From Hanoi to Lai Chau is 511km along National Highway 6 via Hoa Binh and Son La.

Lai Chau, the northwestern most province in North Vietnam borders on Chi Na and Laos.

The capital of the province, the town of the same name, Lai Chau, is situated in a valley near the junction of the Nam Ron River and the Da River.

Lai Chau province is populated by up to 23 ethnic groups, most notably the Thai and the H'Mong.