The Perfume Pagoda

The Perfume Pagoda is one of the most beautiful places in North Vietnam. It's a Buddhist shrine on the mountain of Huong Tich, at which we arrived after canoeing down the Day River.

The temple is located 70km. south of Hanoi and is not actually a pagoda, but rather a magical complex of temples that seems to emerge from the surrounding jungle. This temple complex is a Mecca of sorts for Vietnamese Buddhists, so much so that they've even added a cable car to help pilgrims avoid the 14-kilometer walk through the thick tropical brush surrounding the temple.

You should dedicate at least an entire day to visiting this temple. It’s located 70km. from Hanoi in the Perfume Mountains, from which it draws its name. The pagoda is in a wonderful natural area and the panoramic views are fantastic.

It's easily accessible by road from the Ben Duco pier. You can reach the actual pagoda via a hike or cable car. The complex consists of the Den Trinh Sanctuary, the Thien Your, Hinh Bopng, Giai Oan, and Than Son pagodas, and the Huong Tich Van Long, Vey Ke, Tuyet Son, and Mau Me cave temples.