Famous for majestic mountains, Vietnam is a great destination for trekking lovers.
The northern region of Vietnam is a land of remarkable scenery with high rolling mountains, dramatically steep valleys and magnificent rice paddies creating a patchwork of contours. It's here you'll find endless opportunities to enjoy a host of trekking opportunities from easy walks along well-trodden paths to strenuous treks over the course of a couple of days.
5 things that make northern Vietnam a suitable destination for trekking
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| Photo by Ves Pa |
1. Beautiful sceneries
Northern Vietnam landscape provides pedestrians with unique experiences. This is where you can hike through highland valleys, along terraced rice paddies and underneath towering limestone mountain ranges, or or explore the magical natural caves. Almost everything you will see when you go into the some of favorite areas for trekking in northern Vietnam. Northern Vietnam has also 2 geoparks: Dong Van Kast Global Geopark and Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark writen in UNESCO. Below this article you will find maps of the national parks in Northern Vietnam.
2. The best weather for trekking in Vietnam
The best time to trek in Northern Vietnam are the months of milder tempernatures, from late September to November and again in March and April. The winters in the Northern Vietnam, especially in January and February, can get colder than you might expect, especially in the mountainous regions, with tempernatures reaching 12-15oC. The humidity is high all-year at 60-80%, making winters cold and wet and summer hot and humid. During the summer, the average temperatures is around 30 - 35oC. The rain season lasts from late May to late September, and white rains can be quite heavy, the rain is not consistent and does not usually ruin a hikking tour. You should not recommended to hike in the hot and rainy season.
3. Some notes for planning trekking in Northern Vietnam
To get a perfect trip to North Vietnam you need to have a specific and detailed plan before starting your journey. Some notes you need to know when planning.
- Which places you want to see (mountains, national park, ethnic minorities, reserves, ...)
- How long you will be travelling? (based on the time you spend on trekking in northern Vietnam to choose the most suitable street)
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| Photo by Vietnam Typical Tours |
4. What to Bring When Trekking in Northern Vietnam
The weather and hiking typography in Vietnam are different from other countries. So even if you’re an experienced hiker, it’s essential to know what to bring. And here are the things that should come along with you:
- Waterproof clothes: Ironically speaking, Vietnam has only two seasons: rainy season and rainier season. With this kind of weather, remember to bring waterproof clothes, or else it will cause you discomfort.
- Anti-blister socks: These are super important when you hike in the deep forest. If you can’t find these socks, you can use blister-preventing lubricants instead. In Vietnam, there is a gel called D.E.P (Dietyl Phtalat) used to eliminate blisters.
- Warm-quality hiking boots. cotton clothes.
- Flashlight/headlamp.
- Mosquito repellent, sunscreen.
- At least something from the medicine cabinet, toilet paper.
- Tent + warm sleep bag (longer hikes).
- Very suitable is also GPS navigation (google maps + mobiphone)
But be careful, some trekking routes and roads in Northern Vietnam are not well marked. In this case, you'd better to hire a local guide and go in a group. This local travel guide can show you come other interesting places that you will not find on the map and give mỏe information about the area.
5. Best Places for Trekking in Northern Vietnam
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| Photo by Sapa Tours From Hanoi |
Sapa
- Is one of the most spectacular scenery of the mountain range in the Northwest of Vietnam suitable for trekking
- Start point for trekking to Fansipan - the roof of Indochina with the height of 3143m.
- Where there are 5 ethnic minority groups living: Hmong, Red Dao, Xa Pho, Tay and Giay. Experiencing the daily life and cultural values of the highland ethnic minorities.
- Muong Hoa valley, villages and Hoang Lien Son mountain with beautiful terraced fields.
- Homestay accommodation and local residential.
- Many cultural destinations, waterfalls and unique highland markets.
Mai Chau
- Is a lowland, peaceful countryside suitable for gentle trekking
- Unique culture of white and black Thai ethnic minorities
- In The vicinity of many villages that can be visited (Van Mai, Pieng ve, Dong Bang, ...)
- Favorite Pu Luong Nature Reserve and Pu Hu, a huge Hoa Binh lake.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve
- One of the newest parks in Vietnam, listed as a park in 1999
- Ideal place for bird watching
- The possibility to use homestay accommodation of ethnic population (white Thais)
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| Photo by Vietnam Typical Tours |
Ha Giang
- Is one of the most beautiful places in northern Vietnam
- The villages with ethnic minorities people (Hmong, Tay, Dao, Nung, Lo Lo, Giay, Pu Peo)
- The most beautiful places: Dong Van Karst Global Geopark, Ma Pi Leng pass, ...
- Hoang Su Phi is well-known for the breathtaking scenery of its marvelous terraced fields.
Cao Bang
- Ban Gioc Waterfalls are without a doubt the number one attraction in Cao Bang
- Ethnic minorities tay, Nung, Dao and Hmong
- The most popular hikes are in Quang Hoa district, in the eastern area of Cao Bang
Cuc Phuong National Park
- The oldest National park in Vietnam, 130 km sourth of Hanoi
- There are diverse system of fauna and flora, including endangered species
- Many accessible caves
- The possibility of kayaking (Mac Lake, Quang Yen Lake)
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| Photo by Vietnam Typical Tours |
Cat Ba National Park
- Cat Ba is a grear place for trekking, consists of 366 islands, southeastern adge of Halong bay
- With jungle clad limestone karsts that are home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, including the rarest primate species in the world: the Golden Headed Langur
- Is a natural ecosystem of sea and land
- Coral reefs, mangroves, lagoons, beaches, caves, limstone karst.
Ba Be National Park
- The ethnic villages and minorities people, mostly Dao and Tay
- Homestay accommodation with local residential
- Waterfall, rivers, caves and muontains
- Home to 330 kinds of butterflies, 550 plant and 300 animal species
If you’re looking for excellent trekking, it can be easy to get lost in all the choices and options in Northern Vietnam. We here at Vietnam Typical Tours can happily solve this problem for you, as booking your trekking in Northern Vietnam through us ensures that you only get the best of the best in terms of sights, activities and authentic experiences.
