On the Loop

Dong Van

Old quarter, stone villages and the northern tip of Vietnam.

9 places

Photo: trungydang / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

About Dong Van

Dong Van is the heart of the Karst Plateau Geopark. Its old quarter is a common overnight stop, and short drives take you to the Vuong family mansion, stone-walled villages and the Lung Cu flag tower near the country’s northernmost point.

Updated 6 October 2026

The Loop (1–5: travel order)Off the LoopMap data © OpenStreetMap

Highlights in Dong Van

Viewpoints & Passes

Chin Khoanh slope

A short climb of tight U-bends on the road between Pho Cao and Sung La, one of the most photographed bends of the Dong Van plateau.

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Tham Ma slope

A famous series of hairpin bends on the road towards Dong Van, seen from a viewpoint at the top — one of the classic photo stops on the Loop.

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Villages & Culture

Lo Lo Chai village

A Lo Lo village of old rammed-earth houses right below Lung Cu flag tower, named one of the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism in 2025.

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The green Sung La valley between karst mountains

Sung La valley and Pao's house

A wide valley on the road to Dong Van, home to Lung Cam village and the old Hmong house made famous by the 2005 film Pao's Story.

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Markets

The entrance to the old market in Dong Van town

Dong Van Sunday market

The weekly Sunday-morning market in the middle of Dong Van old quarter, where people from the surrounding villages come to trade, eat and meet.

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History & Heritage

The old stone-roofed market below the cliffs in Dong Van town

Dong Van old quarter

A small old quarter of tiled-roof houses at the foot of the mountain — the most common overnight stop in the north of the Loop.

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Lung Cu flag tower

A national flag tower on a hilltop near Vietnam's northernmost point, reached by a climb of several hundred steps.

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Entrance gate of the Vuong family mansion in Sa Phin

Vuong family mansion, Sa Phin

A stone-and-timber mansion in the Sa Phin valley, built in 1898–1903 for the family that governed the area at the time.

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Hidden Gems

Pho Bang old town

A small, slow old town in a valley near the border — a few kilometres off the main road, quieter and less visited than Dong Van.

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Itineraries through Dong Van

A road winding through a green valley in Ha Giang

4 days

The classic Ha Giang Loop in 4 days

The route most people mean by 'the Loop' — and the one I have ridden more times than I can count. Four days through Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Ma Pi Leng and Meo Vac, returning through the quiet Du Gia valley. Long enough to stop, short enough to keep moving.

~350 km · Moderate · Easy rider (local driver), Car with driver, Self-ride motorbike

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The road towards Dong Van between green mountains

3 days

Ha Giang Loop in 3 days

The Loop’s highlights when you only have three days. It works, but the last day is long — we recommend four days if you can.

~330 km · Challenging · Easy rider (local driver), Car with driver

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The winding road below the Ma Pi Leng ridges

6 days

Slow Ha Giang in 6 days

Our favourite way to see Ha Giang: shorter driving days, a night in the Quan Ba valley, a full day around Dong Van and time to rest in Du Gia.

~380 km · Easy pace · Car with driver, Easy rider (local driver), Self-ride motorbike

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Sunlight streaming into a misty mountain valley near Yen Minh

5 days

Ha Giang by car with kids (5 days)

A gentle car itinerary for families with children or older travellers: short driving days, easy stops and early arrivals.

~360 km · Easy pace · Car with driver

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Local tips

The old quarter is busiest on market days and weekends in the flower season — book your room early then.