How to travel from Hanoi to Ha Giang
Ha Giang has long been famous as the northernmost land of Vietnam with its beautiful terraced fields and the buckwheat flowers stretching as far as the eye can see. Furthermore, Ha Giang is also famous for its majestic rocky plateau with its winding mountain roads. The road to Ha Giang is like a beautiful garden of colorful flowers that bloom all year round, such as the yellow of the wildflowers, purple of the buckwheat flowers, and the untainted white of those plum flowers...
To foreign travelers with visa to Vietnam, Ha Giang is worth for a travel in all seasons, worth your time every time. It is an eye-catching destination that cannot be ignored. To explore Ha Giang, there are often two parts to your journey: going from Hanoi to Ha Giang City and from Ha Giang City to other tourist destinations. In this article, I would like to share in detail and break down those two parts.
1. Hanoi – Ha Giang City (6-7 hours)
There are two main means to travel from Hanoi to Ha Giang City: bus and motorbike. Also, if you go in groups and want to be more comfortable, travel at your leisure, you can always rent a car.
Sleeping bus: If your purpose to Ha Giang is to enjoy the beautiful scenery in Dong Van, Meo Vac, Quan Ba. You can skip the drive yourself from Hanoi to Ha Giang City and take the night bus to save time and conserve energy. When you get to Ha Giang City, you can easily rent a motorbike in many stores to personally explore those destinations (I will share that information with you below). There are many buses that run to Ha Giang City from My Dinh bus station (20 Pham Hung, My Dinh Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, Ha Noi). So, if you go on a regular day, it's as simple as going straight to the Bus Station, pick a time, get a ticket and hop on, no reservations required. The buses run until 21:00 PM every day. Ticket price is about $ 9, holidays pricing may increase.
Here is information of some prestigious bus companies from My Dinh bus station:
+ Hai Van: Schedule 21:00 PM. Phone: 0944 962 323.
+ Hung Thanh: Schedule 8:00 AM, 14:00 PM, 20:00 PM.
+ Quang Nghi: Schedule 8:00 AM, 20:00 PM.
+ Bang Phan: Schedule 20:00 PM, 21:00 PM.
+ Cau Me: Schedule 8:20 AM, 10:30 AM, 19:00 PM.
Note: Departure time may change slightly everyday
Motorbike: The 300km distance from Hanoi to Ha Giang City is about 7 hours of motorbike driving. The motorbike is a very suitable way for people who like to experience driving themselves in the midst of the majestic mountainous landscape as well as wanting to conquer the steep mountain slopes. Furthermore, you can definitely get around more easily and have better time management using a motorbike on your journey.
To go from Hanoi to Ha Giang City, you can use one of the following routes:
+ The first route: Hanoi - Vinh Phuc - Viet Tri - Phu Tho - Tuyen Quang. This route is popular and will be crowded.
+ Second route: Hanoi - Son Tay - Trung Ha Bridge – Co Tiet - Phong Chau Bridge - Phu Tho - Doan Hung - Tuyen Quang.
The section of Hanoi - Tuyen Quang is about 150km. From there, move in the direction of Tuyen Quang City - Ham Yen - Bac Quang - Vi Xuyen - Ha Giang about 152 km. After about 302km, you will be in Ha Giang City.
2. Ha Giang City – Travel destinations in Ha Giang
For this stage of the journey, most first timers to Ha Giang will follow the routes of Ha Giang - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Lung Cu - Ma Pi Leng - Meo Vac and back to Ha Giang City. That is the most beautiful route to take in Ha Giang. I would advise you to travel by motorbike so you can be free to stop for any sightseeing and take in the beauty of this land at your leisure.
With the routes of Ha Giang - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Lung Cu - Ma Pi Leng - Meo Vac and back to Ha Giang City, you for sure will have the opportunity to experience the numerous winding passes and see firsthand the unmatched beauty of the northwestern mountains. I will have to write another article separately to share my experience about what to do in Ha Giang another time, for there is so much.
For those that take the bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang City, you should contact the motorbike store before arrival. I’d like to share some information about good places and hotels in Ha Giang to rent a motorbike. Your rental should include helmets, maps, and minor repair toolkits from most stores. In addition, the store will help you get some rest before your rental and start your journey if you arrive in Ha Giang early in the morning. You can rent a motorbike at the following addresses for about 200,000 VND per day.
- - GIANG SON
Address: Group 1, Cau Me Village, Phuong Thien Commune, Ha Giang City (near Ha Giang bus station) - - HANG THUONG
Address: 15B Pham Hong Thai Street, Group 17, Minh Khai Ward, Ha Giang City. There are many types of vehicles: Wave, Win, scooter... are very new and maintained regularly. - - PINK HOUSE MOTEL
Address: Group 1, Cau Me Village, Phuong Thien Commune, Ha Giang City (50m from Ha Giang bus station). The store provides Honda Wave 110, Yamaha Sirius, Jupiter, Nouvo... - - HA GIANG 1 HOSTEL AND MOTORBIKE RENTAL
Address: 54A Tran Phu Street, Ha Giang City (next to Minh Khai ATM) - - BONG BACKPACKER’S HOSTEL AND MOTORBIKE RENTAL
Address: 63-65 Minh Khai Street, Minh Khai Ward, Ha Giang City.
If you have any more questions about how to travel from Hanoi to Ha Giang or if you are unsure about anything, you are more than welcome to contact me directly. I really hope this information will be helpful to everyone and wish you a lot of wonderful experiences when visiting my country.