Vietnam Waterfalls: From North to South

The countryside of Vietnam is stunning. Really, truly stunning. Those who see it for the first time are often blown away by just how wild and vast and green it all is. While the country’s flag is red, the dominant color anywhere outside a city is green. And that’s for a good reason: There’s a lot of water in Vietnam. When you combine water with mountains, you get waterfalls — a sight beloved by everyone. So, as you may have gathered from this introduction, we’re here today to talk about waterfalls in Vietnam. 

Specifically, we’ll talk about those you’re likely to encounter in places we like to run our motorcycle adventure tours. Because, hey, if you’re here in the first place there’s a good chance that’s the sort of thing you’re interested in. From here, we’ll look at some of the more spectacular waterfalls in the country that can be seen from a motorcycle trip. Hop on and let’s get going. 

North Vietnam Waterfalls

The north of the country — especially around Sapa, Ha Giang, and Cao Bang — offers some truly impressive waterfalls. Let’s break things down by those regions. 

Northwest Vietnam

Because this region is so mountainous, there are hundreds of waterfalls. Maybe thousands. We’re not really sure, and probably no one is, honestly. For now, however, we’ll focus on three. These can all be accessed via our Sapa & Ha Giang Adventure tour or can be added to additional tours for a backrub and a pile of coconuts. 

Tác Tình Waterfall is a gorgeous, tall cascade running through heavily mountainous territory that’s frequently visited by friendly and somewhat ethereal-looking clouds. It’s west of Sapa and just northwest of Hoang Lien state park, famed for its terraced rice paddies (much like the rest of the region). Swimming in pools here will be chilly in winter but super refreshing in summer. Definitely worth a photograph or ten. It’s not a huge tourist draw, which means you’ll often have a good chance of having the place to yourself. 

Silver Waterfall is a well-known and well-loved tourist destination very close to Sapa. Although you’re likely to encounter other tourists there, its accessibility and ever-majestic cascade makes it a surefire draw and a hit for a reason. We love to include this option on our tours because it’s so easy to get to. Getting photos on the bridge over the rocky rapids makes for an excellent travel photo. 

Go Lao Waterfall near Ba Khan, in Mai Chau district southwest of Hanoi, is one of those off-the-beaten-path jewels. It provides both a stunning view of a multiple-cataract waterfall as well as bragging rights since not that many people visit. Despite its somewhat remote and rustic location, it’s still readily accessible by road and doesn’t take a hike and a half to get to. More like half a hike. The nearby reservoir of the Da river is one of the country’s largest. 

Northern Vietnam

We like to focus on two specific waterfalls in our tours in the north center of the country. Although there are countless others (likely many of which you’ll see and are unnamed), we really dig these two. 

Waterfalls in Northern Vietnam

We like to focus on two specific waterfalls in our tours in the north center of the country. Although there are countless others (likely many of which you’ll see and are unnamed), we really dig these two. 

Dau Dang Waterfall is near Ba Be lake, nearly equidistant between Ha Giang and Cao Bang. It’s a bit touristy, but still far from anything near mass tourism. It can be accessed via a short boat ride and a miniature hike of around 20 minutes through the forest. Good shoes are recommended but hey, you should be wearing those when you’re riding anyway. 

Du Gia Waterfall is appropriately named, because it’s right near Du Gia village in Ha Giang province. While this isn’t a traditional part of our tours, it can be added to any Ha Giang adventure tour for the aforementioned backrub and pile of coconuts. 

Northeastern Vietnam

Waterfalls in Northeastern Vietnam

The most iconic waterfall in the country and the most instantly recognizable is Ban Gioc Waterfall. It denotes the border between Vietnam and China and is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the country. Unsurprisingly, then, it’s a widely popular tourist attraction that, well…attracts a lot of tourists. 

However, sometimes people get lucky and they get the entire place to themselves. This was certainly true during the period of the Covid pandemic in which travel within the country was available, but international travel was not. That time is now over, but as of this writing tourism has not at all caught up to where it was pre-pandemic, so you’re more likely to have more space than in previous times. 

We don’t typically cover this route in our tours, but if you’ve been reading the rest of the article, then you know the deal. We can arrange it for a metaphorical backrub and pile of coconuts. We like going there too because it’s so iconic and unique in the world. 

Waterfalls in Central Vietnam

The center of Vietnam is home to lots of mountains, lots of water, and thus lots of waterfalls. If we were to write about all the waterfalls in the region we’d fill an entire book and then some. So, we’re going to choose some of our favorites, and if you’d like to know more or suggest some, be sure to reach out to us. 

Khe Khem Waterfall is in Pu Mat National Park. It’s an excellent stopway on the classic Saigon to Hanoi route. It’s easily accessible from the National Park, with walkways and access built in. One thing we love about it is that it’s a less visited area than some others in the area, so a trek out here is often a peaceful and relaxing side trip to go along with your motorcycle adventure tour. The falls themselves are quite impressive as well, and we’re happy to get back here any time we can. 

Thac Gio (or Wind Waterfall) is in the botanic gardens at Phong Nha National Park. For reference, Phong Nha is one of our favorite destinations in the entire country for a lot of reasons. Consequently, this waterfall shows up on a lot of our tours, and is on the unofficial National Park loop. It’s normally not too busy, meaning you’ll have lots of time and space to explore to your heart’s content. 

Thac Anor is just a few hours west of Hue and is on multiple Onyabike Adventures tours. If you’re here in the hot season (March-October) It’s an excellent spot to stop for a cool-down swim. It also marks the halfway point between Khe Sanh and Hue, making for a good rest stop with some of the freshest air on the planet. Additionally, it’s not particularly touristy, meaning it’s a nice and quiet place to recharge. 

Suoi A Pat is on the Ho Chi Minh Road between Prao and A Luoi. Like Thac Anor, it’s on multiple Onyabike Adventures tours. It’s also an excellent spot to swim and cool down on a hot day, or for some simple wandering around. We find ourselves coming back here often. It’s remote and in the jungle so is not touristy at all, but is easily accessible from the road. The best of both worlds when it comes to Vietnam waterfalls. 

Thac Grang is a short 20 kilometer drive from Thanh My in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. For reference, Quang Nam is just south of Da Nang and is where Hoi An is located. It features a large cascade that’s excellent for swimming. So, if you’re here during the hot season, this waterfall is a real hit. While this isn’t officially on any of our tours, it’s a simple one day ride from Hoi An and can be arranged as part of a tour. 

Elephant Springs (Suoi Voi) isn’t really a waterfall, but it’s valuable to include here as well as it’s a popular tourist destination and is between many other spots on our tours. It includes significant swimming holes and is just north of the famous Hai Van Pass and the lagoon town of Lang Co. You can expect to be busy and touristy as it’s on a lot of tour company’s radars, but it’s there for a reason. 

Thac 5 Tang (or, 5 floor waterfall) is just south of Nam Tra My on the roadside. It’s halfway between Hoi An and Dak To, and is available on a few Onyabike Adventures tours. It’s an excellent spot for a picnic lunch, a stretch of the legs, and maybe a lazy midafternoon nap if that’s the time you land there. 

Further inland, Thac Phu Cuong is an incredible and, in our opinion, one of the underappreciated Vietnam waterfalls. It’s southwest of Quang Ngai and east of Kon Tum. We reckon you’ll figure that out from the map. It’s only available on a custom tour, but seeing this waterfall will make any trip well worth it. With tall cataracts and a serene jungle environment, if there’s a spot we can imagine teleporting to away from a busy city, this is pretty much it. 

Waterfalls in South Vietnam

Finally, we’re on to the south of Vietnam. For the geographically concerned, most of the waterfalls in the South will be in the mountainous Central Highlands — which, confusingly, are part of the south, but stay with us here. We didn’t name the parts of the country. 

Most of these waterfalls will be in the vicinity of Da Lat, known for its cool climate, excellent soil and enormous agricultural productivity. Oh, and of course, for its well-known, winding jungle roads, including a majestic ride from the highlands down to Nha Trang. 

One of the most famous waterfalls in the region is Thac Voi Waterfall, just some 30 kilometers south of Da Lat. It’s an incredibly impressive cascade that you can climb down and get under. Yes, you, and yes, under. It’s generally not too busy, but is set up for easy access from the road, so it’s an easy stop on any tour around the area and we highly recommend it. 

Bao Dai Waterfall was the Vietnamese Emperor’s personal waterfall back when Emperor Bao Dai was the guy in charge. These falls are enormous and very impressive. What’s more, they’re a bit off the beaten track and so are quite quiet in terms of tourist visitation. In short, you’re likely to have a lot of room to yourself here, if not the entire place. It’s around 60 kilometers south of Da Lat, and is accessible on one of our tours. 

Pongour Falls is another beautiful waterfall in the Da Lat region, just 55 kilometers south of town. It can be combined with a few others for a very memorable trip, though combining more than one into a day is a bit ambitious. Unlike Bao Dai, Pongour is on the tourism map and is more well known, so expect tourist traffic and more people. 

Damb’ri Waterfall is west of Bao Loc, and is the furthest south on our itinerary. It’s an absolutely massive cascade that’s very touristy as it draws the Saigon weekend crowd. However, if you’re in the region, it’s very worth visiting, as it’s earned its popularity through hard work and lots of water falling over lots of time. 

Do Go Chasing Waterfalls

If you’re on a motorcycle adventure tour in Vietnam and it’s a hot day, there’s nothing better than finding a waterfall and pool to hop into after a long ride. We know — we do it all the time. We also know that a lot of people fantasize about exactly this kind of thing, which is why we offer tours to do just that. Some would call it living the dream. We just call it living. 

If you want to see some of these classic Vietnam waterfalls as well as some of the world’s best roads, be sure to reach out to us. We love helping people get the adventure they want, and no adventure is complete without a waterfall.