Sapa Adventure Trips:

The Catherlic church in Sapa town

Stone Church is known as stone church or the Holy Rosary church which is located in the heart of Sapa town built by the French from the early 20th century.

The whole church was built by stone (walls, floors, bell towers …) that are linked by a mixture of sand, lime and molasses. With total area over 6000m2, Sapa church has enough rooms for the arrangement of the area. The church of Sapa is always a place where holds many traditional cultural activities of ethnic minorities. In the front of the church is tennis area which has unique cultural activities of local people on Saturday. With flute, trumpet leaves, “xòe” dance… created sparkling, magical atmosphere in Sapa. Additionally, because the structure was designed early, the church of Sapa experienced many events of history. Since its establishment, the church always has priests in order to offer parishioners.

The church includes the areas such as the church area, Parish House, angel church, Sacred Gardens, House of the priest, etc. With the area of more than 6.000 m2, the church area consists of 7 compartments of more than 500 m2, the bell-tower of 20 m high. Especially, there is a bell with the height 1.5 m and the weight of 500 kg in the bell-tower. In spite of being casted in 1932, until now it has been undamaged even the words carved on the surface of the bell and the wooden bracket.

Sapa town- H'mong ethnic people
The Black H'mong women of Sapa are instantly recognisable - by their sheer weight of numbers and their distinctive black indigo skirt and shirt. Usually a long black waistcoat is worn over the shirt and a black pillbox hat is worn on the head. The ensemble is completed by black leg warmers.

Sapa Market is a unique cultural economic activity. It is place to exchange of numerous kinds of commodity, local products; simultaneously, this is also the opportunity for upland people to go to the fair, for the youth to encounter, get dating and show their affection through love songs, sounds of the flute, panpipe and "dan moi" (lip lute)... It is one of the most attractive characteristics attracting tourists to visit Sapa mountain trips

Way downt to Cat Cat village in Sapa town

Sapa town

Town centre where for walking - sightseeing

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Fansipan Mountains - 'Roof of Indochina'

Fansipan peaks at the height of 3143m above sea level. Fansipan also offers some great choices for many levels of trekking starting from the easiest path can be done within a full days for those who are physically fit, not necessary experienced. Scenery along the way to the top is worth your effort with thick forest, magnificent landscape of Hoang Lien Son range, idyll tribal villages and the sight of wild Azalea near the peak.

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Ham Rong (Dragon Jaw) Mountains - Sapa

At the 1800m-peaked dragon-jaw shaped mountain for the panoramic view of Sapa and Muong Hoa Valley. The path up is easy and on the mountaintop there is a Cloud Yard if you want to conquer all the way. At lower attitude, part of the mountain was made into a flower garden with hundreds of orchid kinds and other flowers. A romantic hangout for couples and friends.

Muong Hoa Valley- Sapa Mountains

To take in the magnificent beauty of highland terraced paddy fields in the harvest season, nowhere is better than Muong Hoa Valley which lies between two towering mountain ranges running in parallel southeast of Sapa Town.
Come to Muong Hoa Valley, you’ll be learning more on the age-old rice cultivation of the highland ethnic tribes, taking the scenic sights of the mountain range covered in the terraced fields, forest and streams downhill.

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

The H'mong are the eighth largest ethnic minority in Vietnam with a total population of just under 600,000. Belonging to the Sino-Tibetan and specifically the H'mong-Dao language group, they settled widely over northern Vietnam but most densely along the Lao and Chinese borders.

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains- Best highlight of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha- Weekend Ethic Market

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Flower H'mong of Lao Cai Province are undoubtedly the most colourful of all branches of H'mong to be seen in Vietnam. They wear a colourful embroidered calf length skirt together with a highly embroidered jacket with a clasp under the right shoulder. Although also seen around Tam Duong, you will be jostling with hundreds of these ladies if you venture to Bac Ha market on a Sunday.

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam
you can rent a car in Sapa town for Bac Ha Market (open on Sunday)

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Bac Ha mountains- Best weekend ethnic market of far north Vietnam

Sapa mountains

Some hotels in Sapa mountains have been built on side of the mountain with great view to the Sapa valleys

some local products are on sale at sapa Market (they have a special place for ethnic people)

She is a Red Zao

she is a flower H'mong, most of flower H'mong are live in Bac Ha mountains where very famous with Bac Ha Market , some 100km from Sapa mountains

She is a Black H'mong, one of major ethnic group in Sapa

Some Black H'mong women on the way coming to sapa Market from the Cat Cat village, 2 km from the town
Some other villages for trekking in sapa such as: Ta Van, Lao Chai, ta Phin, Thanh Phu and real adventure trek tours to Panxifan mountain 3142 m high

this rice paddy terraces in Ta Van village in Sapa mountains

About 8 kilometers from Sapa Town, Ta Van Village (Ta Van Giay village) belongs to Ta Van commune, Sapa district, Lao Cai province with approximately 150 households. In spite of different ethnic minority groups living here, Giay ethnic minority accounts for the majority of population. In fact, the nobly humanistic values in characteristics and the special culture of Giay people is the most impressive feature for tourists when travelling Ta Van Village.

 At Silver Waterfall Sapa

Ta van village_Sapa Mountains

Ta van village_Sapa Mountains

From Sapa Town, passing through a twisting path on a halfway up the mountain about 10 kilometer, continue travelling on this path, which is sloping down to the foot of Hoang Lien Son Mountain, visitors will arrive in Muong Hoa valley. From the distance in the valley, you will see a suspension bridge spanning Muong Hoa stream. You can also see a shrine where local people often hold "Nao Cong" festival. A road to Ta Van Village is quite small and narrow. Two sides of the village are covered by fertile terraced fields embellished with the green color of corns and rice plants

Rice paddy along way leading to the Lao Chai and Ta van villages in Sapa Mountains

rice paddy terraces, a highlight of sapa trips during harvest time in June, July yearly

The Red Dao women always beauty with their red scap, there is some other ethnic groups that you may see in sapa town are Blac H'mong, Zay too (some can speak well in English and French, most of Blac H'mong are followed the Cathelic and Sapa church is very busy on Saturday

Sapa mountains was a great relax place during the tiem French was in Vietnam and Indochina already, there was some 300 villas was built for the French family during year 40, but a few left today

Sapa mountains

This is  4 star hotel named Victoria, a best view hotel in the Sapa mountains, it located near town centre

a place that should not be missed if you love archid flower, a hundred kinds of archid plants can be seen in Ham rong mountains near Sapa

centre

The Silver waterfall, some 12km away from Sapa town, to the north, a great view at its top

Sapa mountains

Black H'mong grils are very keen to Foreigner and they are really frendly and so sweet people, many are become local tour guide for Vietnampathfinder Travel to take care of trekking and home-stay at their home, they are a real professional trekker (some 3 days can cross 70km of mountain trails)

Sapa market, great to join on weekend

Along the way down Ta Van, still a lot water buffalo are used to work in the paddy

on top of Ham rong mountain, a big flower garden for relaxing and sightseeing

Dragon raw mountains in sapa

This buffalo did not even care when we walked closer, buffalo in sapa live some time in the mountain, not at home, so they are really wild animal

Lao chai and Ta Van village in Sapa

Sapa mountains

a Black H'mong family in Ta Van village, some 15km away from Sapa town

Buffalo can be met along trekking in Sapa (just do not to touch on their head, they may attach you, so better keep a distance)

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho Pass, bridging two provinces Lao Cai and Lai Chau, has long been a legendary destination for local travelers. Only 18 kilometers away from the center town of Sapa, O Quy Ho would make a wonderful stop for your motorbiking half-day trip.

The pass is hailed as the king of passes in northwest Vietnam, being extreme in both road’s difficulty and natural scenery. The road leading up the pass’s top is winding, supple as the silk. Come when the sun is setting, visitors will be moved by the beautiful landscape just like a water colored painting before the eyes.

What is the best local food to try in Sapa town?

1. Thang Co

This dish is known as the traditional dish of H'mong people, cooked from horsemeat, horse’s viscera and horse’s bone, all made into a soup with 12 spices from cardamon, ginger, citronella, anise to cinnamon twig. When local people cook this dish, they often stew for couple of hours. The dish is served with fresh vegetable and local red hot pepper.

Thang co Sapa- a special dish and must to try

Thang co Sapa- a special dish and must to try when travel Sapa

2. Cap Nach Pork

A special kind of pork which is often found in Northwest Vietnam. There're quite many ways to cook this dish with different ingredient but its highlight is the fleshy, soft yet tough texture of the pork meat. It's said that the pigs living on mountainous areas are not caged and free to run around therefore their meat is so much better than regular pork meat.

3.Salmon Hotpot

Yes, it's true, you can eat salmon in Sapa. And it's not a rare dish here, in fact, salmon restaurants are everywhere to be found. A salmon dish that worth trying the most is Salmon Hotpot, especially in freezing days. The fish meat comes is a heaven match with the hotpot broth with a familiar sour taste from local vegetables and herbs.

Salmon Hotpot- a special dish in Sapa and must to try

Salmon Hotpot- a special dish in Sapa and must to try

How to get Sapa Mountains?

By Trains:

There're two type of train to Lao Cai - local trains or tourist trains. Average time traveling by train is about 8 hours with slow trains and about 7 hours with tourist trains. SP = New Trains, LC = Old Trains.

Tourist trains are: Livitrans, TSC Express, Hara Express, Fanxipan Express, King Express, Orient Express.
* Schedule for Lao Cai Trains:

SP1 (21:40), SP2 (20:35): Tourist trains with air-conditioned soft sleepers only.

Most of these trainsconsists of privately-run sleeping-cars for tourists, including Fanxipan, King, Ratraco, Orient Express, Royal, TSC, Tulico, etc.

- SP3 (22:00), SP4 (21:10): Recommended train with very few stops. Air-con soft sleepers and air-con hard sleepers only. These trains consist of privately-run sleeping-cars including the Sapaly Express Train, TSC, and the Victoria Express Train.

- SP7 (20:30), SP8 (19:40): Earlier trains. Air-con soft sleepers, air-con hard sleepers, air-con soft seats. Conveys privately-run Livitrans sleeping-cars.

- LC3 (6:10), LC4 (10:05): Daytime trains. Tea, coffee & snacks are available on board.

- LC1, LC2: Slower overnight trains. Air-con hard sleepers, air-con soft seats, air-con hard seats, non-air-con hard seats. No soft sleepers.

By Bus: 

Thanks to the new Hanoi - Lao Cai Expressway that has been opened for the recent years, the time traveling by bus from Hanoi reduces down to 4 to 6 hours. Most of the buses are sleeper buses so you don't have to worry about the comfort.

Bus stations in Hanoi: Luong Yen and My Dinh.

+ Price: from 15-20 USD/ ticket/ one way
+ Rental private car Sapa with Vietnam Pathfinder Travel Hanoi

When would be the best month to travel Sapa Mountains?

When is the best time to visit Sapa

Thanks to its high altitude, Sapa enjoys one of the most favorable weather in Vietnam with average temperature for all year round is 15 degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius and humidity from 83-87%. You can visit Sapa almost all year round because every month there is something to see in this lovely highland town of Vietnam.

In summer time, Sapa makes a great getaway from the busy, heated cities. Sapa in summer is much milder than lower regions. Sapa in this time is mostly hot for domestic travelers.

For foreign tourists, Sapa is best to visit in either March-May or September-December. Especially in later months of year, Sapa shines with the golden terraced rice fields everywhere you go.

For Sapa Package tours from Hanoi, Please email us at: info@vietnampathfinder.com