Moc Chau is an attractive tourist destination in the northern region. However, to find a detailed review of Moc Chau or travel guide to Moc Chau, there is really none available. Today, I would like to share information for those of you who are interested in visiting Moc Chau. This is a dedicated sharing post combined with prior research, visits, and inquiries with local residents here to provide the most accurate information. Therefore, the article will be quite long, detailed, and comprehensive for you from A to Y, while Z is the part that is still missing, hoping for your sharing and contributions.
Where is Moc Chau located?
Moc Chau is a small town in Son La province. This is a mountainous province in the Northwest of our country. Moc Chau is famous for its lush green tea hills, peach orchards, plum orchards, and thousands of daisies. Moreover, if you visit Moc Chau during the changing seasons, you will experience 4 seasons in a day.
How to get to Moc Chau?
Moc Chau is about 200km from Hanoi, you can travel by motorbike, bus, or car with your family as the road is quite beautiful and easy to travel.. There are many transportation options for you to choose from, especially traveling by motorbike. But if you are not an experienced driver, it is better to choose the bus option.
Guide to Moc Chau by motorbike or self-driving:
You can travel in 2 directions:
Direction to Moc Chau via National Highway 6:
Straight along Nguyen Trai street to Ha Dong, then continue straight on National Highway 6 towards Xuan Mai. The experience is to look for signs to Hoa Binh or follow the National Highway 6 milestone. The road from Ha Dong to Hoa Binh is not very good, with many speed bumps and heavy trucks, so be careful and drive slowly, do not overtake. Especially pay attention to the section near Hoa Binh city or near Moc Chau town where there will be speed checkpoints, especially during holidays, so remember to obey the rules to avoid fines and accidents, making your trip less enjoyable.
Direction to Moc Chau via Lang Hoa Lac
In addition, you can travel in the direction of Lang Hoa Lac, go straight on Tran Duy Hung street towards Thang Long Avenue, after a few tens of kilometers, you will see the Lang Hoa Lac sign, then follow Lang Hoa Lac straight to Hoa Binh city. I have traveled both routes and found this way much faster and the road is less crowded, especially Lang Hoa Lac is very beautiful. Although it may be a bit challenging to navigate at first, after one trip, you will remember it well.
After reaching the city of Hoa Binh, there will be signs directing you to Son La. Follow the directions towards Cun Pass, a dangerous pass with many yellow speed reduction signs, so drive calmly and stay in your lane as larger vehicles pass by. After descending the pass, continue straight on National Highway 6 to Cao Phong. From there, just keep going straight following the signs to Moc Chau. It is advisable to travel during the day and avoid rainy days as clouds tend to gather there, making the weather foggy. If you travel at night or in foggy weather, remember to use your turn signals, install fog lights, and cover them with yellow nylon to break through the fog, as white lights can create more glare.
>>>> See more: Guide to traveling to Moc Chau and crossing over to Laos
Guide to traveling to Moc Chau by bus
There are many bus companies operating on the Hanoi – Moc Chau – Son La route. Here are some suggestions for you to choose from.
1. Limousine Xuân Tráng Bus Company
Phone number: 0981.559.551
From Hanoi to Moc Chau: (Travel time 4 hours)
- Departure times: 6:30 AM, 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM
- Departure point: 35 Nguyen Tuan, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi
From Moc Chau to Hanoi: (Travel time 4 hours)
- Departure times: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM
- Departure point: 682 Moc Chau Town, Moc Chau Post Office
TICKET PRICE: 220k/ticket (prices may vary during holidays).Pick-up at Moc Chau town
Phone: 0981.559.551
2. Bắc Sơn Bus Company
Itinerary: Hanoi – Son La
- Departure times: My Dinh (11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM, 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM);
- Son La (6:30 AM, 12:20 PM, 5:00 PM, 9:30 PM, 10:30 PM, 11:00 PM);
- Yen Nghia 9:00 AM Muong La 8:30 AM;
Ticket price: 180k/one way (prices may vary)
Phone: 022 3551 559
3. Ka Linh Bus Company (29-seat hard seats)
Ticket price 150k/one way
- Pick-up and drop-off at Moc Chau
- For Hanoi departure, pick-up at My Dinh Bus Station
Phone number: 0818868222
4. Hưng Thành Bus Company
Itinerary 1: Hanoi – Son La City
- Departure times: 08:15 AM, 10:15 AM, 01:30 PM, 07:15 PM, 07:30 PM
- Phone: My Dinh 0974 888 555; Son La 0989 764 764
Itinerary 2: Hanoi – Son La City – Muong La
- Departure times: 09:15 AM, 07:30 PM, 08:00 PM
- Phone: My Dinh 0974 888 555 – Son La 0989 764 764
5. Hải Nam Bus Company
Itinerary: Hanoi – Son La City
- Departure times: Son La (6:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 12:15 PM) My Dinh (3:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM)
- Phone: 0915 599 449 – 0987 073 999 – 0978 674 999
Note: Remember to book early, especially during weekends or holidays as it can get very crowded.
Transportation in Moc Chau
In Moc Chau, the most convenient mode of transportation is a motorbike, especially a scooter, as some check-in locations have narrow and difficult roads, so I recommend traveling by motorbike. If you travel by car to Moc Chau, it’s best to rent a motorbike like we did. We rented a motorbike at the homestay, sturdy scooter, guaranteed ride, and the rental price is 120k per day.
Where is Moc Chau located?
Moc Chau doesn’t have many hotels. However, the unique point when visiting Moc Chau is staying at a Homestay. I would like to introduce some Homestays in Moc Chau for your reference:
Wooden homestays in Moc Chau are currently popular
- MaMa’s house
- Our homestay
- Avocado house
- Moc house
- Village house
- The November
- An Tuong homestay
- House by the stream
- Lavalle
…..
Remember to contact via Facebook or phone number to book in advance, as rooms are quickly booked up during peak season.
Arena Village
Moc Chau Arena Village is located on a gentle green hill, about 5km from the town center, surrounded by tea hills, plum orchards, peach gardens full of fruit, the air here is very fresh and close to nature, peaceful.
Room rates
Japanese floor room is a small wooden floor room for groups of about 4-5 people, the price on weekdays is 450k/room, on weekends is 500k/room, and during holidays it will increase by 20-30% (compared to the original price).
Community room – located on the 2nd floor above the reception room, with about 17 mattresses for larger groups – priced per person (if a group of less than 17 people wants to book the whole room, they must pay for a minimum of 15 mattresses, the price on weekdays is 100k/mattress, and on weekends is 120k/mattress).
The most special feature here is the bungalows made from containers. Inside each container bungalow is fully equipped with amenities, like a small luxurious hotel room, with air conditioning, hot and cold water bathroom, full cable TV. The private space is very comfortable, the view from inside the container bungalow is beautiful, facing the tea hills, surrounded by hills and mountains. The container room price on weekdays is 550k/room for 2 people, on weekends is 650k/room, with an additional charge of 100k/person, and during holidays it will increase by 20-30% compared to the original price.
Services at homestay
Here, there is a private area with a restaurant, minibar, drinks including corn wine, plum wine, and special dishes of Moc Chau such as chao goat, stream fish… BBQ with many sets and various choices. Small groups can order dishes like beef, pork, chicken per plate, priced from 120-160/plate. Full BBQ sets range from 170-250k/person for larger groups. Tea garden, pear garden, plum, peach within the Arena Village premises are available for free tasting in the garden, but not for picking, only for purchase. Free rental of costumes for guests staying here. Bonfire program varies for each group, with groups of 15 people or more + 2 main meals will have a free bonfire, with roasted sweet potatoes, additional items can be purchased. Motorcycle rental here is 200k/day. On the other side is a restaurant, minibar, drinks including corn wine, plum wine, and Moc Chau products, with glass doors for scenic views.
Review Arena Village
The staff here are mostly enthusiastic young people. The information written above is what I asked the receptionist here, recorded and rewritten for everyone, she answered very enthusiastically and did not miss any details, there is also an older brother who cooks who shared a lot about the dishes, even recommended a clean and crowded eating place, but I got distracted and forgot to visit that place, will definitely go there next time to try it out, finish eating, and show you all.
Fairy House Moc Chau
I went to the pine forest in Ang village, visited here and took some photos because I’ve heard about it for a long time, many young people are interested and take photos, so I was curious to see, if you want to see the full video, wait for the weekend when I update the link.
Location Fairy House Moc Chau
Fairy House is located in Ban Ang 2 area, Dong Sang Commune, Moc Chau town, Son La, only about 500m away from the famous Ban Ang pine forest. Here includes a system of bungalows and leaf-roofed houses. From the outside, it looks simple and rustic, but inside each room is decorated with modern furniture in a vintage style that is very popular with young people, surely will bring many interesting emotions to everyone. In general, the homestay’s decor is all made of wood, everything in the room is very complete and tidy. The bathroom and toilet are very clean as they are regularly cleaned by the staff.
It seems that the owner of Fairy House Moc Chau homestay has an understanding of cultural beauty, traditional materials, as well as the current trends and preferences of young people, because I see the architectural design and decoration here are quite harmonious and have a vintage style. The special thing here is that the room decorations, or the blankets and pillows are made of beautiful traditional fabrics, decorative accessories like boho, wall hangings with mandala patterns, Indian elephant images that many people like, I am also researching traditional fabrics culture so I find it quite attractive.
Room rates Fairy House
The rooms here are divided into Private rooms and DORM (Dormitory), I named them according to the local way of calling them so that everyone who comes later will not be confused, as I see each homestay or hotel has a different way of naming room types.
Private rooms (en-suite bathroom) come in 2 types: bungalow and leaf-roofed house, with room categories for 2 people, 4 people, 6 people.
- 2-person room: Weekdays are 640k, weekends are 800k including breakfast.
- 4-person room: Weekdays are 960k, weekends are 1.2 million, including breakfast.
During holidays, an additional 15% will be charged based on the listed price.
DORM rooms will cost around 4-5 million for the entire floor, with flexible prices based on the number of people in the group.
Check-in time is 2 pm, check-out time is 12 pm, on days with few guests, there may be more flexibility.
Places to check-in on the way to Moc Chau
White Stone Pass (also known as Thung Khe Pass)
On the way to Moc Chau, you will see a mountain surrounded by white stones, with roadside food stalls selling grilled meat skewers, grilled eggs, bamboo-tube rice, wild vegetables, wild ferns, wild beef vegetables, you can buy them as gifts or to try when returning from Moc Chau. Sitting down to rest, eating grilled meat skewers, drinking a cup of hot tea while enjoying the surroundings is truly enjoyable. Some stalls around have hammocks, lying on a hammock to rest, listen to music, and enjoy the beautiful view. Then take some memorable photos and continue on your way (tip: wear dark or brightly colored clothes, such as yellow, navy blue, red, brown, for standout photos).
From White Stone Pass to Moc Chau, in the middle of this section, there will be signs pointing to Ban Lac, Mai Chau Hideaway, but I only turned into Ban Lac and then turned back because I didn’t have much time. Next trip, when I go to Mai Chau, I will review it in detail for everyone.
Legendary S-shaped road:
Leaving Ban Lac, continuing to the area of Van Ho, after passing through beautiful asphalt roads with tea hills on both sides, from a distance, you will see a very large blue Vinaphone advertising sign, that is the legendary S-shaped road that many young people like to take photos at. And since I am also young, I stopped to take a photo to mark that I have been here, then saw a tourist group’s bus also parked by the road, with many older people, like a group of officials, the elders have a revolutionary style. I’m sure when they were young, they also crossed this road.
This road is about 1km long, it is also a popular spot for wedding photos, and a great curve for Bikers, on my previous trip, I met a group taking photos here, even saw a guy on a CBR leaning into the curve, looked really cool, it’s in that video.
Tourist attractions in Moc Chau
Ang Pine Forest
Ang Pine Forest is a dreamy photo spot like Dalat even though I haven’t been there, this May I will go and review it for you to see how Dalat is. In this pine forest, you can freely explore, take photos, and even camp on the hillsides.
The photos I took there are below, I recommend renting a single or double bike if you are a couple, so you can walk around the area (it’s very large, walking is tiring) and it’s also a photo accessory. Going deeper inside, you will see the Chimi Farm strawberry garden, where you can pick strawberries and buy them. The price is about 300-350k/kg. There is also a beautiful coffee sitting area in the forest.
Dai Yem Waterfall
The entrance fee to Dai Yem Waterfall is 30k/person, I forgot to ask about the fee for children, so sorry. “Dai Yem Waterfall is a tourism symbol of Moc Chau, in the summer the waterfall flows and cascades down magnificently, creating an impressive scene for viewers” – that is a quote from a newspaper I read.
Here there are 2 waterfalls, most people take photos with the first waterfall because the path leads to it through a staircase, while the second waterfall is below the first one, people walk down a small path to reach it, and that waterfall is also beautiful, with some nice photo spots. After flying the drone and reviewing the footage, I noticed a water pump with a pipe pumping water from above down to the area below, where people were standing, or watching the video will give a more realistic view, I will upload the video over the weekend. I guess many of you have been there and might wonder where the water comes from, looking up from below, you might think it flows from some hidden source.
Love Bridge 5D
When I visited, they were still finishing it, but recently I saw updates that it’s completed and some people have already experienced it. This bridge is next to the Dải Yếm Waterfall, and I heard it costs 100k VND per person, so next time I go back, it should be operational, and then I will review it for everyone to see how it is in reality.
Happy Land
Entrance ticket to Happy Land is 30k per person. Here, you can find beautiful and famous homestays, surrounded by various flower fields, and there are also water ball games and other activities. After visiting other places, on the last day, you can come here for entertainment before heading back.
Moc Chau Tea Hills
There are many tea hills here, but 2 famous ones are popular for photography and check-ins. The first one is O Long Moc Suong Tea Hill, located in Tieu Khu 34, Tan Lap, Moc Chau, Son La. Passing through Pa Khen village during the white plum blossom season is very enjoyable for taking photos. I want to mention this first because many people confuse it with the Heart-shaped Tea Hill, which is different and located in Moc Chau town.
The photo of me holding hands with the ethnic child was taken there. Search on the map for “Heart-shaped Tea Hill Moc Chau” to find it easily. The fee for ethnic costume photography is 20k per person, and if you want to take photos with the children carrying flower baskets, remember to give them a small tip of 10-20k to help them. My child took photos with that child who was skipping school, and there were a few more girls. There are some photos and poses that I took for the girls below, feel free to check them out.
Dreamy Forest Km82
On the first day, we chose a very popular check-in spot in Moc Chau, which is the Dreamy Forest Km82 on National Highway 6. It is about 5km from our homestay towards Son La from Hanoi. We couldn’t find this location on Google Maps, so we asked around while driving. If you have trouble finding your way here, you can use Google Maps and search for Sao Xanh Hotel, which is about 1km away from this location. Once you pass Sao Xanh Hotel, you will see a sign directing you to the photo spot and the dreamy forest valley.
- Location: Dreamy Forest Km82_NH6.
- Ticket price: 20k per person.
Note: Do not pick flowers or shake trees for photos in the garden.
Plum Valley Mu Nau
After visiting Dreamy Forest Km82, we returned to the town to rest and have lunch. Around 2 pm, we asked for directions to Plum Valley Mu Nau to check out the Plum Forest. This check-in spot is quite hard to find because if you search on Google Maps, it will lead you to Karaoke Pho Nui.
Just move there and ask the locals for directions, or if you have acquaintances in Moc Chau, it’s best because they are more familiar with the terrain. Like the day we went up, we were lucky to know Mr. Tran Duc Duy – Owner of Homestay Pho Nui Tinh Yeu, he directed us to move up to the valley. The road to move up to Mu Nau valley is quite steep and difficult, so I advise you to ride a motorbike. For those who can’t ride a motorbike, there is a motorbike taxi service to take you to check-in, the motorbike taxi fare I saw was 120k/1 person. As for accommodation services, you can stay at Mr. Duy’s Homestay Pho Nui Tinh Yeu for convenience in moving around.
- Location: Mu Nau Plum Valley.
- Ticket price: 20k/1 person.
- Motorbike taxi: 120k/1 person/round trip.
Note: It’s recommended to ride a motorbike, not a scooter, because the road is steep and difficult to ride.
Chimi Farm Strawberry Garden
On the second day, we started a bit late because it was raining a bit that day, around 10 am we started moving from the house to Chimi Farm Strawberry Garden. The distance from our homestay to the Strawberry Garden is about 15km, and by 11 am we were at the Strawberry Garden. Luckily, before we left, it rained, but after the rain, the sky cleared up and the sun was shining beautifully, so the photos turned out really chill. In Moc Chau, there are 2 strawberry gardens, one is on Pine Forest Ban Ang and the second location is at Heart-shaped Tea Hill. I recommend you to visit the strawberry garden at Heart-shaped Tea Hill because the strawberries here are very big and there is a hot check-in spot called Bali Hut. You don’t need to pay an entrance fee here, you only pay if you pick strawberries to take home. The price for 1kg of strawberries here is 350k, more expensive than the strawberries in Ta Phin Sapa which are only 250k/1kg. But here the strawberries are very big and sweet. When we went, we liked the big ripe red strawberries so much that we accidentally picked 1.5kg of strawberries. When paying… (tears).
- Location: Chimi Farm Strawberry Garden.
- Strawberry Price: 350k/1kg.
You should: Bring a camera or a phone to take photos at the many Instagrammable spots here.
Heart-shaped Tea Hill
After visiting the Strawberry Garden, we moved to Heart-shaped Tea Hill to take photos for a while and then returned to the town because it was around 12:30 pm, the sun was scorching and our stomachs were growling. You don’t have to pay an entrance fee to enter the tea hill, but to take beautiful photos, you should rent traditional costumes. Since we didn’t rent costumes here, I’m not sure about the rental price. The scenery at the tea hill is very romantic, taking wedding photos here will surely result in very unique and beautiful shots.
>>>> See more: Guide to Pha Luong Peak – Moc’s Gateway to Heaven
Na Ka Plum Valley
To admire the plum blossoms in Na Ka Plum Valley. I went after a light rain; this area has been developed for tourism but it’s still in the early stages, suitable for those who love taking photos. 20k for a garden. There are gardens full of plum trees; if you want something beautiful, be prepared to visit a few more gardens. There are gardens combined with mustard flowers, plum blossoms, buckwheat flowers; there are gardens with butterfly flowers; the last row doesn’t belong to any garden but the plum trees are vast and beautiful.
Here they rent ethnic costumes for 20k. There are cute kids with mustard flower hats available for borrowing to take photos together (the amount is up to you, the kids here are very obedient and not demanding like in Sapa). The food is mainly around the corn and sweet potato kitchen; I asked the locals to cook rice, roast chicken, boil meat, sweet corn, and cabbage, very sweet, probably because they picked them fresh from the garden. In general, the air is very fresh. The kids really enjoyed it. Despite the cold rain, everyone was happy.
Ban Phien Canh
Right after Na Ka Plum Valley, go 5km further. This village still has a lot of plum trees; it’s free because they haven’t developed tourism yet. This village is still very primitive, mainly for sightseeing, children can experience the local life here, wandering around the wood fire kitchen, women sitting and embroidering. At the end of the village is a beautiful row of plum trees.
I rate this as the most beautiful village in terms of its pristine nature, suitable if you want children to experience.
Bản Thuông Cuông
This is the first village you’ll encounter when entering Moc Chau. If you visit during the white cabbage season, it’s sure to inspire some great writing. I wandered around aimlessly at first, not seeing much, then decided to head back towards the Mân Vân Hồ Valley, which was stunningly beautiful. This area is developed by a private landowner who invested in the roads and tree planting. It’s still in the early stages but already very beautiful. If you’re short on time, visiting this valley is enough. I’m sure that in a few years, this place will have developed even more.
Bản Lóng Luông
This is where people come to find and photograph white cabbage flowers. Don’t worry about running out of flowers as the locals grow them for business. The white cabbage forest is also very beautiful. You’ll see this village before reaching Moc Chau.
Dairy Farm Dairy Farm
Our last day in Moc Chau started at the Dairy Farm. Visiting the Dairy Farm, you’ll learn and experience firsthand the dairy cow farming process. You’ll also participate in some dairy cow farming processes like cutting grass, feeding the cows, and especially hand-milking the cows. You’ll also have the opportunity to pick strawberries at the Dairy Farm. Make sure to try the different types of milk here, especially the yogurt, which has a unique taste, very creamy and fragrant. We enjoyed it so much that we bought more to take home as gifts.
- Location: Dairy Farm Dairy Farm.
- Ticket price: 20k per person.
Pine Forest Bản Áng
Our last stop in Moc Chau was the Pine Forest Bản Áng. My first impression upon arriving here was that it resembled the pine forests in Da Lat. Early morning at sunrise or late afternoon at sunset would be perfect times to take some amazing photos here. If you visit, make sure to also stop by the Chimi Farm strawberry garden to enjoy a strawberry smoothie.
We didn’t have time to visit places like Hang Dơi, Hang Ngũ động Bản Ôn, and the Moc Chau Dairy Farm. We plan to visit these spots on our next trip, including the Luông Peak with the 5D Love Bridge experience. I’ll make sure to review them for you all.
Delicacies in Moc Chau
Moc Chau offers a variety of delicious dishes. Here are some of the most enticing dishes that I recommend you try.
- Buffalo meat cooked on a stove
- Mountain stream fish, Wild boar
- Bê trao
- Cải mèo
- Moc Chau cow’s milk
- Moc Chau salmon
Dining Spots in Moc Chau
Quán 70 – Bê Chao Nam Hưng Restaurant
This restaurant is quite famous and spacious, always crowded. The best dishes here are the beef hotpot, mountain stream fish, so make sure to try them. They also offer many other delicious and clean dishes. Outside the restaurant, there is a section selling local specialties, agricultural products, decorations, souvenirs, various types of alcohol, and sweets. The staff here is numerous and provides quick service, mostly young people.
Vườn Đào Salmon Restaurant
This is a famous restaurant in Moc Chau, about 800m from the town, just go through a small alley and you’ll find it. I was lucky to meet and interview the owner and capture some images of them preparing the food, including the fish tanks behind the scenes.
His name is Tú, and his restaurant is the first salmon restaurant in Moc Chau. He has a fish farm about 5km from Highway 6, mainly focusing on salmon, sturgeon, and some local fish like carp, catfish, and tilapia. They serve dishes like salmon salad, salmon porridge, salmon hotpot, smoked salmon, and breaded fried salmon skin. If you prefer sturgeon or local fish like carp, catfish, or tilapia, you can request them, as they also have tanks for those fish.
The price is 250k per person per meal. If you order 4 meals or more, you’ll get 6 dishes: salmon salad, fried salmon skin, fried salmon, smoked salmon, hotpot, and porridge. If it’s less than 4 meals, you won’t get the smoked salmon.
Moc Chau Farm
This is where I stopped on my way back to buy gifts for my family. It’s like a specialty store with a wide variety of items such as milk cakes, honey, tea, delicious Moc Chau wines, precious herbs, candies, and cookies. I bought strawberries and a pack of white yogurt here.
Moc Chau Travel Itinerary
2-day 1-night Moc Chau travel itinerary
Usually, people have 2 free days on the weekend. So, check out this 2-day 1-night Moc Chau travel itinerary for just 1 million VND.
From Hanoi to Moc Chau, after looking at various bus options, I chose the Xuan Trang limousine. This bus takes you directly to the homestay, making it more convenient. If you choose a sleeper bus, it’s cheaper but you’ll need to take a taxi to your accommodation. Remember to book your tickets early as they tend to sell out quickly. I booked the 6:30 am trip and arrived at 10:30 am. The journey took about 3.5 to 4 hours.
I booked a room at the Homestay Village for 300k per day. The rental price for a scooter here is 150k for the whole day. Additionally, they offer an all-day menu if you’re new to the area and don’t know where to eat or have fun.
2-day itinerary in Moc Chau
First day in Moc Chau
We arrived at 10:30 am but check-in wasn’t until 2 pm, so we grabbed a bite to eat and headed straight to our first destination, Pine Forest Bản Áng, and had pho nearby.
The pine forest offers stunning views, and at the Chimi strawberry garden, you can eat to your heart’s content and buy some to take home. Buying outside is cheaper, around 280-300k per kg.
Food options are all about strawberries; I had strawberry yogurt and a strawberry smoothie for only 25-30k. They also have large bottles of strawberry syrup for 80k, which is delicious when mixed with water.
In the afternoon, we returned to the homestay to check-in and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
For dinner, we had a BBQ in the homestay garden and then danced around the campfire.
Second day in Moc Chau
Woke up at 7 am for breakfast and left around 8 am to reach Dải Yếm Waterfall, which is about a 30-minute drive. Dải Yếm Waterfall and Happy Land are on the same route. You’ll see Happy Land first, but if you want to visit the waterfall, keep going straight. We visited the waterfall first and then went to Happy Land. The waterfall was under renovation when we visited, but there were still beautiful spots for photos. They sell bamboo rice, buffalo meat, beef, dried pork, and colorful sticky rice there.
Afterward, we visited Happy Land. Be careful as there’s a steep road and a parking area, so make sure you follow the signs to the tourist area. The entrance fee is 30k per ticket. Inside, you can take many beautiful photos with various flowers. You could spend hours there taking pictures of the flowers.
In the afternoon, around 1 pm, we visited the last spot, the Tea Garden. Along the way, there are many places to rent ethnic costumes for just 20k per set.
If you have time and are interested, you can visit other places like the cabbage garden, buckwheat flower fields, Ngũ Động Bản Ôn, Hang Dơi, the S-shaped road, Loóng Sập border gate, and more.
Cost of a 2-day 1-night trip to Moc Chau
- Round-trip bus: 440k per person
- Homestay: 300k
With some additional expenses for food, transportation, and miscellaneous items, the total cost is around 1 million VND per person. It’s very affordable and worth the trip.
1-Day Itinerary to Moc Chau from Hanoi
Due to limited time, I only visited Moc Chau for one day. But I managed to explore some famous and interesting places in Moc Chau.
Departed from Hanoi at 7 pm on the 9th, took a limousine from Xuan Trang. I recommend taking the limousine as it’s a bit more expensive but comfortable, with WiFi and not crowded. Arrived in Moc Chau, checked in at Savana Moc Chau homestay at 11:30 am.
About the homestay, I stayed at Toan Villa with beautiful views of open fields. The host was very helpful and accommodating. The price was very affordable at 250k/day.
What to See in Moc Chau in 1 Day?
Location 1: Tea Hill
Woke up at 5:30 am to watch the sunrise at the tea hill, a 10-minute drive from the homestay. The morning was chilly at around 2-5 degrees, sometimes with frost. After enjoying the sunrise until 7 am, I returned to the homestay, rented a motorbike for 100k, and started exploring Moc Chau.
Location 2: Dai Yem Waterfall
The entrance fee was 30k, but I found it not very impressive, just the waterfall and a glass bridge. I got bored after 30 minutes and decided to leave. If you like waterfalls, you might enjoy it, but I don’t recommend it.
Location 3: Pine Forest at Ban Ang
The entrance fee was 50k, it’s like a park with many pine trees, great for photos similar to Dalat. After taking photos, I had lunch and then headed to Ban Pa Phach.
Location 4: Ban Pa Phach. This was the most impressive place for me in Moc Chau. It matched all my expectations of Moc Chau.
Even though it wasn’t the season for flowers, the scenery was still beautiful with white plum blossoms on both sides. The most impressive part was the children in the village. I walked about 7km and encountered a school for children. I had to bribe them with candy to take photos with me as they were shy. The view was stunning, and it would be even more beautiful during the flower season.
Cost for 1-Day Trip to Moc Chau
Summary: Bus ticket 440k + homestay 250k + motorbike rental 100k + 50k for gas = 840k + 80k for tourist attractions = 920k.
I spent 200k on food, making the total cost 1120k. Moc Chau is quite affordable, especially since the bus ticket was already 440k. I managed to take some great photos. Some may say it’s not worth going for just one day, but with limited time, I made the most of it. I recommend this itinerary for those who want to visit Moc Chau with limited time. The bus picked me up at 7 pm to return to Hanoi.
3-Day 2-Night Itinerary to Moc Chau
Traveling from Hanoi to Moc Chau is quite close. We chose Limousine Xuan Trang departing from 35 Nguyen Tuan. We were very satisfied with their service, the seats were comfortable as the bus only had 9 seats. They have trips from 7 am to 7 pm, the latest.
Transportation: We rented motorbikes at the homestay for 150k/day, which was cost-effective and gave us flexibility. The roads in Moc Chau are easy to navigate, and locals are helpful if you get lost.
Accommodation: We booked 2 rooms at November, a beautiful fabric and wooden house for 320k/weekday and 420k/weekend. Don’t worry about the cold in winter, as the fabric house has electric blankets, and in summer, there’s a water spray system on the roof to keep it cool.
Dining: Based on reviews, we found some good restaurants like Ken BBQ, Tuan Gu, and Salmon…
First Day in Moc Chau
Departed from 35 Nguyen Tuan, Hanoi around 7 am, arrived at the homestay at noon, checked in, had lunch, then rested until 2 pm. Visited Pine Forest at Ban Ang and Chimi Strawberry Farm. The entrance fee for the pine forest was 30k, and bike rental was 50k/bike.
At the end of the pine forest was Chimi Strawberry Farm. Entrance was free for Chimi Farm. If you want to experience picking strawberries, go on weekdays as it’s less crowded. Try their strawberry yogurt and smoothies, they are delicious. (Smoothie 35k, yogurt 25k, fresh strawberries 350k/kg, big and sweet)
In the evening around 6 pm, we returned to the homestay for a pre-ordered BBQ dinner, beautifully presented, delicious, and very filling.
Day 2 in Moc Chau
At 7:30 am, we woke up and had breakfast at the homestay, then rented a car to visit famous tourist spots we had researched beforehand in Moc Chau. We went to Dai Yem Waterfall, the entrance fee was 50k/person, if you want to go on the glass bridge, you need to buy an additional ticket for 100k/person. The glass bridge wasn’t very high, but personally, I found it okay to try the first 5D glass bridge experience in Vietnam.
Our second stop was Happy Land Tourist Area with an entrance fee of 30k/person. Here, there were various types of flowers and some landscapes for taking photos. Since we visited on a weekday, it wasn’t too crowded, and you could take photos with the cute sheep.
We spent almost the entire morning visiting these two spots and taking photos, so by noon, we stopped by Tuân Gù to try their famous grilled chicken. Note that all these spots are on the same route, so it’s convenient to visit them in order.
Afternoon in Moc Chau
In the afternoon, we visited the Dairy Farm to see and taste their delicious fresh milk (entrance fee 20k/person, milk 10k/cup). Then we moved to the tea hill area to take photos with the vast green tea fields. A new popular check-in spot is the Bali house that has appeared in Moc Chau, the Bali house is very trendy and beautiful for photos. We were told by the staff that we were among the first guests to take photos there. Pretty cool!
After wandering around, we went to Ken BBQ for dinner. Since we had made a reservation, we didn’t have to wait long. After dinner, we felt it was still early, so we decided to go to the most beautiful café in Moc Chau, Vivu, for milk tea. The setup was beautiful, and taking evening photos was stunning. We ordered the Black Sugar Pearl Red Tea for 40k/cup. After enjoying our drinks and taking photos, we headed back to the homestay to rest.
Day 3 in Moc Chau
After two consecutive days of sightseeing, we were quite tired, so we woke up late and had an early lunch prepared by the hosts at November Homestay before being picked up at noon by Xuân Tráng car.
After 3 days and 2 nights in Moc Chau, we felt that the locals were extremely friendly, the air was fresh, and there were plenty of Instagrammable spots. If you’re tired of the pollution and dust in Hanoi, why wait? Plan a trip to Moc Chau now. We heard that the plum blossoms are beautiful, so we are thinking of going again after the Lunar New Year.
These are my experiences and some travel tips for Moc Chau that I want to share with you. If you have more information, photos, videos, or interesting experiences, let’s share them so everyone can benefit. Wishing you a wonderful and enjoyable trip and vacation! Remember to share your beautiful photos and videos!
