Ha Giang Tour

The Prologue

Challenge Journey – Food Tour Ha Giang is a journey that invites you into a Ha Giang of stone mountains, cold air, and a slower rhythm shaped by altitude and distance, where cuisine becomes the bridge connecting people to life in the northern highlands. This is a place where food is not only meant to be tasted, but to create resilience: warming yet grounding, simple yet deeply functional, providing just enough strength for days of climbing passes and crossing valleys. Ha Giang does not attract with comfort or brightness, but with a feeling of being held by the land itself — from a steaming bowl of buffalo phở in the early morning, to the bitter-sweet warmth of cháo ấu tẩu, to hot meals shared on cold nights in Dong Van and Meo Vac. In this journey, cuisine is the way you touch the spirit of the highlands; what remains is a heightened awareness of your body, a slower and steadier rhythm of travel, and the lingering aftertaste of the mountains that stays with you long after you return to the lowlands.

179.00 $

Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Option 1: Departure from Hanoi – Overnight Sleeper Bus

22:00 (Day 0) – Meeting point at My Dinh Bus Station or Hanoi Old Quarter as announced.
Guests board the sleeper bus and activate the Challenge Journey – Ha Giang code on the application.
During the overnight transfer, the app unlocks the warm-up mission “Introduction to the Rocky Plateau Food Tour”, presenting the game rules, methods for recording taste–emotion data, and the digital map of the 3-day-2-night journey.

Option 2: Guests already present in Ha Giang

06:00 (Day 1) – Pick-up at 26/3 Square – Ha Giang city center.
Players complete digital check-in to activate the Challenge Journey – Ha Giang code, then store luggage at a centrally located homestay and take a short rest.

07:30 – MORNING MISSION: HA GIANG BUFFALO PHO
Players enjoy a hot bowl of buffalo phở with clear broth and naturally sweet bone flavor.
Unlock question: Why is buffalo phở suitable as the first meal when starting a highland journey?
Completed when players confirm the status: “Body warmed and ready to move.”

08:30 – DEPARTURE TO QUAN BA
The vehicle travels along National Highway 4C as players observe the terrain shifting from lowlands to rocky mountains.

10:00 – ATTRACTION: QUAN BA HEAVEN GATE – FAIRY TWIN MOUNTAINS
Players observe the panoramic view of Tam Son Valley.
Mission: Record the first bodily sensations as altitude and air density noticeably change.

Noon

12:00 – LUNCH IN YEN MINH TOWN
A local meal with simple dishes such as stir-fried forest vegetables, braised meat, and hot soup.
The goal is sufficient energy without overeating.

13:30 – MIDDAY REST
Players rest briefly at a café or short-stay homestay, avoiding movement while the body recovers.

Afternoon

15:00 – TRANSFER TO DONG VAN ROCKY PLATEAU
Along the way, stop to observe villages of the Hmong and Dao people.

16:30 – ATTRACTION: DONG VAN OLD QUARTER
Players walk slowly through the old town, observing traditional rammed-earth houses.
Mission: Compare the rhythm of life here with that of lowland old towns.

Evening

18:30 – DINNER: TOURISM-STYLE THANG CO
Players enjoy a lightly seasoned version of thắng cố.
Unlock question: Why is thang co traditionally eaten in the evening in cold regions?

20:00 – OVERNIGHT AT DONG VAN HOMESTAY
Free time, early rest to restore energy.

DAY 2

Morning

07:30 – MORNING MISSION: AU TAU PORRIDGE
Players eat while hot, noting the initial bitterness and the sweet aftertaste.
Unlock question: Why do Ha Giang locals eat au tau porridge in the morning and at night?
Completed when players confirm the status: “Warm body – alert mind.”

08:30 – VISIT: KING MEO’S PALACE (VUONG CHINH DUC)
Players observe stone-and-wood architecture and defensive layouts.
Mission: Identify signs of power and survival in the living space.

10:30 – TRANSFER TO LUNG CU FLAG TOWER
Climb to the top and observe the Vietnam–China border landscape.
Mission: Stand still for 2 minutes, recording wind, altitude, and breathing rhythm.

Noon

12:30 – LUNCH IN LUNG CU
A local family-style meal, prioritizing steamed and boiled dishes for easy digestion.

13:30 – MIDDAY REST
Rest at a local house or small eatery.

Afternoon

15:00 – CONQUERING MA PI LENG PASS
Stops are made at scenic viewpoints.
Mission: Identify the road section that causes the most physical tension and relate it to eating patterns during the day.

16:30 – ATTRACTION: NHO QUE RIVER (VIEW FROM ABOVE)
Players observe the river’s color and the depth of Tu San Gorge.

Evening

18:30 – DINNER IN MEO VAC TOWN: HA GIANG BLACK CHICKEN HOT POT
Players observe the dish’s heat-retention ability.
Unlock question: Why is hot pot a popular choice in cold highland climates?

20:00 – OVERNIGHT AT MEO VAC HOMESTAY

DAY 3

Morning

07:30 – MORNING MISSION: WILD GINGER TEA
No heavy breakfast; only hot tea to warm the body before descending mountain passes.
Unlock question: Why is a heavy breakfast unnecessary on the final day?

08:30 – CHECK-OUT AND DEPARTURE BACK TO HA GIANG CITY