Tour
3-day Sa Pa tour from Hanoi with the Fansipan cable car
Hanoi to Sa Pa and back with the cable car ride, in three days.
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Fansipan in two or three days
Fit the summit, the valley and the bus home
Two days in Sa Pa is enough for the Fansipan cable car with a spare half day for weather. Three days adds a walk through the Mường Hoa valley or a two-day summit trek. From Hanoi, the night train or sleeper bus saves a day of travel.
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Ready-made Sa Pa trips
Packages from Hanoi and a two-day village and cable car trip.
3-day Sa Pa tour from Hanoi with the Fansipan cable car
3 days
Starts and ends in Hanoi, with Sa Pa and a cable car ride to the summit in between.
Sa Pa and Fansipan in 2 days from Hanoi by overnight bus
Sleep on the bus from Hanoi and spend the day on Fansipan, for travellers short on time.
Cát Cát village walk and Fansipan cable car, 2 days
A village walk down to Cát Cát on one day and the cable car on the other.
Plans at a glance
| Plan | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 days, cable car | Arrive, walk to Cát Cát | Cable car early, spare afternoon | |
| 3 days, cable car and valley | Arrive, Cát Cát | Cable car | Lao Chải and Tả Van walk |
| 3 days, summit trek | Arrive, meet guide | Trek to the 2,800 m camp | Summit, down to Sa Pa |
Times on the mountain come from the cable car and trekking pages.
Two days with the cable car
Day 1. Arrive from Hanoi; the night bus or train gets you in early. Walk down to Cát Cát village, just below the town. Wikivoyage lists entry at 70,000 VND.
Day 2. Take the Mường Hoa train from Sun Plaza and be at the cable car before 09:30, when the queues are shortest. Allow time on top for the temples, the Buddha statues and the 600 steps to the marker. If weather closes the line, use the spare afternoon or the next morning.
Three days with the valley
Add a day for the walk through Lao Chải to Tả Van in the Mường Hoa valley. Tả Van has homestays, so you can sleep there and walk back the next morning. The where-to-stay page compares town and valley.
Three days with a trek
Day 1. Arrive and sleep in town. Meet your guide, who must be licensed under park rules.
Day 2. Drive about 25 minutes to Trạm Tôn and climb to the camp near 2,800 m. Trek days run 8–12 hours.
Day 3. Summit, then walk down or ride the cable car. A one-way ticket down costs the same as a round trip.
Timing the trip
Pick a weekday for the cable car, away from Tết, 30 April to 1 May and 2 September. March to May and September to November give the clearest days; see best time to visit.
Questions about Mount Fansipan
How many days do you need for Fansipan?
One day for the cable car, plus a spare for weather. A trek takes 1–3 days on the mountain.
Can I do Fansipan as a day trip from Hanoi?
Not comfortably. Sa Pa is 5.5–6 hours from Hanoi by van each way. An overnight bus or train gives you a full day in Sa Pa.
Should I do the cable car in the morning or afternoon?
Early. Queues are shortest before 09:30, and Sun Group lists the last ascent at 14:30 to 15:30.
What else is there to do in Sa Pa?
Walk the Mường Hoa valley through Lao Chải to Tả Van, the most popular walk per Wikivoyage, or visit Cát Cát village below the town.
