Vietnam's 10 Highest Mountains (and the Hardest Trek That Didn't Make the List)

Search for "Vietnam's 10 highest mountains" and you'll find plenty of articles ranking the peaks by height. Instead of ranking them one by one, we wanted to try a different view: put all 10 peaks on the same map and see where they are, and what their location tells you.

The short answer: Vietnam's highest mountain is Fansipan (3,143 m), which is also the highest peak in Indochina. These are the country's 10 highest peaks:

1. Fansipan - 3,143 m
2. Pu Si Lung - 3,076 m
3. Pu Ta Leng - 3,049 m
4. Ky Quan San - 3,046 m
5. Khang Su Van - 3,012 m
6. Ta Lien Son - 2,996 m
7. Ta Chi Nhu - 2,979 m
8. Po Ma Lung - 2,967 m
9. Nhiu Co San - 2,965 m
10. Chung Nhia Vu - 2,918 m

The first thing you notice is that all 10 are in northern Vietnam. If you love mountains, this is the region to start with. People usually think of central and southern Vietnam for beaches, while the north stands out for its high mountain ranges and the country's tallest peaks.

That's a generalisation, of course. The south has mountains worth exploring too, and the north has its own distinctive coastline, from Hạ Long Bay to Cát Bà Island. But when it comes to height, the north is clearly ahead.

Look more closely at the map and something else stands out: the 10 peaks aren't spread evenly across the north. Most are packed into a fairly small area of the northwest, around the border region of Lào Cai and Lai Châu. Eight of them fit within about 60 km (measured as a straight line between the two furthest peaks), and four sit right on the Vietnam-China border.

On the map, the peaks look close together, but each route has its own trailhead, terrain and paperwork. Where a peak sits shapes the whole trip: where you start walking, where you sleep on the mountain, what permits you need and, for foreign visitors, whether climbing it is straightforward or complicated.

This isn't a first-hand account of climbing each peak. Instead, it puts all 10 side by side, plus one special case, and compares them: how high, how hard, how many days, where you sleep, what permits you need and what you'll see along the way.

Why Are Almost All of Them in One Corner?

Most of the peaks belong to the Hoàng Liên Sơn range, home to Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina. The range runs northwest to southeast through Lào Cai and Lai Châu, with connecting massifs extending up to the Chinese border. Pu Si Lung is the exception: it stands on its own in Mường Tè, far to the west.

Measured from each peak's coordinates, almost every one sits right on a boundary line:

• On the Lào Cai - Lai Châu provincial boundary: Fansipan, Pu Ta Leng, Ky Quan San, Ta Lien Son and Nhiu Co San.
• On the Vietnam-China border: Pu Si Lung, Khang Su Van, Po Ma Lung and Chung Nhia Vu.
• The last one, Ta Chi Nhu, sits at the southern end of the Hoàng Liên Sơn range, almost 100 km from Fansipan, on the boundary between the former Yên Bái province and Sơn La.

In mountain regions, boundaries are often drawn along ridgelines, where water drains to either side. That's why Vietnam's highest ridges also double as dividing lines, between provinces and between countries.

The map shows all 10 peaks. Eight of them crowd together around Sa Pa, so tap "Zoom to the Sa Pa cluster" to see them apart.

Based on their distance from the border, the peaks fall into three groups. Location gives you a sense of how simple or complicated the paperwork will be, but always check the current rules with your tour operator before each trip:

• Peaks well inside Vietnam: usually a normal guided tour.
• Peaks in between: close to the border, extra paperwork may be needed.
• Peaks right on the border: a border-area permit is mandatory.

The 10 Peaks Compared

Difficulty uses SoloInVietnam's own 1-10 scale, based on distance, number of days, steepness and whether there are rope or ladder sections. Roughly: 1-3 easy, 4-5 moderate, 6 moderate to hard, 7 hard, 8-9 very hard, 10 the hardest.

All distances are return: from the start of the walk to the summit and back.

"Foreign visitors" column: ✅ normal guided tour, ⚠️ check with your operator first, 🔴 complicated permit process.

Permit and price information updated October 2026.

Group 1: Five Peaks Inland

These five sit further from the border, at least 10 km or so away. Tour operators run them regularly, and foreign visitors can usually join a normal guided tour. For Pu Ta Leng, though, ask about permits first. From easiest to hardest:

Ta Chi Nhu (2,979 m) - 4/10. Often described as the most beginner-friendly of the group: about 20 km return, with 6-8 hours to climb to the summit, steadily uphill but with few hands-on sections. Unlike the others, the summit is a bare grassy hill with no forest cover, so the sunrise, sunset and cloud-sea views are wide open. Purple Chi Pâu flowers bloom in September, which is also when it's busiest. No border permit is needed; you only register at Xà Hồ commune and the forest ranger checkpoint.

Ta Lien Son (2,996 m) - 5/10. Most trekkers take a xe ôm (motorbike taxi) from Tả Lèng village to the forest edge, then walk about 18 km return. Fit trekkers can do it in one long day; most take 2 days 1 night. The forest walk is fairly gentle, but the final section is steep, with around 10 rope sections. The highlight is a "fairy-tale" forest of moss-draped ancient trees, with red maples in late November. There's only one water source on the route, so carry plenty.

Fansipan (3,143 m) - from 1/10 to 7/10. Vietnam's highest peak is also the easiest to reach, thanks to the cable car. If you trek, the Trạm Tôn route is the most popular and easiest, about 22 km return over 2 days 1 night. The Cát Cát route is about 30 km return over 3 days 2 nights, and noticeably harder - read what it was like in Fansipan Before the Cable Car. A licensed guide is required for any Fansipan trek.

Ky Quan San (3,046 m) - 6/10. About 30-34 km return, almost all uphill on the way in, with an exposed ridge and a few rope sections near the summit. No technical skills needed, but you do need good fitness. Many people choose Ky Quan San for Núi Muối (Salt Mountain), a 10-minute walk from the 2,100 m hut and one of northern Vietnam's best-known spots for cloud seas, best from November to January. It's a popular route, and the Núi Muối hut often fills up.

Pu Ta Leng (3,049 m) - 7/10. About 25 km return, 2 days 1 night for strong trekkers or 3 days 2 nights for average fitness, with 6-10 hours of walking a day. Steep, with rock scrambles, rope sections and very slippery wet rocks. Not for first-time trekkers without training. The reward is ancient rhododendron forest with more than 30 species, flowering from February to April. Foreign visitors do climb it on guided tours, but whether a separate permit is needed depends on local rules at the time, so check with your operator before booking.

Group 2: Nhiu Co San, the In-Between Peak

Nhiu Co San (2,965 m) - 5/10. In terms of difficulty, this is one of the more manageable peaks: about 20 km return over 2 days 1 night. Day one is 5-6 hours from the village to the huts at around 2,500 m; on day two you set off before dawn to reach the summit for sunrise over the cloud sea. Along the way, Ông Chúa waterfall drops in tiers over moss-covered cliffs.

Nhiu Co San is only about 5 km from the border, inside a restricted border area, so foreign visitors may need extra paperwork. Contact your tour operator early to ask whether a permit is needed and who will arrange it.

Group 3: Four Peaks on the Border

These four peaks sit right on the Vietnam-China border. All four require a border-area permit, and they are also the four least-visited routes in the table.

Khang Su Van (3,012 m) - 7/10. Also known as Phàn Liên San. About 20 km return; the first two-thirds are fairly easy, but the final third is very steep, with some pitches over 80 degrees. The highlight of the route is border marker 79 at around 2,880 m, often described as the highest border marker in Vietnam. There are no huts near the summit, so groups camp at around 2,500-2,800 m. The trail has many forks and it's easy to get lost. Here even Vietnamese trekkers need a permit, from the Lai Châu provincial military command, which is then submitted at the Vàng Ma Chải border guard post.

Chung Nhia Vu (2,918 m) - 7/10, or 9/10 as a combined trip. Almost nobody climbs Chung Nhia Vu on its own. Most combine it with Po Ma Lung, adding about 3 hours from the junction. The summit has no wide view; people come for the forest. Far from villages and managed by the Border Guard, it has stayed almost untouched, with trees around 50 m tall. The final stretch follows the border, near markers 83, 84 and 85.

Po Ma Lung (2,967 m) - 9/10. One of the hardest treks in Vietnam. About 30-40 km return; the climb from the foot of the mountain to the forest camp alone takes 8-9 hours, followed by the infamous "3-hour slope" at around 70 degrees. The trail is wet, full of leeches and has many slippery stream crossings. On top of the border permit, you must register with the Bản Lang commune office, pay a local fee, sign a written commitment listing everyone in the group and take at least one local porter.

Pu Si Lung (3,076 m) - 9/10. Vietnam's second-highest peak, often called the toughest of the peaks over 3,000 m. About 40 km return over 3 days 2 nights to 4 days 3 nights, on steep, muddy forest trails with rock scrambles and many stream crossings. The summit is wooded, so views are limited. The scenery is on the way up: primeval forest, the wide and clear Nậm Sì Lường stream, a cloud sea when the cloud sits low, and border marker 42 at around 2,800 m. The permit comes from the Lai Châu Provincial Border Guard Command, and you then register at the Pa Vệ Sử border guard post.

Beyond the Top 10: Vietnam's Hardest Trek

In practice, Vietnamese trekkers tend to talk about the top 15 rather than the top 10. The next five peaks - Lung Cung, Nam Kang Ho Tao, Phu Sa Phin, Lao Than and Ngu Chi Son - are all in the north too.

Among them, Nam Kang Ho Tao (2,881 m) is talked about for its difficulty rather than its height. It's regularly listed among the hardest treks in Vietnam, and many call it the hardest.

It sits in Hoàng Liên National Park, on the boundary between Lai Châu and Lào Cai, about 25 km southeast of Fansipan, in the same Hoàng Liên Sơn range as the cluster on the map above.

Nam Kang Ho Tao is lower than every peak in the table, yet its total ascent is among the largest, because the trail keeps dropping into stream valleys and climbing back out. Fansipan is the opposite: the highest, but reachable at 1/10 by cable car. Height and difficulty are two different measures. On Nam Kang Ho Tao, the difficulty comes from the terrain:

• About 31 km return in and out from the Lai Châu side, or 40-42 km as a 3-day traverse into Lào Cai. Total ascent is close to 3,000 m.
• Around 80% of the trail is rock, wet boulders or stream crossings.
• The "3-hour slope" is a stream bed of knee-high boulders, about 1.3 km with roughly 650 m of climbing - far more dangerous on the way down, especially after dark.
• Cliff sections have fixed ropes and wooden ladders.

Foreign visitors can climb it. Unlike the four border peaks, Nam Kang Ho Tao is almost 40 km from the border and needs no border permit. Procedures for foreign visitors are still strict, though, so book through an established tour company that will handle the paperwork and porters. Don't attempt it without a local porter or guide. Tour details, prices and itineraries are on the Nam Kang Ho Tao page.

There are two pơ mu wood huts on the mountain, each sleeping about 40 people, opened in 2023. Almost the whole route is under forest cover, so cloud seas and wide views are rare. People come to Nam Kang Ho Tao for the challenge, not for the summit view.

Which Peak Should You Choose?

• Want to stand on the Roof of Indochina without trekking: Fansipan by cable car.
• First high-altitude trek: Ta Chi Nhu. Then Ta Lien Son, Nhiu Co San or Fansipan via Trạm Tôn.
• Hunting for cloud seas: Ky Quan San or Ta Chi Nhu. Cloud seas depend on the weather - going in the right season doesn't guarantee one.
• Love forests and flowers: Pu Ta Leng in rhododendron season (February to April, varying by year).
• Experienced and want to reach a border marker: Khang Su Van or Pu Si Lung - sort out the permit early.
• Don't care about height, just want the hardest route: Nam Kang Ho Tao, or Po Ma Lung combined with Chung Nhia Vu.

Before You Go

Season. For most peaks, the best window is September or October through April. Avoid the rainy season from June to August (May for some routes): streams rise, trails turn to mud and rocks get slippery. December and January are very cold, with possible frost on the summits.

Go with a porter or guide. None of these peaks should be climbed alone. Many trails have no signposts, the weather changes fast and there's almost no phone signal on the mountains. On Po Ma Lung and Chung Nhia Vu, a local porter is mandatory.

Tour operators. Most routes in this article have all-inclusive tours, usually covering porters, meals, accommodation and transfers, from about 2.7 to 9 million VND per person depending on the peak (2026 prices). Operators running these routes include Tổ Ong Adventure, Viettrekking, Wild Adventure and Travel Up. Some charge about 1 million VND extra per person for an English-speaking guide. Specific tours and prices for each peak are on that peak's location page.

Book early. On weekdays, book at least a week ahead. For public holidays, Tết and flower seasons, book a month ahead.

Want High Mountains? Look to the Northwest

For mountain lovers, this is good news: Vietnam's highest peaks aren't scattered across the country but concentrated in one region. Most routes start from around Sa Pa, Lào Cai or Lai Châu city, though a few, like Pu Si Lung, are a long way further.

Before choosing a peak, go back to the map at the top. Peaks well inside Vietnam are a matter of booking a tour. Peaks on the border need extra time for permits. And if what you're after isn't height but challenge, the best trek might not be in the top 10 at all.

How This List Was Compiled

Heights and rankings. Heights follow the figures on SoloInVietnam's location page for each peak. Rankings in the lower half of the list vary slightly between sources, and some peaks have more than one published height.

Location and borders. The distances to provincial boundaries and the Vietnam-China border were measured from each peak's coordinates, using pre-2025 provincial boundary data.

Trek details. Distances, number of days, huts, permits and prices come from our location pages, reviewed in October 2026. These are based on current listings from tour operators running the routes and on recent reports from trekkers. Conditions and rules change, so always confirm with your operator before you go.