Sapa Tourist Information

Sapa is an incredibly picturesque village that lies on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in NW Vietnam. It is called as “the Tonkinese Alps” You can see many hill tribe people, their villages, rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Fansipan, highest peak in Vietnam…
 
How to get here by tour

Very common and popular. Many travel agents organize tours in Sapa or from Hanoi.
Sapa cat cat – Lao chai ta van Village 3 days / 2 nightd
Sapa – Laochai-Tavan- Giang ta chai village 4 days / 3 nights
Sapa – Laochai- Tavan- Ban ho village 5 days/4 nights
Sapa – Bac Ha Market on Sunday

How to get sapa by yourself

There are many trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai. However almost all sleeper seats are controlled by travel agents. It is ipossible to buy sleeper tickets. The seat tickets are available and a few 2nd class sleeper may be available at the train station without makeup.
From Lao Cai train station to Sapa (35km)
Many minibuses are waiting at the train station for Sapa. They are offering the service with USD2-3

Arriving to Sapa

Your minibus stops at the area where many hotels are clustered. This is not the center. The minibus continues to travel. You may ask the driver to take you to the market , both are good starting points to look for a room. The entrance of the market is Cau May Street, where most budget accommodation can be found. More GHs are behind the market.
All rooms equipped with HW. Only expensive hotels have a/c but no need a/c. The view to the valley is the key to choose a room.
Weekends: always busy due to the Sunday market at Bac Ha, The most hotels put their prices up during weekend.

Tourist Peak & Dry Season: Mar – May, Oct – Nov. Good season for trekking.

Vietnamese Tourist Season: June and July

Rainy: June – August: and cold at night (Sapa is 1500m above sea level)

Winter: Jan – Feb: Cold specially at night. It sometime snows.

Tourist Office: None: But you can get info at travel agents. Many in town. They all deal with trekking tours.

Agri Bank: M-F7:30-11, 13:30-16:30, Sa7:30-11:00, $1=21,103VD, US$ T/C -> VD com 1% Banks have ATM but can accept a few Car (Visa, marter,JCB,Amercanexpress, dinner clup)

Police: near the lake.

Hospital: 3km out from the town.

Pharmacy: Many in town such as Cau May Street, Thach son street.

Post Office GPO/ Telephone office in Thach son Street: Summer 7:00-21:00 Winter 7:30-21:30

Tours:

Day trip USD 25- 40
Trekking tours including 3 villages (the Hmong, the Dao, and the Dai Day trip min 2 people USD 30 Excellent view on the way Highly

Day trip: for the excellent Bac Ha market on sunday 12-15 USD/trip one day tour
1night 2days. No food $10-15.
Vietnam highest peak Fansipan Peak 3143m climbing: 2 ngiths 1 days $80-120 stay in a tent. Hard mountain trekking

Excursions in Sapa (start and end in Sapa Town)

Terrace View, 1 day

Ta Phin village, 1 day

Home Stay, in Lao Chai with H’mong family, 2 days 1 night

Home Stay, in Ta Phin with Red Dzao family, 2 days 1 night

Home Stay in Lao Chai & Ban Ho, 3 days 2 nights

Home Stay in Ma Tra and Ta Chai, 3 days 2 nights

 Ultimate trek, 4 days 3 nights

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

Transport

Some information about transport (transportation) in Sapa town. How to get to Sapa from Hanoi, going by train from Hanoi to Lao Cai and Sapa.

Train
There are many different classes for the train from Hanoi to Sapa. The Train ticket You can get inTran Quy Cap Train station.the time for sale in PM until 30 minute befor depature time. an other way You can get in the tour office.
1. Hard seat
2. Soft seat
3. Fan hard bed sleeper
4. A/C soft bed sleeper
5. Wood carnage
6 Oriental Express carnage.
You can get 1 or 2 easily at the train station in Lao Cai and you can get 3 & 4 at Pathfinder(see below), but it is almost impossible to get “Wooden carriage and Oriental Express” classes. To get those tickets, ask at travel agents or your guest houses. When you order tickets, please make sure which class your tickets are for.

Train Fares
HS: hard seat, SS: soft seat, ac: air conditioned
U: upper sleeper, M: middle sleeper, L: lower sleeper
Train Station: In Lao Cai. The most minibuses go to the train station. Tickets for night trains are sold after 16:30. Many people come so come early and stay in a line.
Train Ticketing: Train ticket counter open only 7:30-11, 13:30-15:30. Ticket prices are offcial one. Commission for seat USD1, the cheapest tickets for lower class tickets.
Mini bus to Lao Cai:
To Lao Cai: Mini buses leaves near the church when it gets full. Also you can get one in front of Hoa Dao Hotel near the park local fare USD2/pax
To the border to China(called “guojing or goukyou”)
Take a minibus heading to the Lao Cai train station. Get off just after crossing the bridge and walk to the left for 500m. Ask your minibus driver. Usually he will take you to the border.
Bus station: Now have big tourist bus with AC from Sapa to Hanoi. It cost 12 USD/Pax
Depature: 2 Bus time one at 8h Am, an other at 5hPM . Stop at Hanoi My Dinh Bus station
Bus ticket office: 031 Xuan vien street, Sapa
Local Transport
This town is very small. You can walk from one side to the other within 30 min.
To go to hill tribe villages, you had better to rent a bike or take a bike taxi.
Rental bike USB6/day inclued gas

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

Trekking Sapa

Find here places to trek in Sapa and how to trek, where to book the trekking tours in Sapa

Many travel agents organize trekking tours. They are very good tours for travelers who don’t have time. Tourist office also organize the tours.

Fansipan Mountain: 2night 3days, Mountain climbing for intermediate class.
The highest mountain in Vietnam or S E Asia. 3143m. From Sapa you have to take a tour of 2night 3day. You have to have proper equipment. Best to join to the tour by the tourist office.

Cat Cat village, Sinh Cai village entrance fee 25,000D
From Sapa 3km W. 3-4hurs. The closest village of Hmong. Good for the trekking.

Lao Cai, Hmong, Tavan village, Gang Ta Chai village  admission 30,000D

Most typical trekking day tour, visiting 3 villages, Hmong, Dai, Sao. From Sapa walking down to the closest village, Lao Cai village, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the great valley with rivers and rise field.
Generally speaking you reach the entrance of the village by moto(OW 20,000D by moto), 15min., then walk down to the valley

Ban Ho Village
by moto one way 80,000 VND + return 100,000 VND
From Sapa, 30km. 1day trekking. Better to hire a jeep or join to a tour  rather than going by yourself.

Tour to Hill Tribe Village
Most of the travel agents, hotels, guest houses organize this tours. They change money as well.

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

Regional Market

Find some regional markets in Sapa like Bac Ha sunday markets, Muong Hum Market, Muong Khuong Market, Lung Khau Nhin Market, Coc Ly market, Can Cau market….

You can take a trekking tour to visit those villages.

Many travelers come here to visit only the weekend market from Hanoi by tour.
Many regional markets are held around Sapa. They are excellent chances to meet many different hill tribe people. Also good place to buy their products. On the market days, many local minibuses are running from the major towns but it is common to joint to a tour organized by travel agents in Sapa…
Bac Ha market is the most famous. It is full of tourists. Many reports say that it is not longer interesting. Besides this market, you may have to pay for the whole car when they cannot find enough people. Ask at travel agents.

Bac Ha Market: held on every Sunday
Tour costs from $12, Black Tay, Flower Hmong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen tribes can be observed.

Muong Hum Market: held on every Sunday ( private tour)
Ha Nhi tribes, Tu Di, Dao Tuyen, H’Nhi, Flower Hmong, Giay tribes
Muong Khuong Market: Held on every Thursday
Coc Ly Market: Held on every Tuesday, Black Tay, Flower Hmong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen tribes
Can Cau Market: on every Saturday, The Flower Hmong tribes. Very colorful market.$20/p with a group of 5 or more
Binh Lu Tam Duong Market: held on every Sunday, Red Hmong, Tay, Dzay

Cao son Market: held on sunday

Lung Khau Nhin Market:  held on every Thursday Flow HMong people, Dzay…
Souvenir
On weekend, many hill tribe people come down to this town for the market. It is very full with daily goods to souvenirs. You will be surrounded by old ladies from the hill tribes and forced to buy them
The H’mong
Flute instrument: without decoration 5.000D, with decoration, 6.000-7.000D, bracelet cloth: 3,000D, ear rings: 12,000D(large), 6,000D+(small), Dyed: small bag 8,000D, jacket 35,000D, trousers 30,000D, hat 10,000D
The Dao
Flute same as bracelet cloth 10,000D+ better quality than Hmong’s. Hat 25,000D, Table cloth 50,000D, Cloth 100,000D
The Thai sliver bracelet: 20,000D-100,000D, ear rings 10,000D

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

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 official website http://www.travelsapa.com/rent-scooters-in-sapa/