Northern mountains: Ba Be Lake and Cao Bang

7 days · 3 stops · North

Sa Pa and Ha Giang get the attention, but the northeast is just as beautiful and much quieter. This loop starts and ends in Hanoi, with a private car and driver the easiest way to do it (sleeper buses also connect each stop).

Go in September–November for clear skies, harvest colours and strong waterfalls, or in spring. Winter is cold and misty; midsummer is green but stormy.

1. 1

   directionsArrive in Hanoi

   

   Days 1–2

   Hanoi

   1 night

   A first evening in the Old Quarter. Bac Ninh's pagodas and craft villages make an easy detour on the way out.

2. 2

   directions5–6 hours by road from Hanoi

   

   Days 2–4

   Ba Be Lake & Bac Kan

   2 nights

   Boat to Puong Cave and Dau Dang Waterfall, kayak at sunrise, cycle between villages, and stay in a Tay stilt house in Pac Ngoi.

3. 3

   directionsAbout 3–4 hours by road from Ba Be

   

   Days 4–7

   Cao Bang

   3 nights

   Ban Gioc Waterfall and Nguom Ngao Cave (stay a night nearby), Thang Hen Lake, and Pac Bo Cave. Try seven-flavour roast duck.

4. flag

   6–7 hours by road back to Hanoi