Ban Gioc Waterfall & Angel Mountain tour from Cao Bang

Ride to the waterfall's edge, then watch the sunset from a mountain that rises alone

A 12-hour guided tour from Cao Bang through the UNESCO-designated Global Geopark, visiting Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Vietnam-China border, Ngao Cave with its natural stone formations, ethnic Tày and Nùng villages, and Angel Mountain at dusk. The tour includes an English-speaking guide, car transport, entrance fees to all sites, local meals and insurance. Children from age 5 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Cao Bang and Ban Gioc Waterfall

• Enjoy Cao Bang breakfast specialties
• Travel scenic Global Geopark road
• Visit paper craft or forging village
• Drive through ethnic villages
• Explore Ngao Cave formations
• Have lunch at Thac Ban Gioc Restaurant
• Visit Truc Lam Zen Monastery viewpoint
• Visit Ban Gioc Waterfall and boat ride
• Return to Cao Bang via mountain route
• Enjoy sunset at Angel Mountain
• Dinner with local specialties in Cao Bang

The experience

The day starts early with breakfast in Cao Bang (rice paper and duck noodle soup) before heading into the Geopark on a winding road that cuts through villages of stilt houses and green fields. A stop at a local craft village (paper or forging, depending on the day) gives you time inside a working space where artisans still make things by hand, and a chance to see how people live in these mountains. The drive itself is part of the tour: the road climbs through territory where few trucks pass, and the scenery shifts from cultivated valleys to steep forest.

Ngao Cave comes next, a limestone cavern that has kept its natural state. Inside, stone columns rise from the floor and stalactites hang in shapes the guide will point out (a tiger, a lotus, a boat) all formed over millions of years. After lunch at a restaurant overlooking the waterfall area, you climb to Truc Lam Zen Monastery, a pagoda perched high enough to frame Ban Gioc Waterfall below it and the Chinese border visible across the river. Then comes the boat ride: you get close enough to feel the spray as water pours down from the cliff above, and the guide explains the geography of the border running through the middle of the river.

The return route takes a different road so the afternoon does not retrace the morning, passing through more mountain scenery before stopping at Angel Mountain for sunset. This is a standalone peak, and the name fits: the light changes the color of everything around it. Dinner back in the city wraps the day with another local specialty, duck noodle soup or sour noodles, depending on what the restaurant has that evening.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide.
• car transport throughout the day.
• entrance fees to the craft village, Ngao Cave and Ban Gioc Waterfall.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner with local Cao Bang cuisine (vegetarian options available).
• boat ride to the waterfall.
• insurance coverage up to 200,000,000 VND per case.
• bottled water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (11 to 60 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 12 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 27

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Cao Bang Easy Deeping Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you have a full day free and want to return to Cao Bang by evening. The fixed itinerary covers mountain scenery, ethnic villages, and cave exploration in one loop without needing your own transport or decisions mid-day.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Vietnamese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 10 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Ngao Cave like inside?

Ngao Cave is a limestone cavern with natural stone columns and stalactites shaped like animals and flowers over millions of years. The cave has kept its original state without heavy development, so the formations still look as nature left them.

Do I get close to Ban Gioc Waterfall, or just see it from a distance?

You take a boat ride closer to the waterfall so you can feel the spray of water falling from the cliff above. The waterfall sits on the Vietnam-China border, with the river running between the two countries.

What are the villages like that we pass through?

The tour goes through ethnic Tày, Nùng, Dao and Hmong villages where you see old stilt houses and stop at a craft village to watch local artisans make paper or forged goods by hand. The guide explains how people live in the mountains and what their daily work involves.

How much walking or climbing is involved in this tour?

You climb stairs up to Truc Lam Zen Monastery for the panoramic view, and walk through Ngao Cave and around Ban Gioc Waterfall. The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness and is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.

What meals are included, and can you handle dietary needs?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included (local Cao Bang specialties like rice paper, duck noodle soup and sour noodles), and the operator can serve vegetarian food if you request it.

What time does the tour start and end?

Pickup starts between 6:15am and 6:45am for breakfast, and you return to Cao Bang city by 7pm after dinner. The full day is 12 hours from start to finish.