A print of a narrow village lane between old walls: a clay-red laterite wall on the left, an ochre wall on the right and a paved path running away to a few roofs and a palm. — The laterite laneOchre, River clay, Shutter green, key blockĐường Lâm, Sơn TâyLine drawn by FLUX.2 [klein] 4B, an image model, after a photograph by Quangpraha, Photograph by Quangpraha, CC0. Cropped for this site.

A photograph of a narrow village lane between old walls: a clay-red laterite wall on the left, an ochre wall on the right and a paved path running away to a few roofs and a palm. — The laterite laneOchre, River clay, Shutter green, key blockĐường Lâm, Sơn TâyLine drawn by FLUX.2 [klein] 4B, an image model, after a photograph by Quangpraha, Photograph by Quangpraha, CC0. Cropped for this site.

Further out

Laterite and rice

Đường Lâm, an old village of laterite walls and wooden halls.

Length: Full day
Starts: 07:30
Group: Up to 8
From: USD 85 a guest

What happens

Đường Lâm is an old village of laterite walls and wooden halls, about 45 km west of the city, in Sơn Tây. It was the first village in Vietnam recognised as a national historic and cultural relic. People live there, and we go into houses only where a family has agreed.

07:30
We leave the lake in a small van, eight seats at most.
09:00
The lanes of the village, between walls cut from laterite, a red-brown rock-like soil that is quarried in blocks.
10:15
A family house: its hall, its yard, its water jar.
11:30
The shrine of King Ngô Quyền, who was born in the village.
12:30
Lunch at a family's table: rice, pork, greens from the yard.
14:30
Rice fields and lotus ponds on foot.
17:30
Back in the city in time for dinner.

Included: Transport in a small van; Lunch at a family's table; A guide for up to eight guests.

What you will see

Photographs, graded to look like one shoot. Select one to see it larger, with its credit.

Good to know

What to wear

A sun hat, and closed shoes: the lanes are brick and earth.

Walking

About 6 km at a village pace.

Children

From 8.

Access

The lanes are uneven, and some houses have steps.

Temples and dress

Cover shoulders and knees at the shrine.

The weather, by season

Xuân February to April: highs 22 to 29°C, about 53 mm of rain a month.
Hạ May to August: highs 33 to 35°C, about 239 mm of rain a month.
Thu September to November: highs 27 to 32°C, about 148 mm of rain a month.
Đông December and January: highs 20 to 21°C, about 20 mm of rain a month.

Láng station normals, 1991 to 2020. The four seasons

Where we meet

The east bank of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, on Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, by the entrance to the Ngọc Sơn temple bridge.

The van leaves at 07:30.

Open in Google Maps (new tab)Open in OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Hoàn Kiếm, east bank. We link to maps; we do not embed one.

Cancelling

Cancel up to 48 hours before the start for a full refund. Between 48 and 24 hours, half is refunded. Within 24 hours, nothing is, unless we cancel: then you are refunded in full, or moved to another day.

Sample terms. The cancellation policy