1 Day Na Thac — Dao Mountain Life & Ancient Snow Shan Tea Trekking
1 Day Na Thac — Dao Mountain Life & Ancient Snow Shan Tea Trekking: price & booking
Trekking price
From $99
From $119
Booking & Payment
This part sets out how bookings are made, confirmed, and paid for the 1 Day Na Thac — Dao Mountain Life & Ancient Snow Shan Tea Trekking. It must be read together with Cancellation, Postponement & Refund and Terms & Amendments.
How to Book
Send your enquiry to info@tvpalm.com or WhatsApp +84 366 885 955. Office: THD Holdings, 677 Lac Long Quan, Tay Ho, Ha Noi. 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 1 — Day Walk | 30% of the total price | Within 72 hours of confirmed quotation |
- Bookings within 7 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 3 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 3 days before departure, or on arrival at TVPalm Ecolodge.
If the balance is not received by the deadline, TVPalm reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled under the Cancellation Schedule.
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 village, Ha Giang 1 ward, Tuyen Quang province) or the Hanoi office (THD Holdings, 677 Lac Long Quan, Tay Ho, Ha Noi): 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 1 — Day Walk
Personal travel insurance is recommended for all visitors to Vietnam.
All tiers: PVI Inbound 2 travel insurance (cover up to USD 25,000 per guest) 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. We do not accept children under 12 on this route. Contact TVPalm for an honest assessment.
Health & Fitness Requirements
Form required: Medical Self-Declaration Form — must be completed at booking.
Health check recommended for guests over 65, and for anyone with a heart, respiratory or joint condition.
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 Na Thac village on the slopes of Tay Con Linh. 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 7 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 3 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 |
| 7 days or more | 70% refund of total price (deposit forfeited) |
| 3 – 6 days | 50% refund of total price |
| Less than 3 days / no-show | No refund |
Flexible Postponement
TVPalm encourages guests to postpone rather than cancel whenever possible.
- More than 3 days before departure: one free postponement within 6 months, subject to guide and community availability.
- 3 days or less before departure: postponement subject to TVPalm’s written approval; non-recoverable costs may apply.
Additional Requirements
- Insurance: personal travel insurance is recommended for all visitors to Vietnam.
- Medical Self-Declaration: mandatory at booking.
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 above. These situations are not force majeure and, where insurable, should be covered by the guest’s personal travel insurance. TVPalm always encourages postponement 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.
- 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: prepaid guide fees, food already purchased for the tea harvest experience, 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: the Weather & Trail Safety and Force Majeure sections above 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 the 1 Day Na Thac Dao Mountain Life & Ancient Snow Shan Tea Trek. They must be read together with Booking & Payment and Cancellation, Postponement & Refund. In the event of any inconsistency, the tier-specific terms in Cancellation, Postponement & Refund take 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 Cancellation, Postponement & Refund.
Participant Substitution
A booking may be transferred to another person free of charge, provided the request is made in writing at least 3 days before departure — because guide and homestay coordination must be updated.
The new participant must:
- Meet the health and fitness requirements set out in the Health & Fitness Requirements section of this page.
- Complete the required Medical Self-Declaration Form.
- Provide passport and visa details for international guests.
- Hold valid insurance on the terms set out in the Insurance section of this page, 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.
- 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 (May–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.
Tour Information
Duration
1 Day
Group size
2–8 guests (minimum 2 per booking)
Difficulty
Easy – Moderate
Daily distance
About 3.25 km, gate to gate · welcome gate 379 m → old Shan Tuyet tea garden 609 m, the high point → down past the rice terraces into the village → the last 800 m back to the gate on a village lane
Language
English / Vietnamese
Start/End
Na Thac welcome gate — meet 08:30, back about 16:00. From TVPalm Ecolodge by the lodge's electric car (Option 1), or pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Ha Giang city, back by about 17:00 (Option 2)
Transport
On foot all day. Vehicle to the welcome gate and back at the end, according to the option you choose
Accommodation
None — this is a day experience. A night at TVPalm Ecolodge before or after can be added
Na Thac is a working Dao Ao Dai village on the eastern slope of Tay Con Linh. Nobody set it up for visitors. The houses are lived in, the fires are lit because food is being cooked, and the work you see is the work that was going to happen that day whether you came or not.
This is a day spent inside that. You walk about 3.25 kilometres from the village gate at 379 m, up through the terraces to an old Shan Tuyet tea garden at 609 m and back down into the village. It is a soft trek, and the walking is how you get there, not the point of it.
The point is what the mountain asks of the people who live on it. How a family holds water on a slope this steep. Why the old tea trees were never cut. What goes in the pot in October and what goes in it in March. How a household earns across a year when no single thing earns enough on its own — tea, cardamom, notoginseng, corn, the garden, the still.
You spend most of the day in one Dao family home and you are not a spectator in it. You gather, you cook, you fire your own tea, you sit by the fire. Then you walk the last 800 metres back to the gate.
Gate to gate, the day runs roughly 08:30 to 16:00. On Option 2 you are back at your hotel in Ha Giang city by about 17:00.
A day inside Dao Ao Dai life on Tay Con Linh
This experience is built around one question: how do people actually live up here? Shan Tuyet tea is the thread that ties the answer together.
- A village that was not arranged for you. Na Thac has stood for around 300 years on this slope. Moss grows on the palm-thatch roofs because the air is wet nine months of the year. Nobody dresses up, nobody performs, and what is happening in the yards is whatever was happening anyway.
- Terraces as engineering, not scenery. The Dao faced these terraces with stone by hand to hold water on ground no machine has ever reached. Your guide walks you through how the water is shared between families, in what order, and what happens in a dry year.
- Why the old tea was never cut down. At 609 m, the high point of the walk, the path reaches an old Shan Tuyet tea garden. The families on this slope chose, generation after generation, not to clear their old tea trees. That decision, and what it costs to keep making it, is the conversation here.
- Plants as everyday knowledge. On the way up, a stop where the herbs of this slope are identified and explained — what goes into medicine, into a bath, into the pot. Ordinary knowledge here, and almost entirely lost everywhere else.
- The whole run from leaf to cup, by hand. You pick your own leaf in the old tea garden, then take it through withering, fixation in the pan, rolling and drying over a wood fire in a Dao household’s kitchen — and taste three or four teas side by side to find out what each step did.
- An afternoon inside a working household. Not a cooking class. Their kitchen, their fire, the vegetables you gathered that morning, and an honest account of how a family here earns across a year when no single thing earns enough on its own.
Who should spend a day in Na Thac?
This is a day about people and how they live, with a gentle walk attached to it. The walking is in the morning; most of the day is spent in a Dao family home.
This experience suits:
- Travellers who would rather spend the afternoon in one family’s kitchen than see six places in a day
- Anyone curious about how a mountain household actually earns and eats across a year
- Walkers comfortable with about 3.25 km on uneven village paths and terrace bunds
- People comfortable with a village that was not arranged for them — no shop, no visitor centre, no paved path
- Families with children from 12
Please do not book if you are:
- Living with a condition that makes walking on uneven, sometimes slippery ground difficult
- Pregnant
- Expecting a fixed programme. What you see depends on what the households are doing that day.
- Expecting a quick visit. Gate to gate is roughly 08:30 to 16:00.
Tell us about any health condition that could affect the walk when you book, not on the morning. Maximum eight travellers — we do not run this route with larger groups.
Accommodation & Meals
This is a day experience — no overnight accommodation is included. TVPalm Ecolodge is nearby in Khuoi My and we can book you a room before or after.
Lunch is whatever you gathered. Seasonal vegetables, picked with a family at their hut that morning, then cooked with the household in their own kitchen. There is no menu, because a household up here does not work from one — what is on the table in October is not what is on it in March. We do not promise any particular vegetable in any particular month, and that is the honest version.
The tea is yours. The leaf you picked in the old tea garden goes through the full process by hand that afternoon, and you taste it against three or four others.
Local specialities. A mid-morning break at a field hut with freshly made tea, seasonal fruit juice and what the household makes. In the afternoon there is more of it, including what the family distils — taste if you want to; nobody will press you.
Through the day: drinking water at the field huts and at the house — boiled, not bottled. You are given a reusable bottle if you do not bring one.
Tell us about allergies and dietary needs when you book, not on the morning. Vegetarian is straightforward. A strict vegan meal 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 old tea forest stays standing because it earns while it stands, the households are paid directly for work they were doing anyway, and a share of what you pay goes back into planting and training. Nothing here depends on the village changing to suit visitors.
The households on this route are paid directly — the family whose hut and garden your lunch comes from, the kitchen you cook in, and the guide who walks with you. 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 on this slope. 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. Nobody puts on costume. Nobody repeats a job because a camera missed it. Cap Sac, the Dao ordination, is talked about when someone wants to talk about it, and never re-enacted. We do not photograph poverty.
What you are asked to do. Ask before photographing people, children, kitchens or an ancestral altar. Your guide will tell you which parts of a house are private. If the answer is no, it is no.
The ancient tea groves. Nobody planted these trees in rows and nobody cleared them. That decision, made and remade across generations, is the only reason they are still standing — and visitor income is one of the reasons it stays worth making.
No single-use plastic on this route, by travellers or staff. You are given a metal bottle to keep.
Where part of the fee goes. A share of every booking funds our annual tree-planting programme and tourism and English training for local Dao people — so the work can be run by the community rather than for it.
Detailed itinerary
The times below are a guide, not a timetable. 08:30 at the welcome gate is the only fixed point; everything after it depends on how the group is walking and on what the households are doing that day. Your guide sets the real pace.
Morning — up through the terraces to the old tea
- 08:00: Pick-up from your hotel in Ha Giang city (Option 2), or the TVPalm Ecolodge electric car down to the gate (Option 1).
- 08:30: Everyone meets at the Na Thac welcome gate, 379 m, 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. Up through the terraces to the first viewpoint. Not just a view: how water is taken from the stream, how it passes from one family’s field to the next, who decides the order, and what a dry year does to that arrangement.
- approx. 09:15: The herb hub and a refresh hut. A gentle climb through the fields to a farm hut for tea and fruit, then the herbs of this slope — what goes into medicine, into a bath, into the pot.
- approx. 10:00: The old Shan Tuyet tea garden, 609 m — the high point of the day. Which leaf, and why that one — one bud and two leaves, the way the household does it. Then you pick your own, and carry it with you.
Late morning — gathering the lunch
- approx. 11:00: Gather the lunch. Vegetables picked with a family at their hut. What you gather is what gets cooked.
- approx. 11:15: Down past the rice terraces and the old village weir into Na Thac.
- approx. 11:45: Arrive at a Dao family home in the village. The afternoon happens here.
Afternoon — in the house
- approx. 11:45 – 13:45: Cook and eat what you gathered. Hands in it, with the household — their kitchen, their fire. Then a mountain lunch with local specialities and tea.
- approx. 13:45 – 15:30: From leaf to cup. The leaf you picked this morning goes through the whole run — withering, pan-firing, rolling, drying — by hand, over wood. You do it, you do not watch it. Then three or four teas side by side, and the rest of the household’s year: where the income comes from when the tea is out of season.
- approx. 15:30: Last cup, and thank your hosts.
End of day
- approx. 15:30: The last 800 metres on a quiet village lane, down to the Na Thac welcome gate, 379 m.
- approx. 16:00: At the gate. Electric car back up to TVPalm Ecolodge (Option 1), or to your hotel in Ha Giang city by about 17:00 (Option 2).
Total about 3.25 km on foot, gate to gate — a soft trek, with most of the day spent in the village.
Intensity snapshot
| Phase | Where | Terrain | Intensity | What happens |
| Gate to the heritage terraces | from the gate at 379 m | Village path, then stone-faced terrace bunds | Easy to Moderate | Briefing at the welcome hut, then how water is shared across the terraces |
| Up to the old tea garden | up to 609 m, the high point | Field paths, a gentle climb | Easy to Moderate | The herb hub and a refresh hut, then picking in the old Shan Tuyet garden |
| Down to the village | 609 m → Na Thac village | Down past rice terraces and the village weir | Easy | Gather vegetables with a family, then into the village |
| Afternoon in the house | no walking | Kitchen, fire, yard | Low | Cook and eat, the full leaf-to-cup process, tasting, and the household’s year |
| The last 800 m to the gate | 800 m · down to 379 m | Quiet village lane | Easy | Back at the welcome gate around 16:00 |
Included / Excluded
- Cost Includes
- Electric-car transfer between TVPalm Ecolodge and the Na Thac welcome gate (Option 1)
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Ha Giang city (Option 2)
- English or Vietnamese speaking local guide for the whole day
- Briefing and footwear check at the TVPalm welcome hut
- Picking in an old Shan Tuyet tea garden, and hand pan-firing your own leaf
- Gathering vegetables with a family at their hut, and a gui carrying basket for the harvest
- Lunch cooked with the Dao household from what you harvested
- Corn wine at the still, for those who want it
- Trekking poles, if you would like them
- Forest gaiters in the damp months, February to September
- Drinking water at the refresh huts and the house, and a reusable bottle if you do not bring one
- Spare rain protection
- First aid kit carried by the guide
- PVI Inbound 2 travel insurance (cover up to USD 25,000 per guest) for the whole experience
- Cost Excludes
- Overnight accommodation before or after the experience
- 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 beyond what is served at the house, and personal expenses
- Tips for your guide and the host families, entirely at your discretion
- Personal medication
- Anything not listed as included
Useful Information
Safety & fitness on the Na Thac walk
The trip in numbers
- Distance: about 3.25 km on foot, gate to gate.
- Altitude: Na Thac welcome gate 379 m → old Shan Tuyet tea garden 609 m, the high point → back down to 379 m. About 230 m up and 230 m down.
- Steepness: terrace bunds and village paths. No technical ground, no scrambling, no climbing skill needed.
- Walking time: the walking is in the morning, with stops; the rest of the day is in a Dao family home. Back at the gate about 16:00.
- Group size: 2–8 guests.
- Team on the trail: 1 local guide for 2–8 guests. 1 local porter for groups of 2–4, 2 porters for groups of 5–8. One TVPalm logistics person supports every group behind the scenes — so 2 guests walk with 1 guide and 1 porter, backed by 1 logistics person.
- Mobile signal: yes — there is phone signal along this route.
- Health declaration: every guest completes our health declaration (online or PDF, English or French) no later than 7 days before departure — or as soon as possible if you book at short notice.
What this day actually asks of you
About 3.25 kilometres, gate to gate — a soft trek from the welcome gate at 379 m up to an old tea garden at 609 m and back down into the village. No technical ground, no scrambling, no climbing skill needed. Most of the day is spent in the village, not on the path.
Fitness
You need to be comfortable walking for a few hours, with stops, on uneven village paths and terrace bunds. No previous trekking experience is required. Trekking poles are available if you would like them.
The one thing that matters most: grip
Earth and stone turn slippery after rain, and that is where people fall. Your guide checks everyone’s footwear at the welcome hut, before the walk starts, which is early enough to do something about it.
When the guide changes the day
If the weather closes in, or the group needs it, your guide shortens or reroutes the walk and tells you exactly why. That decision is made on the trail, from what is in front of us, not from the booking.
Leeches and insects, February to September
From February to September, and after heavy rain at any time of year, there can be leeches on the forest edges. TVPalm issues gaiters, and we ask you to wear long socks pulled to the knee and 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, anyone with a condition that makes walking on uneven ground difficult, and wheelchair users. Tell us about any health condition that could affect the walk when you book, not on the morning.
Preparation & Packing List
Best season
October to April gives drier ground, better footing on the terrace paths and clear views from the terrace viewpoints. Mornings can be cold from December to February, so bring a warm layer for the afternoon by the fire.
May to September is the rainy season. Paths and terrace bunds turn slippery, there can be leeches on the forest edges, and the day runs slower. The garden is at its fullest in these months.
Bring
- Boots or trail shoes with real grip — the single most important item on this route
- Long trousers and long sleeves
- Long socks, knee length, for the rainy season
- Daypack, 20–30 litres, with room for the tea leaf you pick
- Rain jacket
- One warm layer — you spend most of the afternoon sitting by the fire
- Sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Personal medication
- Your own trekking poles if you prefer them to ours
Provided
- Trekking poles
- Forest gaiters, February to September
- A gui carrying basket for the harvest
- A reusable water bottle
FAQs about the Na Thac heritage terrace and ancient tea trek
How long and how hard is the walk, really?
About 3.25 kilometres, gate to gate. You start at the Na Thac welcome gate at 379 m and walk up through the terraces and fields to an old Shan Tuyet tea garden at 609 m, the high point of the day, then down past the rice terraces and the village weir into the village. The last 800 metres back to the gate are on a quiet village lane. It is a soft trek, with no technical ground, and most of the day is spent in the village rather than on the path. We grade it Easy to Moderate.
Will I see "real" village life, or something put on for visitors?
Na Thac is a lived-in village of around 300 years. Nothing is arranged for visitors — no shop, no visitor centre, no performance. The work you see is the work that was going to happen anyway, which also means some days are quieter than others. Your guide explains what is appropriate before you enter the village: what to ask before photographing, which parts of a house are private. If a family says no to something, the answer is no.
What actually happens during the afternoon at the house?
You cook the vegetables you gathered that morning with the Dao household, over their own fire, and eat there. Then you take the tea leaf you picked by hand through withering, pan-firing, rolling and drying over wood, and taste three or four teas side by side. It is a working household, not a programme — if something else is happening that day, you get that too. We do not stage it and we do not promise it.
Do I gather my own lunch?
Yes. On the way down from the tea garden you stop at a family’s hut and pick vegetables with them — what you gather is what gets cooked. Nobody is forced; if you would rather watch, that is fine too.
What is the difference between Option 1 and Option 2?
Option 2 ($119) includes hotel pick-up in Ha Giang city at 08:00 and drop-off at the end. Option 1 ($99) starts at TVPalm Ecolodge: the lodge’s electric car takes you down to the Na Thac welcome gate and back up at the end. Either way everyone meets at the gate at 08:30 and walks the identical day.
How old are the tea trees?
They are old Shan Tuyet trees, kept by the Dao Ao Dai families who tend them rather than cleared. Some of the tea on this slope is centuries old. Your guide will tell you what the family knows about the trees you pick from — and if nobody knows exactly, we will say so rather than invent a number.
Do I take the tea I made home with me?
You pick it, you fire it and you drink it the same afternoon, still warm from the pan. If you want tea to take home, the household sells what it fires for sale on the days no visitors come — ask your guide, and you buy it from the family directly.
What if the walking is too much for me?
It is a soft trek of about 3.25 km, and your guide sets the pace for the slowest walker. If the weather closes in or the group needs it, your guide shortens the route and tells you exactly why. We still ask about any health condition when you book rather than on the morning.
Can children join?
From 12 years old, with an adult. The walk itself is gentle. The afternoon in the house — gathering, cooking, firing tea — is the part children enjoy most.
What time does the day start and finish?
Everyone meets at the Na Thac welcome gate at 08:30 — we collect you in Ha Giang city at 08:00 on Option 2, or the Ecolodge electric car brings you down on Option 1. You leave the house at around 15:30 and walk the last 800 metres down a quiet village lane, back at the gate around 16:00. On Option 2 you are back at your hotel in Ha Giang city by about 17:00.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain, we walk. Paths and terrace bunds turn slippery when wet, so the day slows down. In heavy rain your guide shortens or reroutes the day, and tells you exactly why.
Are there leeches?
In the damp months, roughly February to September, yes. TVPalm issues gaiters and we ask you to wear long socks pulled to the knee and trousers you can tie over the boot. Leeches are unpleasant, not dangerous, and your guide will show you how to take one off properly. From October to January they are rarely a problem.
When is the best time of year to come?
We walk this route all year, and the two halves of the year are different days out. May to September is the rainy season — hot, very green, heavy afternoon rain, and leeches in the forest; we issue gaiters. October to April is drier and clearer, and genuinely cold in midwinter, so bring a warm layer. What a household is working on also changes with the month, and we do not promise a particular job in a particular week. Send us your dates and we will tell you honestly what the day is likely to look like.
Is this a trek, or a village visit?
Mostly a village day, with a gentle walk to reach it — about 3.25 km and a high point of 609 m. If you want a real climb, ask us about the Khuoi My – Lung Vai waterfall trek or the Tay Con Linh summit treks. If you want the house and the tea without much walking, this is the right day for you.
We reply within 24 hours on working days
Duration
1 Day
Start / End
Na Thac welcome gate — meet 08:30, back about 16:00. From TVPalm Ecolodge by the lodge's electric car (Option 1), or pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Ha Giang city, back by about 17:00 (Option 2)
Difficulty
Easy – Moderate
Group Size
2–8 guests (minimum 2 per booking)
From
$99 / person
🔒 Non-refundable deposit -
Flexible rescheduling
(see policy)
