Sapa VietNam

Located at the foot of the majestic Hoang Lien Son range and only 5-6 hours by highway from Hanoi, Sa Pa is an ideal destination all year round. In addition to terraced fields in the ripe rice season, Sa Pa also attracts tourists thanks to the beauty of many other destinations.

Key Takeaways from “Sapa Vietnam” Article

• Sapa’s beauty shines in all seasons with diverse landscapes.
• Multiple travel options from Hanoi: limo, bus, train, or car.
• Accommodations range from budget to luxury and homestays.
• Key attractions include Ham Rong Mountain and Cat Cat Village.
• Fansipan Peak and stunning waterfalls add to Sapa’s allure.

For more details, visit Sapa Local Guide.

What season is beautiful in Sapa?

Sa Pa has a cool climate so it is suitable for tourism all year round. You just need to avoid the rainy season from June to early August, because extreme weather can cause floods, flash floods, landslides…

From February to May, Sa Pa spring is brilliant with hundreds of blooming flowers such as cherry apricot, peach, plum… Summer from June to August is the time when tourists come to Sa Pa to escape the hot. Admire the lush green terraced fields.

Fall lasts from September to November, Sa Pa is charming in the golden color of ripe rice and the weather gradually becomes cold. Winter comes from December to February of the following year, if you are lucky you can “hunt” for snow and ice on the mountain tops.

Transportation

You can book a limousine from Hanoi to Sa Pa or a bus from My Dinh station for 230,000 – 350,000 VND per person, depending on seat class. Travel time is about 5 – 6 hours.

If you go by train, you choose the Hanoi – Lao Cai route. After about 7 – 9 hours of travel, you have to take a bus or take a taxi to Sa Pa center. Train ticket prices range from 160,000 to 800,000 VND depending on seat class and train type.

If you drive your own car, take the Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway, then turn to road 4D to get to Sa Pa. The road is easy to follow, but you need to pay attention to the signs and run at the right speed. On occasions when it’s cold, rainy, foggy and slippery, you should carefully check your tires, brakes, lights… before departing. Driving time is about 5 – 6 hours. Please depart from Hanoi at around 12:30 at the latest, so that when you reach the pass to Sa Pa, it is not too dark.

Hotels, homestays

Sa Pa has all types of accommodation for you to choose from, from motels, homestays in villages, hostels, cheap hotels, to 4-5 star hotels and luxury resorts located separately. Resorts in Sa Pa have notable places such as Topas Ecolodge, Sapa Jade Hill, Hôtel de la Coupole – MGallery, Silk Path Grand…

If you choose a homestay or hostel, go to villages like Cat Cat, Lao Chai, Ta Van to enjoy the peaceful space of the Northwest mountains and forests. Dorm room prices start from 100,000 VND per person, double bungalow room prices start from 500,000 VND.

Some popular homestays are Eco Palms House, Heaven Sapa, Viettrekking, Phori’s House, Sapa Heavenly, Rock Garden, Coong, Cloud Garden, Mong…

Where to visit in Sapa?

You can spend about 3 days and 2 nights to explore famous destinations in Sa Pa.

Ham Rong mountain

With its magical and misty landscape, Ham Rong Mountain is crowded with tourists. The lowest point of the mountain is 1,450m, and the highest peak is more than 1,800m. From the top of the mountain, you can see most of the famous tourist attractions of Sa Pa town such as Muong Hoa valley, Ta Van village, Cat Cat village…

Ham Rong Mountain is suitable for organizing a climbing picnic, combining eating, shopping, and sightseeing because on the way up the mountain there are countless shops and beautiful flower gardens. The price to visit Ham Rong mountain tourist area is 70,000 VND for adults and 30,000 VND for children.

Sa Pa Stone Church

After going to Ham Rong Mountain, you return to the town center not far away to visit Sa Pa Stone Church. This is a symbolic project of the mountain town that was started in 1895. The church was built in the shape of a cross in Gothic style, shown in the roof, bell tower, arches… all of which are pyramidal shapes creating flying features. elegant benefits for the project.

Cat Cat Village

Cat Cat village is located 2 km from Sa Pa center so you can choose to trek or ride a motorbike. This is a peaceful Mong village, still preserving many traditional customs and crafts such as weaving, silver carving, jewelry making…

The road to the village is quite beautiful, you will go through winding roads, on both sides are terraced fields filled with ethnic houses. Crossing Si bridge is the center of Cat Cat village, where three streams converge: Tien Sa stream, Vang stream and Silver stream. Visiting the village, in addition to learning about the life of the Mong people, you also have the opportunity to buy handmade products as gifts and enjoy local products. The ticket price to visit Cat Cat village is 50,000 VND per person.

Lao Chai – Ta Van Villages

From town, you follow the 10 km long road to Ta Van by motorbike, taxi or trekking. The road to Lao Chai – Ta Van is small and narrow, on both sides are green terraced fields of rice and corn. Although no longer wild and remote, Lao Chai – Ta Van is still a peaceful village with many ethnic groups living such as Mong, Dao, Giay…

The most impressive thing here, in addition to the local ethnic life, is also the terraced fields stretching across the hillsides. Late summer is the time when ripe rice dyes the entire mountain area yellow. So, if you have a lot of time, spend a day here to experience the local lifestyle. The entrance fee is 70,000 VND per person.

=> Read more about Lao Chai village Here.

=> More about Tavan Village Here.

Fansipan peak

To reach the top of Fansipan without losing too much effort, take the cable car and mountain train. In the morning, you line up to buy tickets at the funicular train station opposite Sa Pa town square. Cable car ticket price is 715,000 VND per adult, 525,000 VND per child, mountain train ticket is 99,000 VND per person.

To reach Fansipan peak, you follow the mountain train route, then cable car, then another train ride or walk up 600 steps. Each train ride lasts about 6-7 minutes, each cable car ride lasts about 30 minutes. Those who like to walk can leisurely climb the stairs and visit the spiritual complex on Fansipan including Kim Son Bao Thang Tu, 11-storey tower, bronze statue of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, and the largest bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha. Vietnam…

In addition, at the cable car and mountain train stops, there are souvenir shops, restaurants… to serve the shopping and dining needs of tourists. Note: you should wear low-soled shoes, bring a jacket, raincoat, or umbrella in case the weather on the mountain top is suddenly cold and cloudy.

Seo My Ty lake

To get to Seo My Ty Lake, in Ta Van commune, you have to cross a 20 km long road with many large and small rocks, so it is quite difficult for weak drivers. The lake was created by the Seo My Ty hydroelectric dam and is also the highest artificial lake in Vietnam. Viewed from above, the lake looks like a silk strip next to the Hoang Lien Son range. Coming here, you can ask the fishermen for permission to sit on a boat or raft to admire the lake and learn about the salmon farming profession of the people here.

Sky Gate

From the center of Sa Pa, run along Highway 4D for about 15 km, to the highest part of O Quy Ho pass, you will reach the Heaven Gate. Standing from here, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the vast valley below, terraced fields mixed with winding roads. Currently, there are many new projects being built here such as restaurants, cafes, hotels… Heaven’s Gate charges 80,000 VND per person, including a drink.

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho is known as the “King of the passes” with deep valleys on one side and steep cliffs on the other. O Quy Ho stretches about 50 km connecting the two provinces of Lao Cai – Lai Chau. Suggestion for those who want to take beautiful photos on this pass is to come at sunset, around 5 – 5:30 p.m. When the sun gradually hides behind the mountains, the entire pass is covered in a dreamy, beautiful golden color. However, Sa Pa’s weather changes very quickly, maybe just 10 minutes after the sun and sunset, dark clouds will cover it.

Along the pass to Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall, there are many stalls selling local specialties, food, drinks, and providing seats for guests to rest. Going to O Quy Ho Pass, you should bring a raincoat and a thick coat, ride a motorbike, remember to wear a helmet and pay attention to each turn.

Silver Waterfall – Love Waterfall

Located on O Quy Ho Pass road, 3 km from the top of the pass, Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall are also must-see stops for many young people. Silver Waterfall has steps to the top of the waterfall, but the higher you go, the colder it becomes and the water flows more strongly. You need to be careful to avoid slipping. Although the road from the entrance to the waterfall is 1.5 km and you have to walk, the forest path is romantic. Tickets to Silver Waterfall are 20,000 VND per person, tickets to Love Waterfall are 70,000 VND per person.

If you likes to learn and experience Local trekking: Local Trekking in Sapa: The Best Sapa Local Package Tour, Ideal time to visit Sapa – Fully enjoy the please experience with us Sapa Local Guide on trips. Our tour guides will show you the friendliness and Hospitality of tourists in Sapa. If you are interested, don’t forget to visit our website. https://sapalocalguide.com/  contact us via email at info@sapalocalguide.com, WhatsApp +84949560504 or by phone +84949560504 for more information.

Sapa Local Guide hopes that the above information will help you and wish you an enjoyable and meaningful vacation in Sapa Vietnam.