How to Get to Sapa Vietnam – Map your Ways to City in the Mist

in Getting around March 12, 2018 2,304 Views

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How to get to Sapa Vietnam can facilitate any of your next travel to this well-known town recognized for stunning mountains, cool weather, terraced rice fields, mighty Fansipan, etc. The Sapa Town is about 38km from Lao Cai City and 376km from Hanoi. To make every step of your travel memorable and exciting, fist you need to map your ways to this “City in the Mist.”

How to get to Sapa from Hanoi

As noted, this destination is 376km from Hanoi, and to get there, you can choose to use either coach, tourist bus, car or train. People travel to Sapa for adventure, hill-tribe culture discovery and Sapa photography tour !

Travel to Sapa by coach

Getting started from My Dinh Station, Luong Yen Station, or Gia Lam Station (Hanoi), the coach takes you to Sapa after 7 – 8 hours. There are several companies that run the Hanoi-Sapa route such as Hai Van, Ha Son, Hung Thanh, and VietBus. Each company offers several shifts to Sapa, and the earliest one is from 17:00 PM.

The advantages of using coach are the direct line to the town, without stopping at Lao Cai. However, it might turn to be dangerous and inconvenient if the ride is in the rainy season. Besides, the roads on Sapa encounter lots of bumpy and steep uphill.

Ticket price (46-sleeping berth): from VND 240.000 (= USD11)/way

Public coach hanoi-sapa

Travel to Sapa by private tourist bus or car

If you go with a big group or family, it’s recommended to charter a tourist bus for the private ride. The chartered bus will take you to the opted hotels as well as tourist attractions per your requests. As usual, the charter prices include the driver’s income, toll, and gas charges. This channel might only take 5 – 5,5 hours.

Ticket price (9-seat): from 370.000 VND (= USD17)/way

Transfer by Limousin Hanoi – Sapa

Travel to Sapa by train

If you go by train, select the preferred type of seats such as cushioned seat or bed with conditioners. Often, the train departs at 21:00 PM or 22:00 PM, and arrives at the early morning of the next day. You should come to Hanoi Train Station at 120 Le Duan Street, Hoan Kiem to get the tickets. When the train reaches Lao Cai Station, you can catch a taxi or a coach to Sapa Town; note that the distance from the station to the town is 30km. No worry as there are numerous cars awaiting travelers outside of the station. Besides, the budget option is to get on a bus. Anyway, appreciate your time by sightseeing the scenic landscapes during the ride. Often, the train takes 8-9 hours from Hanoi to Lao Cai. And, it takes another hour to arrive at Sapa from Lao Cai Station.

Ticket price (4-berth cabin): from 750.000 VND (=USD33)/way

Inside a cabin on the overnight train Hanoi – Lao Cai

How to get to Sapa from Ho Chi Minh City

If your starting point is from Ho Chi Minh City, then you have to go to Hanoi first by either train, car, or plane. It’s easy to get the train ticket to Hanoi at Sai Gon Station, 01 Nguyen Thong, Ward 09, District 3. Otherwise, arrive at Mien Dong Coach Station to get your coach ticket to Hanoi, and understand that this is the long and exhausting ride of approximately 30 hours, even longer than the train duration.

Certainly, the plane is the fastest means of transport between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and also the most expensive. In only 1 hour 45 minutes, the flight brings you from Saigon to Hanoi with ease and quickness. Upon your arrival at Noi Bai Airport, choose the preferred channels to Sapa as stated in the How to get to Sapa from Hanoi section above.