Cao Bang Ba Be Lake 4Days and 3 Nights Serenity

Day 1: Cao Bang City to Phia Thap Incense Village

1. 30m
   7:30 AM: Meet your guide and Easy Rider at our office in Cao Bang City. Safety briefing, gear check, and a run-through of the day's stops.
2. 1h · Admission ticket included
   8:30 AM: A Special National Relic Site of Vietnam and one of the most important historical places in the country. On 28 January 1941, after 30 years abroad, Ho Chi Minh secretly crossed the Chinese border and chose this remote cave – called Coc Bo, meaning "headwaters" in the Nung language – as the first base of the Vietnamese revolution. Inside the cave are the original stone table where he worked, his wooden bed, and a campfire kettle, all preserved as he left them. The path winds past Lenin Stream (named by Ho himself for its turquoise waters) and Karl Marx Mountain, then up 79 stone steps – one for each year of his life – to the cave entrance. The Km 0 marker of the Ho Chi Minh Road sits opposite the central courtyard.
3. 15m
   1:30 PM: A wide hanging valley with dramatic karst formations dating back roughly 300 million years – a natural classroom in Cao Bang's geological history. The viewpoint is fresh, quiet, and far less travelled than most stops on this route. Pure fresh air and a chance to feel the scale of these mountains.
4. Mountain God's Eye
   40m
   3:15 PM: A natural circular hole about 50m wide pierces straight through this limestone tower, framing the sky like a giant eye. Geologists believe it was formed by tectonic uplift over hundreds of millions of years. The Tay called it Phja Piot – "mountain with a hole" – and it was listed as a National Scenic Landscape in 2021. We take a short trek up closer to the cliff for the best angle. Surrounded by 36 interconnected karst lakes and wide grass meadows.
5. 30m
   Ride to Phia Thap Incense village for an overnight-stay.

Day 2: Three Craft Villages, Ba Quang Hill and Truc Lam Pagoda

1. 30m
   8 AM: A Nung An ethnic village where around 50 families have been making incense entirely by hand for generations. Everything is natural – bamboo, tree bark, sawdust, and wild bau hat leaves used as glue. The craft has been recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam. Incense sticks are central to the worship culture of Tay and Nung communities across the Northern provinces – this is a chance to see where they actually come from.
2. 50m
   8:30 AM: A Nung An traditional papermaking village where the craft has been passed down for hundreds of years. The ivory-white, durable paper is used in daily life and traditional ceremonies, and is made entirely from tree bark soaked, pounded, and coated by hand. The link between paper and incense isn't accidental – the two crafts have been intertwined in Tay-Nung ritual culture for centuries.
3. 1h
   9:30 AM: A specialist Nung village where artisans use four different types of clay to craft yin-yang tiles, also called trough tiles. These are the same tiles that have covered Tay and Nung traditional rooftops for thousands of years – a craft that's almost vanished elsewhere in Vietnam.
4. 1h
   12:30 PM: A short trek to a 360-degree ridge view across rolling grass hills shaped by hundreds of millions of years of limestone formation. In monsoon season (May to October) the slopes are at their lush, deep-green peak – and you'll often see an early-morning sea of clouds drift through the valleys. The kind of view that justifies the climb.
5. 1h
   3 PM: Inaugurated on 15 December 2014, this is the first pagoda ever built on Vietnam's northern border – a symbolic site for the country. Built on Phia Nham Mountain just 500m from the waterfall, it offers the best elevated view of Ban Gioc from above. Traditional Vietnamese architecture with ironwood pillars and terracotta tile roofs, plus a 1.5-ton bronze bell tower.
   
   You will have some time to walk around and the ride to the second night accommodation at 5 PM.

Day 3: Ban Gioc to Ba Be Lake

1. Nguom Ngao Cave
   50m · Admission ticket included
   7:45 AM: 400-million-year-old limestone cave system, discovered in 1921 and recognised as a National Scenic Spot in 1998. It's part of the UNESCO Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark. We take the new "Second Route" – only opened to visitors since 2022 – which is quieter and more atmospheric than the main path. The route winds past three iconic chambers: the "Four Pillars of Heaven," the coral-and-dragon-boat formations, and the glittering "treasure chamber."
2. Ban Gioc Waterfall - Detian Falls
   1h
   10 AM: The largest waterfall in Southeast Asia and the 4th-largest cross-border waterfall in the world – 30m tall, 300m wide, sitting on the Vietnam–China border along the Quay Son River. We take a bamboo raft to the foot of the falls – the closest view you can legally get.
   
   Why 10 AM exactly: In dry season the falls can run thin, but the Thoong Got hydropower dam upstream opens its gates at 10 AM daily to release water. Hitting the falls at this time guarantees maximum flow for your bamboo raft trip and your photos.
3. Cao Bang
   1h
   3 PM: After a long ride - rest stop in the City. Coffee, snacks and a proper break before the passes.
4. 10m
   4 PM: Tai Ho Sin Pass one of the classic crossings between Cao Bang and Bac Kan. Winding, scenic, and a great spot for a photo break.
5. Pass by
   4:30 PM: Cao Bac Pass. A border pass linking Cao Bang and Bac Kan provinces, with sweeping valley views as the road climbs.
6. 20m
   5 PM: The aptly named "Windy Pass" – tea, mountain air, and a chance to stretch tired legs before the final stretch to Ba Be.

Day 4: Ba Be Lake and Limousine Home

1. 1h
   9 AM: Ba Be Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam – over 500 hectares, stretching about 8 km long, sitting at roughly 150m elevation. It was formed approximately 200 million years ago during the Triassic period and is actually a chain of three connected lakes: Pe Lam, Pe Lu, and Pe Leng ("Ba Be" means "three lakes" in the Tay language). The lake is surrounded by towering limestone karst peaks and primary forest, and is part of Ba Be National Park (established 1992) – also recognised as an ASEAN Heritage Park and a Ramsar wetland of international importance. From the boat you'll see floating Tay villages, limestone caves, and water so clear it looks like a mirror.
2. 30m
   11 AM: Walk through Tay stilt-house villages along the lakeshore. Pure quiet.
3. 5h
   1 PM: A private limousine picks you up from the lakeside accommodation and takes you straight to Hanoi. Farewell to Cao Bang, Ba Be, your guide, and the riders.

Pickup details

Pickup is available from your preferred location within the French Quarter area of Hanoi.

We will arrange the appropriate shuttle or limousine according to the pickup location provided with your booking. Before departure, you will receive the exact pickup details and vehicle license plate number so you can easily identify your vehicle.

Please be ready at the confirmed pickup location at the scheduled time. When the driver arrives, they will confirm that you are the Serenity tour guests before departure.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• People with back problems
• People with recent surgeries
• People with mobility impairments
• People with vertigo