The Perfume Pagoda, Chua Huong, is not a single building but a whole complex of shrines and temples scattered across the limestone hills of the Huong Son range, south-west of Hanoi. For centuries it has been one of northern Vietnam’s great pilgrimage sites, and the journey is half the point. You travel by coach from Hanoi, then climb into a small rowboat that glides for about an hour along the Yen River, past rice paddies, limestone cliffs and caves, rowed by a local woman. From the landing you walk or ride to the mountain and climb to Huong Tich cave, a shrine inside a huge cavern that can only be reached on foot, then visit the Perfume Pagoda itself and Thien Tru Pagoda, which dates to the Le dynasty. A Vietnamese lunch is served at the foot of the mountain. The trip we link is a full-day guided tour from the Old Quarter, rated 4.3 across more than sixty reviews, and it suits travellers who want culture and scenery in equal parts and do not mind a long day.
How it works
The group meets at 7:50 at the Hanoi Opera House, at 1 Trang Tien, and hotel pickup is possible where the police permit it. A coach takes about an hour and a half to reach the river, and the return drive takes around two hours. The tour is described as about ten hours, and return times of around six to half past seven in the evening are mentioned, depending on traffic.
Lunch, an English-speaking guide and a coach are covered. The cable car and tips are extra for some options, and a tip of 20,000 to 40,000 dong per person for your rower is customary. Groups can reach thirty. Cancel for a full refund up to twenty-four hours ahead.
What to expect
The boat ride is gentle and the best part of the day. The climb to Huong Tich cave is on stone steps and uneven paths, in humid weather, so moderate fitness is needed, and the trip is not suitable for wheelchairs. Temples are working places of worship, so cover shoulders and knees, and bring a wrap or skirt if you wear shorts. Drinks are sold in small shops along the way.
Making the most of it
Choose your season with care. The pilgrimage festival in the first months of the lunar year brings tens of thousands of visitors, and a reviewer who went during Tet reported huge crowds, so avoid late winter and early spring if you dislike queues. Autumn and early winter are quieter and cooler. Wear shoes with grip, bring water and cash for tips, and eat a good breakfast. If you have time for only one rural day trip, Ninh Binh offers more dramatic scenery, while the Perfume Pagoda gives more religious atmosphere.
If your timetable allows only one temple-focused excursion outside Hanoi, consider what you want from it. The Perfume Pagoda is about devotion, incense, steps and a river, while the city sights are about history and architecture. Many visitors find that the quiet rowboat ride and the climb make the day feel like a small pilgrimage, and they go home with a better sense of how Vietnamese Buddhism is practised, especially if the guide explains the rituals and offerings you see.
What to expect
The experience
A guided full-day trip by coach and rowboat, with a climb to Huong Tich cave, the Perfume Pagoda, Thien Tru Pagoda and a local lunch.
Best time
Autumn and early winter, when it is cooler and quieter; avoid the busy festival season early in the lunar year.
How long
About ten hours, meeting at 7:50 and returning in the early evening, depending on traffic.
Tips
Wear shoes with grip, cover shoulders and knees for the temples and bring cash to tip your rower.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Travellers who want a river, a pilgrimage and limestone scenery in one cultural day trip.
- Families
- Fine for children who can manage a long day and some steps, but not suited to wheelchairs.
- Couples
- The slow rowboat ride along the Yen River is the romantic highlight.
- Pair with
- A quiet evening at the water puppets and a late dinner in the Old Quarter.
- Time needed
- A full day.
Good questions
How long is the Perfume Pagoda trip from Hanoi?+
The tour is described as about ten hours, including roughly an hour and a half each way by coach and an hour on the river. Evening return depends on traffic.
Is the climb to Huong Tich cave hard?+
It involves stone steps and uneven paths in humid weather, so moderate fitness is needed. A cable car is available for some options.
When is the Perfume Pagoda busiest?+
The festival season early in the lunar year draws huge crowds. Autumn and early winter are quieter and cooler.
What should I wear?+
Comfortable shoes with grip, and clothes that cover shoulders and knees for the temples. A wrap or skirt is useful if you wear shorts.
Can I cancel the trip?+
You can cancel up to twenty-four hours before the trip for a full refund.
