Sapa Tourist Information

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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