The Ma Phuc Pass, Cao Bang, Vietnam

Tinh Cao Bang Holiday Weather today


Date/time of update: March 19, 2024, 4:32 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Overcast Clouds

Temperature: 14.88°C
Temperature feels like: 14.54°C
Minimum Temperature: 14.88°C
Maximum Temperature: 14.88°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1023hPa
Humidity:81%
Visibility: 10000m
Wind speed: 1.37m/sec
Wind Direction: 360 degrees
Cloudiness: 100%
Sunrise: 2024-03-18 11:01:00
Sunset: 2024-03-19 11:06:31

Cao Bang is a mountainous province in the North East of Vietnam. Cao Bang offers fresh rice valleys alternated with towering mountains and waterfalls. The province is ideal for the adventure travellers who dream of hiking tours, trekking tours, motorbike tours, mountain bike tours and eco tourism. Cao Bang is off the tourist track at the moment.

Cao Bang Travel Guide, Tourist Attractions in Cao Bang

Tourist attractions in Cao Bang include the Ban Gioc Waterfall, Thang Hen Lake, Nguom Ngao Cave, Pac Bo Cave.

Visiting Cao Bang, most would definitely look for a trip to the Ban Gioc Waterfall and the Nguom Ngao Cave. These two sites are 3km from each other and are about 90km northeast of Cao Bang City. There are some parts of the roads which are hilly but basically it is flat. The landscapes are just spectacular with amazing mountains and stretches of fields for growing corns and rice.

Ruins of the Old Cao Bang Fortress
Ruins of the Old Cao Bang Fortress

The highlights of this journey includes: exotic blacksmith village of Nung An People, jaw-dropping waterfall, lovely cave, lovely hike to the cave, lovely mountain views from the Ma Phuc Pass…

1/ Ban Gioc Waterfall

A close view of Ban Gioc
The Ban Gioc Waterfall

2/ Nguom Ngao Cave

 Nguom Ngao Cave
The Nguom Ngao Cave

3/ Ma Phuc Pass

A breathtaking view of mountains at the Ma Phuc Pass, Cao Bang
A breathtaking view of mountains at the Ma Phuc Pass, Cao Bang

4/ Black Smith Village of Pac Rang (Nung An People)

Blacksmiths at Pac Rang Village
Pac Rang Village (Nung An Ethnic People)

5/ Pac Bo Cave

Pac Bo Cao Bang Vietnam
Pac Bo Cave, Cao Bang

 

Pac Bo Cao Bang Vietnam
Scenic road at Ha Quang, Cao Bang

6/ Phija Den, Phija Hoac Hill Station

Phia Den-Phia Hoac National Park in Nguyen Binh District, Cao Bang, Vietnam
Phia Den-Phia Hoac National Park in Nguyen Binh District, Cao Bang, Vietnam

7/ Khuoi Ky Ancient Village

Magnificent mountains at the Khuoi Ky Village in Cao Bang Vietnam
Magnificent mountains at the Khuoi Ky Village in Cao Bang Vietnam

Adventure Travel & Hiking Tours, Things To Do in Cao Bang

1/ Car, Jeep Adventure Tours to Cao Bang

AdventureGreen organizes adventure tours from Hanoi to Cao Bang, or to Cao Bang and other destinations in the Northeast of Vietnam (including Ha Giang) for 3-7 days. The pace of travel is moderate.

Scenic road at the Ma Phuc Pass in Cao Bang Province
Scenic road at the Ma Phuc Pass in Cao Bang Province

2/ Trekking Tours in Cao Bang

AdventureGreen operates trekking tours in Cao Bang from Hanoi for 5-7 days. The difficulty level is hard adventure. On these tours, we will trek on mountain slopes, through limestone mountain peaks, staying with local Tay, Nung, Dao ethnic families…

Rice fields at Dong Khe, Cao Bang
Rice fields at Dong Khe, Cao Bang

 

Views of mountains from the top of Mount Bao Dong, Dong Khe
Views of mountains from the top of Mount Bao Dong, Dong Khe

3/ Motorbike Tours, Bicycle Tours

AdventureGreen arranges motorbike tours and mountain-biking tours through Cao Bang and the Northeast of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ha Giang and Cao Bang… These adventures are only for the experienced adventure travelers.

Spectacular mountains at Ha Giang Cao Bang which can be adored on AdventureGreen motorbike or mountain bike adventure tours
Spectacular mountains at Ha Giang Cao Bang which can be adored on AdventureGreen motorbike or mountain bike adventure tours

How to get there and away

From Hanoi, you can travel to Cao Bang via Lang Son, Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan, or Ha Giang. The shortest distance is via Lang Son, the road with best conditions is that via Bac Kan and Cao Bang and the road via Ha Giang is the longest distance.

1/From Lang Son to Cao Bang

You will travel on the historical Route Coloniale 4 (RC4), a former French supply route. The road is hilly and the landscape by the roadside is just wild and breathtaking. There are mountains and narrow stretches of rice fields every now and then.

Leaving Trang Dinh (Lang Son), you will enter Dong Khe (Cao Bang) where a famed battle took place in 1950 which helped to change the course of the Franco-Viet Minh War. You can visit the former French fort at Dong Khe before continuing onto Cao Bang. Let’s not forget that the mountains at Dong Khe are close to the road and there were brutal battles which took place the these mountain slopes back in time.

There are lovely trekking routes around Dong Khe and near the Chinese border and you can climb the Bao Dong Mountain to get good views of the amazing mountain peaks in the area.

The road gets more hilly after Dong Khe with mostly forested mountains by the roadsides. Then it goes down slightly as you make your way into Cao Bang City. If you notice you’ll find raised ground and a stone wall of the former Fortress of Cao Bang to your left.

Route 4A at Dong Khe Cao Bang which connects Cao Bang Province and Lang Son Province
Route 4A at Dong Khe Cao Bang which connects Cao Bang Province and Lang Son Province

2/The road to Cao Bang via Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan

This route is also a scenic one with very good road conditions. While it is mostly flat in Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan, it goes up quite steeply all the way to Cao Bang City. The last leg offers spectacular views of the forested mountains by the roadsides as most of the amazing landscapes are lower than the road.

The mountains and forests near Bac Kan Province
The mountains and forests near Bac Kan Province

3/From Ha Giang to Cao Bang

You can travel via two routes:

3.1/ From Meo Vac to Bao Lam, Bao Lac, then running along the Chinese border passing through Thong Nong and/or Ha Quang

This route offers wild mountains and valleys, and is rarely taken by most travelers. It is even more likely that you’ll be by yourself with the wild nature around you most of the time. The mountains and valleys are just breathtaking. During the rainy season, it may not be safe traveling on this route due to thick fog, slippery small roads and landslides. The most beautiful landscapes found on this route are at the Xuan Truong Valley, Can Nong and Can Yen. After Thong Nong or Xuan Hoa (Ha Quang), then the road is quite flat with lots of rice fields by the roadsides. The last leg of the journey offers great road conditions.

The road from Thong Thong or Ha Quang to Cao Bang City is exceptionally beautiful with mountains and valleys and ethnic villages
The road from Thong Thong or Ha Quang to Cao Bang City is exceptionally beautiful with mountains and valleys and ethnic villages

It may be good to know that at Soc Giang (Cao Bang), there is a road which takes you to Pac Bo where Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941 and conducted the resistance war against the French. It is only a few kilometers and you should not miss this spot.

The Gam River in Bao Lam, Cao BangThe Gam River in Bao Lam, Cao Bang

 

A windy road at Xuan Truong, Bao Lac, Cao Bang
A windy road at Xuan Truong, Bao Lac, Cao Bang

3.2/ From Meo Vac to Bao Lam, Bao Lac then to Tinh Tuc, Nguyen Binh and Cao Bang

The scenery on this route is not that wild as the above mentioned one, but no less spectacular. The best landscapes are when you climb the altitude after Bao Lac Town to Tinh Tuc and at Nguyen Binh. You’ll adore panoramic views of the surrounding with myriad mountain peaks and several valleys below you! The last leg of the road is quite flat amid corn fields and rice fields all the way to Cao Bang City.

National Route 34C at Bao Lac District, Cao Bang via which we can travel between Cao Bang and Ha Giang
National Route 34C at Bao Lac District, Cao Bang via which we can travel between Cao Bang and Ha Giang

 

Tinh Tuc Cao Bang
Tinh Tuc Cao Bang

 

Nguyen Binh - Cao Bang - Vietnam
Nguyen Binh, Cao Bang, Vietnam

4/ From China to Cao Bang

You can travel via the Ta Lung International Border Crossing to enter Cao Bang from China

Ta Lung Border Crossing
Ta Lung Border Crossing

 

Excellent road with wonderful landscape between Ta Lung and Cao Bang City
Excellent road with wonderful landscape between Ta Lung and Cao Bang City


Cao Bang Average Monthly Rainfalls and Temperatures


Vietnam Adventure Travel