Mu Cang Chai Vietnam

• When is the most beautiful seasons in Mu Cang Chai
• How to travel to Mu Cang Chai from Hanoi
• Where to stay in Mu Cang Chai
• What to do in Mu Cang Chai
• Suggested Itinerary in Mu Cang Chai
• What to eat in Mu Cang Chai

Located over 300 km north of Hanoi, Mù Cang Chải is a “must-visit” destination during the rice harvest season in Yên Bái. This highland district in the Northwest captivates visitors not only with its golden rice terraces but also with its hot spring bathing spots, vibrant local markets, lively festivals, and a variety of delicious local specialties.

When is the most beautiful seasons in Mu Cang Chai

Mù Cang Chải is beautiful all year round. In spring, the young rice seedlings shine on the water's surface; during the warm summer months, the terraced fields are a vibrant green against the hills. The most impressive times are during the water pouring season (when rice seedlings are planted) and the ripe rice season (the autumn harvest). The water pouring season falls from late May to early June, when the fields look like "mirrors" reflecting the sky and earth.

From September to October is the golden season in Mù Cang Chải, attracting photographers and tourists to admire the colorful highland landscape. In winter, the fields look like ink paintings of the mountains and forests. At the end of December, the forest peach blossoms bloom profusely.

How to travel to Mu Cang Chai from Hanoi

From Hanoi to Mù Cang Chải is about 300 km—not too far, but the road is more difficult than the ones to Sa Pa and Mộc Châu due to the mountain passes and steep slopes that switch from one route to another. Mù Cang Chải, Văn Chấn, Trạm Tấu, and Nghĩa Lộ town are four western districts of Yên Bái province, located separately on the western side of the Hoàng Liên Sơn - Púng Luông range. To reach here, there is only one main route, which is National Highway 32; the remaining are branch roads suitable only for adventurers and local residents.

By Bus to Mu Cang Chai

• First Option: If traveling from Hanoi, you can catch a bus at Mỹ Đình Bus Station. Buses to Mù Cang Chải mainly pass through Nghĩa Lộ town. A few buses will follow the Nội Bài - Lào Cai Expressway to pick up provincial passengers, but most go via National Highway 32.
• Second Option: Travel by shuttle services provided by resorts. However, there is only one resort here, Mù Căng Chải Resort, which is not yet completed. Therefore, if you want to stay at a resort, you should choose Le Champ Tú Lệ, then rent a vehicle to travel to Mù Cang Chải.

By Private Vehicle to Mu Cang Chai

It is recommended that travelers choose the traditional route via National Highway 32. Suggested itinerary: Mỹ Đình - Nhổn - Sơn Tây - Trung Hà Ba Vì Bridge (or Đồng Quang Bridge turning left from Sơn Tây towards K9) - Thanh Thuỷ - Thanh Sơn Phú Thọ - Tân Sơn Thu Cúc - Ba Khe - Văn Chấn - Nghĩa Lộ town - Tú Lệ - Khau Phạ Pass - Ngã Ba Kim - Mù Cang Chải town. You should start at 5 AM to arrive just in time for lunch. The route from Hanoi via the Nội Bài - Lào Cai Expressway - QL 279 - QL 32 is convenient on the expressway section, but it is 50 km longer and the road conditions are poor.

Where to stay in Mu Cang Chai

Mù Cang Chải mainly offers budget hotels, homestays, dormitory-style lodging, and stilt houses, with few high-end options. Among these, stilt houses and homestays owned by locals are the most common types of accommodation in Mù Cang Chải. The stilt houses have dormitory rooms that can accommodate from 10 to 30 people. Visitors can easily find a stilt house around popular tourist sites such as: Bản Thái, La Pán Tẩn terraced fields, Tú Lệ... These places offer both lodging and dining services as well as small shops beneath the houses.

Hotels are mainly concentrated in Mù Cang Chải town. Budget hotels range from one to three stars, with rooms offering basic amenities such as beds, bathrooms, TVs, and refrigerators. Some new "Ecolodge" style locations (ecological resorts) include: Hello MCC, MCC Eco Lodge in La Pán Tẩn. Alternatively, you can head to Tú Lệ, Nghĩa Lộ where there are slightly more upscale hotels. Additionally, visitors can stay at Hello Mu Cang Chai, Vu Linh Family, Thac Ba, Ngọc Thúy Homestay Mù Cang Chải... with room prices ranging from 100,000 to 700,000 VND per night.

What to do in Mu Cang Chai

Khau Phạ Pass is the venue for the annual paragliding event called the "Flying over the Golden Season" festival. From here, pilots and tourists can experience the thrill of paragliding while enjoying a panoramic view of the Lìm Mông Valley during the rice harvest season. If you are interested, it is recommended to book a tour in advance to secure a spot for paragliding.

Lìm Mông and Lìm Thái Valleys are home to Thai ethnic villages located in the valley right below Khau Phạ Pass—one of the four great mountain passes in Vietnam. Crossing the picturesque suspension bridge leads to small thread-like roads that steeply ascend the mountains. Visiting Lìm Mông in September and October, tourists will be immersed in the golden season with ripe rice fields on both sides of the road.

Tourists can drive through the ripe golden rice fields, admire the peaceful villages during the harvest season, meet locals from children to the elderly, or enjoy playing by the cool streams.

Terraced fields cover more than 2,200 hectares of land in Mù Cang Chải. Of this, 500 hectares have been recognized as a national heritage site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. These areas are located in the three villages of La Pán Tẩn, Chế Cu Nha, and Dế Xu Phình.

Tú Lệ Commune, in Văn Chấn District, Yên Bái Province, is 3 km from Khau Phạ Pass and is famous for its special glutinous rice variety called "nếp tan." When the rice starts to turn golden on the terraced fields, the Thai people in Tú Lệ busily prepare new batches of green rice flakes (cốm) to sell everywhere. Each kilogram of green rice flakes costs 120,000 VND.

Mâm Xôi Hill has been an iconic image of the golden season in Mù Cang Chải for many years. The hill is located in La Pán Tẩn, over 8 km from the town center. The road is difficult, so it is advisable to stop and park your vehicle, then hire a local motorbike taxi to take you up. Additionally, near the hill, there is a buckwheat flower garden, and traditional ethnic costumes are available for rent for photography. At the large Mâm Xôi Hill, if you go to the hut for photos, it costs an extra 5,000 VND per person. Entering the rice fields costs an additional 10,000 VND per person.

Móng Ngựa Hill in Sáng Nhù, more than 2 km from Mù Cang Chải town, features beautifully painted semicircular terraced fields. Each rice harvest season, this place attracts many photographers. The entrance fee for each point is 20,000 VND per adult and 10,000 VND per child. The motorbike taxi fare to get to the site ranges from 60,000 to 100,000 VND per person for a round trip.

Nả Háng Tủa Bamboo Forest The 60-year-old bamboo forest is located 20 km from the center of Mù Cang Chải town. It is also the source of the region's bamboo shoot specialty. The road to the forest is very muddy and steep on rainy days. Tourists usually have to walk or hire a local to drive them up by motorbike because the narrow, steep, and slippery dirt road is not suitable for cars.

Ziplining in Tu Le: The longest zipline in Vietnam is located in the Aeris Hill adventure park in Nước Nóng village, Tú Lệ commune, Văn Chấn district. The zipline has two stages with a total length of 1.2 km, connecting the two districts of Văn Chấn and Mù Cang Chải. The first stage, nearly 1 km long, offers visitors a panoramic view of Tú Lệ Valley and the surrounding mountains. The second stage brings guests down to the pick-up point for the return trip to the adventure park. Currently, Aeris Hill adventure park welcomes visitors all week (except Wednesday) from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM. The ticket price for participating in the games starts at 200,000 VND per person.

Trạm Tấu Hot Springs: Trạm Tấu is about 100 km from Mù Cang Chải, making it a suitable destination if you decide to explore Yên Bái during the rice harvest season. The area features hot springs from natural underground sources that are particularly beneficial for health, especially for those with joint pain. The location also serves as a homestay, so visitors who wish to stay overnight need to book in advance. Not far from the hot spring bathing area, there are free local bathing spots such as Bản Cọi and Bản Hốc.

The hot water from natural underground sources is very good for health, especially for those with joint pain. The place also serves as a homestay, so visitors wanting to stay overnight need to book in advance. Not far from the hot spring bathing area, there are free bathing spots of the locals such as Bản Cọi and Bản Hốc.

Suggested Itinerary in Mu Cang Chai

Day 1: Hanoi - Trạm Tấu Hot Springs

Traveling 220 km from Hanoi to Trạm Tấu takes about 5 hours. Visitors driving themselves by motorbike or car should leave early to arrive around noon for rest and meals. The route is Hanoi - Trung Hà Bridge - Thanh Sơn - Thu Cúc - Văn Chấn - Nghĩa Lộ - Trạm Tấu. Alternatively, visitors can take a bus from Hanoi to Nghĩa Lộ, then call a taxi to reach Trạm Tấu.

Day 2: Khau Phạ - Lìm Mông, Lìm Thái - Tú Lệ - Mù Cang Chải

From Trạm Tấu to Khau Phạ Pass is nearly 90 km, and the road is still quite good, so it takes only about 2.5 hours to travel.

Day 3: Mâm Xôi Hill - Móng Ngựa Hill - Hanoi

The section from Tú Lệ to the center of Mù Cang Chải town is about 60 km, featuring many beautiful terraced fields. However, the most remarkable are the villages of La Pán Tẩn, Chế Cu Nha, and Sáng Nhù.

What to eat in Mu Cang Chai

In Mù Cang Chải, don’t forget to try the local specialties such as sticky rice, forest bee larvae, stir-fried bitter bamboo shoots, grilled black pork, grilled stream fish (pa pỉnh tộp), salmon, Khau Phạ sturgeon, and cải mèo (a type of vegetable).

For snacks to take home as gifts, there’s Tú Lệ green rice flakes. Visitors can watch the locals sift and pound the rice flakes, which cost 90,000 VND/kg during the harvest season. If you want to visit the best Paddy Terrace Fields in Mu Cang Chai, contact us, the leading Vietnam travel agent for the custom tour.