Sapa Tour: Cat Cat Village, Ham Rong Mountain, Fansipan Peak and Transfer by Bus From Hanoi

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi – Sapa – Cat Cat (-/L/D)

06:30: Free pick up at your hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi and transfer to Sapa Express’ Office, No.12 Ly Thai To Street.

07:00: Start departure to Sapa. The tour guide will explain to you about the trip and Sapa. Then you will be served mineral water and some snacks.

Along the way, you will have chance to contemplate the beauty of northwest mountains that terraced fields are sparkling in sunlight or dim in thick fog. Have a short break for 30 minutes then continue the trip to Sapa.

12:30: Arrive in Sapa, check in hotel and have lunch.

Afternoon: start trekking to Cat Cat Village, about 45 minutes walk from Sapa, this is the village of Black H’Mong hill tribe. The village is on the slope of the hill and easy walking, rice and corn are grown here.

Visiting Cat Cat village, you will have a chance to visit a big waterfall on the stream and the old Hydro Electric Power Station built by French people. That is the image of young women sitting by looms with colorful pieces of brocade decorated with designs of flowers and birds. When these pieces of brocade are finished, they are dyed and embroidered with beautiful designs. A note worthy is that H’Mong women use indigo plants and leaves to dye these brocade fabrics. And then they roll around and smooth section of wood covered with wax on fabrics to polish them, making their colors durable.

Evening: After dinner, you are free to explore the charm of Sapa by night, enjoy roasted corn, baked eggs beside charcoal fire or go shopping. Especially on Saturday night, we highly recommend a stop at the Love Market which is one of unique cultures of ethnic minorities HMong, Dzao in Lao Cai in particular and North West of Vietnam in general.

Dinner and overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Day 2:  Ham Rong Mountain – Fanspan Peak – Hanoi (B/L/-)

After breakfast at hotel, you will begin the trek up Ham Rong (Dragon’s Jaw) Mountain.

HamRong Botanical Garden: don’t miss the lovely botanical gardens above the main square in town with their spectacular viewpoint from the top. There are fabulous views of the town and the wider landscape as well as tended gardens to visit.  This park is essentially a long cobblestone walkway to the top of Ham Rong Mountain.   It’s a strenuous climb, but the panoramic vista at the top is well worth tackling all those stairs.  Along the way, there are countless potted orchids, beautiful landscaped gardens and a few really tacky statues of cartoon characters like Scooby Doo and Mickey Mouse.   One word of caution, the stone stairs could be treacherous on a rainy or misty day. 

Go back to your hotel for check out and have lunch.

After lunch, transfer to Fansipan Cable Station for an amazing trip to reach the Indochina Roof, 3143m above the sea level: Starting by cable car and step up to the Peak, enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful landscapes from the high.

Return to the Station and transfer to Sapa Express bus.

16:00: It‘s time to say “Good bye Sa Pa!” and drive back to Hanoi. 

21:30: We arrive in Ha Noi.

Prices: Per person in USD in the group

Trip includes:

• Ticket Bus: Hanoi-Sapa-Hanoi – (with air-conditioner, travel blanket, pillow)
• Ticket of Fansipan Cabin cable (round-trip)
• Transportation as programme
• Accommodation at hotel (2 – 3 persons/ room)
• English speaking guide during the tour (enthusiastic, experienced)
• Meals as mentioned on itinerary (B: breakfast, L: Lunch, D: dinner).
• Entrance fees.

Trip excludes:

• Beverages, travel insurance, VAT, personal expenses.
• Others not clearly mentioned above.

Thing to bring:

• Warm clothes, scarf, hat, cap because the weather in Sapa is pretty unpredictable. It is normally cold in September, October, November, December, January, February and March.
• Due to altitude of Sapa, it is sometimes foggy in December, January, February and March.
• Trekking shoes, sun glasses, sun cream, insect repellent are also necessary. You should take cash with you in Vietnam Dong because banking system in Sapa sometimes doesn’t function well. US Dollar, Euro, Australia Dollar are accepted in Sapa.
• You should take medicine with you although there are some chemist’s shops in Sapa in case you get sick.
• Homestay is totally different from hotel due to its basic and simple facilities. Its in local village: with basic single bed (hot water, mosquito net, blanket)