3-Day Ban Gioc Waterfall & Ba Be Lake Tour from Hanoi

Remote border country, local homestays, and a couple days of walking into landscapes most tours skip

A 3-day guided tour from Hanoi to Ban Gioc Waterfall and Ba Be National Park in Northern Vietnam, traveling through Cao Bang and staying with local Nung and Tay families. The itinerary includes the 300-meter Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Chinese border, Nguom Ngao Cave, a rainforest hike to a 500-million-year-old cave, and a boat crossing of Ba Be Lake. Pickup from your Hanoi hotel is included, along with all park permits, sightseeing tickets, meals and an English-speaking guide.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi to Quang Uyen via Lang Son

• Pick up from Hanoi hotel
• Drive to Lang Son
• Visit Mạc Citadel
• Lunch in Đồng Đăng
• Visit Đông Khê battle site
• Walk 3-5km in ethnic villages
• Stay overnight at Nùng homestay

Day 2: Cao Bang, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Ba Be

• Breakfast at homestay
• Visit Phuoc Sen village
• Visit Ban Gioc Waterfall
• Explore Nguom Ngao Cave
• Travel to Ba Be Lake
• Dinner and overnight at Tay homestay

Day 3: Ba Be Lake hike and return to Hanoi

• Breakfast at homestay
• Boat crossing to north shore
• Hike in Ba Be National Park rainforest
• Visit prehistoric cave and bird watching
• Visit An Ma temple
• Boat ride or swim in lake
• Lunch at Ba Be Jungle Houses
• Drive back to Hanoi with tea plantation stop
• Arrive Hanoi and end tour

The experience

A minivan picks you up from your Hanoi hotel around 7:30am on Tuesday or Friday and drives three hours toward the Chinese border to Lang Son. You'll explore Mạc Citadel, a 16th-century fortress in partial ruins, then visit Đông Khê, the site of a pivotal 1950 battle in Vietnam's independence war. By evening you're at a Nung family homestay in Quang Uyen, a stilt house where you'll sleep and eat a home-cooked dinner.

Day two takes you to Trung Khanh on the border itself, where you'll meet blacksmiths in the village of Phuoc Sen before reaching Ban Gioc Waterfall. The falls span 300 meters and split evenly between Vietnam and China. You get time to photograph and absorb the scale of it. Afterward, you walk through Nguom Ngao Cave, which stretches 2,144 meters underground and is lined with stalactites and stalagmites. The drive down the "snake pass" to Ba Be Lake follows, and you'll stay overnight in a traditional Tay stilt house run by a local family.

On the final morning, you board a boat across Ba Be Lake to the north shore and hike into the rainforest of the national park. The walk leads to a prehistoric cave hidden in ancient forest, a bird-watching station, and the An Ma temple, a sacred site of the Tay people. You can swim in the lake or stay on the boat to explore Widow Island. After lunch at a local restaurant, the drive back to Hanoi includes a stop at a tea plantation in the hills before you arrive in the late afternoon.

What’s included

• Pickup from your Hanoi hotel.
• minivan transport with a professional driver and English-speaking guide.
• accommodation at two family-run homestays (Nung stilt house in Quang Uyen, Tay stilt house in Ba Be).
• all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
• entry to Mạc Citadel, Đông Khê battle site, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, and Ba Be National Park.
• all travel permits and frontier sightseeing tickets.
• a boat tour on Ba Be Lake.
• a rainforest hike to a prehistoric cave and the An Ma temple.
• bottled water.
• 24/7 hotline support.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday and FridayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (10 to 70 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 29 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Mr Linh's Adventures

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour with fixed Tuesday and Friday departures, so you'll travel with other travelers and follow a set itinerary. It suits anyone who wants the logistics arranged and an experienced guide to explain the history and culture, but not someone who needs a private vehicle or flexible dates.

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Top questions

What's the hiking like on this 3-day tour?

Day three includes a hike in the rainforest of Ba Be National Park that reaches a 500-million-year-old prehistoric cave, a bird-watching station, and the An Ma temple. The walk is moderate and optional. You can stay on the boat instead if you prefer.

Do I stay in hotels or homestays?

You stay in two family-run homestays: a Nung stilt house in Quang Uyen on night one and a Tay stilt house in Ba Be on night two, both operated by local families who prepare home-cooked meals.

What is Ban Gioc Waterfall like?

Ban Gioc Waterfall spans over 300 meters and sits on the Vietnam-China border, split equally between the two countries. You'll have time to photograph it and take in the landscape before moving on to Nguom Ngao Cave.

When do departures leave Hanoi?

Tours depart on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:30–8:00am from your hotel in Hanoi's old quarter or the tour operator's office.

What meals and transport are included?

All meals are included (breakfast, lunch and dinner each day). Transport covers the minivan from Hanoi, the boat crossing on Ba Be Lake, and a guide who speaks English throughout the tour.

Is this tour suitable for people with limited fitness?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. However, it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, cardiovascular issues, or pregnancy, and includes a 3–5km walk on day one plus a rainforest hike on day three.