3 Days 2 Nights Snow Shan Tea & Dao Villages Trekking
3 Days 2 Nights Snow Shan Tea & Dao Villages Trekking Price & Booking
Trekking price
Booking Payment
This part sets out how bookings are made, confirmed, and paid for 3 Days 2 Nights Snow Shan Tea & Dao Villages Trekking. It must be read together with Part B (Cancellation, Postponement & Refund) and Part C (Terms & Amendments).
How to Book
Send your enquiry to info@tvpalm.com or WhatsApp +84 366 885 955. Office: 677 Lac Long Quan, Tay Ho, Hanoi. Hotline +84 366 885 955. We reply within 24 hours on working days. TVPalm will confirm availability, send a detailed quotation, and issue a booking invoice. The booking is confirmed only when the deposit is received and acknowledged by TVPalm in writing via email.
Deposit
| Tier | Deposit | Payment Deadline |
| Tier 2 — Village Trekking | 30% of total price | Within 72 hours of confirmed quotation |
- Bookings within 30 days of departure: deposit is due immediately.
- Deposit transfer: Deposits are non-refundable but transferable to another TVPalm Adventure experience or TVPalm Ecolodge stay within 6 months, provided written cancellation is received at least 15 days before the original departure date.
- Availability: Transfer is subject to availability and the price difference (if any) of the new booking.
Balance Payment
The remaining 70% of the total price is due at least 14 days before departure.
If the balance is not received by the deadline, TVPalm reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled under Part B (Cancellation Policy).
Payment Methods
All prices are quoted in USD. VND payment is accepted at the exchange rate on the date of payment. For international guests, we accept three online transfer methods — fees differ significantly, so please choose the one that works best for you.
International Transfer — Wise, Revolut or PayPal
| Method | Typical Fee | Speed | Best For |
| Wise | ~0.5–1% (lowest) | Same day to 1 day | Most guests — best exchange rate |
| Revolut | ~0.5–1% (low) | Same day | Revolut account holders |
| PayPal | 4–5% (high) | Instant | Guests without Wise/Revolut only |
PayPal fees are charged to the guest. We recommend Wise or Revolut to keep more of your money for the trip.
- Wise & Revolut — send to: TVPALM CO., LTD, account 912325653157 — LPBank, Ha Giang Branch. Select « Business or charity » when setting up the transfer.
- PayPal — contact info@tvpalm.com or WhatsApp +84 366 885 955. We send a secure PayPal invoice with the total including the 4–5% processing fee stated up front.
Bank Transfer (Domestic)
- Account Holder: TVPALM CO., LTD
- Account Number: 912325653157
- Bank: LPBank — Ha Giang Branch
- Transfer description: [Your Full Name] – [Experience Name] – [Date]
After transferring, send a photo of your receipt via WhatsApp or email for confirmation.
Transfers from outside Vietnam: Wise or Revolut is the cheapest and fastest route. If your bank requires SWIFT details for an international wire, email info@tvpalm.com and we will send the full beneficiary details in writing before you transfer. Never act on bank details sent to you from any other address.
Card Payment
- Online: we send a secure payment link for Visa, Mastercard, or Amex. A processing fee of 2.7–3.0% applies depending on the provider.
- On-site (POS) at TVPalm Ecolodge (Khuoi My, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang) or the Hanoi office (677 Lạc Long Quan, Tay Ho, Hanoi): cash (VND or USD) and card accepted. Card payments via the POS machine are subject to a 2.7–3.0% processing fee.
Quotation Validity
Quoted prices are valid for 7 days from the date of the quotation. After 7 days, TVPalm reserves the right to adjust prices due to changes in transport costs, permit fees, or seasonal demand. Confirmed bookings (deposit paid and acknowledged) are locked at the quoted price.
Group Bookings
- Groups of 4 or more guests: 5% discount on the total price.
- Groups of 6 or more guests: 10% discount on the total price.
- Base rate: Group discounts apply to the base adult rate and cannot be combined with other promotions.
- Booking contact: One guest in the group is designated as the booking contact for all communication and policy matters.
Insurance
Tier 2 — Village Trekking
Personal travel insurance covering trekking activities is strongly recommended. TVPalm will ask for insurance details at booking but will not refuse participation for lack of proof.
All tiers: PVI Inbound Insurance — basic accident cover — is included in the price. This does not fully cover trekking, altitude sickness, or emergency medical evacuation. It is a safety net, not a substitute for personal insurance.
Pricing — Children
Child pricing follows the TVPalm Child Policy published at tvpalm.com/policy/. Key points for this experience:
Children aged 12 and above are accepted with parental supervision. The minimum age for this route is 12 — see “Who should join?” for why. Children under 12 are not accepted on this experience.
Health & Fitness Requirements
Form required: Medical Self-Declaration Form — must be completed at booking.
Guests with serious joint or cardiovascular conditions should contact TVPalm before booking. Guests over 65: talk to TVPalm first for an honest assessment.
Cancellation, Postponement, and Refund Policy (EU-Friendly)
TVPalm prepares every journey weeks before departure: guides, porters (where applicable), homestays, permits, meals, and local partners in Khuoi My, Lung Vai, Xa Phin, Mao Phin, and Nam Te. Many of these commitments are locked in early and cannot be reversed. This policy exists so guests understand what they are committing to, and so the local people who work with TVPalm do not carry the loss when a booking is cancelled at short notice.
Non-refundable Deposit: 30%
A non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total price is required to confirm the booking. Deposit must be paid within 72 hours of receiving the confirmed quotation. For bookings made within 30 days of departure, deposit is due immediately.
The deposit reflects early commitments with local Dao guides, homestay families (where applicable), and community partners. The deposit may be transferred to another TVPalm Adventure experience or a TVPalm Ecolodge stay within 6 months, provided written cancellation is received at least 15 days before the original departure date.
Cancellation Schedule
Time of cancellation is measured from the date TVPalm receives written notification at info@tvpalm.com.
| Time before departure | Refund |
| 30 days or more | 70% refund of total price (deposit forfeited) |
| 15 – 29 days | 40% refund of total price |
| 7 – 14 days | 20% refund of total price |
| Less than 7 days / no-show | No refund |
Flexible Postponement
TVPalm encourages guests to postpone rather than cancel whenever possible.
- 15 days or more before departure: one free postponement within 6 months, subject to guide, weather, and community availability.
- 7 – 14 days before departure: postponement accepted with a 20% adjustment fee.
- Less than 7 days before departure: postponement subject to written approval; non-recoverable costs may apply.
Additional Requirements
- Insurance: personal travel insurance covering trekking activities is strongly recommended. TVPalm will not refuse participation for lack of proof.
- Medical Self-Declaration: mandatory at booking. Failure to complete: no trek, with standard cancellation terms.
Cancellation by the Guest
Cancellation for personal reasons within the guest’s control — change of plans, personal scheduling, international flight cancellation, visa denial, or guest illness before departure — is handled under the Cancellation Schedule (Section B2). These situations are not force majeure and, where insurable, should be covered by the guest’s personal travel insurance. TVPalm always encourages postponement (Section B3) over cancellation.
Cancellation Due to Weather & Trail Safety
Mountain weather is the most common reason a trekking or walk is affected. TVPalm follows a safety-first rule that never bends to close a booking:
- Guide authority: the lead guide may reroute, shorten, or turn back a group due to heavy rain, fog, landslide risk, flooded streams, or unsafe trail conditions. That decision is final and is made for guest safety, not convenience.
- If the experience cannot start because conditions are unsafe: TVPalm offers free postponement with the deposit carried forward, an alternative date, or an alternative itinerary of equivalent value.
- If the experience is interrupted mid-way for safety reasons: TVPalm assists with a safe return and offers to rebook the remaining portion on another departure at no additional service fee, subject to availability. Unused portions already delivered are non-refundable (Section B11).
- Normal mountain weather — mist, cold, light rain, cloud cover that hides the view — is part of the experience and is not grounds for cancellation or refund. We state this honestly before you book: the summit and the sea of clouds are a chance, never a promise.
Force Majeure (Objective External Events)
If events beyond the control of either party — natural disasters, floods, landslides, road closures, typhoons or prolonged severe weather, epidemics, government restrictions, border closures, or serious medical emergencies (with valid documentation) — prevent the experience from proceeding, TVPalm will offer:
- (a) Free postponement to a later date with the deposit fully carried forward.
- (b) An alternative itinerary of equivalent value where possible.
- (c) Partial refund after deducting non-recoverable costs already incurred at the time of cancellation.
Non-recoverable costs for this experience typically include: village entry permits already issued, homestay reservations locked in with Dao host families, prepaid guide fees, food already purchased for the trek, and non-refundable transport deposits. In case (c), TVPalm will provide a written breakdown of deducted costs upon request.
Cancellation by TVPalm
- Internal reasons (staffing, scheduling, minimum-numbers not met): full 100% refund — including the deposit — plus the option of free rescheduling at no additional cost.
- Safety, weather, or external reasons: Sections B6 (Weather & Trail Safety) and B7 (Force Majeure) apply.
- TVPalm’s approach: we will always try to offer an alternative date or itinerary before refunding.
Written Request
All cancellation, postponement, or change requests must be submitted in writing to info@tvpalm.com. Zalo and WhatsApp messages are not valid until confirmed by email. The effective cancellation date is the date TVPalm receives and confirms the written request.
Refund Processing
- Timeline: approved refunds are processed within 15 to 30 business days from the date TVPalm confirms the cancellation in writing.
- Payment method: refunds are issued to the same payment method used for the original booking.
- Bank fees: international bank transfer fees are the guest’s responsibility.
No Refund for Unused Services
No refund is provided for unused portions of the experience — meals not taken, nights not stayed (if applicable), activities not joined — whether by guest choice or by circumstances within the guest’s control.
If the interruption is caused by a guide decision for safety reasons, TVPalm will offer to rebook the remaining service on another available departure at no additional service fee, subject to availability.
Special Conditions
International Travelers
If you can provide written proof of flight changes or airline cancellation, TVPalm offers an additional 3-month postponement window beyond the standard 6-month window. Proof (airline confirmation, boarding pass change, cancellation email) must be submitted with the postponement request.
Repeat Guests
Guests who have completed a previous TVPalm Adventure or TVPalm Ecolodge booking are entitled to:
- One free postponement without the adjustment fee, even within the shorter notice window.
- Priority rescheduling on the new date, subject to guide, weather, and community availability.
- The Medical Self-Declaration Form is still required for the rescheduled departure.
Terms & Amendments
Scope
These Terms & Amendments cover the general conditions of participation, communication, and changes made to a confirmed booking for 3 Days 2 Nights Snow Shan Tea & Dao Villages Trekking. They must be read together with Part A (Booking & Payment) and Part B (Cancellation, Postponement & Refund). In the event of any inconsistency, the tier-specific section in Part B takes precedence.
Notification
All requests for cancellation, postponement, amendment, or substitution must be submitted in writing to info@tvpalm.com. This is the only official channel of record. Zalo, WhatsApp, Telegram, and other instant messaging channels are used for coordination but have no contractual effect until confirmed by TVPalm via email.
Amendment
Amendment means a change to the services within a confirmed booking — guide language preference, additional or fewer participants, meal preferences, accommodation upgrade, or similar. Amendment is not the same as postponement (change of date) or cancellation.
- More than 15 days before departure: amendments are free of charge, subject to availability.
- 15 days or less before departure: an amendment fee of VND 1,000,000 (flat) applies, to cover re-arranging logistics, permits, and local coordination.
- Additional cost: any additional cost of the new service is charged on top of the amendment fee.
- Not arrangeable: if a requested amendment cannot be arranged, TVPalm will notify the guest in writing. If agreed, the request is treated as a cancellation under Part B.
Participant Substitution
A booking may be transferred to another person free of charge, provided the request is made in writing at least 5 days before departure — because homestay paperwork must be updated.
The new participant must:
- Meet the health and fitness requirements (Part A, Section A9).
- Complete the required Medical Self-Declaration Form.
- Provide passport and visa details for international guests.
- Hold valid insurance under the conditions in Part A, Section A7, if the experience requires it.
During the Experience
- Guide authority: guides have the final authority on all safety-related decisions during the experience — including trail reroutes, early returns, and group pacing. That decision is final.
- Guest conduct: guests are expected to follow safety instructions and briefings at all times. Failure to do so may result in the experience being discontinued for that guest without refund.
- Interruption: if a guest is unable to continue due to health, safety, or personal reasons, the guide will assist with a safe return to the nearest village, Ecolodge, or transport hub. Unused portions are non-refundable (Section B11).
- Extra costs: any additional cost incurred (extra nights, private transport, medical treatment) is the responsibility of the guest and their travel insurance.
Leave No Trace
All trekking and walks operate under TVPalm’s Leave No Trace policy. Single-use plastic is not permitted on the trail. TVPalm provides reusable water bottles and refill points. Guests who bring single-use plastic will be asked to leave it at the Ecolodge before departure. This is enforced, not requested.
Intellectual Property & Photography
Guests consent to TVPalm using photos and videos taken during the experience for marketing and editorial purposes, unless the guest notifies TVPalm in writing before departure. Drone use is not permitted without TVPalm’s prior written approval and compliance with Vietnamese aviation regulations.
Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These terms are governed by the laws of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Disputes will be resolved first through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, the matter may be referred to the competent court in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Language
TVPalm may issue policy documents in English and Vietnamese. In the event of any discrepancy, the English text prevails for international bookings and the Vietnamese text prevails for domestic bookings.
Policy Updates
TVPalm may update these terms seasonally, particularly during the rainy season (June–September). The current version is published on tvpalm.com. For bookings already confirmed, the terms in effect at the time of booking apply, unless the change is required by law or by a matter of safety.
Experience information
Duration
3 Days 2 Nights
Group size
2 - 8 guests
Difficulty
Moderate
Daily distance
Day 1 — 9.6 km closed loop at Na Thac, 621 m of climb, about 6 hrs on foot · Day 2 — approx. 12–15 km, about 6 hrs, the longest day · Day 3 — approx. 10–12 km, about 4 hrs, mostly downhill · high point 1,060 m before the crossing, valley floor 775 m, Xa Phin 940 m
Language
English / Vietnamese
Start/End
Day 1 starts 08:00 in Ha Giang city (Option 2) or at TVPalm Ecolodge (Option 1), and the Na Thac welcome gate at 08:30. Day 3 ends back in Ha Giang city or at the Ecolodge
Transport
On foot, with vehicle transfers at the start and end of each walking day · main bag carried ahead to Xa Phin by motorbike on day 2
Accommodation
1 night TVPalm Ecolodge, private room · 1 night Dao homestay in Xa Phin, shared bathroom
Most people see Ha Giang from a motorbike seat. This is the other way — three days on foot on the eastern slope of Tay Con Linh, on the paths the Dao Ao Dai walk to their own fields, with time to sit down in someone’s kitchen.
The route links the two places TVPalm knows best: the Snow Shan tea groves above Na Thac, where the families who tend them will tell you the eldest trees are close to a thousand years old, and the village trail from Lung Vai over the mountain to Xa Phin.
Day one is a whole day inside one village: 9.6 kilometres up through heritage water terraces into an ancient tea forest and on to a hill shelter at 1,000 metres, then four hours in a Dao family home — cooking what you harvested on the way down, taking your own leaf through the full process from withering to drying, and hearing how a household earns across twelve months. You cross one mountain on day two — 285 metres down to a valley floor where nobody lives, then 165 metres back up the far side. You sleep the second night under a palm-leaf roof that grows its own moss.
Night one is a private room at TVPalm Ecolodge. Night two is a Dao family home with a shared bathroom and no heating. The trip is built to move away from comfort rather than towards it, and it says so before you book.
Snow Shan tea & Dao villages experience highlights
Six things anchor these three days — at least one in every half-day. Nothing here is filler, and nothing is staged for visitors.
- Snow Shan tea, from the tree to the cup, in one day. You walk up into a grove of gnarled, unpruned Shan Tuyet trees that nobody planted in rows and nobody cleared around, pick one bud and two leaves the way the household does, and carry your own leaf down the mountain. In the afternoon you take it through the whole process in a Dao family home — withering, fixation, rolling, drying — then taste it against three or four of the household’s own teas, side by side, the same day.
- A working deer farm, a corn still, and a cold pool before lunch. Lung Vai on day two is not a stop, it is a morning. Deer farmed for a living — not a petting zoo. Corn wine coming off the fire. Black cardamom under the forest canopy. And a deep, clear pool fed straight off the old forest high on Tay Con Linh, big enough for the whole group to swim, in the last hour before you eat.
- Lunch you harvested, in the house that cooks it. On day one you gather seasonal vegetables, bamboo shoots and herbs at a village garden high on the slope, carry them down, and cook them in a Dao kitchen. Four hours in that house, and the point of them is the household’s year rather than the recipe: what is planted when, what comes out of the forest, what is distilled, and how a family earns across twelve months when no single thing earns enough on its own.
- The crossing. One mountain, once. Down 285 metres into the quietest ground of the trip, then up 165 to Xa Phin at 940 metres, where the palm-leaf roofs carry a living skin of moss that nobody planted and nobody maintains for visitors.
- Huou Waterfall. A walk out of Xa Phin on the last morning, down through the trees, to a waterfall with no ticket office and no queue.
- An evening with a household, not an audience. After dinner in Xa Phin your host may read for you — the same way he reads for his own family before a journey or a marriage. Offered, never scheduled, and never charged for.
Who should join the 3-day Snow Shan tea and Dao villages trek?
This is a village-and-forest trip, not a summit trip. There is no peak on the route and no technical ground. What makes it demanding is length rather than steepness: roughly six hours of walking on day two, finishing with a 165-metre climb.
It suits you if
- you can walk for six hours on consecutive days over uneven ground
- you want village life, tea and forest rather than altitude and kilometres
- you are happy to sleep one night in a family home with a shared bathroom
- you are between 12 and 65 and in ordinary good health
It does not suit you if
- you want a private bathroom on both nights — night two is a Dao homestay, and it is not a hotel
- you are travelling with children under 12
- you are pregnant, have joint problems, or have a condition that affects long walking
- you use a wheelchair — the route is not accessible
Tell us about any health condition that could affect a long walk when you book, not on the morning. It changes what we plan, and there is no judgement in it.
Maximum eight travellers. We do not run this route with larger groups.
Accommodation & Meals
Night one — TVPalm Ecolodge, private room. A private room with a private bathroom, hot water and a valley in front of it. The lodge runs on zero-waste practice: no single-use plastic, food waste back to the compost that grew it.
Night two — a Dao family home in Xa Phin, 940 m. A palm-leaf roof under a living skin of moss, a bed on a raised floor, blankets, a shared bathroom, and no heating. Clean, and cared for. It is not a hotel and it is not trying to be one. From December to February the mornings here can drop close to freezing, so bring a warm layer.
Meals. Everything from lunch on day one to lunch on day three — three lunches, two dinners, two breakfasts — cooked with the families who host you. Day-one dinner is what you picked in the Ecolodge garden that afternoon, forty metres from the kitchen.
Tell us about allergies and dietary needs when you book. Vegetarian is straightforward; strict vegan in a Dao household needs notice, and we will say honestly what we can and cannot do.
Responsible Travel & Community Impact
Why this is built the way it is. Regenerative is not a label we bought. On this slope it means three plain things: the forest is worth more standing than cut, the households on the route are paid directly for work they were doing anyway, and a share of what you pay goes back into planting and training. Nothing on these three days depends on a village changing to suit visitors.
Every household on this route is paid directly: the tea grower who walks day one, the Lung Vai families who feed you, the Xa Phin homestay, the porters from the Tay Con Linh community, and the motorbike riders who carry your bag over on day two. TVPalm does not take a cut of what they are paid.
Around 70% of our staff are local ethnic minority people, most of them Dao from the villages you walk through. The Tay Con Linh Sustainable Tourism Cooperative, which brings together 50 Dao members, is how that work is organised rather than improvised.
What we do not do. We do not stage ceremonies. We do not put on costume for photographs. We do not photograph poverty. The reading on night two happens only if the household offers it, and there is no fee attached to it — if you want to thank your host, ask your guide what is appropriate.
The ancient tea groves. Nobody planted the Snow Shan trees in rows and nobody cleared them. That decision, made and remade by this community across ten generations, is the only reason they are still standing. Visitor income is one of the reasons it stays worth making.
No single-use plastic is carried on this route, by travellers or by staff. You are given a metal bottle to keep, and it is refilled at every stop.
Detailed itinerary
The times below are a guide, not a timetable. Pick-up on day one is the only fixed point; everything after it depends on how the group is walking that day. Your guide sets the real pace, and nobody is hurried to hit a clock.
Day 1 — Na Thac: a day inside Dao mountain life
- 08:00: Pick-up from your hotel in Ha Giang city (Option 2), or leave TVPalm Ecolodge (Option 1). Short transfer to the Na Thac welcome gate, 379 m.
- 08:30: Everyone meets at the gate and walks the hundred metres up to the TVPalm welcome hut.
- approx. 08:40: Briefing — follow the tea. Footwear check, and your guide sets out the thread the whole day hangs on: how Shan Tuyet tea ties together the forest, the water, the terraces, the food and the way families here earn. Also what is and is not appropriate in the village — what to ask before photographing, which parts of a house are private.
- approx. 08:50: The heritage terraces, 1.7 km, 579 m. Not a viewpoint stop. How water is taken from the stream, how it passes from one family’s field to the next, and what happens when it runs short.
- approx. 09:15: Tea break at a field hut, with local specialities.
- approx. 09:30: The path turns upstream into the forest.
- approx. 09:45: The herb ground. What grows here, what it is used for, and who still uses it.
- approx. 10:00: Into the ancient tea forest, 5.25 km, 774 m. Nobody planted these trees in rows and nobody cleared around them.
- approx. 10:30: Picking. One bud and two leaves, the way the household does it. Then you pick your own, and carry it with you.
- approx. 11:00: The tea hill hub, 1,000 m. The high point of the three days on foot, reached up 850 metres of path and 226 metres of climb — the steepest ground of the whole trip. A Dao household’s hill shelter.
- approx. 11:30: Harvest the lunch. Seasonal vegetables, bamboo shoots and herbs, picked with the family at a village garden. What you gather is what gets cooked.
- approx. 12:00: The walk down into Na Thac centre — around 2.5 km and 500 metres of descent, on a different path from the one you came up. Easy on the lungs, hard on the knees.
- 12:30 to 16:00: Four hours in a Dao family home. You cook and eat what you carried down. You take your own leaf through the full process — withering, fixation, rolling, drying — and taste three or four teas side by side against it. Then the rest of the household’s year: what is planted when, what is gathered from the forest, what is distilled, and how a family earns across twelve months when no single thing earns enough on its own.
- approx. 16:00: Last cup, thank your hosts, and the last kilometre down to the welcome gate. Total 9.6 km on a closed loop, gate to gate.
- approx. 17:30: TVPalm Ecolodge. Short transfer up from the gate. Hot shower, the pool if your legs want it, nothing scheduled.
- approx. 18:30: Your guide checks everyone’s boots and packs and walks you through tomorrow. Five minutes, and it is the reason people do not fall.
- approx. 19:00: Dinner at the Ecolodge — farm-to-table from the kitchen garden beside you. Overnight in a private room.
On foot: 9.6 km and 621 metres of climb, approx. 6 hours walking. The biggest climb of the three days, and the steepest ground on the whole route sits in it.
Day 2 — Lung Vai, the cold pool, and the crossing
- approx. 07:15: Breakfast.
- approx. 08:00: Short transfer to the Khuoi My welcome gate. Your main bag goes ahead to Xa Phin by motorbike; you carry a daypack.
- approx. 08:20: On foot through the community’s own fields and houses — terraces, palm hills, small streams.
- approx. 09:20: Palm hill rest. The stand of fan palms above the valley, and the first long view back towards Ha Giang city.
- approx. 10:20: Lung Vai. A household that farms deer — a livelihood, and you will hear what the animals are actually for. Corn wine coming off a wood fire, with a taste if you want one. Black cardamom under the forest canopy, and a straight answer about what it does for the forest and what it does for the family’s income.
- approx. 11:35: The cold pool. The stream off the old forest runs through the village past a footbridge and a low weir, and the pool above it is deep and wide enough for the whole group to swim. Your guide decides when and how long to stop here, reading the group’s pace and what people want on the day. Around thirty-five minutes to get in, or to sit on the rock slabs and watch other people get in. Bring a dry shirt.
- approx. 12:25: Lunch with a Lung Vai family — an open-sided shelter beside a pond and a kitchen garden, with the valley running all the way down to the city. Which house is decided that morning.
- approx. 13:20: Down. The path leaves steeply — the first 150 metres fall at around 30%. Poles out, and the first ten minutes taken slowly.
- approx. 13:50: The gradient eases into a long contour to the valley floor at 775 m, the lowest and quietest ground of the three days.
- approx. 14:55: Valley floor. Water and a proper sit-down before the ground turns upwards.
- approx. 15:10: Up. 165 metres to Xa Phin, with one sustained stretch near 15%. This is the hardest hour of the three days, and it is hard because of when it comes rather than how steep it is.
- approx. 16:25: Xa Phin, 940 m. Palm-leaf roofs under a living skin of moss. Tea, a wash, and somewhere to sit down.
- approx. 19:00: Dinner cooked by your hosts. Afterwards your host may read for you, if the evening goes that way. Offered, never scheduled, and no fee.
On foot: approx. 6 hours, plus around 2 hours in the village and at the pool. The longest day.
Day 3 — Huou Waterfall and the way down
- approx. 06:30 (optional): Step outside for first light. Mist sits in the valley below Xa Phin and burns off over the terraces. No charge, no obligation, worth the alarm.
- approx. 07:30: Breakfast with your hosts.
- approx. 08:15: The Xa Phin tea workshop. A Dao household still fires its own leaf a short walk from the homestay. You sit down with a cup of what you learned to make on day one — and this time nobody hands you a wok.
- approx. 09:00: Walk out to Huou Waterfall, down through the trees below the village.
- approx. 09:45: Huou Waterfall. Time at the water — sit, look, photograph. Swimming is not offered here; see Useful Information for why.
- approx. 11:15: Mao Phin — the quietest village on the route, and the one with the fewest visitors of the whole three days. An hour here, unhurried.
- approx. 12:45: Lunch in Nam Te.
- approx. 14:00: The last descent, down through the terraces, with a stop at a hand-piled stone retaining wall — the engineering that made this mountain farmable, holding back highland rain on a slope no machine has ever reached. The most impressive thing on the route and the easiest to walk past without seeing.
- approx. 15:00: The Na Mau gateway. Vehicle to Ha Giang city or your onward stop. End of the route, back in the city around 16:00.
On foot: approx. 4 hours, mostly downhill.
Intensity snapshot
| Phase | Duration | Terrain | Intensity | Key activity |
| Day 1 morning — up to the tea hill hub | approx. 3 hrs on foot, 6.1 km | Terrace bunds, forest path, then 850 m of path at around 27% to 1,000 m | Challenging in the last 850 m — the steepest ground of the three days | Heritage water terraces, the herb ground, the ancient tea forest and picking |
| Day 1 midday — down into the village | approx. 2.5 km, 500 m of descent | Continuous descent on a different path, with a village garden on the way | Easy on the lungs, hard on the knees | Harvest what gets cooked, then down to Na Thac centre |
| Day 1 afternoon — four hours in a Dao family home | no walking, then 1 km down to the gate | Kitchen, fire, yard, then the village lane | Low | Cook and eat, the full leaf-to-cup process, tasting, the household’s year, then transfer to TVPalm Ecolodge |
| Day 2 morning — Khuoi My to Lung Vai | approx. 2 hrs on foot, plus 2 hrs in the village | Terraces, palm hills, small stream crossings | Easy to Moderate | Deer farm, corn still, black cardamom, cold pool |
| Day 2 afternoon — the crossing | approx. 3 hrs on foot | First 150 m at around 30% down, then a long contour to 775 m, then 165 m up with a stretch near 15% | Moderate — the hardest hour of the trip, because of when it comes | Valley floor, then the climb to Xa Phin at 940 m |
| Day 3 morning — Huou Waterfall | approx. 2 hrs on foot | Forest path down from the village, then back out | Easy to Moderate | Xa Phin tea workshop, the waterfall, Mao Phin |
| Day 3 afternoon — the last descent | approx. 2 hrs on foot | Terrace paths, continuous descent to Na Mau | Easy, but hard on the knees | Hand-piled stone retaining walls, end of the route |
Included / Excluded
- Cost Includes
- 1 night at TVPalm Ecolodge in a private room with private bathroom
- 1 night in a Dao homestay in Xa Phin, shared bathroom
- All meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 3 — 3 lunches, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts — cooked with the families who host you
- English-speaking guide for all three days
- A local Dao Snow Shan tea grower with the group throughout day 1
- Hands-on tea pan-firing at a working Dao workshop
- Local porter support from the Tay Con Linh community
- Vehicle transfers: to Na Thac on day 1, to the Khuoi My gate on day 2, and Na Mau back to Ha Giang city on day 3
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Ha Giang city (Option 2)
- Main luggage carried ahead to Xa Phin by motorbike on day 2
- Drinking water at every refill point, and a reusable metal bottle to keep
- Basic PVI inbound accident insurance during the day
- Cost Excludes
- International flights and visas
- Comprehensive personal travel and medical insurance — the cover included here is basic, and most travellers arriving in Vietnam already hold their own policy. Bring it.
- Personal drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for your guide, porters and hosts
- Personal medication
- Accommodation in Ha Giang the night before day 1 — we collect you in the city at 08:00, so plan to arrive the evening before. We can book you a room, at the Ecolodge or in the city, if you would like one.
Useful Information
Safety, Fitness & the Mountain Crossing
Fitness. You need to be able to walk for about six hours on three consecutive days over uneven ground, and to climb 621 metres on day 1 with the last 850 metres of that climb at around 27%. No technical climbing, no scrambling, and no previous trekking experience is required. Trekking poles earn their place three times here — the climb and the descent on day 1, and the crossing on day 2. Bring them.
The one thing that matters most: grip. Earth and stone turn slippery after rain, and that is where people fall — not on the steep sections. Your guide checks everyone’s footwear at the welcome hut on the morning of day 1, before you start climbing, and again at the Ecolodge that evening before the crossing. If yours will not do, tell us when you book — the welcome gate is not the place to find that out.
The day-2 crossing, and when it is called off
The descent below the lunch house starts at around 30% for the first 150 metres. If the ground there is unsafe — heavy rain overnight, wet rock, poor visibility — the group does not attempt it.
Instead you walk the full Lung Vai programme, eat at the lunch house as planned, and return to TVPalm Ecolodge for a second night, with day 3 becoming a shorter village walk from the lodge. You would lose the Xa Phin homestay, and you would be told exactly why. We would rather run a smaller day than a dark one.
That decision is made on the morning, from the actual state of the trail, not from the booking calendar.
Water you can get into — and water you cannot
Two places on this trip, and they are not the same.
The cold pool at Lung Vai, day 2. The stream comes off the old forest high on Tay Con Linh and runs down through Lung Vai, where the village has built a footbridge and a low weir to carry the water on down the valley. The pool above it is deep and wide — four to six people can swim in it at once — and the water is clear enough to see the bottom. It is also cold enough to take your breath. Further down, this same stream is one of the two sources that feed Lung Vai Waterfall. Your guide checks the pool before anyone gets in, and will say no after heavy rain, when the stream runs fast and the bottom cannot be seen.
Huou Waterfall, day 3. We have not completed a safety assessment of this pool, so swimming is not offered there. You walk out, you sit, you look. When the assessment is done that will change, with life jackets available and a guide who can call it off on the day. We would rather tell you which water you can get into than let you find out at the edge.
Water on the route
There is a refill point every hour to ninety minutes on all three days. Every traveller is given a metal bottle to keep, and it is filled at each point — boiled water at the households. On the day-2 crossing, where there is no house between the lunch stop and Xa Phin, the water for that section is carried with the group.
Leeches and insects, May to September
In the rainy season the forest has leeches. TVPalm issues gaiters, and we ask you to wear long socks pulled to the knee and trekking trousers you can tie down over the boot. Leeches are unpleasant, not dangerous, and your guide will show you how to take one off properly.
Not suitable for
Pregnant travellers, people with joint problems, anyone with a condition that affects long walking, and wheelchair users. Please tell us about any health condition that could affect a long walk when you book, not on the morning.
Preparation & Packing List
Best season
October to April is when this route runs best: drier ground, better footing, and clear long views from the palm hills and the Xa Phin terraces. Mornings above 900 m can drop close to freezing from December to February, so bring a warm layer.
May to September is the rainy season. Trails turn slippery, streams run high, and the 30% descent below the lunch house becomes a slide rather than a walk. In those months the crossing is decided on the morning, from the state of the trail.
Bring
- Boots or trail shoes with real grip — the single most important item
- Long trousers and long sleeves
- Long socks, knee length, for the rainy season
- Daypack, 20–30 litres
- Rain jacket
- One warm layer, October to April
- Swimwear and a quick-dry towel for the cold pool
- Sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Personal medication
- Head torch — the homestay has light, the path to the bathroom may not
- Trekking poles, if you use them
Provided
- Gaiters for the rainy season
- A reusable metal water bottle, yours to keep
- Main bag carried ahead to Xa Phin by motorbike on day 2
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is this compared to a summit trek?
Easier than a summit trek, and different in kind. There is no summit on this route and no technical ground anywhere on it. But two sections ask something of you. Day 1 finishes its climb with 850 metres of path at around 27% to reach the hill shelter at 1,000 m — the steepest ground of the three days — then gives back 500 metres of that height in one descent before lunch. Day 2 is the longest day, roughly six hours, ending with a 165-metre climb into Xa Phin; it is hard because of when it comes rather than how steep it is. If you can walk six hours on a hillside three days running, and you bring poles, you can do this.
What is the difference between Option 1 and Option 2?
Option 2 ($302) includes hotel pick-up and drop-off in Ha Giang city on day 1 and day 3. Option 1 ($272) starts and ends at TVPalm Ecolodge in Khuoi My, 12 km west of the city — you get yourself there, and the walking programme is identical. Most travellers take Option 2.
What is the group size and porter support?
Two to eight travellers, never more. You walk with an English-speaking guide, and local porters from the Tay Con Linh community carry the shared load. Your main bag goes ahead to Xa Phin by motorbike on day 2, so you walk the long day with a daypack.
What is the homestay in Xa Phin actually like?
A Dao family home with a palm-leaf roof: warm in welcome and simple in fittings, with a shared bathroom, no heating, and a bed on a raised floor. Clean, and cared for. It is not a hotel and it is not trying to be one. If you want a private bathroom on night two, this is not the trip for you.
Can I swim?
At the cold pool above Lung Vai on day 2, yes. The stream comes straight off the old forest high on Tay Con Linh, and the pool is deep and wide enough for four to six people to swim at once — clear enough to see the bottom. Your guide checks it before anyone gets in and will say no after heavy rain. At Huou Waterfall on day 3, no: we have not completed a safety assessment of that pool, and we will not invite you into water we have not measured.
Where does the experience start, and where do I sleep each night?
We collect you at 08:00 on day 1 from your hotel in Ha Giang city (Option 2), or you leave from TVPalm Ecolodge (Option 1), and everyone meets at the Na Thac welcome gate at 08:30. Night one is a private room at TVPalm Ecolodge in Khuoi My, 12 km west of the city. Night two is a Dao family home in Xa Phin — shared bathroom, no heating. Day 3 ends back in Ha Giang city or at the Ecolodge. The night before day 1 is not included, so arrive in Ha Giang the previous evening; sleeper buses and limousines run overnight from Hanoi in about six to seven hours, and we can book you a room at the Ecolodge for that night if you would rather start from there.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain, we walk. Heavy rain overnight, and the day-2 crossing may be called off — you spend a second night at the Ecolodge instead, and day 3 becomes a shorter village walk from the lodge. We do not walk groups down a 30% slope on saturated ground. The decision is made on the morning, from the state of the trail.
Are there leeches?
In the rainy season, May to September, yes. TVPalm issues gaiters and we ask you to wear long socks pulled to the knee and trekking trousers you can tie down over the boot. Leeches are unpleasant, not dangerous, and your guide will show you how to take one off properly. From October to April they are rarely a problem.
Is insurance included?
Basic travel insurance is included for the duration of the experience. It is basic — most travellers arriving in Vietnam already hold their own comprehensive policy, and we ask you to bring it. If you do not have one, tell us before you book and we will say plainly what the included cover does and does not do.
Can children join?
From age 12. Day 2 is six hours of walking with a 285-metre descent and a 165-metre climb, and that is a long day for a younger child. If you are travelling with children under 12, ask us about the 1-day Khuoi My – Lung Vai waterfall trek instead.
What is the reading on the second evening?
Your host may read for you after dinner, the same way he reads for his own family before a journey, a marriage or a new house. It is offered, never scheduled, and there is no fee. Your guide translates. If the household does not offer it that evening, it does not happen — we do not arrange it to order.
Do I need trekking poles?
Bring them. They are not compulsory, but they earn their place three times on this route: the 27% climb to 1,000 m on day 1, the 500-metre descent into Na Thac that follows it, and on day 2 both the 30% descent below the lunch house and the climb into Xa Phin. If you do not own a pair, tell us when you book.
When is the best time of year to come?
We walk this route all year, and the two halves of the year are different trips. May to September is the rainy season — hot, very green, the streams full, heavy afternoon rain, and leeches on the forest sections; we issue gaiters. It is also the season in which the day-2 crossing is most likely to be called off, and the page says what happens then. October to April is drier and clearer, and genuinely cold at night in Xa Phin in midwinter, where there is no heating. What the households are working on changes with the month too, and we do not promise a particular job in a particular week. Send us your dates and we will tell you honestly what the three days are likely to look like.
We reply within 24 hours on working days
Duration
3 Days 2 Nights
Start / End
Day 1 starts 08:00 in Ha Giang city (Option 2) or at TVPalm Ecolodge (Option 1), and the Na Thac welcome gate at 08:30. Day 3 ends back in Ha Giang city or at the Ecolodge
Difficulty
Moderate
Group Size
2 - 8 guests
From
$272 / person
🔒 Non-refundable deposit -
Flexible rescheduling
(see policy)
