Tour
2-day Fansipan trek to Indochina's highest peak
The standard two-day climb with a night at the high camp.
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Trekking up Fansipan
Pick a route, book a guide, sleep near 2,800 m
Trạm Tôn is the easiest and most used route up Fansipan: about 11 km from a start near 1,850 m, usually over two days. Sín Chải is shorter but steeper, and Cát Cát takes three days. Park rules require a licensed guide on every route.
Our pick
Guided summit treks
One-day pushes and two-day climbs, shared or private.
2-day Fansipan trek to Indochina's highest peak
2 days
The classic overnight climb: up to camp on day one, the summit on day two.
Fansipan mountain 2-day trekking tour
A second 2-day trek from Sa Pa, worth comparing on route, group size and what is included.
Fansipan peak in one day with a local guide
A one-day push to the top for fit hikers, led by a guide from the Sa Pa area.
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.
1-day Fansipan trek from Sa Pa
A single long day on the mountain, starting and ending in Sa Pa.
The three routes
| Route | Start height | Length one way | Usual days | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trạm Tôn | About 1,850 m | About 11 km | 2 (1 if very fit) | Moderate, busiest |
| Sín Chải | About 1,380 m | About 9 km | 2 | Hard, quiet |
| Cát Cát | About 1,300 m | 14 km or more | 3 | Hard, quiet |
All three climb through Hoàng Liên National Park, a 68,569 ha ASEAN Heritage Park (source). Wikipedia says the climb once took 5–6 days.
Trạm Tôn
The trailhead is about 25 minutes by taxi from Sa Pa. A taxi to the Love Waterfall car park costs about 250,000 VND, per vietnamtourism.com. VinWonders describes two markers on the way up: one at 2,200 m and the main camp at 2,800 m, 4–5 hours apart (source). Summit day starts from that camp.
Sín Chải
Sín Chải starts lower, at about 1,380 m, and covers about 9 km to the top. It has fewer people than Trạm Tôn and steeper ground. Plan on two days.
Cát Cát
The longest route leaves from about 1,300 m, near Cát Cát village below Sa Pa, and runs 14 km or more. VinWonders places its camp in forest at about 2,150 m. Three days is normal.
Guides and permits
- A guide is required. Rangers at the Trạm Tôn station check licences, though vietnamtourism.com says enforcement is uneven.
- Independent permits. VinWonders says trekkers arranging their own guide get a permit from the Hoàng Liên Ecotourism and Environmental Education Center. We could not find a current fee.
- What a trek costs. Two-day guided treks run 2,500,000–4,500,000 VND per person, per vietnamtourism.com.
| Option | Days | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| One-day Trạm Tôn push | 1 | Fit hikers short on time |
| Two-day Trạm Tôn | 2 | Most first-time trekkers |
| Two-day Sín Chải | 2 | Experienced hikers who want quiet |
| Three-day Cát Cát | 3 | Long-distance walkers |
| Trek up, cable car down | 1–2 | Saving the knees on the descent |
Before you go
Avoid June to August, when rain, mud and leeches make the trails hard going. Mid-September to mid-December and mid-March to mid-May are the best windows, according to vietnamtourism.com. The weather table shows summit temperatures by month. Most treks start from a Sa Pa hotel, so see where to stay and getting to Sa Pa.
Questions about Mount Fansipan
Which Fansipan route is easiest?
Trạm Tôn. It starts highest, at about 1,850 m, and vietnamtourism.com rates it moderate. It is also the busiest.
Do I need a guide to trek Fansipan?
Yes. A licensed guide is required under park rules, and rangers at the Trạm Tôn station check licences and log ascents.
How much does a Fansipan trek cost?
Vietnamtourism.com puts a two-day guided trek at 2,500,000–4,500,000 VND per person, or about USD 100–180.
How long does it take to climb Fansipan?
Two days on Trạm Tôn or Sín Chải and three on Cát Cát. Fit hikers do Trạm Tôn in one long day. Trek days run 8–12 hours.
Can I take the cable car down after trekking?
Yes. Vietnamtourism.com notes that the one-way ticket down costs the same as a round trip.
