03 Days - Sapa Trek in the Hilltribe Villages

Highlights:
- Spectacular landscape
- Explore the road less traveled
- Trekking on local trails
- Meet colorful hill tribes
- Sapa - its valleys and mountain dwellers
- Ta Van - the quaint Dzay hill tribe village
 

Day by day Itinerary:

Day 01: Hanoi – Lao Cai
8.00pm: Depart your hotel in Hanoi  to Hanoi Railway Station to catch the night train (soft sleeper with air conditioning) to Lao Cai. Accommodation: cozy cabin on train

Day 02: Lao Cai – Sapa – Ta Van ( breakfast, lunch and dinner )
Around 6.30am: Arrive in Lao Cai and be transferred by shuttle bus to Sapa. The bus ride uphill to Sapa takes a little over an hour giving you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces.

On arrival, you will stop by our office, meet your tour guide and leave your luggage and take a shower in our partner's hotel if you would like.
8.00am: You will enjoy a full buffet breakfast at Chau Long hotel.
9.00am: After breakfast, you’ll meet with our local guide then hike along local trails and across vegetable gardens and rice terraces on the foothill of Mount Fan Si Pan. The first part goes downhill for about an hour and a half toward Y Linh Ho hamlet.

After crossing a suspension bridge, you will see some stunning views of the rice terraces, gardens, and houses. The scenery is great here as you will stand higher and looking down on the rice terraces and small villages. The trail leads up to Lao Chai San village where we have a simple picnic lunch.

1.00pm: After lunch, we walk down through the village to the Golden Stream Valley, stopping at Lao Chai village to visit local H'mong people. We explore the villages of Lao Chai (Black H’mong) and Ta Van (Dzay). This is the biggest and the most scenic valley in Sapa. This trek is relatively easy as we walk along the local trails. Opportunities to visit local families and learn about their daily life and fascinating culture before arriving at the homestay in Ta Van. The homestay is simple, equipped with mattresses and a mosquito nets. We have dinner here and stay overnight. Accommodation: homestay

Day 03: Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Sapa – Lao Cai – Hanoi
After breakfast, we explore the village a little bit further. We then start a 3-hour trek to Giang Ta Chai village (Red Dzao). This trek offers some moderate challenges as we negotiate a winding trail by rice terraces along the steep mountainside. The vegetation is dense as the trail leads up to a peaceful hamlet perched on the side of Hoang Lien Mountain. After visiting a family in the village, we walk to get back on the main road. We then head back to Ta Van, where our vehicle awaits to take us back to Sapa town.

1.00pm: We drive back to Sapa for a late lunch in a local restaurant, and you’re free to explore the town, its market and sloping streets with many colorful handicrafts.

4.00pm: Meet the guide at our office in Sapa. A car takes you to the bus station.

4.00pm: Comfortable shuttle bus departs from Sapa to Hanoi. Enjoy beautiful views driving along the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. The bus is equipped with large individual seats, A/C and wifi. 2 stops on the way. One for toilets at about 6.30pm. The other one for dinner at about 8.00pm. The dinner is not included. Around 10.00pm: Arrival in Hanoi center (Ly Thai To street). The transfer from there to your hotel is not included. Accommodation: cozy cabin on train

Tip from Ethnic Voyage:
With your free time, you can go up to Ham Rong peak where you will be able to experience a stunning view over the charming town of Sapa. This is a great chance for some unforgettable photos! This is recommended for good weather days (Entrance fee is not included )