Sapa: 2-Day Trek, Rice Terraces & Ethnic Homestay Stay

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/17

Duration2d

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Walk Sapa’s mountain trails, taste village life and cook with locals

You’ll trek through Sapa’s rice terraces with a local guide, share homemade meals at an ethnic homestay in Ta Van village, try your hand at cooking spring rolls, and meet Hmong and Red Dao families along the way. Expect muddy boots, laughter over language mix-ups, and quiet moments looking out over misty valleys—you might find yourself wishing you could stay another night.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Trek villages and homestay in Ta Van

Pick up at Sapa hotels
Visit Y Linh Ho village
Trek to Lao Chai village
Arrive at Ta Van village homestay
Rest and have lunch
Explore Ta Van village
Prepare for cooking class
Make fried spring rolls
Dinner and local rice wine
Overnight at homestay

Day 2 — Visit villages and return to Sapa

Breakfast and check-out
Visit Giang Ta Chai village
Trek to Supan village
Lunch at local restaurant
Bus transfer to Sapa town
Arrive in Sapa town, end tour

The Experience

We started walking just after breakfast, boots crunching on the damp path as our guide, May, waved us out of Sapa town. The air felt cool and earthy—like wet leaves and woodsmoke—and I remember glancing back once at the rooftops before we dipped into the valley. Y Linh Ho was our first stop. There were bamboo houses scattered along the Muong Hoa stream, kids chasing chickens in the mud. May pointed out which plants her grandmother used for dyeing cloth. I tried repeating the Hmong word for indigo but she laughed—my accent was hopeless.

The hike to Lao Chai took longer than I expected (I’m not exactly a mountain goat), but it was worth every step. We passed rice terraces that looked like green staircases curving around the hillsides—honestly, photos don’t do them justice. At one point we stopped so May could show us how they plant rice by hand; her hands moved so fast in the muddy water it made me feel clumsy just watching. By midday we reached Ta Van village and our homestay—a wooden house with a view straight across the valley. Lunch was simple but so good: fried spring rolls we made ourselves (mine kept falling apart), fresh vegetables, sticky rice.

Evening settled in quietly—someone nearby was burning something sweet-smelling, maybe sugarcane? After a cooking class (I still think about those spring rolls), dinner came with tiny cups of homemade rice wine that went straight to my head. We ate together with our host family, who told stories in a mix of English and gestures. It felt less like a tour and more like being let in on something private, if that makes sense.

The next morning after breakfast (rice pancakes this time), we set off again through Giang Ta Chai village—Red Dao women in bright headscarves waved from their doorways—and then on to Supan. The trail here got muddier and my shoes nearly disappeared once or twice, but nobody seemed to mind much. By lunchtime we were all wiped out and happy to pile into the bus back to Sapa town. Can’t say I missed my own bed that night, but there’s something about waking up to mountain fog that sticks with you.

What’s included

Your trip includes pickup from your hotel or meeting point in Sapa town, all entrance tickets along the route, an overnight stay in a private room at an ethnic homestay in Ta Van village plus dinner and breakfast there—and yes, you’ll get hands-on with a spring roll cooking class before sharing meals with your hosts each day.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Sapa May Travel