Vietnam is a country blessed with a good weather almost all year round, so trekking is possible all the time. The country’s landscapes offer hikers a unique experience to completely escape the city crowds, explore the nature and conquer new heights.
The highlights are terraced rice paddies and underneath towering limestone mountain ranges, picturesque villages, scenic beaches to serious jungle treks.
Generally, northern Vietnam is your best-hiking bet with dramatic mountain paths and fascinating minority culture are a draw. Here below you can find the best places in the country to hike and trek.
1. Lao Cai (~350 km from Hanoi – 8 hours by train, 5 hours by bus)
Bac Ha: 2-hour drive from Lao Cai station. Sunday market is a great start to warm up. Sunday Market is one of most unique markets in Northern Vietnam (not only inevitable goods such as food, clothes and other necessities, are traded but big animals such as buffalo, horse, goats, cattle are traded). There are many places that are ideal for your hiking and trekking such as Ban Pho, Lung Khau Nhin, Na Cap, Quan Than San, Thai Giang Pho.
Sapa: with its spectacular rice terraces, Sapa is one of the most famous places in Vietnam. Though some parts of Sapa are well – trodden, many villages and routes still offer vast wilderness and untamed corners as below:
- Villages: Cat Cat, Sin Chai, Ma Tra, Ta Phin, Ban Ho, Thanh Kim, Thanh Phu, Ta Giang Phing
- Fansipan peak: At the height of 3143 meters, Mt. Fansipan of Lao Cai is the highest peak in Vietnam and the entire Indochina peninsula. Beside the mountainous terrain, Sapa is also a place where several ethnic minorities like Hmong, Dao (Yao), Giay, Pho Lu, and Tay reside.
Northern Vietnam and Luang Prabang
2. Pu Luong (Thanh Hoa) (~ 170 km from Hanoi – 5-hour drive)
Pu Luong (or Phu Luong) Nature Reserve is an area of outstanding splendor, cultural interest, biodiversity value and the biggest nature reserve of the North, situated in Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc District of Thanh Hoa Province.
The highlights are pristine epic nature, villages of minor ethnic communities.
3. Ba Be Lake and National Park (240 km from Hanoi – 4-hour drive)
Ba Be is the largest natural lake in Vietnam and now the centerpiece of a vast National Park, Ba Be lies in the middle of a huge limestone mountain range of Bac Kan Province.
The highlights are waterfalls, rivers, valleys, lakes, and caves which all set a picturesque landscape. The whole area is intensely forested and home of many ethnic minorities. Tropical and semi-tropical evergreen monsoon forests cover most of the national park.
The most famous places are: Ba Be lake, Hua Ma cave, Nang river, Puong Cave, Dau Dang waterfall, An Ma temple, Fairy Pond
4. Cao Bang (~ 300 km from Hanoi – 8-hour drive)
Cao Bang – one of top 5 trekking place in South East Asia. A province in the northwest that shares 311 – km – long borderline with China
The highlights are high mountains twisted with rivers, streams and untouched jungles. The trek takes you past a series of tribal villages of the Tay, Hmong, Nung and Red Dao people. The most famous places are Ban Gioc Waterfall, Pac Bo village, Nguom Ngao cave.
5. Mai Chau (~140 km from Hanoi – 3.5-hour drive)
Mai Chau is a district of Hoa Binh province, in the northwest region of Vietnam. As seen from high above, the superb vista of Mai Chau is surrounded by a green valley and stilt houses of the ethnic minority group.
Highlights: paddy fields, traditional houses on high stilts, traditional dance show at night of Thai people (Xoe)
The most famous places are Hang Kia Pa Co, Cun Pheo, Mai Hich, Mai Ha.
6. Cuc Phuong National Park (~ 125 km ~ 2-hour drive - Ninh Binh province)
Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is the oldest national park of Vietnam, with the area of 25,000 hectares and 140 km far from South of Hanoi.
The highlights are a large number of flora species and patches of primeval forest, embracing ancient trees with thick clusters of roots, and parasitic plants and ligneous creepers, 1000 years old tree
The most famous places in Cuc Phuong: the caves include Thang Khuyet, Con Moong, Pho Ma, Nguoi Xua, the Botanical Garden, The Endangered Primate Rescue Center, The Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Center, A Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Center.
7. Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai province, 150 km ~ 3-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh)
Cat Tien is the national park situated in three provinces Dong Nai, Lam Dong, and Binh Thuan, in the South of Vietnam.
The national park is truly well-reserved with impressive biodiversity including many ancient trees which may live for a thousand years. The system of waterfalls, rivers are also stunningly striking.
The most famous places are Ngok Linh Mountain, Chu Mon Ray jungle, Dak To hot spring, Crocodile Lake.
Please let me know your INTERESTS so that we can get back to you shortly with the best recommendations and tips for your trekking and hiking trip.
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