Sapa & Ha Giang Loop – A Journey Through the Majestic North

99+ booked
language: English

Duration: 4 nights
Language: English

Overview

Discover the majestic beauty of Northern Vietnam on an unforgettable journey combining Sapa and the legendary Ha Giang Loop.

Trek through Sapa’s breathtaking terraced rice fields and explore the vibrant culture of local ethnic minorities. Continue to Ha Giang, where winding mountain passes, dramatic limestone peaks, and picturesque valleys create one of the most stunning road trips in Asia.

This adventure offers the perfect blend of nature, culture, and authentic local experiences for travelers seeking both exploration and inspiration.

What’s Included

All accommodation described in the itinerary
All meals described in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Diner)
All transfers described in the itinerary
Experienced English-speaking guide

Additional Information

All accommodation described in the itinerary
All meals described in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Diner)
All transfers described in the itinerary
Experienced English-speaking guide

Itinerary

Day 0: Hanoi – Sapa - Sleeper train from Hanoi to Sapa

22:00: Your Sapa and Ha Giang Loop tour both start and ends in Hanoi.

To save you a few hours of traveling during the day time, but also for the train experience, you will go from Hanoi to Sapa by sleeper train. You stay overnight in the comfortable tourist train, the Dream Train Express, in a 4-berth cabin. All the bedding is provided and your cabin is air conditioned.

Overnight on sleeper Train

Day 1: Sapa Sightseeing - Waterfalls & Tram Ton Pass (B,L)

06:00: The next day early in the morning, you arrive at the train station of Lao Cai. There is a car ready to take you to your hotel in Sapa.

07:15: Arriving in Sapa, you enjoy breakfast.

Morning: When you are ready, you will explore the surroundings of Sapa by car.

Your first stop during this morning sightseeing tour is the Love Waterfall, located almost 15 km from Sapa town. There is a 30 min walk along a stream and going through the forest that brings you to the waterfall. Not many people come to the waterfall, so it is wonderful to take this walk and relax at the waterfall to recover from the train journey and getting up early. Back at the car, you will continue on your way, culminating in a drive over the highest mountain pass in the country, the Tram Ton Pass. You have beautiful views right from the road. Along this mountain pass is another waterfall where you make a short stop, the Silver Waterfall. After the mountain pass and waterfall, return to Sapa for lunch.

Afternoon:

After lunch, you have the afternoon at leisure to explore Sapa. For example, you can take a cable car to the top of Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam.

Or visit the local market, the stone church, take a walk to Cat Cat Village…

Overnight at hotel Sapa 3-4-5 stars

Day 2: Sapa Trekking - Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van (B,L)

Morning:

Today, you will explore some of the famous and stunning terraced rice fields of Sapa by a trekking tour. A guide will pick you up after breakfast from the hotel

The first part of your Sapa trekking goes along Cat Cat’s road heading to a village. Here the path continues to the Muong Hoa river which you will cross by a a hanging bridge. Next part is going uphill into the mountains and through the bamboo forest. You will see some amazing rice fields, which have been dug out of the mountain in terraced fields. The hiking trail will give you lot of photo opportunities of these rice fields, as well as colorful ethnic minorities and farm animals, such as water buffaloes.

Afternoon:

The path continues to the village of Y Linh Ho . In this minority village you can enjoy lunch in a traditional restaurant of a local Hmong family. After lunch, your guide will bring you to Lao Chai village of the Black Hmong group. Walking on different paths between the rice fields you then arrive in the next village, of yet another minority group. In the village of Ta Van you will meet the Giay. Your guide will tell you all about the different groups, their culture, costumes and more. At the end of the walking tour, a car will be waiting to take you back to the hotel in Sapa.

Overnight at Sapa Town

Day 3: Sapa - Ha Giang - Minority village (B,L,D)

07:00: The limousine bus that will bring you to Ha Giang picks you up from the meeting point in Sapa.

The complete transfer from Sapa to Ha Giang takes around 6 hours, with 1 or 2 stops on the way for a toilet visit and to eat and drink something. It might be wise to bring some of your own snacks and drinks with you too.

13:00: When arriving in Ha Giang you will have lunch first.

14:00: After you are done with lunch, you will brought to a homestay outside of the city in a small and beautiful village of the Tay minority.

15:30: Check in to your homestay and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or exploring the beautiful village and area around it. All the housed are traditional build on stilts in Tay minority style. There are lots of farm animals walking in and around the village, as well as being surrounded by beautiful rice fields.

19:00: In the early evening you can enjoy a family dinner together with the minority family who runs the homestay and other travelers.

Overnight on Thon Tha Village homestay

Day 4: Ha Giang - Quan Ba - Yen Minh - Dong Van (B,L,D)

Morning:

After breakfast you will start the second part of your Sapa and Ha Giang Loop combination tour. Depending on your wishes, you will be picked up by either a car or motorbike to travel the first 150 kilometers of the Ha Giang Loop. It’s a private tour, so basically you can stop anywhere you want to take pictures or just enjoy yourself. However, there are a number of places where you will stop anyway and the first of these stops is Quan Ba Heaven Gate, a 1500 meter high mountain pass with a great view over the mountains of Ha Giang. A little further down the mountain pass there is another viewpoint over the Twin Mountains.

Afternoon:

And all the way down the pass is a village where you will have lunch. The first stop after lunch is the photogenic Tham Ma Pass. Next you will visit the former palace of the king of the Hmong minority group. Another great part of the loop this day is through Sung La Valley, including another amazing mountain pass. On the end of the afternoon, around 5 PM, but also depending on the amount of stop on the way, you arrive in Dong Van, your final destination of today. Check in to your hotel or homestay and enjoy dinner. In the evening you could explore the cozy Old Quarter of Dong Van town.

Overnight at Dong Van

Day 5: Dong Van - Ma Pi Leng - Meo Vac (B,L,D)

Morning: If your second day of the Ha Giang Loop happen to be a Sunday, you are in luck! Especially if you like minority culture. The reason is that a huge market is held every Sunday in the center of Dong Van with hundreds of ethnic minorities dressed beautifully.

Get your breakfast before your Ha Giang trip continues through Dong Van Plateau, an UNESCO Global Geopark, with the most stunning mountain scenery.

Finally, you will arrive in Lung Cu, the northernmost point of Vietnam bordering China. As a symbol you will find a gigantic flagpole on top of a mountain with views of both Vietnam and China.

Afternoon:

Then for most people the highlight of the Ha Giang Loop, namely the Ma Pi Leng Pass, the absolute king of the mountain passes in Vietnam. Enjoy epic views from the pass down the deep cliffs with a river below. This 20 kilometer long road takes you zigzagging through the mountains. Plenty of photo opportunities for you on this part of the loop. Optionally, you can enjoy a boat trip along Nho Que River at your own expense. Finally you arrive in Meo Vac and stay in a homestay or hotel.

Day 06: Meo Vac – Long phin – Mau Due - Du Gia – Ha Giang (B,L)

Morning: This Sapa – Ha Giang combination tour ends in Hanoi, so in your last day we have to cover quite a distance. Fortunately, the route is great and even after the past few days you will definitely not be bored.

But before you leave Meo Vac you also have the chance to visit the largest ethnic minority market in the province, which is only held on Sundays. On the way to Ha Giang city you drive through the beautiful mountains with many villages of ethnic minorities.

Afternoon: Eventually the landscape changes a bit and the views of rocky mountains give way to mountains with green terraced rice fields.

In the late afternoon you will be back in Ha Giang city. From here, you will be picked up to take a comfortable limousine bus back to Hanoi where your Sapa Ha Giang tour ends

Map

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the cancellation policies and how can I change my booking?

30 – 16 days prior to arrival date: 10% cancellation charge 11-15 days prior to airrival date: 20% 10 – 6 days prior to arrival date: 50% 5 days prior to arrival date: 100 %

Any policies are in place for children?

Yes, we offer special rates for children. The rate for children applicable for child sharing a room or cabin with two adults is as follows: For infant (0 - 2 years old): FREE. 03 - 08 years old: 85% adult rate. Child from 9 years old and above will pay as adult.

What are the payment terms for booking a trip with Azotar Travel?

To book a trip with Azotar Travel, you will need to pay a 30% deposit. Final payment is required no later than 7 days prior to departure unless otherwise stated

I'm a solo traveller, is there a single supplement?

Yes, there is a single supplement for travelers who request a single room. This is because all of our prices are based on per adult, in double/twin sharing.