(Part 1) Top 4 Weekend Picnic Sites Costing Less than 500,000 VND Near Hanoi

With a cost of less than 500,000 NVD/ person, you will have an extremely interesting weekend picnic with the destinations below.

Ham Lon Peak

Ham Lon is the highest peak in Doc Ton mountain range in Soc Son, and is about 40km from Hanoi center. If you choose to travel by motorbike, it takes you only about 1 to 1.5 hours to travel from Hanoi to Ham Lon.

Ham Lon peak

This untouched 426m high mountain peak is a very appropriate place for trekking lovers, even the professional and experienced Fansipan climbers advise that climbing Ham Lon mountain is an effective practice and preparation before conquering the roof of Vietnam. Atop Ham Pig has a spacious and fairly flat ground with many green trees. It is very suitable for camping and making a barbeque party.

If you do not like hiking, you can stop at the foot of Ham Lon mountain, where Ham Lon (also called Suoi Bau) lake is located among the quite untouched green hills of pine and acacia. This is an extremely suitable location for camping and capturing beautiful photos. If camping overnight here, you can watch the dim mist at dawn, or beautiful sight at dusk here.

The pristine Ham Lon lake

In Ham Lon mountain, motorbike keeping service is available with the cost of VND 15,000/vehicle. If you prepare tents and food in advance, it could reduce an expense. Otherwise, in the foothills, there has a shop which demises tents, canvas, sleeping bag, tent chandeliers, fireplaces, grills, pots, bowls and chopsticks with affordable prices: 70,000 VND/ tent/2 person / day, or VND 100,000/ tent /4 person / day ... (the larger the tent is, the cheaper it will be).

Camping near Ham Lon lake

Ba Vi National Park

Ba Vi National Park is situated about 60km from Hanoi. You can come here by motorbikes or by buses; however, if on ride a motorcycle, you will comfortably look at many landscapes. Coming to this lush tropical forest, you will feel extremely comfortable by cool weather, pure nature, and many beautiful landscapes. Also, you can visit Thuong temple worshipping Tan Vien God, the temple of Uncle Ho, Vong Canh peak.

Ba Vi National Park is full of green trees and shade

If you want to stay overnight in Ba Vi National Park, you can prepare the camp and bring food from home (there are many professionally organized campsites here; however, to save money, you absolutely can choose the free campsite). Generally, the place where most people choose to pitch camps is the pine hill in Cot 400. You will experience an exciting evening with surrounding wildlife. Added to this, if going in groups, you can rent houses on stilts with the cost of 2 to 2.5 million VND to stay overnight.

The old church in Ba Vi national park attracts many youngsters and couples to take photographs

Staying overnight and making campfire in Ba Vi National park is an interesting and unforgettable experience

The Admission fee at Ba Vi National Park is 40,000 VND / adult and half the price for pupils, students, and children. If you want to make campfire, you must hire the services for 1 to 1.5 million VND (appropriate if you travel in groups and unions). Parking ticket costs 20,000 VND /automobile less than 10 seats; VND 25,000 for cars over 10 seats; VND 3,000 /motorcycle. If you balance and spend the money reasonably, you absolutely can go for a picnic in Ba Vi at weekend with the cost of about 300,000 VND.