Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ha Giang Travel Guide

Country: Vietnam
Province: Ha Giang

Tinh Ha Giang Holiday Weather today

Date/time of update: February 22, 2025, 1:13 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Overcast Clouds

Temperature: 17.37°C
Temperature feels like: 17.75°C
Minimum Temperature: 17.37°C
Maximum Temperature: 17.37°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1021hPa
Humidity:99%
Visibility: 587m
Wind speed: 0.98m/sec
Wind Direction: 149 degrees
Cloudiness: 100%
Sunrise: 2025-02-21 11:27:24
Sunset: 2025-02-22 10:59:59

Dong Van Karst Plateau is located in Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam. The plateau has the elevation from 1,400m to 1,600m above sea level and 80% of the surface consisted of rock. There is a high concentration of rocky mountain peaks of over 2,000m in the plateau.

Travel Guide to the Dong Van Karst Plateau, Tourist Attractions, What to See

1/ Bac Sum Pass, Quan Ba

The Bac Sum Gradient at Quan Ba with spectacular views of the sublime landscape

2/ Quan Ba Heavenly Gate

A panoramic view from the Quan Ba Heavenly Gate

3/ Quan Ba Twin Mountains

Twin Mountains at Tam Son Town, Quan Ba, Ha Giang

4/ Lung Tam Village, Quan Ba

5/ Nam Dam Village, Quan Ba

6/ Tham Ma Gradient (Gradient to test horses), Yen Minh

The Tham Ma Gradient (Testing Strength of Horses) at Yen Minh, Ha Giang

7/ Du Gia Valley, Yen Minh

8/ Lung Ho Valley, Yen Minh

9/ Pho Cao, Dong Van

Kids at Pho Cao, Dong Van Plateau where we find schools, houses, roads, mountains... made of rock!

10/ Pho Bang, Dong Van

A house with walls made of pounded earth in Pho Bang, Dong Van, Ha Giang

11/ Sung La Valley, Dong Van

12/ Former Residence of the Hmong King in Dong Van, Vuong Chi Sinh

The Sa Phin Valley and former Residence of the Hmong King of Dong Van back in time

13/ Dong Van Old Town

14/ Dong Van Sunday Market

15/ Sung Trai, Dong Van

Amazing mountains at Sung Trai and Lung Phin, Dong Van

16/ Lung Phin, Dong Van

17/ Lung Cu, Dong Van

Lo Lo Chai Village at Lung Cu, Dong Van, Ha Giang

18/ Ma Le, Dong Van

A Hmong Family on the way to the Ma Le Market, Dong Van, Ha Giang

19/ Lung Tao, Dong Van

Ethereal beauty of the mountains and valley at Lung Tao, Dong Van Plateau

20/ Meo Vac Township

21/ Ma Pi Leng Pass, Meo Vac

Mountains at the Ma Pi Leng Pass in Meo Vac, Ha Giang

22/ Nho Que River, Meo Vac

23/ Tu San Canyon, Meo Vac

Tu San Canyon and the Nho Que River at the base of the Ma Pi Leng Pass in Meo Vac, Ha Giang

24/ Meo Vac Sunday Market

Meo Vac Sunday Market in Meo Vac, Ha Giang

Things to Do, Adventure Tours, Bike Tours, Motorcycle Tours, Hiking Tours

1/ Adventure Tours

No matter what you define adventure travel, a trip to Ha Giang is an adventure and be prepared to expect the unexpected. There are so many blind curves, small roads, serious lack of tourist services at times... But in most cases, the Dong Van Plateau is definitely worth an experience of a lifetime! The serrated ridges, the footpath amid the world of rock, houses with walls made of rock, surrounding walls of a household made of rock...

Lung Cu located to the north of the Dong Van Plateau is a great place for adventure cycling

The landscape is so uniquely beautiful and so is the local lifestyle! There are markets in the plateau that are at weekend and there are small yet interesting markets are held per lunar calendar (on the days of the Rats or Horses...) or every 6 days,...which is in no way understood by outsiders!

There are several villages that are rarely visited by travelers yet they may possess pure heavenly beauty that we just feel so excited to stumble through! AdventureGreen operates several adventure tours to Ha Giang and the Dong Van Plateau that are just inspirational and each trip is to leave us with memories for several years to come in our lifetime!

It is exciting and memorable to take adventure tours to this amazing land

2/ Cycling Tours

It is convenient and exciting to explore the Dong Van Plateau by bicycle, mountain bike. The paths may be steep at places and experience in mountain bike adventures is required to take on these bike tours. AdventureGreen organizes adventure mountain bike tours to Ha Giang on request.

Lovely encounters with local hosts and hostesses bring us joy and memories

3/ Motorcycle Tours

Taking a motorcycle tour to Ha Giang from Hanoi is definitely a great adventure experience of a lifetime! Traveling by motorbike allows us to reach every corner of the rock plateau fast and without much physical exertion. Still, long-distance riding is not for everyone and experience is required. AdventureGreen hosts several motorcycle tours to Ha Giang for the duration ranging from 4 days to 7 days.

Unexpected encounters add more pleasant memories to our trips

4/ Walking Tours, Trekking Tours, Hiking Trips

4.1 Walking Tours

The Dong Van Plateau in Ha Giang is best savored on a walking tour. AdventureGreen offers several walking tours for our adventure travelers to discover the Dong Van Plateau. Taking part in these adventures, you can adore the breathtaking beauty of the Rock Plateau of Dong Van in-depth and visit communities that are somewhat hidden from the main stream society. On these tours, we bring along our picnic lunch along with tea and coffee. The pace of these trips is leisurely and we can have our vehicle to transfer us back to the hotel anytime you feel tired.

Follow the footsteps of the locals into the infinity of the rocky world

4.2 Trekking Tours, Hiking Trips

Our trekking tours and hiking adventures in the Dong Van Plateau require a bit of exertion than the walking tours. We often stay overnight with an ethnic family on the trekking routes rather than travel back to the hotel for the night. The pace of travel is moderate or hard.

How to Get There

1/ Hanoi - Ha Giang City - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Dong Van - Meo Vac

There are 3 main routes to get to the Dong Van Plateau. Normally people travel from Hanoi to Ha Giang (320km) then climb uphill for 150km more on a spectacular mountainous road to Dong Van Old Town. The landscape is so beautiful as you leave Ha Giang City, climb up the hillsides at Quan Ba, then enter Yen Minh.

Mountains at Quan Ba, Ha Giang

Can Ty, Quan Ba

The Mien River at Quan Ba, Ha Giang

Yen Minh Town, Ha Giang, Vietnam

2/ Hanoi - Cao Bang City – Meo Vac – Dong Van

Another route to Dong Van Rock Plateau is to travel from Hanoi to Cao Bang (280km). Then travel on a high mountainous road with wild landscape all the way for 200km. The last leg of the journey is on a really steep mountain road to Meo Vac Town. From Meo Vac to Dong Van Town in the heart of the plateau, you’ll travel for 24km on one of the most stunning mountain pass in Vietnam – Ma Pi Leng Pass.

Meo Vac Sunday Market

The amazing Ma Pi Leng Pass, Meo Vac, Ha Giang

3/ Hanoi or Cao Bang or Tuyen Quang – Bac Me – Yen Minh (via communes of Du Gia – Mau Due) Meo Vac – Dong Van

The third route to get to Dong Van Plateau is reserved for the adventurers who travel on motorbike or mountain-bike. You’ll have to travel on a bad mountainous road at Bac Me for 10km, then ascend a steep yet extremely scenic road to Du Gia Commune (Yen Minh District), then comes a wild road with captivating senery through Lung Ho, Ngam La, Mau Due, Sung Trai…

You’ll be traveling through the heart of the rock plateau and you will certainly be dumbfounded by the ethereal beauty of nature. The total distance from Bac Me to Dong Van Town via this road is about 200km and you may have to overnight somewhere in between.

Lung Ho Valley, Yen Minh