Best things to do in Sapa during 3 days
Sapa is a beautiful destination in North Vietnam. Sapa’s charms come from its picturesque landscapes, its magnficent rice terraces, its various ethnic minorities and its very colorful weekly ethnic markets.
It’s a region well-loved by people who love nature, authenticity and local cultural identity.
With our 10 years’ experience in this area, we can recommend the best things to do in Sapa, consisting of hiking, walking, visits to colorful markets and homestay accommodation.
In this way, you can discover the beauty and values of Sapa in depth.
Read here if your are searching for What to do in Sapa during 2 days
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In Summary 3-day Sapa tour itinerary
- D1. Hanoi – Sapa –
- D2. Hike to admire the magnificent rice terraces – visit an ethnic Hmong village
- D3. Sapa – moto tour
D1. Hanoi – Sapa – How to go to Amica House
So the first day is for transportation from Hanoi or somewhere to Sapa .
Most of advices for this day is about
How do you get to Sapa from Ha Noi?
How to find a taxi to go to Amcia House from Sapa and things to do in this day is just relax
How do you get to Sapa from Ha Noi?
There are 2 ways of getting here: by bus and by (overnight) train. I explain all that in the article.
Already mentioned in the introduction, Sapa is 376 kilometers from Hanoi.
Depending on your expectations, here are the 2 possible modes of transport:
1- Train
By train, it’s a 9-hour journey to Lao Cai, then a 1-hour shuttle bus to Sapa.
As most people don’t want to spend 9 hours on a train, the companies have introduced sleeper cars and night trains.
For this, you can visit 12goasia or Baolau, to compare prices and sleeper categories.
And, of course, you can book your tickets on these sites, but don’t book too late in the high season…
Night departures are usually around 10 pm.
The berths are quite clean and comfortable.
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On the other hand, the journey is a little hectic for a good night’s sleep.
At times, the train brakes hard and you’re tossed around on your bunk.
So the journey isn’t the most relaxing, but the discovery aspect of the train is also nice…
So it’s a good option for those who want to lose as little time as possible.
Indeed, even if the train takes 9 hours, it allows you to move around on your sleep time.
You arrive in Sapa around 7am, ready for the day, but not necessarily very fresh 
As for the shuttle bus to Lao Cai, if you take the public bus (yellow in the station parking lot), it will be the cheapest, otherwise many private drivers will offer you their service, so negotiate carefully.
2- Bus
A highway has recently been built to speed up the journey from Hanoi to Sapa.
The bus journey now takes 5 hours.
This one’s mostly done during the day, so this time count on being stuck in the bus for half a day.
You can book your tickets on the same websites as for the trains.
The buses are in sleeper format too, despite the fact that we’re traveling during the day.
It’s a bit strange at first, but in the end it’s not so bad: you can rest or contemplate the landscape before reaching the highway.
The bus will stop on the freeway for a bathroom break and refreshments, as you’re not allowed to eat inside.
It’s a little less expensive than the train: 12€/person for a one-way ticket between Sapa and Hanoi.
How to go to Amica House when you land to Sapa
There are many ways to go to Amica House from Sapa
By foot : recommended if you have light backpack as the distance is only 7 km so about 2 h of walking
By moto : you can rent moto from Sapa to go to Amica House, good option for someone who drive well
By taxi: Confortable way and easy way to Amica House, but soem taxi drivers are not good and cheat you then you pay expensive !
But we have a reliable taxi drivers team for you !
Rent a moto from Sapa
But if you are planning to visit Sapa villages next day by moto, follow this tip
Day 2 Villages to visit around Sapa by foot or scooter
Around Sapa, you’ll find many villages where different Vietnamese ethnic groups live.
Some villages are close to the center of Sapa, which means you can reach them on foot, like Cat Cat which I found very, if not too, touristy!
For others, you’ll need to hire a scooter or a driver to get around.
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For info:
Ta Van village – 10 km from Sapa town
Lao Chai village – 5 km from Sapa town
Sin Chai village – 6 km from Sapa town
Hau Thao village – 10 km from Sapa town
Ta Phin village – 12 km from Sapa town
Ban Hoa village – 20 km from Sapa town
As mentionned, we provide a off beaten track hiking tour for any one who book at least 2 nights in Amica House, son the morning of day 2 is for the hike. It’s beautiful track that help you to explore the beauty of Lao Chai Village and Muong Hoa Valley, please follow this link to see more details
After noon, you can continue to hike by your self to nearby waterfall in Giang Ta Chai village and visit Ta Van village or just relax
During the trek may be you are followed by local seller , here are the tip for you in case What to do if you are followed by Hmong sellers women in Sapa when you trek
We provide dinner to our host at 100. 000 VND don’t forget to book it s it’s tasteful and it’s also occasion de know each other !
Day 3 / Visite O Quy Ho Pass, Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall by moto or taxi ( option 1 ) or Fansipan summit ( option 2 )
Option 1 Visite O Quy Ho Pass, Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall by moto or taxi
Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall What to do in Sapa during 3 days
After one hiking day , then the moto day to explore others beautiful sites of Sapa area
For this day, after check out from Amica House, we recommend to visit Ô Quy Hô pass, Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall by moto
The Ô Quy Hô pass is an important traffic route linking the two mountainous provinces of Lai Châu and Lào Cai (North). But it’s also a must-see tourist attraction, thanks to the majestic beauty of the surrounding landscapes.
The Ô Quy Hô pass, also known as Hoàng Liên, is located on National Road 4D. Two-thirds of the pass belongs to Tam Duong district, Lai Châu province, and the rest to Sa Pa commune, Lào Cai province.
At an altitude of around 2,000 m and a length of almost 50 km, the pass is considered the “king” of passes in Vietnam, and an unmissable destination for travellers to the north of the country.
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Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall are two very popular waterfalls in the SAPA area. Lovers of long photography breaks will find plenty to enjoy. 20,000 dong for the first and 70,000 dong for the second.
You can make a short trek inside the Hoang Lien National Park heading to Love waterfall. It ‘s very beautiful nature to see during the trek. At the waterfall, you can swim but the water should be very cold as it comming from the high moutain
To cover theses 3 sites , you can rent a moto from Sapa then drive to O Quy Ho pass
If you can’t drive, take a moto tour with easy rider and that cost about 35 USD per person check the tour here
or rent a taxi ( about 25 USD for the Full Tour ) If you want to find a good driver for the tour conctact us for more info
- Sapa 2 days trek from Sapa to Muong Hoa valley – off the beaten track itinerary from $40/ person
- Sapa Half day free trekking tour to explore Muong Hoa valley from Amica House – off the beaten track
- 1 day trek around Muong Hoa valley from Amica House from $15 – off the beaten track
- Sapa trekking tour 1 day : Sapa – Lao Chai and Ta Van day trip – off the beaten track
Option 2 for day 3 Fansipan, the roof of Vietnam the must-see ! by cable car or trek
Fansipan summit
So if you’re going to be in Sapa for several days, it’s best to visit this mountain on a sunny, clear day.
The site itself is open every day from 8.30am to 4pm.
For your information, it’s called the roof of Vietnam, and at 3143 m, it’s the highest peak in Indochina. So don’t forget your down jacket, you might regret it!
To start the day, you need to get to Sapa station to take a small train to the foot of the cable car.
This costs 100000 VND return (3.80€).
Alternatively, you can walk to the bottom of the cable car in 30 minutes. But bear in mind that the road is a little steep…
And the view from the little train is really nice to see.
Next, you need to take the cable car up to 3000 meters above sea level, almost to the top of Fansipan.
The ropeway resembles our cabins in the Alps, but these are bigger. They can hold around 20 people.
Return fare: VND 500,000 (€20).
You can take the final funicular for 70,000VND round trip, or €2.60.
I recommend it for physically impaired people or young children.
The ascent on foot is a bit physical, and the fact that you’re passing 3000 meters above sea level makes your heart race.
Even so, it’s a pity not to walk the entire route, as you pass many magnificent monuments, temples and statues!
The second option is to climb the “big moutain by foot ”
This must be accompanied by a guide!
The trek is considered quite tough
A word of advice: take your time and keep up your pace, as the stairs are high and, with the altitude, you’ll soon start to palpitate.
In fact, it allows you to walk around the site and see several viewpoints over the valley, a real feast for the eyes.
For your information, it’s also possible to reach the summit of Fansipan by a 2/3-day trek or one day Fansipan trek, check the detailled tour here please
Where to go after Sapa ?
After Sapa, you can continue your journey to Bac Ha, then Ha Giang, Bao Lac, Lake Ba Be and the Ban Gioc waterfall, without having to pass through Hanoi.
We can arrane ge bus tickets for you to go from Sapa to Ha Giang, Halong, Cat Ba and Hanoi
Also, if you are looking for Hagiang loop with easyriders and small groups, check these tours that we offer