Sapa Highlands Place guide

Home to many hill tribes, rice terraces, vegetation, and the highest peak in Vietnam called Fansipan, Sapa is a town that lies in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border. The town ranks high among Hanoi places of interest for its rugged scenery and rich cultural diversity. Many flock to Sapa to hike and take in panoramic mountain views.

Culture

Many ethnic minorities live around Sapa, where older women create distinctive ethnic clothing and blankets. By visiting the region’s villages, travelers gain a better understanding of local culture and experience a little bit of daily life here by helping with highland farmwork. You can also learn more about life here in this manner, though bear in mind that some of the minorities do not wish to have their pictures taken—so make sure to ask permission beforehand. 

Hiking

Many come for trekking in the region, which is completely dominated by the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. The adventure, while challenging, is ultimately rewarding for the unique cultural experiences and panoramic vistas. 

Eat

To feed the budding gourmet, Sapa has a wide range of vegetable dishes like white cauliflower, red beets, and chayote. People also tend to barbecue meat and fish with mushrooms and vegetables, grill corn, sweet potatoes, dumplings and bamboo-tube rice. You can even find Western-style restaurants around the center of Sapa at reasonable prices. 

Best time to visit

If you wish to see the scenery at its most photogenic, the best time to visit Sapa would be in August, as this is also the time when it rains. The lush surroundings are at their greenest hues. However, if you want to hike, go from September to December before the cold and fog set in. March to June is also an excellent time to go, before the rains intensify from June onwards.

How to get there

• Join an overnight Sapa tour, where you’ll get to experience local culture and cuisine firsthand at your host's home. No need to worry about logistics as everything is taken care of!
  
  
• Independent travel: To get to Sapa, catch a minibus in Lao Cai—they leave from the train station all throughout the daylight hours, with the entire trip taking an hour. You can also go to the Lai Chau bus station, where there are several departures per day to Lao Cai from 6:00am to 4:00pm, and this takes three hours. The bus stops in Sapa.