Perfume Pagoda and the incense village: two distinct visits
A Perfume Pagoda combination brings together two different places south of Hanoi. Quảng Phú Cầu introduces bamboo preparation, coloured drying bundles and family workshops. Chùa Hương is the Buddhist temple and cave landscape of Hương Sơn, reached through a route that includes Suối Yến. Choose this day for the change between craft work and a religious landscape, with each stop given its own purpose.
Keep your priorities clear when comparing programmes. The village is a working place where outdoor arrangements depend on weather, while the pagoda visit involves boat travel and stepped paths. If your main aim is time with the camera in the village, compare photography visits before committing your day to the longer combination.
Our picks: Perfume Pagoda combinations
The private-car trip includes the cable car, while the shuttle option includes a boat trip. Check boat and cable car costs on the other trip.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Incense village and Perfume Pagoda
- Cable car fee
- Entrance fee
- Vietnamese cuisine at local restaurant
Private car and English-speaking guide are included; the boat trip costs extra.
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Incense village and Perfume Pagoda by bus
- Boat trip on Yen Stream
- Vietnamese set menu lunch
- Entrance fees
Round-trip shuttle and electric car are included; the cable car ticket costs extra.
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Incense village and Perfume Pagoda visit
- Entrance fee
- Lunch included
- English-Speaking tour guide
Travel is by air-conditioned vehicle; check boat and cable car costs when booking.
Check availability →Village and pagoda combinations from Hanoi
Compare the shuttle outing with its included boat, the private-car route with cable car, and a guided combination with lunch and an air-conditioned vehicle.
Suối Yến by boat within the pagoda route
The boat journey on Suối Yến belongs to the Chùa Hương visit. In the combined shuttle-bus programme, the boat is included alongside entrance fees, return electric-car transport, a Vietnamese set-menu lunch and an English-speaking guide. The cable car costs extra on that programme. These services make it a useful option when the boat journey is a central part of your plan.
The private-car combination takes a different approach to inclusions: its cable car is included, while the boat trip is explicitly extra. Separate the means of reaching the landscape from the services bundled into your tour price. On Suối Yến, wear a life jacket; inspections reported on 25 February 2026 required passengers to do so.
Temples, Hương Tích Cave and respectful visiting
The main route passes through Thiên Trù towards Hương Tích. Temple buildings and the cave are parts of the same religious landscape rather than a promise of a specialist architecture or caving excursion. Allow your attention to move from the surroundings to the places of worship, following the guide’s arrangements for the route.
Wear respectful covering clothing and shoes with grip for steep or stepped paths. Keep quiet in prayer spaces and avoid touching religious objects on your own initiative. Footwear and clothing deserve a place in your planning even if a cable car is included. For a different day focused on making and materials, consider the craft village combinations.
Integrated entry and boat ticket, cable car separate
The official publication of 4 February 2026 gives the adult Hương Tích integrated ticket as 230,000 VND. It combines landscape admission and the boat journey. Do not add a second landscape admission charge when budgeting from that integrated ticket. Use the tour’s included services to distinguish what your package covers from what you will pay separately.
The official publication of 18 March 2026 lists the return cable car at 260,000 VND for adults and 180,000 VND for children. Those are cable car fares, separate from the integrated landscape-and-boat ticket. For a family booking, establish the applicable ticket categories for your party rather than guessing age or height thresholds from the names of the fares.
Shuttle bus, private car or guided vehicle combination
The shuttle combination provides return transport between Hanoi and the pagoda, boat, entrance fees, electric car, lunch and guide. The private-car route lasts ten hours and includes private transfer, an English-speaking guide, entrance, cable car, Vietnamese lunch and bottled water. Its hotel pickup and return are from Hanoi; arrange the exact accommodation address for the trip.
The other guided combination includes an air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking tour guide, entrance fee, lunch and bottled water in the vehicle. Its published duration is 420 to 480 minutes. Select it on those stated services and discuss any additional transport you need for the pagoda route. For exclusive travel with other village itineraries, the private tours guide provides a useful comparison.
September high water and planning the actual travel day
An official report dated 17 September 2026 described high water overflowing the banks of Suối Yến and protective work with sandbags. That report concerns the pagoda destination. Arrange the day’s boat route and practical operation close to departure, especially after heavy rain, rather than treating a past event as a timetable for your visit.
The 2026 festival ran from 18 February to 11 May, with its ceremonial opening on 22 February. These are the dates of that festival, not a fixed annual opening season. Keep the practical questions specific: your departure point, the pagoda route being used, boat arrangements and return to Hanoi. The transport guide separates the journey to the village from your arrival in Hanoi.
Questions about your visit
Which combination includes the boat?
The shuttle-bus combination includes the Suối Yến boat. The private-car combination includes cable car but charges separately for the boat.
What does the official 230,000 VND ticket cover?
The adult Hương Tích ticket published on 4 February 2026 combines landscape admission and boat travel. The cable car is separate.
What should I wear for the pagoda?
Choose covering clothing and shoes with grip for steep or stepped paths. Wear a life jacket on the boat and keep quiet in prayer areas.