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Sapa, the capital of Vietnam hiking, is famed for its rice terraces, steep mountains and narrow valleys which are home to communities that have lived here for centuries.

Sadly mainstream tourism has ruined much of the appeal of the immediate Sapa area, and most day hikes don't get you beyond the over-developed and busy tourism bustle.

Therefore we developed this trekking itinerary which gets you off the well-worn path and into more remote regions where traditions are kept alive and the rhythms of life move slowly in the shadow of towering peaks.

You’ll walk along winding trails, past terraced rice fields, through the homes of ethnic groups like the H’mong, Dzao, and Zay, and experience a way of life that has changed little over generations. With no rush and no distractions, this trek offers a rare chance to engage with the landscape and its people in a way few visitors ever do.

Good to know

  • Top rated on Trip Advisor
  • Responsible travel specialist
  • Vietnamese owned & operated

What's included

  • Included Accommodation
  • Included Guided excursions
  • Included Ground transfers
  • Included Some meals
  • Included Equipment
  • Included Support
Days

3

Starting from

$329 pp

Contact us now for more information about this trip
This tour is operated by
Mr Linh's Adventures

Speak to Linh for expert travel advice

Enquire now
Destinations
Sapa
Activity
Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Camping, Nature & Wildlife, Culture, Indigenous Tourism, Responsible Travel, Community-led Tourism, Slow Travel, Solo Travel
Tour Type
Small group tour
Physical Level
Mild
Season Season
January - December

Detailed itinerary

What you'll see and do

Hanoi - Sapa

Your journey begins early, with a pick-up from your Hanoi hotel around 7:00 AM. The drive to Sapa takes you through a landscape that shifts dramatically — from the buzz of the capital to the quiet mountains and misty valleys. Arriving around midday, you'll have a chance to stretch your legs and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before setting off for the first trek.

By 1:30 PM, you'll begin your hike, starting on a road that quickly gives way to smaller paths leading down into the Muong Hoa Valley. This first stretch takes you through quiet stretches of countryside where the river winds its way between the fields. Your first stop is Cat Cat Village, a Black H’mong settlement that clings to the hillside near the Cat Cat Waterfall. Here, the traditional ways of life are still visible: the women in indigo-dyed clothing, the men tending their farms, and the houses built in the same style they’ve used for generations. The village, untouched by modernity, feels like stepping into another time.

As you move on from Cat Cat, the towering mountains rise higher around you, their slopes cut into neat, terraced rice fields that stretch across the valleys. The landscape opens up in a way that’s hard to capture in words — but it’s one you’ll carry with you long after. By late afternoon, you’ll return to Sapa for a quick visit to the market, where locals gather to trade, chat, and shop for the essentials.

The evening is yours to relax and reflect on your day, with dinner and overnight in a hotel in Sapa.

Trekking in Sapa

After breakfast, you'll head out for a full day of trekking, approx 15-17km, through the mountain landscape. The path takes you past rice paddies and through valleys where the occasional village appears, nestled among the hills. Along the way, you’ll meet locals from the Black H'mong and other communities, with whom you can share a glimpse into their daily routines.

The trek winds through flower-filled fields and up into the heart of Sapa’s most striking villages. One of your stops will be Ta Van Village, home to the Zay people, whose distinct culture and lifestyle provide an intriguing contrast to that of the H'mong. Here, the terraces stretch in every direction, creating a patchwork of green that has been cultivated by generations of farmers. It’s hard to ignore the sense of timelessness that hangs in the air as you walk through the fields.

You’ll pause for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing your hike through more rice terraces. The trek culminates in a visit to a local house, where you’ll experience the rhythms of mountain life firsthand. After a day of walking and exploring, you'll settle in for the night in a homestay in Ta Van Village, where you’ll have the chance to share a meal with your hosts and hear more about their way of life.

Sapa - Hanoi

After breakfast, you'll start the morning with a 7-10km hike to Giang Ta Chai Village, where the Red Dao community resides. The village, tucked in the hills, offers a more quiet and intimate look at mountain life. As you walk through the village, you'll encounter the local people, their vibrant traditional clothing contrasting with the natural surroundings. Here, you can witness the simple but enduring customs that shape daily life in these remote parts of Sapa.

The trek continues through more trails and landscapes that shift from rice fields to dense forest, offering a chance to see a variety of local flora and fauna. As you near the end of the trek, your driver will pick you up to return to Sapa Town. After lunch in a local restaurant, you’ll have a few hours of free time to wander the town or relax before heading back to Hanoi.

In the afternoon, you’ll make the journey back, arriving in Hanoi around 8:30 PM.

  • Hanoi

    Hanoi

    Vietnam’s capital is a riot of blaring horns, stunning architecture and delicious street food...
  • Sapa

    Sapa

    Sapa and surrounding area has long been northern Vietnam’s premier trekking destination, and with good reason...
  • Hanoi

    Hanoi

    Vietnam’s capital is a riot of blaring horns, stunning architecture and delicious street food...

Speak to a Sapa specialist about this trip

Mr Linh's Adventures

Contact us now for more information about this trip

Talk to us

Where to stay

Some of our sample accommodation.

Expand
Mr Doan's Homestay
Simple

Mr Doan's Homestay

Visit Mr Doan, his wife and his two sons in a traditional stilts house of Tay ethnic minority group in North of Vietnam...

Expand
Mr Hung's Homestay
Basic

Mr Hung's Homestay

On the remote village of Na Nghe...

Expand
Ba Be Jungle Houses
Simple

Ba Be Jungle Houses

A step up in amenities to Ba Be's homestays, this lakeside place in Coc Toc village takes the form of six small, spic-and-span, wood-panelled private rooms, and a dorm...

Expand
Ta Van Homestay
Simple

Ta Van Homestay

Located by the beautiful Hoa stream, surrounded by green terraced fields, visitors to this Ta Van homestay will experience the feeling of staying in the poetic stilt houses of the Northwest ethnic group...

What's included

Included Accommodation

All nights in our carefully chosen ecolodges, hotels and homestays. We take care to pick the most interesting, locally owned accommodations to give you a unique insight into Vietnam life.

Included Guided excursions

Fully accompanied by an experienced, local, English-speaking guide. Our guides are the best in the business and will open doors you didn't know existed!

All entrance and sightseeing tickets, taxes and other fees are included.

Included Ground transfers

All hotel collections / drop-offs and other ground transfers as required in the itinerary.

Included Some meals

All meals while travelling.

Included Equipment

All camping, kayaking, paddling and other equipment as required by the itinerary.

Included Support

24/7 hotline support while travelling.

How to book

We offer all our trips as both Group departures and as Private tours. Contact us now with your dates and we'll be glad to share our relevant departures and prices. We can customise any itinerary for private groups.

Not sure where to go, or can't see the trip you're looking for? We operate dozens of tours across Vietnam. Get in touch now and our advisors will be glad to offer some suggestions and expert recommendations.

Reviews

What people are saying about Mr Linh's Adventures

Abby
04/10/2024

We (family with 6yo and 9yo) stayed magnificently at Ba Be jungle house in the deluxe family room. We chose this place to relax after our adventures in Ha Giang, and loved the pool against the lake.

After resting on our first day (free kayaks and bicycles available but we felt too lazy!) we decided to go on the Tham Phay cave expedition which seems to be quite the hidden gem in Vietnam. We had a great guide who led us through the lush jungles of Ba Be, crossing streams, rice paddies, bamboo forests and valley to a farm where my kids held a teeny baby goat.

The farmer (and our English speaking guide who was full of great info about local flora, fauna and life in Ba Be) then led us down into the cave, lit only by our helmet lights and torches, just us. It was beautiful and very exciting. The guides let us know the safest places to stick to. We were provided with wet bags and offered wet shoes (we brought our own) and we walked and swam through the crystal cool waters of the underground river, observing fish and insects and bats, and hanging cave worm threads. The cave formations were amazing, full of sparkles and pools, stalactites and stalagmites, waterfalls and parts yet unexplored. Pristine ancient corridors curved and arched and widened before us, carved by water. One small opening required rolling into!

After we climbed back out and dried off, we walked back to the car and went to a local home for lunch and shared a pot of tea. This experience was easily amongst the top in our Vietnam trip! I hope this cave remains protected and sustainably accessed without losing its rawness.

Mr Linh's also organised a little boat trip for us on the lake in the morning after (enchanting) as well as our transport back to Hanoi. And 2 weeks of laundry!

Thanks so much for a great experience in Ba Be.

Read more
Scott
15/11/2024

My friend and I really enjoyed the Ha Giang Secret Trails tour. They were extremely communicative in advance of the trip and were flexible and accommodating with our agenda. It was a good mix of trekking and road time, with amazing sights all along the way. We ended up customizing the trip so that we could do the first two days on motorbikes with Easy Riders and by car the last day, which I highly recommend if you have some extra budget. (As two 50 YO dudes we thought the bike option was safe and super fun but can be hard on your arse after a couple days.). Our guide Tu Ahn was exceptional and showed us many “off the beaten track” sights. She is obviously very passionate about her job and her country. Highly recommend!

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Bryan
03/03/2024

Great organised tour from pickup at our hotel and dropped backed, Good knowledge by our guide Sonny and great driving by the driver, we first got picked up and went to Ha Long bay and spent the night with 30 others from a different tour on a boat in HaLong bay, good food and tours of caves and kayaking, only negative would be the over crowded islands, went back to Hanoi for a stay at a very nice hotel, from there the next morning we got picked up by Sonny and the driver, there were only four of us on this tour, we went to the caves, waterfalls on the China border and then on to a farm stay in a village, next day on to Ba Be Lake National Park where we spent the night at a lovely guest house, next day we did a long boat trip up to a village, temple and back to the guest house for lunch and then drove back to Hanoi .The tour did a circuit of North Vietnam, it is a lot of driving but the accommodation is very good along with all the food, the driver ( sorry forgot his name) was excellent along with Sonny the guide who's local knowledge was first class, Sonny kept a eye on everything including dealings with locals making sure we weren't over charged, dealings with Linh Hue via WhatsApp was excellent from my first research via the internet in Australia, high would highly recommend this company, regards Bryan, Australian

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Sophie R
08/10/2024

Mr Linh's adventures were very communicative and helpful over email while organising the trip. Our guide (Mr Hoa - John) and driver (Bao) were fantastic. They were so well organised, everything ran very smoothly without feeling rushed and Bao drove very safely.

Read more

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