Hà Giang is famous for its Tam Giác Mạc or Mù Cang Chải flower season. However, traveling to Hà Giang is not an easy task. Perhaps this is what has sparked the enthusiasm of “backpackers”. Here we will share the experience of traveling to Hà Giang by motorbike for those who love adventure.
Where is Hà Giang?
Previously, I always thought Hà Giang was in the Northwest, but it is actually in the Northeast, with the northernmost point (Lũng Cú) of our country’s territory. Hà Giang is home to many ethnic groups such as H’Mong, Dao, Giáy, so there are many unique customs different from those in the lowlands and living conditions in the mountainous areas are difficult and scarce.
Things to Note When Traveling to Hà Giang
Traveling to Hà Giang is not easy, especially for those who prefer luxury travel. To fully experience Hà Giang, on average you need to ride a motorbike about 150km a day, along small mountainous roads with countless sharp turns almost 360 degrees, with high mountains on one side and deep abysses on the other, no barriers… But it is because of this that Hà Giang still retains its breathtaking natural beauty.
How to Get to Hà Giang
There are 2 different routes from Hanoi to Hà Giang for you to choose from:
- First route via Phú Thọ: Depart from Hanoi, head towards Sơn Tây, cross Trung Hà Bridge. When you reach Phú Thọ town, turn towards Tuyên Quang. Then continue along National Highway 2 to reach Hà Giang.
- Second route via Vĩnh Phúc: Also depart from Hanoi, but head towards Thăng Long Bridge near Nội Bài Airport, then turn towards Vĩnh Phúc, pass through Việt Trì city, head straight to Tuyên Quang and then to Hà Giang.
In general, no matter which route you take, the road to Hà Giang is quite winding and dangerous. Therefore, according to the experience of traveling to Hà Giang by motorbike, you need to have good riding skills.
Motorbike Adventure Itinerary in Hà Giang
After a 300km ride from Hanoi to Hà Giang city, I chose to stay at Ki Ki’s House, a dorm bed priced at 90k including breakfast + coffee (the egg sandwich here is super delicious). This is one of the simplest homestays that I love the most, with a lively atmosphere, people from different countries gathering together to prepare for their journey. Here, you can also rent a motorbike for 120k/day with a cool and stylish adventure helmet.
First Day in Hà Giang
Depart for Phó Bảng at 9 am. I started conquering the mountains, winding roads shrouded in clouds to reach Phó Bảng town. The distance is 125km but due to the mountainous terrain, it takes about 5-6 hours. Phó Bảng is located in Đồng Văn district, only about 4km from the road from Hà Giang city to the Đồng Văn rocky plateau, but few people know about the existence of this small town. Just turn left down the slope at the intersection, the serene atmosphere envelops you. The houses are made of earth with ancient colors, a mix of brown with red, ivory yellow, and the colors of the years. There are moss-covered walls, wooden beams in front of the doors, old wooden doors, and red Han script couplets hanging on the walls. It’s truly sad and lonely, but the beauty is unlike anywhere else.
Because it is not geared towards tourism, you won’t find beautiful guesthouses or homestays like in other places. I chose to stay at Hiếu Thành guesthouse, one of the only two lodging options in this town, with a room with 2 beds priced at 250k. Oh, I have a small note that there aren’t many eateries around here. The whole street only has a few convenience stores selling basic necessities. Especially on rainy days, you won’t find any rice eateries at all. Or it’s best to start early, stop by Phó Bảng town and then continue on to Đồng Văn for a better rest rather than staying in Phó Bảng.
Day 2 in Hà Giang
Depart for Mèo Vạc at 12 p.m. After staying in Phó Bảng, the next afternoon I continued to conquer the “nine-turn pass,” one of the sacred passes of Hà Giang. Especially on days when the clouds descend on the mountains like that day, the more I walked, the more I wanted to shout out of sheer joy. From here, looking far away, the sky and the land seem to merge together to create a scene that only those who come here and see it firsthand can truly appreciate.
Passing the “nine-turn pass” is also when the Dong Van rocky plateau begins to appear with thousands of rocky peaks layering on top of each other in the clouds. It’s not hard to understand why this land is called the “rocky plateau,” because everywhere you look, it’s all rocks.
Usually, people would stay in Dong Van town, but since I’ve been there before, this time I decided to conquer the king of passes, Ma Pi Leng, to reach Meo Vac town. Ma Pi Leng Pass is one of the most dangerous mountain passes in Vietnam, famous for its winding, twisting, and steep roads along the mountain slopes, with one side being a sheer cliff and the other side a deep abyss. Before I went, I heard a vendor in Dong Van town saying that many people fall and get injured on the pass and run back here, which made me nervous. On that day, the road was covered in fog all the way up the pass, with some sections having visibility of only about 2 to 3 meters. I could only ride at a speed of about 8km/h, feeling scared and tense, not daring to speak or smile, afraid that any slight movement could cause the bike to slip. The road from Dong Van to Meo Vac, passing through Ma Pi Leng, is called the Happiness Road, truly a happy experience, crossing tiny roads high above the clouds, admiring the majestic scenery below, and occasionally seeing local children carrying firewood, a sight that is hard to describe.
From Pho Bang to Meo Vac is 55km, but remember to drive very slowly, as this road is extremely dangerous. It took me 4 hours to complete this stretch.
Finally, to end a wonderful day, I chose to stay at Lo Lo Homestay, a place that captured my heart as soon as I entered. This homestay is built in the style of a stilt house, offering only dorm rooms at a price of 115k per person. Because the homestay is located on a high hill, just opening the balcony door allows the clouds and mountains to flow in, creating a truly delightful atmosphere.
Day 3 in Ha Giang
Lastly, I rode back from Meo Vac to Hanoi, a 160km journey that took about 7 hours. This road was not as scenic as the one from Hanoi to Dong Van, but it had a legendary M-shaped pass that was super cool. I chose to stay at Kiki’s house again before continuing my journey to conquer other provinces in the Northwest.
Aside from the mentioned locations, you must not miss the Lũng Cú flagpole – the northernmost point of the country (I’ve been there before so I won’t go again this time), standing here sometimes my phone automatically switches to Chinese language, quite interesting. If you visit the flagpole, on day 2 you should depart in the morning to visit the flagpole first, then head to Mã Pí Lèng towards Mèo Vạc, the flagpole is located about 20km from the Phó Bảng – Đồng Văn route, make sure to turn in there.
Cost for the motorbike trip to Hà Giang:
- Stay 2 nights at Kiki’s house (Hà Giang city): 90 x 2 = 180k
- Stay 1 night at Hiếu Thành (Phó Bảng): 125k
- Stay 1 night at Lô Lô Homestay (Mèo Vạc): 115k
- Fuel cost (since my bike was brought from Huế, no need to rent a bike): 250k
- Food cost (average meal 40k): 40 x 6 = 240k
- Water and miscellaneous expenses: 100k
Total cost for the motorbike trip to Hà Giang is: 1 million VND / person
Some of my observations about Hà Giang
- Hà Giang is extremely challenging. Not a resort destination. Just for sightseeing and conquering roads
- The roads are all continuous steep passes, sharp turns, narrow roads, many extremely bad and dangerous sections. Very different from the South. In the South, you can confidently drive to Đà Lạt in 3, 4 hours. But here from Hà Giang to Đồng Văn is 150km. It took me over 8 hours to get there. Exhausting
- Why did I say from the beginning that Hà Giang is only for adventurous motorbike riders? Because all the check-in spots, beautiful sceneries, are all along the way, only by riding a motorbike can you fully enjoy them. In Hà Giang, you can only ride a motorbike from morning till night.
- The center of Đồng Văn town is quite desolate in the evening, few food options, many dishes are difficult to eat.
- You should divide Hà Giang into 2 parts. Day 1 explore one side, day 2 explore the other side
- Those of you from the South should fly to Hà Nội and then rent a bus to Hà Giang town center, then rent a motorbike for exploration. If you continue by bus, you will miss all the check-in spots along the way
- Hà Giang is vast, with limited time, there are still many more places to visit. Looking forward to exploring more next time
- The best time to visit Hà Giang is in October and November. The season of Buckwheat flowers
- I have notes on each location in each photo. Take a look
10 things to avoid when traveling to Ha Giang
1. Giving money to children
Do not give money to local children, as it can create a habit where they run after tourists asking for money, which is not a good or cute image (similar to what happens in Sapa, where tourists feel annoyed when chased for money) – sometimes our unintentional actions can have serious consequences for these children. You can give snacks, clothes, books, depending on personal preference, but avoid giving money. You can support local charity funds if you believe in them (business owners in Ha Giang often donate profits annually to provide supplies like seeds, water tanks, and books to schools in remote areas).
2. Touching children’s heads
Touching or patting children’s heads is not recommended. Their beliefs, trust, and religion are unknown to us, so we should be respectful, especially in spiritual places. Always remember the advice of local guides when visiting villages to avoid cultural taboos of the local people.
3. Cause a disturbance
Laugh and talk in moderation, in public places don’t call each other (try to go to a quiet place and speak softly enough for each other to hear, so that the third person doesn’t hear unrelated stories about them, as it is very impolite).
4. Don’t ask for permission
Everything must be asked for permission. Don’t jump on someone else’s vehicle (a group went to Malaysia, and suddenly a guy climbed onto someone else’s motorcycle and tried to start the engine). If you find someone cute or beautiful and want to take a picture, you must ask for permission, don’t take pictures of others without permission, politely ask to take a picture together – and show them the picture, if they nod okay then it’s allowed.
5. Avoid certain words
Hà Giang is a province with over 20 ethnic groups living together, diverse in culture and ethnicity. During the journey to Hà Giang, we will come into contact with many locals. To create a friendly atmosphere and show understanding, it is better to refer to the people in the highlands as “ĐỒNG BÀO” (fellow countrymen), “ĐỒNG BÀO VÙNG CAO” (highland fellow countrymen), “NGƯỜI VÙNG CAO” (highlander) instead of using the term “DÂN TỘC” (ethnic group)… some words may not be appropriate.
6. Overreacting
Don’t complain, frown, or be difficult – praise whatever you eat, sleep wherever, be friendly and cheerful with everyone, enjoy everything, because this is a remote highland area, services may not be as good as in the city – so demanding to receive services exactly as the amount of money you paid: I paid X amount so you must serve me like the resort hotels I’ve been to, is very difficult. In reality, every tour has a few people who are demanding, less adaptable, lacking empathy for others… always demanding their rights, must be this way or that way… making the whole group unhappy, ruining the mood of others is very uncivilized. Just a few days of traveling, then we return to our own paradise.
7. Use water sparingly
Due to the scarcity of clean water in highland areas, during the dry season, local people have to walk several kilometers to fetch water from rock crevices. Therefore, when our group uses water, we only use what is necessary. This is a practical action, more important than liking and sharing environmental protection hashtags. Try not to litter, find a trash bin, and if you can’t find one, take the trash back to the hotel.
8. Sit and drink alcohol
If you are offered alcohol, it’s polite to drink it. If you can’t drink, find another place to sit, don’t sit and listen to others drinking without participating. After eating, go outside, enjoy the view, don’t sit there listening while others are toasting and you shake your head saying “not good for my health,” it’s very strange. The locals are hospitable, they treat guests generously, and if you show rude behavior like that, it’s not good. They will judge you as “this person is not fun.” Especially, do not turn over your glass or bowl because only a wizard can do that to ward off evil spirits. Going to the highlands is an opportunity for everyone to get tipsy, feel the authenticity, and hospitality of the locals here. When traveling here, it’s for experiencing and learning, so just enjoy to the fullest, try every dish, drink every type of alcohol – if you don’t like it, then don’t use it next time. Life should have many “first times” to make it interesting, with many colors.
9. Act like you have money
Understanding the value of the trip is more important than worrying about the price. When someone organizes something, you should be grateful. Say thank you, thank you to the driver, the guide, the waitress, the laborer, without them, how would you have the opportunity to enjoy the space, the atmosphere, build relationships with fellow travelers and locals. Don’t be the type to “stab the plate you bought”, “eat to pay back”, don’t complain about prices, compare prices and demand money back, frown and be uncomfortable, speak negatively and criticize others, which affects the whole group.
10. Touching history
It’s good to learn more about the culture, history, and geography of the place you’re visiting to be moved when touching the heritage, be excited in front of the stone walls of the Hmong king’s palace or be touched by the work of thousands of young people carving stones to create the majestic Ma Pi Leng Pass. Understanding the new soil geology, you see how difficult it is to grow a corn kernel on a rocky mountain, you will appreciate a glass of corn wine, a bowl of mèng mén without refusing.
