Sapa Cultural Trek: A 4-Day Northern Vietnam Trip

Itinerary

Day 1: Overnight train to Lao Cai

A driver will pick you up and take you to the Hanoi Railway Station in time to board the overnight train to Lao Cai. Your ticket includes a shared 4-berth cabin on Chapa Carriage. This is a must-do experience during your Vietnam travel!

For those who book a separate tour, an additional service is available for an additional fee of £19.50/person (min 2 people). This includes a guide pick-up and a mini hotel near the Hanoi Train Station for refreshment and rest while waiting for the train. (Please ask for more details)

Day 2: Local market visits, arrival & sightseeing in Sapa, stay at hotel with mountain views

Upon your arrival in the morning, you will be met and driven to one of the local markets to continue your Vietnam trip. After a picnic lunch, you will return to Lao Cai and continue the journey to Sapa, a small town nestled at the foot of Mount Fansipan, the highest peak of Vietnam. You will have plenty of time to relax and explore the area before retreating to a hotel with great mountain views for the night.

The drive may be lengthy; however, the scenery is beautiful, and the ethnic markets are an interesting experience. Unlike other touristy areas, the ones we visit are not only for buying and selling but are also a place of gathering for the minorities to meet up and gossip. You’ll be sure to see a rainbow of colours and traditional clothing, but you won’t find much to buy as a souvenir, except if you’re willing to haggle for a water buffalo or bag of fertiliser.

Trips to local markets can be planned for any day of the week: Monday (Ban Phiet or Phong Hai Market), Tuesday (Coc Ly or Ban Cam Market), Wednesday (Cao Son or Sin Cheng Market), Thursday (Lung Khau Nhin or Binh Lu Market), Friday (Chau or Phong Hai Market), Saturday (Can Cau, Pha Long or Tam Duong Market), or Sunday (Bac Ha, Muong Hum or Muong Khuong Market).

✓ Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Trek through H’mong and Dzay villages, lunch with local family, journey to Thanh Phu village, dinner & stay in Tay stilt-house

In the early morning, you will be met and taken by car to Sapa, a small town situated on the mountainside with a view of Mt. Fan Si Pan, Vietnam’s highest peak. After breakfast at your hotel, you will continue your Vietnam trip with a trek through the scenic valley, visiting the H’mong and Dzay ethnic minority villages on the way. You will have lunch with a local family before being picked up by car for a 12km journey. You will be able to take in the picturesque scenery and diverse ethnic minorities as you travel. You will then continue your walk to Thanh Phu village, where you will have dinner in a Tay ethnic minority stilt-house and spend the night.
Your guide will arrange the trekking route accordingly, with options for varying levels of difficulty. It is essential to wear appropriate footwear and sun protection. Transport for all, or part, of the distance can also be arranged if necessary.

✓ Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

 Day 4: Trek to village of Xa Pho, visit rice fields, meet the Red Dao of Nam Toong village and lunch in a local house

After breakfast, you’ll embark on a trek to the Xa Pho tribe village, the smallest ethnic group in Sapa with minimal contact to modern Vietnam and almost no knowledge of the Vietnamese language. Along the way, you’ll traverse the picturesque rice fields and eventually arrive at the Red Dao village of Nam Toong, where your guide will prepare a delicious lunch in a local home. Following the meal, you will be transported back to Sapa for your bus ride to Hanoi. You are expected to arrive at your Hanoi hotel by 9:00 pm in the evening. We hope your enjoyed your Vietnam travel!

✓ Breakfast, Lunch