Sapa, Vietnam: Guide to a perfect sightseeing and cultural trip!

Situated at the base of the spectacular Hoang Lien Son range and just a 5- to 6-hour drive from Hanoi via highway, Sapa, Vietnam is an ideal destination all year round. In addition to terraced fields in the ripe rice season, Sa Pa also draws numerous tourists thanks to the stunning beauty of many attractions nearby.

sa-pa-viet-nam1
Sapa. Vietnam is a place of natural beauty, with cascading rice terraces, misty valleys, and majestic peaks.

When is the best time to visit Sapa?

Sapa, Vietnam is an ideal location to visit all year round due to its cool climate. You just need to avoid the rainy season, which runs from June to early August, because severe weather can result in floods, flash floods and landslides.

Sa Pa spring is brilliant from February to May, when hundreds of flowers like cherry, apricot, peach, and plum, blossom. June to August is summertime and also when tourists come to Sapa to escape the heat and admire the lush green terraced fields.

Autumn, from September to November, is a wonderful time of year in Sapa. During that time, the weather gradually becomes cold and Sapa is captivating in the shiny yellow color of ripe rice. If you’re lucky, you might be able to “hunt” for snow and ice on the summits of the mountains.

>>> Read more: What is the Best time to visit Sapa? A comprehensive guide for a perfect trip

sapa-vietnam-2
understanding Sapa’s weather patterns can help you make the most of your visit.

How to get to Sapa Vietnam

You can either take a limousine from Hanoi to Sapa or take 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 Sapa town 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, follow the Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway, then turn to national road 4D to get to Sapa. The road is quite easy to follow, but you need to pay attention to the signs and run at the right speed. You also should carefully check your tires, brakes, lights before driving because it’s occasionally cold, rainy, foggy and slippery. Traveling by car from Hanoi to Sapa takes about 5 – 6 hours, so remember to 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.
  • In Sapa, you can rent a motorbike to move more freely. However, Sapa road has many steep passes, so carefully check your vehicle and avoid renting scooters. Car rental price ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 VND per day.
train-from-ha-noi-to-sapa-viet-nam
Conveniently travel between Hanoi and Sapa on a sleeper train.

What makes Sapa, Vietnam appealing?

There are many well-known destinations in Sapa that you can explore for 3 days and 2 nights.

Ham Rong Mountain

Ham Rong Mountain is a popular tourist destination because of its ethereal and magical beauty. The lowest point of the mountain is 1,450 meters, and the highest one is more than 1,800 meters. From the top of the mountain, you can enjoy the view to most of the famous tourist attractions of Sapa town such as Muong Hoa valley, Ta Van village, Cat Cat village…

Because there are so many shops and lovely flower gardens along the route up Ham Rong Mountain, it’s a great place to plan a picnic that combines dining, shopping and sightseeing. The entrance ticket to the Ham Rong mountain tourist area is 70,000 VND/adult and 30,000 VND/child.

view-to-sapa-town
Ham Rong Mountain offers stunning views of Sapa town

Sapa Stone Church

After Ham Rong Mountain, you return to the town center not far away to visit Sapa Stone Church. Constructed in 1895, this location is an iconic site in the town. The church was built in the Gothic style in the form of a cross, with pyramidal shapes for the arches, roof, bell tower, and other characteristics that create its exquisite flying beauty.

Cat Cat village

Located just 2 kilometers from Sapa center, Cat Cat village can be reached by motorbike or trekking. This peaceful village is home to the H’Mong community and still preserves many traditional customs and crafts such as weaving, silver-carving, and jewelry-making.

cat-cat-village-located-down-of-mountain
Cat Cat Village in Sapa, Vietnam

The road to the village is quite beautiful, you will pass through many winding roads, with terraced fields and dotted ethnic houses on both sides. Crossing the 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 H’Mong people’s life, you also have the opportunity to buy handmade products as gifts and enjoy regional specialties. The entrance ticket to Cat Cat village is 50,000 VND/ person.

Lao Chai – Ta Van

From town, go for 10 kilometers to Ta Van village by motorbike, taxi or trekking. There are verdant terraced fields of corn and rice on both sides of the little, narrow road that leads to Lao Chai – Ta Van. Despite no longer being wild and isolated, Lao Chai – Ta Van is still a peaceful village with a diversity of H’Mong, Dao, and Giay people living there.

a-part-of-ta-van-village
Ta Van Village.

The most impressive thing here, in addition to the local ethnic life, is also the terraced fields spreading across the hillsides. Late summer is the time when ripe rice dyes the entire mountainous area golden. So if you have a lot of time, spend a day here to experience the local lifestyle. Entrance ticket is 70,000 VND/person.

Fansipan peak

To reach the peak of Fansipan without expending too much energy, take the cable car and mountain-climbing train. In the morning, you line up to buy tickets at the mountain-climbing train station opposite Sapa town square. Ticket price for a cable car is 715,000 VND/adult and 525,000 VND/child while the ticket for mountain-climbing train is 99,000 VND/person.

check-in-at-peak-of-fansipan
Perhaps this will be one of the most wonderful moments in everyone’s life.

To reach Fansipan peak, you take a mountain-climbing train, then cable car, and one more mountain-climbing train ride or walk up 600 steps. A train ride takes roughly 6 to 7 minutes, whereas a cable car excursion takes almost 30 minutes. Those who like to walk can leisurely climb the stairs and visit the spiritual complex on Fansipan Mountain including Kim Son Bao Thang Tu, 11-storey tower, bronze statue of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, and the largest bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha in Vietnam.

Restaurants and gift stores are available at the cable car and mountain train stops to accommodate visitors’ demands for dining and shopping. Note: Just in case the weather on the mountain top unexpectedly turns chilly and foggy, you should pack an umbrella, raincoat, and low-soled shoes.

Sapa Heaven Gate

Run approximately 15 kilometers up Highway 4D from Sapa town center to the top of O Quy Ho Pass, where you will find the Sapa Heaven Gate. From this vantage point, you can take in an expansive panorama of the vast valley below, which is lined with winding roads and terraced fields. There are now a lot of new construction projects going up here, including cafes, restaurants, and hotels. Entrance ticket to Sapa Heaven Gate is 80,000 VND/person, with a drink included.

Sapa-Heaven-Gate-Paradise-in-clouds
Sapa Heaven Gate – Paradise in the clouds.

Seo My Ty Lake

Seo My Ty Lake is situated in Ta Van commune. To get there, you have to cross a 20-kilometer-long road with many big and small rocks, so it is quite challenging for weak drivers. The lake is the highest artificial lake in Vietnam and was created by blocking the dam for the Seo My Ty hydroelectric plant. When viewed from above, the lake looks like a silk strip on the side of the Hoang Lien Son range. Coming here, you can ask the fishermen if you can sit on their boats or rafts and enjoy the view of the lake while learning about the salmon farming of the people here.

>>> Explore: Best Things to do in Sapa, Vietnam

Swing Sapa

Located at no.87 Nguyen Chi Thanh street, this check-in complex is near the town center, about 2 kilometers from the Stone Church towards the cable car. With many works such as statues of a couple, giant stone hands, Buddha statues, “stairway to heaven”, and swings, this place has brought countless corners to take unique photos.

swing-sapa-2
Swing Sapa.

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho Pass 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 kilometers connecting the two provinces of Lao Cai – Lai Chau. For those who want to take beautiful photos on this pass, you should come during sunset, around 5 – 5:30 p.m. When the sun gradually falls behind the mountains, the entire pass is covered with a dreamy, beautiful golden color. Nevertheless, Sapa has abrupt weather changes; black clouds will often cover it within ten minutes of dusk.

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

sunset-at-o-uy-ho-pass
A spectacularly cheesy tourist attraction!

Silver Waterfall – Love Waterfall

Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall, which are 3 kilometers from the summit of O Quy Ho Pass, are other popular attractions among young people. The Silver Waterfall – Thac Bac Waterfall has steps up to the top, but as you ascend, the temperature drops and the water pours more forcefully. Being cautious is necessary to prevent slipping. You need to be careful to avoid slipping. Although the road from the entrance to the waterfall is 1.5 kilometers and requires walking, the forest path is romantic. Tickets cost 20,000 VND for entry to Silver Waterfall and 75,000 VND for Love Waterfall, respectively.

thac-bac-sapa1
Thac Bac Waterfall is one of the most famous stopovers in Sapa.

Food and drink to try in Sapa

Grilled food is a staple in Sapa, Vietnam and comes in a variety of types, from pork skewers, chicken skewers, rolled vegetables to eggs, corn, potatoes, and bamboo-tube rice. The cost of each sort of grilled food is simply between 20,000 and 100,000 VND. In addition, salmon and sturgeon cooked in hot pot or eaten raw are also very popular. A hot pot that serves 3 to 6 people costs between 300,000 and 600,000 VND.

Visitors can visit Thang Co A Quynh (Thach Son Street), Hotpot Center (Xuan Vien Street) for fish hot pot specialties, and Ong Ha’s noodle soup (no.468 Dien Bien Phu) for specialty dining. Young travelers who enjoy good food and a fun vibe should visit Mi Grill (Dien Bien Phu Street), which specializes in charcoal-grilled food, or Tuk Túk Chicken Shop, which serves cheese-shaking chicken, grilled spicy ribs, and H’Mong pizza at Pi’s Boutique.

In the town center, there are also many cafes for visitors to choose from. However, if you are looking for a quiet space with a view of the valley or mountains, you can go to Coong Cafe (in Coong homestay on the road to Cat Cat village), Viettrekking (Hoang Lien street), Gem Valley Cafe (Cat Cat village).

Accommodation in Sapa: Hotels and Homestays

Sapa, Vietnam offers all types of accommodation for you to choose from, ranging from motels, homestays in villages, hostels, budget hotels, to 4-5 star hotels and luxury resorts. Some notable resorts in Sapa can be named as Topas Ecolodge, Sapa Jade Hill, Hotel de la Coupole – MGallery, Silk Path Grand…

For homestays or hostels, you can go to some villages like Cat Cat, Lao Chai, Ta Van to enjoy the peaceful setting of the Northwest mountains and forests. Dorm room prices start from 100,000 VND per person and double bungalow room prices start from 500,000 VND.

Eco Palms House, Heaven Sapa, Viettrekking, Phori’s House, Sapa Heavenly, Rock Garden, Coong, Cloud Garden, Mong are some popular homestays that you can consider.

Rate this post

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT HERE:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *