Things to do in Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu is a valley town near Laos. It is known for one event: the battle that ended on 7 May 1954 with the surrender of the French garrison.

Tours in Dien Bien Phu are battlefield days, mountain treks and road loops through villages of the Thai, Hmong and other peoples. The town itself works as a base.

The battlefield in town

The fighting ran from 13 March to 7 May. The French held a valley camp ringed by strongpoints with women's names, among them Beatrice, Gabrielle, Eliane and Isabelle.

• A1 Hill. The Eliane 2 of the French maps. The Viet Minh blew a mine under it on 6 May, one day before the surrender.
• De Castries bunker. The command post of Christian de Castries, the French commander.
• Victory Museum. Opened in 2014, with photographs, documents and artefacts of the campaign.
• Martyrs' Cemetery. A memorial to the Vietnamese who died, and a quiet stop.

A guided day takes about nine hours. It adds a Black Thai family lunch at Muong Phang.

Into the mountains

• Pu To Co. Muong Phang, in the forest hills, was the Viet Minh headquarters under General Vo Nguyen Giap. From there it is about three hours on foot to the 1,700-metre peak, an observation post in 1954.
• Road loops. Three and five days link Huoi Leng, Tua Chua, the Black River and Tuan Giao, the longer one crossing into Lai Chau province. Nights are in family homestays.
• Evening by motorbike. A ride to Huoi Leng for cooking, Black Thai script writing, dinner and a music show. It returns around 22:00 and runs only as a group.

Practical

• Weather. January days reach about 24C and nights fall to 11C. April is the hottest month at about 33C. July is the wettest, with roughly 200 mm of rain.
• Getting here. The flight from Hanoi takes about an hour. By road it is about 440 km, nine to twelve hours.
• Fitness. The Pu To Co day starts with a 6:30 pick-up. Its operator advises against it for people with back or heart problems.
• Food. Tell the operator in advance about vegetarian meals.
• Cost. Holiday surcharges, where they apply, are not included. Cancellation is usually free more than 24 hours before the start.