Co To Island

Co To Island in Van Don, Quang Ninh is considered a paradise island with wide beaches, white sand, clear and cool sea water. When visiting Co To, tourists can walk on the road of love, have a BBQ party on the beach, visit the Uncle Ho monument. Couples can rent bicycles to ride around town, explore Cau My rock beach, the lighthouse and enjoy fresh seafood.

Quan Lan Island

If you are looking for a pristine beach to relax, choose Quan Lan Island, where there is Minh Chau beach with fine white sand and wind. The boat ride to the island is only a dozen minutes and you will be in the middle of the ocean waves.

Ngoc Vung Island

Ngoc Vung Island is located in Van Don District, Quang Ninh Province, and is about 45 square kilometers wide. The reason the island got its name is because, according to legend, this area used to have many rare pearl oysters that glowed brightly at night across the sky. Nowadays, pearl farming here is thriving.

Ngoc Vung also has Truong Chinh Sandbank, Mac Dynasty Citadel, 12.7mm artillery position - where the 200th American aircraft was shot down in the sky of the North during the years of fighting against the destructive war of American imperialism, National Flagpole on Ngoc Vung Island... In addition, there is a system of rocky islands with beautiful, pristine landscapes, with great potential for developing sea tourism such as Phuong Hoang, Dat Nut, Ha Mai, Van Canh islands...

There are many ways to get to Ngoc Vung, very convenient. Visitors can go from Cai Rong port (Van Don), from Vung Duc (Cam Pha) or from Hon Gai wharf (Ha Long City). Of these, going from Hon Gai wharf is the most convenient.

Tuan Chau Island

Located at the gateway to the wonder of Ha Long Bay, Tuan Chau Pearl Island is one of the destinations for tourists to have a more complete vacation when coming to Quang Ninh. About 2 km from the mainland, Tuan Chau not only has a large artificial marina, but also owns a high-class entertainment ecosystem such as an 18-hole golf course with the longest golf course in Vietnam. This destination also has new check-in coordinates such as King Kong Park, Dragon Park, an ecological park like a miniature Da Lat...

Long Beach

Bai Dai belongs to Van Don island district, about 50 km from Ha Long city center. This beach is about 2 km long, white sand, clear water. There are resorts with a system of beaches, restaurants, hotels... There are also many sea sports activities for visitors to experience such as driving a water motorbike, beach volleyball, kayaking.

Tra Co Beach

Tra Co is known as "the most romantic beach in Vietnam" with a coastline of more than 17 km, from Sa Vi Cape - the starting point of the country, to Ngoc Mountain - the end point of Tra Co peninsula. Because it is located far from Mong Cai city and industrial zones, the climate here is very cool and the space is quiet. You can freely play with the waves in the clear blue sea water, or stroll on the smooth white sand.

Border marker

Binh Lieu

A mountainous border district located in the northeast of Quang Ninh province, Binh Lieu is 120 km from Ha Long city and 290 km from Hanoi. From October to November, the reed grass on the mountain slopes along the way to conquer the milestones will bloom white. The higher you go, the narrower the road becomes and the more it winds along the mountain ridges and slopes. The most special of these is the reed grass paradise at milestone 1927 and the road like a "dinosaur's spine" to milestone 1305 on the highest peak of Quang Ninh.

Sa Vi Cape, Mong Cai city

Also known as Mui Got, Mui Sa Vi is the place where the first stroke of the pen was drawn to form the S-shape of Vietnam on the map. "Sa" means sand, "Vi" means tail, so this name can be understood as the tail of sand.

Although the easternmost point of Vietnam is at Dien Cape (Phu Yen), Sa Vi Cape in Tra Co is the first place to welcome the sun in the North. Therefore, the moment of dawn in Sa Vi is always awaited and brings overwhelming emotions to the people of Vietnam.

Standing at Sa Vi Cape, looking far away, visitors can see landmark 1378. This is the last landmark on the maritime border between Vietnam and China. Not far away is the crescent-shaped Tra Co beach, 17 km long.

Mong Cai International Border Gate

Mong Cai city is the first border gate to be built in Vietnam for trade with China. Mong Cai border gate is a famous tourist destination in Quang Ninh, especially for those who love shopping. This place is always bustling with cargo trains going back and forth, bustling with buyers and sellers with all kinds of goods, from fabrics, clothes, shoes, to electronics and household appliances.

The border gate area consists of three main structures: Bac Luan International Border Gate, Bac Luan Bridge and Landmark 1369. Landmark 1369 is the first landmark to be planted on the land border between Vietnam and China, out of a total of 1,400 landmarks along the 1,350 km long land border. This is also an attractive destination for many tourists.

Mountains

Cao Ly Mountain, Binh Lieu District

Cao Ly is a high mountain range stretching over 40 km2 with 8 peaks over 1,000 m high in the border district of Binh Lieu. Cao Ly Mountain, also known as Lonely Mountain, is more than 10 km from the center of Huc Dong commune and is a camping and picnic spot suitable for groups of young people or small families.

If around July-September, Korea attracts tourists because of the blooming mua flowers that dye the hills purple, then from the end of the year, from October onwards, this place becomes an ideal spot for cloud hunting. Just one night of camping, waking up around 5-6am in the morning or having fun, eating and drinking, waiting until 4-5pm, you can watch the dance of the clouds.

The campsite is about 30-40 minutes of hiking from the top, motorbikes and private cars can reach the campsite. While exploring Cao Ly mountain, visitors can travel another 15 minutes, combining to visit Khe Van waterfall which has 3 floors and is the highest waterfall in Quang Ninh province.

Phoenix Mountain, Uong Bi City

Phuong Hoang (or Ba Tang) mountain range is located in Hamlet 12 Khe, Bac Son Ward, Uong Bi City, about 50 km from Ha Long City. Recently, Phuong Hoang has become a favorite destination for camping and photography enthusiasts. The end of the year is a great time to explore this area because the grass hills turn a fiery yellow, the weather is cool and the sun is no longer as harsh as in summer.

Visitors can park their vehicles to trek about 1.5 km or ride a motorbike or hire a motorbike taxi to take them all the way to the top. The grasslands in Phuong Hoang are very suitable for exploring and camping on weekends. Note that the destination is still wild and does not have many tourist services, visitors mainly bring their own things and avoid littering.

Binh Huong Mountain, Uong Bi City

Binh Huong is a mountain range located in Vang Danh ward, Uong Bi city, Quang Ninh province. The mountain range stretches 3 km, located 10 km from the center of Uong Bi city. Similar to Phuong Hoang, Binh Huong is also a coordinate not to be missed by those who are passionate about backpacking, exploring nature and camping on weekends.

The road in Binh Huong is more difficult than Phuong Hoang. However, when reaching the top, visitors can also admire the vast grassy hills, take photos with dwarf pine hills, wild rocks along the road, and camp overnight to watch the sunrise the next morning.

Poem Mountain, Ha Long City

Bai Tho Mountain is 200 m high and is considered an interesting sightseeing spot overlooking Ha Long Bay and the city. The mountain was originally called Truyen Dang, meaning Illuminating Light, referring to the important watchtower of the Northeast Pass thousands of years ago, with the task of guiding boats on the bay.

The road to Bai Tho Mountain is hidden in a small alley of families on Hang Noi Street, Bach Dang Ward. Tourists to Ha Long often climb Bai Tho Mountain because their friends who live here recommend it. Otherwise, you need to ask the people on Hang Noi Street for directions if you want to conquer it yourself.

Historical site

Bach Dang historical site

Currently, Quang Yen town has excavated three wooden stake sites dating back to the 13th century, distributed in Yen Giang ward, Nam Hoa ward, and Lien Hoa commune.

Yen Giang stake field: Located at the mouth of Chanh River, a branch of Bach Dang River, in Yen Giang ward, Quang Yen town. Discovered in 1953, excavated in 1958, 1969, 1976, 1984, 1988.

Dong Van Muoi stake field: Located at the mouth of Rut River, a branch of Bach Dang River, in Nam Hoa ward, Quang Yen town. Discovered in 1958, excavated in 2005.

Dong Ma Ngua stake field: Located at the mouth of Kenh River, close to Rut River, in Nam Hoa ward, Quang Yen town. Discovered in 2009, excavated in 2010.

In addition, visitors can visit Tran Hung Dao Temple located on a promontory in the middle of Bach Dang River, the center of the Bach Dang battle in 1288, in Yen Giang ward, Quang Yen town.

Forest well ironwood tree

Two Lim Gieng Rung trees located at the foot of Tien Son mountain, Quang Yen ward (Quang Yen town, Quang Ninh) are determined by authorities to be about 700 years old. The two ancient trees and place names such as Ben Rung, Cho Rung... are vestiges of the ancient forest where the Tran army and people used wood to build a stake field, contributing significantly to the glorious Bach Dang victory on March 8, Mau Ty year 1288.

Next to the two ancient lim trees are two wells built during the French period, closely associated with the daily life of the local people, so they are called the two lim trees and forest wells. Currently, the two wells are built around them, paved with clean bricks and covered.

Van Don commercial port relic

Van Don commercial port includes many ancient wharves, covering an area of ​​200 km2 in Bai Tu Long Bay, located in Thang Loi, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung communes, Van Don district, Quang Ninh province. In 1149, under the reign of King Ly Anh Tong, Van Don was the first commercial port of Dai Viet. The port operated continuously for nearly 7 centuries (from the middle of the 12th century to the end of the 18th century).

The port is a system of dozens of ancient wharves distributed on the islands, along the coast of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long, stretching from Mong Cai to Van Don, Ha Long, Quang Yen. Along with that are a number of cultural and religious relics of pagodas and towers in Van Don and neighboring areas. Specifically, there are the relic cluster of Cong Dong - Cong Tay, the relic cluster of Cai Lang wharf, the relic cluster of Cong Cai wharf, the relic of Con Quy wharf, the relic of Cai Rong wharf, the relic of Cong Yen wharf, the relic of Duong Hac Hon Rau wharf, the relic of Gao Rang wharf, the relic of Bang wharf and Dam Gao wharf, the relic of Van Ninh wharf.

Historical site of Po Hen Martyrs Memorial

This is the place that records the heroic and glorious fighting moments of the army and people of Mong Cai city in the battle to protect the sacred border sovereignty of the Fatherland in 1979. This is a red address to educate and remind the next generation about the tradition of patriotism, love of peace and friendship at the border.

Quang Ninh Museum

Quang Ninh Museum is a prominent cultural landmark located in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province. Designed with a striking modern architecture inspired by a block of coal – symbolizing the region’s mining heritage – the museum captivates visitors at first glance. Inside, it features well-organized exhibition spaces showcasing various themes, including the history of Quang Ninh, marine culture, the daily life of coal miners, and the biodiversity of Ha Long Bay. As a place that preserves and honors the province’s rich cultural and historical values, Quang Ninh Museum is an ideal destination for those seeking to explore the unique identity of this dynamic coastal region.

Temples and pagodas

Yen Tu relic

Yen Tu relic complex is located in Uong Bi city, about 130 km from Hanoi. From National Highway 18A to the foot of Yen Tu mountain (about 10 km), visitors can feel the sacred and quiet atmosphere of the Truc Lam school.

From the foot of Yen Tu Mountain , visitors can reach the top of Dong Pagoda in two ways: by foot or by cable car. Compared to the cable car, the foot trip takes longer with a distance of about 6 km of steep trails, but for many visitors, this is a way to show respect in their journey to worship Buddha at the beginning of the year.

No matter which way you choose, you will start from Giai Oan stream, pass Hoa Yen pagoda, Mot Mai pagoda, An Ky Sinh stone statue and then go up to Dong pagoda - the bronze pagoda on the top of the largest mountain in Asia. Standing on the 1,068 m high peak looking down, the Buddha realm is in sight as the mist lurks below and above your head white clouds drift lazily in the deep blue sky.

Cai Bau Pagoda

Although it was only inaugurated in 2009, with its back against the mountain and facing the sea, Truc Lam Giac Tam Zen Monastery (also known as Cai Bau Pagoda) in Van Don attracts a large number of tourists from all over.

Located near Bai Dai tourist area, the space here is not only peaceful and sacred but also extremely fresh and pure. In particular, visitors coming to worship and sightsee at the pagoda can also eat vegetarian food and park their vehicles for free. The pagoda is located about 10 km from the center of Cai Rong town, Van Don. In addition to personal vehicles, visitors can get to the pagoda by bus.

Cua Ong Temple

Cua Ong Temple in Cam Pha City is a place of worship for Hung Nhuong Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tang and many famous figures of the Tran Dynasty. Although the Cua Ong Temple Festival takes place in the second lunar month, right from the days after Tet, this place has attracted many tourists from other provinces to come and offer incense and worship.

Like Cai Bau Pagoda, Cua Ong Temple is located on a high hill overlooking Bai Tu Long Bay. The only difference is that from here, in addition to the vast ocean, the entire view of the black gold mining industrial city is in sight. Not only offering incense at the two architectural clusters of Thuong Temple and Ha Temple, visitors can also enjoy a unique specialty sold along the entrance to the temple: Tai Long Ep cake (also known as Tay Nong Ep cake).

Temple of the Lady

Legend has it that during his trip to inspect the terrain in preparation for the battlefield, Tran Hung Dao passed by a ferry and met an old woman selling water who asked about this land. The old woman provided him with the dynasties' history, the river's terrain, and even taught him fire tactics to fight the enemy. After winning the battle, Tran Hung Dao returned to the ferry to look for the old woman selling water but could not find her. He asked King Tran to confer on her the title of "King Lady" and build a temple here.

Loi Am Pagoda

Although the name is still quite unfamiliar to tourists from all over, for the people of Quang Ninh, Loi Am Pagoda is very famous for its charming, sacred and ancient scenery. Located in Dai Yen ward, Ha Long city, visitors to the pagoda must take a boat for about 15 minutes and then continue to climb for about half an hour along the gentle slope.

A unique feature of the pilgrimage to Loi Am Tu is that visitors are free to bring along a pair of red bricks that have been placed at the foot of the hill to donate to the restoration and rebuilding of the pagoda. Although the path is bumpy and rocky, everyone feels light with each step because on both sides of the road are lush green pine forests and vast pineapple gardens.

The tour will begin at Loi Am Pagoda, located on a large, flat land, surrounded by lush, quiet trees.

Following the small path on the right side of the pagoda will lead to the Mother Goddess altar, continuing across the hillside is Cau Cave leading to Yen Lap Lake.

Local Cuisine – A Taste of the Sea

Ha Long squid rolls : a famous specialty of Ha Long, you can find them at Hon Gai market, Ha Long night market or seafood shops in Ha Long. This dish is served with rice rolls or white sticky rice.

Steamed squid with guava : Using guava leaves as an ingredient gives this dish a characteristic astringent taste, with a slight sourness from tamarind juice, suitable for eating with rice or dipping in ginger and chili fish sauce. Some suggested addresses include Bai Chay tourist area, Dao Garden, Cai Dam market, Ben Doan...

Ha Long Sam : you can buy fresh or enjoy delicious dishes made from Sam at Hon Gai market or some seafood shops in Ha Long.

Hoanh Bo dried shrimp : similar to octopus but smaller, steamed with mulberry leaves, served with shrimp paste mixed with lemon.

Geoduck : a specialty of Van Don district; you can buy it at seafood stores or enjoy delicious dishes made from geoduck at restaurants in Ha Long, Quang Ninh.

Cu Ky: also known as thunder crab, stone crab or clam crab..., is a type of crab that is usually only found in the sea of ​​Quang Ninh. According to the locals, Cu Ky looks very similar to crab but has larger claws and a smaller body. Cu Ky only has meat on the two sides of the claws and the body is spongy. There is not much meat in the body but the roe is delicious. In addition to steamed Cu Ky, you should try Cu Ky vermicelli .

Sandworm : a specialty of Quang Ninh sea, especially Quan Lan, you can buy it at Ha Long market . A kilo of fresh sandworm if delivered right at the beach costs 250,000-300,000 VND per kilo; dried sandworm is about 3.5-4 million VND per kilo.

The best is fresh sea worms stir-fried with garlic, water spinach or stir-fried with sweet and sour, crunchy and soft, fragrant and sweet. Dried sea worms fried and dipped in chili sauce, adding a few sprigs of herbs, fish mint and drinking with beer brings a unique culinary pleasure. Or sea worms stewed with Chinese herbs are also considered a "miracle drug" for men.

Tien Yen hill chicken : free-range chicken or free-range chicken in Tien Yen - a town about 70km from Ha Long, the chicken is very firm, the meat is fragrant and soft. You can buy it in Tien Yen, or enjoy it right at the restaurants here or in restaurants in Ha Long, or in Tien Yen.

Quang Yen sour sausage : delicious and has the typical flavor of Quang Yen. The best sour sausage is eaten with fig leaves, perilla leaves or Polyscias fruticosa leaves.

You can buy it when passing through Quang Yen town (reputable addresses include Huy Tung and Nguyen Thi Nu spring roll shops...) or you can also buy it at Ha Long market.

Mine bread : quite delicious in the French way of making bread. Mao Khe mine is said to be the first place to make mine bread. In the 90s of the last century, other mines began to learn, built bakeries and made mine bread a convenient mid-shift meal for miners, helping them compensate for their labor after hard working hours. You can find it at bakeries in Ha Long or Cam Pha.

Dong Trieu sandworms : most abundant in the 10th lunar month because it is the sandworm season, the best time to enjoy delicious dishes made from sandworms in Dong Trieu but you can also enjoy them at restaurants in Ha Long.

Stir-fried Pho Binh Lieu : stir-fried Pho is a typical dish of ethnic minorities such as Dao, Tay, San Chi living in Binh Lieu. If you come to Binh Lieu and have the opportunity to visit Dong Van Binh Lieu market, you should not miss the opportunity to try this delicious dish.

Clam salad : quite popular in Ha Long, you can enjoy it at seafood restaurants in Ha Long city or in the surrounding areas of Ha Long.

Wine : Yen Tu plum wine, Hoanh Bo sticky rice wine, Ha Long clam wine, and Morinda officinalis wine are famous specialties of Quang Ninh.

What to buy as a gift

In addition to food and drinks, you can buy pearls, embroidery, mother-of-pearl inlays and souvenirs, handicrafts made from raw materials from the sea... These items are sold a lot at Ha Long market, Ha Long night market or Cam Pha market, souvenir shops in Cam Pha and Bai Chay...