The quiet neighbour
Cao Bang Loop
Vòng cung Cao Bằng
Waterfalls, caves and karst valleys along the Chinese border, on gentler roads than Ha Giang and with a fraction of the traffic.
East of Ha Giang, Cao Bang is the far north with the volume turned down: the same limestone peaks and hill villages, but wider valleys, lower passes and far fewer tour groups. The whole area is the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark (listed in 2018, more than 3,000 sq km), and the roads thread between its best-known sights – Ban Gioc waterfall on the Chinese border, Nguom Ngao cave, the rice-and-karst valleys north of Trung Khanh, the hairpins of Ma Phuc Pass, and Pac Bo, where Ho Chi Minh came home in 1941.
There is no single agreed "Cao Bang Loop" in the way there is a Ha Giang Loop, so this guide picks a sensible one: a two-day circuit east from Cao Bang city to Ban Gioc and back through Trung Khanh and Tra Linh, then a short out-and-back north to Pac Bo. That is about 276 km over four easy-paced riding days (a little over 300 km with the valley side trips), or five days if you add a night in Trung Khanh to explore the Phong Nam and Ngoc Con valleys properly. From Pac Bo you can also carry on west through Bao Lac to Meo Vac and join the Ha Giang Loop, or drop south from Cao Bang to Ba Be Lake on the way back to Hanoi; both links are described under the last stage.
Unlike Ha Giang, Cao Bang was one of the 11 provinces and cities left as they were by the July 2025 mergers, so its name and borders are unchanged (Ba Be Lake, next door, is now in Thai Nguyen province). Most visitors arrive by bus from Hanoi – about 270 km and 6–8 hours – and rent a bike in the city.
Gentler does not mean risk-free. These are still mountain roads, with trucks near the city, blind bends on the passes, livestock, gravel and no lighting, and serious medical help is a long way off. The licence rules are the same as anywhere in Vietnam, and the border is close enough for paperwork to matter. See Need to know before you go.
The route on the map
Turn this into a trip planNumbered pins mark where each stage ends. Each stage below has a button that opens the day's ride in Google Maps.
Day by day
The stages
Distances are approximate and times assume an unhurried pace on a small bike, with stops for photos and coffee.
Stage 1 of 4
Cao Bang → Ban Gioc
Over Ma Phuc Pass and through blacksmith country to Vietnam's widest waterfall.
The classic first day heads east on QL3. The opening 20 km out of the city are the least pleasant of the whole loop – trucks and no shoulder – and end at Ma Phuc Pass, a short, steep staircase of hairpins between limestone towers. At the top the road forks: north for Tra Linh (your way home tomorrow), east for Quang Uyen.
Just beyond the pass, the hamlets of Phuc Sen have been forging knives and farm tools for centuries, and you will hear the hammers from the road. At Quang Uyen turn north on DT206 for Trung Khanh, a market town known for its chestnuts and the last sure fuel of the day. From there the road – DT206 on older maps, QL4A on newer ones – runs east through 24 km of karst and paddy, meeting the Quay Son River for the last stretch to the falls.
Two sights sit close together at the end: Nguom Ngao cave, on a side road about 4 km before the falls, and Ban Gioc itself, where the river drops about 30 m in tiers across the border. Tickets are around 45,000 VND each (under US$2), cash only; a raft to the foot of the falls costs 50,000–100,000 VND (about US$2–4). In the dry months, several guides report that the flow is fuller from late morning to early afternoon, when a dam upstream releases water. If you arrive late, do the cave today and save the falls for tomorrow morning.
Worth stopping for
- Ma Phuc Pass
- Phuc Sen blacksmith village
- Nguom Ngao cave
- Khuoi Ky, a Tay village of stone houses on the cave road
- Ban Gioc waterfall
Good to know
- Fuel is available in Cao Bang, Quang Uyen (about 36 km) and Trung Khanh. Do not count on anything beyond Trung Khanh.
- Carry your passport: this is the border zone and checks do happen. Stay within the ticketed area at the falls and keep away from border markers and riverside tracks.
- No drones near the falls or anywhere along the border without a permit. They are confiscated, and the fines are heavy.
- Swimming at the falls is not allowed, which in February is no hardship.
Another way: A longer, quieter way to the falls loops south of the main road: from Quang Uyen take DT207 east to Ha Lang, then follow the border road north to Ban Gioc. It adds about 40 km. Older reports describe broken surfaces and mud, but a rider in September 2026 found it sealed throughout and almost empty. Ask in Cao Bang before choosing it, and note that it runs very close to the border.
- Distance
- 87 km
- In the saddle
- 3.5–4.5 hrs
- Roads
- QL3 → DT206 → QL4A
- How hard
- Difficulty: Some effortSome effort
- Where to sleep
- The villages just before the falls – Khuoi Ky and the hamlets of Dam Thuy – have Tay family homestays within a few kilometres of both the cave and the waterfall. Trung Khanh town, 24 km back, has ordinary hotels.
Stage 2 of 4
Ban Gioc → Cao Bang
Back through the Quay Son valley and Tra Linh, past Angel Eye Mountain.
Start with the falls if you saved them, then head west. About 6 km along QL4A a smaller road forks right into the Quay Son valley and runs through the villages of Dinh Phong – paddy fields, river and cone-shaped hills – before joining DT211 down to Trung Khanh. It is the same distance as the main road and a good deal prettier, but it also carries trucks from a border trade gate and is bumpy in places. After heavy rain, stay on QL4A.
From Trung Khanh, QL4A runs 28 km west through open farming country to Tra Linh, a border trading town with fuel and food. Turn south there on QL34. After about 6 km a lane leads west to Nui Thung, the "Angel Eye Mountain" – a peak with a round hole clean through it, above a valley floor that is meadow in the dry season and lake in the wet. A little further on, another lane leads to Thang Hen Lake.
QL34 then climbs to the fork at the top of Ma Phuc Pass, and you ride yesterday's hairpins downhill to Cao Bang. Downhill is the harder direction: low gear, gentle brakes, and let anything bigger than you have the bend.
Worth stopping for
- Ban Gioc in late-morning light
- The Quay Son valley road through Dinh Phong
- Phong Nam valley (a side trip from Trung Khanh)
- Nui Thung, the Angel Eye Mountain
- Thang Hen Lake
Good to know
- Side trips are not included in the 87 km. Phong Nam valley is about 10 km north-west of Trung Khanh (21 km return); the Ngoc Con valley is an 11 km return spur off the valley road. Both are narrow lanes close to the border.
- The lane to Nui Thung is about 3 km, and the last 500 m is steep, loose gravel – park and walk if in doubt. It can be impassable after heavy rain. Thang Hen is about 4 km off QL34 and charges around 30,000 VND (about US$1) at its entrance.
- In February the lakes at Thang Hen and below Nui Thung are usually low. Go for the scenery, not the water.
- There is fuel in Trung Khanh and Tra Linh.
Another way: The five-day version: stop in Trung Khanh tonight and spend the afternoon in the valleys to the north. Phong Nam, the best known, has a hilltop viewpoint over the Quay Son River, reached by a steep walk of about an hour; Ngoc Con is the next valley east. Since 2025 both are officially part of Dinh Phong commune, though everyone still uses the old names. There is nowhere to eat or sleep in the valleys and little phone signal, so take water, snacks and offline maps, and read the note on border permits first. Next day, ride from Trung Khanh to Cao Bang via Tra Linh (about 63 km).
- Distance
- 87 km
- In the saddle
- 4–5 hrs
- Roads
- QL4A → DT211 → QL4A → QL34 → QL3
- How hard
- Difficulty: Some effortSome effort
- Where to sleep
- Central Cao Bang, around the old town between the two rivers, for the widest choice of hotels, food and mechanics. To break the day, Trung Khanh has plain hotels, and Thang Hen has a few lakeside cabins (check they are open in winter).
Stage 3 of 4
Cao Bang → Pac Bo
An easy half-day up the Ho Chi Minh Road to the cave where it all began.
After two days of passes, this is a rest day with an engine. The Ho Chi Minh Road – the national route that runs the length of the country, and begins at Pac Bo – leaves Cao Bang to the north-west and follows broad valleys through Nuoc Hai and Xuan Hoa. It is wide, generally well surfaced and lightly used; the main hazards are buffalo, dogs and the temptation to go faster than the bends allow.
About 6 km short of the end, a signed turn at Na Ma leads to the grave of Kim Dong, a teenage messenger for the revolution who is a household name in Vietnam. Pac Bo itself is a small village in a dead-end valley hard against the border. Ho Chi Minh crossed back into Vietnam here in early 1941 after thirty years abroad and lived for several weeks in Coc Bo cave, beside a stream he named after Lenin and beneath a peak he named after Karl Marx.
Whatever your interest in the history, the place is lovely: clear turquoise water under big trees, an easy and mostly flat walk, and very few people on a weekday. Entry is around 20,000 VND (under US$1). Arrive by early afternoon, walk the site, and stay the night for the quiet.
Worth stopping for
- Kim Dong's grave at Na Ma
- Coc Bo cave
- The Lenin Stream
- Kilometre Zero of the Ho Chi Minh Road
Good to know
- Fill up in Cao Bang before you leave.
- Weekends and public holidays bring Vietnamese school and work groups by the coachload. Weekdays are calm.
- This is a revered national site. Dress modestly and keep your voice down around the cave and the memorials.
Another way: Short of time? Do Pac Bo as a day trip from Cao Bang: 102 km return, 3–4 hours of riding. Want a true loop? From Tra Linh on stage 2, QL4A continues west along the border through Tong Cot and Lung Nam to Soc Giang and Pac Bo – about 50 km, skipping the city. It is scenic and empty, but it runs through border communes where, in September 2026, police recorded a violation against a foreign traveller who had no border-area permit. Sort out the permit in Cao Bang first, or take the main road.
- Distance
- 51 km
- In the saddle
- 1.5–2 hrs
- Roads
- Ho Chi Minh Road
- How hard
- Difficulty: Easy goingEasy going
- Where to sleep
- Pac Bo village, a short walk from the site entrance, has a handful of family homestays. If they are full or closed, try Xuan Hoa, 11 km back down the road, or simply return to Cao Bang.
Stage 4 of 4
Pac Bo → Cao Bang
Morning by the Lenin Stream, then back to town – or onward west or south.
Walk the stream again before the day-trippers arrive – early light through the trees is the best of it – then retrace the Ho Chi Minh Road to Cao Bang. It is the same 51 km, and you should be in the city in time for a late lunch.
That leaves the afternoon for returning the bike and a wander along the river, and an evening bus to Hanoi if you are in a hurry. If you are not, stay: buses leave in the morning too, and a night in a bed beats a night on a sleeper bus at any age.
This is also the decision point for longer trips. West lies Bao Lac and the back door to the Ha Giang Loop; south lies Ba Be Lake and a scenic way home. Both are outlined below.
Worth stopping for
- Early morning at Pac Bo
- Valley scenery along the Ho Chi Minh Road
- An unhurried last afternoon by the river in Cao Bang
Good to know
- If you are linking to Ha Giang, remember that the permits are separate: a Ha Giang border permit does not cover Cao Bang, or the other way round.
- If you rented in Cao Bang, agree in advance where the bike is to be returned. Do not assume it can be dropped off in Ha Giang.
Another way: West to Ha Giang: from Pac Bo, QL4A follows the border over the Na Tenh and Khau Coc Cha passes (the second a famous stack of 14 hairpins) to Bao Lac, about 83 km. Riders reported long roadworks and closures on Khau Coc Cha in 2023–24, and the border-permit caveat applies, so ask first. The surer alternative is QL34 from Cao Bang through Nguyen Binh and Tinh Tuc to Bao Lac, about 126 km with some rough patches. From Bao Lac it is 73 km on QL34 and QL4C to Meo Vac, where you join the Ha Giang Loop; allow two days from Cao Bang. South to Hanoi: Ba Be Lake is about 124 km from Cao Bang by QL3 and QL279, or about 138 km by the higher, rougher and lovelier road through Tinh Tuc and DT212 past Phia Oac. From the lake it is roughly 215 km on to Hanoi.
- Distance
- 51 km
- In the saddle
- 1.5–2 hrs
- Roads
- Ho Chi Minh Road
- How hard
- Difficulty: Easy goingEasy going
- Where to sleep
- Central Cao Bang again, close to wherever your bus leaves from.
Our month
What February is like
Cao Bang is lower and a little milder than the Ha Giang plateau, but February is still winter. In the city, average highs are around 19°C and lows around 12°C; it is colder on the passes and in a cold snap, and the damp makes it feel colder still. Expect grey skies – the month averages only about two hours of sunshine a day – with fine drizzle on perhaps ten days and mist in the valleys in the morning. Heavy rain is rare.
The trade-off is Ban Gioc. February is near the end of the dry season, so the falls are at their thinnest: separate ribbons of clear, blue-green water rather than the brown wall of late summer. Plenty of people find them prettier this way, just smaller. The rafts still run, and a late-morning visit reportedly catches the fuller flow from the dam upstream. The seasonal lakes at Thang Hen and Nui Thung will be low.
Tet, the Lunar New Year, falls on 6 February 2027, with the official holiday from 4 to 10 February. Around those dates many family-run homestays and restaurants close for several days, buses fill with people going home, and the big sights are busy with Vietnamese visitors in the first days of the new year. By mid-February things are back to normal and the villages are in peach blossom. Roads are damp rather than wet: watch for slick patches on shaded bends and on the smooth concrete through villages.
Pack as for Ha Giang, slightly less heroically: a thermal layer, a fleece, a waterproof shell, gloves and a neck warmer. Homestays provide thick quilts; heating is rare. It is dark by about 6 pm, so plan to be off the road by five.
Before you set off
Need to know
Licence and insurance
The rules are national. To ride legally you need a motorcycle licence that Vietnam recognises: your home licence showing a motorcycle entitlement plus an International Driving Permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, or a Vietnamese licence. A car licence does not count, and IDPs from countries that issue only the 1949 version (the United States, Canada and Australia among them) are widely reported not to be accepted. Police checks are reported less often here than in Ha Giang but they do happen, and at least one rider in 2026 found that rental shops asked to see a 1968 IDP. Official fines for riding unlicensed run from 2–4 million VND (about US$75–150) on bikes up to 125cc to 6–8 million VND (about US$230–300) above that. As everywhere, riding without a valid licence usually voids your travel insurance.
Border permits: murkier than Ha Giang
Nobody gives a clean answer on this, so here is what is known. Cao Bang is a border province, and the national rule is that foreigners need a provincial police permit for the border zone. Most recent accounts say the main ticketed sights – Ban Gioc, Nguom Ngao and Pac Bo – are visited without one and that the ticket kiosks ask for nothing, though at least one guide still says a permit from the immigration office in Cao Bang is needed even for the falls. Away from those sights the rule clearly bites. In September 2026 police in Lung Nam, a border commune between Tra Linh and Pac Bo, recorded a violation against a foreign traveller who could not show a permit. If your plans include the border road (QL4A) west of Tra Linh or on to Bao Lac, or the lanes of Phong Nam and Ngoc Con, ask at the provincial police immigration office in Cao Bang city – or have your accommodation ask – before you go. A Ha Giang permit does not cover Cao Bang. Always carry your passport, stay on public roads and do not approach border markers or fences.
Getting to Cao Bang from Hanoi
It is about 270 km up QL3 through Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan. Day and night sleeper buses take 6–8 hours; fares vary a good deal by operator, roughly 250,000–500,000 VND (US$10–19), and rise around Tet. Unlike the run to Ha Giang, riding up from Hanoi is a reasonable option: QL3 is a decent road and it makes one long day, or two with a night at Ba Be Lake. A new expressway from Lang Son towards Tra Linh is being built in stages, with the first phase now expected to be complete in 2027, and should eventually shorten the trip.
Bikes, fuel and cash
Rental bikes in Cao Bang city are mostly 110–125cc semi-automatics at about 150,000–200,000 VND (US$6–8) a day; a local driver with bike costs roughly 500,000–800,000 VND (US$20–30) a day. Check brakes, tyres and lights, photograph the bike, and avoid leaving your passport as the deposit – you need it with you in the border zone. There is fuel in Cao Bang, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh and Tra Linh. Take enough cash for two or three days: homestays, ticket kiosks and village eating places do not take cards.
Tickets and timing at the sights
Budget around 200,000–250,000 VND (US$8–10) a head for the lot: Ban Gioc about 45,000 VND, the raft 50,000–100,000 VND, Nguom Ngao 45,000 VND, Thang Hen 30,000 VND and Pac Bo 20,000 VND, all in cash. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the cave. In the dry season, aim to be at Ban Gioc between about 10:30 and 1 pm, when the upstream dam is reported to release water; in September, the busiest month, go before 9 am or after 3 pm instead.
Roads and hazards
The main roads are sealed and generally in fair to good condition; the valley lanes are narrow and patchy. The things to watch are trucks on QL3 east of the city and on roads to the border trade gates, blind bends on Ma Phuc Pass, livestock and dogs, gravel washed onto corners, and the complete absence of lighting – be off the road by dusk. From June to August, add landslides and flooded sections; never ride through standing floodwater or past a barrier. Hospitals outside Cao Bang city are basic, and Hanoi is six hours or more away.
Asked a lot
Questions people ask
How does the Cao Bang Loop compare with the Ha Giang Loop?
The scenery is softer – valleys, rivers and a great waterfall rather than cliff-edge passes – and the roads are easier and far quieter. Ha Giang is more dramatic; Cao Bang is more relaxing. For riders who are capable but not looking for a test, Cao Bang is often the better choice.
Do foreigners need a permit for Ban Gioc or Pac Bo?
Most recent reports say no: you buy a ticket and walk in. Accounts are not unanimous, though, and elsewhere in the border zone a permit is required – a foreign traveller was written up in a border commune in September 2026 for not having one. The safe course is to ask at the police immigration office in Cao Bang city, especially if you plan to ride the border road or the back lanes.
Do I need a motorbike licence?
Yes – a motorcycle licence valid in Vietnam, which for most visitors means a home motorcycle licence plus a 1968-convention International Driving Permit. Without it you risk a fine and, more seriously, having no insurance cover. Hiring a local driver or a car are the legal alternatives.
Is Ban Gioc worth seeing in February?
Yes, with adjusted expectations. The falls are at low water – thin, clear streams rather than a roaring curtain – and the weather is cool and often grey. In return you get few crowds and blue-green pools. For full power, come between about June and October.
How many days do I need?
Four riding days cover the route in this guide comfortably; five lets you spend an unhurried afternoon in the Phong Nam and Ngoc Con valleys. Add a day each way for the bus from Hanoi. With only three days, drop Pac Bo.
Can I combine it with the Ha Giang Loop?
Yes. From Cao Bang or Pac Bo, ride west to Bao Lac and on to Meo Vac, which is on the Ha Giang Loop – about two days. Check road conditions and permit requirements before you go, and sort out in advance where the bike is to be returned.
Is it suitable for older or less experienced riders?
It is more forgiving than Ha Giang, and stages 3 and 4 are easy. But it is not a place to learn to ride: Ma Phuc Pass, the trucks near the city and the narrow valley lanes all need basic competence. Going as a passenger with a local driver, or hiring a car, are both common here.
How do I get there?
By bus from Hanoi in 6–8 hours for roughly 250,000–500,000 VND (US$10–19), or by riding up QL3 in a long day. Most people rent a bike in Cao Bang city.
Something we have not covered? Ask on the notice board.
Sources and further reading
Facts on this page were last checked on 14 Nov 2026. Roads, rules and prices change; confirm anything important before you rely on it.
- The Northeast by Motorbike: 5 Routes & Loops (Vietnam Coracle)
- Ban Gioc Waterfall: Travel Guide (Vietnam Coracle, updated February 2025)
- Second VN global geopark recognized by UNESCO (Viet Nam Government News, April 2018)
- American tourist investigated for entering border area without authorisation (Viet Nam News, September 2026)
- Highlights of Vietnam's 34 newly merged provinces and cities (VietNamNet, June 2025)
- Vietnam picks 7-day Tet break for 2027 over 10-day option (VnExpress International, October 2026)
- Cao Bang – climate table (Wikipedia)
- The Cao Bang Loop: A Different Side of Northern Vietnam
- Cao Bang Loop in 4 Days, With Prices and Ban Gioc Timing
- Phong Nam Valley (Cao Bang) – Travel Guide to Hidden Paradise