How to spend 1 to 3 days in Pu Luong : The Perfect Pu Luong itinerary

This Pu Luong itinerary is the perfect travel planning guide for 1-3 days in Pu Luong Nature Reserve, North Vietnam. You’ll get a detailed itinerary with the best things to do and see, day trips from Mai Chau and more.

This nature reserve has a little bit of everything: off-the-beaten-track, beautiful terraced paddy fields, limestone mountains, and more; great local food; and friendly local people.

Pu Luong is a great place to escape from the bustle and hustle of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, and less touristy than Sapa

I feel like 3 days in Pu Luong is a great choice; 2 days is fine, but a bit of a rush. Day trips are good for those who stay in either Mai Chau or Pu Luong. Let this Pu Luong itinerary show you the best way to plan 1 to 3 days in the Pu Luong nature reserve.

What to do in Pu Luong: Pu Luong itinerary 3 days

This Pu Luong 3-day itinerary is an ideal choice for those who have time to travel at a slower pace and want to explore Pu Luong nature in depth. 

If you want to travel with convenience, spend 3 days in Don village, which has many restaurants, cafes, bars, etc…..

Option 1 : This Pu Luong 3-day itinerary for travellers who start and finish the trip from Hanoi

Day 1 in Pu Luong: 

• A short walk around Don Village (1 hour) 
• Short trek to Bang village ( 2 hours)

Read more: Pu Luong easy trekking routes

Day 2 in Pu Luong: Pu Luong full day trip

• Short trek from Don village to Kho Muong (2 to 3 hours) 

Day 3 in Pu Luong

• Bamboo rafting in Suoi Cham
• A short trek from Pho Doan to Hieu village (2 hours) 
• Visiting Hieu waterfall 

Option 2 : Pu Luong and Mai Chau combination

Day 1 : Hanoi to Pu Luong. Lunch in Hieu village.

• Visit Hieu waterfall
• A short trek from Hieu village to Pho Doan
• Bamboo wharf and waterwheel

Day 2 : Pu Luong to Mai Chau

• Walk around Don village
• Trek in Bang village or Kho Muong village from Don village
• Biking around Mai Hich

Day 3 : Mai Chau to Hanoi

Walk around Mai Chau town or bike around the Mai Chau area (2 hours) 

Day 1 : Hanoi to Pu Luong. Short trek

7.30 am : Pick up from Hanoi Old Quarter and take a 4.5-hour drive, including a stopover for a toilet break halfway. Arrive at Pu Luong. Have lunch in Pu Luong. 

Stroll around Don village for an hour. Leisurely walk to see terraced rice paddy fields, local stilt houses, and local people.

Then take a short drive to Bang village. Take a short trek for one and a half hour on a flat road 

Head back to Don village.

Day 2 : Pu Luong day trip from Pu Luong

Trek from Pu Luong to Kho Muong village which is an off-the-beaten-track

Day 3 : Pu Luong and back to Hanoi

Take a 45-minute drive to Suoi Cham for relaxing bamboo rafting. Then see waterwheels which are unique things about Pu Luong. 

One of the must-see places in Pu Luong is the Hieu waterfall. Then check out Hieu waterfall. 

Add on : Pho Doan Sunday market is worth visiting, please combine them with HIeu waterfall or on the way back to Hanoi or Ninh Binh

Pu Luong day trip from Mai Chau 

 We will pick you up from your hotel in Mai Chau and then take one hour to Bang Village. From there, we take 2-hour trek on a flat road to Bam village, then we a short drive to Don village, Pu Luong,  which is the focal point that most travelers to Pu Luong. Having lunch with Vietnamese food. After lunch, stroll around the village to see rice fields, and traditional houses on stilt and bamboo trees for 45 minutes.

Then a half an hour’s drive to the Suoi Cham area for bamboo rafting and see the waterwheels that Pu Luong is most famous for.

Get back to Mai Chau in the late afternoon. 

Hanoi – Mai Chau – Pu Luong 4 days

Day 1 : Hanoi to Mai Chau. Biking or walking around Mai Chau. Overnight in Mai Chau

Day 2 : Mai Chau to Pu Luong. Short walk around Mai Hich village in Mai Chau.  Trekking from Kho Muong to Don village or Bang village to Don village. Overnight in Pu Luong

Day 3 : Pu Luong day trip. Overnight in Pu Luong

Trekking from Don to Hieu village (4 hours), lunch and walk around Don village. 

Day 4 : Bamboo raft, waterwheel and short way and back to Hanoi 

Budget for 3 days Pu Luong itinerary

The cost is much higher if you stay at better hotels and resorts. You need to add the transfer cost from/to Hanoi as well. 

If you are taking a guided tour, the price is around 300 + USD per person (Applied for a group from 2 people) 

Over to you

Hanoi Eco Tour offers free travel consultant for visitors in Vietnam in general and PuLuong in particular by travel experts who have been working in the tourism industry for over 12 years. Please contact us via email  at info@hanoiecotour.com or WhatsApp:

Please click on the link above

Lastest update : 19th of August, 2026