Yen Vi river is a starting point how to get to the Perfume Pagoda.
Yen Vi river or Yen stream (Suối Yến) in the My Duc district – this is a starting point how you can visit Perfume Pagoda buddhist complex (Chùa Hương) in the Huong Son Commune. Perfume Pagoda is one of the most important buddhist worship sites in Vietnam. Yen Vi river is only about 60 km from Hanoi and it is very easily accessible by bus or motorbike.
This place also belongs to the one of the most visited places in northern Vietnam, mainly in the time of Perfume Pagoda festival. From the beginning of January to the end of March of the lunar calendar, the pagoda attracts hundred of thousands of pilgrims and visitors.
Yen Vi river and hundreds of strong rowing local women.
Yen Vi river (Yen stream) has officially 2 ports, where you can board the boat. Lots of strong local women wait for tourists mainly in the main port – Yen Vi port (Bến đò Yến Vĩ), about 1,2 km from the Huong Son bus station (buses to and from Hanoi). After you board the boat they continue to the Trong port (Bến Trong) – it is the main port at the Perfume Pagoda buddhist complex.
This river route is about 3 km long and it takes about 1 hour by boat. These local women take about 4-8 people to the boat (it’s up to you to agree with them) and the price is about 100 000 viet.dongs/pp (it can change).
Yen Vi river is surrounded by the Huong Son mountain range.
This boat trip on the Yen Vi river is quite a relaxing way, we could say – romantic. Probably you will see lots of local people, fishermen, tourists, sometimes blossoming water lilies and certainly wonderful views to the Huong Son mountain range. It is good to know, in which time you will visit this place.
In the festival season (from the beginning of January to the end of March) this place is full of thousands of tourists and vietnamese, so if you want to avoid this season, take another date. A suitable time to visit could be from September to October. It is also possible to visit the Perfume Pagoda by land, but I do not know the direct way how to get there, I recommend to take a boat trip, it is really relaxing.
Perfume Pagoda buddhist complex is the main tourist attraction.
After you come to the Trong port (Bến Trong) you can continue to the Perfume Pagoda buddhist complex and visit lots of buddhist temples, eg. Thien Tru Temple, or you can continue by cable car or walking to the big Huong Tich Cave (Động Hương Tích). Views from the top of these not so tall mountains are beautiful. This area in the Huong Son mountain range is large and if you want to visit all the places, you must reserve the whole 1 day.
How to get from Hanoi to the Yen Vi river and Perfume pagoda?
➜Buy 1-day trip to the Perfume Pagoda in Hanoi. Lots of hotels or travel agencies in Hanoi can provide this trip for you. I recommend to ask at the hotel. 1-day trip to the Perfume Pagoda could cost about $25-35/pp.
➜You can travel by public bus from Hanoi to Huong Son, no.75 (about 1 hour). Bus station in Hanoi – Yen Nghia (Bến xe Yên Nghĩa, 15 km from the city center), bus station in Huong Son (Bến xe Hương Sơn, about 1,2 km from the Yen Vi port).
➜ Travel by motorbike from Hanoi to Huong Son (about 1,5 hour). You can rent a motorbike in Hanoi (about $10-15) and travel on your own (Road 21b, starts at the Ha Dong railway station).
Video from the Yen Vi river in Huong Son Commune: