Tam Dao Hill Station

Tam Dao Hill Station, Vinh Phuc Travel Guide

Country: Vietnam
Province: Vinh Phuc

Tam Dao Hill Station is perched on the slope of Tam Dao Mountain Range, in Vinh Phuc Province, in the North West of Vietnam. The town has an average elevation of over 1,000m above sea level and is cool all year round.

The mountains and forests of Tam Dao National Park
The mountains and forests of Tam Dao National Park

Travel Guide to the Tam Dao Hill Station, Vinh Phuc

The untouched nature of the Tam Dao National Park
The untouched nature of the Tam Dao National Park

Geography

Besides, Tam Dao Town is part of Tam Dao National Park which has the total area of  36,883 hectares and which is covered mostly by tropical forests. Since the town is covered in clouds most of the time, from distance and from above we can only see three mountain peaks around the hill station: Ban Thach (1388m above sea level), Thien Nhi (1375m) and Phu Nghia (1400m). Because of this reason, Tam Dao got its name which in Vietnamese means “Three Islands”.

French architecture at Tam Dao Hill Station
French architecture at Tam Dao Hill Station

History

In 1904, the French built Tam Dao into a hill station for the officials of the colonial government to escape the summer heat in the Red River Delta. Tam Dao of the time had 143 hotels and villas with beautiful architecture. All these buildings were destroyed in the war, and what left now of the past are ruins of the once splendid beauties.

The cloud-covered town of Tam Dao
The cloud-covered town of Tam Dao

Travel and Tourism, Tourist Attractions, Things to do

Tam Dao is popular for Vietnamese tourists in the summer and not visited often by the foreign travellers to Vietnam. There are many hotels and guest houses in town, only a few of which provide professional service. Prices in the town are raised to the extremes at weekend during the summer when services are normally booked out.
Bamboo forest near the temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Mountains
Bamboo forest near the temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Mountains
 
While the draw-card of Tam Dao is the cool climate, there are the temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Mountains and the Silver Waterfall that are worth to visit. If you like hiking, then you can climb the steps to the Thien Nhi Peak; the visit requires some good physical efforts and should take a couple of hours.
Fresh nature at the Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc
Fresh nature at the Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc
If you like bird watching and trekking, then there are good places in the forets of Tam Dao National Park. The park authority also offers trips for professionals to learn about the flora and fauna system of Tam Dao.
 
Steps towards Thien Nhi Peak
Steps towards Thien Nhi Peak
 

How to get there

It is 80km from Hanoi to Tam Dao. You can hire a car or motorbike travel to the hill station. It is good flat road most of the time, and it is very steep and meandering road for the last 10km to Tam Dao Town. Paradissa offers relaxing holidays, eco-tours and adventure trips to and around the area of Tam Dao Hill Station and Tam Dao National Park.
 
A French-styled villa at Tam Dao
A French-styled villa at Tam Dao
 
 
 
 
Ruins of French old villas at Tam Dao
Ruins of French villas at Tam Dao
 
 
 

Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc, Vietnam
The Silver Waterfall

Tam Dao Average Monthly Rainfall and Temperatures