The Ha Giang Loop is a circuit of about 350 km of mountain road in Vietnam’s far north. It starts and ends in Ha Giang city, 300 km north of Hanoi, and climbs through Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac on the limestone plateau along the Chinese border. Its best-known stretch is Ma Pi Leng Pass, a road cut into a cliff above the Nho Que River.
Most people take three or four days, by motorbike, on the back of a local rider’s bike, or by car. The route needs a border permit for foreign visitors, and since July 2025 it lies in Tuyen Quang province, though everyone still calls it the Ha Giang Loop.
The whole loop without riding a motorbike
Your own car, a mountain driver and a licensed local guide, from Ha Giang city or door to door from Hanoi.
★Ha Giang Loop by Private Car — 3 DaysThree days around the Ha Giang Loop in your own car, from Ha Giang city — Heaven Gate, Lung Cu, the Sky Path on Ma Pi Leng and a private boat on the Nho Que. · 3 days, 2 nightsSee the tour →Ha Giang Loop from Hanoi — 4 Days by Private CarDoor to door from Hanoi: four days on the Ha Giang Loop with your own car, a licensed local guide and a good hotel every night. · 4 days, 3 nightsSee the tour →Where the Ha Giang Loop goes
The loop is less a single road than a chain of them. From Ha Giang city it follows National Highway 4C north through Quan Ba and Yen Minh, onto the Dong Van plateau, over Ma Pi Leng to Meo Vac, and then back south through quieter valleys. The 4C section between Ha Giang city and Meo Vac is the old Happiness Road, 185 km built by hand between 1959 and 1965.
| Leg | Distance | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Ha Giang city → Quan Ba | about 48 km | Bac Sum pass, Quan Ba Heaven Gate, the Twin Mountains |
| Quan Ba → Yen Minh | about 50 km | Lung Tam linen village, pine forest, the market town of Yen Minh |
| Yen Minh → Dong Van | about 45 km, more with detours | The Tham Ma pass, Sung La valley, the Vuong family palace, Lung Cu flag tower |
| Dong Van → Meo Vac | about 22 km | Ma Pi Leng Pass, the Sky Path, the Nho Que River and Tu San canyon |
| Meo Vac → Du Gia | about 75 km | A narrower mountain road and a village in a rice valley |
| Du Gia → Ha Giang city | about 80 km | Rolling valleys back to town |
Add the side trip to Lung Cu and the total comes to roughly 350 to 400 km. That sounds short, but on these roads 40 km an hour is a good average, and nobody drives past the viewpoints.
How many days you need
Three days is the usual answer, and it is the right one for most people starting in Ha Giang city. Two days is possible and rushed: you cross Ma Pi Leng and turn back without time for the boat or the Sky Path. Four days lets you slow down or add Du Gia and a longer look at the plateau.
| Days on the loop | What it looks like | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ha Giang city to Dong Van and back via Ma Pi Leng; long hours in the saddle or the seat | Travellers short of time who accept missing most stops |
| 3 | Night in Dong Van, Ma Pi Leng and the Nho Que on day two, a night in Du Gia or Ha Giang city | Most first-time visitors |
| 4 | An extra night early in the loop, shorter driving days | Families, older travellers, photographers |
| 5 or more | Adds Hoang Su Phi rice terraces or a second plateau day | Slow travellers in the harvest months |
Getting from Hanoi to Ha Giang city takes another five to six hours each way. The Tuyen Quang–Ha Giang expressway is not yet open end to end (target: end of 2026), so Hanoi to Ha Giang city takes about 5–6 hours by car today.
Motorbike, easy rider or car
The loop grew famous as a motorbike trip, and there are three ways to do it now. Each is a real choice, not a lesser version of the others.
| Way | What it is | Typical 2026 cost for 3 days |
|---|---|---|
| Self-ride motorbike | You rent a semi-automatic or manual bike in Ha Giang city and ride it yourself | Bike rental and fuel from about US$40, plus rooms and food |
| Easy rider | You sit behind a local rider, usually in a group of several bikes with a lead guide | About US$139–206 per person, homestays and meals included |
| Private car | Your own car, driver and guide, with hotel rooms rather than dormitories | From $354 per person with us, everything included |
Riding it yourself
Self-riding gives you the wind and the freedom, and it is the cheapest way round. It also asks a lot: steep hairpins, trucks on blind corners, gravel after rain and fog on the high passes. You need a motorcycle licence that Vietnam recognises; without one, most travel insurance will not pay out after a crash.
Easy rider
An easy rider tour puts a local who rides these roads every week in front of you. It is the most popular choice for backpackers, and at the good companies the riders are careful. You still spend long days on the back of a bike, and you see the loop through a helmet visor.
By car
A car is slower to stop and start than a bike, and it cannot follow every narrow track. What it gives you is a seat for anyone who does not ride, a roof when it rains, a guide you can talk to all day, and a proper bed at night. Our tours are built around it.
The places that make the loop
A handful of stops carry the loop, and every good itinerary finds time for them.
Quan Ba Heaven Gate
The first high pass out of Ha Giang city, looking down on a valley and two rounded hills known as the Twin Mountains. It is the loop’s opening view and usually the first stop of day one.
Sung La, the Vuong palace and Lung Cu
Between Yen Minh and Dong Van the road reaches the karst plateau: earth-walled H’Mong houses in Sung La, the stone and timber palace of the Vuong family at Sa Phin, and the flag tower at Lung Cu, near the country’s northernmost point. The palace costs 20,000 VND (~$1) to enter and Lung Cu 25,000 VND (~$1).
Ma Pi Leng Pass and the Nho Que River
The 20 km of road between Dong Van and Meo Vac, cut into the cliff at around 1,500 m, with the green Nho Que far below. You can walk the Sky Path, a ledge trail on the cliffs above the road, and take a boat through the Tu San canyon for 150,000 VND (~$6) per adult. Nho Que boats run from 7:00 to 18:30 all year but stop after heavy rain or when the reservoir runs high. If the boat is off on your day, your guide swaps in the canyon viewpoints and a longer walk on the Sky Path.
Du Gia
A Tay and H’Mong village in a rice valley on the southern half of the loop, with a waterfall and a slower evening than Dong Van. Not every itinerary goes this way; ours does on the three-day loop.
The border permit
Foreign visitors need a border-area permit for Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac, the districts that run along the frontier. The official fee is US$10; hostels and tour companies usually charge about 260,000 VND to arrange it from a passport photo. Police can ask to see it at checkpoints and hotels on the loop. Foreign visitors need a border-area permit for Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac. We arrange it for every guest on our tours — send a photo of your passport on WhatsApp after booking.
When to go
The clearest months are September to November and March to May. May to September is the rainy season, with landslide risk on the passes; December to February brings fog on Ma Pi Leng and nights close to freezing. October and November add the pink buckwheat fields and the busiest weeks of the year. The 2026 buckwheat flower festival runs from 6 to 30 November, opening in Dong Van. Hotels on the loop fill up in those weeks, so book early.
| Months | What to expect |
|---|---|
| March–May | Clear, mild days, plum and peach blossom early, rice planting later |
| June–August | Green and warm, heavy afternoon rain, landslide delays |
| September–November | The most reliable weather, rice harvest, buckwheat from late October |
| December–February | Cold, often foggy on the passes, nights close to freezing, few visitors |
The loop at your pace, with nobody to keep up with
Three days from Ha Giang city or four door to door from Hanoi, private for your group and tailored on request.
Ha Giang Loop by Private Car — 3 Days3 days, 2 nightsSee the tour →Ha Giang Loop from Hanoi — 4 Days by Private Car4 days, 3 nightsSee the tour →Questions about the Ha Giang Loop
How long is the Ha Giang Loop?
About 350 km for the classic circuit from Ha Giang city through Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac and Du Gia, and close to 400 km with the side trip to Lung Cu. Most people take three or four days.
Is the Ha Giang Loop still in Ha Giang province?
Not on the map. In July 2025 Ha Giang merged into Tuyen Quang province, and the old districts were reorganised into communes. The towns, the roads and the name of the loop are the same.
Do I need a permit for the Ha Giang Loop?
Yes, foreign visitors need a border-area permit for the northern districts. It costs US$10 officially and is usually arranged by your hostel, hotel or tour company from a copy of your passport.
Can you do the Ha Giang Loop without a motorbike?
Yes. You can sit behind a local easy rider, or travel by car with a driver. Cars cover the whole classic loop, including Ma Pi Leng and Du Gia, and stop at the same viewpoints.
Is it spelled Ha Giang or Hai Giang?
Ha Giang. Hai Giang is a common misspelling; there is no Hai Giang Loop, and searches for it mean this route.
What is the best month for the Ha Giang Loop?
October and November for clear skies, the rice harvest and buckwheat flowers, with March to May a quieter second choice. Summer brings heavy rain and winter brings fog and cold.
Your own car on the Ha Giang Loop
Car, driver, licensed local guide, rooms, meals, the boat and the permit in one price for your group, free to cancel until 5 days before.
★Ha Giang Loop by Private Car — 3 DaysThree days around the Ha Giang Loop in your own car, from Ha Giang city — Heaven Gate, Lung Cu, the Sky Path on Ma Pi Leng and a private boat on the Nho Que. · 3 days, 2 nightsfrom$354/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$975BOOK →2 guests$1,075BOOK →3 guests$1,315BOOK →4 guests$1,415BOOK →See the full tour page →Ha Giang Loop from Hanoi — 4 Days by Private CarDoor to door from Hanoi: four days on the Ha Giang Loop with your own car, a licensed local guide and a good hotel every night. · 4 days, 3 nightsfrom$543/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$1,515BOOK →2 guests$1,640BOOK →3 guests$2,045BOOK →4 guests$2,170BOOK →See the full tour page →Distances, easy rider and rental prices were checked in September 2026 and change with season, route and operator.