Today we travel to northern Vietnam to discover one of those dreamlike places: Sapa and its rice paddy landscapes.
I spent three intense days in Sapa on a trip I took a while back through Southeast Asia, and ever since then, I've been reminded of those valleys with their endless rice fields. It's a place you can't miss.
In this post, I'll share some practical information about visiting Sapa, such as what to do and how to get there. I hope it helps you plan your trip.
Table of Contents
How to get to Sapa from Vietnam
You can get there from various cities in northern Vietnam, such as Hanoi, Lao Cai, and Dien Bien Phu. All of them have buses that drop you off at the city of rice paddies.
From Hanoi you can take a bus directly to Sapa (after a few hours) or you can also take a train to Lao Cai City, and then from there take a bus to Sapa.
How to get to Sapa from Laos
I was in northern Laos when I went to Sapa, so I had to make a long journey to get to my destination.
First I had to take a 6-hour bus from the border town of Muang Khua in Laos to the city of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam. In between, I had to cross the border, where they checked my visa, which I had to have obtained in advance to avoid any surprises.
As soon as I arrive at the Dien Bien Phu terminal, I start looking for buses to Sapa. I found three sleeping buses available that day: one at 6:30 a.m., another at 5:30 p.m., and the last one (the one I took) at 6:30 p.m. The price was around 260,000 dong, and the trip would take approximately 12 hours.
Something I discovered on this first day, and one that would be a constant throughout Vietnam, is that buses like to be packed. For those of us with tickets, it's no problem because we have our assigned seats, but then there are the locals who get on without seats and sit anywhere, all crammed together and squeezed into the aisle. In most countries, this practice would be prohibited for safety reasons, but here it's common.
They filled it so full that three Vietnamese guys ended up lying in the aisle leaning on my legs, all uncomfortable but smiling. I lent them my backpack to use as a pillow, but it didn't make the trip comfortable, neither for them nor for me, who was practically on top of them.
Primeras horas en la ciudad
When I got off the terror bus at 6 a.m., the cold hit my face without even realizing it. It was still dark and foggy, and I honestly had no idea where I was or where to go. This was a time when smartphones weren't as smart as they are today.
Luckily, the owner of a hostel was at the stop looking for guests, so without hesitation I said yes and accompanied her to her accommodation.
The place was called Hotel Honey Moon and it was only a few blocks from the bus stop. The hostel is run by a friendly family and was reasonably priced.
Map of Sapa's main attractions
What to see and do in Sapa
After a few hours of rest, the landscape changed completely. During the day, with more warmth and no morning fog, it was the perfect time to explore the city. This is what I did on the first day:
Tour the city
The first thing that caught my attention in Sapa was its picturesque atmosphere. Its houses and buildings, with balconies and colorful French-style facades, make exploring the city a real pleasure.
Although it's a small city, it's clearly growing rapidly. Several construction projects are underway near the center. Surely, in a few years, small Sapa will give way to a more populated city.
Visit Sapa Lake
In the heart of the city, the beautiful Sapa Lake comes alive with its vibrant flowers and plants. From any angle, the colonial buildings complement the view of the lake, with the majestic mountains in the background. A stroll here is a true visual delight.
Climb Ham Rong Mountain
It's a large park in the city, home to the radio antenna. Admission is a few blocks from the lake and cost 70,000 dong a while back. Highly recommended to visit and climb to the upper viewing points.
Inside, you'll see beautifully maintained gardens, striking rock formations, and children's playgrounds. As you climb, you'll have beautiful views of Sapa Town and the gardens we passed at the beginning of the climb.
Trekking to Cat Cat Village
Walking towards the south of the city, we come across a veritable army of women from the local ethnic groups: Hmong, Dao and Tay, from various villages. They are attentive to any tourist who passes by, ready to offer everything from bracelets and food to excursions lasting one or more days.
A 6-hour trek through the SAPA rice fields with a local guide.
These women start out very nice at first, but when you say no to them over and over again, multiplied by the number of times you run into them, it goes from being nice to a bit dense.
Anyway, once we cross that swarm of voracious women, the best of Sapa begins... which are its incredible rice paddy landscapes.
Leaving the city, the buildings give way to a vast valley made up of dozens of rice paddies scattered across the mountains. It's truly a dreamlike place.
At over 1,500 meters above sea level, you can see clouds moving in and out of the valley, adding another layer to these wonderful views.
The panoramic views extend in all directions, making it impossible to get bored. If the weather cooperates, you'll be able to see kilometers of terraced rice fields covering the mountains.
Still gazing at the horizon, I descend the road toward Cat Cat, one of the most famous villages in the area. To enter, tourists usually pay an entrance fee of 40,000 dong (a figure from some time ago). Here, as before, local ethnic women will approach to offer their services as guides or the chance to spend the night in their homes.
Although I've heard from other travelers that it was a nice experience, the insistence sometimes makes me feel a bit put off. If I recall correctly, they offered two days of trekking with one night and meals included in their homes for a price ranging from $10 to $20.
The truth is, you can walk freely wherever you want. Perhaps with them, you'll have the opportunity to discover less-frequented places, but it's not essential. They tend to follow you for a good stretch to see if they tire you out, but if you persevere... you'll succeed. I want to emphasize that the town was very beautiful. It's worth getting lost there and wandering around for a few times.
When you finish touring Cat Cat and its surroundings, if it is already late, all that remains is to return to the city by retracing your steps. This part can be less enjoyable, as the climb is steady and sometimes steep.
Day 2 in Sapa: Rent a motorbike and explore the surrounding area
The Sapa area is ideal for exploring by motorcycle. There are attractions that are too far from the city to walk, but are perfectly accessible by motorbike. This makes it very tempting to take advantage of the excellent daily rental prices. I know I shouldn't say it, but the fact that they don't usually ask for a driver's license (I didn't have one) makes this a real opportunity to get lost on those mountain routes.
The second day I dedicated to getting to know the northern part of Sapa, heading towards Ta Phin Village.
The route is generally in decent condition, although it has cracks in some sections. It requires great caution as it is a mountain road, with constant curves that border the precipice. It's easy to get distracted by the incredible views, but one bad move could lead to a fatal outcome.
Although you'll likely be driving for miles in complete solitude, be alert, as you will occasionally see transport trucks in both directions. Therefore, I repeat: BE VERY CAREFUL, especially on curves.
The views on the way to Ta Phin Village are the best. Once again, the panoramic views are magical. It's nice to stop every now and then to admire the scenery at a leisurely pace.
To enter the village, you also have to pay an entrance fee of 20,000 dong (as it was a few years ago). It doesn't have the same flow of people as the other village, and it even seemed a bit more abandoned to me. Apparently, being farther from Sapa Town, many visitors don't make it here.
Visiting Ta Phin Cave
But the most interesting part of this village is undoubtedly the Ta Phin Cave, a vast cavern to explore practically alone. At the entrance, some young people will offer to guide you with flashlights in exchange for a few coins, of course, but in my case, I preferred to see how far I could go on my own.
The path begins quietly, with a walkway and dim lights placed on the walls to illuminate us. But as we move deeper, there is no longer any concrete path and no artificial light.
To continue, you have to go through nooks and crannies, narrow hallways, duck your head, and all with no other light than the flashlight you carry.
For reference, to know we're on the right track, there are some sequential numbers painted with white chalk. They help, but after a while I didn't see them anymore.
An experience difficult to forget
As the minutes passed, I went deeper. Soon, I was already thinking about how to get back, since I'd been around so many times that I was afraid I wouldn't remember the way back; everything there was like a labyrinth in the dark.
I decided to stop when I reached a large room in the heart of the cavern. It was large, spacious, and unlike the entire narrow path I'd been traversing.
Using my little flashlight (I didn't know how much battery life it had left :D), I got a glimpse of how big it was. It was eerie to be there alone, in that large, pitch-black room, unsure of the way back.
My whole body was sweating, and not from exhaustion, exactly. I said to myself to calm down... "Okay, calm down, the kids outside know a tourist came in and never came out..." haha.
I tried to slowly retrace my steps, but honestly it was a damn maze and so dark I wasn't sure where I came from.
I was already getting half desperate and blaming myself for having gone in there alone, until I heard some noises and murmurs in the distance (luckily they weren't bats... hehe).
I felt life return to my body when I saw lights approaching and heard children playing. “Let’s go!” I said to myself.
I tried to talk to the boys, but they didn't understand me, so I just laughed with joy, and so did they (I'm sure because of my panicked face). They took pity on me and helped me find my way back. They accompanied me the entire way back. They had more flashlights and moved through the cave as if it were their backyard; they knew it by heart. Finally, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
I must have spent 2 hours wandering around inside the cave, but it seemed like an eternity to me.
Dripping with sweat and breathing fresh air to recover, I thanked the boys in every way possible. I knew I'd never forget them, and to this day, they're always on my mind.
Tram Ton Mountain Pass
Now that I'd recovered from the shock and had a full stomach, it was time to move on. I said goodbye to all the children and continued on my way to Tram Ton Pass, 15 km from Sapa.
On the way to the viewpoint, you can stop at the Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall), located along the route, 12 km from Sapa. You can admire them from a distance or pay an entrance fee to see them up close.
The Tram Ton Pass is known for being the highest mountain pass in the country (1,900 meters) and the border between two provinces of Vietnam, Lao Cai and Lai Chau. The panoramic views from here are also fantastic, there are souvenir shops and you can even see the highest peak in Vietnam and Indochina at 3,142 meters, Fansipan.
If you want to take the cable car to the top of Fansipan, you can purchase the tour from Sapa here.
It was a long, exciting, and exhausting day at the same time. It was getting too cold to keep wandering around, so I headed back to the city to finally eat and sleep. That's enough for today.
Third day in Sapa: Trekking on Sa Seng Mountain.
It was my last day in the city, and I didn't want to leave Sapa without doing some trekking that was mentioned on the blog Nomad-As in the northern part of the city.
Walking towards Lao Cai, just a kilometer from the center (right where the road marks the entrance to the city), you'll find a small pedestrian path on the right. It took me a while to find it, as there are no signs or directions, but if you ask around, you'll find it.
Once found, the trail is clear, and as we ascend, you'll see rural houses and their inhabitants. However, the further you get from the main route, the fewer people you'll find.
The trail will guide you along its own path, skirting Sa Seng Mountain. It's a beautiful, non-touristy route that passes through several rural villages.
Maybe it was the bad day or the lack of familiarity with the route, but I barely saw anyone on this trail. Only once did I come across a group of foreigners, led by a local woman. It must be one of those hikes they sell so hard. At least seeing them reassured me that I was on the right path.
The views aren't as scenic as those of the previous days. We won't find rice paddies on this side, but there are plenty of farmhouses, with their owners working or herding their animals. It's a good way to get off the beaten track of Sapa and enjoy a more peaceful, quieter experience, without all the hustle and bustle, like at Cat Cat Village.
After about three to five hours of climbing and descending, I emerged onto a paved but desolate road in the middle of the mountain. I was 6 km north of the city, in the middle of the road, with no means of transportation back.
But there are locals and tourists on motorcycles, coming and going. Luckily, as I was walking back, two Americans, a father and son, passed by on their motorcycles, going in the same direction. Very friendly, they gave me a ride and dropped me off at the door of my hotel in a matter of minutes. Thank you!
How to get to Hanoi from Sapa
On Sleeping Bus
You can take a sleeping bus to Hanoi. A few years ago, the ticket cost 300,000 dong with Camel Travel.
If the trip from Dien Bien Phu to Sapa had seemed very uncomfortable, this one seemed even worse. It took us about 18 hours to reach the capital because the bus was stopped for about five hours at midnight on the road.
As I was told later, this is something buses do frequently, since at night, there is icy water on the road, forcing buses and trucks to stop as a precaution.
To make matters worse, the bathroom was broken, so for 18 hours we were all suffocating from the smell of everyone else's urine, in short, a real mess.
By train
You can also go to Hanoi by train. You must first take a bus to Lao Cai, and from there take the train to Hanoi.
What is the best time to visit Sapa?
The best time to travel to Sapa in Vietnam is from January to May and from September to December, where you will find pleasant to warm weather and moderate rainfall.
The average maximum temperature in Sapa is 30° Celsius in April and 20° Celsius in January.
Reflections on my stay in Sapa
For trekking and mountain landscape lovers, Sapa is definitely a must-see. And even if you don't hike, it's still worth it.
The views of the valley, with its forests and rice paddies, are identical to those we see on computer screensavers. I don't think you'll ever see landscapes like that again in the rest of Vietnam.
To visit Sapa and its surroundings, I recommend staying at least three full days. A two-day round trip would be very exhausting due to the long transfer times.
Even if you don't want to walk far, you can rent a motorbike. And if you're not confident riding a motorbike, you can also hire a taxi or take a tour to see more distant spots. But don't miss out on Sapa, especially if you're in northern Vietnam. You won't regret it.