Vietnam is, as many travellers commented, one of the most fascinating countries in Asia and North Vietnam possesses the most incredible sceneries that you must experience in your life time. North Vietnam is not just rice terraces and hill-tribes, it has more than you can image today we bring you to the top 6 landscapes in the northern Vietnam that will take your breath away. The nature formed this region a lots of super rugged mountains, special rock formation and amazing waterfall in addition to many man-made wonders. It also attracts millions of tourists with its rich cultures and histories

1. Sapa

Topas Ecolodge Resort in Sapa

Undoubtedly, Sapa is the most popular destination in the North Vietnam. Sapa was built by French colonialists as a hill station for summer holiday. Since then, it has been an ideal choice for a getaway from Hanoi as well as a leisure base for exploring the surrounding attractions. From Sapa, you can bike or trek through some of the best rice terraces in the region and it is the best place to discover the distinctive lives of H’Mong or Dao ethnic groups.

If you like hard trek, let’s conquer the rooftop of Indochina, Mt. Fansipan (3.143 meters above sea level) in two days. When you get to the top of the Fasipan, you can see the whole little town Sapa from far wrapped with cloud and painted on its edges with wonderful rice terraces.  Sapa is also one of the very few places in Vietnam to experience occasional snowfalls. Although the town is packed with lots of hotels and resorts, we recommend the Topas Ecolodge, from this hotel you will be amazed by the stunning view over the great valley and little villages nearby. It is unreal landscape from this point.

2. Ha Giang & Dong Van Geopark

The northernmost province of Vietnam is also one of the poorest and most secluded in Vietnam. With that being said, Ha Giang offers some of the best mountainous views in Southeast Asia, especially when you weave your way through the imposing Ma Pi Leng Pass, the King of Passes in Vietnam. At 1.500m, the twisty road here lies right on the steep limestone mountain, with the Nho Que River looming far beneath. Truly breathtaking!

Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark is located in the northeast province of Ha Giang.  It is the first Geopark in Viet Nam and the second one in Southeast Asia. Dong Van rocky plateau not only is sculpture product, a historical rocky page of the nature present to human people but also contain a lot of potential values such as, Geo-heritages, biological diversity, tourism, fossils…Especially, the cultural of community 17 ethnic groups on Dong Van karst plateau Geopark, traditional beauty need preserving and promoting. Dong Van Karst Plateau is unique combination between Geo-heritages and cultural heritages. Which has created great potential for tourism and attracted many visitors both locally and internationally.

Ha Giang is also home to romantically poetry flower plantation of Buckwheat flower. It blossoms around September through December ever year. Local teenagers are eager to go there on the blossom for some romantic experience with their friends. Today Buckwheat flower is the key attraction of the province to Vietnamese tourists.

3. Ban Gioc Waterfall

Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang

Ban Gioc waterfall is the most astonishing one in Vietnam. This amazing site straddles between Vietnam-China borders and has a terrific 30 meter vertical drop, spanning over 200 meters.  This is also the world’s fourth largest waterfall that lies along the national border. Ban Gioc is actually a collective name for two waterfalls on the Quay Son River that marks the border with China. The falls are surrounded by a breath-taking landscape. The water is particularly thunderous in the wet season but is still beautiful during the dry season too. Tourists can take a raft out into the river to the base of the falls. When you visit the waterfall, make a flycam video for a great memory. Every day it attracts thousands of visitors. Not too far from Ban Gioc waterfall, Nguom Ngao cave is the best in northeast Vietnam for its beautiful stalagmite and stalactite.  

4. Mu Cang Chai – The world’s best rice terraces

The Symbolic Rice Terraces of Mu Cang Chai

­Mu Cang Chai is a remote district of Yen Bai Province – it is about 180km from Sapa.

Personally I think Mu Cang Chai has the most spectacular terraced rice paddies in the North Vietnam

 Mu Cang Chai is well-known among the world’s photo hunters. The time in between September & October is the best time for a trip to Mu Cang Chai to admire its amazing rice terraces. Today, the local government in Yen Bai province has paid a big attention to promote Mu Cang Chai tourism with annual festivals and invested to build up good roads, improving accommodation, restaurants, and community-based travel services. As a result, it is pretty easier to travel to Mu Cang Chai nowadays with 7 hour car transfer from Hanoi capital.

Thanks to its pleasant climate, it is fine to visit Mu Cang Chai at any time of the year. However, the photographers who love having wonderful photographs of Mu Cang Cang rice terraces say that there are two best periods that people should visit Mu Cang Chai : between May and July when the locals water the fields to plant a new rice crop; and between mid-September and mid-October when the stepped fields change from green colour to yellow one – the right moment for the best photos of rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai. And the best amazing rice terraces are in La Pan Tan and Che Cu Nha communes.

5. Halong Bay

Halong Bay UNESCO Heritage Site

Halong Bay means the Bay of the Descending Dragon. Halong Bay is the jewel not only in Northern Vietnam but also the whole country. There are many amazing scenic places in the country, and Halong Bay takes the top spot. Covering 600 square miles it contains at least 1,969 islands, ranging from tiny islets to large well inhabited ones. Five hundred million years in the making, the islands take the form of limestone karsts that jut imperiously out of the Gulf of Tonkin, 170km from Hanoi. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994, it achieved further recognition in 2000. In 2012 The New 7 Wonders Foundation named it as one of The Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

There are many spots where you can have great view over the bay at different angles. The best way to admire the whole by is with seaplane. While it is too expensive to do a seaplane view, you can climb up to Nui Bai Tho or Poetry Mountain in Hon Gai city just cross the Ha Long bridge. Today, the Sungroup has built a crazy cable car for visitors, it is also one option to see Halong Bay from above. Another good spot is Ti Top island. If you do 2 days 1 night cruise tour, you will probably climb that top too. While your overnight cruise boat moves around, you will find thousands of special rock formations with unbelievable shapes and sizes.      

6. Tam Coc

Tam Coc River Boat Trip

Located 100km from Hanoi, Tam Coc is a painting of the North with rice paddies surrounded by limestone cliffs and rock formations. In reality, Tam Coc is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful destinations in the entire region. The best way to explore is by boat, and you can set off on a rowboat that takes you up alongside the lush green paddies and between striking limestone cliffs. You’ll even float through three caves that run through the mountains, which were carved over time by the river itself. There are a few high spots where you can have great view over the area. Especially when the rice paddies fall golden color, you should climb Hang Mua top or several high points after you go in with a rowboat. Let’s ask your boat rower where the best places to climb for the most incredible photos are and they will take to the right places.