Cao Bằng/Four journeys/Journey 03
Journey 03 · Three days, three nights

Complete Cao Bằng Discovery

Both halves of the province in three days — Pác Bó and Angel Mountain to the west, Bản Giốc and Ngườm Ngao to the east. Two real nights: one on a farm, one in a Tày stone house.

8,500,000₫≈ US$327 per person · group of 8 · indicative rate 26,000₫ / US$
6 sites
East & west of the geopark
2 nights
Farmstay + stone homestay
2 ways
Private car or Easy Rider
Ask about this journey
Pác Bó & Angel Mountain
The route

Three days, site by site

TP. Cao Bằng China border ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6

Illustrative map — positions are approximate, not an administrative boundary.

Day 1

1. Pác Bó

Where Hồ Chí Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941, after thirty years abroad.

Day 1

2. Mé Farmstay

Cycle the nearby villages, or simply do nothing until dinner.

Day 2

3. Angel Mountain

The giant circular opening in the rock, above open grassland.

Day 2

4. Thang Hen Lake

Emerald water held between limestone peaks.

Day 2

5. Khuổi Ky

A walk among stone houses that have stood four hundred years.

Day 3

6. Bản Giốc & Ngườm Ngao

Vietnam's largest waterfall at its quietest, then into the cave.

Full hour-by-hour itinerary +
Night 1 — sleeper bus from Hanoi
Night
Overnight sleeper bus from Hanoi to Cao Bằng. You arrive in the morning and take a hotel room in the city to shower and rest before setting off.
Day 1 — Pác Bó & Mé FarmstayB · L · D
07:30
Breakfast, then depart for the northern frontier.
09:00
Pác Bó Historical Site — where Hồ Chí Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941 after thirty years abroad.
14:00
Check in at Mé Farmstay. Cycle the nearby villages or simply do nothing.
18:30
Farm-to-table dinner. Overnight at the farmstay.
Day 2 — Angel Mountain, Thang Hen & Khuổi KyB · L · D
10:00
Angel Mountain — the giant circular opening above open grassland.
11:30
Thang Hen Lake, emerald water between limestone peaks.
17:00
Arrive at Khuổi Ky stone village — a walk among the old houses, then dinner with your host family.
Day 3 — Bản Giốc, Ngườm Ngao & returnB · L · D
08:30
Bản Giốc Waterfall in the morning light, when it is at its quietest.
10:00
Trúc Lâm Phật Tích Pagoda — climb for the view over the falls.
11:30
Ngườm Ngao Cave and its limestone formations.
17:00
Back in Cao Bằng city. Dinner, then the night bus to Hanoi — arriving around 23:00–24:00.
The detail

What's included

Included in the price +
  • Private car with driver or Easy Rider motorbike
  • English-speaking guide for all three days
  • Mé Farmstay and Khuổi Ky stone homestay
  • Refresh room in Cao Bằng city on arrival
  • All meals as listed, all entrance fees
  • Drinking water and travel insurance
Not included +
  • Drinks with meals, personal spending
  • Pick-up outside the city centre
  • Gratuities for guide, driver or rider
Complete Discovery or Waterfalls & Highlands? — they cover much the same country. This journey is priced for a group of eight and adds the historic Pác Bó site. Journey 04 runs from two guests with a private car and guide, and spends a second night by Thang Hen Lake instead.
Plan the last evening — the night bus reaches Hanoi around 23:00–24:00. Do not schedule a connecting flight for that evening.

When to come

Oct – Apr

Dry season. Clear skies, easy roads. Best for Angel Mountain, the grasslands and riding with an Easy Rider.

May – Sep

Wet season. Bản Giốc is at its fullest and most dramatic. Expect sudden showers and greener valleys.

Children & comfort

Under 5

Free of charge, accompanying parents cover the child's meals.

5 – 9

75% of the tour price, with full meals and experiences.

10 +

Full adult price with full services.

Stays

Farmstays and homestays are simple, clean and authentic — not four-star hotels. That is the point.

Plan your journey

Ready for Cao Bằng?

Tell us your dates and we will hold the rooms — homestays here have very few of them.

Also in Cao Bằng

The other journeys