Dalat: Sunrise Trek to Hon Bo Mountain & Cloud Hunting

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.97 (116 reviews) 97% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/13

Duration4h–5h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Chasing clouds above Dalat with sunrise, laughter, and steaming pho

You’ll wake early in Dalat for a sunrise trek up Hon Bo Mountain, hoping for those rolling morning clouds everyone talks about. With a local guide leading the way, you’ll share laughs on the trail and warm up afterward with steaming Vietnamese pho — probably more satisfying than you expect. It’s simple but leaves an odd little glow inside.

4h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Sunrise trekking and cloud hunting

Hike up Hon Bo Mountain
Watch sunrise and clouds
Enjoy Vietnamese Pho

The Experience

It’s weird how quiet Dalat feels at 4am. I was still half asleep when our guide, Minh, met us outside the hotel — he handed me coffee that tasted like burnt caramel and pointed to the van with a grin. The drive out was short but I remember the windows fogging up from everyone’s breath. Someone made a joke about “cloud hunting” before we even got there — I didn’t really get it until later.

The start of the Hon Bo Mountain trail is just dirt and pine needles, nothing dramatic. Minh kept up this gentle commentary about why locals love this spot for sunrise (something about lucky weather after rain). The air smelled like wet grass and eucalyptus. My shoes got muddy fast but no one cared; we were all just following the little beams of headlamps through the dark. It wasn’t hard — honestly, if you can walk around town you can do this — but my heart sped up anyway when we reached the ridge and saw that first blush of light over Dalat city.

Cloud hunting is exactly what it sounds like: waiting for those low clouds to roll through the valley below. Some mornings you get it, some not. We got lucky — soft white waves drifting in slow motion beneath us while everything turned gold. Minh poured tea from his thermos and someone started humming (badly) which made everyone laugh. I tried to take photos but they never really catch how cold your hands are or how weirdly peaceful it feels up there.

On the way down, Minh led us straight to a tiny place for breakfast — bowls of steaming pho with herbs so fresh they almost bit back. I still think about that broth sometimes, especially after early mornings now. The whole thing wrapped up before 9am, but honestly I felt like I’d already lived a full day by then.

What’s included

Your morning starts with hotel pickup in Dalat before heading out with your English-speaking guide; all entrance fees are covered along with trekking poles if you want them. You’ll have water (or coffee or tea) during the hike and finish off with a bowl of Vietnamese pho before being dropped back at your place—all pretty seamless considering how early it starts.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Viet Challenge Tours