Mai Chau Trip Overview
Escape the bustle of the big city and set out on an adventure through the stunning countryside of the north-west of Vietnam. This 7-day adventure takes you off the beaten path on a tour through deep valleys and towering mountains to remote hill tribe villages, cascading waterfalls and quaint colonial towns.
Route: Hanoi – Mai Chau – Son La – Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau – Sapa
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau (L/D)
Day 2: Mai Chau – Dien Bien Phu (B/L/D)
Day 3: Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau (B/L/D)
Day 4: Lai Chau – Sapa (B/L)
Day 5: Trekking In Sapa (B/L/D)
Day 6: Free in Sapa (B)
Day 7: Sapa – Hanoi (B/L/D)
Additional Info
Duration: 7 days
Starts: Mai Chau, Vietnam
Trip Category: Transfers & Ground Transport >> Bus Services
Explore Mai Chau Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Mai Chau, Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam
Escape the bustle of the big city and set out on an adventure through the stunning countryside of the north-west of Vietnam. This 7-day adventure takes you off the beaten path on a tour through deep valleys and towering mountains to remote hill tribe villages, cascading waterfalls and quaint colonial towns.
Route: Hanoi – Mai Chau – Son La – Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau – Sapa
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau (L/D)
Day 2: Mai Chau – Dien Bien Phu (B/L/D)
Day 3: Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau (B/L/D)
Day 4: Lai Chau – Sapa (B/L)
Day 5: Trekking In Sapa (B/L/D)
Day 6: Free in Sapa (B)
Day 7: Sapa – Hanoi (B/L/D)
Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau (L/D)
Stop At: Mai Chau, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh Province
Your driver and guide will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi in the morning before taking you along highway No. 6 to Mai Chau; a small town nestled in the midst of a lust valley surrounded by emerald-green rice fields.
Along the way you can relax and enjoy the views of the amazingly scenic landscape, littered with pagodas and rural villages. We’ll stop for a quick visit to a Muong tribal community, before continuing on through Thung Khe Pass, where you’ll get to enjoy the most spectacular views of Mai Chau Valley.
After lunch in Mai Chau, it’s time to get off the tourist track, and start our trek along the Song Ma River. As you walk, you’ll be constantly surrounded by the magnificent paysage of the valley, and also giving you the chance to experience the culture of the local White Thai people.
You’ll stop in one of these Thai villages for a home-cooked meal with a local family and an overnight stay in their home.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Homestay in Mai Chau
Day 2: Mai Chau – Dien Bien Phu (B/L/D)
Stop At: Dien Bien Phu, Dien Bien Phu, Dien Bien Province
After breakfast with your host family, we will drive you to the village of Son La.
En route we’ll make several stops at various villages inhabited by diverse ethnic minorities, as well as an orchard and tea plantation on the Moc Chau Plateau, famous as the powerhouse of Vietnamese tea production.
After lunch and rest at Son La, we continue along the winding mountain roads through North Vietnam’s stunning countryside, with the clear standout in terms of picturesque scenery being Pha Din Pass, famous for the role it played during the 1st Indochina War.
This charming but intimidating road lies at an elevation of 1300 metres, with no shortage of breath-taking views of the valleys below. According to local legend, the name “Pha Din” means “The Connection between Heaven and Earth”, and it’s easy to see how it gained this name when you see it for yourself.
On arrival in Dien Bien Phu, you will check-in to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Dien Bien Phu
Day 3: Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau (B/L/D)
Stop At: Dien Bien Phu, Dien Bien Phu, Dien Bien Province
We’ll start the trip by visiting a local market where you can meet Thai ethnic people as they shop for necessary supplies. Then visit Dien Bien Phu Museum to learn more about the history and culture of the area before heading to Dien Bien Phu Cemetery where we’ll participate in a minute of silence in honour of the national heroes.
We’ll also visit General De Castries’ Bunker, the Old Muong Thanh Bridge and the serene Nam Rom River. We’ll have a quick rest and lunch then proceed with our drive to Lai Chau while passing a number of ethnic villages.
On arriving at Phong Tho, we’ll cross the fascinating Chinese-built Hang Tom suspension bridge, which hangs over the confluence of the Da and Ma rivers.
From here, the road weaves its way northwards through the picturesque and spectacular Na River Valley, past more ethnic villages of diverse ethnic minorities.
When you arrive in Phong Tho you will be free to spend rest of the day exploring the village by bicycle
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Homestay in Lai Chau
Day 4: Lai Chau – Sapa (B/L)
Stop At: Sapa, Sapa, Lao Cai Province
On the fourth morning you will leave Phong Tho for Sapa.
The road is a bit bumpy at times, but the rough route rewards you with magnificent scenery, including yawning valleys, winding rivers and towering mountains; truly any photographers’ dream. The driver will take you up Tram Som, Vietnam’s highest mountain pass, where you’ll get some amazing views of Fansipan Peak, known as the “roof of Indochina”.
The final stops en-route to Sapa will be Heaven’s Gate and the Silver Waterfall, before arriving at your destination in the afternoon. Sapa is nestled in a sweeping valley near the Chinese border, and is Northwest Vietnam’s foremost travel destination.
Built in 1922 as a French colonial hill station, this quaint town is now a trekker’s paradise, offering hiking routes through terraced rice fields and enchanting hill tribe villages. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore the colourful town on your own before your dinner and overnight stay in Sapa.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel in Sapa
Day 5: Trekking in Sapa (B/L)
Stop At: Sapa, Sapa, Lao Cai Province
This day is entirely dedicated to trekking through Sapa’s breath-taking countryside.
After breakfast at the hotel, we set out on our adventure by heading down Muong Hoa Valley, which is one of Vietnam’s most stunningly beautiful trekking routes. We’ll walk through pine forests, past endless rice terraces and enjoy a picnic lunch along the shore of the river. Once we’ve eaten, we continue on until we reach a small village inhabited by the Zay tribe.
Rounding out our trekking day, we continue to Ta Van Bridge, where our driver will be waiting to drive you back to Sapa for an evening at your leisure.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel in Sapa
Day 6: Free in Sapa (B)
Stop At: Sapa, Sapa, Lao Cai Province
Today you are free to discover Sapa town in any way you see fit.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Sapa
Day 7: Sapa – Hanoi (B)
Stop At: Hanoi, Hanoi
After an early breakfast at the hotel, you leave Sapa for the long and beautiful drive back to Hanoi.
Enjoy many stops en route to savour the beautiful countryside as the landscape changes from arching mountains to the flat plains of the Red River Delta, and eventually the bustling metropolis of Hanoi.
You will arrive back in Hanoi in the late afternoon, where we’ll you off at your hotel.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
