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Sapa is a highland district of Lao Cai province, located in the country's northwestern part. Having a terrain of 1600 meters above sea level, and being cloudy year-round, Sapa is also called the town in the clouds. This land of humility and quietness hides many wonders of the natural scenery and people.
Cool mountain air, unspoiled majestic landscape, and unique lifestyles of ethnic minorities make Sapa a famous tourist attraction in the North of Vietnam. If you like trekking, the rugged scenery and mountain air here will be the perfect place to get outside and explore.
Sapa Overview at Night
Here, visitors can conquer the top of Fan Si Pan, watch the Ham Rong flower garden, and explore the Muong Hoa Valley. Other places to visit include Silver Waterfall, Love Waterfall, Ban Ho, Sapa Fairs, etc.
Sapa's natural landscape is a great combination of human creativity. The topography of the mountains, and the green of the forest, are all in a harmonious layout. From the town center, you can take a backpacking trip to villages hidden in the mist, enjoy your eyesight, and the amazing mountain peaks.
The scenery of mountains and forests with hundreds of flowers blooming will delight your eyes.
Sapa has a precious resource that is cool fresh weather, with many diverse gradations. Located at an average height of 1,500m - 1,800m, the town has an average temperature of 15-18°C.
From April to August, a lot of rain (rainy season) falls down Sapa. July is the wettest month and also the warmest month with an average maximum temperature of 23°C. At the end of the year, when winter comes, the temperature in Sapa can drop below 0°C, sometimes with snow.
The appropriate time to travel to Sapa is from September to November or from March to May. This time, Sapa weather is stable with dry sunny days, and cold nights.
April to May is the time when ethnic minorities transplant rice in terraced fields. This is also the blooming season of many beautiful flowers, a perfect time for photo hunts.
The Ethnic Minorities Transplant Rice In Terraced Fields
September to October is the "golden time" of Sapa when the rice is ripe, yellow dye all corners of the town. Around this time, Sapa seems to put on a new shirt - golden yellow all over the hills.
December to February is very cold, ice and sometimes snow can appear. This is also the blooming season of cherry blossoms.
Sapa town is 38 km from Lao Cai city and 376 km from Hanoi. To travel to Sapa you can choose the means of train or car.
Go by car:
1. Sapa Express (Ticket price: $20)
Hanoi office: No. 12 Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Sapa office: 02 Cau May, Sapa Town, Lao Cai
2. Viet Bus (Ticket price: $15)
Hanoi office: 284 Giai Phong, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi
Lao Cai office: 339 Station Square Lao Cai
Sapa office: No. 1 Ngu Chi Son Sapa
3. Sao Viet (Ticket price: $15)
Hanoi office:
Lao Cai office:
Go by train:
You can choose hard seats, soft seats, or air-conditioned beds. Trains start from Hanoi at 10 pm and arrive at Lao Cai Station at 6:30 the next morning. You then need another transfer to Sapa Town.
Hanoi Station
From Lao Cai, you get on the train at 9:05 pm and it arrives at Hanoi at 5:30 the next morning. You can refer to the Victoria Express train. The Victoria Express train departs every day except Saturday.
Note:
In order not to miss any of this beautiful mountain town, do check the below list of the most attractive destinations.
Ham Rong Park is an informal park area that sits at the base of Ham Rong Mountain. Wandering around the park, you feel like lost in the fairy garden with colorful flowers hidden in the clouds.
Trekking up to the top of the mountain, you can see a panoramic view of Sapa, Muong Hoa Valley, and local villages.
Location: Town center.
Built in 1895, the Sapa stone church is considered to be the most complete ancient architectural mark of the surviving French. The church has been embellished and preserved, becoming an indispensable image when referring to the misty town of Sapa.
Sapa Stone Church
Location: Town center.
As an old village of the H'Mong people, Cat Cat Village preserves many traditional handicrafts such as growing cotton, flax, and weaving. Currently, this place has been built into the Cat Cat tourist area.
Location: 2 km from the center of Sapa town.
Ta Phin village has a beautiful natural landscape. This is home to the Red Dao people who are famous for brocade craft. Arriving in Ta Phin village, you can visit Ta Phin cave right there. In the cave, there are many interesting stalactites in the shape of dancing fairies, a group of elves sitting, distant fields, sparkling forests...
Follow Highway 4D to the Southeast, about 8 km from Sapa town, you come to Ta Van Giay village. Here, you have an opportunity to learn more about the Giay's lifestyle.
Ta Van Giay Village Suspension bridge
The road to Ta Van Giay village is small, narrow, and earthy. The two sides of the road are lush terraced fields of green corn and rice.
Sin Chai village in San Sa Ho commune is about 4 km from the center of Sapa town. This village has not been touristic but still retains its original pristine features.
This is a Black H'Mong village with a population of about 1,400 people. Besides rice and maize, Sin Chai villagers also grow cardamom to support their income.
Walkthrough Muong Hoa Valley, you will stumble upon a field of large stones engraved with many different patterns. The stones are made of quartz, sometimes over ten meters long, lying between grass, trees, and terraced fields of ethnic minorities.
Hundreds of sandstone stones are engraved with strange drawings and characters. Until now, the origin and meaning of these mysterious engravings remain unknown.
This ancient stone field has been classified as a national monument, a unique heritage of the ancient Vietnamese. In Muong Hoa Valley, you will find a gorgeous stream stretching ~15 km, passing through Lao Chai, Ta Van, and Hau Thao communes, and ending at Ban Ho.
Location: 8 km southeast of Sapa town.
About 6 km upstream of the Chay River, from the center of Bao Nhai commune (Bac Ha district), the boat will take you through Trung Do, an ancient city of legends. The Chay River here creates a deep, gentle stream, weaving between two cliffs. Hang Tien is a miniature Halong Bay with clear water dotted with limestone islets.
Location: 6km from Bao Nhai commune (Bac Ha district).
Fansipan is the highest mountain of the Indochina peninsula (3,143 m), located in the center of the Hoang Lien Son range. You can follow tours of tour companies or organize yourself with the guidance of the local Mong and Dao people.
On the way to the top of the mountain, visitors will discover the amazing flora, fauna, and nature. There are Hoang Lien trees, a valuable medicinal herb, precious woods, birds, and animals such as grouse, monkeys, antelope, birds, etc.
Fansipan Mountain Sapa
You can also choose to take the cable car to conquer the highest roof in Indochina. Since its operation in early 2016, the Fansipan cable car line has helped tens of thousands of tourists set foot at the peak of Fansipan mountain.
The 6,292.5 m (3.91 miles) system is recognized by Guinness World Records as the Longest non-stop three-rope cable car in the world. It also sets a record as the world's greatest elevation difference between departure and arrival, measuring 1,410 meters (4625 ft 11.7 in).
Now everyone regardless of health standards and age can admire the Fansipan peak in only 15 minutes.
Location: 9 km southwest of Sapa town.
The winding road to the sky gate meanders in the middle of the mountain. This pass is called Tram Ton, weaving between the majestic Hoang Lien Son range, and leading you to the sky gate on the top of the pass. From the sky gate, you can see the panoramic view of the vast green valley below and Silver Waterfall from afar.
Location: 18 km north of Sapa town.
Drive 12 km west from Sapa town you see Silver Waterfall rushing down from a height of over 100 meters into a stream under O Quy Ho valley. You are recommended to visit the waterfall during the rainy season to see it at its best.
If you like to walk, you can stop at Tram Ton and go through Hoang Lien National Park for about 1 km to explore Love Waterfall.
Location: 12 km west of Sapa town.
Coc San is a system of waterfalls and caves of various sizes. What makes Coc San special is that almost all waterfalls end with a cave. The only way to reach the area is via a small road (1 km long) from Highway 4D.
The road is covered with rocks and not an easy task but keep moving, and you will be rewarded with a majestic pristine beauty. Coc San landscape gives anyone coming here a miraculous magic feeling from the waterfalls, rocks, and caves.
Location: Coc San commune, Bat Xat district, 7 km from Lao Cai city.
Hoang A Tuong Palace was built in 1914 and completed in 1921 in the style of Asia – Europe with a continuous and closed rectangular layout. The whole building process from land selection, home direction, and architecture was carried out by two French and Chinese architects.
Hoang A Tuong Palace
The palace has 3 buildings: the main house in the deep space inside and 2 outbuildings on the left and right sides. In the middle of the palace is a courtyard. The total area of the palace is nearly 4,000 square meters.
Location: The center of Bac Ha district, Lao Cai.
Held on every Sunday, Bac Ha is the largest fair in the highlands of the North. The market is a place for 14 ethnic groups living in Bac Ha township and surrounding districts to exchange living things.
Coming here you see the stalls displaying all kinds of essential items such as clothes, shoes, shovels, or household utensils. H'mong girls with their colorful dresses and brocade stalls make the fair a festival day.
This fair has a unique and attractive horse market area. Hundreds of horses supplied by people from everywhere come here for sale. They lead the horses back and forth to see their legs, slap onto the rumps, and then bargain.
The best thing about the Bac Ha fair is that tourists see the honest and hospitable faces of the ethnic people, not meet the solicitation for buying.
Location: The town center of Bac Ha district, 60 km from Lao Cai city.
Traveling to Sapa in the year-end tourist season, you have the opportunity to take part in unique festivals here. Each festival characterizes the culture of an ethnic group, strange and extremely interesting.
On the first day of the lunar year, the Giay people in Ta Van village celebrate the Roong Pooc festival to pray for a good harvest. This originally traditional festival of the Giay people has spread to become a common festival of the whole Muong Hoa valley for many years. Besides the unique rituals, there are also exciting games, dancing, and gong performances.
On the Dragon Day (Chinese zodiac) of the 6th lunar month, the H'Mong, Dao, and Giay people gather at Ta Van village to celebrate the Nao Cong festival. Each family appoints a representative, regardless of male, female, old, or young. The Nao Cong ceremony wishes the gods to bless people with prosperity and good crops. The festival ends with a happy meal.
Tet Nhay is an important and well-prepared festival of the Dao people. It is usually held on the 1st or 2nd day of the Lunar New Year. The main purpose of the festival is to pray for peace and prosperity. The festival comes with 14 dances played by selected young men and unique rituals performed by priests.
Tet Nhay Festival
Nhan Song is a festival of the Red Dao people in Ta Van village. The purpose of this festival is to raise awareness about preventing deforestation. Nhan Song is not an annual ceremony but held only in the year that the forest is destroyed a lot. During the ceremony, laws to prevent deforestation and punish those who violate will be announced.
Every year, on the Horse, Goat, or Human days in the second lunar month, the Xa Pho people organize a village sweeping ceremony. It wishes for a peaceful new year with lush crops and healthy animals. Villagers donate food to make a praying food tray to worship ghosts.
While the priest does religious rituals, the villagers paint their faces and dance around. At the end of the ceremony, everyone enjoys the food together.
The Spring Planting festival of the Tay and Dao ethnic minorities in Ban Ho commune starts on the 8th day of the Lunar New Year. After some important rituals, people enjoy traditional folk dances. At the end of the performances, everyone goes to the folk gaming area.
The most interesting game is "nem con" (throwing a scared ball through a ring). The game is played on a large ground where stands a tall bamboo tree with a ring of 30-40 cm in diameter on top.
Trekking in Spring Planting Festival
The game is played with 2 "con" balls which are in kid's hand size, made of colorful fabric, and stuffed with rice grains and cotton seeds (representing food and clothing). The balls and the bamboo ring represent vitality and virtue.
Before playing, the festival leader first offers a tray of food to the Sky and Earth to pray for a good harvest. After that, he tosses the two balls high into the air. Everyone competes to catch them, signaling the beginning of the festivities. Players then stand face to face on opposite sides of the tree. Who throws the ball through the ring will be the winner.
At the end of the festival, the leader makes a prayer for a good planting season, then slashes the ball open and distributes seeds to everyone. These seeds are believed to bring good luck and will sprout quickly for a new year with sufficient food, clothing, and happiness.
Traveling to Sapa will bring you very new experiences. The itinerary to Sapa is waiting for you with interesting activities, containing many things such as:
Fansipan is the roof of Indochina and has been challenging many young people to conquer. If you like to challenge and win yourself, then why still hesitate to go? You will be rewarded with the stunning scenery on the way to the roof of Indochina.
Terraced fields in Sapa are honored as one of the most magnificent terraced fields in the world. Nature not only endows the people in this land with ideal landscape and climate but also gives them skillful hands.
For hundreds of years, they have weaved a masterpiece - those are the steps leading up to the sky. September is the harvest time of rice when the green fields are replaced by golden yellow. This is a very attractive time to come to Sapa.
Seeing the Sapa town from the 1800m high on Ham Rong Peak is a great experience that everyone coming to Sapa would try. The town appears in a different perspective with small roads and houses below your feet. On Ham Rong Mountain you can also see colorful flower gardens and walk through small rocky ravines in Thach Lam rock garden.
The cold early morning winds will make you shiver a little. Hold a cup of warm coffee and overlook the window at a hotel with a nice view, you will meet a gentle Sapa in the morning mist.
When the sun gradually disappears after the Hoang Lien Son range, Sapa is dyed with a purple color, creating something romantic and sad.
Sapa offers one of the longest trekking routes among tourist destinations in the world. Here in Sapa, you can continuously walk for tens of kilometers, from morning to afternoon, passing villages, rice fields, streams, and bridges. You will also find sparkling waterfalls and spectacular valleys which are dotted with rugged caves.
Walk down the hill to observe and learn more about the life and culture of the indigenous people here. The cool climate creates the best conditions for hiking and much of Sapa is covered in lush green hills. Interesting destinations can be mentioned: Sapa Old Town, Cat Cat Village, Muong Hoa Valley, Ta Van, Ta Phin...
Sapa is a collection of small local villages of ethnic minorities. If you want to get out of the hustle and bustle of city life, this is your heaven. Waking in a village far from the town center will be a wonderful experience that you cannot forget when coming to this land.
You can easily find some homestays in these local villages. Stay overnight there with an ethnic family and learn more about their lifestyle. You can eat what they eat, and live like the way they live and all is the highlight of a trip to Vietnam. The homestay service in Sapa is developed, and you can be completely assured of cleanliness and food hygiene.
Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall are about 12 km from the town center on O Quy Ho Pass. Here you will not only feel refreshed but also learn about the legend of Love waterfall. The story starts when the Seventh Fairy meets the woodcutter.
She fell in love with his flute sound and wanted to stay with him. But unfortunately, the love between fairies and men was forbidden by the heavenly rule. To be able to hear the flute sound, she turned herself into a yellow bird and followed the woodcutter.
After passing by the Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall, you reach the top of O Quy Ho Pass. This is one of the four great passes of the northern forest and mountains. Standing on the top of the pass you see the zigzag roads connecting the two provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau. Next to that is the majestic Hoang Lien Son range.
It will be a pity if you miss the delicious specialties such as stone sprouts, salmon-spring fish, and mountain pork. You can find them in the fragrant barbecue stalls in the town center at night. Sapa's weather is very suitable for enjoying a hot pot or grilled together with a cup of corn wine.
Climbing Fansipan, and walking around the villages does not give you a new feeling when coming to Sapa. Then there is a place with no tourists, no noise, no dust, and no commercial for you: Thanh Kim, Nam Sai, or Nam Cang village. There will be only you, the sound of the forest stream, surrounded by terraced fields and the majestic Hoang Lien Son mountain range.
Among the beautiful tourist destinations in Sapa, the Sapa Museum is the most special place to visit. Sapa Museum is a showcase of antiques and artifacts of the Sapa ethnic groups through historical periods. The museum is located about 2km from Sapa town, at no. 2 Fansipan Street. With such a short distance, visitors can walk, or rent a bicycle or motorbike to go to the museum.
Visit Sapa Museum
The first time entering the Sapa Museum, visitors will feel amazed by the hundreds of exhibits displayed neatly on wooden trays and shelves. You can see brocade, living products, cooking utensils... of many ethnic minorities currently living in Sapa.
In addition to ancient artifacts, visitors can also learn more about the rituals, customs, weddings... of the Sapa ethnic people through ancient paintings and pictures.
Sapa Museum will be ideal for those who are passionate about the culture of Sapa and want to learn more about the ethnic groups living long ago on this land.
Sapa is a land of a variety of ethnic minorities in Vietnam. They consist of the Dao, the Tay, the H'mong, and the Phu La people. These ethnic groups are well-known for making incredible local handicrafts.
You can easily find some traditional weavings or carvings at the night market near Sapa Church or visit the villages to see how these handicrafts are made with your own eyes. These things will be great gifts and souvenirs for your family and friends.
If coffee is a hobby of yours, you can go to Cafe in the Clouds, one of the most beautiful mountain bars in Sapa. The bar is beautiful and offers food and beverages at a reasonable price. One of its highlights is the chance to take in a panoramic lush view of the emerald green valley below.
As the name suggests, here you can enjoy your meal while being surrounded by clouds and mists.
Black Hmong is famous for sewing and weaving skills passed on from mothers to daughters. Their textiles are treasured for their attention to handmade items and natural dyes. The embroidery is used mainly to decorate clothes that are hand-sewn for their New Year and special occasions.
If you want to experience the whole process, you can visit Indigo Cat, one of the most famous craft stores in town. Join a class taught by members of the local H'Mong community here, you can learn how to sew your handicrafts.
You can also buy some beautiful textiles, local teas, and spices for souvenirs in the store.
Sapa Market gives you a chance to enjoy a traditional shopping experience. The market is located near the local bus station so you can stop by there before getting your car back to Hanoi. This local market sells a range of colorful local products as well as a fresh meat section. You will also find traditional handicrafts sold by the hill tribes people here.
The bird market in Muong Khuong district (Lao Cai) is a unique fair of highland people at the border. Muong Khuong bird market is not only a place to trade, but also a place where lovers of precious birds meet, chat, and exchange bird-raising experiences.
This special market is held on every Sunday. To get there, you will need a car taking you upland 90 km from Sapa.
Walk around Muong Khuong Market
Join the market, you will be amazed at the vivid picture of colorful dresses and the sounds of trading activities. At a corner of the market, people gather to sell and buy various birds, or just to show off. The main kind of bird you will see here is the nightingale.
If you have time to visit Bac Ha market, then do not miss to stop by Ban Pho village also located in Bac Ha town. Here you can find out about the life of the Black and Flower H'Mong people.
The village of Ban Pho has beautiful scenery in spring as the plum flower bloom. Here in Ban Pho, you fall in love with the terrific sightseeing of Bac Ha Highland. Furthermore, Ban Pho villagers will offer you a meal of all parts of horses, ox, buffalo, and pig served with corn wine, the pride of ethnic individuals here. It's also a good chance to learn how people have been making corn wine for centuries.
Vietnam is famous all over the world for its delicious food, and you will also find that in Sapa. What is better than tasting a local delicacy made by your hands? If this is the case, head to Hill Station Signature Restaurant to book a cooking class a day in advance.
Take a cooking class
In the class, you get the chance to learn to make local traditional dishes from a H'Mong chef. The chef will first take you out to the local market to choose fresh ingredients. Tips for choosing good ingredients will be given.
Classes usually teach you five dishes which you can then enjoy with some local wines in the communal dining room.
Hot pot is always preferred in Sapa regardless of winter or summer as the temperature in Sapa is often lower than in other parts of Vietnam due to the advanced elevation. In Sapa, you can easily find a place to enjoy hot pot – from the roadside stalls and some touristy-looking restaurants.
The hot pot consists of meat stew, you then add local vegetables such as cabbage and mushrooms. The prices here are very reasonable, so very good value for money.
Rice fields seem to be the main reason for many people coming to Sapa. You can opt to stay overnight in a homestay with a local family to wake up in the middle of a rice field or just take a trip out to the nearby villages.
If you want someone to accompany you during the tour, you can book a guided tour from Sapa. The tour guide will take you out onto the stunning rice terraces to admire the views and learn how the locals grow and harvest the rice.
Thank you for following our article. Hopefully, you will find something useful in this article, and see you soon in Sapa. We hope that you and your loved ones will have good health to explore new cultures and lands.
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