Sapa lies in a beautiful valley near the Chinese border. It is the north’s main drawcard for tourists looking for magnificent scenery and a diverse mix of ethnic cultures in the countryside inhabited by various hill tribes
Surrounding Sapa are the Hoang Lien Mountains, which the French nicknamed the Tonkinese Alps. These mountains include Fansipan, which at 3143 metres is Vietnam’s highest.
Unlike the nearby hill tribe village, the architecture of Sapa looks distinctly European. This is because for nearly 100 years, up until 1954, many French people moved there from other parts of Vietnam to escape the tropical heat.
Day 1: Hanoi – Sapa by bus with a short trek to Cat Cat village (L)
6.30 – 7.00: Pick up from your hotel/stay, get on big bus and depart for Sapa.
9.30: Follow the highway to Lao Cai city with the first comfort break
11.00: Second comfort break at Lao Cai city before approaching Sapa
13.00: Arrive Sapa Town with colorful traditional costumes of H’mong, Dzao, Tay ethnic People.
– Welcome drink and itinerary briefing
– Enjoy the lunch with local Vietnamese dishes, check-in procedures
14.30: A short drive to the gate of Cat Cat village which is home of Black H’mong ethnic people and is located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station; stop for photo with bridge and waterfall then you will walk uphill for bus to pick up to get back to Sapa in the afternoon.
Trekking distance is about 2.5 kms and it lasts for 2 hours
17.00: Come back to Sapa Town. We recommend good local restaurants for your dinner on your own, overnight in hotel with night activities.
Day 2: Sapa – Hanoi by bus with a long trek Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van (B/L)
7.00 – 7.45: Have breakfast at hotel and prepare light pack for trekking
8.00: A short drive to Y Linh Ho then trek through the rice terraces and along Muong Hoa Stream to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai to see the spectacular landscape of Hoang Lien Son Mountain after that heading to Ta Van village – home of Dzay ethnic people.
Trekking distance is about 9 kms and it lasts for 3.5 hours
11.30: Bus picks you up at Ta Van Bridge to Sapa.
12.00 – 15.00: Have a shower at hotel, check out and have lunch and time at leisure on your own.
15.00: Meet all group members at hotel to get ready for Hanoi.
15.15: Get on bus to go back to Hanoi with two comfort breaks.
21.15: We say goodbye to you at your hotel/stay. Trip ends.
Trip includes
– Modern air – conditioning bus with comfortable seats from Hanoi – Sapa and return
– 2 bottles of water, tissues, 2 snack/2 ways/person on bus Ha Noi – Sapa – Ha Noi
– Modern bus in Sapa with experienced drivers
– English speaking tour leader escorted during the bus trip Hanoi – Sapa – Hanoi, local guide escorted in Sapa
– Meals as 2 lunches, 1 breakfast with local dishes
– All entrance tickets to indicated sites
– Deluxe room in Royal View hotel or similar on twin sharing basis
– Insurance during the time using bus
Trip excludes
– Dinner in day 1 (we offer you a Sapa map and advise you the good local restaurants in town)
– Beverages, travel insurance, VAT, personal expenses
– Others not clearly mentioned above
Note
– In day 2, if you do not want to attend the long trek Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van, our tour leader will help you visit another place. All tickets and transportation fees are paid by you.
– Old people should not attend the long trek (9 kms) due to its challenge and danger in case of rain
– Handicapped people and children under 6 years old shouldn’t attend trekking
Thing to bring
– Warm clothes, scarf, hat, cap because the weather in Sapa is pretty unpredictable. It is normally cold in September, October, November, December, January, February and March
– Due to altitude of Sapa, it is sometimes foggy in December, January, February and March.
– Trekking shoes, sun glasses, sun cream, insect repellent are also necessary. You should take cash with you in Vietnam Dong because banking system in Sapa sometimes doesn’t function well. US Dollar, Euro, Australia Dollar are accepted in Sapa.
– You should take medicine with you although there are some chemist’s shops in Sapa in case you get sick.
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