Sapa Visit

Visit the Black H’mong ethnic in Cat Cat and Y Linh Ho  villages. Enjoy the sceneries along the way trekking and the waterfall in Cat Cat, Lao Chai village with Tay and Dzay tribes. TaVan village is so nice in the valley of Sapa where is supposed to be the most beautiful place in the area.

Itinerary:

Get started: Take the night train from Hanoi Railway Station to Laocai Station. Sleep on the train.

Day 1: Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van

05h30: Arrive in Laocai early in the morning. Bus to Sapa, and breakfast. 10h00: Start trekking to Muong Hoa valley to visit 3 villages of the H’mong and the Dzay   (Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van). Lunch on the way. 14h30: Back to Sapa and spend the night at hotel.

Day 2: Sapa – Cat Cat – Sapa – Lao Cai

09h00: A walk to Cat Cat village to visit the H’mong, the hydro electric power station built by French people and silver waterfall 11h00: Walk back to Sapa and free to explore the town. 17h00: Get on the bus to Laocai station for the night train to Hanoi (air-con. berth). The end of the tour.

 For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/sapa-visit-012/

Sapa Valley

Visiting different minority ethnic groups who live in remote area, spending a night in a home-stay of a Red Dzao family; enjoy beautiful scenery along the trip.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Sapa – Ban Ho – Thanh Phu – Sin Chai (L, D)

Met up at your hotel in Sapa by Sapa local guide and driver then transferred to Ban Ho. We will trek through the scenic valley of “Ban Ho”. This is a village of Tay ethnic minority. The Tay preserve a traditional and fairly developed agriculture with cultivation of all kinds of plants including rice, maize and sweet potato as well as seasonable fruit and vegetables. Then we continue walking to Thanh Phu village where your lunch will be provided in a local house. After lunchtime, you head to Sin Chai village. This is a village of of Red Dao people. Dinner and overnight at the village.

Approx: 1-hour driving/ 5 hours walking/ 1-hour lunch.

Day 2: Sin Chai – Ben Den – Lao Cai (B, L)

After breakfast, we will start our day with a long trek towards Lao Cai. The route from Sin Chai, one of the most remote area in Sapa offers beautiful scenery and landscape. The trek will take us through rice paddy fields, bamboo forest, old trees jungle. Your lunch will be provided at Nam Ket.

After lunch, we will trek downhill. Upon arriving in Ta Thang village, a Tay village we will be greeted again by our driver who transfer us then to Laocai station for our journey back to Hanoi. End.

Approx: 0.5-hour driving/ 7.5 hours walking/ 1 hour lunch.

Note: This trip will easily combine with the transfer to Lao Cai railway station without passing by Sapa.

 For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/sapa-valley/

Sapa trekking map

Maps for trekking Sapa, places of interest in Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

sapa trekking map

Website of Sapa Travel: full information and guide to travel Sapa Town, Lao Cai, Vietnam

How to buy train tickets from Hanoi to Lao Cai: sapa train and bus services

Travel guide to Sapa: learn how to get there, how to enjoy the trip and warnings

Do it yourselves or book Sapa tours in advance?

How to choose the suitable restaurants in sapa for your group

Accommodation and hotels in sapa, the advise from our experts

Market days on Sapa to travel

 For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/sapa-trekking-map/

Fansipan Mount Map

Map to trek the Fansipan (phangsipang) mount in Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

Fansipan map

For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/fansipan-mount-map/

Rent scooters in Sapa

The thing to do is rent a scooter and go on your own. There are more than enough places offering you bike rentals in Sapa town proper. If you are good with motorbikes, you can do 30km each hour with good breaks to enjoy the view and stop at local shops and food places; top speed is 50kmph average going up and down the hills. You can do a bit better if you are alone but do this only if you are used to driving on winding hills and bumpy roads.

Pay 10 dollars for a full day rental… you can get it for 6-8 as well. You don’t need a driver’s license here… passport is good and no one checks as far as you pay the entrance fees. If you are not confident of driving here (there are no rules apart from being the hills), fill up petrol from the gas stations as and when you require. But, if you can drive, you will get a better deal with a full tank… they will fill it up for the equivalent for 3 liters since they expect travelers to drive more than that ;-D Expect 30km or so per litre so work it out for yourself.

scooter in sapa vietnam

The town is a nice start if you need a bit of time to get used to your bike. Enjoy roaming around places that are not already crowded with the usual group of backpackers and Hmong women. If you fancy it, you can make it to the entry point of Cat Cat Village. Bikes aren’t allowed in.

Head off to Tran Tom pass which has amazing views of the mountains and beyond. The roads are even better to ride around after the pass as it gets progressively more into the hills and the forests. Come back to Sapa and make it to rice paddy terraces and then down to the valley floor of Ta Phin which inverts the views you just had… from the bottom instead of the top.

Better yet, instead of hopping on to a tour, take your motorbike to one of those remote Hmong markets in Bac Ha or Coc Ly and spend a few days out there.

NOTE: Be respectful of the tribes. If you are part of a tour, they will take you to a lot of huts. Unlike the local guides, they don’t get a penny from your tours. They are just polite and don’t mind if you enter their premises but they do lead difficult lives. If you do enter their homes for travel purposes and showing pictures back home, do give them a bit in return.

 For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/rent-scooters-in-sapa/

Travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh for Sapa tours

A frequently asked question from my previous customers is to find a reliable travel agent in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to book Sapa Tours.
Answer: most of Sapa Tours are organized by Hanoi Tour Operators. Just go online to book. You can pay to Sapa Travel in Ho Chi Minh. We have representatives there to collect your payment and advise you itineraries and book the flights to Hanoi.

Each day, there are about 35- 37 flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. It takes 2,5 hours to get there. The main Vietnam domestic carriers are:
Vietnam Airlines: www.vietnamairlines.com
VietJetAir: www.vietjetair.com.vn
Jetstar Pacific Airlines: www.jetstar.com

Some travel agencies for Sapa Tours:

First Choice Travel in Saigon

Add: 220 De Tham, District 1, Ho Chi Minh
web: www.firstchoice.vn

Phoenix Voyages Vietnam

Address: 82-83, 7B St., Area A, An Phu / An Khanh, Dist. 2, HCM City
Tel: 62810222 Fax: 62810333

Vietravel

Address: 190 Pasteur St., Dist. 3, HCM City
Tel: 3822 8898 Fax: 3829 9142

Vidotour Indochina Travel

Address: 145 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., Dist. 3, HCM City
Tel: 3933 0457 Fax: 3933 0470

Fiditourist

Address: 127-129-129A Nguyen Hue St., Dist. 1, HCM City
Tel: 39141414 Fax: 39141363
E-mail: fiditour@hcm.vnn.vn
Website: www.fiditour.com

Contact me to verify the qualified agents in Ho Chi Minh

Person in charge: Mr Tran Quoc Long

Email: info@travelsapa.com

Website: TravelSapa.com

Call Us: +84 437678658 | Fax: +84 437678657

Hotline: +84 912217448

For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/travel-agencies-in-ho-chi-minh-for-sapa-tours/

Tour agents in Hanoi to book Sapa Package

List here some tour agents in Hanoi to book Sapa travel package

First Choice Travel: a reliable travel agency in Hanoi to book the trips from Hanoi to Sapa and North West of Vietnam

South Pacific Travel: a tour operator in Hanoi www.southpacifictravel.com.vn

Asia Eyes Trave: a boat operator and tour agent in Hanoi for Sapa Tours: www.asiaeyestravel.com

A well-established travel company in Vietnam: Vietravel in Hanoi  - Vietravel Sapa

A state owned travel company: Saigon Tourist in Hanoi: Saigon Tourist Sapa

ACT travel vietnam: www.vietnamtraveland.com- a DMC for Sapa and all around Vietnam

We had a real great time in Sapa with Sapa Travel, Bam, our guide was great and she was so helpful. While your local manager there is so professional. We all love the train from Hanoi to Sapa because it is brand new while from Sapa back to Hanoi is a little bit old though. All food in Sapa were excellent especially at “Rendezvous” as well as another place where we had dinner but I can’t remember the name. The hotel is average but it is acceptable.
Areeyak
Bangkok, Thailand

Reviews for Sapa Travel

We organized our trek through the Sapa Travel located just off the main square, as we weren’t sure what we wanted to do. We did this the same day we arrived for the following day. We asked for a tour where we wouldn’t encounter too many other tourists and that our 10 yr old daughter could handle. The guy recommended a 14km trek, passing through 3 different villages (not exactly sure what it is called). He arranged a local girl as our guide and she met us at our hotel at 8:30am the next morning.

Chau was a 19 year old local Hmong girl with excellent English and was just lovely. She was happy to answer all our questions and was full of local knowledge. The trek started by walking out of town past the new market building being constructed then headed up into the hills. We had the usual 3-4 other local women tagging along in the hopes of selling us stuff – but they were harmless, very friendly and even helpful at times it got tough. The trek itself wasn’t the easiest – lots of up and down and the track was often slippery because of the rain the day before (the day of the trek was gorgeous and sunny) – but, that said – it was worth every step. We only ever encountered one other couple doing the same trek the entire time. The scenery was breathtaking and walking casually through the villages was quite an experience and a good chance to see how they lived. The villagers basically ignored us and we loved seeing the baby farm animals and wildlife as we walked along. Up high, we spend a lot of time walking in and out of the clouds and then they would clear and the scenery was wow.

Lunch was supplied by Chau – very simple baguette with ham, egg, tomato, cucumber, cheese and an apple. We took plenty of water and she had a couple of small bottles as well. There is no where to buy stuff along the way – so come well prepared.

At the finish, we stopped at a ‘cafe’ of sorts and met a minivan which took us back to Sapa. It was only about a 15min ride back to town and we got there around 3:30 – 4:00pm. It is normal to tip the guide – which we did, as she was great.

STAYING IN TOUCH:

Even after booking, you’ll undoubtedly think of more questions, so please feel free to contact your Sapa Travel specialist at any time. We like to hear from you! YES….even while you are on your tour, we will be more than happy to make changes, or correct anything you are not completely happy with.

Person in charge: Mr Tran Quoc Long

Email: info@travelsapa.com

Website: TravelSapa.com

Call Us: +84 437678658 | Fax: +84 437678657

Hotline: +84 912217448

 For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/tour-agents-in-hanoi-to-book-sapa-package/

From Halong to Sapa

A frequently asked question is how to travel from Halong Bay to Sapa. Find the discussions and aswer here on TravelSapa.com
The answer is depending on your time and budget.

1. If you have time, wait for our daily bus from Halong City to Hanoi. The bus will normally leave Bai Chay harbor, Hon Gai  harbor or Tuan Chau at 13:00. These are tourist buses from local travel companies and boat operators on Halong Bay. The bus ticket is from US$ 10 to US$ 18 for one person one way. You will be dropped in the central of Hanoi or any hotels in the old quarter of Hanoi. From here, take night train to Lao Cai (see our page for the train information). From Lao Cai, get a bus ticket to Sapa (bus information)
2. If you do not have much time and travel in a budget, buy sleeper bus from Phuc Xuyen Bus Lines: Tel: 0333 556677  in 132 Cao Thang Street, Halong, Quang Ninh
3. If you are urgent, rent a private car to Hanoi Station then train to Lao Cai
4. The highway from Hanoi to Lao Cai is on process and we hope that sleeper buses will bloom up in the next few years

Buy the package for Halong Bay and Sapa here from Sapa Travel or take the recommendation for Red Dragon and Sapa Tours

STAYING IN TOUCH

Even before or after bookings, you’ll undoubtedly think of more questions, so please feel free to contact your Sapa Travel specialist at any time. We like to hear from you! YES….even while you are on your tour, we will be more than happy to make changes, or correct anything you are not completely happy with.

Person in charge: Mr Tran Quoc Long

Email: info@travelsapa.com

Website: TravelSapa.com

Call Us: +84 437678658 | Fax: +84 437678657

Hotline: +84 912217448

Related articles across the web

 

• Weekend Luxury Travel Package
• Travel to Sapa from Luang Prabang
• Budget Tours Hanoi Sapa
• Weekend Luxury Package to Bac Ha

For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/from-halong-to-sapa/

Bac Ha Market

Bac Ha Market is a active and busy bazaar which is the main market in Bac Ha proper. The sellers here largely are the H’mong minor from the surrounding hills wearing colorful skirts with elaborate floral decorations. Items on sale are from wide range from animals like water buffaloes, pigs, horses, dogs and chickens to tourist handicrafts, textiles and firewater. The market opens only on Sunday and it is highly recommended to get here early.

For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/bachamarket/

What to buy in Sapa?

Sapa, the small tourist town of Vietnam’s northwest region, reminds us of a wildly beautiful area where travellers can gain great trekking experience while discovering the rich culture of ethnic minorities groups. The wet markets and souvenir shops here are also the perfect places for ones who are longing to buy local unique gifts.

Brocade

Visiting Sapa market, you can easily get lost in the maze of colorful brocades. It is amazing when knowing that only a one-span piece of brocade can take up to two weeks of sewing. Local girls may spend months just completing one dress, as the clothes represent their skills and extreme patience. Nowadays, in an effort to satisfy the complicated requirements of customers, there are two kinds of brocades available in the market: mass-produced and handmade ones. Mass-produced brocade is brighter with more designs, while the handmade one is darker with more harmonious pattern, containing the high traditional value. Brocade can be made into clothes, dresses, bags, backpacks, purses, scarfs, and even bed coverings.

Another place to get your brocade is to get one when you trek to ethnic villages such as Cat Cat and Ta Phin. Many women offer in-house shopping and you will know for sure you are supporting the less advantaged.

Local fruits

With the much cooler climate than most of other areas in northern Vietnam, Sapa brings tourists a chance to try the special local fruits that can only be found in temperate zone such as peach and pear. Fruits are grown organically in gardens scattering along mountain sides. Sapa’s peach and pear are not larger than a tea cup, covered by a thin layer of white powder, with a sour, sweet and a little bit acrid taste. Fruit are not kept in plastic bag but in bamboo baskets that help avoiding bruised. In addition, tourists can buy local vegetables like chayote and dried mushrooms.

Note that many countries impose a law against carrying foreign fresh fruits and plants home so double check before you pack. These fruits also do not contain preservatives so it is best to be consumed while inland.

Vietnamese medicinal herbs

You can find various kinds of Vietnamese medicinal herbs, both fresh and dried in Sapa market. However, foreign customers are advised to have a local friend or guide in order to choose the right herbs they need at reasonable price. Herbs are sold separately or packed together for treating different diseases. Those herbs can be used for herbal bath and traditional massage as well. In addition, raw honey is also among one of the most favorite products in Sapa. Light weight make these products all perfect to carry home.

 For more details, click on our Sapa Travel officical website http://www.travelsapa.com/whattobuyinsapa/