Ban Gioc-Detian Falls in Vietnam (Cao Bang) ☀️

5 min readMar 10, 2019

Ban Gioc — Detian Falls in Cao Bang — **Ban Gioc - Detian Falls in Cao Bang province.**

Ban Gioc Waterfall (or Detian Falls) - probably the most beautiful waterfall in the north.

Ban Gioc Waterfalls (or Detian Falls) is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Cao Bang province, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Southeast Asia, and are designated as the largest waterfalls in Vietnam. The whole province of Cao Bang, however, does not belong to popular tourist destinations. I think, it is a shame, because this province has a lot to offer for travelers.

Ban Gioc Waterfalls are a collection of waterfalls and have two names, located on the border of Vietnam and China. Ban Gioc (Thác Bản Giốc) — so called part of the waterfall in Vietnam, and Detian - so called part of the waterfall in China. The Ban Gioc Waterfalls are up to 200 m wide (mostly in summer, with plenty of water), consisting of 3 cascades up to 70 m high, one cascade is about 30 m high.

Ban Gioc-Detian Falls in Cao Bang province are visited mainly by tourists from Asia.

Ban Gioc Waterfalls do not belong to the frequent tourist destinations of non-Asian tourists, mainly tourists from Asia (China, Vietnam …) and especially during the summer months. Waterfalls are not so easy to access and are located in a non-tourist province, so there may be a little worse transportation, which some foreign travelers discourage.

If you want to visit these waterfalls in this beautiful area, I recommend you stay a few days and explore this province, preferably on a motorbike, such as Trung Khanh district (Phong Nam) or definitely visit nearby Nguom Ngao Cave (about 3 km from the waterfalls), Truc Lam Phat Tich Pagoda (it is about 500 m from the waterfalls), which offers a very nice view of the area.

The best way how to get to the falls is to travel by motorbike (if you can).

Ban Gioc Waterfalls are located about 360 km from Hanoi and it is not a short distance in Vietnam and takes hours of traveling. The best place to start is Cao Bang town - about 85 km from the waterfalls. From Hanoi to Cao Bang you can travel by sleeping buses - mostly from My Dinh bus stop (it can take up to 7 hours) and in Cao Bang you can take a local bus to the waterfalls (approx. 2–3 hours). However, you must always find the exact times at the bus stops, so it can take much more time. If you can drive a motorbike, I recommend travel by motorbike from Cao Bang, there is a very good road to the waterfalls, and there you can stay for 2 days to explore a very nice neighborhood.

The whole DT206 road is very nice, in a good condition, you will be traveling through several scenic areas, villages, it is not complicated and you can stop for taking pictures. Another option is to use some tourist agency to arrange a trip to Ban Gioc Waterfalls, and other destinations in Cao Bang province, but it is not a cheap affair.

1. You can travel by tourist bus from Hanoi to Cao Bang town
2. There is a local bus from Cao Bang to Ban Gioc Waterfalls (timetable in Cao Bang bus station)
3. Travel on a motorbike from Cao Bang to Ban Gioc Falls (if you can - recommended)

What is the best time to visit Ban Gioc — Detian Falls?

You can visit the Ban Gioc Waterfall throughout the year. The best season is mostly in the summer months (May-September), when the water is mostly clean, transparent, and water is enough. However, this is a monsoon period and therefore occasional heavy rainfall can not be ruled out. In the summer, also count with a possible number of tourists.

In the winter months (dry season), there may be less water, the water is not so clean and some services (accommodation, food …) on site may be limited, but there is no monsoon season and not so visited by tourists. In the winter it can also be very cold, but the weather can always change quickly.

Where are the Ban Gioc-Detian Falls?

Ban Gioc-Detian Falls (Thác Bản Giốc) are about 360 km from Hanoi and about 85 km from Cao Bang town. It lies in the north-east part of the north of Vietnam on the Quây Sơn river (Sông Quây Sơn). This waterfall lies on the border with China. Waterfall is a part of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark, written in UNESCO heritage list.