Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam22°19.2′ N · 103°48.0′ E

Fansipan Summit Guide
Coaches and sleeper buses parked on a square in Sa Pa, with hotels and forested hills behind

Getting to Sa Pa

Five hours by road, or a night on the train

Photo: JakobHosp / CC BY 4.0

Sa Pa is the base for Fansipan, about 300 km northwest of Hanoi. A limousine van on the expressway takes 5.5–6 hours for 320,000–450,000 VND. The night train reaches Lào Cai in about 8 hours, then a minivan covers the last 35 km to Sa Pa.

By Fansipan Summit Guide editors Updated

Hanoi to Sa Pa

Hanoi to Sa Pa by road and rail
OptionDoor to doorFare per person
Limousine van5.5–6 h320,000–450,000 VND
Sleeper bus6–7 h270,000–370,000 VND
Night train to Lào Cai + minivan8–9 hUSD 35–75
Private car, 4 seats5–5.5 hUSD 130–180 per car
A 7-seat private car is listed at USD 180–230. Train fares depend on the berth.Checked · Source: Vietnamtourism.com, Hanoi to Sapa (updated 21 Oct 2026)

Road traffic uses the Nội Bài–Lào Cai expressway, CT05. Vans run every 30–60 minutes from about 06:30 to 16:00. Sapa Express leaves from 12 Lê Thái Tổ in the Old Quarter, at about USD 16–18 (source).

The night train

Trains go to Lào Cai, on the Chinese border, not to Sa Pa itself. Vietnamtourism.com lists:

Berth Fare
Hard seat 290,000 VND
6-berth sleeper 540,000 VND
4-berth sleeper 790,000 VND
Private carriage USD 45–65

Minivans from Lào Cai station to Sa Pa take about an hour for 40,000–50,000 VND.

Sleeper bus timing

Night buses arrive in Sa Pa at 04:30–05:00, hours before a normal check-in. Book your first night from the evening before, or plan an early start on the cable car.

Sa Pa to the mountain

Map of Mount FansipanMap of Mount Fansipan with roads and hiking trails, rivers, lakes and named peaks, and 7 numbered places, listed below the map. North is up.1Summit2Top station3Cable car4Sun Plaza5Trạm Tôn6Love Waterfall7Cát Cát1 km
  1. Fansipan summit. 3,143 m marker, 600 steps above the cable car. source
  2. Đỗ Quyên station (cable car top). Upper cable car station and summit funicular. source
  3. Hoàng Liên cable car station. Lower station, beside the Mường Hoa train stop. source
  4. Sa Pa train station, Sun Plaza. Mường Hoa train start in town. source
  5. Trạm Tôn trailhead (approximate location). Start of the Trạm Tôn route, about 1,900 m. source
  6. Love Waterfall. Car park used by Trạm Tôn treks. source
  7. Cát Cát village. Start of the longest trek route. source

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

  • Cable car. Hoàng Liên station is on Nguyễn Chí Thanh road. The Mường Hoa train runs there from Sun Plaza in about 6 minutes.
  • Trạm Tôn trailhead. About 25 minutes by taxi to the Love Waterfall car park, at about 250,000 VND. See trekking routes for the trail itself.
  • Cát Cát. The village sits just below the town. Wikivoyage lists entry at 70,000 VND, or 30,000 VND for children under 10.

The trailhead pin is approximate. A two- or three-day plan shows how the transport fits around the mountain.

Questions about Mount Fansipan

By the editors

What is the fastest way from Hanoi to Sa Pa?

A private car, at 5–5.5 hours. A limousine van takes 5.5–6 hours for far less money.

Is there a train to Sa Pa?

Trains run to Lào Cai, 35 km from Sa Pa. The SP1 leaves Hanoi at 21:35 and arrives at 05:30, and the SP3 leaves at 22:00 and arrives at 06:10. A minivan to Sa Pa takes about an hour.

How much is the sleeper bus from Hanoi to Sa Pa?

270,000–370,000 VND, or about USD 11–15. Buses leave Mỹ Đình or Nước Ngầm at 21:30–22:30 and arrive around 04:30–05:00.

How do I get from Sa Pa to the Fansipan cable car?

Take the Mường Hoa train from Sun Plaza in the town centre, or go by road to Hoàng Liên station on Nguyễn Chí Thanh road.

Is there an airport near Sa Pa?

No. Wikivoyage lists no airport nearby, so travellers fly into Hanoi and go on by road or rail.