Things to do in Sapa, Vietnam

Sapa is a delightful town in the Lao Cai province located 350km northwest of Hanoi. A former French hill station in 1922 and a key location for French military as well as missionaries, Sapa promises stunning views of cascading rice terraces and mountains towering the town on all sides. Sapa is home to various ethnic tribal groups that undoubtedly fill the town with colour and vibrance, despite the epic scenery so often subdued by thick mist rolling across the peaks. Sapa is known for its cold climate that occurs between November and April, extremely foggy winters with 0-degree temperatures that persist in January and February. The best time to visit is between March to May.

How to get to Sapa?

There are several ways to get to Sapa. An overnight train will take approximately 8 hours from Hanoi to Lao Cai. From Lao Cai, Sapa is about 38 kms away and will take about 45 minutes to an hour of road travel (either by minibus or taxi) to get to Sapa Town or your accommodation there. There are a dozen train choices with different cabin options, the popular ones being Victoria Express, Sapaly Express, Chapa Express, Dream Express, Fanxipan Express, Livitrans Express, King Express, and Orient Express. Train tickets prices range between $8 for the chair cars to $76 for the ultra-luxury first class sleepers.

Another option would be a bus journey from Hanoi that will take anywhere between 5-6 hours. Bus ticket prices range between $9 to $22. Check out the super cute bus I hopped on – tacky but very creative of the local Vietnamese people.

Flying into Sapa is unfortunately not an option as there is no airport nearby.

Getting around Sapa is mostly done on foot. The town is very small and the steep streets are easy to navigate.

From Sapa, one can also set foot in China by crossing the border from the Vietnamese town on Lao Cai into the Chinese town of Hekou.

What to do in Sapa?

 Fansipan Peak

Without a doubt, Fansipan peak is a must-visit when in Sapa. Part of the Hoang Lien Mountains, Fansipan is Vietnam’s highest peak towering 3143m high. If you were to trek the path from Sapa to the summit, it could very well take several days. When visiting Hoang Lien National Park, Cat Cat Village and the Ta Phin Village are great places to explore. However, recent developments favouring tourism efforts have made it easier to reach the peak by riding a cable car as part of the Sun World developments.

 Sun World Fansipan Legend

Located in the southwest of Sapa Town at Sun Plaza, Sun World provides access to a range of cultural and architectural tourist attractions, a cable car service to the Fansipan peak, an amusement complex, and a fantastic range of culinary cafes and restaurants, shopping arcades, and hotel stay experience.

Here are a few things to expect from Sun World:

Cable cars all the way up to the peak make it so easy for you to reach Fansipan, especially if you are on a tight travel schedule. Did you know? The Sun World Fansipan Legend holds the Guinness World Record for the first, tallest, longest, and most advanced three-wire cable car system in Asia. I must say that the colossal cable car journey is not for the weak-hearted given the fact you will be propelled by cables for a 1410-metre-long ride for 15 minutes.

The cable car aside, the fin-de-siècle colonial architecture of Sun World is quite suave. So do stop and admire the interior design of the complex and I am sure you will find it quite exquisite.

I highly recommend hopping on the funicular ride to the Fansipan as the sinuous ride offers both a rapturous and panoramic experience. There is also the Muong Hoa funicular which connects Sapa Town to the departure terminal of Fansipan cable cars.

The spiritual attractions in the complex include the Guanyin Statue, Bao An Zen Monastery – Trinh Pagoda, The Enlightenment Path of Thanh Van, Bich Van Zen Monastery, The Grand Belfry, The Great Buddha Statue, 9-storey Waterfall, The Stupa, Alahat Path, Mountain God Shrine, and Kim Son Bao Thang Pagoda. You can find all the details about these attractions here.

Pro-tip: Try to avoid going to Fansipan on a foggy day when winter is at its peak as you will miss out on the stunning vistas. Here are some of the photos of the day when it was nothing but misty:

 Visit Sapa Town and Sapa Market

Sapa Town is absolutely simple yet lively. The sights around town are absolutely stunning whether you explore it in daylight or at night time. The Sapa Lake makes for a lovely waterside stroll and is rimmed with cafes and views of the surrounding peaks. When walking around the town, you will also see the Sapa Church and Sapa Museum which has an excellent showcase of Sapa’s history and ethnology including references to the colonial period. Not to mention, the exhibitions will also unveil the differences between the various ethnic minority people of the area.

I reckon markets are a must-visit no matter where you travel. Sapa Market is filled with hill-tribe people waiting for visitors to buy their handicrafts and ethnic-style clothing. There are oodles of souvenir shops to explore and find gifts for your near and dear ones. And if retail therapy is not your thing, then food options galore because the food stalls huddle in the market and surrounding areas for your eating pleasure. I highly recommend trying the chestnut cakes made by the locals using roasted chestnuts.

 Check out the two iconic waterfalls and Heaven Gate

Something that’s worth doing on a half-day tour is the Tram Ton Pass (also known as Heaven Gate) and two waterfalls namely the Thac Bac (Silver Falls) and Love Waterfall. These landmarks are part of the Hoang Lien National Park and offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the lush green forests. Do note that a reasonable amount of hill climbing and bushwalking are involved in this leg of the journey.

Cau May (Cloud Bridge)

If you are keen to explore a hidden spot in Sapa that has been labelled a romantic destination, then Cloud Bridge should definitely be on your list. Its simplicity, given how it is made of natural materials mainly rattan wires and wooden planks, adds to its beauty while being suspended over the “romantic” Muong Hoa stream, surrounded by the northwest mountains and untouched forests exuding a paradisiac feeling. Cloud Bridge is located in Ta Van Commune and 17 km away from the centre of Sapa town.

 Go for a tribal trek

When in Sapa, your visit would be incomplete without a truly local experience through a guided tour to the tribal villages. Treks can be arranged at many guesthouses and travel agencies to explore the villages, waterfalls, rice terraces, local houses, and culture. The mountainous views on these tours and the serenity of the locals’ livelihood will astonish you!

You may find Sapa uncanny, but it is a gem of a place if I may say. I reckon once travel restrictions are eased, a visit to Sapa is definitely worth it before the hotel-building boom overshadows its natural scenic gorgeousness.

Vietnam has much more to offer than Sapa! Read more on what Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, and Hanoi have to offer!