HIKING ADVENTURE – 2 DAYS
Overview of the route
This 2-day walking itinerary invites you to connect with the Dao and Tay communities, ethnic minority groups living in the remote mountain villages of northern Vietnam. The journey takes you to traditional stilt houses, offers a glimpse into local daily life, and leads you on treks through terraced rice fields and centuries-old tea forests. You will spend the night in the home of a Dao family, enjoying warm hospitality and cultural exchange. Along the way, the trail reveals breathtaking views of Tây Côn Lĩnh – one of the highest mountain ranges in northern Vietnam. A truly authentic adventure into the heart of the Ha Giang region!
♥ Note: You can choose to combine these survival skills in the forest with your trek, or simply go hiking according to the program below. This is a unique trekking and immersive nature experience: work in the rice fields or tea forests like a local, camp in tents, or stay in traditional tea huts ⛺️. Enjoy a survival-style adventure in the forest by foraging for wild vegetables, hunting for frogs, catching crabs, and even searching for beetles. Learn how to cook forest vegetables and rice using bamboo tubes, then eat, rest, and spend one unforgettable night deep in the jungle! 🤩
Day 1
Itinerary: 🥾 AROUND 15 KILOMETERS🥾
– Ha Giang [Hà Giang] – Thon Tha [Thôn Tha] – Tay community [Người Tày] – Khuoi My [Khuổi My] – Dao community [Người Dao] – Shan Tuyet tea forest ( rừng trà Shan Tuyet)
– Lung Vai [Lùng Vài]
We will leave Ha Giang around 8:00 AM, heading toward the small village of Thon Tha, home to members of the Tay community. You will discover their traditional stilt houses with palm-leaf roofs. We will then climb a small hill dotted with palm trees, bamboo forests and continue our journey through terraced rice and corn fields, the ingredients used to make rice liquor (Rượu Gạo)🌾 and corn liquor (Rượu Ngô)🌽, which you’ll have the chance to taste!🥴 Our walk continues to the village of Khuoi My, where we will have lunch. There, you will meet the Dao community, who speak their own distinct language. After lunch, we will visit traditional Dao stilt houses (some over 20 years old), then continue our hike to Lung Vai, a remote mountain village home to the Dao community. Along the way, we’ll pass through fields of cassava and peanuts, and you’ll see farmers herding buffaloes 🐃. We’ll continue to the ancient Shan Tuyet tea forest 🌿 at the top of the mountain, where some tea trees are over 400 years old. After exploring the forest and observing how locals make tea, we’ll return to Lung Vai for dinner with a local Dao family. You’ll also have the chance to interact with local people, learn how to cook local dishes and enjoy dinner with a host family, where we will spend the night.🛖
Day 2
Itinerary: 🥾AROUND 15 KILOMETERS🥾
– Lung Vai [Lùng Vài] – Xà Phìn village ( làng Xà Phìn) – Dao community ( người Dao) – Tây Côn Lĩnh mountain ( núi Tây Côn Lĩnh) – Shan Tuyet tea forest ( rừng trà Shan Tuyet) – Deer Waterfall (Thác Hươu) – Ha Giang [Hà Giang]
If you want to catch the sunrise, make sure to wake up by 7:00 AM! 🌄Around 8:30 AM, after breakfast, we will begin trekking through lush forests, terraced rice fields, and traditional villages of the Dao ethnic minority. The trail offers panoramic views of Tây Côn Lĩnh – one of the highest mountain ranges in northern Vietnam. Then we’ll arrive at Xà Phìn village, a remote Dao community, where you can discover authentic local culture and lifestyle. We will enjoy a traditional lunch prepared by a local family, featuring fresh ingredients from the mountains. After lunch, we’ll visit the tea hills, where ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees grow at high altitude where some tea trees are over 800 years old🌿. Learn about the tea-picking process and enjoy a cup of traditional tea with the locals. Then, we continue the journey to Deer Waterfall (Thác Hươu) – a hidden gem surrounded by pristine jungle. Relax, take photos, or cool off in the refreshing water. We’ll head back to Ha Giang around 5:00 PM, where you can catch a bus to your next destination (Sapa or Hanoi ?)
Included services
– The guide for the entire duration of the journey
– Lunch + dinner (day 1)
– Accommodation with a local family (day 1)
– Breakfast + lunch (day 2)
– Taxi to take us to the starting point of the hike (day 1) and back to Ha Giang (day 2)
Additional information
| 📸Photographing ethnic minorities
Make sure to respect local customs and ask for permission before taking photos or participating in activities in the villages of ethnic minorities. |
| ❤️Guest Reviews ❤️
For many years, I worked as an English teacher in Hanoi, Saigon, and Ha Giang. Three years ago, I started traveling across many beautiful regions of Vietnam, and those journeys inspired me to share the country’s culture, landscapes, and daily life with international friends. Since September 2024, together with a few friends, I have been working in tourism in Ha Giang, organizing authentic experiences in this incredible region. We love introducing visitors to the spectacular mountains, ethnic cultures, and hidden villages. To make sure my guests can share their honest experiences (100% authentic reviews), I created a TripAdvisor page where you can read their feedback and discover our trips here: Lucy & Friends – Hà Giang Loop with ❤️ |
Looking forward to meeting you in Ha Giang!
Hẹn gặp lại tại Hà Giang !