Sapa - a misty town attracts tourists with its majestic natural scenery and pleasant cool temperate climate. So have you come to admire and experience this exciting land yet? If not, then immediately pocket the Sapa travel experiences that The Pepper King suggests below to experience the Northwest mountains to the fullest!
 

Where is Sapa?

Sapa is a district of Lao Cai province that belongs to the high mountains of Northwest Vietnam. Sapa town is a destination crowded with locals and tourists. The small town is located at an altitude of 1500m to 1650m above sea level on the slopes of Lo Suay Tong mountain, so it is covered with fog all year round and that's why the name “foggy city” was born.
 
This place is about 380km from Hanoi and about 38km from Lao Cai city’s center. The road to Sapa is not easy, but the charming beauty of Sapa has made it the most attractive mountainous tourist destination in Vietnam. Sapa is not only famous in the country but also known by many international friends and chosen as a destination in their travel.
 

Good time to travel Sapa

The average annual temperature in Sapa is 15-18 degrees, in summer, the temperature is about 20-23 degrees during the day and about 16 degrees at night. Because of the cool climate all year round, any time is an ideal time to travel to Sapa. From May to August, Sapa will have rain, although it is not significant, it also affects your trip more or less. From December to January next year, Sapa will appear icy and snowy, if traveling in this season, prepare enough warm clothes to catch the snow in Sapa.
 

Means of transport when traveling to Sapa

Means of transport to sapa

Bus and train are two popular means of transportation to Sapa. Currently, Sapa has no airport so there are no flights to Sapa at all. If you are in other provinces, you need to move to Hanoi and book a car or train ticket to Sapa. A small note is that tourists should choose reputable addresses to book bus tickets to avoid scams.

If you go to Sapa by train, the train ticket price from Hanoi to Lao Cai will range from 250,000 to 500,000 VND/one-way ticket, depending on the class you choose. Besides, you also need to book an additional car from Lao Cai station to move into Sapa town.
 

Means of transport in Sapa

Motorbikes are the main means of transportation in Sapa, visitors can rent a car for 100,000 VND - 150,000 VND/day, just need to deposit an ID card for the car owner. In addition, you can also choose a motorbike taxi to go to tourist destinations, on average, if you go from 4-5 points close to each other, the cost is about 100,000 VND/time. Besides, your feet will also be an effective means of transportation in Sapa. Walking around town, visiting villages is also a good idea when exploring Sapa.
 

Book a hotel room in Sapa

Hotels and resorts in Sapa are very diverse, most of them are designed in a vintage or wild style to match the atmosphere of the town. When choosing to stay at The Pepper King, you will have interesting and pleasing experiences with an extremely high-class 4* standard resort system.
 
With professional service quality, the only floor heating system in Sapa, panoramic view of Sapa town next to the majestic Hoang Lien Son mountain range, this place is not only a safe and ideal destination for tourists but also a place where you can feel the breath of the mountains and immerse yourself in the "City in the mist Sapa".
 

Beautiful places in Sapa

Cat Cat village

Coming to Cat Cat village, visitors will go through roads with green terraces bringing romantic and poetic beauty on both sides. The way to Cat Cat village is the stone steps, the higher you go, the more clearly you can see the terraces interspersed in the mountains and forests, sometimes appear white plum trees. Inside Cat Cat village are wooden and bamboo-roofed houses, imbued with the cultural identity of H'mong and Dao people.
 

Heaven gate

If you are looking for a place with a beautiful view in Sapa, don't miss Heaven gate. Heaven gate is located more than 10km from Sapa town to the North, from above you can see the vast mountains and hills with fresh and windy air. Bring warm clothes to avoid catching a cold.

Fansipan Peak

It is the highest mountain of Hoang Lien mountain range, also known as the roof of Indochina. Fansipan owns a diverse flora and fauna with many precious trees and rich species of chickens, bears, monkeys, birds, etc. To reach the top of Fansipan, visitors will use the cable car, tram, or challenge themselves by climbing the trail.
 

Sapa ancient stone church

Located right in the center of town, the ancient stone church is the location, virtual living coordinates chosen by many young people. The church was built by the French in 1895, so it is designed in old French architectural style. Opposite the stone church is a large square where festivals often take place in Sapa town and night markets of local people.
 

Famous food in Sapa

Lam rice 

Lam rice is a typical rice dish of ethnic minorities in the Northwest which is cooked in bamboo tubes and grilled. Visitors can eat lam rice with sesame salt to fully enjoy the taste.
 

Khau nhuc 

Khau nhuc is a variation from China. In Sapa, khau nhuc is understood as a dish of braised meat marinated with spices such as garlic, chili, basil… served with rice will be very delicious.
 

Roasted pig stolen armpit 

This is a special dish often served in restaurants in Sapa. The pork is fragrant and evenly roasted, suitable for enjoying at drinking parties or gathering with friends.
 

Grilled skewers

Visitors can find barbecue shops anywhere on the streets of Sapa. At night, the hot grilled skewers are always suitable for hungry stomachs to enjoy in the cold weather of the town.
 

Shopping experience in Sapa

Below, The Pepper King will share with visitors some shopping experiences when coming to Sapa. Hope you will choose the items that you like and have no problems in buying and selling process.

- In Sapa, many handmade items such as keychains, wallets, and bags are sold at very cheap prices that tourists can buy as souvenirs or gifts.

- With children selling souvenirs in Sapa, only buy to support them and not give money, because the children will pull together to make you awkward.

- Be careful with personal property because in any tourist area there are good and bad people, there are cases of pickpockets, property robberies, ...

- If you buy items such as carpets, brocades, etc., haggle a bit with the seller.
 

Notes when traveling to Sapa

For a good trip without any difficulties, please note the following issues when traveling to Sapa:
- Be careful with buying and selling forms of specialties in Sapa because you may encounter high-priced but poor-quality goods such as Ganoderma lucidum, medicinal leaves,...

- Do not use discriminatory words such as "ethnicity", but call it the Mong, the Dao, etc.

- Do not arbitrarily take pictures of Sapa people, especially women and children. If they know you take pictures, they will ask you to pay for the photo or buy some things.

- Do not give money to children even though they look poor, it is an act of spoiling children, they will invite their friends to run after you and ask for money.

- In Sapa, there is still the custom “wife kidnapping”, so a small note for tourists is to be "careful" not to get caught!
 
With a full set of Sapa travel experiences, The Pepper King believes that your trip to the misty town, conquering the mountains and the majestic roads of the Northwest will surely be full of experiences and memorable things. Now pack your bags and let's go!