Situated in northeast Vietnam, Dien Bien Phu is famous as the site of the epic 170-day war of the French Expeditionary Corps in 1954 and is popular with military history enthusiasts.
Although there are several monuments to this famous battle around the town, there is little else to attract and interest casual travelers. Commonly referred to as DBP, the town is located 34kms from the Lao border, and many people pause here on their way from Hanoi to Laos.
Dien Bien Phu is located in the heart-shaped Muong Thanh Valley, which is surrounded by steep, heavily forested hills. Those who enjoy hiking would be able to kill an hour or two in this region before continuing on their way.
In brief
Worth it? Not unless you have a strong interest in military history.
What to do: visit the local battle sites, hike through the forest.
Best time to go: between March and May when the weather is dry and relatively cool.
How Long? An hour or two is enough time to explore.
Trivia: in the 1950s, Dien Bien Phu was well known for its opium trafficking, which generated an incredible 500,000,000 French francs each year.
Getting there
There are regular flights directly from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu (1 hour). There are also regular buses from Hanoi (14 hours) and Muong Lay (3 hours).
Dien Bien Phu attractions
- Vietnam Military History Museum: full of information about the battle of 1954, this is a good place to learn all about the war.
- Elaine battle site: head east of the River Ron to visit the site of this epic battle.