Stop 2/7
Quản Bạ, around Km45 of the Loop, is the gateway to the Rocky Plateau with Heaven's Gate, the Fairy Twin Mountains and the Tam Sơn valley. It's also the team's main paragliding and paramotor site, opening from 15 October 2026.
After about an hour and a half climbing out of the city, the road suddenly opens up at the top of the pass: below lies the Tam Sơn valley with its cornfields, rooftops and two perfectly rounded hills in the middle of the fields — the Fairy Twin Mountains. This is Quản Bạ, around Km45 of the Ha Giang Loop and the southern gateway to the Đồng Văn Rocky Plateau. Many people just stop for a few photos at Heaven's Gate and carry on, but if you have time, Quản Bạ deserves a whole morning — especially if you want to see the valley from a paraglider.
Getting from Hà Giang City to Quản Bạ
Quản Bạ is about 45 km from Hà Giang City along National Road 4C, taking around 1 to 1.5 hours depending on how often you stop for photos.
- The route: leaving the city, the road starts climbing up Bắc Sum Slope with its many hairpin bends, then reaches Quản Bạ Heaven's Gate before dropping down into Tam Sơn town.
- Riding yourself: the road is paved, but the climbs are long and the bends sharp. Use a low gear on descents, don't cut corners across the centre line, and watch out for trucks and buses.
- Easy rider: the safe choice if you're not used to mountain passes, especially in fog.
- Car / bus: the bus routes from the city to Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc all pass through Tam Sơn.
- Fog: early in the morning and in winter, the Bắc Sum – Heaven's Gate stretch can be thick with fog. Turn on your lights, slow down and honk before blind bends.
Things to see in Quản Bạ
- Quản Bạ Heaven's Gate: the classic stop at the top of the pass, overlooking the whole Tam Sơn valley and distant mountain ranges.
- Fairy Twin Mountains: two evenly rounded hills rising from the fields, tied to a local folk legend. In buckwheat season the foot of the hills turns pinkish-purple.
- Tam Sơn valley: fields, a river and villages cradled in a ring of mountains — the very "stage" for the paragliding flights.
- Nậm Đăm cultural village: a Dao village with rammed-earth and wooden houses, ancient trees and small terraced fields, not far from town.
- Lùng Tám linen-weaving village: where Hmong women still strip flax, weave cloth and draw beeswax batik the traditional way.
- Riverside landing field: even if you're not flying, you can drop by to watch the wings land in the middle of the valley on a fine morning.
Where to eat and stay
Quản Bạ is known for Thanh Vân corn liquor, mint-flower honey (the mint blooms in late autumn and early winter) and the plateau's familiar dishes: thắng cố (horse-meat stew), mèn mén (steamed ground corn), lạp xưởng gác bếp (smoked sausage), Hmong mustard greens and free-range hill chicken. The market and small eateries in Tam Sơn serve simple lunches, enough to keep you going.
Accommodation in Quản Bạ is mostly homestays in town and in nearby villages like Nậm Đăm, plus a few guesthouses along the highway. Staying overnight in Quản Bạ is a good idea if you want to fly early the next morning, when the air is calm and the clouds still drift below the mountains.
Paragliding in Quản Bạ
The Tam Sơn valley is the main flying site of the Mebayluon team, opening from 15 October 2026.
- Paragliding (PG): take off from a mountainside at about 950 m, glide over the valley and land in a flat field by the river at about 450 m.
- Paramotor (PPG): take off and land right in the flat riverside field, no need to go up the mountain.
Flight packages:
| Package | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tandem paragliding (PG) | 10–15 minutes | 2,290,000 VND |
| Standard tandem paramotor (PPG) | 15 minutes | 2,590,000 VND |
| Long flight, cloud chasing | 20–25 minutes | contact us |
| Sunset flight | 10–15 minutes | contact us |
Booking requires no deposit, cancellation is free, and you get free GoPro footage. Flight times are set by the team according to the actual wind; you can follow the flying weather forecast a few days ahead, see the details of the Quản Bạ flying site and then book a flight to hold your spot.
Best time to go & tips
- September: golden ripe rice in the valley.
- October–November: buckwheat flowers around the twin mountains, dry weather and long views — also the best flying season.
- December–January: mustard flower season, cold, often a sea of clouds early in the morning.
- February–March: plum and peach blossoms in white and pink across the villages.
Tips:
- If you plan to fly, get to Quản Bạ early or stay the night before; the morning window is usually the calmest.
- Bring a warm layer and shoes with good grip, especially when going up to the take-off.
- Fill up in town before continuing to Yên Minh.
- Ask locals before taking portraits, and don't pick flowers in the buckwheat fields.
Next stop: Yên Minh · Previous stop: Hà Giang City
