Bac Can Province is a still fairly remote and rural area of Vietnam. It is mountainous; its caves provided refuge for Viet-Minh guerrillas during the Second World War and Indochinese revolution. It has a rich system of inland waterways that may be a center for ecotourism.
On the north, its border is Cao Bang Province, with Thai Nguyen Province to its south. Lang Son Province is on the east and southeast, and Tuyen Quang Province is its western neighbor.