Someone said Sapa is like a young girl hiding behind the clouds with the mysterious beauty. Sapa is a beautiful land located at the North from Hanoi city, where you will find interested in colorful ethnic groups such as the Red Dzao, H’Mong, Dzay live in Cat Cat, Lao Chai and Ta Van Village, Ham Rong Mountain and breathtaking scenics from the height of thousands kilometers.
A day at Sapa, Vietnam maybe is not enough to understand everything about this place but you still can have unforgettable memories here.
>>> 12 BEST Day Trips From Hanoi & Comparison (Inforgraphic + Photo) <<<
Although Sapa is a small land, still there are so many landscapes also their hill tribe cultures and the life of locals to explore. So having a suitable plan with is necessary to create your perfect trip. Below is a suggestion for a day trip from Hanoi to Sapa with the detail activities.
The amazing natural beauty of Sapa
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival – Night train to Sapa.
Day 2: Hiking Tour: Fansipan – Ta Van; Explore ethnic groups. Hanoi departure.
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1. Welcome to the capital city! – Things you should do in a short time before going on a Sapa Day Trip From Hanoi.
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Hanoi – is known as one of the most bustling cities in Vietnam but also preserves many of the old cultural values that will be your first destination in this journey. Before coming to the next schedule, you will have about 6-8 hours to visit a bit about Hanoi.
And because of the limited time, you also need to stay healthy for a long trip that night, so I encourage you to participate in some activities that require light activities.
Explore Hanoi Old Quarter – the soul of Hanoi
One of the first suggestions is walking at The Hanoi Old Quarter. If you don’t know, The Hanoi Old Quarter is a place that anyone who comes to Hanoi cannot miss. It is famous for its ancient architecture inspired by French architecture as well as unique features of Hanoi street food tour, you will also see the very interesting lifestyle of Hanoi people.
By wandering around The Hanoi Old Quarter, you can take some gorgeous photos at any corner also talk to the local to listen to some interesting stories about this place and people here.
Try Hanoi food tour at night
Furthermore, there is one thing that you definitely try is street food. Street food at Hanoi is an outstanding heritage that you can’t find anywhere. You will easily see a ton of street restaurants with the chef cooking the dishes right outside with excellent skills. And here are some famous dishes: Bun Rieu Cua, Banh Cuon, Pho,…
Join in the night market
For the late night, when the working hour is over, people tend to go out with friends or family to hang out, that is the best time for you to enjoy the nightlife with the local people. To feel the most, the night market is really not a bad choice. Dong Xuan market is a top 1 recommendation.
There are tons of items you can buy, from bracelets, anklets, and headbands to scarves, jewelry, handbags, shoes, and carpets – each with embroidery intricately sown with love and care. Attracted by some colorful stalls, and we are sure you will not come out with empty handed. The night market is opened from 18.00 pm to the late night so it is able before coming to Sapa.
Night train and ready for your day trips from Hanoi to Sapa
Maybe you will be lost in the heaven of interesting things but don’t forget to come back the meeting point for the overnight train to Sapa.
Overnight train ticket can be bought from Hanoi Train Station located on Le Duan street. The price is varied depending on the kind of train and you can get the latest train around 9:40 pm
2. Introduce yourself to Sapa! – Start of Sapa Day Tours
Hiking through the ranges of mountains
After a long time in the train to Sapa, it is the right time to witness the most spectacular scenes in Sapa which I believe will healing your tired.
Hiking is one of the best ways to explore the unique of Sapa’s nature. This activity sounds like a little bit dangerous and full of challenges but I think it is worthy for anyone who likes challenging outdoor activities.
Even if you just want to get yourself some fantasy adventure, this hiking is the thing you shouldn’t miss.
Locals here are well-known of their friendliness, when you go hiking here in Sapa you can greet and meet them or ask for their advice to discover Sapa
You must have heard about Fansipan or also the “Roof of Indochina” is the highest peak of Indochina (including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) and this is the highlight of Sapa.
With the height of 3.143 meters, Fansipan is less than half of Mount Everest’s, you can take pride in having conquered a mountain at the tail end of Himalayas.
This may be one of the best experiences you will have if you have been confined to rooms with four walls for a long time.
You will have the opportunity to zoom out of sight, which is completely covered by the green of the mountains and undulating mountains, sometimes appearing a few wings of wings wingspan in the vast sky, the air is in better than ever. I don’t think there will be a more suitable time to relax your mind and let your mind rest after a long time of work.
Reaching the top of Fansipan, you can see a whole new world with floating fluffy white clouds and you can evn touch them
A small tip for you if you have a plan to climb Fansipan. According to the previous generations, the best time to climb the mountain is either in springtime or autumn. During these seasons you will have a minimal chance of rain and the temperatures will be most suitable to stay at the top of the mountains.
Of course, another season can also work, but you risk getting your view covered by clouds. That way you’d really be missing out as the main part of climbing Fansipan is enjoying the scenery of the surrounding mountains and villages.
Visit Ta Van Village
Temporarily say goodbye to the majestic Fansipan peak, we come to Ta Van village – a beautiful and peaceful land of the cloudy town of Sapa. Ta Van village is located in Ta Van commune, Sapa district, Lao Cai province, about 8 kilometers to 12 kilometers from Sapa town center depending on the route you choose.
With this far distance, you must go by motorbike or car. However, to be able to feel and see the scenery of this land, you should go by motorbike to be more reasonable.
Small houses with a unique straw roof which lay down the mountains and place among green paddy fields make Ta Van village become a unique, beautiful countryside picture
On the way to Ta Van village, you will go through Lao Chai – a place with beautiful nature of the mountains and forests and there is the famous ancient stone beach in Sapa there. After leaving the two busiest streets in Sapa, Cau May Street and Muong Hoa Street, you just need to follow the Muong Hoa stream to reach Ta Van.
Be the local people by wearing the traditional custom and taking part in the traditional festival!
Coming to Sapa without learning about the culture, it will indeed be a great shortage. The beauty of Sapa is made from the diversity of ethnic groups and customs of each ethnic group.
Therefore, it is very difficult to learn in depth about each culture when the time is limited. However, you still have the opportunity to learn about some of the characteristics of each ethnic group through traditional markets.
Here, people sell almost everything that symbolizes their own culture such as clothes, bowls and chopsticks,… You can buy some handicraft souvenirs here.
Attending a traditional festival with the local definitely drives you surprised because of the unique of heritage customs.
Sapa love market is a typical culture of ethnic people living in Sapa, Lao Cai. Although it called “market”, it is not a market where there is an exchange between buyers and sellers. Because this is a chance to a boy and a girl who immerses into someone will show their love to each other.
Love market at Sapa
At Sapa’s love market every Saturday night, visitors will hear the trumpet, and the chattering music will be heard from time to time. Crowded is gathering. You will be able to see the scene where the boys blow the trumpet and the girls wear ethnic dresses, rattles on legs with umbrella, they dance smoothly follow the music.
Check out barbeque dishes on the street will provide you energy after consuming energy for many activities. The weather at Sapa is also quite cold and foggy so it is best to enjoy these hot stalls. There are so many kinds of stalls including porks, fish, vegetable, beef,… so don’t worry about your choice.
Variety of stalls that will provide you energy with grilled eggs, corns, birds, Com Lam – rice cooked in bamboo tree… in the cold weather
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