welcome to Sapa!
Picturesque green valleys, terraced hill sides and tribes still following their ancient traditions - welcome to Sapa.
Located 350kms north-west of Hanoi, just shy of the Chinese border is the Lao
Cai Province where you will discover Sapa. Its surroundings and impressive
landscape are on the lower slopes of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, which
also boasts Vietnam's highest mountain Fansipan, with a height of 3142 metres.
Sapa is populated by a diverse group of ethnic minorities such as the Hmong,
Yao, Tay and Giay groups. Thought to have inhabited the area since the 1800's,
these Sapa hill tribes are still around today continuing their way of life and
traditions as they have done for centuries.
The weather is very seasonal, during the summer it's quite moderate and rainy.
During the winter it can be cold, misty and even get the odd snowfall.
Recommended times to travel are March through May and mid September to early
December to get a warmer and clearer experience.
Organising your travel to Sapa in advance through a travel specialist is
advised. The best way to get to Sapa is by overnight train, where travellers can
sleep the journey away. From Hanoi the journey takes approximately 10 hours and
the trains depart daily. There are fourteen trains that provide the return
journey between Hanoi and Lao Cai, all providing air-conditioning and
comfortable cabins with multiple berth options. You'll wake up refreshed and
ready for your Sapa adventure to begin when you arrive into Lao Cai early the
next morning.
Put your walking shoes on and explore the valleys offering breathless scenery
leading you to local villages. The nearest village of Cat Cat is only 3kms from
Sapa, another option is Ta Phin village home to Red Dzao approximately 10kms
away. Most travellers seek a guide and take a Xe Om (motorbike) to a starting
point 8kms from Sapa, then trek a 14km loop around the area visiting villages
along the way. There are many hiking and trekking options in the area for all
fitness levels, visiting hill tribe villages and waterfalls. For the serious
mountaineer why not take on the 19km journey to the pinnacle of Fansipan,
Vietnam's highest peak.
Another attraction of any Sapa trip is the markets. There are multiple markets
held around the area generally on the weekend on either a Saturday or Sunday. A
famous market is the Bac Ha Sunday market, which is a trading centre and meeting
place for friends and family. You will find the local minorities wearing their
traditional garments, the Hmong are identified by their indigo embroidered garb
and the Red Dao by their red headdresses with dangling coins and waistcoats that
are intricately embroidered and worn by the women. The Love Market is another
famed market - traditionally it was a place where the youths of the local hill
tribes would come to find a mate.
When you have met the locals, trekked the valleys and marvelled the views of
dramatically terraced rice fields, shopped at the markets and have your
treasured moments captured, you will head back to Lao Cai station for your
overnight train back to Hanoi. A Sapa travel adventure is a definite highlight
of any trip to Vietnam.
Sapa Budget Tours
- Sapa Day Tours - Sapa Day Excursions - Day Trips Sapa Vietnam
- Sapa Walk and Bac ha Market
- Sapa Hard Trekking Two
- Sapa Hard Trekking One
- Sapa Medium Trek Two
- Sapa Medium Trek
Sapa Trekking and Adventures
- Fansipan peak conquering VIP tour (3 days - 2 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering VIP tour (2 days - 1 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (4 days - 3 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (3 days - 2 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Deluxe tour (2 days - 1 nights)
- Fansipan peak conquering Standard tour (4 days - 3 nights)
Sapa Cycling Options
- Sapa - Binh Lu - Lai Chau(with biking)
- Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Ban Ho
- Sapa Biking Tour - Ban Ho Village
- Sapa Biking Tour - Binh Lu - Lai Chau
- SaPa - Bac Ha Market with biking
- Pedalling The Remote Sapa\'s Northwest
Sapa Luxury Holidays
Traditional Minority Discovery Packages
- Green Sapa bus (Hanoi – Sapa)
- Eco Sapa Limousine Van (Hanoi – Sapa)
- Private car Hanoi Sapa
- Hanoi Sapa Private Cabin bus
- Coc Ly market with boat trip
- Cao Son market -boat trip on Chay river- Sapa Tours
Sapa Classic Trips
Northern Mountain Discovery Packages
Topas Ecolodge Sapa tours
- Topas Ecolodge and Market Package 3D/4N
- Topas Ecolodge and Market Package-2D/3N
- Topas Ecolodge and Victoria Sapa Package – 4D/5N
- Topas Ecolodge and Victoria Sapa Package – 3D/4N
- Topas Ecolodge Package – 3D/4N
- Topas Ecolodge Package 2D/3N
Top hotels in Sapa
Vietnam Top Hotel
