Mu Cang Chai belongs to the old Yen Bai province, now belonging to Lao Cai province, nearly 300 km from Hanoi. This place is famous for its terraced fields located on a mountainous terrain over 2,000 m high. In particular, about 330 hectares of terraced fields belonging to La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and De Xu Phinh communes have been recognized as a special national relic since 2019.
Below are experiences in traveling, staying, eating and scheduling so that visitors can fully explore the golden season of Mu Cang Chai.
Move
From Hanoi, tourists can take the Hanoi - Mu Cang Chai route by bus from My Dinh station, along National Highway 32 through Nghia Lo, Tu Le, crossing Khau Pha Pass and then to Mu Cang Chai town. The round-trip ticket price is about 600,000 VND/person. If you want to be more proactive, tourists can take a motorbike or private car.
After arriving, tourists can rent a motorbike to explore the attractions. The rental price is from 200,000 VND/day, excluding gasoline.
Residence
The ripe rice season is the peak tourist season, so room rates often increase. Double rooms are priced at over 1 million to 2 million VND/night, depending on the establishment and booking time. Visitors can choose many types of accommodation, from resorts with beautiful spaces such as Le Champ Tu Le, Garrya Mu Cang Chai to guesthouses and affordable collective bedrooms.
If you go during the golden season, you should book early to have more choices and avoid running out of rooms or price increases close to the date.
Schedule
Day 1: Small Raspberry Hill - Large Raspberry Hill - Dinosaur Spine - Kim Noi - Horse Hood Hill
On the first day, visitors can spend exploring the most famous terraced field viewing spots in Mu Cang Chai.
Mam Xoi hill is most beautiful in the morning when the sun just rises, the fog is still covering the mountainsides. Here, the entrance ticket is 40,000 VND/person. Motorbike taxis to Mam Xoi Lon are about 100,000 VND/person. If you want to visit both Mam Xoi Lon and Mam Xoi Be, the motorbike taxi cost may be about 250,000 VND/person. Tourists going to the view area in Mam Xoi Be may lose an additional 20,000 VND/person for the ticket. Tourists can also walk up to Mam Xoi Lon if they feel strong enough.
Dinosaur spine has a 20,000 VND/person entrance ticket. This is a point where visitors can drive themselves if they are skilled drivers, if they do not want to hire a motorbike taxi.
In the late afternoon, move to Mong Ngua hill to watch the sunset. Gentle sunlight makes golden rice fields stand out in the mountains and forests. Adult ticket 30,000 VND, children under 16 years old 220,000 VND. Motorbike taxi to the sightseeing spot is about 100,000 VND/person. If traveling by motorbike, visitors need to pay 10,000 VND for parking fees.
Day 2: Khau Pha Pass - Khau Pha valley - Lim Mong stream
The second day can start from Khau Pha Pass, one of the famous passes of the Northwest. Around mid-September, standing from the top of the pass, you can look down at the rice valley along the Nam Kim River turning yellow. Terraced fields follow each other forming layers winding in the mountains and forests.
Khau Pha Pass is also a famous paragliding spot. From an altitude of about 1,200 m, visitors can see the panoramic view of terraced fields, mountains and clouds drifting in the valley.
The cost of paragliding flights ranges from 1.5 - 2.59 million VND/trip, depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. The service includes a double flight with the pilot, flight time is about 10 - 30 minutes, with filming, photography, insurance and a shuttle bus to the take-off point.
If you want to experience parachuting during the ripe rice season, tourists should book a place 1-2 weeks in advance, especially on weekends.
After exploring Khau Pha Pass, you continue to move through Khau Pha valley and Lim Mong stream to play and admire the scenery before ending the journey.
Eating
Mu Cang Chai cuisine is quite diverse, from vermicelli, pho, popular rice to restaurants serving many local specialties.
Visiting here, visitors can enjoy five-color sticky rice, grilled black pork, grilled stream fish Pa Pỉnh Tộp, grilled hill chicken with mắc mật leaves, roasted grasshoppers. Salmon and sturgeon raised at the foot of Khau Phạ pass are also dishes worth trying.
Notes
Tourist attractions in Mu Cang Chai are quite far apart, while many roads have steep slopes, narrow roads and many hairpin bends. Tourists need to consider carefully if they ride motorbikes themselves, especially when they are not familiar with mountain passes. If you are not skilled at driving, hiring a local motorbike taxi is a safer and more convenient option.
At some rice viewing points, there are small huts serving photography, usually collecting an additional 10,000 - 20,000 VND/person.
