair in Ha Giang is an experience that you should not miss.
In Dong Van, there are many markets held during the week:
Central Market, also known as Dong Van Market: It is held in the town center every Sunday morning of the week
Dong Van fair is located in Dong Van ancient town, this is the largest centre of economic, goods and cultural exchange in the of Dong Van – Meo Vac Plateau.
Located on a large area, overall U-shaped architecture, all made of stone materials. Also become a convergence of cultural identities of ethnic colours in this northern highland plateau.
It is an indispensable destination in adventure tours in Vietnam.
The unique feature of Dong Van fair is the goods that people bring to the market, mainly agricultural products and products made in their area.
Different from the plain market, people come to the market to buy and sell, and people come to Dong Van fair, in addition to trading, exchanging goods, a market is also a place for people to exchange and meet.
Usually, the whole family goes to the market. Mothers and wives go to the market to shop; the husbands go to the market to drink, eat Thang Co, and play the trumpet; children follow their parents to go to the market; young men and women come to the market to meet and find love partners.
Especially on the 14th, 15th and 16th of the lunar month every month, in this market and old town, lively cultural activities with specific characteristics of the land and upland people such as:
Organizing a bird-fighting contest, performing traditional brocade weaving of ethnic groups in the region.
In the evening, in the old town, there are some activities that attract tourists to Ha Giang. Those are the unique cultural features of this northernmost highland fair.
Market sessions in Meo Vac, Ha Giang
The market in Meo Vac Ha Giang is Ha Giang’s largest market. It attracts hundreds of visitors to visit because of the unique cultural features contained in each fair. There are famous markets in Meo Vac that are:
Son Vi Market is held on the morning of the weekly Sunday
Central Market, also known as Meo Vac, is also held once a week on Sunday mornings
The session market is right in the centre of town – it’s close to the stadium so it’s very convenient for both tourists and indigenous people.
This is considered to be the largest fair in the highland area and is held from Saturday evening until Sunday afternoon.
You can go to the night market, eat snacks and walk the night market, enjoy the bustling atmosphere here.
When buying brocade, food such as wine, cakes or souvenirs, you should pay the price, bargain to avoid being expensive to buy offline. Do not miss Meo Vac fair because when you come here.
Khau Vai Market:
It is held in the morning on the 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd and 27th of the month (according to the lunar calendar).
Especially the Khau Vai love market, the famous Ha Giang fair is held only once a year on the 27th of the third lunar month.
Sung Tra Market:
Meeting once on Saturday. And some other special markets such as Tat Ngan Market, Nam Ban Market, Xin Cai Market, Son Vi Market meet on Sunday morning every week, Thuong Phung Market.
At Meo Vac Market, there are many specialities with rich flavours. Such as Thang Co; Men Men; corn cake; Au Tau Rice Soup, … So do not forget to enjoy these specialities to make the trip more complete.
Back Markets in Ha Giang
Call “back market” to indicate that the next market will have a “back” meeting a day from the previous one.
It means that the schedule of “Ha Giang market back” is fixed every 6 days.
But because there are 7 days a week, the next market will be one day back (according to the solar calendar).
For example, this week the market will take place on Sunday. And the next week will take place on Saturday.
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For the H’Mong, the Chinese, their calculation according to the 12 Chinese zodiacs, will meet on days when they consider conflict. Such as pairs of Rat – Horse, Tiger – Monkey, Snake- Pig, etc.
When travelling to Ha Giang, you can see many markets sessions, markets in many places and often meet permanently on Saturdays and Sundays, but there are only 8 back markets which are:
Pho Bang Market
Location: About 5 km from Sung La three- ways crossroad
Meeting schedule: On the 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th, 30th of every month (solar calendar) and Rat year, Horse day (according to the 12 animal calendar).
Cao Pho Market
Location: Located right on the asphalt road, at the transition between Yen Minh and Dong Van towns.
Meeting schedule: 4, 10, 16, 28 monthly and dragon, dog days.
Sa Phin Market
Location: The Gate of the Vuong family’s residence, Dong Van district.
Meeting schedule: Monthly 5, 11, 17, 23, 29 monthly and Snake, Pig day.
Lung Phin Market
Location: Dong Van district but you have to follow Yen Minh – Meo Vac street.
Meeting schedule: Day 2, 8, 14, 20, 26 monthly and Tiger day, Monkey day
Markets of Lung Cu, Sung Trai and Trang Kim (meeting on the Goat and Ox days) and Ma Le market (on the Rat and Horse days).
These markets all meet in Dong Van district, while Trang Kim market meets in Quan Ba district.
How To Go Ha Giang?
There are many ways to go to Ha Giang, you can take a bus and then go to Ha Giang to rent a motorbike or car.
If you want to take the initiative in time and the route right from Hanoi. You can use your private car transfer Hanoi to Ha giang to travel from Hanoi to Ha Giang.
However, if you are a the real motorbiker you should do it, the first and safe way is on car.
1. By Bus
From Hanoi, you should take the Hanoi – Ha Giang overnight bus from My Dinh bus station at 9 pm and until 5 am will arrive in Ha Giang, the car will move directly from Hanoi to the city of Ha Giang.
Note: you should take the bus of 20:30 – 21 – 22 pm the night before (usually Thursday or Friday night) to sleep one night in the car, and come back on Sunday night, that will save 1 night on the bus.
2. By Motorbike Or By Private Car
You can choose one of the following 2 routes:
Route 1: Hanoi – Vinh Phuc – Viet Tri – Phu Tho – Tuyen Quang.
Route 2: Hanoi – Son Tay – Trung Ha Bridge – Co Tiet – Phong Chau Bridge – Phu Tho – Doan Hung – Tuyen Quang. From Tuyen Quang City continue to Ham Yen – Bac Quang – Vi Xuyen – Ha Giang City.
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Normally tourists travelling Ha Giang often choose to take a bus to Ha Giang from the previous night. Spend overnight in the bus, until about 5 am the next morning, arrive in Ha Giang City.
The trip to Ha Giang on private car is highly recommend. Because it can make you have any stopover en route of spend the time at each places and go inside the village as your own way. Especially our guide will give you interesting information about place to visit in Ha Giang.
Ha Giang Insider
This tour is an unbelievable bundle to see Dong Van Karst Plateau, color full dress in Meo Vac market and amazing view of Ma Pi Leng pass. The top beautiful pass in Vietnam.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Ha Giang?
Ha Giang is beautiful all year round, you can travel to Ha Giang at any time of the year. However, to fully explore the beauty of this rocky plateau, you should come to Ha Giang at the following times.
January: season of peach blossom, plum blossom, yellow mustard flower
Spring comes, everywhere from Quan Ba (Quyet Tien, Minh Tan), Yen Minh (Lao Va Chai, Na Khe, Bach Dich), Dong Van (Pho Bang, Pho Cao, Sung La, Sa Phin, and Phin Tung), Meo Vac (Sung Tra, Sung Trai, Lung Phin)
All covered with peach blossom, mustard, plum boasting with the black stone background of the rock plateau
April, May: Water season pour
In the water season pour, most of the Northwestern rice fields in our country are in the range of May – June, few places in July, some plots with water storage from April; but the most beautiful is transplanting midway, around May – June.
Coming to Ha Giang, visitors can see the picturesque rice fields in the water season pour: Hoang Su Phi, Quan Ba twin mountains, or small fields dotted on the happiness road Ma Pi Leng …
September, October: The rip rice season – one of the best time to discover rice terrace fields
Travelling Ha Giang in the days of September and October to immerse yourself in the wonderful, poetic scenery of terraced fields in the villages of Hoang Su Phi.
At this time, the majestic beauty of the rocky plateau suddenly became softer by the golden shine of the ripe rice terraced fields.
October to December: The Buckwheat Flower Season, the most beautiful season in Ha Giang
Just around the end of October, until December, nobody told anyone, they pulled together to Ha Giang to see the buckwheat flowers.
Violet heart-shaped flowers spread across the hillsides. Recently, the season of buckwheat flower blooming has had the Buckwheat Flower Festival scheduled in mid-October.
Recommended Accommodation In Ha Giang
If you stay overnight in Ha Giang, you should choose Ha An hotel or Cao Nguyen 3 star.
In Yen Minh, there is Thao Nguyen hotel 1 star.
On the old quarter of Dong Van, there is Meo Vac hotel 3 stars quite majestic
In Meo Vac town, you should choose Hoa Cuong hotel 1 star.
If you follow Hoang Su Phi – Xin Man route. You can stay overnight at Tien Dat hotel in Hoang Su Phi or Gia Long hotel, Huyen An in Xin Man.
Therefore, travel to Ha Giang you can have many choices for good accommodation as your wish with different views.
Note: the hotels in Ha Giang are not much so you should book your room before arrival.
What To Eat In Ha Giang?
Ha Giang plateau is not only a majestic scenery that fascinates people. But also a culinary paradise with attractive and unique delicacies.
Thang Co: The scent of cardamom, nut and lemongrass, blended with the greasy taste of meat to warm the space between the cold weather.
Mong men who go to Dong Van market all hope to eat a bowl of victory, drink a few bowls of Thang Co with friends.
Mong people often bring small enamel, come to the market to buy more bowls of wine and try to invite friends to have fun together.
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