I traveled back to Vietnam from South Korea because I didn't get to explore the north last time I was in Vietnam. If you recall, a typhoon hit hard in north Vietnam in September 2024, so I had to stop my travels in Vietnam (I was heading north from south.) After finishing my trip in Korea, I returned to Vietnam to continue adventuring because I heard so many good hiking places in the north from other travelers and didn't want to miss out on them. Sapa (Sa Pa) and Cat Ba were the places I wanted to hike, but I only trekked Sapa. I had volunteer work in Nam Dinh, so I didn't have a lot of time to explore Cat Ba. More about this will come in my next blog posts!
FYI, Sapa is renowned for Fansipan Mountain hiking, which is the tallest mountain in Vietnam. It was very cloudy the whole time when I was in Sapa, and I was curious if I would be able to see anything even if I am in a higher elevation. The locals told me that I wouldn't be able to see anything even if I reached the top on those days. So.... I decided to do short walks through the villages to see how people in Sapa live instead of hiking up Fansipan. I should come back again during spring or fall to check it out!
Itinerary
There were one-day trips as well as multi-day trips for Sapa village trekking. I chose one full day of trekking so I also have my own time to explore Sapa alone. If you choose to do the 2D1N trip, the guides will take you to a local homestay in the evening and you will do a longer trek through more villages. For me, one day was enough, and I was able to get culturally immersed while enjoying scenic views.
My one-day itinerary was trekking through Sapa- Lao Chai- Tavan - Sapa. It was about a 13km walk with short breaks and one lunch break at a local village. We trekked down Muong Hoa Valley, then through the Black H’Mong Village, and Dzay Village. This was NOT a hike, so it was a very chill and easy walk for all levels. I was told that it usually takes about six hours to explore (including the lunch break) but it only took me 4-hours roundtrip. It was a nice walk as we trekked through rice fields and had great mountain views. It was interesting to walk through different villages too, where I saw local hand-made accessories, potteries, artwork, etc. Lunch was at the local restaurant where they had vegan/vegetarian options too.
Review
I could have done this trek on my own, but I booked a trekking tour with the homestay I was staying at since I wasn't really familiar with the place and didn't want to get lost. I was staying at Sunny Sapa Homestay (booked through Hostelworld) and I only had two other roommates throughout my stay in a 6-bed mixed dorm. I showed up in the homestay lobby on the day of my tour, and I found out that I was the only person who signed up for the trekking. Some people were staying in private rooms, so I thought those people would sign up as well but it turned out to be a private tour, where I was guided by one H’mong tribe guide and one Dzay tribe guide. I am still glad that I have done this trek alone and I do recommend all to visit Sapa if you are in Hanoi. I should definitely come back to hike Fansipan Mountain next time :)
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