Mu Cang Chai – Rice Terraces Treks
Located at the gateway to Mu Cang Chai, Lim Mong Valley owns a vast system of rice terraces from the bottom to the top of the hills, with the center being the Nam Lung stream. Surrounding the valley are high mountains and ancient forests where the Hmong live scatteredly and hiddenly in the clouds. During this trip, we will walk along the pathways, through the high Hmong villages, at the foot of the old forests, sometimes walk between the rice terraces, and finally follow the streams back to the valley. This trek might be relatively easy but requires certain physical strength under the guidance of a local familiar with the terrain.
It’s possible to combine Paragliding over rice terraces with this trip. The activity can occur on the afternoon of day one or the morning of day 3 of the tour. We recommend you register for day 1 if unfavorable weather occurs; the experience can be rescheduled to day 3.
Trekking in Mu Cang Chai
Highlight
- Discovering the famous Mu Cang Chai’s rice terraces, the most beautiful rice terraces in Vietnam, “one of the most beautiful rice terraces in the world”;
- Wallowing yourself in Thai culture with stilt houses by the stream, delicious food and incredible music;
- Enjoying authentic local meals harvested directly from farm to your plate;
- Trekking along the unspoiled roads prepared by veteran guides which are through the high rice terraces, close to the primeval forests;
- Experiencing fresh and original life in one of the most majestic valleys in the Northwest, Lim Mong Valley;
- With your trip, you are supporting the local community through a community-based tourism project.
Trekking in Mu Cang Chai
| Destination |
Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai, Vietnam |
| Included |
- Accommodation as mentioned in the program
- Meals as specified in the program
- Travel in an appropriate air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver
- Half-day trekking with the services of one local guide
- 1 handicraft workshop (either Indigo dyeing, Beeswax painting, or Bamboo weaving, depending on the availability of materials and host)
- Herbal foot bath
- Folklore musical performance (applied for groups of 2 people and above)
|
| Excluded |
- Hotel in Hanoi
- Beverages, gratuities and personal expenses
- Personal expenses (drinks, souvenirs, etc…)
- Trekking gears (backpack, shoes, etc …)
- Individual Insurance
- VAT and other taxes
|
 Travel by car |
What to bring
- Swimming suit
- Sun & rain gear (including sunscreen and brimmed hat)
- Warm clothes in winter (mid-November to early March)
- Insect repellent
- Walking shoes/sandals
- Original passport
Price per person and based on private group
|
Group of
|
1 pax |
2 pax |
3 pax |
4 pax |
5 pax |
6 pax |
7 pax |
8 pax
|
| Price per person |
VND 14,130,000 |
VND 8,630,000 |
VND 7,170,000 |
VND 5,820,000 |
VND 4,995,000 |
VND 4,625,000 |
VND 4,225,000 |
VND 3,920,000 |
Discount for larger group is available; please contact our travel consultants at:
lam@dcttravel.vn or send us inquiry through the contact form
Details
Meal: lunch, dinner | Accommodation: Village stay at a traditional house-on-stilts | Trek distance: 6 km ~ 2 hours - Grade: Easy
Homestay beds in Mu Cang Chai
Departing early in the morning from Hanoi, a tour guide and a car will pick you up from your hotel at 7.00 am and we will depart for Mu Cang Chai along Lang Hoa Lac Highway and Highway 32.
After more than 2 hours, stop to rest at Thanh Son tea plantation in Phu Tho. Here, on both sides of the road are the immense tea fields. You can visit the tea plantation and take some photos.
Continue to follow Road 32 with stunning scenery on both sides, especially along the distance from Nghia Lo to Tu Le. At the gate of Mu Cang Chai, the car will follow a small path leading you to It Thai village which is a beautiful small village located on the bank of a stream in Lim Mong valley. The homestay owner in the village will welcome you into their house. Have lunch and take a rest.
In the afternoon, you will be taken to visit the village, then walk together up to Xe Xang village, along the mountainside into the bamboo forest, and then down to It Thai village.
Welcome by Thai local family
Enjoy the dinner prepared by the Thai’s ingenuity. After dinner, enjoy the colorful Xoe dances of Thai women. Overnight in a shared stilt house.
Your accommodation is provided by a local family in their traditional house on stilts. There’s no private room and you’ll sleep on the floor in a large communal area. The sleeping corner is set up with a single mattress (thin, but adequate), blankets (ditto), pillow, and mosquito net. The restroom is at international standard and a few steps from the main house.
A private stilt house is available in case you want more privacy. Please check with our travel consultant for its availability and surcharge fee.
Meal: breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner | Accommodation: Village stay at a traditional house-on-stilts | Trek distance: 15 km ~ 6 hours - Grade: Intermediate level
Depart early in the morning, the motorbike taxi will take you from It Thai village to Ta Dong village, where we will start trekking. On the way, you will be able to admire the whole Lim Mong Valley in the morning, the scene of bustling local people starting their working day in the open field.
Admire the whole Lim Mong Valley in the morning
From Ta Dzong village, we will go along a narrow path into the small creek of Nam Kim Stream. Along the way, you will see the mountains, winding streams, and rice terraces of the H’mong.
After more than 1 hour of walking, we will rest at the big creek of Nam Kim Stream. Then, cross a tiny suspension bridge, follow the road with rice terraces on both sides, and head up to Khao Nha Duoi village. This is a village of H'mong people who live high up in the mountains, near the wild forests, hence they still preserve a deeply rooted lifestyle. Have a picnic lunch or stay at a homestay in the village for lunch.
After lunch, we will continue to be on the road. If there is enough time, we can visit a waterfall with water pouring down from the top of the mountain.
Trekking trail in Mu Cang Chai
After 2 hours of walking, we will reach the intersection of three streams: Nam Kim, Nam Lung, and Mong Han. Continuing to cross the stream, follow the mountain, return to Lim Thai village, and then be back to It Thai village. After dinner, soak your body in the hot wild-leaf water to relax after a long day of trekking. Overnight in the shared stilt house.
Meal: Breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: not any
Experience local life with Thai people in Mu Cang Chai
Enjoy a leisurely morning in the fresh air of the village to help restore health after a long day of walking. Or you can use the last morning of the excursion to wake up early, go uphill to admire the sunrise over the valley, and hunt for beautiful pictures.
Lunch at homestay (or in Nghia Lo town if you prefer) before saying goodbye to your host family and returning to Hanoi. On the way back, we will have a short break at Xuan Son National Park to see the unique beauty of the ancient forest on limestone mountains with high biodiversity and specific cultural features of local ethnic groups. Return to Hanoi at around 6.00 pm. End of our services.
