Hanoi to Sapa: 5 Ways to Travel - The Best Travel Guide

Sapa is located in Northwest of Vietnam. The weather in Sapa is temperate climate and subtropical climate, as such, the whole year is pretty cool. Especially, every day, the weather in the town changes within 4 seasons: the morning is the spring, the afternoon is like the summer with sunny, foggy falls and creates a cool feeling like the autumn, and the evening is like the winter after sundown. Many travelers very interested in Sapa because of its weather. Hence, traveling from Hanoi to Sapa has raised most of travelers’ concern that how to get there safely. In this article, I will give you some recommendations about the means of transportation if you want to travel from Hanoi to Sapa.

I. Getting From Hanoi To Sapa By Shuttle Bus: The Cheapest Way

• Travel time: 5-6 hours
• Cost: VND 140,000-680,000

Using the shuttle bus is the popular way for most of the travelers because of its price. I will give you more detail about this means of transportation.

Read more: How to get around Sapa, Vietnam

1. How to book the shuttle bus tickets to travel from Hanoi to Sapa

Actually, there are many shuttle bus brands you can choose to travel from Hanoi to Sapa, several brands of shuttle bus will be introduced below:

Note: The price can be changed depending on the day you book and the number of tickets. To purchase the shuttle bus tickets, you can go to the My Dinh Bus Station directly at 20 Pham Hung, My Dinh, Tu Liem, Hanoi. 

2. The advantages and disadvantages of the shuttle bus when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

Some tips if you use the shuttle bus to travel from Hanoi to Sapa

• Book the shuttle bus tickets as soon as possible to make sure that you can start in time and your team has enough the tickets.
• Put the important documents in your handbagsWear comfortable clothes (sports shoes is highly recommended)
• The tickets didn’t include the meals, if you want to eat something, please require the car assistant and be paid by yourselves.
• Learning some Vietnamese sentences to make sure that you can communicate with other people if any problems come up.

II. Getting from Hanoi to Sapa by train – The safest way

• Travel time: 8 hours 30 minutes
• Cost: VND 400,000-430,000 + 280,000-600,000 transfer

Many travelers choose the train to get to Sapa from Hanoi because of its safe. The winding and slopes are dangerous for other means of transports.

Actually, Vietnam has no train directly from Hanoi to Sapa, you must divide into 2 routes: Hanoi to Lao Cai by train and Lao Cai to Sapa by taxi or bus

1. How to book the train tickets to travel from Hanoi to Lao Cai

There are 2 turns every day, the departure time is always in the evening, I will give you more detail below:

Note: The price can be changed depending on the day you book

You will have 2 ways to book the train tickets: The first is coming directly to the Hanoi Train Station at 118 Le Duan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. The second is booking online at website dsvn.vn If you have some other questions, please call to switchboard: (+84) 1900 6469 or send an email to dsvn@vr.com.vn

Sơme tips if you use the train to travel from Hanoi to Lao Cai:

• To make sure your trip starts on time, you should book the tickets as soon as possible, because, in some circumstances, the trains are overloaded, you must wait for another train, even till next day.
• For some people who want to eat something on the train, you can go to the last cabinet to require. However, to ensure your health and your family, especially children, you should prepare before getting on the train.
• If you want to buy some souvenirs, I highly recommend to buy the souvenirs in the big station and remember that you well-advised buy of prestigious brands.
• Put your important documents into the handbag to avoid losing and chaos

2. How to travel from Lao Cai to Sapa

a, Using the taxi to get to Lao Cai from Sapa

When you arrive at Lao Cai Station, you can ask the reception about the means of transport to get to Sapa because the train system usually has some services to serve the customers to travel to Sapa. If not, you can call for some taxi having the high reputation I mentioned below:

Note: The price can be changed depending on the day you book and the number of travelers in your group. Some tips if you use the taxi to travel from Lao Cai to Sapa

• You should learn some Vietnamese sentences to communicate with the drivers because actually, most of the drivers don’t know English or other languages.
• The drivers in Lao Cai is friendly and enthusiastic, you can believe in them. But for some skeptic travelers, you can negotiate with the drivers before getting on to make sure that you won’t be tricked.

b, Using the bus to travel from Lao Cai to Sapa

This is the cheapest way, if you want to get to Sapa from Lao Cai, you must travel by the bus number 01 and it is very easy for you to catch a bus, I will give you where the bus stops are and the time of departure as well as the time of finish

c, Comparison between 2 means of transports if you want  to travel from Lao Cai to Sapa

3. The advantages and disadvantages of the train when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

Some tips if you use the shuttle bus to travel from Hanoi to Sapa

• Book the shuttle bus tickets as soon as possible to make sure that you can start in time and your team has enough the tickets
• Put the important documents in your handbags
• Wear comfortable clothes (sports shoes is highly recommended)
• The tickets didn’t include the meals, if you want to eat something, please require the car assistant and be paid by yourselves.
• Learning some Vietnamese sentences to make sure that you can communicate with other people if any problems come up.

III. Getting from Hanoi to Sapa by private car

• Travel time: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Cost: VND 3,00,000-6,000,000 rental + 600,000-900,000 fuel

If this is the first time you travel by private car, you should notice closer at journey map to make sure that you go exactly, especially with foreign travelers, the language barrier will create some difficulties when traveling.

There are 2 ways you can choose:

• The first way: departing from Hanoi, go through Vinh Phuc and then Viet Tri, continue through Phong Chau and Doan Hung to Yen Bai and then to Lao Cai, eventually to Sapa. Going this way, the distance about 360 km
• The second way: From Hanoi, take Lang Hoa Lac to Son Tay, cross Trung Ha bridge and Phong Chau bridge, to Doan Hung, go along road 70 to Lao Cai, and then Sapa. The distance of this way is 370 km.

1. How to rent the private car to travel from Hanoi to Sapa

Many travelers choose the private car to travel because of the adventure. They want to explore the new place, local people here as well as the personal ability. The most important thing if you want to rent a car to travel is one of three documents: identity card, passport or driver license.  I will give you more detail about some prestigious stores you should consider below:

Some tips if you use the private car to travel from Hanoi to Sapa

• You need to prepare and bring some vital documents such as identity card, passport and driver license. Because when you travel, this will prove your identity when some problems come up.
• Negotiate clearly with the car owner to make sure that you won’t be tricked, you should have a contract if you want to rent a car to guarantee your rights under the law.
• You should note that besides renting a car, you must have a deposit, this should be negotiated in the contract.
• Learning some Vietnamese sentences will make your trip become perfect because actually, your map is not always correct, you must ask the local people and require their help.
• Learning traffic laws in Vietnam is also important. Because the traffic laws in all countries are not the same, there was the difference and you must know it.

2. The advantages of the private car when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

Traveling by private car, you will gain more experiences than other means of transportations. You can control the time of journey by your own way, you can stop anywhere to take a picture, even enjoy the fresh atmosphere or make acquaintance with local, as such, you can broaden your knowledge, learn more about the new ethnics in the world in general and Vietnam in particular.

Besides, there are so many things that you cannot avoid when traveling such as a broken car, out of gasoline and so forth. You will learn how to deal with the difficult issues, after that, you will gain more useful and interesting things being necessary for your life.

3. The disadvantages of the private car when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

Actually, if you want to travel by private car, you must prepare a lot of things such as your car, your luggage, your partners and so on. You must have a clear plan and other contingency plans if having any change during your trip.

Moreover, the road from Hanoi to Sapa seems to be strange to most of the travelers, especially the foreign visitors, it is easy to get lost. You will find it very difficult to communicate with local people because of their low ability in other languages. You should consider carefully if you choose the private car to travel. To get more safety, you should learn some Vietnamese sentences to ask the local people if you have some troubles and need their bits of help.

IV. Getting from Hanoi to Sapa by private motorbike

• Travel time: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Cost: VND 400,000-1,200,000 rental + 400,000-500,000 fuel  

1. How to rent the private motorbike to travel from Hanoi to Sapa

You must have the identity card, passport or driver license if you want to rent a motorbike. I will give you more detail about some brands have the high reputation in Hanoi below:

2. The advantages of the private motorbike when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

The same with traveling by private car, you will gain more unforgettable memories in your life, you can learn a lot of things including the local cultures, you can make acquainted and exchange some things to create mutual understanding. Moreover, you can explore yourselves by the adventurous roads and discover several new places that other means of transportation cannot.

3. The disadvantages of the private motorbike when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

To compare with traveling by private car, if you choose the private motorbike to travel, you have to prepare more including your belongings such as pants, T-shirts, coat, scarves, and so on to protect you from the weather during driving; personal items such as: headgear, sunglasses, gloves, raincoat, etc. and other stuff of your motorbike you must care: mirror, basic motorbike repair, light, battery, etc.

Besides, traveling a long time will make you feel exhausted and tired, you should consider carefully if you want to travel by this vehicle.

For some people is not good at driving, this vehicle is not considered because the road from Hanoi to Sapa is very sophisticated, including many high slope and winding, even slippery surface.

V. Getting from Hanoi to Sapa by plane

• Travel time: 1hour flight + 1 hours transfer
• Cost: VND 1,000,000-2,500,000 per flight + 400,000-600,000 transfer

Currently, only the national airline Vietnam Airline operates Dien Bien Phu airfare from Hanoi. Vietnam Airlines is a member of the 46-member SkyTeam Global Airlines Alliance, which operates 53 international airports in the Asia Pacific. , Europe, USA and 37 domestic routes with flying networks throughout Vietnam.

The frequency of flight is about 2 flights a day. ( in the peak season, the frequency may increase). The first flight departs at 11:10 to Dien Bien Phu at 12:25. The second flight departs at 14:35 to Dien Bien Phu at 15:50. You will take about 1-hour flight.

1. How to book the plane tickets to travel from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu

To purchase online booking, you can call directly: (+84) 1900 1100 or book on the website. You can purchase the plane tickets at some offices below:

Some tips if you choose the plane to travel from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu

• The Vietnam Airline sometimes has some promotional programs, you can purchase the cheaper ticket in these cases. And remember that booking as soon as possible if you don’t want to lose a big amount of money on your transportation.
• To complete a flight you need 2 types of documents: the ticket and the identity card.
• Do not put your important documents in your luggage, especially the ticket and identity card.
• In fact, check-in counter will be closed before the flight time of 30 minutes, you should arrive at least 40 minutes to avoid overcrowding.
• Check carefully the airline regulation on prohibited goods including corrosive substances, gases, oxidants, toxins, explosives, radioactive substances, flammable substances.

2. How to travel from Dien Bien Phu to Sapa by taxi

Currently, Dien Bien Phu airport has 2 main prestigious brands, you can call directly if you arrive

Hoa Ban Dien Bien Taxi
Tel: (+84) 2153-898-989
Price: VND 400,000-600,000

Xuan Long Taxi
Tel:  (+84) 2153-767-676
Price: VND 400,000-600,000

Note: The price can be changed depending the day you book or the number of people in your group

3. The advantages of the plane when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

Traveling by plane has recently become popular because of its services. Time-saving is a plus for some travelers don’t have much time. Besides, the services of Vietnam Airline is evaluated as the highest quality airline in Vietnam with well-trained attendants and pilot. As a result of Civil Aviation Authority, the rate of mortality on the plane is much lower than other means of transportations. Moreover, you will not be bothered by other things like phone waves. As such, you can relax and enjoy your trip without the fear.

4. The disadvantages of the plane when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa

Actually, the cost of the flight is relatively high for some people, especially in the holidays, the price may soaring even double or triple. Besides, few travelers pay attention to the fee when you transfer from the airport to your place because the airport is always far 10-30 km from center to guarantee the convenient traffic in the center. Moreover, when you traveling by plane, it has a lot of procedures, you must arrive before the flight about 2-3 hours to complete your documents as well as the airport procedures.

VI. How to choose a suitable vehicle from Hanoi to Sapa

1. What is your budget?

Your budget will be an important point to make your decision, if you don’t have much money, traveling by the shuttle bus and the train should be considered. For instance, if you have a lot of money and the purpose of your trip is enjoyment you should travel by plane, you will have more time to relax and comfortable.

2.  Who do you go with?

The partner will be a key point to help you make a decision. If your group has children or pregnant person, the private vehicles are not recommended because it may create a bad effect on their health. If your team is interested in adventurous with winding, high slopes, and they want to explore their abilities, the private vehicles will be a good idea. Depend on your group size, you can choose the suitable one. If your group has 1-3 members, you should not choose the private vehicles. It is too dangerous for all of you because of lack of local area knowledge leading to you are very easy to be tricked. Besides, you can consider all of the opinions in your group to make sure that everyone can afford your trip.

3.  How much luggage do you bring along?

The luggage seems not relative with your choice, but in some cases, it will effect on your decision, if you have a long journey and you have a lot of luggage, the private vehicles should not be considered because it will take much space and create the bulky when you drive. You should consider the traveling by train because of its storage. If you have less luggage, you can choose any vehicle you and your team interested in.

VII. The brief summary of all means of transport

Last but not least, I will give you a short summary of all vehicles mentioned above.

For each vehicle, it will have both advantages and disadvantages, you can choose depending on your purpose and your team opinion. I hope this article can help you a lot when you travel from Hanoi to Sapa.