TRAVEL GUIDE TO MOC CHAU: NORTHWEST REGION OF VIETNAM

Moc Chau is a stunning highland district of Son La Province. Famous for its breathtaking landscapes, cool climate, and vibrant local culture, Moc Chau has become a must-visit destination for travelers seeking a peaceful retreat and authentic Vietnamese experiences. I will introduce you to the travel guide to Moc Chau, as well as the top attractions in this city.

Moc Chau City

1. Where is Moc Chau?

Moc Chau is located at an elevation of more than 1,000 meters, around 180 km west of Hanoi. It has a varied landscape with undulating hills, verdant tea plantations, and fields of blossoming flowers.

Ethnic minority groups like the Thai and H’Mong call the area home, which enhances its natural beauty with a rich cultural component.

Moc Chau

2. How to get there?

Getting to Moc Chau from Hanoi is relatively straightforward, with several options available:

– By Bus: Direct buses to Moc Chau are available from major bus stations in Hanoi, such as My Đinh or Giap Bat. The journey takes about 4-5 hours, costing between 180.000 to 250.000 VND (7.2 to 10 USD).

– By Motorbike or Car: For adventure enthusiasts, riding a motorbike offers a thrilling experience, allowing you to enjoy the stunning mountain views along National Highway 6. Self-driving by car is also a convenient option for those seeking comfort.

– By Tour Services: Many travel agencies in Hanoi offer organized tours to Moc Chau, which often include transportation, accommodations, and guided activities.

3. The ideal time to visit Moc Chau

With warm weather and flowers and fruits throughout the year, Moc Chau has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The plateau is covered in blooms in January, including peach, plum, apricot, cherry, and blooming tea hills.

Plums start to mature in mid-May, at which point they are harvested and sold to lowland traders. Although it is not strawberry season and there are no flowers in the summer, the pleasant air and variety of outdoor activities make this location ideal for picnics.

Plum trees are grown by people in Na Ka valley, about 6-7 km from Trai Tim tea hill and 16 km from Nong Truong town.



In Moc Chau, the ripe persimmon season runs from August to December each year. Among them, the season for crispy persimmons typically lasts from August to October, while the season for astringent persimmons lasts from October to the end of the year.

In Moc Chau, the white mustard season starts in November. The plateau is adorned with bright yellow wild sunflowers in December.

4. Top attractions in Moc Chau

4.1. Ban Ang pine forest

Ban Ang pine forest is situated 2 km from the centre of Moc Chau town. This location, which spans more than 43 hectares and features a calm lake and a tall, green pine forest that stretches across reddish-brown hillsides, has emerged as a popular camping destination in the northern area.

Ban Ang pine forest with beautiful wings like in a picture.

It can be said that the buckwheat flower season in Moc Chau is one of the most attractive features in the journey to review Ban Ang pine forest. Nestled next to the pine forest, there is also an extremely interesting duck pedaling game by the lake that you should not miss. Being an area covered by the shade of large pine trees, this place becomes an ideal camping spot from its location to its cool weather.

Address: Ban Ang Village, Dong Sang Commune, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM daily.

4.2. Mu Nau Plum Valley

In contrast to other plum gardens in Na Ka or Phieng Khoang, Mu Nau plums have produced quite large, uniformly matured fruits in early May.

A manual transmission motorbike is a better option than a scooter because of the challenging trip to Mu Nau.

Mu Nau Plum Valley

You should only ride alone if you rent a weak motorbike. You can hire a two-way motorbike taxi if you are a bad driver. You are welcome to visit the garden, pick plums, and take photos, but you are not permitted to play with the green plums. Each motorbike taxi costs 120,000 VND.

Address: Moc Chau Valley, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.

Entrance Fees: 20.000 VND/person (0.8 USD)

4.3. Sunflower Garden

Sunflower Garden, since there are no signs, it is hard to discover this new check-in location in Moc Chau, which is deep in the valley.

A hill would be seen when you travel through Km 106 on National Highway 6 towards Son La from the town. That is the route to the valley of flowers.

Sunflower garden

Early in May, the flowers are just starting to bloom, but in just one week, they will be fully bloomed and provide for a stunning backdrop for photographs.

Address: Muong Sang Commune, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 7:00 AM to 5:00 daily.

Entrance Fee: 30.000 VND/person (1.2 USD)

4.4. Moc Chau Tea Hills

Green tea slopes round the whole village of Son La, Moc Chau. Green tea hills and expansive meadows can be seen at Moc Chau Farm, which is just around 7 kilometres from the district centre.

Moc Chau tea hills

 About 15 kilometres from Moc Chau farm town, on the route to Ngu Dong Ban On, is another well-liked location: the S-shaped tea hill, a heart-shaped tea hill.

Address: Nong Truong Town, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.

4.5. Chieng Khoa Waterfall

Chieng Khoa Waterfall, a gravel road leads to the steep stairs of the local water pumping station, from which you may descend to the waterfall. There is a person collecting environmental sanitation tickets before they enter the waterfall to view and take pictures after around 200 stairs.

Chieng Khoa Waterfall is a wild beauty in Moc Chau.



Instead of merely snapping pictures on the coast, the villagers here rent out rafts so that tourists may play or take pictures. For stunning images near the waterfall, girls might choose for bohemian ensembles, such as flowy dresses paired with accessories. To escape the blazing midday heat, you should go early in the morning and avoid wearing high heels because the route down to the waterfall is extremely steep.

Address: Chieng Khoa, Van Ho District, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: open 24 hours.

4.6. Fairy Waterfall

The three floors of Fairy Waterfall each have special qualities of their own. There is a lake on the first level that is as deep as an adult’s waist, and guests are welcome to take a bath there.

Although it might be challenging to travel upstream to reach the second waterfall level, tourists will be able to take some unforgettable pictures of the waterfall cascading into the jade green lake.

Majestic nature is as beautiful as a watercolor painting.

Visitors must move with considerable caution since the second and third levels are relatively deep and the rock surface is mossy and slippery. It is estimated that there are 150 meters between the waterfall’s base and its third storey.

Address: Van Ho Commune, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: open 24 hours.

4.7. Dai Yem Waterfall

Dai Yem Waterfall, the waterfall is situated in Vat village, an ancient Thai settlement, on the Vat stream, which is a confluence of two streams. The party travelled through the Ho Hen stream before arriving at the waterfall. The enormous, two-part Dai Yem waterfall rises more than 100 meters. There are nine stories in the top section and five stories in the lower portion, which are divided by level ground in the centre and are ideal for tourists to play and explore.

Dai Yem Waterfall


The unique feature of this location is the abundance of curved rocks, which cause the waterfall to flow into many areas before emptying into the lake. As a result, the water is as soft as a silk strip and does not flow noisily. This area has a large number of cafés and eateries.

Address: Muong Sang, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.

Entrance Fee: 100.000 VND/person (4 USD)

4.8. Nguyen Thuy Village

Nguyen Thuy Village, few people are aware of the village because it is a relatively recent attraction in Moc Chau. As the name implies and has a highly untamed and primitive nature. Fifteen houses in the hamlet live in undeveloped lots that are separated into blocks or areas, where they freely raise buffalo, cows, pigs and poultry.

Nguyen Thuy Village



Because the route is quite difficult to discover and lacks signage, you need have a local who knows the way to show you the way to the village. Due to the numerous steep portions, you should not ride a scooter and must be a competent driver. You will feel that the journey was worthwhile once you get in the village, regardless of how challenging the route may be.

Address: Hang Tau Valley, Chieng Hac Commune, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

4.9. Pha Luong Peak

Pha Luong Peak, which is situated between the Vietnam and Laos borders, is regarded as the roof of Moc Chau and is 30 km from the town. It takes three to four hours to hike from the Pha Luong border checkpoint at the base of the mountain to the summit.

Pha Luong Peak

Pha Luong is higher than 2,000 meters. Those who truly want to explore must be persistent since the path to Pha Luong is not easy. You can appreciate the grandeur of the windswept clouds and sky from the mountain’s perilous summit.

Address: Chieng Son Commune, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

4.10. Glass bridge of love

Glass bridge of love, which is a contemporary bridge with transparent glass panels below and well-known 5D technology. While admiring the complete natural landscape underneath the bridge, guests will experience the unexpected sensation of floating in midair when they tread on it.

This is unquestionably one of the must-see tourist attractions in Moc Chau.

Love Glass Bridge – A thrilling challenge for visitors.

Address: Muong Sang Commune, Moc Chau.

Opening Hours: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.