Waterfalls in Vietnam: Two Tour Trips and the Falls Without One
40 tours from 27 operators: a Da Lat day typically at 30 to 60 EUR, a two-day Ban Gioc trip at 120 to 250 EUR, and a plain note on the falls we do not sell.
Every tour on this page goes to one of two places, and they are about 1,000 km apart. Da Lat, in the Central Highlands, has 20 tours in the 30 to 60 EUR band for around six hours. Ban Gioc, on the Chinese border in the northeast, has 20 tours typically at 120 to 250 EUR, because the falls are about 340 km from Hanoi and the usual trip takes two days. Same country, different purchase: one is a day out, the other is a short expedition. This page puts them side by side, adds the waterfalls in Vietnam that we do not sell, and says which trip suits which itinerary, so you can decide before you open a single listing. The wet season, the distances and the review counts differ enough that the two trips need separate readings.
Each trip has its own page with the tour-by-tour reading. Da Lat waterfall tours covers the three-falls day, the canyoning listings and what is extra on each. Ban Gioc waterfall tours covers the Hanoi and Cao Bang departures, the hour-by-hour plan of a two-day tour, and the question everyone asks about the Chinese side of the border. Both open with the prices, quoted in EUR and per person, private tours included. Read the price line first: a Da Lat group tour under 30 EUR and a Ban Gioc two-day trip are not the same kind of purchase.
Choose a destination in Vietnam
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Da Lat Waterfall Tours
Da Lat waterfall tours compared: 20 listings, group days from under 30 to 60 EUR, canyoning at roughly 30 to 120 EUR, and what the entrance, coaster and lunch…
20 experiences -
Ban Gioc Waterfall Tours
Ban Gioc waterfall tours compared: 20 listings, one-day tours from Cao Bang at roughly 30 to 120 EUR, two days from Hanoi at typically 120 to 250 EUR, and…
20 experiences
Waterfalls Travel Experiences in Vietnam
2-Day Cao Bang Camping Tour: Angel Eye Mountain Night, Ban Gioc and Pac Bo Cave
One night camping at Angel Eye Mountain with sunrise photos, then Nam Tra waterfall, the Pac Bo historical site and Three Fairies Waterfall on the way back.
2-Day Cao Bang Motorbike Tour: Angel Eye Mountain Hike, Ban Gioc, Craft Villages
Gear is fitted before departure, then a hike up to the hole in Mount Angel Eye, a homestay night, a raft at Ban Gioc and forging, paper and incense villages.
5-Day Ha Giang to Cao Bang Loop with Ma Pi Leng Pass, Pac Bo Cave and Ban Gioc
From Dong Van and the Lung Cu flagpole to a Tay village homestay at Pac Bo, a boat on the Nho Que River and Ban Gioc, with a bus back to Hanoi on day five.
Authentic Adventures Ban Gioc and Ba Be Lake Tour via Chi Lang Pass, Mo and Lom Villages
Run by Authentic Adventures Vietnam, with Chi Lang Pass and the Dong Khe battle site on the way up and a short trek to the Tay villages of Mo and Lom.
Ban Gioc Waterfall 2-Day Limousine Trip from Hanoi, Groups of 6 to 8, Border Road
A limousine van along the Chinese border, about 6.5 hours to the falls, with a sugarcane village, a sampan ride at Ban Gioc and 300 steps up to the pagoda.
Ban Gioc Waterfall 2-Day Overnight Trip from Hanoi with Nguom Ngao Cave
One night near the falls, Nguom Ngao Cave on day one, then a pagoda view over Ban Gioc and Angel's Eye Mountain on day two before the drive back to Hanoi.
Ban Gioc Waterfall 2 Days from Hanoi: Angel Mountain, Quay Son Homestay and Swim
A Limousine Van or seven-seat MPV, a hole-in-the-rock mountain, a swim at a Quay Son River homestay, then Tiger Cave, Truc Lam Monastery and the falls by boat.
Ban Gioc Waterfall 3-Day Trip from Hanoi with Hotel Night and Angel Eye Camping
A hotel night near the falls, then a tent night at Angel's Eye Mountain with a barbecue, campfire and sleeping bags, plus a morning trek to the summit.
Ban Gioc Waterfall and Angel Mountain 2-Day Car Tour with Quay Son River Stay
A swim in the Quay Son river on the first evening, Nguom Ngao Cave and Truc Lam Zen Monastery on the second morning, and a Limousine Van from Hanoi both ways.
Ban Gioc Waterfall and Ba Be Lake 3-Day Tour with Nung and Tay Homestays
Set departures on Tuesday and Friday, with nights in a Nung and a Tay family home, the Dong Khe battle site, Nguom Ngao Cave and a boat hike on Ba Be Lake.
Ban Gioc Waterfall and Cao Bang Geopark 2D2N Car and Motorbike Trip from Hanoi
Car and motorbike through a UNESCO geopark, with a Nung temple, a craft village, Nguom Ngao Cave and a boat at Ban Gioc before an overnight bus to Hanoi.
Ban Gioc Waterfall Full-Day Cao Bang Tour, Small Group by Motorbike, Local Guide
A driver takes the motorbike, with a car or self-riding option listed separately, and two travelers minimum. Craft village, cave, falls and Angel Eye sunset.
Ban Gioc Waterfall Tour in 1, 2 or 3 Days, Daily, Open or Private, with Tiger Cave
Fossils near 500 million years old in Nguom Ngao Cave, a pagoda view toward China, and craft villages for paper, incense and knives, in one to three days.
Cao Bang Day Tour by Motorbike or Car with Dia Tren Paper Village and Phong Nam
Self-ride a motorbike with a permit, or choose another option. Handmade paper at Dia Tren, Ban Gioc, Phong Nam Valley and Angel Eye Mountain in one day.
Cao Bang Easy Trekking 2 Days 1 Night ET1: Border Belt Route, Tiger Cave and Ban Gioc
Easy trails through Tay, Nung, Dao and H'Mong villages with a local guide, the Border Belt Route, Ngao Cave, Ban Gioc Waterfall and a Tay stone village.
Cao Bang Full-Day Easy Rider Motorbike Tour: Ban Gioc, Nguom Ngao Cave, Craft Villages
Groups of four to six ride about 180 km with a Cao Bang-born guide and Easy Rider, from Ma Phuc Pass to incense and metalwork villages, the cave and the falls.
Cao Bang Full-Day Tour: Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave and Angel Eye Mountain
Starts in Cao Bang city at 7:00 with a boat at Ban Gioc, a forging village, Nguom Ngao Cave and sunset at Angel Eye Mountain, back in the city by 17:30.
Cao Bang Loop 2-Day Easy Rider Tour: Ngoc Con Hike, Quay Son Swim, Groups of 7 to 9
Groups of 7 to 9, two breakfasts, two lunches and a dinner, a Ngoc Con viewpoint hike above the Quay Son headwaters and a limousine bus listed back to Hanoi.
Cao Bang Loop 2-Day Tour: Incense, Paper and Forging Villages, Riverside Homestay
Bamboo incense, handmade paper and blacksmiths on day one, a night on the Quay Son River, then an optional 12 km ride, Ban Gioc and Angel Eye Mountain.
Dalat Canyoning Day Trip: Hotel Pickup, 25 m Abseil, 50 m Zipline and Washing Machine
Hotel pickup at 8:30 AM, then eight canyoning stages from an 18 m dry abseil to the Washing Machine. Gear, wetsuit, insurance and photos are included.
Dalat Countryside and 3 Waterfalls Group Tour: Pongour, Elephant Falls, Silk and Coffee
A 6-hour group day trip, limited to 10 travelers, that links Pongour, Elephant Falls and an optional Datanla stop with silk, cricket and weasel coffee farms.
Dalat Countryside and Three Waterfalls Day: Flower Village, Silk Factory, Cricket Farm
Seven hours by air-conditioned vehicle through flower farms, a silk factory and a cricket farm where the challenge is to taste insects, plus three waterfalls.
Dalat Easy Rider Countryside Tour: Pongour Falls, K'Ho Village, Silk and Coffee
Ride pillion with a guide from Robin Hill to Pongour Falls, Chicken Village, Linh An Pagoda, a silk factory and a weasel coffee farm, back at the hotel by 5 PM.
Da Lat Easy Rider Tour: Pongour Falls, K'Ho Village, Pepper Farm and Rice Wine
Ride pillion with an English-speaking Easy Rider guide to Pongour Falls, a K'Ho village and pepper, mushroom and coffee farms; helmet and knee guards provided.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Which waterfalls in Vietnam are worth a trip
Vietnam is long and thin, and its waterfalls are scattered along the whole length. They do not form a circuit. The ones with tours are the three around Da Lat in the south (Datanla, Pongour and Elephant Falls) and Ban Gioc in the north. The rest are visited on foot from a town, or sold by someone else. So the useful question is not which one is best. It is which trip fits the days you have.
Three waterfalls, three different trips. Pick by the days you have, not by a ranking.
Da Lat is the comfortable one: a van or car takes you out from the city, and most of the falls are within about 50 km of it. Ban Gioc is the long one: roughly 340 km from Hanoi by road as travel guides count it (Wikipedia gives about 272 km), a night in Cao Bang province, and a waterfall that is also a border. Sapa is the third kind, a walk to a fall near the village, and no tour here covers it.
| Waterfall | Where | How you get there | On this site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban Gioc (Thác Bản Giốc) | Cao Bằng province, northeast, on the Chinese border | About 340 km from Hanoi: two days, or one long day from Cao Bang city | 20 tours, typically 120 to 250 EUR |
| Datanla (Thác Datanla) | Prenn Pass, about 5 km south of central Da Lat | A short ride; a stop and the canyoning site | Part of the Da Lat tours |
| Pongour (Thác Pongour) | Lâm Đồng, about 50 km south of Da Lat on Highway 20 | Half a day to a full day by car or motorbike | Part of the Da Lat tours |
| Elephant Falls (Thác Voi) | Beside Linh An Pagoda, about 33 km from Da Lat | Listings disagree on whether the base is open | Part of the Da Lat tours |
| Sapa falls (Silver, Love, Cat Cat) | Sapa, Lào Cai province, northwest | On foot or a short ride from Sapa town | No tour here |
| Ba Ho, Dray Nur, Dray Sap | Near Nha Trang, and near Buôn Ma Thuột | Reached from those towns | No tour here |
Where tours start, and how far apart the trips are
The map explains why no one sells a combined tour. Hanoi and Da Lat are roughly 1,000 km apart in a straight line. In the south, tours leave from Da Lat itself; one listing runs a 10-hour day from Nha Trang, 140 km away by the provider's count. In the north the start city matters more than anything: 9 of the 20 Ban Gioc listings are filed under Hanoi, 10 under Cao Bang and one under Ha Giang. The nine from Hanoi sit in the 120 to 250 EUR band, the ten from Cao Bang 60 to 120 EUR, because they begin after the 340 km.
What the 40 tours cost
Read the chart as two products. Da Lat's middle half runs from roughly 30 to 120 EUR, Ban Gioc's from roughly 60 to 250 EUR, and in the chart the two bars barely touch. The gap is time and distance. A Da Lat day is six hours around town; a Ban Gioc trip is 48 hours with a hotel night, so its price carries the bed and the meals. Lunch is included in all of the Ban Gioc listings and in 30% of the Da Lat ones, where it comes only with the six canyoning tours.
A second gap shows in the reviews. Da Lat holds 13,428 of the 15,335 and Ban Gioc 1,907. One Da Lat operator, Viet Challenge Tours, holds 40% of its destination's reviews.
All 20 Ban Gioc tours together have fewer reviews than the best-known Da Lat canyoning day.
That canyoning tour has 2,897 reviews against 1,907 for the whole of Ban Gioc, so the country's 4.95 rating mostly describes Da Lat.
Northeast
Ban Gioc, the long trip
Ban Gioc (Thác Bản Giốc) drops about 30 m on the Quây Sơn River, on the line between Vietnam and China, where the Chinese side calls it Detian. Wikipedia describes two falls that merge into one in the summer rains. Guides disagree on the season. Some put the rains at June to September and the heaviest flow in September and October, with muddier water; others say the water is clearest in the dry months from December to March, when the flow is much lower.
The photo shows a visitor on a footbridge in front of the falls. Most of the 20 listings reach it the same way: two days, one night in Cao Bang province, lunch included. The Ban Gioc page reads the Hanoi and Cao Bang departures one by one.
Da Lat or Ban Gioc: how to choose
| Da Lat | Ban Gioc | |
|---|---|---|
| Start city | Da Lat (one listing from Nha Trang) | Hanoi (9), Cao Bang city (10), Ha Giang (1) |
| Median length | 6 hours, from 3 to 10 | 48 hours, from 8 to 120 |
| Price band | 30 to 60 EUR, from under 30 to 120 | 120 to 250 EUR, from under 60 to more than 250 |
| Lunch included | 30%, the canyoning days | 100% |
| Private tours | 6 of 20 | 1 of 20 |
| Reviews and rating | 13,428 at 4.96 | 1,907 at 4.91 |
If your route already passes Da Lat, the group tours from under 30 to 60 EUR are the ones to compare first, and the Da Lat page says what each leaves out. If Hanoi is your base and you can spare two days, Ban Gioc is the trip, and the real decision is the departure point: the Hanoi listings include the drive, the Cao Bang ones start after it.
Northwest
Sapa and the falls without a tour here
Sapa, in Lào Cai province, has its own cluster: Cat Cat, Silver and Love falls. In our reading of Viator's Vietnam waterfall products, 17 are based in Sapa and 13 of them are for the Silver Waterfall (Thác Bạc). None is on this site, so this page prices no Sapa trip.
The photo shows a small fall near Cat Cat village. Nha Trang, home of the Ba Ho Falls, has about ten Viator waterfall listings, and Da Nang, Phu Quoc and the Buôn Ma Thuột area one to three each. If your route passes one of them you can still go; you will not find it priced here.
When to go
The two trips run on different calendars, which is why Vietnam has no single best month. Da Lat's wet season is May to October and its dry season November to April, according to Wikipedia's entry for the town. At Ban Gioc the guides disagree: the rains run June to September and the flow is heaviest in September and October, but the water is clearest from December to March, when there is much less of it. Waterfalls are widest in the rain. Nothing we read says tours stop in the wet season, but the weather decides what the falls look like on the day.
| Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Da Lat Wet season May to October: fuller falls and more rain on the day. November to April is dry. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Ban Gioc June to September rains widen the falls, with the heaviest flow and muddier water into October; the clearest water is December to March, at lower flow. Guides disagree, so September and October are an editorial pick for full falls. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Da Lat climate from Wikipedia. Ban Gioc seasons from travel guides, which disagree; the ranking of months is editorial judgement.
Choose your trip
Each page reads its 20 tours one by one.
Questions about waterfalls in Vietnam
What are the best waterfalls in Vietnam?
There is no agreed ranking and we will not invent one. The two places with the most tours are Ban Gioc in the northeast and the Da Lat group of Datanla, Pongour and Elephant Falls. Ban Gioc is the one most tours go to, a drop of about 30 m by Wikipedia's figure; Da Lat is the easier day. Sapa's falls are visited on foot from the town and have no tour on this site.
Which is the biggest waterfall in Vietnam?
Listings call Ban Gioc the largest, and it is the one most tours go to. Wikipedia gives it a drop of about 30 m. Its width is quoted anywhere from 100 to 300 m depending on the source, so we print none. No official measurement of Vietnam's falls turned up in our research, which leaves the question open.
Can you swim at Vietnam's waterfalls?
On the tours here, swimming comes up in the six Da Lat canyoning listings, where a guide takes you down by rope, slide and jump in a wetsuit. The sightseeing tours to Pongour, Elephant Falls and Ban Gioc do not mention it. At Ban Gioc the listings talk about a boat near the falls, paid on the spot. Rules change, so ask the operator.
How much does a waterfall tour cost in Vietnam?
The typical price across the 40 tours here is 60 to 120 EUR. Da Lat runs from under 30 to 120 EUR, roughly 30 to 60, with group three-falls tours from under 30 to 60 EUR and canyoning at 30 to 120. Ban Gioc runs from under 60 to more than 250 EUR, in the 120 to 250 EUR band. Entrance fees and the Datanla alpine coaster are extra on some listings, so read the not-included line.
Data verified on . Catalog read 22 Oct 2026: 40 Viator listings, 14 opened in full. Da Lat climate and Ban Gioc facts from Wikipedia; Ban Gioc seasons from travel guides, which disagree.