Hanoi to Yen Tu Mountain: Private day trip

Main attractions

• The most sacred mountain in Vietnamese Buddhism — Yên Tử rises to 1,068 meters in the Đông Triều range of Quảng Ninh province and has been a pilgrimage destination since the 13th century, when King Trần Nhân Tông abdicated his throne, retreated to the mountain and founded the Trúc Lâm school of Zen Buddhism, the only indigenous Buddhist sect in Vietnam
• The pilgrimage route ascends through 11 centuries of accumulated religious architecture — pagodas, stupas, stone statues and bronze bells punctuate the forested path at intervals, culminating in the Đồng Pagoda (Bronze Pagoda) at the summit, cast entirely in bronze and sitting at the peak of a ridge with views across the Quảng Ninh highlands on clear days

Things to do

• Make the full pilgrimage ascent — the route combines a cable car (two sections available) with walking sections between the pagodas; the full ascent on foot takes approximately 3 to 4 hours each way and is the most meaningful way to experience the mountain, though the cable cars make the upper section accessible to those unable to walk the full route
• Visit the Hoa Yên Pagoda at 535 meters — the most important temple complex on the mountain, set within ancient woodland with a large courtyard, resident monks and the atmosphere of a living religious site rather than a heritage monument

What to eat

• Vegetarian food is the tradition on Yên Tử — Buddhist pilgrimage food of rice, tofu, pickled vegetables and fresh spring rolls is available from stalls along the lower trail and at the pagoda complexes; simple, clean and entirely appropriate to the atmosphere of the mountain