Trekking the Mai Chau Valley & Pu Luong Nature Reserve

hanoi - Mai Chau - Pu Luong

Day 1: Into the heart of Mai Chau & Pu Luong

Welcome to Vietnam! Depart from your Hanoi hotel and transfer to Mai Chau. Daydream as you drive a route with spectacular views, changing around every turn.

Upon arrival at Poom Coom village in Mai Chau, you will take a short walk to visit the ethnic Thai people. Then, enjoy an authentic lunch at a local home.

Next you'll take a quick ride to the Ma River, where you will enjoy a short boat trip followed by a two- to three-hour walk through beautiful hillside villages and rice paddies, admiring hand-crafted bamboo water wheels along the way.

Highlights on this walk include experiencing the beauty of the Pu Luong Nature Reserve, and learning about the everyday life and culture of the white Thai people. Become a part of local life when you are welcomed as honoured guests at a traditional Thai home on stilts. Enjoy a traditional dinner, followed by an overnight stay in the village of Hang.

Pu Luong

Day 2: Hike to Eo Ken & Kho Muong villages

Here, daily life starts early, and you'll rise alongside your host family to take part in the morning activities. Stroll around Hang village before sitting down for breakfast.

At 8am, begin your five- to six-hour trek. The first ascent is quite demanding, with some steep climbs and stream crossings. The next leg, however, is simply glorious with beautiful views of valleys, rice terraces, and rich rainforest.

Stop for a rest and picnic lunch at Eo Ken village, before continuing on to your last destination for the day: Kho Muong, perhaps the most beautiful village in Vietnam, nestled between steep karst mountains and graphic rice terraces. Spend the night here in a typical Thai eco-stilt house.

Pu Luong

Day 3: Village trekking & stream bathing

Have breakfast, then start a demanding full day of hiking. Continue on through the valley, encountering some steep climbs and more stream crossings as you go. Trek to an incredible cave, only recently discovered and now protected by local forest rangers.

The trail leads into more remote grounds, yet one is never far from a villager tending to their fields. Soak up the marvellous views of steep limestone mountains and rainforests inside the Pu Luong Nature Reserve, as you trek on to Nua village.

What is more refreshing after a rough trek, than a dip in cool waters? Stream bathing might be a new experience for you! Refreshed, you can then dig into a picnic lunch and relax from the heat of the day, before continuing on to Hin village in the afternoon. You will be welcomed as honoured guests and share dinner with the locals in their traditional home.

Pu Luong

Day 4: Wonders of the tropical forest

After breakfast with the locals, leave Hin village behind and set out on a full-day trek bound for the village of Son. A tough climb will get you deeper into the Pu Luong Nature Reserve and its wild and rich tropical forest.

After stopping for a picnic lunch, you will trek on to the beautiful Son village to catch the sunset. Take a break and stretch your legs in a house on stilts, or stroll around the village to meet its hospitable, friendly residents. Dinner and overnight in Son village.

Pu Luong - hanoi

Day 5: A final day in the great outdoors

After enjoying a breakfast prepared by your guide, you will start your final trek, this time heading to Ton village. This will be a nice and easy trek through rice paddies and jungle grounds, a great way to unwind and marvel at more lovely scenery.

After around two hours and 30 minutes, you will reach Ton village. A driver will pick you up and transfer you to the town of Muong Khen for lunch. You'll then be taken back to Hanoi for an afternoon arrival, where your journey will come to an end.

We hope you had an incredible time trekking through some of Vietnam's most scenic landscapes!