Off The Beaten Track In Unexplored Northeast Of Vietnam

Let's go for a sunrise photo hunt when the sun is rising above the moutain. Once your breakfast is over, travel up the mountain to Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark. Stop in Quan Ba and Yen Minh where you will witness the finest gift brought by mother nature to the northern land of Vietnam.

And then, lunchtime awaits for you in a local restaurant in Yen Minh Town.

Move on further to Dong Van after lunch to take part in a 1.5-hour walk down the mountain trails sneaking through the tranquil Hmong tribal villages before paying a visit to King of Hmong Palace in Sa Phin Valley.

Reach Dong Van at about 4.30 PM and if time budget allows, walk up the French Fortress of Dong Van District and enjoy the panoramic view of the town when the sun is leaving horizon.    

Dong Van Market is a dynamic rural destination to start your day. If your trip falls on Sunday, then get ready to feel the vibe of a one-of-a-kind weekly fair market run by the ethnic Hmong people.

After leaving the market, hike up the mountain following a trail towards the edge of Tu San Canyon where you get to admire the mighty mountain border lying in between Vietnam and China. The very next 7-km hike leads you to Thien Huong Ancient Village, a traditional village of the Tay people where they spend the lives in their amazing clay houses. 

Get back to Dong Van Town for lunch before the next 20-minute drive to the one and only Ma Pi Leng Pass. Over here, the pass offers an enormous panorama after you conquer a 2.5-hour walk to the summit. Get ready to wind through the off-beat Hmong villages enclosing the corn fields, and then the corridor looking down the poetic Nho Que River and the mighty Tu San Canyon typical of northern Vietnam. 

Take a short rest for a while to see this once-in-a-lifetime natural beauty before hopping on a 2-hour drive to Bao Lac, Cao Bang Province.

Today, we will take you to a long-lasting memorable trip of your life with a start to Khuoi Khon Village. This is where the unique Lo Lo ethnic villagers preserve their special cultures and lifestyles. 

If good luck strikes, then join in the fun and interesting weekly open fair of the tribal Lo Lo, Hmong and Yao people in Bao Lac District. For more information, the fair is held every five days starting from the 5th of lunar calendar.

Afterwards, get transferred to the next city, Cao Bang on a 3-hour drive. There, explore Cao Bang fresh market by yourselves at the end of the day.

Hit the road again to one of the largest natural border waterfall on the planet - Ban Gioc. Along the way to this phenomenal destination, follow our guide for a short walk down the paths in Phuoc Sen Village. The site is known to be where the Nung ethnic citizens call their home for centuries. Other than that, this is where they make knives as traditional handicraft for a living. 

A picnic lunch is waiting for you by the waterfall when noon arrives.

Pay a visit to Nguom Ngao Limestone Cave later on and get to hear the mystic legend of a captivating “Tiger cave” before returning to Quang Uyen where your homestay is based. Do you know that where you spend the night is in the heart of an incredible incense-making village of the Nung people? Take this chance to discover the truest village life as well as the magical procedure behind indigenous incenses produced. 

Take another 1-hour hike up the mountain behind the village to observe the whole exotic view and enjoy an idealistic sunset break at this very peak if time permits.

A tasty breakfast gets you ready for a 3-hour enchanting drive to the iconic Ba Be National Park. Over here, sneak through 5 beautiful passes on the winding hilly paths and arrive at Cho Ra Town at lunch time. 

After an authentic lunch to freshen up yourself, move upwards the incredible Cho Len Pass to Hua Ma Cave and get the truest definition of how the most beautiful limestone cave in northeast Vietnam was born. Spend another 1 hour hiking up to discover the cave and admire the beauty of natural stalactites and staglamites. Next is the romantic and wild Tat Ma Waterfall found hidden at the top of the mountain where the whole view of this rural paradise appears. Don’t forget to meditate and cool off in the jade-like water at the foot of this scenic waterfall.

Reach Ba Be Lake at Pac Ngoi Village afterwards for an insight into a Tay ethnic village situated by the lake. Time for your kayaking discovery before coming back to the village where you spend your tranquil night after a day of excitement.

Another amazing trek is waiting for you today, with a full day 17-km off the beaten track. Chase the local trails along Pe Lu stream in the middle of the poetic emerald rice fields in which the muddy steps lead you to a woods where you spend 1.5 hours to conquer the steep slope before ending up in a little lovely Hmong village.

Move on further to Nam Dai and be cozily welcomed by the little Hmong and Yao students going to school. After that, take your steps downhill to the Wind Peak for an arranged picnic lunch in a local Hmong community house.

From there, follow the winding trails down the valley, cross villages, jungles and rice fields to return Ba Be Lake. If you still make it in time, then feel free to go for a refreshing swim while watching sunset with your beloved ones.

Here comes the final day of your adventure! Wake up early for a full breakfast before a 3-hour boat trip around the lake. Stop at Cam Village for a short walk where you get to feel the freshest tropical nature of northern Vietnam, along with smily local people.

Chase down the serene Nang River to Puong Cave and let our guide tell an interesting story of a cave filled with the amazing stalactites and staglamites or home to millions of bats. 

End up at Buoc Lom Wharf where you make a farewell to Ba Be and drive back to the hectic Hanoi.