Bac Ha Village

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General information about Bac Ha

Bac Ha - a village almost at the very edge of North Vietnam near the Chinese border ( Bac Ha on the map). From Hanoi it is 300 kilometers, and from the popular tourist city Sapa – 100 kilometers.

The village is not so small, at least its geographical scale is no less than Sapa, and maybe even more, and the population is a little more than 7,000 inhabitants. However, for some reason, it continues to be stubbornly called a village, not a city. Although, in our opinion, this place has the prospect of becoming as popular a resort as Sapa, because there are obvious advantages: in winter it is not as cold as in Sapa, at least there is no snow; the surrounding ethnic villages, and Bac Ha itself, have not yet been spoiled by tourist popularity. So if you want to see the real North Vietnam, it's better to go here, not to Sapa.

Street in Bac Ha

Temple on the main street

Village surroundings

Bac Ha is surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery, and would be a completely unremarkable place if not for the amazing Sunday market, which is the main attraction. This is one of the largest ethnic markets in this region, and representatives of various ethnic groups from the surrounding tribal villages, and even from neighboring China, come to trade on it. Moreover, this market is not as tourist as in the center of Sapa: trade between tribes is really conducted here, and not only crafts are sold-souvenirs for tourists. And the locals dress in their elegant colorful clothes not specifically for tourists, as in Sapa, but simply because it is customary for them. Larger than this market is only the bird market in the village of Muong Khuong Village on the very border with China, 80 kilometers from Bac Ha.

Bac Ha Village

• Bac Ha Village
• Bac Ha Village
• Bac Ha Village
• Bac Ha Village
• Bac Ha Village
• Bac Ha Village

It is for the sake of walking around the market, to look at the ethnic inhabitants of these places, dressed in their colorful traditional clothes, every weekend many tourists from Hanoi come here, as well as tourists staying in Sapa. Also in the village there is another historical architectural landmark – Hoang A Tuong Palace. In addition, around Bac Ha there are many beautiful mountain landscapes, waterfalls, Emerald rice fields, which you can see during a trekking trip for several days with an overnight stay in the homes of local residents.

The tourist infrastructure here is poorly developed, but everything you need for a short stay is there. In addition to the large market, there are several small shops, many cafes for locals and a couple of restaurants for tourists, but do not expect to find bars and restaurants with international cuisine here. For sightseeing in the surrounding area, you can contact one of several travel agencies in the village, which offer hiking trekking tours from one to several days (cost from $ 50), or tours on motorbikes. Also, excursions can be purchased in hotels, or hire someone from the locals as a guide, they are always not averse to making money.

For accommodation in the village, there are several hotels with minimal amenities just to spend the night, and accommodation options such as homes are also offered. Khoumstey (Guesthouse) is a stop for an overnight stay in the village houses of local residents. Accommodation is available both in the center of the village and in its surroundings. The latter, by the way, will be an excellent option if you come here on your transport from Sapa, because then you will find yourself surrounded by those most beautiful landscapes and in a very authentic atmosphere. You can book accommodation or hotel in advance on the following sites, or through the search form:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Bac Ha on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Bac Ha on Booking.com
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Bac Ha on Trip.com (💥 our choice)

Bac Ha hotels on the map

Weather, tourist seasons in Bac Ha

Bac Ha, like Sapa, is in the mountainous region of Vietnam, but not so high, only 900 meters above sea level, against 1600 in Sapa. Therefore, it is a little warmer here, although it can be cool in winter, and in the nearby mountains it can even snow. When going to Bac Ha, it is better to take warm clothes with you, even if you go there in the summer. At the same time, as in Sapa, in one day you can feel the change of four seasons at once: in the morning and after lunch it is cool, like spring and autumn; in the afternoon it is sunny and cloudless, like summer; in the evening and at night it becomes cool.

The dry season in Bac Ha runs from January to June. But remember, it can be cold in the winter months. Also at this time there is high humidity, fogs are frequent. Summer (June to August) it is considered the rainy season.

However, a visit to Bac Ha, like Sapa, is best tied not to the season of the weather, but to the time of the rice harvest. It is best to visit this region before or during the harvest-in September-October or spring. Then you can enjoy the beautiful views of the green rice fields that have made these places so famous. In winter and summer, the weather is not particularly favorable, and the rice fields are brown.

Tourist seasons in Sapa and Bac Ha by month*

Current weather in Bac Ha and forecast for the near future:

How to get to Bac Ha

The village is located in the north almost at the border with China. You can get here only by land through the nearest large settlements of Laokai or Sapa, which in turn can be reached by bus (to Sapa), as well as by train (to Laokai). See also for details, how to get to Sapa.

All buses arrive/depart at the bus station (bus station on the map). From it to any place within the Bac Ha can be reached on foot, or you can use the services of motorcycle taxis or private cabs. We did not notice a car taxi in the city.

• From Hanoi

  From Hanoi, you can get to Bac Ha directly or with a transfer in Laocai or Sapa. There is only one direct bus per day, so it is usually more convenient to get there with a transfer.

  From Hanoi, a direct bus departs at 17:40 from My Dinh Station, arriving around 04:00. Cost 290,000 VND. It departs back to Hanoi at 20:30, arrives approximately at 05:00. tickets for them can be bought at bus stations, but it is much more convenient to purchase them at travel agencies, since in this case a transfer from the hotel to the bus station will be included.

  According to unverified information, direct buses also depart from Giap Bat and Nuoc Ngam stations in Hanoi. But their schedule is unstable, they do not go every day. You can also purchase a ready-made complex ticket with a transfer here.

• From Sapa

  The easiest way to get to Bac Ha from Sapa is with a guided tour. Both simple one-day tours for visiting the Sunday market (from $ 10) and multi-day tours with visits to other villages and trekking in the surrounding area are offered.

  If you decide to go to Bac Ha yourself, it is best to leave Sapa on Saturday to spend the night in the village, and in the morning to see the market, because it works until noon. In addition, in the early morning there are no crowds of tourists arriving on tour buses.

  • By bus

    From Sapa to Bac Ha (via Laocai) at least once a day there is a minibus that costs from $ 7. Departs at 13:45, 3 hours on the way. But the return trip to Sapa is extremely inconvenient, at 06:45. In this case, in the morning you just do not have time to see the market. Therefore, it is better to go back with a transfer through Laocai on a later bus.

    Tickets can be purchased at travel agencies in the city or online here.

    Another option is to go with a transfer in Laocai. To do this, take the local bus from the stop near the Church of Sapa in the center on the local state bus No. 1 and No. 2 you need to go to Laokai. Buses depart every 30-60 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00, cost 30,000 VND, 40-60 minutes on the way. In Laocai, take the local bus to Bac Ha. These buses depart from Sapa from early morning until about 14 hours, a journey of 3 hours, the cost of 57 000 VND.

  • On a motorcycle

    In Sapa, you can rent a Motobike ($4 for a semi-automatic box, $ 5 for a full automatic per day), and go to Bac Ha on it. To drive a motorcycle in Vietnam now you do not need to get local rights, there are also ordinary international ones. Learn more about renting a motorcycle in Vietnam and what rights you need - here.

    The road here is good and very beautiful, passes between the mountains along serpentines. It will take about 100 kilometers to overcome, which will take at least 4 hours even without stops. But most likely you will make a lot of stops to admire the scenery, and the road can stretch for the whole day. In Bac Ha there is a gas station in the south of the city at the entrance, be sure to refuel there, because there are few of them along the way.

• From Laos

  Through Laocai, it is convenient to get to Bac Ha directly from Hanoi, or if the bus from Sapa does not suit you according to the schedule.

  In turn, Laok can be reached from Hanoi by buses and trains. Trains run only at night, arrive early in the morning, are more expensive than buses. View transport schedules from Hanoi to Laocai here.

  Upon arrival in Laocai, you need to change to a bus. During the day, several buses depart on a flexible schedule (according to occupancy), so you may have to wait a few hours. The last bus leaves at about 14 hours. Travel costs 57 000 VND. The journey takes 2-3 hours. Tickets should be purchased only at the ticket office of the bus station, which is located 300 meters directly from the exit from the railway station of Laok on Phan Dinh Phung Street. Do not pay the fare to the driver or "helpers" who will meet you immediately when leaving the train, because these are scammers. Don't even pay the drivers who put you on the bus until you're sure it's a real driver and not a "fake" one.

Bac Ha attractions, what to see

• Sunday market

  Sunday market in Bac Ha

  Every weekend, this market, one of the largest in northern Vietnam, attracts sellers and buyers from all the surrounding villages inhabited by ethnic minorities. They still live according to their ancient way of life, wear traditional clothes that distinguish one nationality from another, and earn a living by growing rice and handicrafts. The market is a place where they exchange goods among themselves, and do not work for tourists, as in Sapa, for example. Therefore, on sale here you can see traditional clothing, food, handicrafts, food, including very exotic. For example, they sell dog meat as food here.

  🕐 Working hours: the market is open every day, but it is best to visit it between late evening on Saturday and about noon on Sunday.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the market is in the heart of the village (market on the map)

• Saturday Market Can Cau Market

  Saturday Market Can Cau Market

  Can Cau Market-another market, not so large, but interesting in its own way: it is not in the village, but just on the hillside near the road away from settlements. Representatives of local ethnic groups also appear here, with many sellers moving to the Bac Ha Sunday market after the closure of this market.

  🕐 Working hours: open on Saturdays in the morning

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: Can Cau Market is located 20 kilometers from Bac Ha (market on the map). You can get there by rented transport or mototaxi. Some excursions from Sapa also stop by this market before Bac Ha.

• Hoang A Tuong Palace

  Hoang A Tuong Palace in Bac Ha

  Also known as VUA Meo Palace. Until 1945, Bac Ha was ruled by the semi-feudal colonial regime of the Hoang Yen Chao clan - Hoang A Tuong. To show the power and strength of their family, they built the family palace in 1914. It was designed by French and Chinese architects, so it turned out to be in a mixed European-Asian style. The construction took into account the teachings of feng shui.

  Now the palace can be completely free and free to visit, walk around its territory and enter the rooms. In part, the room was equipped with an exhibition and sale of souvenirs.

  🕐 Working hours: from 08:00 to 17:00.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: located in the center of the village (market on the map)

• Ban Pho Village

  Ban Pho village in Bac Ha

  It is the closest ethnic village of the Hmong people (H'mong) to Bac Ha. Here you can take a trekking walk during the day, walk through the village streets and fields, climb the surrounding hills, and if you are lucky, see the "training" of bulls. There are several Homestays in Ban Pho.

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the village is near Bac Ha (village on the map). There is practically no border between them, so during a walk in the direction of the village you will completely imperceptibly get into it.

• Ban Pho Waterfall

  Ban Pho waterfall in Bac Ha

  To be honest, this waterfall does not yet have a generally accepted name, so we decided to give it a name after the village of Ban Pho, through which the path runs to it. The waterfall itself is nothing special, but the trip or walk to it is interesting. You will drive along a winding road through hills, very tiny villages, and rice fields. The views are mind-blowing, so the stops will be very frequent. And if you also go here on foot, it will be a real adventure.

  When you get to the waterfall (it is right by the road), you can walk up the trail to the left of it, and then you will get to another beautiful rice field.

  🕐 Working hours: around the clock.

  💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: free.

  🚶 How to get there: the waterfall is located 7 kilometers from the center of Bac Ha (waterfall on the map). You can get to it only on foot or by rented transport, and always with a navigator, there are no signs anywhere. A good asphalt road leads to the waterfall itself, but be careful, it is very winding. Trekking to the waterfall and back can be done during the day, on the way visit the village of Ban Pho. Take plenty of water with you.