Sapa

Sapa Trips & Tours

Views for days, walking, and a wealth of colour and culture in the ‘Tonkinese Alps.’

If you’re heading north, lace up your walking boots, charge your camera, and get ready for a glimpse into a whole new world. Tucked into the mountainous north of Vietnam, the French hill station of Sapa, and the surrounding regions, are home to the majority of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities who still lead incredibly traditional lives, away from the tentacles of technology. Up here, traditional dress is worn, ancient beliefs dictate life, and bartering hard over a peep of chickens, glass of rice wine in hand, is the way business is done. Aside from visiting the hilltribes, many come for the trekking and walking opportunities and the chance to conquer Fan Si Pan, the highest mountain in the area. Getting there is also an experience, and we highly recommend the overnight train that chugs through postcard-perfect terraced hillsides and offers iconic, mist-swirled views of pastoral life.

What to do in Sapa

The first thing to do once arriving in Sapa, which you can do via a lovely train journey, is get out of the main town and into the lush countryside. Take in views of sprawling valleys, terraced rice fields and far-away peaks on the Tram Ton Pass, stopping at lookout points and cascading waterfalls along the way. If a sturdy pair of boots is the first thing you packed, Sapa's incredible hiking and trekking routes will likely fill your days - and rightly so! November to January is a beautiful and rain-free time to hit the trails. It's possible to make the two-day journey up Fan Si Pan, the highest mountain in Vietnam, or take the easier and very scenic cable car ride to its summit. Sapa and its surrounding region is the homeland of a number of Vietnam's indigenous communities, who you'll have the chance to visit. Cat Cat Village is one of the most well-known, offering insight into the customs, ingenuity and lives of the Hmong people.