The Ha Giang Loop is a ring of about 350 km that starts and ends in Ha Giang city. The classic direction runs north on National Highway 4C through Quan Ba and Yen Minh to Dong Van, east over Ma Pi Leng Pass to Meo Vac, then south and west through Du Gia back to town. The side trip to Lung Cu adds about 50 km.
Pure driving time is roughly 11 to 13 hours by car, more on a motorbike in rain. With stops that becomes three full days, which is why most itineraries sleep in Dong Van and either Meo Vac or Du Gia.
The whole route, with someone else at the wheel
A mountain driver who knows every bend and a licensed local guide who knows where to stop, from Ha Giang city or 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 →The route at a glance
Picture a lopsided ring on the map, with Ha Giang city at its south-west corner and the Chinese border along its top edge. The western and northern sides follow National Highway 4C, the old Happiness Road; the eastern and southern sides use narrower provincial roads through the valleys. Distances below follow the usual clockwise order.
| Leg | Distance | Driving time, no stops | Road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ha Giang city → Quan Ba | about 48 km | about 1.5 h | Highway 4C, climbing the Bac Sum pass |
| Quan Ba → Yen Minh | about 50 km | about 1.5 h | Highway 4C through pine forest |
| Yen Minh → Dong Van | about 45 km | 1.5–2 h | Highway 4C over Tham Ma, or via Sung La and Sa Phin |
| Dong Van ↔ Lung Cu | about 25 km each way | about 45 min each way | Side road to the flag tower |
| Dong Van → Meo Vac | about 22 km | 45 min–1 h | Highway 4C over Ma Pi Leng Pass |
| Meo Vac → Du Gia | about 75 km | 2.5–3 h | Provincial roads via Mau Due, narrower |
| Du Gia → Ha Giang city | about 80 km | 2.5–3 h | Provincial roads down the valleys |
The totals: roughly 320 km for the ring itself, about 350 km with the usual detours inside the plateau, and close to 400 km with Lung Cu. Average speeds of 30 to 40 km an hour are normal, which is why short distances take so long.
Leg by leg
Ha Giang city to Quan Ba
Highway 4C leaves town along the valley and climbs almost at once. The Bac Sum pass is the first long set of hairpins; at the top, Quan Ba Heaven Gate looks down on the valley and the two rounded Twin Mountains. There are car parks at the main lookout.
Quan Ba to Yen Minh
The road drops into a broad valley, passes the side turn to Lung Tam linen village, and runs through the pine forest before Yen Minh, a small market town where most groups stop for lunch or fuel.
Yen Minh to Dong Van
Beyond Yen Minh the land changes to bare limestone. The Tham Ma pass zigzags up in tight bends that you see best from the lookout above. From Pho Cao you either stay on 4C or take the loop road through Sung La valley and past the Vuong palace at Sa Phin; most itineraries take the second, and it is the one we use.
The Lung Cu detour
From the Sa Phin area or from Dong Van, a side road runs north to Lung Cu flag tower, near the border. It is an out-and-back trip, but the climb to the tower and the view over the Lo Lo and H’Mong villages are why most people add it.
Dong Van to Meo Vac over Ma Pi Leng
Only 22 km, but the most important stretch of the whole map. The road is cut into the cliff at around 1,500 m above the Nho Que River. There are several lookouts, the start of the Sky Path ledge, and further down a road to the river boats in Tu San canyon.
Meo Vac to Du Gia
West of Meo Vac the loop leaves 4C for provincial roads through Mau Due and down to Du Gia. The surface is mixed and the road narrower, with fewer tour groups. A car manages it fine at a slower pace.
Du Gia to Ha Giang city
The last day is the gentlest: valleys, rice fields and smaller passes back to town. It is also mostly driving, and there is little on it that compares with the plateau.
Clockwise or anticlockwise
Most tours and riders go clockwise, north first. You can do it the other way, and there are real reasons to.
| Clockwise (north first) | Anticlockwise (Du Gia first) | |
|---|---|---|
| First day | Heaven Gate and the climb onto the plateau | Valleys and Du Gia, a slower start |
| Ma Pi Leng | Day two, from the Dong Van side | Day two, from the Meo Vac side |
| Traffic | You move with most tour groups and rider convoys | Fewer groups at the same stops at the same time |
| Hardest roads | The narrow southern section comes when you are tired | The narrow section comes first, when you are fresh |
| Last day | Easy valley roads to town | Heaven Gate and Bac Sum on the way down |
Our three-day loop goes clockwise, because it puts Lung Cu, Ma Pi Leng and the boat into the clearest morning hours of day two. On a private trip the direction can be reversed on request; the total distance is the same either way.
How the map turns into days
Here is how the driving divides on the two trips we run. The numbers are approximate driving hours, not counting stops.
| Day | Three days from Ha Giang city | Four days from Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ha Giang city to Dong Van via Quan Ba, Yen Minh and Sung La: about 4.5–5 h | Hanoi to Quan Ba: about 300 km, around 6 h |
| 2 | Lung Cu, the Vuong palace, Ma Pi Leng, the boat, then on to Du Gia: about 5 h | Quan Ba to Dong Van via Yen Minh, Sung La, the palace and Lung Cu: about 4.5 h |
| 3 | Du Gia to Ha Giang city: about 2.5–3 h | Ma Pi Leng and the boat, then back to Ha Giang city: 4–5 h |
| 4 | — | Ha Giang city to Hanoi: around 6 h |
For the bigger picture of the region and its towns, see our guide to Ha Giang, Vietnam. For what each stop is like, start with the complete Ha Giang Loop guide. 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.
Using a map on the road
Phone signal is good in towns and patchy on the passes and in deep valleys, so download an offline map of the whole area before you leave Ha Giang city. Online route planners tend to show the direct times, and they do not allow for photo stops, road works or trucks on hairpins; add at least half again to any estimate.
Landslides after heavy rain are the other reason plans change. Landslides after heavy rain or a road closure can change the route on the day; your guide re-routes, with no partial refund. If the authorities close the loop or a natural disaster makes the tour impossible, you move the date free or get a 100% refund.
Every leg planned, every stop your choice
Private for your group, clockwise or the other way round, with a driver who has done the loop in every season.
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 map
How many kilometres is the Ha Giang Loop?
About 350 km for the classic route 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 flag tower.
How many hours of driving is the Ha Giang Loop?
Roughly 11 to 13 hours of actual driving by car, spread over three days. With stops at viewpoints, villages and the river, each day runs from morning to late afternoon.
Which direction is best for the Ha Giang Loop?
Clockwise, north first, is the standard and puts the best scenery early. Anticlockwise avoids some of the crowds and tackles the narrower southern roads while you are fresh.
Is Hoang Su Phi on the Ha Giang Loop?
No. Hoang Su Phi and its rice terraces lie in the far west of the region, several hours from the loop, and need at least one extra day.
Is Lung Cu on the main loop road?
No, it is a side trip of about 25 km each way from the Dong Van area. It adds one to two hours with the climb to the flag tower.
Drive the whole map without driving
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 and driving times were checked in September 2026 and are approximate; weather and road works change them.