Thuan Chau Son La

Tinh Son La Holiday Weather today


Date/time of update: March 19, 2024, 2:11 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Scattered Clouds

Temperature: 24.34°C
Temperature feels like: 24.5°C
Minimum Temperature: 24.34°C
Maximum Temperature: 24.34°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1017hPa
Humidity:64%
Visibility: 10000m
Wind speed: 3.49m/sec
Wind Direction: 118 degrees
Cloudiness: 47%
Sunrise: 2024-03-18 11:08:58
Sunset: 2024-03-19 11:14:33

Son La is a mountainous province in the North West of Vietnam. Son La City, the capital of the province, is 300km from Hanoi via either Road No. 6 from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu or via Route 32 and Route 37 via Phu Tho.

Travel Guide Son La, Tourist Attractions, What to See in Son La

1/ Son La City

Son La City offers to the passer-by travellers and tourists a hot-spring and the infamous prison from the French's times. Around the city, there are Black Thai Villages which can be visited on foot, by motorbike or by bicycle.

Idyllic valley with mountains at the Ban Mong Village, outside of Son La City
Idyllic valley with mountains at the Ban Mong Village, outside of Son La City

There is a hotspring at Ban Mong Village which is 6km from Son La City and which used to be very nice amid idyllic countryside. But it is all covered up by houses nowadays. You can still have mineral bathing in the village offered by households in their bathrooms.

a rose field outside of Son La City
a rose field outside of Son La City

 

Son La former prison
Son La former prison

2/ Moc Chau Plateau, Mount Pha Luong (2,000m)

From Hanoi if you travel to Son La via Road No. 6, then you’ll be passing through Hoa Binh on mountainous roads. The road goes up all the way to Moc Chau Plateau which is over 1,000m above sea level with temperate climate all year round. Moc Chau offers huge potential for relaxing holidays, vacations to get away from the summer heat in Hanoi, bike tours and easy trekking tours.

A panoramic view of the Moc Chau Town in the Moc Chau Plateau, Son La Province, Vietnam
A panoramic view of the Moc Chau Town in the Moc Chau Plateau, Son La Province, Vietnam

 

Breathtaking mountains at the Moc Chau Plateau in Son La Province
Breathtaking mountains at the Moc Chau Plateau in Son La Province

 

A scenic cycling road amid green tea plantations in the Moc Chau Plateau, Son La Province, Vietnam
A scenic cycling road amid green tea plantations in the Moc Chau Plateau, Son La Province, Vietnam

 

Mountains at Moc Chau Plateau
Mountains at Moc Chau Plateau

In the Moc Chau Plateau, smack on the border between Son La Province (Moc Chau) and Thanh Hoa Province and Laos, there is the sublime Pha Luong Mountain (2,000m) which requires a full day trekking tour from Moc Chau Town. The trekking tour can not be done when it is wet as the path of 12km from the Hmong Pha Luong Village to the mountain base is too slippery to travel through.

Pha Luong Mountain peak
Pha Luong Mountain peak

 

Summit of the Pha Luong Mountain in Moc Chau Son La Vietnam
Summit of the Pha Luong Mountain in Moc Chau Son La Vietnam

3/ Yen Chau

Continuing further on Route 6 from Moc Chau to Son La, the road goes down all the way to Yen Chau. There are several valleys by the road side that you can have lovely photos of them from above.

A scenic view of a valley at Yen Chau from above
A scenic view of a valley at Yen Chau from above

 

Yen Chau
An idyllic valley at Yen Chau

4/ Mai Son, former Na San Battlefield

It is quite flat from Yen Chau to Mai Son District and Na San, and Son La City along Route 6. The mountains on both sides of the road are still wild and lovely. There are lovely Thai villages at Na San that you can visit on trekking tours by AdventureGreen.

National Road 6 passing through Na San, Mai Son District, Son La Province
National Road 6 passing through Na San, Mai Son District, Son La Province

 

Na San Airfield
Na San Airfield

If you are a fan of war tours or historical tours, then you will love to learn about the Na San Battle. If not, Na San former battlefield offers wonderful hiking adventures amid Thai ethnic villages and mountains. A complete tour of the site takes almost a full day but AdventureGreen offers trekking tours around Na San for half a day each only.

5/ Pha Din Pass

If you continue northwestwards past Son La City on Route 6, then the road goes up suddenly and the temperatures are quickly lower in Thuan Chau. The landscape changes also with higher mountains and more forests. Before you reach Dien Bien, you’ll have to climb the 32km mountain pass of Pha Din, one of the most breathtaking mountain passes in Vietnam with elevation more than 1,000 above sea level. Taking on a mountain-bike tour with AdventureGreen on this trip, you’ll get the full beauty of wild nature here.

Coffee plantations at Thuan Chau District (Son La) right at the base of the sublime Pha Din Pass
Coffee plantations at Thuan Chau District (Son La) right at the base of the sublime Pha Din Pass

 

A panoramic view of the Pha Din Pass between Son La and Dien Bien
A panoramic view of the Pha Din Pass between Son La and Dien Bien

 

Spectacular mountains at the Pha Din Pass between Son La Province and Dien Bien Province
Spectacular mountains at the Pha Din Pass between Son La Province and Dien Bien Province

 

Black Thai dance at Thuan Chau
Black Thai dance at Thuan Chau

6/ Co Noi T-Junction

From Son La City, if you decide to go back to Hanoi, then you can travel back on Route 6 to Co Noi T-Junction, then take Route 37 to Muong Khoa, Ta Khoa crossing the Da River. From here you can travel back to Hanoi or further to Yen Bai. This route is seldom taken by foreign travelers to Vietnam. If you are a fan of war history or military history or battlefield tours, this route is definitely recommended!

The monument at the historical Co Noi T-Junction which was bombed the most heavily during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1953-1954
The monument at the historical Co Noi T-Junction which was bombed the most heavily during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1953-1954

 

A peaceful road at Co Noi to Muong Khoa and Ta Khoa, Son La
A peaceful road at Co Noi to Muong Khoa and Ta Khoa, Son La

7/Bac Yen 

Bac Yen is famed for battles during the First Indochina War and for ethereal white clouds which can be adored from Ta Xua or Hang Dong Communes.

Bac Yen Township, Bac Yen District, Son La Province
Bac Yen Township, Bac Yen District, Son La Province

 

A scenic road by the Da River and lovely mountains around at Bac Yen, Son La Province
A scenic road by the Da River and lovely mountains around at Bac Yen, Son La Province

 

The Da River at Ta Khoa, Son La
The Da River at Ta Khoa, Son La

7.1 Ta Xua Nature Reserve

Ta Xua Nature Reserve which covers an area of 17,650 hectares including Ta Xua, Hang Dong Communes of Bac Yen District and Muong Thai, Suoi To Communes of Phu Yen District of Son La Province. Most of the terrain of the Ta Xua Nature Reserve is on altitudes of 1,500m to 2,000m above sea level.

Mountains at Bac Yen and Ta Xua, Son La
Mountains at Bac Yen and Ta Xua, Son La

 

Ta Xua is home to a little Hmong community nestled on mountain slopes on altitudes of 1,800m to 2,000m above sea level
Ta Xua is home to a little Hmong community nestled on mountain slopes on altitudes of 1,800m to 2,000m above sea level
7.2 Ta Xua and the Unreal White Clouds

At Bac Yen, you can follow a meandering mountain road going up steeply to Ta Xua Commune where there are trekking adventure tours for you to adore the wild nature here. Most of the terrain of Ta Xua is more or less than 2,000m above sea level. If visiting Ta Xua at the right time in autumn, winter and spring, you can have stunning photographs of sublime clouds. 

Breathtaking clouds at Ta Xua, Bac Yen District, Son La Province
Breathtaking clouds at Ta Xua, Bac Yen District, Son La Province

 

Dawn over Ta Xua, Bac Yen District, Son La Province
Dawn over Ta Xua, Bac Yen District, Son La Province
7.2 Hang Dong Dinosaur Backbone

The best site for adoring sublime white clouds is around the Dinosaur Backbone which is 20km from the center of the Ta Xua Commune. The site offers lovely hiking experiences and thrilling motorbike adventures.

The Dinosaur Backbone at Hang Dong, Bac Yen District, Son La Province
The Dinosaur Backbone at Hang Dong, Bac Yen District, Son La Province
7.3 Xim Vang, Sa Mu Peak

Those love mountain hiking can take on a hard adventure tour to conquer the Sa Mu Mountain Peak (2,756m) in Xim Vang which is 25km northwest of Ta Xua Commune. 

Sa Mu Mountain in Hang Dong, Bac Yen, Son La
Sa Mu Mountain in Hang Dong, Bac Yen, Son La

8/ Phu Yen and Muong Tac Valley

From Bac Yen to Hanoi, the landscape is quite lovely with a series of mountain passes, valleys and ethnic villages by the road side. You will be traveling past Phu Yen and the famed valley of Muong Tac. The last leg in Son La is Deo Khe between Son La and Phu Tho Province. You’ll pass Deo Khe, then descend into Thu Cuc where you join Route 32 back to Hanoi.

 

The Muong Tac Valley at Phu Yen, Son La
The Muong Tac Valley at Phu Yen, Son La

 

Water buffaloes at the Muong Tac Valley (Phu Yen Town) Son La Province
Water buffaloes at the Muong Tac Valley (Phu Yen Town) Son La Province

 

Muong Tac Valley was listed among the four  biggest valleys in the Northwest of Vietnam
Muong Tac Valley was listed among the four biggest valleys in the Northwest of Vietnam

9/ Deo Khe Pass, Deo Lung Lo Pass

Deo Khe is between Son La, Yen Bai and Phu Tho Provinces and Deo Lung Lo is between Son La and Yen Bai Provinces.

The Lung Lo Pass is on the historical Route 37 which was Viet Minh’s supply route for the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and which was heavily bombed. The Lung Lo Pass was dumped with about 12,000 tons of bombs during the Dien Bien Phu Battle between February to May 1954. The pass is 15km in length and is 33km northeast of Phu Yen Town.

The Lung Lo Pass between Son La and Yen Bai Provinces
The Lung Lo Pass between Son La and Yen Bai Provinces
The Khe Pass (Deo Khe) between Phu Tho and Son La Provinces
The Khe Pass (Deo Khe) between Phu Tho and Son La Provinces

10/ Muong La Nature Reserve

The Muong La Nature Reserve established in June 2015 is 15,800 hectares covering Ngoc Chien, Nam Pam and Hua Trai Communes of Muong La District. The nature reserve is home to the highly critically endangered species of Black Langurs which are found only in Vietnam and China nowadays. There are mountain peaks of over 1,000m in the nature reserve. 

Besides, there are hotsprings at Ngoc Chien Commune where Black Thai communities also offer tourist services like mineral bathing and homestay.

Adventure Travel, Bike Tours, Motorbike Tours, Things to do in Son La

AdventureGreen.com offers lots of trekking tours, hiking adventure tours, motorcycle tours and mountain bike tours to Son La and the North West of Vietnam. For mountain climbing, we can do it at Mount Pha Luong. For trekking, there are lovely paths around Ta Xua for you to take on. For biking, you can join us on a bicycle tour around Moc Chau or a mountain-bike tour to the North-West of Vietnam. For motorbike lovers, AdventureGreen offers inspirational motorbike adventures to Moc Chau, Son La and the North West of Vietnam. Let us make your adventure to Vietnam authentic and sensational!

1/ Trekking Tours, Hiking Trips, Walking Holidays

There are opportunities for mountain trekking adventures at Mount Pha Luong in Moc Chau District and Mount U Bo (Sa Mu Peak) in Bac Yen District. The trip to Mount Pha Luong is not possible when it is wet (right before, during and right after a rain). Both these trips are hard trekking adventures. 

AdventureGreen offers trekking tours to adore the heavenly white clouds at the Ta Xua Nature Reserve (Bac Yen Province) on which we stay with and visit local ethnic villages, too. We also offer walking holidays for families with kids in the Moc Chau Plateau.

Sa Mu Mountain offers inspirational yet challenging trekking adventure tours
Sa Mu Mountain offers inspirational yet challenging trekking adventure tours

2/ Bike Tours, Cycling Trips for Families, Family Walking Tours

We offer several walking tours and bike trips for families in the Moc Chau Plateau. On these tours we stay at local family run hotels or simple homestay or in our own camps.

3/ Motorbike Tours

Son La along with the Northwest of Vietnam has been on our motorbike adventure tours for several years. On these tours we adore the wild nature as well as untouched local cultures. The routes we ride on include back roads and trails amid mountains, villages.

Ta Xua, a pristine spot perched on 2,000m in elevation
Ta Xua, a pristine spot perched on 2,000m in elevation


Son La Average Monthly Rainfalls and Temperatures


Vietnam Adventure Travel