Mai Chau - Valleys & rice fields
Mai Chau is a serene valley situated in the Hoa Binh province, approximately 130 kilometers away from Hanoi and around three and a half to four hours by car.
In contrast to Sapa, Mai Chau can be visited in a single day, though it’s best to stay for two or a weekend. If you enjoy biking and trekking, Mai Chau is the place to go. In the serene valley of Mai Chau, one may observe tiny settlements and stilt homes.
Mai Chau and its surrounding villages are isolated in a valley about 140 kilometers from Hanoi in Hoa Binh province. The valley sits 150 meters above sea level and is bordered by two mountains. The rice fields immediately fascinate you, taking on the role of co-star in the mountain idyll.
Package tours with Mai Chau
$2.095 / per person v. min. 2 pers.
- 21 dage
- Hele året
På denne rejse vil du opleve: Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Mai Chau, Hue og Badeferie i Hoi An
$1.495 / per person v. min. 2 pers.
- 15 dage
- Hele året
På denne rejse vil du opleve: Hanoi, Hanoi City tur, Halong Bay, Mai Chau og Badeferie i Hoi An
The colors are vivid in the spring, but shift to golden hues in the autumn, when the rice fields are about to be harvested.
However, Mai Chau is more than just a breathtaking natural wonder. There are various ethnic groups here, and you may get up close.
Other activities include hiking and cycling tours with breathtaking vistas, meeting ethnic minorities, and watching local farmers working in the rice fields beside the water buffalo, which creates a postcard-like atmosphere. You can also explore the ethnic museum and the 1000-step cave, or simply enjoy the local cuisine and scenery.
The valley’s peaceful and pastoral charm, as well as its green surroundings, are picturesque—almost mystical.
Homestay in Mai Chau
The locals live in stilt dwellings with palm-thatched roofs and bamboo slatted flooring. There is, of course, the option to spend the night in one of these. It is also possible to spend the night in a homestay, which allows you to get to know a white Thai family well.
Dinner is served in the evening, followed by a traditional dance and a taste of the area’s famous rice wine. Rice wine is drank with long bamboo straws in Mai Chau, unlike in Sapa, where it is equally popular but served in little shots.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve, which you can learn more about here, is near Mai Chau. It is also well worth a visit.
Program
- 1 - 2 days
- Private tour
- Mai Chau
- Mai Chau, a small town nestled in the midst of a lush valley and surrounded by emerald-green rice fields, located 130 km from Hanoi. For those who wish to discover the natural beauty and exotic cultures of Vietnam’s hill tribes with limited time, this Mai Chau 1 day tour takes you to the countryside, enjoying breathtaking scenery, immersing yourself in the wonders of Mai Chau valley.
07:45 Pick up at your hotel in Hanoi, head out for Mai Chau. Scenic photo stop along the way and visit the Muong tribes and then Thung Khe Pass for a spectacular view of Mai Chau Valley (vegetarian available).
12:15 Arrive in Mai Chau, relax and have an authentic lunch with a local family of the White Thai tribe and enjoy some free time to acquaint yourself with the villagers.
13:00 ride a bike through narrow village path, see terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of the valley and encountering the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people..
15:00 Say good-bye to the local family and leave Mai Chau back to Hanoi.
19:00 Drop you off at your hotel.
Tour included:
- Private car transfer 2 ways
- English-speaking guide.
- Entrance ticket.
- Meals as indicated.
- Bicycle
Tour excluded:
- Tip til guide og driver
- Drinks
- Travel insurance, tax
This trip to the northwest highlands of Mai Chau brings you a balance of cultural interest and physical activity. We trek and bike through villages in Mai Chau and dine in a White Thai village where we have an opportunity to observe the lifestyle of these ethnic minority groups.
Day 1 HANOI – MAI CHAU VALLEY (L,D)
08:00: Pick you up at your hotel or suggested place in Hanoi then start the trip to Mai Chau.
10:00: Have short break half way to relax, get some drinks or find a rest-room.
11:30: Arrive in Mai Chau. Enjoy scenic photo then stop of Mai Chau valley on the way.
12:15: Enjoy a traditional lunch of local Thai family in the village (vegetarian available).
13:30: Start cycling ride with local tour guide, see farmers working in fields, locals weaving scarves and then visit surrounding peaceful village which is considered as a living museum.
Then have dinner.
19:30: Watch Thai traditional dance in the stilt-house. After dance show, taste Thai traditional alcohol (Ruou can) with the community. Overnight in Ban Lac village.
Day 2 MAI CHAU – 1000 STEPS CAVE (B,L)
07:30: Wake-up to have a wonderful atmosphere. Have tea/coffee and breakfast at homestay.
08:30: Start a hike up to 1000 Step cave and go back to see a local market.
12:00: Lunch and free time to relax before getting on the van to Hanoi.
18:30: Drop you off at your hotel.
Tour included:
- Transportation by shuttle bus
- English speaking guide
- Bicycle
- Meals (1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner)
- Accommodation 1 night in homestay or in bungalow
- Entrance fees
Tour excluded:
- Tips for guide and driver
- Travel insurance
- Beverage
- Other services not mentioned above
Subject to changes in price and program, as well as typographical issues.