Moc Chau
On this page
Moc Chau is a plateau of tea, plums and dairy cattle about four hours west of Hanoi. It has one spectacular fortnight a year and is quietly pleasant for the rest of it.
Is Moc Chau worth going to?
If you want the cool north without a mountain, yes. The plateau sits at around 1,050 m in Son La province, which keeps it noticeably cooler than the lowlands through summer, and it is covered in tea plantations, orchards and pasture.
For most trips it is a stop rather than a destination. Nobody flies to Vietnam for Moc Chau; plenty of people are glad they broke a journey here.
What is there besides the tea?
Tea, first and mostly. The plantations run in curved rows across the hills, the best known laid out in a heart shape that is photographed constantly and is more pleasant to walk than to look at from the road. What the leaves become, and what a kilo of the good stuff costs, is in the tea guide.
Beyond the tea there is the Dai Yem waterfall, the Pha Luong peak on the Lao border for anyone who wants a proper walk, and the dairy farms. Moc Chau is one of the centres of Vietnamese milk production, which is an unexpected thing to find in the northern hills.
Two smaller places are worth the detour. The pine forest at Ban Ang is a genuine oddity this far south, planted in rows and cool enough for a jacket in the mornings. Hang Tau, a hollow of a few houses in a bowl of grass, has picked up the nickname the lost village and is now busy at weekends for exactly that reason.
| What | When | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plum blossom | Late Jan to Feb | A day | About two weeks, and busy |
| Plum harvest | May to June | A day | Pick-your-own at the orchards |
| Tea hills | Any month | Half a day | Best early, before the haze |
| Dai Yem waterfall | Strongest Jun-Sep | An hour | Thin in the dry months |
| Pha Luong peak | Oct to Apr | Most of a day | A real walk, border country |
When does the blossom come?
Late January into February for the blossom, which is the reason the plateau has a season at all. The white orchards last roughly a fortnight and fill the accommodation.
May and June bring the plum harvest, a quieter and more edible version of the same trip. The Na Ka valley is where most of the orchards are, and picking your own is normal rather than a staged activity.
Otherwise the tea is green all year, and October to April is the comfortable half of the calendar. The plateau sits several degrees below the lowlands through summer, which is the other reason Vietnamese visitors come. The month-by-month guide covers the wider north.
How does it compare with the other northern stops?
Moc Chau is the least demanding of the northern stops. Mai Chau is a flat valley ninety minutes closer to Hanoi and smaller. Pu Luong has terraces and real walking. Sapa has mountains, and takes six hours to reach rather than four.
Moc Chau's advantage is that it asks nothing of you. There is no trek, no early boat and no altitude to speak of, and on a trip already carrying one hard leg that is worth something.
Homestays among the fields, or the town?
In homestays and small guesthouses spread along the plateau rather than in a town — there is a town, and it is functional rather than appealing. The places worth staying sit among the fields.
Book ahead for the blossom fortnight and not otherwise. Prices sit at the low end of the tiers in the accommodation guide.
What does a day on the plateau cost?
Little. A homestay room runs roughly 250,000 to 600,000 dong, meals are provincial prices, and most of the plateau charges nothing to look at. At about 26,000 dong to the dollar, a day here is cheap even by northern standards.
A motorbike for the day is the sensible expense. The sights are spread across a plateau and walking between them is not realistic.
How far is it from Hanoi?
By road from Hanoi, about 190 km and four to five hours on Highway 6 through Hoa Binh. Sleeper and limousine buses run from My Dinh through the day, and the last hour climbs steadily onto the plateau.
Moc Chau also sits on the road west towards Son La and Dien Bien Phu, which is why it works better as a break than as a terminus. Mai Chau is on the same highway about ninety minutes closer to Hanoi, and the two make a natural pair over three days.
FAQ
Is Moc Chau worth visiting?
For the tea hills and the cool air, yes, and mostly as a stop rather than a destination. Moc Chau is a plateau in Son La province at around 1,050 m, four hours from Hanoi, covered in tea plantations, plum orchards and dairy pasture. It is the north without a mountain to climb.
When does the plum blossom happen in Moc Chau?
Late January into February, lasting roughly two weeks. That is the busiest and best-looking fortnight on the plateau. The plums themselves ripen from May to June, and the tea is green year-round, so there are three separate reasons to come at three separate times.
How do you get to Moc Chau from Hanoi?
By road, about 190 km and four to five hours on Highway 6 through Hoa Binh. Sleeper and limousine buses run from My Dinh through the day. There is no railway and no airport, and the road climbs steadily for the last hour.
What is there to do in Moc Chau?
Walk the tea hills, visit a dairy farm, see the Dai Yem waterfall and the Pha Luong peak, and eat the local produce. It is a plateau of agriculture rather than a place of sights, and the best thing to do is drive between fields and stop often.
Is Moc Chau better than Sapa?
Different, and easier. Sapa has real mountains, terraces and trekking; Moc Chau is a rolling plateau of plantations at half the journey. Choose Moc Chau for a short trip, cool air and blossom, and Sapa when you want to walk in the mountains.
How many days do you need in Moc Chau?
Two nights, or one if you are passing through towards Son La and Dien Bien. A full day covers the tea hills, a farm and a waterfall at an unhurried pace, which is the only pace the plateau rewards.