Sapa is a highland town in Sapa district, Lao Cai province, Vietnam. This is a famous resort in the Northwest, 38 km from Lao Cai city and 376km from Hanoi. Sapa is also home to 6 main ethnic groups: Kinh, H’Mong, Red Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho.
With majestic pristine natural scenery, many unique landmarks and cultural spaces. Sapa has become one of the famous resort cities of Vietnam. There are many special traditional festivals of ethnic minorities such as: Root Pang of Giay people, Sai San Association of H’mong people and Dao dance festival.
Top Recommended Sightseeing in Sapa
1: Sapa stone Church
Constructed by the French in 1895, the Sapa Church (also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary). It is located in the heart of the mountain town, surrounded by Ham Rong Mountain, in front of a large area of land. Where often nest organize colorful festivals of ethnic minorities.
Style Roman Gothic architecture, elegant lines on the same campus 6,000 meters 2. The church is a place of spiritual importance for local people also most attractions for all visitors to Sapa.
2: Sapa Fair Market
The market is held weekly on the Sunday before the old church. The market often buys and sells handicrafts, rare and precious forest products, medicinal plants and traditional dishes. Such as entangles, corn tortillas, corn wine, Hmong apple wine, etc.
3: Ham Rong mountain
Considered as a hybrid place, Ham Rong Mountain is 3km from the center of the town. Where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Sapa including Muong Hoa, Ta Phin and Sa Pa valleys with green grass flowers looming in the mist. Ham Rong flower garden is where many beautiful and precious orchids are grown.
4: Muong Hoa valley
Heading southeast to Sapa is 8km from the center of Sapa. It’s Muong Hoa valley with terraced fields curving around a small stream. This stream spans 15km through Lao Chai, Ta Van, Hau Thao and Ban Ho villages.
5: Fansipan peak
Dubbed “the roof of Indochina” with a height of 3,143m.Fansipan peak is located in the center of Hoang Lien Son range, 9km southwest of Sapa town. According to the local language, Fansipan or “Hua Xi Pan” means a huge rock protruding. Conquering the peak is the dream of many travelers who love adventure travel with about 2 days walking in the mountainous terrain of Hoang Lien National Park, where rich and rare flora and fauna. Currently, visitors can take the Fansi pan cable car for about 600,000 VND / adult / two-way.
6: Silver Waterfall
From Sapa town to the west about 12km. You come to the majestic waterfall higher than 200m, the rumbling water of white foam should be called Silver waterfall. It’s located in San Sa Ho commune, Sapa district.
The waterfall is located right next to the 4D national highway, the arterial route of Lai Chau province, so it is quite convenient to visit. Farther 3km is Deo Peak, the ideal location to see Fansipan peak.
7: The waterfall of love
Located in San Sa Ho commune, about 4km southwest of Sapa town center, Love Waterfall is the starting point of a mountain-climbing journey to conquer the majestic Fansipan mountain. The name of the waterfall is also derived from the love story of the woodcutter named O Quy Ho – the eldest son of the mountain god who reigns on the Ai Lao mountain range and the seventh fairy.
This waterfall has a relative height of about 100m and an absolute height of nearly 1,800m above sea level. Especially, when viewed from afar, Love Waterfall is like a hat with evergreen vegetation on the edge of the waterfall.
8: O Quy Ho Pass
O Quy Ho pass is also known as Hoang Lien Son pass or May pass. Because it is covered by clouds all year round. This is one of the most beautiful & majestic mountain pass routes in the Northern of Vietnam with an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters above sea level.
The pass is located on the national highway 4D, crossing Hoang Lien Son mountain range and connecting two provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau.
9: Heaven Gate
Heaven Gate is located 18km north of Sapa town, following the O Quy Ho pass route. This is one of the most rugged and majestic pass roads in Northern Vietnam, located in the middle of the pass at an altitude of nearly 2000m all year round. Here, visitors can look over the lush valley, winding mountain roads and majestic Fansipan peak.
Sapa cultural tourist attraction
With a history of more than 100 years of development, it is a crossroads of many cultures of the ethnic groups of Kinh, H’mong, Red Dao, Tay, Giay, Xa Pho. Sapa not only attracts tourists with natural scenery majestic. But also by many cultural spaces, colorful history.
1: Sapa Love Market
Held on the Saturday night of the weekly fair, the market does not sell goods but only “charm”. This is a meeting place, cultural exchange, dating and marriage of boys and girls in the highlands of Sapa.
2: Cat Cat village
About 2km from the center of Sapa town, the village is considered a cultural space with typical characteristics of the Mong people, famous for traditional crafts such as brocade weaving, fine silver and bronze jewelry making. Visitors can stay with a family in the village to explore their unique culture.
The village is also attractive with colorful performing arts space and many dishes with unique processing. Such as Hmong corn wine, enticement, “thorny” bacon, cornbread, etc.
3: Ancient Stone field
In the middle of Muong Hoa valley are hundreds of sandstone rocks carved with strange patterns such as stairs, figures, roads, scripts, etc., which are still waiting to be deciphered. This unique monument of ancient Vietnamese people has been recognized as a national monument.
4: Sapa Museum of Ethnology
Located in the center of the town, the museum is a place to display more than 200 artifacts and models related to the cultural, spiritual, daily life and labor activities of ethnic minorities in Sapa such as: H’Mong, Tay, Giay, Xa Pho, Ha Nhi and Red Dao.
Operating hours: Morning: 7:30 – 11:30; Afternoon: 13:30 – 17:00 weekdays Admission: Free
Secret tours Sapa
- Before coming to Sapa, you should book tours, Sapa hotels at reputable websites to avoid the price of rooms being inflated during holidays and New Year.
- Prepare necessary medicines. Such as abdominal pain medicine, digestive enzyme to avoid stomach ache when not familiar with food in Sapa.
- Remember to change a lot of small change to avoid the situation when buying goods with even money. The ethnic people will make an excuse to exchange the change with brocade, decorations.
- Before eating or buying souvenirs. You should ask the prices of the dishes and items carefully beforehand to avoid being “challenged”.
- You can get money if you take photos with ethnic girls wearing a flamboyant, eye-catching dress.
- From May to August, Sapa has a lot of rain. If traveling at this time you need to bring all kinds of hats, raincoats, small folding umbrellas to avoid rain. Especially in the winter, the temperature in Sapa is very low, you need to equip warm clothes. Such as warm jacket, scarves, socks, gloves to avoid getting cold.
- Because of the steep terrain, you have to walk quite often, so wear shoes, soft sandals, low soles to be able to move freely.
