Duration: 3 days 2 nights / Transportation: Car / Departure: Daily
Overview
No matter the season, arriving at Fansipan and riding the cable car through layers of clouds, amid the vast sky and Hoang Lien Son mountain range, offers visitors a sense of tranquility. This marks the beginning of a journey to the Land of Buddha. As you set foot on the green stone steps speckled with dew or bathed in golden sunlight, and gaze upwards, you’ll experience a serene yet vibrant realm of meditation.
Trip Highlights
- Dinners featuring sturgeon hotpot and assorted hotpot
- Priority use of GROUP BUS VIP cabin for early tour bookings
- Daily departures even with just 1 guest registered
Itinerary
06:20: Guests are expected at the meeting point on Tran Quang Khai Road, as arranged prior to departure, to board the bus to Sapa via the Hanoi - Lao Cai Expressway. Typically, our bus will travel via the Foreign Languages University, Hoa Binh Park, Thang Long Industrial Zone, Noi Bai, and then onto the expressway. We can pick up guests from these locations. Please register your pick-up point before departure.
Note: If you arrive at Noi Bai Airport before 07:45, we can assist with airport pick-up at a cost of 50,000 VND per group, or if you arrive the night before and have booked a hotel near Noi Bai, we will pick you up at the Kim Anh Junction (on the Hanoi - Lao Cai Expressway, 3 km from Noi Bai Airport) between 07:45-08:00.
13:00-13:30: Arrive in Sapa, have lunch at the hotel, and check-in. If staying at Long Anh, you may rest immediately. For other hotel options, after lunch, you may rest for about 30 minutes before the afternoon tour.
Afternoon: The guide will pick you up to visit Cat Cat Village, explore the daily life of the H'mong ethnic group, and see the Tien Sa Waterfall. Enjoy a traditional cultural performance at the old hydroelectric plant.
18:00: Dinner. Evening is free for leisure. Take photos with the Stone Church of Sapa, explore the Sapa Love Market on Saturday nights, or simply enjoy grilled local specialties and San Lung wine to warm up the chilly Sapa night. Overnight in Sapa.
06:30: Breakfast at the hotel.
07:00: The car will pick you up at the hotel to head to Simacai to experience the vibrant Can Cau Market. This market, a characteristic gathering of ethnic minorities (mainly Giay, Mong, and Hoa), is located along TL153, the only dirt road connecting Bac Ha town to the border town of Si Ma Cai, in Can Cau commune, Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai province. The market typically operates on Saturdays and during festivals, lasting from early morning to late afternoon. It is also the largest cattle market in Northwest Vietnam, with hundreds of buffalo traded each market day.
10:00: Arrive at the market. You can freely shop and experience the local cultural highlights. Immerse yourself in the bustling and joyful atmosphere of the market, and test your bargaining skills with the locals.
12:00: Lunch at a local restaurant. You may also enjoy the special local dish, Thang Co, with famous Bac Ha corn wine.
13:30: After lunch, return to Sapa.
17:00: Return to the hotel for relaxation.
18:00: Dinner. Evening is free for leisure. You can opt for a Dao Red herbal bath to relax after a day of sightseeing (at your own expense). Overnight in Sapa.
07:00: Breakfast at the hotel and relax. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning at the hotel restaurant.
08:00: The vehicle and guide will take you to the Fansipan cable car station to start your journey to conquer Fansipan via the world’s most advanced three-rope cable car system with cabins accommodating up to 30 guests.
From the upper station, passing through the Thanh Van Dak Lo Gate, you will reach the realm of clouds. Bich Van Thien Tu, located at an altitude of over 2,000 meters, welcomes visitors and Buddhists with its traditional Vietnamese architecture amidst drifting mist. As you walk in the sound of the bells among the clouds and mountain winds, reaching 3,000 meters, you’ll see the imposing 21.5-meter-high bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha, standing majestically in the mist, bestowing compassionate light upon the world. In this solemn and sacred moment, as spring warmth spreads and new buds of rhododendrons, mulberries, and plums begin to sprout, you will feel your own blossoms of love and hope unfolding. Finally, after climbing 600 green stone steps, you reach the summit of Fansipan, at an altitude of 3,143 meters, the rooftop of Indochina. From here, the panoramic view offers unique emotions and wishes to keep for yourself.
Lunch: Return to Sapa town and have lunch at a restaurant.
12:45: The vehicle will take you to the sleeper bus station for the return trip to Hanoi.
19:00: Drop-off at the Kim Anh Junction, where you can take a taxi to Noi Bai Airport (3 km away) or pay an additional 50,000 VND per guest for drop-off inside the airport.
19:30: Arrival at the bus drop-off point in Hanoi. End of the program. See you again!
Includes/Excludes
Cost Includes
- Round-trip cabin bus (2 people/1 cabin) Hanoi - Sapa - Hanoi. Due to the nature of daily tours and the bus used for rest, there usually will not be a guide traveling with the group from Hanoi.
- Seat bus from 4 to 29 seats for transfers in Sapa
- Hotel accommodation as per registration, 2 guests/room (single room for odd-numbered bookings)
- 3 lunches, each at 120,000 VND/meal
- 1 dinner with sturgeon hotpot and 1 dinner with chicken or assorted hotpot
- 2 buffet breakfasts as per hotel standards
- Professional guide knowledgeable about local culture serving the group in Sapa (For the Fansipan Legend cable car, a guide will accompany guests to the summit with a minimum of 5 participants on the cable car)
- Entrance fee to Cat Cat Village (1 time)
- Costs for visiting Can Cau Market as per the itinerary
Cost Excludes
- VAT invoices (if required, notify in advance and additional VAT will be charged)
- Fansipan cable car ticket. Guests can pre-book or pay directly to the guide in Sapa based on actual retail prices without additional costs. If guests purchase their own tickets, the tour price will be increased by 50,000 VND per guest, or guests can choose to visit Fansipan independently.
- Muong Hoa train and mountain train tickets. These tickets are optional for additional experiences and do not affect the tour itinerary.
- Beverages at meals, in hotels, and other personal expenses
- Guide service to the summit of Fansipan for groups with 3 or fewer guests
- Tips for drivers and guides: Optional but appreciated, minimum of 50,000 VND per guest per day. For international guests: 3 USD per guest per day
- Mandatory extra costs: Single supplement if traveling alone and no room sharing is possible or if a single room is requested. Fees depend on each hotel
Additional Info
- Children 1-4 years: Free service (parents bear any additional costs). Only 1 free child per 2 adults, additional children will be charged 50% of the tour price (includes half meal service and related services, but must share a bed with parents). If 1 adult travels with 1 free child, the child must pay 50% of the tour price, and the adult will need to pay for single occupancy if required.
- Children 5-9 years: 75% of the tour price (includes individual meal service, seat on the bus in Sapa, and child’s admission tickets). If the child’s height exceeds the local tourist site’s regulations, they must purchase an adult ticket; the tour will cover up to 75% of this ticket cost (any additional costs must be paid directly to the guide). Two children at 75% do not count as 1 adult and must share a bed with parents.
- Children 10 years and older: Charged as adults, receiving adult services.
