Sapa is a small town in northwest Vietnam and is home to amazing landscapes, green rice terraces, and even the highest mountain in Vietnam. Today, Sapa has become very accessible from Hanoi, with only around a 5-hour drive from Hanoi.
Sapa is blessed with amazing scenery with rice terraces everywhere and surrounded by mountains. Sapa has become increasingly popular with tourists in recent years with people wanting to see the rice fields that they have seen on Instagram.
We will cover the best ways you can get from Sapa to Hanoi, whether it is by bus, train, or motorbike.
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Best Time To Travel To Sapa Vietnam
Sapa experiences the wet season from May to September. From late December to February, the weather turns very wintery even icy. March to May and September to December the weather becomes very nice.
The best time to visit Sapa is between March to May and September to December.
Does Sapa Have An Airport?
No, Sapa does not have an airport and there is no nearby airport, meaning the only way to Sapa is by train, bus, or motorbike.
How Far Is Sapa From Hanoi Vietnam?
The total distance between Sapa and Hanoi is roughly about 320 km.
How To Get To Sapa From Hanoi Vietnam?
Going from Sapa to Hanoi, there are 3 options.
- Use the bus.
- Get the train.
- Get there by motorbike.
Getting To Sapa From Hanoi By Bus
This is the best way to Sapa from Hanoi. It takes between 5 to 7 hours and the price starts from 220,000 VND upwards. The bus timetable differs for different bus operators.
Most buses leave in the morning between 6 am to 8 am and arrive in Sapa in the afternoon. With a few buses that leave mid-afternoon.
To get the bus to Sapa from Hanoi, you need to do the following.
- The terminal the bus departs from depends on the bus operator. Best to confirm when booking, the ticket.
- Once at the bus terminal, board the bus.
- The bus arrives in central Sapa.
Get To Sapa From Hanoi By Train
There is no train service directly to Sapa but the train stops in the town of Lao Cai. Which is about 35 km away from Sapa. From Lao Cai, you will need to get a taxi or a public bus to Sapa. All trains are overnight and they all depart from around 9:30 pm and arrive around 5 am.
To get the train to Sapa, you need to do the following.
- Get the train from Hanoi Railway Station. These costs start from 170,000 VND and take about 11 hrs. With 8 being overnight.
- Once at Lao Cai Railway Station, you will need to decide if to use the public bus or a taxi.
- If a taxi, this will cost you no more than 500,000 VND. You can easily get a taxi at the train station. Agree on a fixed price for the trip to Sapa.
- If bus, get the Lao Cai public bus from the train station to Sapa Notre Dame Cathedral. The public bus runs every 30 mins from 5.20 am to 5 pm. This takes around 1 hour and 30 mins.
Get To Sapa From Hanoi By Motorbike
Going to Sapa by motorbike is not for everyone. This is a 5-hour drive with a distance of over 320 km. You will need to plan your trip.
The cost to rent a motorbike depends on the type of motorbike but costs start from around 100,000 VND per day upwards.
Amazing Things To Do In Sapa Vietnam
Sapa is a beautiful place, especially for those who love nature with the amazing mountains and forests.
Here is our list of things to do in Sapa Vietnam.
- Go Hiking.
- Visit Sapa Museum.
- Explore Fairy Cave.
- Visit Cat Cat Village.
- Tour The Rice Fields.
- Visit Cat Cat Village.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, now you know how to get to Sapa from Hanoi. The best option is to go by bus as it is the fastest and the cheapest. Ultimately you will have to decide on whether to go there by taxi, bus or motorbike but that depends on your time and your budget.
And that’s it for now! I’d love it if this post on how to get to Sapa From Hanoi Vietnam was helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there are any other ways to get to Sapa from Hanoi.
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