Việt Trì travel guide
Hùng Kings' temples above the meeting of the Lô and Red rivers
A former provincial capital northwest of Hanoi, visited for the Hùng Temples on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain, the shrine to Vietnam's founding kings. Come in March to April or October to November, when the climb is comfortable. A day is enough; stay the night only for the temple steps at first light. Prices are low.
Việt Trì stands where the Lô River flows into the Red River, northwest of Hanoi. For decades it was the capital of Phú Thọ province and a factory town, yet the reason Vietnamese travel here is older than any factory: the Hùng Temples on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain, built in honour of the legendary kings said to have founded Văn Lang, the first Vietnamese state.
Pilgrims climb a long stone stairway through old trees, stopping at the Lower Temple, then the Middle Temple, before reaching the Upper Temple near the summit. Any ordinary morning the hill is calm, with families lighting incense and schoolchildren on outings.
Phú Thọ is also the home of xoan singing, a ritual folk song once performed in village communal houses at the start of the year and now on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. Beyond the temples and the river confluence at Bạch Hạc, the town has little for visitors, and that plainness suits a quiet day of history.
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Top things to do in Việt Trì
One major site, the Hùng Temples, plus the river confluence and folk music if you time it right.
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Best time to visit Việt Trì
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 23-29C and modest rain make the stairway up Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain pleasant.
Highs of 32-33C and 190-295 mm of rain a month, wettest in August; climb before 9:00 and carry water.
Highs of 20-22C, lows of 14-16C and very little rain; often grey, but the season of village festivals and xoan singing.
Avoid the Hùng Kings' Commemoration Day (10th day of the third lunar month) unless you want the festival itself; roads from Hanoi jam and the stairway moves at a shuffle.
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Getting there
The Nội Bài to Lào Cai expressway and Việt Trì station
Việt Trì has no airport, so come by road or rail from Hanoi. A taxi from Noi Bai takes about an hour on the Nội Bài to Lào Cai expressway, coaches from Mỹ Đình about an hour and a half, and trains on the Hanoi to Lào Cai line stop at Việt Trì station. Coaches and limousine vans leave Mỹ Đình bus station throughout the day; tell the driver whether you want the town or the Hùng Temples, as some will stop at the junction for the temple complex. The train is slower than the road, with views of the Red River plain. From the station or the coach stop, a taxi to the temples takes around 20 minutes.
- Taxi from Noi Bai (HAN)
- About 1 hour by expressway
- Coach or limousine van from Mỹ Đình
- Around 1.5 hours from central Hanoi
- Station to Hùng Temples
- Around 20 minutes by taxi
- On festival days, police close roads near the temples; leave Hanoi before 5:00 or take the train and walk the final stretch.
Where to stay
Văn Lang park, Hùng Vương avenue or the foot of Nghĩa Lĩnh
Most visitors return to Hanoi the same day, so stay overnight only for an early climb before the tour buses arrive. The simple hotels at the foot of the Hùng Temples are within walking distance of the gate, while Văn Lang park is the most pleasant part of town for an evening walk.
- Around Văn Lang park
- The most pleasant part of town, with a lake and evening walks; a taxi ride to the temples
- Hùng Vương avenue
- Business hotels on the main road, handy for buses and restaurants; traffic noise
- Foot of the Hùng Temples
- Simple hotels within walking distance of the gate, ideal for a dawn climb; booked out at festival time
Getting around
From Việt Trì station to the Lower Temple gate
Take a local taxi or ride-hailing car to the temples, which lie well outside the centre; drivers know the complex as Đền Hùng. Inside the site everything is on foot, up a stone stairway with no lift or cable car, and in town Văn Lang park and the main avenue are walkable. The stairway leads from the Lower Temple past the Middle Temple to the Upper Temple, then down the far side to the Well Temple; rest on the landings. For the confluence at Bạch Hạc, take a short taxi ride to the river. Ask your driver to wait at the temple car park, since return rides can be slow to find on quiet weekdays.
- Taxi or ride-hailing
- Station, town centre and Đền Hùng
- Write 'Đền Hùng' for drivers; the English name rarely helps.
Know before you go
What makes Việt Trì worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The climb to the Upper Temple early in the morning, on stone steps shaded by old trees.
- The festival crowd on Hùng Kings' day, when families bring offerings from every corner of the country.
- Xoan singing, if you catch a performance by one of the local village guilds.
Good to know
- Festival crowds are enormous around the 10th of the third lunar month; arrive before dawn or choose another day.
- Cover shoulders and knees at the temples, and remove hats inside the shrines.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Việt Trì, month by month
Việt Trì reaches 33°C in June, and January sits at 20°C by day and 14°C at night. August brings the most rain, about 295 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Việt Trì (Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology, via Wikipedia).
Up Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain, temple by temple
Việt Trì's main sight is the Hùng Temples complex on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain, an easy day trip from Hanoi. Climb from the Lower Temple past the Middle Temple to the Upper Temple near the summit, then down to the Well Temple, allowing two to three hours, and visit the Hùng Kings museum after lunch.
Leave Hanoi early, by car on the expressway or by train to Việt Trì station, and take a taxi straight to the temple gate. Start at the Lower Temple, where legend says Mother Âu Cơ laid the hundred eggs that hatched the first Vietnamese, and the small Thiên Quang pagoda beside it. Then follow the stone steps up through the forest to the Middle Temple, where the kings are said to have met their officials.
The Upper Temple, near the summit, is where the founding rites were held, and the tomb of the sixth Hùng King stands close by. Come down the other side to the Well Temple, built around a small spring where the princesses are said to have looked at their reflections. Wear shoes with grip, as the steps are uneven and slippery after rain.
After lunch, visit the Hùng Kings museum at the foot of the mountain, which displays bronze drums and tools from the Đông Sơn period. In late afternoon, drive to Bạch Hạc to see the rivers meet, then head back to Hanoi before the evening traffic.
Bánh Chưng, Thịt Chua and Đoan Hùng pomelos
Eat bánh chưng and bánh giầy, the rice cakes of the Hùng legend, then look for Phú Thọ's sour specialities: thịt chua, fermented pork from Thanh Sơn eaten in guava leaves, and cá thính, cured fish from Lâm Thao. In autumn, Đoan Hùng pomelos are sold from roadside stalls on the way north.
The story says a prince named Lang Liêu won his father's throne by offering bánh chưng, a square cake of sticky rice, mung bean and pork wrapped in leaves, and bánh giầy, a round white rice cake. Both are made in quantity for the festival, and some villages near the temples hold cake-making contests.
Phú Thọ's own specialities are worth hunting down in town. Thịt chua from Thanh Sơn is pork fermented with toasted rice powder and eaten wrapped in guava leaves with chilli sauce. Cá thính from Lâm Thao is fish cured in a similar way, sharp and salty. Cơm nắm lá cọ, rice wrapped in palm leaves and eaten with sesame salt, is the simple food of the upland villages.
Đoan Hùng pomelos are thick-skinned and sweet. Phú Thọ also grows tea, served green and strong in the small cafes around Văn Lang park.
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How we research our Việt Trì travel guide
Việt Trì details come from Vietnam Travel, the official e-Visa portal and Wikipedia's Việt Trì article.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Việt Trì.
Timing & weather
Around 30 to 45 minutes of steady climbing from the Lower Temple; allow two to three hours for the whole complex.
On the 10th day of the third lunar month, usually in April. It is a national holiday and the busiest day of the year at the temples.
The best time to visit Việt Trì is Mar to Apr, Oct to Nov. Mild weather for the temple climb; the Hùng Kings' festival falls in the third lunar month, usually April.
- Best: March - April, October - November (Highs of 23-29C and modest rain make the stairway up Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain pleasant)
- Summer: May - September (Highs of 32-33C and 190-295 mm of rain a month, wettest in August; climb before 9:00 and carry water)
- Winter: December - February (Highs of 20-22C, lows of 14-16C and very little rain; often grey, but the season of village festivals and xoan singing)
Getting there
Mỹ Đình. Coaches and limousine vans run all day and take around an hour and a half.
Việt Trì has no airport, so come by road or rail from Hanoi. A taxi from Noi Bai takes about an hour on the Nội Bài to Lào Cai expressway, coaches from Mỹ Đình about an hour and a half, and trains on the Hanoi to Lào Cai line stop at Việt Trì station. Coaches and limousine vans leave Mỹ Đình bus station throughout the day; tell the driver whether you want the town or the Hùng Temples, as some will stop at the junction for the temple complex.
Stay & facilities
Yes, cover shoulders and knees and take off your hat inside the shrines.
General
The original xoan guilds come from villages around Việt Trì, such as Kim Đới and An Thái, and perform mainly in spring; ask locally for dates.
The point near Việt Trì where the Lô River joins the Red River, a historic spot in Vietnamese legend and a quiet place at sunset.
Bronze drums, tools and pottery from the Đông Sơn culture, at the foot of Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain.
Yes, trains on the Lào Cai line stop there, though the road is quicker.
Pork fermented with toasted rice powder, eaten in guava leaves with chilli sauce, a Phú Thọ speciality.
A small shrine on the far side of the hill, built over a spring where, in legend, two Hùng princesses looked at their reflections.
Take a local taxi or ride-hailing car to the temples, which lie well outside the centre; drivers know the complex as Đền Hùng. Inside the site everything is on foot, up a stone stairway with no lift or cable car, and in town Văn Lang park and the main avenue are walkable. The stairway leads from the Lower Temple past the Middle Temple to the Upper Temple, then down the far side to the Well Temple; rest on the landings.
Visa & documents
Citizens of a number of countries, including the UK and many EU states, can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. All nationalities can apply for a single or multiple-entry e-Visa valid for up to 90 days on the official portal.
Health & safety
Vietnam is generally safe. Traffic is the main hazard, and bag snatching from motorbikes occurs in cities.
