Cao Bằng/Four journeys/Complete Cao Bằng Discovery
Journey · 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
Clear water of the Lenin Stream at the Pác Bó historical site, Cao Bằng
Lenin Stream · Pác Bó
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.

Clear water of the Lenin Stream at the Pác Bó historical site, Cao Bằng
Day 1

1. Pác Bó

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

Stone garden and moon gate at Mé Farmstay, Cao Bằng
Day 1

2. Mé Farmstay

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

Núi Thủng, the Eye of the Mountain, reflected in still water at sunset, Cao Bằng
Day 2

3. Angel Mountain

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

Emerald water of Thang Hen Lake between forested limestone hills, Cao Bằng
Day 2

4. Thang Hen Lake

Emerald water held between limestone peaks.

A bamboo footbridge and stone weir on the stream at Khuổi Ky village, Cao Bằng
Day 2

5. Khuổi Ky

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

Bản Giốc Waterfall cascading into a turquoise pool on the Vietnam–China border, Cao Bằng
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. Waterfalls & Highlands 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 with us

Tell us your dates

We reply within one working day, with a route shaped around the days you actually have.

  • No booking fee — the quote is the price
  • Rooms held while you decide, at no cost
  • Routes adjusted for children, mobility or season
  • Answered by the people who run the trip

We use your details only to answer this enquiry. No newsletter, no sharing.

Núi Thủng, the Eye of the Mountain, reflected in still water at sunset, Cao Bằng
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