Tour with
Private Room
$245 /person
- Private room for 1–3 guests
- Full in-room amenities for a comfortable stay
- Ideal for couples, friends & small groups
Ride the west of Ha Giang when the rice runs from green to gold, sleeping in private homestays and watching the light move across terrace after terrace.
Overview
From August to October the terraces of Hoang Su Phi shift from lush green to glowing gold, waterfalls run white through the valleys, and the villages move to the slow rhythm of the harvest.
This is the fuller version of Hoang Su Phi, with time for the meadows of Suoi Thau, the terraces of Ban Phung and Ban Luoc, and a sunset from the peak of Chieu Lau Thi. You sleep in private homestay rooms with La Chi and Red Dao families, soak in a Red Dao herbal bath, and ride in a group of no more than ten with a local guide who knows the season by heart.
Please contact us if you prefer to travel by car or Jeep.
Itinerary
The route from start to finish
Overnight sleeper bus transfer and early-morning rest before entering western Ha Giang.
Sleeper bus pickup from Hanoi
Board the sleeper bus from Hanoi and begin the overnight transfer toward Ha Giang. Pickup can be arranged from Hanoi or selected northern provinces depending on the final booking route.
Arrive at Km60 on National Road 2
Get off at Km60 and check in at a hotel to rest until morning. This short rest makes the first day smoother before the mountain route begins.
Mountain passes, waterfalls, Suoi Thau Grassland, La Chi village life, and Ban Phung's million-dollar rice terrace views.
Wake up and prepare
Freshen up and prepare your luggage. At 7:30 AM, your guide meets the group. For the motorbike option, guests receive the motorbikes, arrange two people per bike, and secure luggage for the journey.
Breakfast, Deo Gio Pass, and Thac Tien Waterfall
Have breakfast on the road and move toward Xin Man. Stop at Deo Gio Pass for mountain views, then visit Thac Tien, a white waterfall surrounded by fresh highland scenery.
Lunch in Coc Pai Town
Enjoy lunch in Coc Pai, the main town of Xin Man, before continuing toward Suoi Thau.
Golden terrace mornings, Hoang Su Phi Km 0, Ban Luoc fields, and sunset on Chieu Lau Thi.
Breakfast with terraced field views
Wake up, freshen up, and have breakfast while looking over the rice terraces around Ban Phung.
Vinh Quang Town and Hoang Su Phi Km 0
Depart for Vinh Quang Town and check in at Km 0 of Hoang Su Phi, a simple marker for the district's mountain routes.
Ban Luoc rice terraces
Visit Ban Luoc, one of Hoang Su Phi's beautiful terraced rice areas. During the green and golden rice seasons, the fields create soft layers of color across the slopes.
Layered terraces, waterfall scenery, Red Dao herbal bathing, and a peaceful night in Thong Nguyen.
Depart for Ho Thau and Ta Su Choong
After breakfast, begin the day's route through Ho Thau and Ta Su Choong, two areas known for terraced fields and highland village scenery.
Ho Thau rice terraces
Visit the rice terraces of Ho Thau, where the fields curve around the hillsides and the landscape feels quiet and expansive.
Ta Su Choong
Continue to Ta Su Choong to photograph the terraced fields and enjoy the open mountain views. Lunch is arranged along the route depending on timing.
Sunrise clouds, ancient Shan Tuyet tea, Nam Khoa terraces, Mam Xoi viewpoint, and the return sleeper bus to Hanoi.
Optional sunrise and cloud-hunting
Guests who wake early may enjoy sunrise and cloud views from the front of the room, depending on weather conditions.
Ancient Shan Tuyet tea and local market
Visit ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees, a proud highland specialty of the area. If the route falls on a Sunday, you may also visit a local market to see trading life and local food from nearby villages.
Nam Khoa rice terraces
Continue to Nam Khoa, one of the beautiful rice terrace areas of Hoang Su Phi. In season, the fields shine green or gold depending on the harvest stage.
PRICE INCLUSIONS
Rates & room options
Both options share the same itinerary, the same local riders and the same attention to safety. The difference is simply where you rest at night.
Tour with
Private Room
$245 /person
Tour with
Dorm
$225 /person
THE SERENITY DIFFERENCE
This route is not about ticking off viewpoints. There’s time to walk through the terraces, stop in small villages, meet local families and simply take in the changing landscape at your own pace.
We run this route in September and October, the short window when the terraces of Hoang Su Phi ripen into gold and the valleys are at their most beautiful.
You stay with La Chi and Red Dao families, walk the paddies and try catching carp in the fields, so the trip is as much about the people and the land as the views.
This is the green, western half of the province, all rice terraces and open meadows rather than the stone plateau of the loop. If you've done Dong Van already, this feels like a whole new place.
STAYS & MEALS
You sleep close to the route every night, in warm, local places we know well and eat well in. Both a private room and a dorm bed are available on every night of the tour.
Your first night sits high above the valley, with terraced fields dropping away in layer after layer below the balcony. Wake up early and the whole hillside glows gold in the first light, about as close to the harvest as you can sleep.
Thong Nguyen is a Red Dao village of fewer than a hundred households, where the morning often starts with cloud drifting right over the homestay. Soak in a Dao herbal leaf bath, walk out to the paddies and hills, and try catching fish with your hosts, an easy way to fall into the rhythm of local life.
Dinners are cooked in the house and shared around the table with your hosts: black chicken hotpot, wild mountain greens, smoked pork from the kitchen rafters, and whatever the season brings, warm and homely after a day in the fields.
Traveller stories
A few honest impressions from guests who've done this trip.
"Doing the Ha Giang Loop with Serenity was an incredible experience"
Gabbi
"It was one of the best experiences in my life"
Gulia
"It've been a lovely experience"
Joel
"Ha Giang Loop with Serenity was amazing"
Nico
"I've been having a really awesome time"
Samuel
"We loved it because people were so kind"
Sarah
01 / 06
Start planning
Share your travel dates and group size. A local planner confirms availability, pick-up point and the right plan for your group.
Plan with a local
Tell us your dates, pace and interests. A local planner will help shape the route around you.
Message sent
A local planner will get back to you by email. Your reference:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The landscape changes throughout the year. Summer brings green terraces across the mountains, while September and early October usually bring the golden rice season. Outside these months, you’ll see a quieter landscape shaped by planting, harvesting and everyday farming life.
Very much so. The Ha Giang Loop is known for dramatic mountain passes, limestone peaks and long days on the road. Hoang Su Phi feels greener, quieter and more rural, with terraced fields spreading across the mountainsides and villages tucked between forests and farmland. If you have already done the Loop, this is a very different side of Ha Giang.
Four days gives the journey room to breathe. There is more time to walk through the terraces, stay longer in villages and stop when the mountains give us a reason to. Hoang Su Phi is a place that rewards travelling slowly, and this itinerary is designed around that idea.
Yes, as long as you come with the right expectations. The terraces remain part of the landscape, but their colours and appearance change with the agricultural cycle. Hoang Su Phi is also about mountain villages, forests, local life and walking through a part of Ha Giang that sees far fewer travellers than the famous Loop.
Walking is an important part of experiencing Hoang Su Phi. Expect time on village paths, terraced hillsides and uneven mountain terrain rather than paved sightseeing routes. You don’t need previous trekking experience, but comfortable shoes and a reasonable level of fitness will make the journey much more enjoyable.
Three days works well if your time in northern Vietnam is limited. Choose four days if you want a slower journey with more time for walking, villages and unplanned stops along the way. Hoang Su Phi doesn’t need to be rushed, and if your schedule allows the extra day, 4D3N gives you more time to experience the landscape rather than simply pass through it.
Continue exploring the north
POPULAR TOUR
Ride the famous passes, then turn off to quiet H'mong villages like Sao Ha, with a Nho Que boat ride and local riders the whole way.
POPULAR TOUR
A slower, deeper ride through Ha Giang, pairing Ma Pi Leng and Lung Cu with the streams, caves and craft villages most tours skip.
In-depth Tour
The full sweep of the northeast in one ride, from the passes of Ha Giang to the waterfalls and hidden valleys of Cao Bang.
Popular Tour
Follow Cao Bang from the history of Pac Bo to working craft villages, Ban Gioc Waterfall and a sunset walk through Ngoc Con Valley.
Popular Tour
Ride from craft villages and grass hills to Nguom Ngao Cave, Ban Gioc Waterfall and a night in Khuoi Ky Stone Village.
01 / 05