How to get from Hanoi to Mai Chau?
Mai Chau is a beautiful valley that will confuse tourists. Not only captivates visitors with the rustic beauty of mountains and forests but also attracts visitors with the warm hearts of the people here. Coming to Mai Chau Valley, you will take a journey to experience the beauty, culture and cuisine of Mai Chau.
So, how to travel from Ha Noi to Mai Chau? This article will help you answer this question.
How far is it from Hanoi to Mai Chau?
Mai Chau is a poetic valley in Hoa Binh province. There distance between Hanoi and Mai Chau is approximately 150 km and takes approximately 3.5 hours of road. In recent years, Mai Chau is considered the favorite destination of many domestic and foreign tourists. Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, you will have the opportunity to be close to nature, to access the cultural beauty of mountain ethnic minorities, particularly the Thai.
How to travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau?
You can consider between bus (local bus/tourist bus), motorbike or private car/taxi to travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau. Let’s get the details in my article below.
1. Travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau by motorbike
Some adventurous tourists prefer to go to Mai Chau by motorbike because this valley is only 150 km from Hanoi and 60 km from Hoa Binh in the northwest and it is a very nice ride if you choose this type of means transport.
There is 2 motorcycle routes from Hanoi to Mai Chau for you:
- Route 1: From Hanoi center – Thang Long Avenue – Hoa Binh Town – Thung Khe Pass – Mai Chau Town – Ban Lac. This is the quickest route to Mai Chau at just over 3 hours drive.
- Route 2: Pass old Highway 6, the road is smaller and more crowded, and also further away (4 hours) but the landscape has more beautiful hills and mountains.
Along the entire route you will pass dangerous slopes like “Cun Slope”, which are quite long and adventurous so be careful while driving. On the way, you will pass the Thung Khe pass. However, if you go early in the morning or early evening, a foggy appearance can hide a beautiful view.
2. Travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau by private car
Private car is a good choice for those who want to travel safely and conveniently. And it will take less transfer time than about 3 hours. Currently, this is a popular option as there aren’t many bus options to transfer for this route.
The cost of the private car depends on the type of car, the duration, you can have the details below:
| Car type | Price |
| 4 places (1 – 2 people) | 1,900,000 vnd |
| 7 places (2 – 3 people) | 2,100,000 vnd |
| 16 places (4 – 8 people) | 2,700,000 vnd |
3. Travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau by bus
Public local buses are available for your choice. You need to head to buses from My Dinh, Yen Nghia or Giap Bat stations to buy a ticket to Mai Chau. The price is very cheap, around 80,000 VND/one way (~€4). But it can be difficult for new passengers to find the right bus at crowded stations.
For greater convenience, you can choose a tourist bus with hotel pickup in the old quarter of Hanoi. The ticket costs a little more, 150,000-300,000 VND/one way (~€7-13) but you don’t need to go to the bus stations.
Some recommended tourist buses that you can consider choosing from are: Mai Chau Shuttle Bus, Mai Chau Express Bus, Sunrise Village Bus, Mai Chau Hoa Binh Bus Company… They will depart between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
