Sa Pa, sometimes spelled as Sapa, is a small town in Northern Vietnam mostly known for its picturesque rice terraces and mountainous villages. In this post, you’ll learn, as we did, that there’s so much more to Sa Pa than the agriculture and scenery.

Sa Pa is rich with Vietnamese culture but also highlights an interesting fusion of regional influences. To our surprise, the best part of this adventure was actually meeting the locals. We got to understand their way of life, how completely self-sufficient they are, learning about their beautiful handicrafts and cuisine. Here are the best things to do and plan for when visiting Sa Pa!

How to get to Sa Pa

Before getting to Sa Pa, let’s take a minute to talk about getting to Vietnam. You’ll most likely need an entry visa if you’re visiting for tourism purposes. We recommend using iVisa services to apply and obtain your visa to Vietnam.

Now there are a few ways to get to Sa Pa and frankly this is the guide we followed to decide on the best travel option. Here are some tips nonetheless!

Most people will opt to visit Sa Pa from Hanoi by train, only because it’s the nearest major city. The trip is about 9 hours, so we suggest taking the overnight option from Hanoi. This is where you can book your trains directly from Hanoi – there are several options based on your budget and the type of cabin you prefer. The train from Hanoi doesn’t arrive directly to Sa Pa town, but rather to the Lao Cai Station. From there, you’ll have to take a shuttle bus or taxi to downtown. The drive is another 45 minutes to an hour. Be ready for some deeply windy roads. If you get motion sickness prepare in advance!

Where to stay

Rural Sa Pa provides a variety of different accommodation styles ranging from local home stays to luxury resorts. Luxury is quite affordable in Vietnam, and so we opted to stay at The Silk Path Grand Resort. The resort was a total dream, located at the very tip of a hill – Silk Path overlooks the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range and the views couldn’t get any better!

Other recommendations that are central are, Sapa Relax Hotel, Eden Boutique and the Victoria Resort. If you’re interested in staying with a local family living on the rice terraces, we suggest reaching out to Sapa Sisters to coordinate your stay!

Things to do

The center of Sa Pa is situated around the Quang Troung Square and is very walkable. This is where many restaurants and shops are. Also known as the Sapa Market, Bac Ha Market is the best place to meet and mingle with local vendors, aside from the villages. Men and women from all of Sa Pa’s different ethnic groups display their work here ready for purchase!

Mt. Fansipan

No matter how many days you’ll be spending in Sa Pa, start your first day by visiting Mt. Fansipan. And gosh, what a ride! Our hotel staff recommended this excursion and truth be told we had no expectations. This part of the trip blew our mind.

Reaching the top of Mt. Fansipan is quite the trek, and there are several ways to get there depending on your agility and patience. However, there is a nice and easy way to make the journey. Here’s what you need to do. The first step is catching Sapa’s Mountain Train from Sa Pa’s center. The entrance is a little tricky since it’s actually inside a mall but you cannot miss the bright green and gold luxurious shopping building.

The mountain train will get you to Sun World, a local theme park that operates the cable cars to Fansipan. The ride is only 15 minutes, but honestly feels like a lot longer. Nonetheless it’s nice to enjoy the ride upwards and adjust to the altitude.

During our journey, we found out that Fansipan is the highest point not only in Vietnam but actually in the entire Indochina region. You’ll quickly notice the thick clouds moving past you, making this experience unmissable.

Besides enjoying the highest point in the region, you can also hike through and around several attractions, temples and statues before making your way back down! 

Cat Cat Village

Nestled in the Muong Hoa Valley, Cat Cat showcases the thriving local population, their goods and simple way of life. This particular village is unique to the H’Mong ethnic tribe – one of 6 tribes in Sa Pa. The hike through Cat Cat can be done alone or through a local guide, either way there’s a small entrance fee to enter the village.

The walk, or rather hike, can take from an hour to two hours depending on how many shops distract you! The indigo plant is heavily used in this region for fabric dying. These dying techniques are practiced in almost every household in Sa Pa and not just Cat Cat. The indigo dyed materials are then turned into hundreds of beautiful crafts and clothing. Hemp is also commonly used to produce similar goods!

One of the stores that really caught our attention was Linht Handicraft. The store had a unique assortment of clothes and trinkets. Their quality was impeccable, although some of the prices were steep it was still a great find.

As you continue your hike through the village, you’ll reach the Cat Cat Waterfall. This is arguably the center of Cat Cat, where several little shops, restaurants and an entertainment center are surrounded by heavy forestry. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch the local H’mong tribe’s music and dance performance. All of which makes the experience surreal.

Visit the Ta Van and Lao Chai Villages

The villages that are nuzzled throughout the valley embody the true essence of Sa Pa. Don’t miss visiting Ta Van and Lao Chai to get a better sense of these communities. The two villages are connected, and through them you’ll meet people from the Giay, Dao, and Black H’Mong ethnic groups.

We quickly found that locals are happy to invite travelers into their homes to observe their everyday life. Through this trek, you’ll witness all kinds of indigo dying, hemp weaving, livestock strolling through the rice terraces and maybe some bamboo flute dancing!

To get a better idea of the traditions and also struggles of the Hmong people in Lao Chai and how you can support this community, please watch this video!

If you have time, make sure to squeeze the Silver and Love Waterfalls in your Sa Pa itinerary!

We didn’t get to explore a lot of Sa Pa’s restaurants as we were traveling amid the Coronavirus outbreak. However, both Red Dzao House and Ladybird were repeatedly recommended to us by locals!

We’re all about supporting locals and sustainable travel practices! If you plan on visiting Sa Pa please reach out to us so we can connect you with knowledgeable local tour guides that can help you during your Sa Pa ventures!

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