The Ultimate Guide to Mai Chau: Vietnam’s Hidden Gem

Share This Article

Have you ever heard of Mai Chau? To tell you the truth, I hadn’t heard about this rice-terrace countryside escape until I moved to Hanoi — so no judgments here if you haven’t either. 

Having said that, it very quickly hopped onto my radar; it is advertised as one of the most popular nearby trips from Hanoi), and it’s the perfect destination for travelers who don’t have time to veer up towards Sapa or Ha Giang, but still are seeking a taste of Vietnam’s culture out of town. 

Conveniently so, it’s just 3 hours and 20 minutes from the capital city and part of the Hoa Binh Province. Tours run here, and it’s also totally doable as a day trip. I’d 100% recommend three days and two nights for Mai Chau but even if you’ve only got overnight to spare, just do it! 

Home to many ethnic tribes, the traditions and culture are vastly different, too. So you get an unparalleled feel of the country. It’s also a stunning destination if you adore being outdoors! Dive into my Mai Chau Vietnam Guide for everything you need to know before planning a trip here.

When to visit

Honestly speaking, Mai Chau offers something special at any time of year. 

December time is quite chilly, so you have a real wintery mountain feel, and then from May to July, the weather is hot and humid. However, this is monsoon season, so there’s a lot of rain. Many of the things to do in Mai Chau are outdoors, so bear this in mind.

I would say the best time to visit Mai Chau is October — this is when it’s rice harvesting time! And there’s also minimal rainfall. I visited in October, and it was sublime. The weather was cool and not freezing, nor too hot. And, of course, the rice fields were showing off in full force as they were just about to be harvested!  

How to get there

Join a dedicated tour from Hanoi, arriving via minivan or private vehicle. Local buses run here, too. 

You can catch a taxi, but that would work out being the most costly option. Or, if you’re comfortable and experienced, hire a motorbike and turn your trip to Mai Chau into one big adventure!

Where to stay

You have two main options: a homestay or at one of the eco-resorts. 

Both are incredible and offer a unique and special experience. Let’s explore both for this Mai Chau guide. At a local homestay, you feel as if you’re getting a taste of true local Mai Chau living. Join in traditions, like dance performances or taking part in cooking meals. We went for this option and spent the night in a beautiful stilt bungalow (typical of Mai Chau) overlooking the rice paddies. Meal time was shared in an open space and consisted of traditional foods, like banana pancakes and soup for breakfast and freshly caught fish for dinner. 

Homestays vary. I am a creature of comfort, and I took my mom to Mai Chau, so I didn’t want her sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor (very common at homestays) or in a shared bungalow with strangers (also common). But you can choose according to your budget. 

The other option is one of the gorgeous eco-resorts. This is more of a “hotel” experience, yet the eco resorts in Mai Chau retain a natural and authentic charm. You can choose between rooms, suites, or entire villas — it depends on your budget. 

Mai Chau’s Villages 

Home to the Black and White Thai Tribes, the ethnic minority groups of Mai Chau are completely different from the locals of Hanoi, for example. Mai Chau, Vietnam is split into ethnic villages. 

There are two main tourism villages, both home to the White Thais: 

The Lac Village is the most popular and where the bulk of tourists stay, and it’s easy to get around via bicycle here. There’s also a captivating shopping area lined with stalls selling all sorts of textiles, souvenirs, and local food. It’s a shopping extravaganza of note! Pom Coong Village is a two-minute drive or five-minute walk and is very tranquil, with rice paddies in abundance and high mountains as backdrops. 

Other ethnic villages include: 

• Pac Co Village (on Sundays, the famous Pac Co Market trades here). 
• Ba Khan Village (home to Ba Kha Lake, which you can enjoy boating on). 
• Nà Phòn (it’s further out and away from the crowds). 

What to do? 

1. Bike among rice paddies

Sounds simple enough, right? Nine times out of ten, you can use bicycles from your stay and explore the glorious landscapes on bike. Pitstop on the roadsides, hop into the rice fields, walk along the thin terraces, and make sure you don’t fall in or mess up the irrigation lines. 

If you’re lucky enough to be here during harvest season, see the smiling locals at work, or you’ll check them go about their daily business at any time of year, really. Or, you can put some pedal to the metal and cycle into the valleys and up the mountains!  

It makes for the most STUNNING photos — those quintessential Vietnam pics. Another option is to walk from your stay instead. OR, hire an actual motorbike and explore the local terrains. We did this, but that’s because we rode motorbikes every day in Hanoi, and were very comfy on the bike, and put mom on the back of my bro’s. It was classic!  

2. Go for a hike 

Calling all our active, outdoorsy folk. You’re in the right place in Mai Chau! There are plenty of natural trails around, but the ones in Mai Chau itself are relatively flat. If you are looking for a bit of resistance, check out the Na Meo terraced rice fields in the Mai Chau Valley. Here, you can also hike up to the Mai Chau Flag Tower for scenic panoramas (but you can drive up to the Flag Tower, too). For those serious about hiking, consider a pre-arranged hiking tour from Mai Chau. 

For something a little more challenging, make your way into Pu Luong Nature Reserve — but more on that just now. 

3. Day trip to Pu Luong

Pu Luong Nature Reserve remains one of my favorite places in all of Vietnam, and I visited here on a separate occasion to Mai Chau with some friends. But we did this as a motorbike trip, and I nearly jumped out of my own skin on the drive up the mountain — no barricades, just you, a thin path, and a death drop next to you!!! It was one of the scariest moments of.my.life! 

Anyway, it was well worth it! High up in the mountains, it’s like a slice of paradise here. The terrains are similar to Mai Chau, just a hell of a lot more rustic and untouched. Do it as a day trip (it’s just under two hours from Mai Chau, Vietnam) or spend the night. 

With our motorbikes at our hands, we full-on explored the area: home to fairy-like waterfalls (where you expect fae and mystical creatures to reside). A highlight was eating the crispiest fish I have EVER tasted, caught straight out of the stream from our homestay. It tasted like roast chicken — not even kidding! There are also amazing treks in the area. 

4. Chase Waterfalls 

For those after impressive waterfall scenes in Vietnam, well, you’ve come to the right place! A few waterfalls await you. 

The 20-meter-tall Go Lao Waterfall is wonderful for a cooling dip and is about 15 kilometers outta town. Clocking in at over 100 meters (!!!), Tat Nang Waterfall is like WOW and close to Pac Co Village. There’s a hot spring nearby!

5. See how chopsticks are made

Forget your knives and forks, people, in Vietnam (and all of Southeast Asia), the utensils of choice are chopsticks! I’m a chopstick pro, and even though I no longer live in the ‘Nam, I still use them multiple times a week to eat. Anyhoo, see how these multi-purpose kitchen staples are made at a bamboo chopstick factory just outside of town! Witness the artisans at work from start to finish. It’s interesting and informative!

Many pre-organized tours take tour-goers on this excursion, too! 

6. Jungle Brews: Get Festive 

Who’s in the mood for some jungle juice? While rice wine is Vietnam’s go-to booze (and a very potent one at that), sip back on something different at Jungle Brews. 

One of the most localized things you could try, it’s set up by Dat, who manufactures his “jungle juice” from local fermented fruit — so it’s basically fruity wine. Well, actually, fruit-infused rice wine. Sample different flavors, which make a nice difference from the typical clear rice white (which can taste like petrol). Fruits are seasonal and local, for example, wild banana, mulberry, and passion fruit. See how it’s procured, or join in some of the processes. 

7. Rock Climbing Adventures 

When I said Mai Chau, Vietnam was for the outdoors-type, I wasn’t kidding! While you won’t probably ever catch me rock climbing, it’s a mega-popular activity for those who do enjoy feeling like a mountain goat or after an adrenaline-inducing activity. 

Discover routes for novice and advanced climbers, and the best time for rock climbing is the dry months, from October to December. 

8. Cave hunting 

If rock climbing sounds a bit all too much for you, but you’re still keen on a sort of adventure, opt to hunt down the caves of Mai Chau instead. Most of the mountains in this region are made from limestone, and so the caverns around are formed within the karsts you see around you. 

To reach the caves does involve some groundwork, i.e., trekking and climbing (pathways, not rocks), but it’s all part of the thrill! There are two popular and easy-to-reach caves in Mai Chau. 

Mo Luong Cave is enshrouded in a local legend about a dragon, and throughout the cave are dripping stalactites and also stalagmites rising from the ground. 

Roughly 1,000 steps bring you to Chieu Cave, which has this real whimsical feel to it. Parts of the cave open up, almost like a cenote. The two are not far from each other, nor too far from the main town. 

Where to eat

One word of advice: when you’re in the more rural parts of Vietnam, the best places for food, and by the best, I mean the most delicious and authentic, are usually at your homestays or from random streetside food vendors that you pass by. 

Mai Chau is smack bang in the countryside, and so it fits this description to the tee. My best meals in Mai Chau were at our homestay. We ventured to one of the nearby eco-resorts for a meal as well, but my fave was still our homestay. 

Another option is to join a cooking class, either as part of a tour or one offered at your stay. I also loved the food from the vendors at the Lac Village shopping area. All sorts of meat and veg were grilled on the BBQs — very common in Mai Chai, FYI. The Pac Co Market is also another great spot for street food vibes! 

Must-try local foods include: 

• Sticky Mai Chau gingerbread
• Grilled pork (thịt lợn means pork in Vietnamese) skewers. These are sometimes done with rolled pomelo leaves! 
• Banana flower salad 
• Lam rice (bamboo tube shoots filled with rice cooked over the fire), or just sticky rice in general 
• Grilled green jungle veg 
• Buffalo meat 
• River fish 
• Fried bee pupae with bamboo shoots 

Sights to see en route to Mai Chau 

If you’re traveling to Mai Chau, Vietnam via private vehicle or motorbike, you have the freedom to stop where you like. Don’t miss the mesmerizing Thung Khe Pass. It’s 50 minutes from Mai Chau. 

Hoa Binh Lake is also pretty cool and offers water activities like boating and kayaking. It’s 2.5 hours from Mai Chau. 

If you’re looking for your next Northern Vietnam adventure, deep-dive into my Local’s Guide: The Perfect 3-Day Sapa Itinerary for First-Timers

---

Read more of our best insights from around the world

• 
  A Flying Visit to Sin City: One Day in Las Vegas
• 
  10 Best Restaurants In Pattaya: Fine-dining, Views and Beachfront Locations
• 
  The Perfect 10 Day Itinerary for Türkiye: History, Culture and Sea
• 
  6 Best Restaurants in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin for 2025
• 
  7 Best Things To Do In Pattaya: 2-Hours From Bangkok!
• 
  Helsinki vs. Stockholm – Deciding Which Baltic Sea Capital to Visit