48 hours in Dong Van

Dong Van is a must-see destination when visiting Ha Giang, as it boasts many beautiful landscapes and famous tourist attractions.

Ha Giang, with its many landmarks such as Hoang Su Phi, Meo Vac, Dong Van, and Yen Minh, is an ideal destination in autumn when the weather is beautiful, not too cold, and the terraced rice fields turn golden. Due to the long distance ( Hanoi is 280km from Ha Giang city and nearly 450km from Lung Cu) and the difficult roads, a trip to Ha Giang usually takes 5-6 days to fully experience.

For Dong Van specifically, visitors should spend at least two days. The following suggestion comes from Thu Phuong, a frequent visitor to Ha Giang , following an itinerary from Pho Cao - Pho Bang - Sung La - Vuong House - Lo Lo Chai - Lung Cu and back to the town center. "These places all have paved roads, making travel by car or motorbike convenient," Phuong says.

Day 1

Morning and noon

Begin your two-day exploration of Dong Van with breakfast in Pho Cao.

"If you visit Pho Cao during market day, take a stroll around to get a hearty breakfast," Phuong said. Suggested dishes include five-colored sticky rice, rice cakes, thang co (a traditional stew), sausages, smoked meat, bamboo-tube rice, au tau porridge, and corn wine. Even outside of market day, visitors can still find these dishes scattered throughout the commune.

The journey continues to other landmarks along National Highway 4C, each point taking approximately 1-3 hours, with a suggested distance of 15-35 km between points.

In Pho Bang, visitors will feel as if time slows down. It's home to a Chinese and Hmong community of over 500 people. The town retains its simple, tranquil, and ancient charm. Pho Bang is somewhat isolated and little-known. "To get to the town, you have to travel nearly 5 km from National Highway 4C," Phuong said.

Buckwheat flowers bloom from October in Sung La. Photo: Xuan Phuong

Sung La is nestled beneath jagged cliffs. The Mong ethnic people in Sung La often cultivate buckwheat on the high hillsides, with the flowers blooming brilliantly around October and November. Sung La also features "Pao's House," a house built in 1947, which served as the setting for the film "Pao's Story." The front yard is paved with stone and planted with plum, apricot, and peach trees—characteristic of the region. The house has beautiful architecture, and the scenery is even more stunning during the apricot, peach, and plum blossom season. There is an entrance fee of 10,000 VND per visitor.

The journey along National Highway 4C continues to the Vuong Family Mansion , built in the early 20th century, modeled after the Qing Dynasty architecture (China). The mansion is shaped like a tortoise shell with tall cypress trees. Two surrounding walls, built of rubble stone, feature loopholes and guard posts. The mansion has three stilt houses. The main house faces the gate, while the two side houses are parallel and perpendicular to the main house. All three houses, from the columns, beams, floors, walls, and roofs, are made of precious wood.

Leaving the Vuong family mansion, visitors continue along National Highway 4C to the Ma Le intersection, then turn left onto Lung Cu road. Lo Lo Chai village is located right at the foot of the Lung Cu flagpole.

Evening

Have dinner and spend the night in Lo Lo Chai village, home to Lo Lo and Mong families. This is a place that has almost completely preserved its ancient culture, from material and spiritual life, to the architecture of traditional houses with tiled roofs, traditional crafts such as embroidery and carpentry, as well as festivals and folk dances.

A room at Lolo Village Homestay. Photo: Booking

There are many homestays here, among which Lolo Village Homestay is chosen by many tourists because of its beautiful location, offering views of the Lung Cu flagpole. "This place has 7 bedrooms, with prices ranging from 700,000 VND to 1.2 million VND for rooms accommodating 2 to 4 people," Phuong said.

Day 2

Morning and noon

Waking up early in the morning to the fresh air of the northern mountains. If you come here in winter, the weather will be very harsh, with temperatures possibly dropping to 0 degrees Celsius, or even frost, affecting travel and experiences. But currently, the weather in Ha Giang is cool, with the lowest temperature around 20 degrees Celsius.

Have breakfast and coffee at the Northernmost Point Cafe. Located right at the foot of the Lung Cu flagpole, less than 1 km from the Vietnam-China border, this is a must-visit destination when coming to the northernmost point of the country. The cafe was built and opened in 2015 by Mr. Ogura Yasushy, a Japanese man who lived in Vietnam for many years and has a particular fondness for Ha Giang. It was later handed over to a Lo Lo family for management.

The Lung Cu flagpole as seen from Lo Lo Chai village. Photo: Xuan Phuong

After resting, tourists leisurely make their way to the Lung Cu flagpole. "To reach the top of the flagpole, you'll have to climb over 800 steps, so it's best to wear flat shoes for easy movement. The stairs to the flagpole are divided into three sections, each with a waiting area where you can rest or admire the view," Phuong said.

Standing atop Dragon Mountain from the flagpole, visitors will see a magnificent natural landscape, with two lakes considered the dragon's eyes – remnants of two sinkholes. These are two rare lakes in the Dong Van karst plateau. Entrance fee to the flagpole is 25,000 VND for adults, children are free.

Evening

Returning to the center of Dong Van town, a distance of about 35 km, tourists can stroll through the old town and have coffee at Pho Co cafe.

Located at the corner of the market in the heart of Dong Van town, this house, over 100 years old and nestled against the mountainside, is one of the few remaining ancient houses in Dong Van today, bearing the distinct mark of traditional local architecture blended with Chinese influences. Drinks include signature items like coffee and tea, priced from 25,000 to 55,000 VND.

A signature dish of Ha Giang. Photo: Xuan Phuong

In the evening, try the famous Ha Giang rice rolls at Mrs. Ha's restaurant at 31 Old Street. This is a three-generation rice roll shop, served for both breakfast and dinner. Unlike rice rolls dipped in fish sauce in many regions, Ha Giang rice rolls are served with a broth simmered with pork bones, giving them a subtly sweet flavor. According to locals, because of the cold mountainous climate, eating rice rolls with the broth will warm you up. The restaurant also serves five-colored sticky rice. A meal costs approximately 25,000 to 40,000 VND.

Around the Old Quarter, there are many other dishes worth trying, such as five-colored sticky rice and aw tẩu porridge, suitable for a late dinner. "Moc Mien porridge shop is a recommended place," Thu Phuong said.

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