Dien Bien Vietnam

Dien Bien cycling is our complete travel guide dedicated to all things Dien Bien bicycle travel: Cycle Hanoi to Dien Bien, Dien Bien cycling tour, Sapa to Dien Bien, mountain bike ride, bicycle hire, rent, rental, Dien Bien bike routes, Dien Bien Vietnam by bike…

Cycling in Dien Bien lets you to discover the beautiful mountainous region of northwest Vietnam, the impressive terraced paddy fields, and to experience the rich culture of the Thai ethnic group in Vietnam.

Dien Bien province was created by a split of the former Lai Chau Province in the early 2004. The province includes all the land in the south of Da River (Black River), and New Lai Chau Province. It has many mountains stretching along north-west and south-east direction. Muong Thanh Valley is largest one of this region.

Biking in Dien Bien offers the best opportunity to meet and greet people of several Vietnamese ethnic groups, from the timid White Thai to the gregarious H’mong. But remember that responsible tourism is crucial; our collective interaction with isolated ethnic minorities lays the groundwork for their future survival (or demise).

Dien Bien map

How to get to Dien Bien?

Dien Bien Phu is the provincial capital of Dien Bien province which is located 478km from Hanoi. The travel destination can be reached either by air or road.

Getting to Dien Bien Phu from Hanoi

Air

The Dien Bien Phu Airport is located very near the centre of town, along the road to Muong Lay. There are two departures to Hanoi daily, at 11:40 and 15:10, and flights to here from Hanoi leave at 10:00 and 13:30 — the flight takes an hour. Please visit Vietnam’s Airlines website for more updated timetable and fares: https://vietnamairlines.com

Road

Traveling from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu, travelers go over kilometers of mountainous road, following National Highway No. 6 to Tuan Giao and then the 279 to Dien Bien Phu. The stretch of road goes uphill and downhill alternately with many sharp bends. It is a memorable event for everybody in this superb mountain.

When to go cycling in Dien Bien?

Dien Bien in March, April, May

Humidity and temperatures combine to make this season feel warm. Highs range from 88.5°F (31.4°C) and 78.4°F (25.8°C) with warmer temperatures in the later months. Rain is somewhat common with 4 to 9 days of significant precipitation per month. Spring is the slowest for tourism, which makes it a good time for those looking for a Dien Bien mountain bike tour.

Dien Bien in June , July, August

The middle-year months have very comfortable weather with high temperatures that are quite warm. These months see the most precipitation with 11 to 14 days of precipitation per month. June – August is the second busiest season for tourism in Dien Bien Phu, so lodging and other accommodations may cost slightly more. We don’t recommend any multi-day cycling trip in Dien Bien Phu during this season.

Dien Bien in September, October, November

Fall daily highs range from 86.1°F (30.1°C) and 74.1°F (23.4°C), which will feel very nice given the humidity and wind. It rains or snows a significant amount: 2 to 8 days per month. Tourism is the busiest during these months due to the weather, so hotels may be higher priced. This is the best season for riding Vietnam northwest loop – Dien Bien Phu to Laos, Dien Bien Phu to Sapa.

Dien Bien in December, January, February

Weather is somewhat cool this time of year in Dien Bien Phu to be enjoyable for warm weather travelers. The average high during this season is between 82.1°F (27.8°C) and 64.7°F (18.2°C). On average, it rains or snows a small amount: consistently 2 times per month. These times of year are fairly slow with tourists. We also recommend this season for taking a bicycle tour in Dien Bien Vietnam. Therefore try to not traveling to Dien Bien during the Lunar New Year since most of sites are closed.

Best time to take a Dien Bien bike tour?

September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May are good months to visit Dien Bien province as well as northwest highlands of Vietnam. Among these months October and April are usually the best months to visit Dien Bien. You enjoy both the comfortable weather and the beautiful rice fields in Muong Thanh valley.

Please consult us to plan your cycling trip on the market day in Dien Bien region. While most of local markets are open according the lunar calendar, some of them are open on Sunday morning.

What to explore on your Dien Bien bicycle tour?

Dien Bien possesses several travel attractions including both natural landscape and historical relics. Taking a bike tour with us, you will have the opportunity to discover such sites as Pa Khoang Reservoir, Tham Bang Cave, Ban Phu Citadel, Museum of Dien Bien Phu Victory, Noong Nhai Vestige, Muong Phang Forest…

Here we’ve compiled some of most popular cycling spots in Dien Bien Vietnam, covered by our great selection of exciting Dien Bien cycling routes and bike tours.

Muong Phang

Muong Phang was the Command’s Headquarter of Dien Bien Phu campaign in 1954. At that time, the place was selected to house the headquarters of the campaign’s command, which nestled in forest at the foot of Pu Don Mountain. The nerve-center agency of the Vietnamese army was stationed there from January 31 to May 15 in 1954. At this place, General Vo Nguyen Giap made important decisions which led to the historic Dien Bien Phu victory.

Dien Bien Phu museum

Dien Bien Phu museum is located opposite the Dien Bien Phu Cemetery, displaying several artefacts of Vietnamese and French Armies in Dien Bien Phu campaign. The museum was inaugurated on 5th May 2014 in celebration of 60th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory. It has a total area of 22 000 m2. Its main building, which was designed like a military pith hat that Vietnamese soldiers used to camouflage, has a basement and floating floor with a total area of 7000 m2.

Muong Thanh valley

Muong Thanh is a heart-shaped valley located in Dien Bien province to the northwest of Vietnam. This gorgeous basin is well-known for its natural beauty as it is surrounded by paddy fields, rivers, and stunning lakes. In fact, Dien Bien Phu is located within this valley. The famous battle of Dien Bien Phu was thus, fought right here.

A1 Hill

One the most significant sites in Dien Bien Phu, A1 crater was the place where the Viet Minh registered their final victory, bringing to an end the famous Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The Viet Minh fought the battle for a whole 39 days and nights and finally reclaimed the hill by blasting it for underneath.

French War memorial

The French War Memorial in Dien Bien Phu is the only one built to commemorate the loss of French lives in the historic battle of Dien Bien Phu.

Pa Khoang Lake

Pa Khoang Lake is about 20km from Dien Bien’s city centre. The lake covers a total area of 2,400 ha, in which 1,320 ha of forest area, 300 ha of farming land, 150 ha of basic construction, and 600 ha of water surface area. A point of interest is that nearly 400 cherry trees line the shores of the lake. Every year in late December and early January the cherry trees bloom and the lake becomes a stunning tourist destination.

Cycling routes Dien Bien

Cycling route: Dien Bien Phu to Tuan Giao

Cycling route: Dien Bien Phu to Muong Cha

Cycling route: Dien Bien Phu border crossing to Laos

Read more

• Dien Bien Bike Tours
• Northwest Vietnam Bike Tour – Sapa to Dien Bien 4 Days
• Cycle North West Vietnam – 7 Day Itinerary – Lao Cai to Dien Bien Phu
• North Vietnam Tour 13 Days
• Vietnam 12 Day Tour – Northwest Vietnam, Halong Bay

Dien Bien cycling tours

Find out how to plan your most enjoyable trip to Dien Bien Vietnam with our collection of best Dien Bien tours including Dien Bien bicycle tour, cheap, budget Dien Bien bike ride, off the beaten path Dien Bien mountain biking holidays, easy, guided Dien Bien cycle itinerary, off the beaten track trip, Dien Bien cycling vacations, self-guided packages are crafted for cyclists, adventure travelers, small group tour.

At Vietnam Cycling we only run multi-day bike tours which includes Dien Bien: cycling Hanoi to Luang Prabang (through Dien Bien); biking from Sapa to Dien Bien; Northwest Vietnam bicycle tour (Dien Bien included). If you look for Dien Bien day cycle, bike rental, short cycling excursions from Dien Bien Phu, we recommend you planning a self-supported bicycle touring.

Read more: Dien Bien tours

Dien Bien bicycle rental

Looking for bike rental in Dien Bien? If you take a self-supported ride in Dien Bien, you should bring your own bike from Hanoi since there is no place to hire mountain bike in Dien Bien province. The alternative option is to rent a good mountain bicycle in a bike shop in Sapa. We can help with the arrangement. A deposit is required for bike rental in Vietnam.

For any Dien Bien biking tour we highly recommend hybrid, mountain bicycles with 24 or 27 speed gear. You will need that gear while cycling in such hilly region as Dien Bien Vietnam.

Additional questions about cycling in Dien Bien?

Do you have any questions about bicycle touring in Dien Bien that you want to ask us? Is there anything you think I should discuss about cycling around Dien Bien that we left out… that we should include in future updates to this article?

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