Bac Son Valley: A Green Patchwork Between Karst Peaks

Bac Son is a wide flat valley full of rice fields, ringed by limestone peaks. From the top of the hill you look down on a green and yellow patchwork. It is close to Hanoi but hardly any foreign visitors come here.

What you can do

• Climb Na Lay hill About 1,200 steps to the viewpoint. Hard work, but this is the view people come for.
• Cycle through the fields Flat, quiet roads between the villages.
• Visit on a market day Local markets rotate through the villages.

Good to know

• Climb early or late. The middle of the day is hot and hazy.
• The golden rice is the best time, usually July and again in November.
• There are few hotels. Homestays are the normal option.

Where it is

• Region: Lang Son province
• From Hanoi: about 3.5 hours
• From Lang Son city: about 1.5 hours
• From Ba Be Lake: about 4 hours
• Coordinates: 21.81441, 106.25138
• Map: Open in Google Maps

How to fit it into your trip

One night is enough. Good as a first or last stop on a loop through the northeast.

Travelling around North Vietnam is easiest with your own driver. We arrange cars and drivers for trips like this.

Getting there: see Hanoi to Ba Be and Cao Bang, or let us plan your whole trip, airport to airport.

Photo: Hoang Giang Hai from Hanoi, Vietnam, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.