Ban Gioc Waterfall – The Best of Northern Vietnam

Ban Gioc waterfall sits in a river valley full of jungle covered karst mountains and is the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen.  Oh yeah, plus Ban Gioc is the largest waterfall in Asia and 4^th largest waterfall at an international border in the world!  Simply put, Ban Gioc is a must see destination for any nature lovers visiting Vietnam and Hanoi.

Ban Gioc Waterfall from Hanoi

Ban Gioc Waterfall has 3 different cascades each with their own deluge of water.  It spans more than 300m (1000 ft) and is over 35m (115 ft) high, that’s longer than 3 football fields!  It’s the best place to visit in Vietnam’s Cao Bang province and I hope after reading this article and seeing the photos Ban Gioc makes it to the top of your to do list in Vietnam.

The waterfall is actually shared between China and Vietnam with the Quay Son River forming a border between the two countries.  When we arrived we were excited to see the view from some of the viewpoints on the other side of the river but quickly realized that wouldn’t be possible since they are actually in China!

Many people say the view is more beautiful from the Chinese side but as you can see it still looks amazing from here.  You can visit the Ban Gioc Waterfall from either Vietnam or China but can’t cross the border once you are there.  The Chinese side is called Detian Falls in case you’re planning you trip through China.

View of Ban Gioc/Detian Falls from China used with permission from Darren Peets

The ticket price for Ban Gioc is a modest 40,000 VND ($2) making it well worth the cost compared to some of Vietnam’s more expensive landscapes.  If you take the bus from Cao Bang it will drop you directly at the waterfall so you could see it right away or find a hotel first like we did.

Rainbows often form in the mist that comes off of Ban Gioc waterfall.  Even though they look quite close the rainbow is always just out of reach but makes for beautiful photos!  

Ban Gioc Waterfall Accommodation

We couldn’t find anywhere to book hotels, home-stays, guesthouses or hostels online but decided to try our luck near the waterfall anyway and the good news is there were a few options with private rooms near Ban Gioc Waterfall for 250,000 VND ($10)

Sai Gon Ban Gioc Resort is directly opposite the entrance to Ban Gioc Waterfall.  Our Vietnamese friend said rooms there were 600,000 VND ($25) so we walked about a kilometer up the road to find a cheaper one.

Khach San Ha Vuong can be found on Google Maps and quoted us 400,000 VND($16) per night

We stayed at Nhà Nghỉ Tùng Dương for 250,000 VND($10) per night.  3 of our friends were able to pay 100,000 VND($4) for a dorm bed too!   This was about 1 kilometer away from Ban Gioc Waterfall.

Best time to visit Ban Gioc Waterfall

The best times of year to see Ban Gioc depend on what exactly you want to see.  We had read that the monsoon season was perfect because there would be the most water and it was certainly amazing seeing it at full force!  The surrounding mountains were covered in greenery from the recent rains but by early September the rains had already slowed down which means we only had a few hours of rain between the two days we were there. 

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The only drawback to the monsoon is that the water tends to get muddy.  For clear blue water you’ll want to visit Ban Gioc BEFORE the monsoon hits making March through May very beautiful. At the end of September and into October/November northern Vietnam can get some beautiful foliage and the waters will begin to clear up from the monsoons.  Nearby rice paddies will turn yellow and some of the deciduous trees will have changing colors. 

What it boils down to is there are many good times to visit Ban Gioc throughout the year and you shouldn’t plan your trip to Vietnam based on the seasons at Ban Gioc.  Whenever you have a chance to visit I’m sure you’ll find Ban Gioc stunning!

How to get to Ban Gioc Waterfall from Hanoi

Ban Gioc Waterfall is off the beaten path and tough to get to but I’ve outlined the best ways to visit Ban GIoc below.  You won’t find many tourists and there is next to no English in the Cao Bang province.  The good news is you can still go to Ban Gioc many different ways.  Just make sure you budget some extra time in case things don’t go as planned.

Ban Gioc waterfall from Hanoi

Bus from Hanoi > Cao Bang –  (9 hours ~200,000 VND)($8)  Reserve your tickets ahead of time and then get to My Dinh Bus Station at least 30 minutes ahead of time!

Bus from Ha Giang > Cao Bang – We saw this bus but I couldn’t find specific information on it.  I estimate the drive will be about 14 hours for ~300,000 VND($12)

From Cao Bang to Ban Gioc – There are public and private buses from Cao Bang to Ban Gioc that take about 2 hours.  Prices range from 50,000-70,000 VND ($2-3)

Hanoi to Ban Gioc Waterfall

Motorbike to Ban Gioc Waterfall from Hanoi – this 2-3 day journey is sure to provide scenic views and some crazy roads.  We would have done it if we had the time but opted for the faster night bus.  Make sure you have some experience eon a motorbike because the mountain roads can be treacherous.

Ban Gioc Waterfall Tour

Ban Gioc Waterfall Tour from Hanoi – Group and Private tours are the easiest way to get to Ban Gioc Waterfall.  They typically take 3 days 2 nights and will stop at Ba Be Lake too but will be much more expensive than doing it yourself like we did.  A Ban Gioc Waterfall tour is worth it if you are short on time and have a larger budget. Private tours cost over $700 with group tours ranging from $200-$400

 Traveling to remote areas comes with its fair share of risks.  I HIGHLY recommend getting travel insurance before coming to Ban Gioc Waterfall National Park.  Thankfully I didn’t need it while I was there but World Nomads gave me peace and mind in case anything did happen.

What to do near Ban Gioc Waterfall

Alright so you’ve taken a full day or 2 just to visit the waterfall.  You’ve seen it so now what?  Don’ worry there are 2 other amazing things to see and do near Ban Gioc Waterfall.  The first is a temple with the BEST VIEW of the waterfall and surrounding valley.  Chùa Phật Tích Trúc Lâm Bản Giốc can be found on Google Maps and is either a windy drive or steep 20 minute stair climb up but well worth it!  We went right after seeing the waterfall and stayed to watch the sunset.  Even if you miss sunset DON’T skip this view because I can honestly say it was one of the best landscapes I’ve seen in the entire world!  Let me repeat that for you because the viewpoint from the Ban Gioc Temple is one of the best in the world and should be high at your list of things to do in Vietnam!

From the top you’ll see a panorama of green mountains with a pagoda beneath you.  Off to the right the mist swirls above the largest waterfall in Asia as village farmland fill in the stunning valley.  From up here you can see all 3 cascades of Ban Gioc and we met the kindest old Vietnamese woman.  She gave us fresh fruit and happily posed for photos with us.  She didn’t ask for anything in return and reluctantly accepted 20,000 VND($1) as a thank you when we insisted.

The Nguom Ngao Cave is another highlight of this northern Vietnam destination in Cao Bang Province.  At first we were skeptical about the cave but gladly paid the 40,000 VND($2) ticket and in we went.  We were happily surprised at how large and amazing the interior of Nguom Ngao is.  Huge stalagmites and other beautiful rock formations fill your view as the cool cavern air provides a welcome relief from the sweltering jungle above.

Nguom Ngao is about 2 km from Ban Gioc Waterfall and a pleasant walk.  You can find it on Google Maps or hire a motorbike tractor taxi for ~20,000 VND($1) per person

Nguom Ngao is well lit which means even your smartphone can take some cool photos but if you want to capture shots like these you’ll need to bring your tripod.  We had a lot of fun posing for cool shots and it made me nostalgic for my trip through Hang Son Doong.  The cave is much larger than expected and will take an hour or more to walk through so plan accordingly.

The only other thing we were hoping to do near Ban Gioc Waterfall was rent motorbikes and drive through the beautiful landscapes.  Unfortunately motorbikes are quite hard to rent in the rural villages.  The owner of our hotel said that she “knew some teachers that would rent them during school” but sadly we were there on the weekend.  If you want to drive a motorbike around here you’ll have to rent it in Cao Bang or drive it all the way from Hanoi.

Ban Gioc Waterfall Budget

If you have a larger travel budget than you can easily book a tour from Hanoi for a few hundreds bucks but if you’re like me and traveling a bit cheaper than don’t worry, you can still see Ban Gioc Waterfall!  The total cost for just 1 person to take a night bus from Hanoi to Ban Gioc Waterfall and back again, spend 1 night near the waterfall, eat traditional Vietnamese meals and pay all the entry fees for everything I’ve listed here was about 840,000 VND and just under $40.  That was for 2 days and 3 nights (2 of the nights are spent sleeping on a bus which means even a cheap backpacker on a low budget can afford to see Ban Gioc Waterfall!

I hope this helped you decide to visit Ban Gioc Waterfall!  Feel free to comment below if you have any questions and be sure to let me know how your trip to this natural wonderland goes!

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Looking for other places to see in Vietnam?

Phong Nha is my favorite place in all of Vietnam!
Hoi An is a MUST-SEE destination in Vietnam.  Don’t miss it!
Are you in Northern Vietnam?  Don’t miss trekking in Sapa!
Love Waterfalls?  Then be sure to visit Dalat in the south!

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