Do Quyen Waterfall

Do Quyen is among the tallest waterfalls in Vietnam, and the honest version of the height question goes like this: it is commonly cited at around 300 metres, published figures vary, and the operator that runs trips on the falls does not publish a number at all. Whatever the exact figure, it is a very long drop off the edge of the Bach Ma massif about 40 km south of Hue, and there are two ways to meet it: a free viewpoint reached on foot with park entry, or a set of guided rope activities that put you on the face of the falls itself.

The free version first. From the Bach Ma summit road a stone staircase of several hundred steps descends to a viewpoint on the falls, covered by the standard park entry fee of 60,000 to 65,000 VND. The catch is not the way down but the way back: several hundred steps in mountain humidity is a genuine workout, and it is the section of the day everyone underestimates. Carry water, take it slowly, and remember that the Five Lakes pools connect to the same trail network if you want a cold swim as a reward afterward.

The guided version turns the waterfall into a route rather than a view. On the one-day Bach Ma Discovery trip, 4,500,000 VND from Hue with a minimum age of 9, a 130 metre suspension bridge crosses the face of the falls, a via ferrata of 301 steel rungs climbs the rock beside the water, and an 85 metre zipline crosses back over the top. Nothing on that day requires prior experience; the rope work is clipped and supervised throughout, and pickup is included from the Hue area.

The two-day version is a different order of commitment. The Do Quyen Waterfall Top Adventure, 11,250,000 VND with a minimum age of 12, descends 200 metres of the waterfall by canyoning, on ropes, with the spray in your face. Before anyone goes over the edge, the guides run training on a 7 metre fall so the technique is learned somewhere forgiving first. It is the only way to be on the full height of the falls rather than beside or above them, and it is the closest thing the Hue area has to a full expedition.

Timing is a real decision here. The waterfall carries its most dramatic volume in the wet months from September to December, which are exactly the months when fog closes in, rain gets heavy, flash flood risk is real and the rope activities are least safe. January to August is the window that works. The drier months mean a slightly tamer waterfall but a far better and safer day, and there is no version of this where you get peak flow and safe ropes together; pick the season for the activity, not the spectacle.

Getting there means getting to Bach Ma, about an hour by road from Hue, with entry paid at the park gate. The guided trips include pickup from the Hue area only; from Da Nang it is about 2 hours each way with your own transport. Independent visitors use the summit road to reach the staircase trailhead. One warning for anyone cross-referencing guides: the Gio waterfall in the Phong Nha Botanic Garden, several hours north, is about 30 metres tall and gets confused with Do Quyen surprisingly often. They are entirely different places. This is the tall one, and the only one you can descend on a rope.

Don't miss

• Among the tallest waterfalls in Vietnam, commonly cited around 300 metres
• Free viewpoint via several hundred stone steps with park entry
• 130 metre suspension bridge across the face of the falls
• Via ferrata of 301 steel rungs beside the water
• 85 metre zipline across the top
• 200 metre canyoning descent on the two-day trip

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Do Quyen Waterfall

Cheapest way inHue Half Day Tour With Optional Dragon Boat on Perfume River5★ · 169 travelers3-6 hoursFree cancellationFrom$29 per personSee dates →Most bookedHue to Dn/ Hoi An with Scenic Stops on the Way (or Vice Versa)5★ · 302 travelersFree cancellationFrom$55 per personSee dates →Top ratedBach Ma National Park trekking deluxe daily tour from Hue4.9★ · 103 travelers~9 hoursFree cancellationFrom$49 per personSee dates →

Good for

Getting there

Know before you go

• The viewpoint is free with park entry, but it is several hundred stone steps down and the same climb back up.
• The suspension bridge, via ferrata and zipline can only be done on a guided tour; there is no independent access to the rope routes.
• The falls are most powerful from September to December, which are also the least safe months for the rope activities. Pick the season for the activity.
• The one-day trip covers the bridge, rungs and zipline; the 200 metre canyoning descent only happens on the two-day version.
• The two-day trip has a minimum age of 12 and starts with training on a 7 metre fall before the main descent.
• Tours include pickup within the Hue area only.
• Do not confuse this with the roughly 30 metre Gio waterfall in the Phong Nha Botanic Garden, several hours north; they are different places.