A day trip to Perfume Pagoda

If you are making a Hanoi travel plan, you should definitely consider visiting Perfume Pagoda from Hanoi. It is a popular destination for both religious pilgrims and tourists. Perfume Pagoda is absolutely worth visiting if you are interested in exploring Vietnam’s culture and religion. Located about 70 kilometers from Hanoi’s center, this complex is a series of shrines built into a limestone mountain. During the Lunar New Year, thousands of pilgrims make their way to this spiritual site to pray for blessings and good fortune.

Upon arrival, you can hike through lush vegetation to reach Huong Tich Cave, which houses serene Buddhist shrines. Along the way, do not forget to stop and try local delicacies such as steamed sticky rice cakes. At the top, you can take in breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

Afterward, immerse yourself in Vietnamese religious culture at Trinh Temple or Thien Tru Pagoda. You can also check out Huong Tich Grotto, where there is an entrance resembling the mouth of a dragon, before retiring for the day with a cable car ride down the mountain.

The Perfume Pagoda is one of the highlights of the Hanoi area and one of the most important religious sites in Buddhist Vietnam. Every spring, after the Vietnamese New Year, thousands of Vietnamese pilgrims come here to pray for all the health and prosperity they need to get them through the year. The pagoda itself is built into limestone cliffs and can only be reached by boat and foot, as there are no roads into this area. You will glide along scenic waterways and walk up steep mountain paths visiting the pagodas and temples that were built in this area over the last centuries.