The Ha Giang loop has become the best thing in northern Vietnam and it is still nothing like Ha Long Bay in scale or price. Roughly 350 km of mountain road over three or four days, through Dong Van and the Ma Pi Leng pass, with homestays every thirty kilometres. You can ride it yourself if you have a proper licence, or sit on the back with an 'easy rider' for a little more — which is what most people who value their collarbones do.
Compare Ha Giang Loop with another place →
When to go
September to November and March to May. Summer brings heavy rain and landslides on the pass roads; December to February is cold and often fogged in at altitude.
Ha Giang Loop right now and the next 7 days
Loading the forecast…
Ha Giang Loop, planned for you
A satellite map for every day with each stop pinned in order, photos of the places, timings, what each part costs, where to sleep and eat, and a checklist. One PDF that works offline: print it, or send it to everyone going.
- Day 1 Arrive in Ha Giang Loop · Ma Pi Leng pass
- TravelSleeper bus: Hanoi → Ha Giang city₹900
- 11:00Ma Pi Leng passFree
- 14:30Nho Que river boat₹400
- Day 2 Lung Cu flag tower
- Day 3 Hmong King's palace, Sa Phin
- Day 4 A slow day
- Day 5 A slow day
₹49 once, 7 pages. Secure payment by Razorpay, instant download. Already bought? Get your download
Ha Giang Loop on the map
Tap anything in the list: the map zooms straight to it. Tap your starting city to see the way there.
The area
Getting there
Places to see
Ha Giang Loop · Open in Google Maps ↗
Map by Google. Places are found by name, so check the exact spot in Google Maps before you go.
Step 3 of 11Next: Cost↓What your trip costs
Change anything and the numbers update. Every price is what the bus, room or ticket itself costs. We take no commission and sell no packages, so this is what you pay booking each piece yourself.
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Prices last updated 6 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book. Spot a wrong price? Tell us and we fix it.
On the ground: stay, food, local travel and tickets. Pick a route above to add the journey.
Ha Giang Loop in 5 days: a day-by-day plan
Our suggested plan, in a sensible order with times. Move things between days, remove them or add more. It saves on this device, and you can share it.
- 11:00Ma Pi Leng pass2 h · free · The finest stretch of road in Vietnam, above the Nho Que river gorge.
- 13:30Lunch break
- 14:30Nho Que river boat1 h 30 m · ₹400 each · Down in the canyon below the pass. Steep access road.
- 08:00Lung Cu flag tower2 h · ₹200 each · The northernmost point of Vietnam, looking into China.
- 10:30Dong Van Sunday market3 h · free · Hmong, Tay and Dao traders. Sunday only — plan the loop around it.
- 14:00Lunch break
- 15:00Du Gia waterfall swim2 h · ₹100 each · The standard end-of-day-two stop, and it deserves the reputation.
- 08:00Hmong King's palace, Sa Phin1 h · ₹150 each · Early twentieth-century opium-trade architecture in a mountain valley.
- 13:00Lunch break
- Free day: rest, or repeat a favourite.
- A slow morning before the journey home.
How to get to Ha Giang Loop
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Flight + sleeper bus
Check fareFly to the gateway from wherever you start and check live fares. Sleeper buses leave Hanoi's My Dinh station each evening and arrive at dawn.
Getting around once you're there
Motorbike hire
₹900Semi-automatic or manual. A proper motorcycle licence is legally required and insurance depends on it.
Easy rider (pillion)
₹2,200A local rider takes you. Safer, more sociable, and they know where to stop.
Car with driver
₹6,000The only realistic option with young children.
Luggage transfer
₹300Your main bag goes back to the hostel in Ha Giang city. Ride with a daypack.
Where to stay in Ha Giang Loop
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Homestay dorm
₹600/nightMattress on a wooden floor under a mosquito net, dinner included. Perfect.
Homestay private room
₹1,100/nightBook one night ahead as you ride; don't book the whole loop in advance.
Hostel
₹500/nightWhere the loop is organised and where your luggage waits.
What to eat, and what it costs
Homestay family dinner
Check priceCommunal, enormous, and usually the best meal of the day.
Pho bo at a roadside stall
₹90Breakfast. Every town, from six in the morning.
Com rang or banh cuon
₹120Fried rice, or steamed rice rolls. Cheap and everywhere.
Ca phe sua da
₹50Iced coffee with condensed milk. Vietnamese coffee is the country's other great export.
Places to visit and things to do in Ha Giang Loop
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
Ma Pi Leng pass
FreeThe finest stretch of road in Vietnam, above the Nho Que river gorge.
Nho Que river boat
₹400Down in the canyon below the pass. Steep access road.
Lung Cu flag tower
₹200The northernmost point of Vietnam, looking into China.
Dong Van Sunday market
FreeHmong, Tay and Dao traders. Sunday only — plan the loop around it.
Du Gia waterfall swim
₹100The standard end-of-day-two stop, and it deserves the reputation.
Hmong King's palace, Sa Phin
₹150Early twentieth-century opium-trade architecture in a mountain valley.
Day trips and next stops
Cao Bang & Ban Gioc falls
₹900Bus east — extends the loop into a week
Sapa
₹1,000Bus via Lao Cai
Ba Be lake
₹800Bus via Bac Kan
Hanoi
₹900Overnight sleeper bus
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- Riding without a licence your insurance recognises means no cover at all. Crashes on the loop are common and hospitals are far away.
- Landslides close sections of the pass roads in the summer rains, sometimes for days.
- 'Easy rider' quality varies enormously. Ask your hostel who they actually use, not who pays them.
Ways to spend less
- Take the easy rider. It costs a little more, it is much safer, and your driver will stop at places you would ride straight past.
- Book one night ahead, not the whole loop — weather and company change your plan constantly.
- Time the loop so day three is a Sunday and you hit the Dong Van market.
Say it in Vietnamese
A few words go a long way, especially when you ask a price.
The pronunciation is a simple guide, not a native recording. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Before-you-go checklist
Ha Giang Loop in pictures
Tap a photo to see it full size.
Step 11 of 11Next: FAQ↓Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Ha Giang Loop?
On our month-by-month scores, the best months are Mar–Apr, Sep–Oct. September to November and March to May. Summer brings heavy rain and landslides on the pass roads; December to February is cold and often fogged in at altitude.
How do I reach Ha Giang Loop?
Sleeper bus: Hanoi → Ha Giang city, 7 h, about ₹900 one way. Limousine van: Hanoi → Ha Giang, 6 h, about ₹1,600 one way. From Sapa: Bus via Lao Cai, 7 h, about ₹1,000 one way.
How much does a 5-day trip to Ha Giang Loop cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹6,000 on a shoestring, ₹8,750 mid-range or ₹16,000 in comfort over 5 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is sleeper bus (Hanoi → Ha Giang city) at about ₹900 each way.
How many days do you need in Ha Giang Loop?
5 days is right for most people. That covers Ma Pi Leng pass, Nho Que river boat, Lung Cu flag tower, Dong Van Sunday market without rushing.
Is Ha Giang Loop good for families or solo travellers?
Out of 5 on our scores: solo 5, couples 5, families 2, groups 5. It is harder with young children or older parents. It is easy to do on your own.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Ha Giang Loop?
Possible but requires the phrase. 'Toi an chay' — I eat vegetarian — is essential, because fish sauce and pork broth are in almost everything by default, including dishes that look meat-free. Homestays will cook vegetarian if told when you arrive. Com chay (vegetarian rice) shops exist in bigger towns.
Will my phone and cards work in Ha Giang Loop?
Phone signal: Cheap and surprisingly good even on the passes. Cards and UPI: Ha Giang city and Dong Van, nowhere else on the loop. Cash: Homestays, petrol stops, markets.
Guides for Ha Giang Loop
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Visa-Free Countries for Indians (2026): Where You Can Go Without a Visa, and What a Day CostsVisa-free and visa-on-arrival countries for Indian passports, checked 7 Nov 2026, ranked by what a day there costs.…Read the guide →
Cheapest Countries to Visit in 2027: 15 Countries Ranked by What a Day Really CostsThe cheapest countries to visit in 2027, ranked by what a real day costs at an underrated place in each: from about…Read the guide →Similar underrated places
Ninh BinhLimestone karsts rising out of rivers and rice fields, seen from a rowing boat instead of a cruise ship,…From ₹2,200/day · Apr–May, Nov.jpg/500px-Nong_Khiaw_pano(1).jpg)
Nong KhiawKarst towers over a green river, a viewpoint that ruins every other viewpoint, and a slow boat to get there.From ₹1,100/day · Oct–Dec
Phong NhaThe same green limestone towers as Ha Long, but here you ride a wooden boat into the mountain instead of a…From ₹1,300/day · Apr–May
Pakse & Bolaven PlateauA cool coffee plateau above the Mekong, ridden by scooter from one thundering waterfall to the next, with…From ₹1,500/day · Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec
Kampot & KepA sleepy French-era river town under a misty mountain, pepper farms in the hills, and a seaside crab…From ₹1,350/day · Jan–Feb, Dec
BatanesGreen cliff-top pastures falling into a wild sea, and stone-and-thatch Ivatan villages built to outlast…From ₹1,600/day · Feb–MayMake the plan yours
Set your dates and group at the top, shape the days, then book each piece directly.
Back to the planner ↑Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we don't sell packages or bookings, we take no commission, and we link to maps and official sites, never to booking sites. Every guide is free; our only paid products are optional downloadable trip plans and itineraries. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 6 October 2026 · Photo: NKSTTSSHNVN · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: NKSTTSSHNVN · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: minhphuc_99kdd · Public domain · source · Photo: Cat Studio · CC BY 3.0 · source · Photo: Nghia Bui- Zonitrip · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
.jpg){kind=link}
