Sun World Fansipan Legend ticket
Half day
A cable car ticket for the Sun World park, booked ahead instead of at the Hoàng Liên station counter.
Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam
Mount Fansipan from Sa Pa
Ride up in twenty minutes or earn it over two days
Mount Fansipan at a glance
- Height
- 3,143 m
- Cable car ride
- About 15–20 minutes
- Round trip
- 800,000–850,000 VND
- Trek
- 1–3 days, guided
See tours
5 picks
Fansipan is the highest mountain in Indochina, 3,143 m on the old survey and about 9 km southwest of Sa Pa in northern Vietnam. The cable car climbs 1,410 m in about 15–20 minutes. Trekkers walk up with a licensed guide, usually over two days with a night at a camp near 2,800 m.
Fansipan trips worth booking
A cable car ticket, guided rides, summit treks and a trip from Hanoi.
Private Fansipan cable car and glass bridge tour
A private car and guide for the cable car, with a stop at a glass bridge on the same day.
2-day Fansipan trek to Indochina's highest peak
The classic overnight climb: up to camp on day one, the summit on day two.
Private 2-day Fansipan trek from Sa Pa
Your own guide for the two-day climb, so the pace is set by your group alone.
3-day Sa Pa tour from Hanoi with the Fansipan cable car
Starts and ends in Hanoi, with Sa Pa and a cable car ride to the summit in between.
On and around the peak
Photo: MinhVN123 / CC BY-SA 4.0 The summit marker
A metal pyramid on the top. It reads 3,147 m, the newer survey figure.
Photo: Christophe95 / CC BY-SA 4.0 The spiritual complex
Temples and a bronze Amitābha Buddha line the steps below the summit.
Photo: Christophe95 / CC BY-SA 4.0 The trekking routes
Trạm Tôn, Sín Chải and Cát Cát all climb through Hoàng Liên National Park.
Photo: Christophe95 / CC BY-SA 4.0 The Mường Hoa valley
Rice terraces below Sa Pa, on the most popular walk from town.
Photo: Andre Hospers / CC BY 4.0 Tả Van homestays
A valley village with homestays, for a night after the mountain.
Cable car or trek
| Cable car | Trek | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to the top | About 15–20 min, plus funicular or 600 steps | 1–3 days |
| Cost per person | 800,000–850,000 VND round trip | 2,500,000–4,500,000 VND for a 2-day trek |
| Start | Hoàng Liên station, Sa Pa | Trạm Tôn, Sín Chải or Cát Cát |
| Guide | Not needed | Required by park rules |
| Weather risk | Can stop at short notice | Mud and leeches, June–August |
Checked 23 Oct 2026 (source). Ticket details are on the cable car page and route details on trekking routes.
Riding up
The cable car runs 6.3 km from Hoàng Liên station, on the edge of Sa Pa, to Đỗ Quyên station below the summit. It holds two Guinness records, for the longest non-stop three-rope cable car and for the greatest height difference (source). From the top station you take a short funicular or climb about 600 steps past the temples to the marker.
Weekends and Vietnamese holidays bring queues of 1–2 hours. The quietest times are before 09:30 and after 15:00.
Walking up
Trạm Tôn starts highest, at about 1,850 m, and is the route most guided treks use. Sín Chải and Cát Cát start lower and are steeper and quieter. Two-day treks from Sa Pa were quoted at 2,500,000–4,500,000 VND per person, according to vietnamtourism.com. The route comparison covers distances, the guide rule and what each trek day looks like.
When to go
March to May and September to November are the drier, clearer months. June to August bring the most rain and fog, and in January the summit can drop to freezing. See best time to visit for the month-by-month table.
Reaching Sa Pa
There is no airport near Sa Pa. The usual way in is from Hanoi by limousine van, sleeper bus or the night train to Lào Cai. Times and fares are on getting there, and the itinerary page fits the mountain into two or three days.
Plan the climb
The Fansipan cable carFansipan cable car prices for adults and children, combo tickets with the Mường Hoa train, hours by day, the last 600 steps, and when queues are worst.
Trekking up FansipanCompare the three Fansipan trekking routes: Trạm Tôn, Sín Chải and Cát Cát by start height, length, days and difficulty, plus the guide rule and trek costs.
When to go up FansipanThe best months for Mount Fansipan: summit temperatures, rain and fog by season, the wet summer, freezing January days and when cable car queues peak.
Getting to Sa PaHanoi to Sa Pa for Mount Fansipan: limousine vans, sleeper buses, the night train to Lào Cai and private cars compared, then on to the cable car.
Sleeping near FansipanWhere to stay for Mount Fansipan: Sa Pa town near the Mường Hoa train and cable car, homestays in Tả Van and the Mường Hoa valley, and a lodge outside town.
Fansipan in two or three daysSa Pa itineraries built around Mount Fansipan: a 2-day plan with the cable car, a 3-day plan with a valley walk or a summit trek, and when to leave Hanoi.
Fansipan in brief
How high is Fansipan?
3,143 m on the 1909 survey, the figure Sun Group uses. A later measurement gives 3,147.3 m, and the summit marker reads 3,147 m.
How much is the Fansipan cable car?
Sun Group lists the adult round trip at 850,000 VND. Vietnamtourism.com, updated on 21 October 2026, gives 800,000 VND on weekdays and Sundays and 850,000 VND on Saturdays and holidays.
Can you climb Fansipan without a guide?
Park rules require a licensed guide, and rangers at the Trạm Tôn station check for one. Vietnamtourism.com notes that enforcement is uneven, but the rule stands.
Can you climb Fansipan in one day?
Fit hikers do it on the Trạm Tôn route, the easiest of the three. The usual plan is two days, with a night at the camp near 2,800 m.
How far is Fansipan from Hanoi?
Sa Pa is about 300 km northwest of Hanoi. A limousine van takes 5.5–6 hours and the night train to Lào Cai about 8 hours, plus an hour to Sa Pa.