Blogger advises 3-day trip for first-time visitors to Sa Pa

Tran Viet Anh (Hanoi) is a travel blogger and backpacker who has traveled across Vietnam by bicycle, backpacking to some Southeast Asian countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand… Below is the travel itinerary.

You should catch the last bus at 10pm at My Dinh wharf like Hung Thanh, Sao Viet or in the old town like Inter Bus Line.

Rice fields in Cat Cat stretch all the way to Lao Chai – Ta Van – Ban Den – Thanh Kim… Photo: Tran Viet Anh.

Day 1: Cat Cat (or take the Fansipan cable car) – Silver Waterfall – Love Waterfall – Golden Stream – Watch the sunset at O Quy Ho Pass

5:00 a.m.: Arrive in Sa Pa to check-in to the hotel room and deposit your belongings.

*Tip: the bus will usually stop at a station about a kilometer from the center of Sa Pa town. You can take a taxi to get to the hotel for convenience if you bring a lot of things, or go with a family with the elderly and children. 8h

Plan to go to Cat Cat: This is a small village located right below Sa Pa town, where the Hoa H’Mong ethnic people live.

13:00: Return to the hotel to rest.

2:00 p.m.: Set out to go to Silver Waterfall – Love Waterfall – O Quy Ho Pass

The first point on the journey that you will encounter is Silver Waterfall.

The deserted and romantic road leads to the Golden Stream and Love Waterfall.

3:00 p.m.: Visit Love Waterfall and Golden Stream.

17:00: Leave Love Waterfall and go to the sunset viewing point at the top of O Quy Ho pass.

18:30: Return to the town center for dinner.

20:30: After dinner, you should walk around the town center, take photos, check in at the stone church, the square, or walk along Cau May old town – where there are many cafes and small pubs to relax with friends.

10pm: Return to hotel to rest.

Day 2: Trekking Lao Chai – Ta Van from morning to afternoon

This will be the day you walk the most, and also the day you will discover the most cultural features of highland ethnic groups.

Trekking Lao Chai – Ta Van in one day.

There are many routes and types of combined tours. You can choose a tour for 290,000 VND/person, someone will pick you up from Sa Pa, take you to Lao Chai and start walking.

If you don’t buy a tour or hire a local guide, you can also take your own motorbike.

Overnight in Ta Van (you can choose Ta Van Ecologic Homestay) or go to the town center.

Day 3: Climbing Ham Rong Mountain – Trekking Ta Phin and bathing in Red Dao herbs – Return to Hanoi

8:30 am: Breakfast.

9:45 am: Climb Ham Rong Mountain (even if you stay overnight in Ta Van or Sa Pa, you should wake up early to be on time) to see the panoramic view of Sa Pa from above.

12:00: Go down the mountain to have lunch and return to the hotel. 14:00: Go to Ta Phin village (if you rent a private motorbike).

Grilled skewers are a dish not to be missed in Sa Pa.

4:30 p.m.: Bathing with medicinal herbs of the Red Dao people.

6:00 p.m.: Return to Sa Pa for dinner, walk around the town center, buy gifts to bring home. 21:30: Get on the bus back to Hanoi.