Sapa Vietnam is always a popular destination for many local and foreign tourists. The place has pleasant weather, beautiful natural spots, friendly people, and unique cuisine. You will need a complete plan to avoid missing exciting things in Sapa during your trip.
In this article, we give you an overview of Sapa, recommend the best occasion to visit this place, explain an ideal way to get to Sapa, share some great things you can try, and give an estimated cost for your adventure. Let’s get started!
An Overview of Sapa
Where is Sapa Vietnam? This town belongs to Lao Cai province, about 218 miles northwest of Hanoi. It is famous for its beautiful mountain ranges, especially the Hoang Lien Son. Also, the highest peak in Vietnam, known as Fan Si Pan, is located in this town. Besides the vast mountains, Sapa attracts tourists with its blue waterfalls, green forests, and impressive rice-field terraces.
Sapa is the home of different Vietnamese ethnic groups. Overall, the most common 5 groups are Hmong, Tay, Giay, Xa Pho, and Dao.
The Best Time To Visit Sapa
The weather in Sapa changes quickly during the day. You may get up early to feel the cool atmosphere in the morning. Meanwhile, the temperature will rise at noon. As the sky gets dark, you may notice mist and clouds. At night, Sapa temperature will be shallow.
You can visit Sapa at any time. However, the ideal time is in the Spring season, from the beginning of February to the end of May. This period is considered the time when flowers start blossoming. Therefore, tourists visiting the town during this time can admire the beauty of flowers everywhere, from valleys, hillsides, mountain slopes, and town roads.
In case you want to admire the beautiful rice-field terraces, the best time to visit is from the middle of August to the end of September. The rice plant will grow and form beautiful yellow-green terraces.
On the other hand, ethnic groups in Sapa open a lot of exciting festivals in spring. Some great samples we can list are the Gau Tao festival (Hmong), Roong Pooc festival (Giay), and so on. Visitors can also experience the unique early spring markets, such as the Sapa market, Can Cau Simacai market, Bac Ha market, and Coc Ly market. There, you will find unique items that are sold only in the spring.
Does it snow in Sapa Vietnam? In fact, there is snow in Sapa, but this situation rarely happens. It is also difficult to forecast snowy weather in Sapa since the lowest temperature usually ranges from 35.6°F – 42.8°F.
How To Get To Sapa
There are vehicles that take you from Ho Chi Minh City or Danang to Sapa, but the transportation time may take you 1 – 2 days. Specifically, here is the time you need to drive:
- From Ho Chi Minh to Sapa (1186 miles): 36 hours
- From Danang to Sapa (669 miles): 19 hours
As Sapa is just 218 miles from Hanoi, we recommend you fly to the Noi Bai Airport first and then get to Sapa. It takes only 2 – 3 hours to fly from 1 of the 2 cities to the airport in Vietnam’s capital and an extra 5 hours of driving to Sapa.
So, how to get to Sapa Vietnam from Hanoi? At the moment, the most convenient way to get to Sapa is by bus, taxi, or train. You can book an overnight train (with bed included), rent a car, or hire a taxi service to get to Lao Cai Province. And then, you continue using local public transportation to get into Sapa town.
What To Do In Sapa
#1: Go Trekking
As a mountain town, Sapa attracts a lot of tourists who have a passion for trekking. The town has many famous places with spectacular natural footpaths. By trekking, you can have a great view of mountains, jungles, and tribal villages. The most common areas for trekking in Sapa are:
- Cat Cat Falls
- Lao Chai and Ta Van Down
- Silver Waterfall (Thac Bac)
- Tram Ton Pass
#2: Enjoy Horse Meat And Salmon
As mentioned, Sapa is famous for its unique cuisine. You will not find many provinces in Vietnam that raise horses and salmons other than in Sapa.
Thang Co is the top dish that catches the eyes of travellers. It is the traditional cuisine of the Hmong ethnic group. It is horse meat soup, served with horse meat as the main ingredient, along with local herbs. The smell is a little bit unpleasant, but the food is really healthy, especially good for men.
Sapa also has salmon farming. There are a lot of restaurants in the town that focus on salmon dishes. You can experience the delicious taste of fresh salmon sashimi or simmer the fish in a hotpot.
#3: Buy A Cable Car Ticket And Get On The Fansipan Peak
The Fansipan is 3,147m high, which is considered the highest peak in the Indochina Peninsula (Cambodia – Vietnam – Laos). On top of this mountain, you can have a comprehensive look at the valleys and mountain ranges of the entire Lao Cai province.
It is pretty challenging to reach the Fansipan peak on foot, as the footpath is primarily wet and dangerous. Most tourists choose to buy a cable car ticket and get to the top of the mountain.
#4: Visit The Love Waterfall
It is a miss if you don’t visit the Love Waterfall. It is a great tourist attraction, about 9.3 miles to the west of Sapa town.
The height of this waterfall is about 100m. Tourists are always attracted by the romantic and beautiful scenes here. The name Love Waterfall is not just because of the romantic atmosphere it creates but also due to the legend of the love story between the woodsman O Quy Ho and a fairy.
How Much Does Sapa Travel Cost?
We will list all the most essential fees for your trip to Sapa:
+ Transportation from other cities to Sapa:
- Flight from Ho Chi Minh city (or Danang to Hanoi): $57 – $60
- Train ticket (or taxi service) from Hanoi to Sapa: $18 – $20
- Car rent fee to drive by yourself to Sapa: $25 – $50 per day
+ Accommodation:
- Hotel: $15 – $30 per night
- Homestay: $7 – $10 per night
+ Transportation to travel around Sapa town:
- Motorbike rent fee: $6 – $12 per day
+ Transportation to visit Fansipan:
- Cable car: $35
- Riding a funicular on the top of Fansipan: $4
Food and souvenirs are optional. So we will not specifically mention the price. About $100 is enough for a person to eat the most delicious food and buy unique souvenirs.
Final Words
That’s our complete guide for a trip to Sapa Vietnam. Has this article explained everything you need to know?
We hope that with all the information we have given you, you can start creating a perfect plan for your itinerary to this lovely mountainous town. The beauty spots, delicious cuisine, and friendly people of Sapa always welcome you!
>> Read more: Ho Chi Minh City Travel: Perfect Plan For Your Vacation