The Hà Giang Loop is a driving route in Ha Giang Province of Northern Vietnam near the border with China, through the mountainous Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. It is a round trip of about 350 km, typically covered in three or four days on motorbikes.
Understand
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The route, one of the most beautiful panoramic roads in the world, became popular around 2015. In just a few years, there has been a tourism boom, improved roads and accommodations, and at least rudimentary English can be found even in the smallest village.
During your journey, you'll come into contact with various minority groups living here, such as the Hmong (Vietnamese: Mẹo), Pu Péo, Tày (Thô), and Lô Lô, each with their own culture and language.
Rice terrace farming contributes to the scenic beauty. However, large areas are still forested because the slopes are too steep for agriculture.
For private drivers, the loop can be done in three (or even two) days, but it's better to plan for four to five relaxed days to allow for longer stops and detours.
Many operators organize "all-inclusive" group tours of the loop. The typical 4D3N itinerary starts with an overnight bus to Ha Giang city, and breaks up four days of riding at Yen Minh town, Dong Van town, and a smaller village in the Meo Vac or Yen Minh districts. The typical 3D2N itinerary compresses the last two days into one longer ride. Longer itineraries combine the loop with a visit to Tay Con Linh, Cao Bang or Ba Be National Park. Organized tours will form groups of up to 15 motorcycles following a group leader, including a mix of self-drivers and easy riders.
Prepare
[edit]The best time to travel is during the warm months of the dry season, September–October or March–April. In winter, temperatures at higher elevations can drop to freezing.
Officially, foreigners still need a regional travel permit, which, if not obtained from the tour operator, must be obtained from the 1 Immigration police in Hà Giang (296 Đần Phu, P. Tran Phu; 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. with lunch break). Checks are only carried out near the China border. To apply, you must present your passport and motorcycle registration. The fee is approximately $10; the penalty for failure to do so is a maximum of 1 million dong, or approximately $50 (as of September 2022).
It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the cultures of minority peoples while you're still in Hanoi, at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (in Cau Giay District).
By motorcycle
[edit]Motorcycles are the most popular way to drive the loop. Confident riders can drive themselves, but road conditions are highly variable and the steep terrain is challenging and unforgiving. If you want to ride by yourself, you must have an International Driving Permit and a valid motorcycle license. The police set up checkpoints along the tourist loop to strictly enforce compliance, such as at Ha Giang, Dong Van and Meo Vac. It is not clear whether the police distinguish between the 1968 Vienna convention, which Vietnam belongs to, and the 1949 Geneva convention IDP, which some English-speaking countries belong to, but Vietnam does not recognize.
You can rent a motorbike in Ha Giang city for 250,000 dong/manual motorbike/day, 300,000 dong/scooter/day. You must pay for oil and gas yourself. As everywhere in Vietnam, the risk of being sold adulterated gasoline is lower at gas stations than from street vendors who fill bottles. Helmets are usually rented, so make sure they're sturdy. Knee and elbow pads can often be rented as well. The motorcycle should have rearview mirrors. Any garage can quickly check the oil level and brakes; rental companies tend to overpromise. The added safety is always worth the extra cash. A raincoat/poncho and at least a basic toolbox, along with a spare spark plug and hose, should be part of your equipment.
It is more common for international tourists to hire an "easy rider" (Vietnamese: xe ôm), which means to ride on the back of the bike seat with a local driver. You pay for the driver, their meals, etc. In return, you get an expert driver that is familiar with local conditions. If you want to deviate from the driver's "standard schedule," there's a small surcharge. In 2022, this type of transportation costs around €40 per day, while self-driving costs €15. The easy rider vehicles are often Honda Wave semi-automatics which is the type most popular with the locals. Safety standards in Vietnam are very poor and protective gear for the passengers is often lacking.
The road conditions range from acceptable tarmac (QL4C national road) to gravel to nearly impassable at some points, due to deep mud. There are no signs forewarning such road conditions. Expect an average speed of 30km/h on the few best surfaced sections of QL4C to as low as 9 km/h on many parts of the DT176. A typical average speed for the entire loop is 20km/h.
By car
[edit]You can also rent a car in Hà Giang city. Price is 2-3 million dong/day for a car, depending on how big the car is. The core of this itinerary is along highways suitable for cars, but some of the alternate routes and side roads will be too steep, too narrow, or too primitive for anything larger than a bike.
Get in
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- See also: Ha Giang
Ha Giang city, the most common start and end point for the loop, is well-connected to Hanoi and other popular tourism destinations in Northern Vietnam.
By bus
[edit]From Hanoi: buses leave from My Dinh, Gia Lam and Giap Bat bus stations (300 km, 200,000 dong). You can also book a "limousine bus" or a sleeper bus. These will generally pick you up at your Old Quarter hotel, and drop you off at your Ha Giang hotel about 6-7 hours later.
Drive
[edit]Almost all drivers travel clockwise from Ha Giang – Tam Son – Yen Minh – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Du Già – (Bao Lac) – Ha Giang, as described here. Driving in the opposite direction can be more relaxing, as you avoid group tours.
- Length: The shortest version of the route is about 330 km. There are many opportunities to lengthen this.
- Major roads: National Road (“Quốc lộ”) QL4C in the north; QL34 in the south.
- Road condition: The QL roads are completely paved and protected by guardrails at dangerous sections. Off of the QL roads, it's much more variable. Some of the alternative route and detour suggestions have unpaved sections.
- Traffic: You won't find peace and quiet or idyllic villages. As is often the case in Vietnam, there's often heavy traffic, trucks, and construction sites.
Hà Giang - Yên Minh, via Quản Bạ Pass: 101 km
[edit]Get comfortable on your bike, as you climb deeper into the green foothills from Hà Giang, and quickly encounter the first of many mountain passes and vistas.
From 1 Hà Giang city, take QL4C north 59 km to Tráng Kìm, then 11 km along the Sông Lô River, then 31 km to Yên Minh.
- 1 Hang Tham Luồng cave, open 9.00-16.00. From the QL4C, turn off 200 m to 1 Tan Son turn left, then just under 4 km.
- 2 Dốc bắc sum viewpoint
- At 1945 m is 3 Quản Bạ Pass, the popular "Heaven's Gate" with viewpoints on both sides of the pass is one of the highlights of the route.
- 2 Quản Bạ
village, with the “Fairy Bosom”, two even hills lying side by side, with a bra made of trees. - In Tráng Kìm village, there is a 1 gas station.
- 4 Cây cô đơn Hà Giang viewpoint
- 5 Yen Minh Pine Forest, with a relatively sparse tree population.
Alternate route, via the Sông Lô valley: 44 km
[edit]A winding route along the ĐT181 provincial road, along the slopes of the Sông Lô valley.
From Hà Giang city, take QL4C north 12 km to the 2 Thuận Hòa Bridge. Turn right over the bridge, and continue 44 km until you cross the 3 Cán Tỷ Bridge, then take QL4C north.
- 6 Mã Pí Lèng River Gorge. There are small boats here. The Mã Pí Lèng Pass above lies at an elevation of 1,500 meters.
- 7 A Boong Waterfall
- 8 Thung lũng Lùng Tám viewpoint
Yên Minh - Đồng Văn: 44 km
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As you climb out of Yên Minh, the green terrain abruptly becomes stark, rocky and rugged. This is the land of Hmong people, relatively recent migrants in the slopes left uncultivated by other inhabitants.
From 3 Yên Minh, take QL4C east 44 km to Đồng Văn.
- 9 Dốc Chín Khoanh pass
- 10 Làng Văn Tourist Village, which showcases minority culture. The turnoff to the right is clearly marked by a labeled gate.
- 4 Sà Phìn , a Hmong village very close to the border, is known for its Chinese-style houses with yellow bricks.
- 11 Dinh Vua Mèo, in Xà Phìn, 400m off the trail. A museum-like, wooden former residence of the last Hmong prince. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- 12 Nhà Há Súng, a traditional extended family house, open to visitors.
- 13 Sử Đồng Văn viewpoint
- Surrounding 5 Tả Phìn village, you can see spectacular rice terraces and some waterfalls.
Dong Van town, located at an altitude of 1025 m, is mainly inhabited by Tay and Hmong people.
- Dong Van has a large market on Sundays. To meet the tourist needs, the city has created a not-so-kitschy "ancient street" with restaurants, bars, etc., whose lights can be bright at night.
- Above Dong Van, the French built a fort in 1925. The remains, partially restored in 2013, overlook the entire town.
Detour to Lũng Cú: 50 km
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This detour takes you to the northernmost village in Vietnam, close to the Chinese border.
From Đồng Văn, take QL4C west 2 km to DT182B. Turn right, and continue 7 km to the road signed for Lũng Cú. Continue 16 km to Lũng Cú village. Return the way you came.
6 Lũng Cú 
is the northernmost community in Vietnam, at 1600-1800 m. It is primarily inhabited by members of the Lô Lô tribe. In front of the village is a gigantic flagpole; climbing it costs a small fee. A 3 km circular hiking trail leads to Vietnam's northernmost point ("Điểm cực Bắc"). In 2018, the 16 Chùa Lũng Cú Buddhist temple was begun, cut into the side of a nearby mountain.
Đồng Văn - Mèo Vạc, via Mã Pí Lèng Pass: 24 km
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From Đồng Văn, take QL4C west 24 km to Mèo Vạc.
- At the 17 Monument to Youth, a fine example socialist realism, the "Skyway" hiking trail begins. Not all visitors walk, but use their motorbikes to reach the small parking lot (just a narrow path between two hills). To reach the summit of the nearby "Hand of God," a 15-meter-high rock spire (or "Hope Cliff" in Vietnamese: Mỏm đá hy vọng), you have to climb if you want to take selfies in front of sheer cliffs. It tends to get quite crowded in the later hours of the day. Climbing the cliff is somewhat difficult, and stepping out to take photos requires courage and caution; there is no shelter.
- 18 Mã Pí Lèng Pass viewpoint offers good views of the Nho Que valley, which winds its way through the karst mountains.
- 7 Pả Vi, a hexagonal, wagon-like Hmong “cultural tourism village” geared towards visitors. Among other things, herbal baths are offered.
- About 300 m before the tourist village, the ĐT193 branches off into the Nho Que valley, a 7.3 km difficult, winding route. There, before the 8 Tràng Hương village, there are excursion boats in the narrow riverbed with turquoise water (round trip 1 hour) as well as kayak rentals.
Provincial roads 176 (⇢ 118 km from Na Sai) and 217 (61 km alternative route to Bao Lac) also end in Meo Vac. The town itself is small and without much charm.
- The 4 gas station in Mèo Vạc is about 600 m along the ĐT181 from its junction with the QL4 at the corner of the city park. Another one is located 1 km before the village on the national road if approaching from the north .
Mèo Vạc - Ha Giang: 158 km
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From here, you can choose your own adventure before you complete the loop. Get lost in the backroads, find some more technically-challenging riding, or simply cool down at the frequent water holes.
From 9 Mèo Vạc , take QL4C south 48.5 km to the 5 Cầu Bảo Lâm bridge (Cầu Lý Bôn). Turn right onto QL34 and continue 101 km to Hà Giang.
Alternate route, via Bảo Lạc: 200 km
[edit]10 Bảo Lạc in Cao Bằng Province is no longer part of the actual “Loop.”
On the south edge of Mèo Vạc, take ĐT217 through the Gâm Valley to Bao Lac. Take QL34 west 125 km to Ha Giang.
Alternate route, via Thanh Thấn: 139 km
[edit]This route takes rougher (or more exciting) back roads.
From Mèo Vạc take ĐT182 west 18.2 km to 11 Thanh Thấn. Turn left onto ĐT181 and continue 18.5 km to 12 Đức Lợi. (Here, ĐT182 goes 12.8 km north to Yên Minh.) Continue 21 km of winding roads to 6 Intersection ĐT176/ĐT181 (ĐT181 goes to the “alternate route via the Sông Lô Valley”) Continue on ĐT176 72 km until QL34. Turn right and continue 33.9km to Hà Giang.
- 19 Thâm Luông Waterfall Two large and several smaller cascades, one with a pond for swimming. Somewhat remote, the gravel path can be difficult to find.
Sleep
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Thanks to rapid development, obtaining food or fuel is no longer a problem. Guesthouses and homestays are so numerous along the entire route that you'll never have to worry about overnight accommodations. However, you'll be looking in vain for upscale accommodations.
For specific lodging suggestions, see the listings in Ha Giang city and Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark.
Stay safe
[edit]Large vehicles always have the right of way in Vietnam!
When it rains, it quickly becomes muddy, so take it slow. In the hour before sunset, local farmers are often driving their cattle. This can also lead to patchy slush.
Especially in family-run guesthouses, the local homemade corn spirit "happy water" is served to visitors. Consider your level of alcohol-induced impairment before continuing your drive the next morning.
Anyone using internet-based maps near the Chinese border should be aware that the officially prescribed Chinese deviation of the coordinates can already be observed here.
Go next
[edit]The far north of Vietnam has many more mountain towns and landscapes: