Sapa

Things to see and do

Trekking

Most hotels offer trekking all throughout Sapa's surrounding hills and valleys. Overnight stays are usually spent drinking and eating with the locals — a great chance to brush up on the local lingo over gecko wine. There are one-day trips out to Lao Chai, Ta Van and the Silver Waterfall ... read more
Climbing Fansipan

Fansipan is Vietnam's tallest mountain and more than a few tackle its summit. Most agents offer two and three day treks although if you took a private tour you could spread it out. Accommodation is in tents or bamboo huts at just over 2,200 metres. At 3,143 metres, it is below the lie of winter ... read more
Waterfalls

If you've already scheduled a trek elsewhere, there's no need to squeeze this into your itinerary. But if you've got an idle day on your hands, the weather is fair, and you're up for an excursion, this is an easy and very worthwhile option. There's no real consensus on what to call the falls ... read more
Ban Ho village trek and hot springs

A popular trekking and homestay option starts in Sapa and goes 25 km to the Tay village of Ban Ho, where stilt house homestays are available. The road hugs the side of the mountain with unobstructed views of the valleys and mountains to the south, with some truly jaw-dropping outlooks onto the ... read more
Markets

The local markets in the region are unlike anything you're likely to have seen elsewhere in Vietnam. These aren't town and city markets with meat and veggies for sale — these are genuine country markets, with livestock trading and, myriad handcrafte Minorities living high in the hills walk ... read more