Sapa - Vietnam: the mountains of northern Vietnam

Lovers of hiking, trekking and nature can enjoy Sapa, the mountains of Vietnam, a city located to the Northwest of the country.
The mountainous region of Sapa (Pa Sa in Vietnamese) Although remote, and remote region is famous for its rice terraces, its breathtaking mountain scenery, its biological variety and also the Vietnamese ethnic groups that inhabit the mountain from Sapa region.

Sapa - Vietnam

What to see in Sapa?

The impressive rice terraces, where the Sapa ethnic groups are dedicated to growing rice with help of livestock.

The it Iguazu Thac Bac (Thác Bạc or silver waterfall), a waterfall of 200 meters.

The Bridge May (cầu May), historic bridge that stands on a spectacular mountain landscape.

Heavenly gate (Cổng Chuyện), the end of the mountain from where we can see the highest peak of Vietnam, Fansipan mountain.

The Hoang Lien National Park, with its forests of Dwarf bamboo (Rừng Trúc) and great diversity of orchids.

The Cathedral of Sapa, Sapa Town Hall, Sapa market and the plaza de la Catedral.

The beautiful Lake of Sapa.

About stone carvings or petroglyphs of ancestral Sapa stones (Bai với cổ Sa Pa).

The Colorful costumes Vietnamese tribal ethnic groups in the mountains of Sapa.

What to do in Sapa?

We recommend visiting the Cat Cat village. Small village where we will see how they live the ethnic Vietnamese from the mountains. To access the village Cat Cat there a symbolic price to pay, and for those who want to experience life there, for a small fee you can sleep in a house in the village.

Note: to scroll through Sapa to Cat Cat village you can rent a moto-taxi.

Hiking, climbing, cycling and trekking in Sapa

Due to the high mountain terrain, Sapa is the ideal place for hiking and trekking through Vietnam.
Many agencies organize us a trekking route, where we will see the Grotto Thuy Cung, Gio cave, Gate heavenly, etc.

As an alternative to walking, many tourist agencies organize excursions by bike by Sapa.

What is the best time of year to visit Sapa?

The best time of year to visit Sapa is April and may.
Why? because it is the era in which the vegetation is flourishing and by the climatic conditions of Sapa, will ensure the absence of fog and rain.

Where is Sapa?

Sapa is a city in the pronvicia of Lao Cai, in the North of Vietnam and very near the border with China, distant 376 kilometers Northwest of Hanoi and 38 kilometres from the town of Lao Cai.

Getting to Sapa?

The best option to get to Sapa is catching a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai city, then a bus, from Lao Cai to Sapa.

The more adventurous can opt to rent a motorbike in Hanoi and depart Sapa.

How long does the train from Hanoi to Sapa?

The train from Hanoi to Sapa takes 8 hours on average.

How much is the train ticket to Sapa?

It depends on the company train and the class in which we travel. We recommend the night train, the ticket only one-way cheaper costs about 250. 000VND

What 's railway companies to go to Sapa (Lai Cao)?

There is a Vietnamese public company called Vietnam Railway (the equivalent of the Spanish renfe), which is the cheapest and also of lower quality.
Major private train companies are Tulico, Ratraco, Victoria Express, Livitrans, TSC Express, Royal Train, Et pumpkin, Friendly Express and TransVietnam Train.
Note: one higher price does not mean higher quality, you have to look at the type of train, equipment and the class in which we travel.

Hanoi Railway Station to go to Sapa

Climate and weather in Sapa (Vietnam)

Because of its altitude the climate in Sapa is moderate and with plentiful banks of fog. Winters are cold, even snow. To make an idea, the climate in Sapa is very similar to the weather in Madrid.

Sapa Altutid

Sapa town is located 1600 metres above sea level, being the highest town of throughout Vietnam.

Sapa Mountains

The Sapa area lies on the Hoang Lien Son (Hoang Lien son) mountain range, which is the part East of the Himalayas. The highest of Vietnam and the Indochinese peninsula peak, mountain (Phan-Xi-Pǎng) Fansipan, 3143 meters, is part of the Sa Pa area.

Ethnic tribal Sapa

There are five ethnic groups or tribes in Sapa: H Mong, Dao Do, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho.

Recommendations for Sapa

We recommend buying a train ticket to Sapa (Lai Cao city) round trip. Because sometimes it's hard to find a train ticket to Sapa.

There are many ATMs in Sapa (just on the main street) and bureaux de change usually give an exchange rate low, sowe recommend to carry enough cash (preferably Vietnamese Dong) to cover the cats.