Ha Giang is one of the most amazing destinations in the North of Vietnam. It appeals to tourists by the magnificent natural beauty of the mountains, rivers, and forests and the friendly local people. Coming to Ha Giang, besides visiting famous attractions and immersing yourself in nature, you can also join many other exciting activities. Let’s see the top 07 unique experiences in Ha Giang with Handspan Travel Indochina!

Ha Giang

Through this article, you will find the most popular things to do in Ha Giang below.

Staying in a homestay

Staying in a homestay is one of the most fantastic experiences in Ha Giang. This destination has many homestays where you can experience the local culture firsthand and relax in a peaceful environment. Currently, there are many homestays in Ha Giang with unique architecture. Below are some homestays you may choose from.

Auberge de Meo Vac

• Address: Chung Pa A, Meo Vac, Ha Giang

Auberge de Meo Vac is imbued with the style of the Hmong people with plain decoration. You will have a chance to enjoy the majestic atmosphere and nature and experience: massage, restaurant, bar serving drinks, etc. 

Auberge de Meo Vac

Lo Lo Homestay & Cafe Meo Vac

• Address: Lo Lo Chai Village, Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang

Lo Lo Homestay & Cafe Meo Vac is one of the homestays that fully preserves the material and spiritual life of the Lo Lo people in Dong Van. The homestay is not only a place to welcome tourists but also a place for cultural exchange and events for local people. Staying in Lo Lo Homestay, you can join local festivals, enjoy the typical dances and songs of Meo Vac, wear traditional clothes, and learn to play traditional instruments like drums and trumpets. 

Lo Lo Homestay & Cafe Meo Vac

Embroidery contest in Lo Lo Homestay & Cafe Meo Vac

Homie homestay Ha Giang

• Address: Lo Lo, Dong Van, Ha Giang

Homie homestay Ha Giang impresses tourists with the Lo Lo people’s beautiful, harmonious wall house architecture. Staying here, you will have a chance to learn to cook local dishes, embroidery, sew basic patterns, and dye. 

Homie Homestay 

Attending a local festival

Attending a local festival is also among the most unforgettable experiences in Ha Giang you should not miss. Ha Giang is known for its lively festivals, which are held yearly to celebrate different events and occasions. Here are some well-known festivals in Ha Giang you may want to join.

Khau Vai Love Market Festival

Khau Vai Love Market Festival is held on the 27th of the third lunar month. It is a celebration of love and brings together ethnic minority groups from across the region. Joining Khau Vai Love Market Festival, you can immerse yourself in the magnificent scenery while enjoying the traditional music of the locals. You will catch up with local boys and girls dancing, singing, and playing flute or leaf trumpet in their traditional clothes. The festival is indeed a chance for you to make friends and learn about the culture and traditions of ethnic minority people in Ha Giang.

Khau Vai Love Market Festival

Gau Tao Festival

Gau Tao Festival is an important festival of the Mong people in Ha Giang, held around the 1st to the 15th of January in the lunar calendar. It is held to pray for peace, prosperity, health, and luck. 

Gau Tao Festival

The festival includes worship and festive activities. While the worship is extremely solemn with many rituals, the festive part is vibrant with exciting games requiring the participants to have strength, meticulousness, and ingenuity. Men often join crossbow shooting and wrestling while women participate in singing, dancing, etc. The festival is also an opportunity for boys and girls to express their feelings for each other. 

Long Tong Festival

Long Tong Festival is the typical festival of the Tay people in Ha Giang, held from the 4th to the 10th of January in the lunar calendar. This festival is held to wish for bountiful crops, a happy and prosperous life, and a favorable weather climate. Like other festivals in Ha Giang, Long Tong Festival also has ritual and festive activities. 

Long Tong Festival

Learning about traditional crafts

If you want to get closer to the locals, learning about traditional crafts is undoubtedly one of the most exciting experiences in Ha Giang. Many ethnic minority groups here are skilled in traditional crafts such as weaving and embroidery. Coming to Ha Giang, you can visit local villages to see these crafts practiced and even learn some techniques. Here are some traditional crafts that you can find in Ha Giang.

Weaving

Weaving is a traditional craft of the Hmong and Dao people in Ha Giang. The local artisans use a traditional loom to weave intricate patterns onto a piece of fabric. After finishing the products, they use them to make clothing, bags, and other items. Lung Tam linen weaving craft village, located in the Lung Tam Commune, Quan Ba District, is a famous weaving village in Ha Giang. Visiting the village, you will catch up with local women sitting in front of the loom to make beautiful fabrics and unique brocade products. 

Weaving in Ha Giang

Lung Tam linen weaving craft village

Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing is a traditional craft of ethnic minority people in the Vi Xuyen, Xin Man, and Meo Vac Districts of Ha Giang. Blacksmiths use a combination of heat and hand tools to shape and mold metal into various objects, such as knives, plowshares, sickles, and household items. Compared to other crafts, blacksmithing takes more effort. Besides good health, the blacksmiths must also have ingenuity and skill.

Blacksmithing in Ha Giang

Blacksmith in Ha Giang

Silver carving 

Silver carving is a traditional craft of the Dao ethnic minority group in Hoang Su Phi, Xin Man, Yen Minh, Vi Xuyen, and Meo Vac Districts of Ha Giang. The process involves melting silver and shaping it into various jewelry pieces, such as necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. You will catch up with the Dao women in beautiful dazzling jewelry when visiting Ha Giang.

Silver carving in Ha Giang

Dao girl in her traditional clothes and silver necklaces

Trekking through the villages

Trekking through the villages is also among the amazing experiences in Ha Giang. Thanks to the magnificent landscape and ethnic minorities’ identities, Ha Giang is indeed an ideal place for trekking. There are several trekking routes available, ranging from easy walks to challenging hikes. Here are a few options for trekking in Ha Giang.

Trekking in Hoang Su Phi

Trekking in Hoang Su Phi, you will have a chance to immerse yourself in magnificent nature and learn about diverse ethnic cultures here. Ban Phung Village, Ban Luoc - Nam Ty Village, Thong Nguyen - Nam Hong Village, and Chieu Lau Thi are some places to trek in Hoang Su Phi. 

Ban Phung in Hoang Su Phi

Trekking to Chieu Lau Thi peak

Dong Van Karst Plateau

This trek takes you through the stunning landscapes of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. You can customize your trek to your fitness level and interests and can include visits to ethnic minority villages, limestone caves, and mountain passes. Let’s trek to Ma Pi Leng Pass, Lung Cu Flag Tower, Pho Bang Ancient Town, The Palace of the Hmong King - Dinh Vua Meo, etc. 

Dong Van Karst Plateau

Nam Dam Village trek

This trek takes you through the beautiful countryside surrounding Nam Dam Village. The trek starts in the village and takes you through rice paddies, cornfields, and bamboo forests. You'll also have the chance to visit local villages and learn about the local culture and traditions. 

Nam Dam Village in Ha Giang

Visiting a local market

Visiting local markets is one of the most memorable experiences in Ha Giang you may not want to miss. Below are some of the most popular local markets you may want to refer to. 

Dong Van Market

The Dong Van Market is one of the largest and most well-known markets in Ha Giang. It is located in the town of Dong Van and is open every Sunday. Visiting the market, you will catch up with various stalls selling different types of goods, from food to brocade, agricultural products, etc. Besides immersing yourself in the crowded atmosphere, you can try Ha Giang’s specialties, and find souvenirs to bring home at the market. 

Dong Van Market

Meo Vac Market

Meo Vac Market is also another popular market of Ha Giang, located in the center of Meo Vac Town. It is open every Sunday and is a great place to buy traditional handicrafts, such as brocade weaving, as well as fresh produce and livestock. The market is not only a trading area but also a place for the locals to meet and talk with each other. 

Meo Vac Market

Brocade stalls in Meo Vac Market

Hoang Su Phi Market

Hoang Su Phi Market is one of the most long-standing markets in Ha Giang. It is located in the town of Hoang Su Phi and is open every Sunday. Local people come here to sell and buy necessary items, agricultural products, and even livestock and poultry. Especially, brocade stalls are always an attractive area in the market. You can find thousands of brocade products of the Hmong, Tay, and Nung people here. 

Hoang Su Phi Market

Visiting the local markets is indeed a great way to experience the vibrant culture and daily life of the ethnic minority communities in Ha Giang. It is highly recommended that you visit markets early in the morning to have a complete experience.

Experiencing traditional rice cultivation

Experiencing traditional rice cultivation is also among the wonderful experiences in Ha Giang. During the rice harvesting season from August to October, you will catch up with local people bustling and working in the stretching terraced rice fields. Traditional rice cultivation in Ha Giang is a centuries-old practice that has been passed down through generations of farmers in the region. 

Rice cultivation in Ha Giang

You can experience traditional rice cultivation practices through a variety of activities, such as planting, harvesting, and threshing rice. Besides, you will have a chance to have a deeper understanding of the history and cultural significance of rice cultivation in Ha Giang, as well as the traditional techniques and tools used by local farmers.

Trying local foods in Ha Giang

Ha, Giang is known for its rich and diverse culinary scene, with a variety of unique and flavorful dishes that reflect the region's cultural heritage and agricultural traditions. Trying local foods is no doubt among the experiences in Ha Giang you should refer to. Below are some specialties you should try when you travel to Ha Giang. 

Thang Co

This dish includes horse, beef, pork, and buffalo meat. Besides the meat's tasty flavor, broth is a particular characteristic of this food. It is mixed from 12 different spices, such as pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, etc. You may find this dish strange; however, if you want to know more about the locals, it is really worth trying. 

Thang Co

Buckwheat flower cake

Buckwheat flower cake is a typical cake of the Mong people in Ha Giang. The cake has a fragrant, slightly sweet taste.

Buckwheat flower cake 

Au tau porridge

Au tau porridge is made from upland glutinous rice, pig's feet, and Au tau tubers. This dish is extremely good for health and helps against joint pain. The bitter taste of Au tau tuber, combing with the aroma of pork leg and spices, creates an unforgettable flavor.  

Au tau porridge

Let’s travel to Ha Giang and try unique specialties here!

In conclusion, you have just known about the top 07 unique experiences in Ha Giang. Hope that with these pieces of information, you will have a wonderful trip here. For a complete experience in Ha Giang, please contact our Handspan team. Otherwise, you can refer to our Ha Giang tour packages below.

 

Terraced Beauty: Exploring Hoang Su Phi and Sapa

Epic Expedition Ha Giang to Ba Be