5-Day Ha Giang to Cao Bang Loop with Ma Pi Leng Pass, Pac Bo Cave and Ban Gioc

Two provinces on one route: five days that start in Ha Giang City and end in Cao Bang City, with Ban Gioc Waterfall as the last big stop. The route runs through the mountains of the far north, past the villages of the Tay, Nung, Dao and H'Mong peoples, and uses off-road stretches and less-used trails. Day one leaves Ha Giang City at 8:30 over Bac Sum Pass, Quan Ba Heaven Gate and Tam Son town, with lunch in Yen Minh after Can Ty Pass. The afternoon goes through Tham Ma Pass, Pho Cao and Lung Cam village to the H'Mong King Palace, and the night is in Dong Van. Day two goes to the Lung Cu flagpole, the northernmost point of Vietnam, and the Lo Lo Chai cultural village, then Ma Pi Leng Pass and a boat on the Nho Que River through the Tu San canyon, the highest in Southeast Asia. The night is in Meo Vac. Day three runs to Cao Bang, with a climb of about 1 km (30 minutes) at Me Pia Pass and its 14 corners, then Lenin Stream and Pac Bo Cave and a night in a Tay village homestay with separate bungalows. Day four reaches Ban Gioc by Tra Linh and Trung Khanh, with a boat to the falls. Day five visits Nguom Ngao Cave, Tra Linh town and Angel Eye Mountain, and ends with a bus from Cao Bang City to Hanoi at 16:00.