Travel map of Sapa Vietnam: All tourist attractions in Sapa!
The Map of Sapa Vietnam is an essential guide for those intending to explore this region of the Northwest Mountains. With comprehensive details about well-known tourist spots, ticket costs, restaurants, etc., you will definitely have a hassle-free and enjoyable trip to Sapa.
Sapa is located in the Northwest of Vietnam, where meandering mountain roads between magnificent mountains and forests. However, this terrain makes it more challenging for visitors to locate tourist attractions in Sapa. Therefore, to easily plan a travel schedule and ensure the most memorable experiences, immediately pocket the tourist Map of Sapa and the list of famous destinations provided below by Hanoi Explore Travel.
>>> Have a look at: What is the Best time to visit Sapa? A comprehensive guide for a perfect trip
The location of Sapa on Vietnam map
Sapa is also known as the land of fog or the mountain town in the fog. Located roughly 33 kilometers from Lao Cai city, Sapa town is situated in Northwest Vietnam at an average elevation of 1,500 to 1,800 meters above sea level. To get to Sapa, in addition to the main road from Lao Cai city, there is another traffic route, which is through National Highway 4D connecting from Binh Lu commune, Tam Duong district, Lai Chau province.
Fansipan mountain is located in Hoang Lien commune at the intersection of Sapa town’s western boundary with the Tam Duong and Tan Uyen districts. Standing at a height of around 3,143 meters, the mountain is referred to as the “roof of Indochina.”
With a distance of more than 300 kilometers, there are a variety of travel options for visitors to get from Hanoi to Sapa. A standard limousine or bus ride from Hanoi takes you about 5-6 hours. Alternatively, you can ride a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, then take a taxi to Sapa, which costs you a total of 7-9 hours.
>>> Read more about: Ninh Binh to Sapa: A completed guide to choose the best transportation option!
Travel Map of Sapa
Sapa, a misty town in northwest Vietnam, has long been known as an enchanted land for those who love majestic natural scenery. The blend of many ethnic cultures, breathtaking, lyrical landscapes, and sincere, friendly people is what makes Sapa appealing. However, many visitors find it quite challenging to locate tourist attractions in Sapa because of its mountainous terrace. For your reference, please see below the detailed travel map of Sapa:
Suggested main tourist routes on Sapa map
Most of Sapa tourist attractions are scattered in many directions and somewhat far apart. Therefore, many first-time visitors will feel quite confused and worried about how to allocate their time reasonably. The suggested tourist routes on the Sapa map below might help you make the best decision to save time and money on your trip:
- Route 1: Admire the beauty of Cat Cat village – Experience Ham Rong mountain – Conquer Fansipan peak.
- Route 2: Visit Rong May glass bridge – Experience O Quy Ho pass – Admire the beauty of Cat Cat village – Visit Muong Hoa stream.
- Route 3: Visit Muong Hoa valley – Conquer Fansipan peak – Admire the beauty of Cat Cat village.
- Route 4: Visit Sapa Love market – Visit Stone church – Sapa lake tour – Experience Ham Rong mountain.
- Route 5: Admire the stunning beauty of Lao Chai village – Visit Ta Van village – Explore Giang Ta Chai – Visit Ho village.
Top 11 notable tourist attractions on travel map of Sapa
Whether you are an adventurous or a nature lover, Sapa is a fantastic place and should be included on any vacation itinerary. Let’s take a look at the list of the top 11 well-known locations that you must visit below:
>>> CHECK OUT MORE: 21+ Best Things To Do in Sapa ( Vietnam) For First-Timers
Fansipan peak
- Location: San Sa Ho commune, Sapa Town, Lao Cai
- Ticket price: Cable car: 715,000 VND/adult and 525,000 VND/child
- Mountain train: 99,000 VND/person
Fansipan Peak, also known as the roof of Indochina, is located on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Standing at the summit of Fansipan, which is 3,143 meters in height, the view of the surrounding area will excite you much as it offers a fantastic opportunity to appreciate a majestic natural landscape but no less poetic and charming of Sapa. If you lack the strength to climb the mountain, you can buy a ticket for the mountain train or ride the cable car.
>>> Read more about: Fansipan Mountain Sapa: A comprehensive travel guide for first-time visitors
O Quy Ho Pass
- Location: National Highway 4D, Sapa, Lao Cai
O Quy Ho Pass is known as the most beautiful pass in Sa Pa, and is also a popular place for many tourists to visit and take amazing check-in photos. On the Sapa travel map, O Quy Ho Pass is the pass connecting Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces. To visit the pass, you can travel by motorbike or buy a cable car ticket.
The terrain of O Quy Ho Pass is very rugged, with deep abysses and jagged cliffs on both sides, challenging every driver. The peak of O Quy Ho Pass is nearly 2,000 meters high and is also known as Heaven Gate. From there, you can admire the terraced fields and winding roads. Along the way up the pass, there are also some stalls selling food, drinks, and local specialties that you can stop and try some.
Muong Hoa valley Sapa
- Entrance ticket: 80,000 VND/person
The Muong Hoa Valley is located in Hau Thao Commune, Muong Hoa, about 8 kilometers from Sapa town to the Southeast. Muong Hoa Valley is famous for two outstanding attractions: Terraced fields and mysterious ancient stone fields.
The terraced fields in the valley possess a wonderful beauty, with strips of rice winding on the hillsides, resembling a slanted pan. There are also the ancient stone fields of Sapa, which are relics that have existed for more than 100 years with many unique carvings. Each work on the stone makes visitors curious, full of wonder at the mysteries it holds.
Ham Rong mountain – Mythical beauty atop Sapa mountain
Ticket Price:
- Adults: 70,000 VND/person
- Children over 1.2m: 20,000 VND/person
- Children under 1.2m: Free
On the Sapa travel map, Ham Rong mountain is located in the suburbs, roughly 2 kilometers from the center of Sapa town. This is a quiet quiet place that still has the wildness of the primeval forest.
In particular, according to the Northern tourist map, Ham Rong Mountain is known as a trekking destination that cannot be missed for those who love adventure and wish to explore unspoiled nature.
You and your group may come across numerous picturesque vistas with magnificent wild flowers as you ascend the mountain. However, you should pay attention to your own safety because the trekking road is quite dangerous.
Sapa stone church
- Location: Ham Rong, Sapa Town, Lao Cai
- Opening hours: 06:00 – 21:00
From Ham Rong Mountain, you can go to the center of Sa Pa town and visit the Stone Church. This is a popular tourist destination as well as a location for locals to practice their religion. Sa Pa Stone Church was designed by a French architect and started construction in 1835. The church is primarily made of stone, with a very ancient Gothic architecture but no less opulent.
Sapa ancient stone field
The ancient stone field of Sa Pa was discovered by the French-Russian archaeologist Glubev of the School of Far Eastern Archaeology in 1925. This is the heritage of the ancient Vietnamese people, including stone blocks with ancient carvings, scattered on the terraced fields of the Pho people.
The stone field spans 8 kilometers square with around 200 stone blocks of varying sizes and carvings such as realistic paintings, ornamental patterns, figures with halos, map-like shapes depicting the Muong Hoa valley. The ancient stone field of Sapa is one of the Sapa attractions that draws many visitors.
Sun Plaza Building
Sun Plaza is a popular check-in tourist destination for many visitors to Sapa. With a delicate blend of French architectural style in yellow and green colors, the building adds luxury and harmony to the Sapa mountain forest space.
In particular, in Sun Plaza Sapa, visitors also have the opportunity to experience train rides to climb Muong Hoa mountain. This is regarded as the most cutting-edge rail route for mountain climbing in Vietnam.
Swing Sapa
- Entrance ticket: 80,000 VND/person
Swing Sapa is located at no.87, Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Sapa. This is one of the best places for young people to have super beautiful “live virtual” pictures. From the height of Swing Sapa, visitors can admire the panoramic view of Hoang Lien Son National Park. This place is likened to a small version of Da Lat in the heart of Lao Cai province and some people have even named it “mini Bali”.
Fansipan cable car station
Entrance ticket:
- Adults: 1,100,000 VND/person
- Children: 850,000 VND/person
Fansipan cable car station is located at Sun World Fansipan Legend tourism complex. The cable car system is designed with 33 cabin cars, accommodating about 2,000 visitors per hour. Each cabin is surrounded by 6 layers of transparent tempered glass, allowing visitors to enjoy the beautiful scenery and take pictures from the cable car. Rather than taking two to four days to climb the mountain, the cable car ride takes only around fifteen minutes. The cable car will help visitors admire the magnificent mountain ranges with their untamed beauty and the entire vast primeval forests.
Ta Phin Ancient Monastery
Entrance ticket to Ta Phin Monastery:
- Adults: 40,000 VND/person
- Children: 20,000 VND/person
Located in Ta Phin village, Ta Phin Ancient Monastery is about 12 kilometers from Sapa town center. Its classically beautiful architecture is influenced by the French colonial period. Since laterite was used in its construction, the monastery remains solid and sturdy over time.
The monastic building is made up of a horizontal house that faces west. Even though it has been abandoned for a long time, Sapa visitors find it to be an attractive location because of its serene setting and classic features.
Rong May Glass Bridge
Entrance ticket:
- Adults: 500,000 VND/person
- Children (From 1m to 1m4): 300,000 VND/person
- Children (Under 1m): Free
The highest glass bridge in Vietnam, Rong May Glass Bridge, is situated roughly 17 kilometers from Sapa town center and is composed of translucent, tempered glass that is 7 centimeters thick. Along the cliff that is more than 2200 meters above sea level, the bridge features a walkway that is roughly 60 meters long and 5 meters wide from the elevator shaft, for a total length of 600 meters. When visiting Rong May glass bridge, visitors can appreciate the open area with the breathtaking view of the surrounding forests and mountains, as well as the depth of the mountain beneath your feet.
Top 8 picturesque villages – A highlight on travel map of Sapa
When visiting Sapa, you should definitely explore the villages if you want to learn more about this region. Numerous stunning villages in Sapa, such as Mong, Dao, Giay, etc., have a rich cultural heritage. Each village has its own beauty but all exude a very unique Northwest character that sets them apart from other locations.
Cat Cat village – The closest village to Sapa town center
- Location: San Sa Ho Commune, Sapa District, Lao Cai
Ticket price:
- Adults: 90,000 VND/ticket
- Children: 50,000 VND/ticket
- Children under 1 meter: Free
Only about 2 kilometers from the center of Sapa town, Cat Cat village is a H’Mong village, which still preserves many traditional customs and crafts such as weaving, jewelry making, etc. On the way to Cat Cat village, you will be able to admire the mountain and forest scenery, terraced fields and small houses of the locals. Particularly, you also can rent traditional H’Mong costumes to walk around and take lovely pictures.
Lao Chai village
- Lao Chai Village Entrance Ticket:
- Adults: 75,000 VND/person
- Children: 50,000 VND/person
About 9 kilometers to 12 kilometers from Sapa town, Lao Chai Village is home to the Red Dao and Black H’Mong people. With a total area of up to 29.35 kilometers square, Lao Chai Village is one of the largest villages in Sapa town, Lao Cai province.
As soon as you set foot in Lao Chai village, you will experience the rustic and untamed beauty of this place. A unique highlight of Lao Chai village is the terraced fields, the primary agricultural technique in the highlands. Lao Chai village is also a special attraction due to the cultural interaction between numerous ethnic groups, which offers visitors an intriguing and novel experience, in addition to its stunning natural surroundings.
Ta Van village
- Address: Ta Van, Sapa, Lao Cai
- Entrance ticket: 75,000 VND/person
- Opening hours: Open all day
Ta Van village is located in Ta Van commune, Sapa, close to Hoang Lien Son mountain range and in front of the beautiful Muong Hoa stream. The village has long primarily been home to the H’Mong ethnic group, along with the presence of the Red Dao and Giay people. When visiting here, visitors not only have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the tranquility of the H’Mong village, but also fully experience the distinct culture of this place. The village especially presents a picturesque landscape during the planting season when the residents fill water into the fields. The terraced fields at that time resemble enormous mirrors reflecting the stunning image of the majestic mountains.
Ta Phin village
- Entrance Ticket
- Adults: 75,000 VND/person
- Children: 30,000 VND/person
The Ta Phin Village Sapa, 12 kilometers from Sapa town center, is home to the Dao and H’mong people. On the way to Ta Phin Village, visitors will be captivated by the untamed beauty of the Northwest mountainous nature, with terraced fields stretching across the hillsides and mountains.
If you love exploring caves in places like Ha Long Bay or Trang An tourism area, you will also be fascinated by cave exploration in Ta Phin. Ti O Cam is the name of the cave in Ta Phin, which is situated in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Coming here, you can see rocks with a variety of unusual shapes that combine to create interesting, enigmatic, and unforgettable images.
Sin Chai village
- Address: San Sa Ho Commune, Sapa Town, Lao Cai Province
- Entrance ticket: Adults 40,000 VND/person and children 20,000 VND/person
- Opening hours: All day
Sin Chai village is one of the villages that still retains its wild and original features in the Northwest region. Located at the base of Hoang Lien Son mountain, about 4 kilometers from the center of Sapa town, Sin Chai village, the largest area in Sapa, is hundreds of years old. Coming there, visitors may witness the rice and maize fields as well as fresh vegetable beds in vibrant hues that beautify the surroundings.
Y Linh Ho village
- Address: San Sa Ho Commune, Sapa Town, Lao Cai
- Opening hours: All day
This is the home of the Black H’mong ethnic group but there are only a few hundred households located right next to the poetic Muong Hoa stream. This village, belonging to Y Linh Ho commune, is sparsely populated and experiences severe weather due to its high altitude and steep mountainous terrain.
Passing through Y Linh Ho village, you will reach the Ancient Stone Field and then Lao Chai – Ta Van. This is considered a quite interesting path because you can take in the beautiful scenery and encounter interesting people.
Ban Ho village
- Address: Ban Ho Commune, Sapa, Lao Cai
- Ticket price: 40,000 VND/person
- Opening hours: All day
The village is one of the furthest from the town center, situated roughly 20 kilometers from Sapa town. In comparison to other Sapa villages, the village has a very small population because Tay people make up the majority of its inhabitants.
The natural scenery here is extremely impressive and attractive with its long, meandering roads, rolling hills, and flowing waterfalls. In particular, when coming here, visitors will be able to enjoy delicious specialties and immerse yourselves in the cool and clear stream.
Sau Chua village
- Address: Sa Pa Commune, Sapa, Lao Cai
- Ticket price: 50,000 VND/person
- Opening hours: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
About 8 kilometers from the center of Sapa town, Sau Chua Village is located in Sapa town, Sa Pa ward. This is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Sapa that draws many tourists. With an altitude of 1700 meters,the weather is consistently cool and 2-3 degrees celsius lower than in Sapa. Together with the H’Mong people’s traditional houses, Sau Chua Village still maintains the wild beauty of nature. A visit to Sau Chua village will allow you to immerse yourselves in the majestic surroundings and enjoy the vista of the overlapping mountain ranges.
Top 3 most beautiful waterfalls in Sapa Travel Map
In addition to its mountains and terraced fields, Sapa is home to waterfalls that resemble white silk strips that create a strong vitality for people and nature in this Northwestern region. If you appreciate the beauty of nature, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the most beautiful waterfalls while you’re there!
Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall)
- Address: National Highway 4D, San Sa Ho, Sa Pa, Lao Cai
- Ticket price: 20,000 VND
The Silver Waterfall is widely considered by visitors as the most beautiful waterfall in Sapa. It is located in San Sa Ho commune, about 12 kilometers from Sapa town, right at the base of O Quy Ho pass. As this waterfall cascades from a height of nearly 200 meters, the white, foaming water creates a poetic scene in the middle of the majestic Sapa mountains and forests when viewed from a distance.
Coming to Silver Waterfall, visitors feel like you are lost in a fairyland where you may enjoy the refreshing, white, foamy water, the thunderous sound of the cascade, and the chirping of birds. Surrounding Silver Waterfall is a primeval forest with rich and diverse vegetation: hundreds of years-old trees, herbs growing on tree trunks or on jagged rocks, orchids, rhododendrons that add to the brilliant beauty of the waterfall.
Love waterfall – Sapa
- Address: Son Binh, Tam Duong, Lai Chau
- Ticket price: 70,000 VND/person
Love Waterfall is one of most beautiful waterfalls in the Travel Map of Sapa, dreamy waterfall in San Sa Ho commune, located about 4 kilometers from Sapa town center and about 3 kilometers from O Quy Ho pass. The waterfall has the name Love Waterfall because it is associated with a legend of a melancholy love story. If you are a nature lover and a climber who wants to conquer Fansipan peak – the roof of Indochina, Love Waterfall is the starting point for the quest to ascend the highest mountain peak in Vietnam!
Tien Sa waterfall in Cat Cat village
- Address: Cat Cat Village, San Sa Ho, Sa Pa, Lao Cai
- Entrance ticket: 70,000 VND/person (to enter Cat Cat village)
Tien Sa Waterfall Sapa is a waterfall located in the Cat Cat village tourist area, about 4 kilometers north of Sapa town center. The waterfall is also known by another name, Cat Cat waterfall, because it is located next to a village with a very long history of the H’Mong ethnic group in Sapa. Visiting Cat Cat Waterfall, visitors can enjoy the poetic beauty of the surroundings and experience an oddly calming sense of calm as they listen to the sound of the cascade. The thousands of small drops of water seem to wash away all of life’s troubles and worries.
Top 4 local markets should-not-miss in your Sapa travel map
For a long time, Sapa market has always had a very unique cultural beauty that any visitor to Sapa wishes to explore at least once. Each market in Sapa has its own distinct features and promises to offer visitors many interesting experiences.
Sapa market – The biggest market in Sapa
- Location: Sapa town center
- Directions to Sapa new market:
- Opening hours: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily
About 1.5 kilometers from the Stone Church, Sapa market is the largest market in Sapa district. The market serves as a hub for commerce and a source of everyday necessities for both residents and visitors. The market has two storeys selling clothes, shoes, brocade, traditional medicine, souvenirs, etc. You also can find famous Sapa specialties such as: buffalo meat, beef, black chicken, Sapa cat cabbage, etc there. The foods sold are all cultivated and cared for by locals in small quantities, so its quality can be guaranteed.
Sapa night market
- Location: Near Sapa market
- Opening hours: 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. from Friday to Sunday every week
Every weekend, Sapa night market is colorful with stalls of H’Mong and Red Dao people. Many unique handicrafts with the colors of the highland ethnic people can be found such as: brocades, panpipes, flutes, silver and bronze jewelry, goatskin drums, etc.
The food court that runs parallel to the shops in the Sapa night market is the main draw for tourists. After walking around the traditional stalls, you can stop by some eateries to enjoy regional dishes under the chilly weather.
Sapa Love market
- Location: Sapa Stone Church Square
- Opening hours: From 9:30 p.m. to late night, every Saturday
The Sapa love market only used to take place once a year. Boys and girls worked hard all year round on the fields and mountains and they had just one full day to tend to their own romantic lives. They came to the Sapa love market to find each other. Through the songs and dances, some people were happy because they found their other half, while those who hadn’t found each other regretted waiting until a year later.
The love market has changed; it is now not only a place for couples to date but also a unique Sapa tourist attraction where visitors can see beautiful ethnic boys and girls dressed in traditional costumes.
Bac Ha market
Bac Ha Market is the largest highland market in Lao Cai, where traders from many different ethnic groups gather to trade everything from shovels and hoes to crafts and souvenirs, even horses and buffaloes. The market takes place every Sunday from early morning until 2 p.m. Come to this market, you can savor regional specialties like barbecued local pork and famous “thang co”.
More specifically, Bac Ha Market is honored to be listed as one of the 10 most unique and attractive markets in Southeast Asia while still fully preserving the cultural beauty typical of Northwest marketplaces
Suggested cafes in Sapa town
In addition to the aforementioned attractions, Sapa is well-known for its distinctive and exquisite cafes, which are characterized by their unique design, space, and location. To help you find the good cafe, below is some of the recommended cafes that you can refer to:
- Gem Valley: Located right at the beginning of Cat Cat village, the cafe is easy to find with a simple space quite similar to the design of the houses in the village. Gem Valley displays quite strange paintings that attract tourists to take check-in photos.
- Haven Sapa: Situated approximately 1.5 kilometers from Sapa, Haven Sapa is also at the start of Cat Cat village, making it effortless to stroll into the village and enjoy a cup of coffee from the café. The space of the shop is suitable for you to take “so deep” pictures with nature.
- Fansipan terrace: This is a coffee shop less than 1 kilometer from the Stone Church. Looking at the map of Sapa town, you can easily identify the location of the shop. Here, you can capture amazing photos at the intersection between heaven and earth and nature here.
- The hill station: With its unique design of cinder walls and wooden pillars, this location at no.7 Muong Hoa is a favorite spot for tourists to visit, have coffee, and take stunning photos.
- Viet emotion: This coffee shop with a Hoian-designed design is easily found at No. 27 Cau May. Surrounding the cafe are pretty flower baskets, vintage tables and chairs as well as seating corners that attract young tourists.
Must-try specialties on Sapa culinary map
In addition to many attractive tourist attractions, Sapa also treats visitors to many delicious local specialties such as:
- Com lam (Bamboo-tube rice): Com lam is a traditional dish, bearing the cultural characteristics of the Northwest mountainous region. Com lam is cooked in bamboo tubes with a crispy outer shell and a very soft and chewy inside.
- Thang co: A traditional dish of the H’mong people, thang co includes horse meat and organs simmered in a traditional broth.
- Lon cap nach (Armpit pig): This is a type of pig raised by the H’Mong people, raised freely so the meat is very firm, chewy and tender. The best way to enjoy armpit pig is to grill it until golden brown over hot charcoal.
- Grilled dishes: Chilly evenings in Sapa are the perfect time to enjoy grilled dishes such as beef stew, bamboo-tube rice, eggs, and chicken wings.
- Sapa cat cabbage: This is a Sapa specialty with curly leaves, crunchy and sweeter than regular kale, suitable for stir-frying, boiling or enjoying with a hot pot.
- Ga den (Black chicken): Black chickens are raised in the garden by H’Mong people. The chicken meat is firm, chewy and delicious, with high nutrition. Black chicken is often prepared into many dishes such as boiled chicken, stewed chicken.
- Smoked meat: Created by the Black Thai people, Sa Pa smoked meat is made from buffalo meat. After being marinated with spices, the buffalo meat will be hung in the kitchen to dry with smoke.
The Travel Map of Sapa Vietnam is an essential tool for any traveler planning to explore this stunning region in Northern Vietnam. Each of the aforementioned attractions has its own beauty and charm that makes Sapa a fascinating destination for all travelers.
