The Perfume Pagoda is actually a complex of pagodas built into mountain cliffs located 60 km (2 hour drive) southwest of Ha Noi. This area is the destination for Vietnamese Buddhist Pilgrims during Buddhist festival time which is from the 6th of the first lunar month through the 15th of the third lunar month. In the festival's time, Perfume Pagoda may receive up to 30, 000 visitors/day.

The Perfume Pagoda was built from the 3rd century A.D, but most of the pagodas on the site were destroyed by the French when they came to Vietnam. The current structures left on the site have been rebuilt many times.

The highlights of the trip to the Perfume Pagoda include the rowing boat trip on a river with beautiful scenery, a hiking trip to the top of the mountains and especially of the heavenly atmosphere on a quiet day.

From Ha Noi you can hire motorbike or a car and follow the road to Ha Dong Town of Ha Tay Province. Passing Ha Dong 3km you turn left and drive till the end of the road which is Duc Khe Village or the starting point for the complex of Perfume Pagodas.

At Duc Khe, you'll acquire the entrance tickets and embark on a rowing boat on the Yen Stream to Thien Tru Pagoda. The boat trip is 1h15 minutes and offers surreal country scenery!

Disembark the rowing boat at Thien Tru Pagoda, you'll start the hiking tour along the solo path leading to the top of the mountain where Huong Tich Cave Pagoda is located. Huong Tich meaning the vestige of fragrance is a big cave, claimed to be of the best caves in Vietnam by Trinh Lord in the 17th century. On the way to top, there are many cave pagodas found and normally you can spend a few hours visiting pagodas on the way to the top.

Altenatively you can get on a cable car which offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding nature of the Perfume Pagoda.

Normally the Vienamese pilgrims would tour the complex of Perfume Pagodas in 2 days, they would stay overnight at a local guest house.

Totally the day trip to Perfume Pagoda can range from 8 - 12 hours.