Pha Din Pass

Pha Din carries national road 6 over the divide between Son La and Dien Bien at about 1,650 metres, running some thirty kilometres of climb and descent, and it is counted among the four great passes of the north-west along with O Quy Ho, Khau Pha and Ma Pi Leng. The name is Thai and is usually rendered as the place where sky and earth meet. The old road was a single narrow shelf with drops on one side and was notorious; a newer alignment built in the 2000s carries most traffic now, and the old road survives alongside for anyone who wants the original.

The main sights

• A pass at about 1,650 metres - between Son La and Dien Bien.
• One of the four northern passes - with O Quy Ho, Khau Pha and Ma Pi Leng.
• A name meaning sky and earth - from Thai.
• The old shelf road - still there beside the newer alignment.

When to go

October to April; the wet season brings landslides and fog. Half a day.

Things to know

The old road is narrow, unguarded and genuinely dangerous. Fog is frequent and reduces the view to nothing. Lorries dominate the new road. There are few services on the pass itself.

Nearby

Dien Bien Phu is west; Son La and Moc Chau are east.

Key facts