Sapa 2 Days 1 Night From Hanoi & Ta Van Village Trek

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.91 (2,825 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/50

Duration2d

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Rice Terraces & Hill Tribe Villages: 48 Hours in Sapa From Hanoi

You take a bus from Hanoi to Sapa, trek 9 kilometers through rice terraces and ethnic villages on day one, stay overnight in a Giay family's bungalow, trek another 4 kilometers the next morning through bamboo forest, then return to Hanoi by evening bus. The guide, meals, bungalow, and transport are all included; you just need to bring trekking shoes and warm layers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Hanoi to Sapa and trek to Ta Van

Pick up from Hanoi Old Quarter
Bus to Lao Cai with breaks
Arrive Sapa, lunch at local restaurant
Hike Y Linh Ho and Muong Hoa Stream
Visit Lao Chai Black Hmong village
Arrive Ta Van Village, check in homestay
Enjoy sunset and local cooking
Dinner and socialize at local bar

Day 2 — Trek Giang Ta Chai and return Hanoi

Breakfast at homestay
Trek to rice paddies and bamboo forest
View Giang Ta Chai village panorama
Trek to main road and return bungalow
Lunch at bungalow
Van to Sapa bus station
Free time in Sapa Town
Board bus to Hanoi
Arrive Hanoi and end tour

The Experience

You board a bus in Hanoi's Old Quarter at 6am and six hours later you're standing in a village where the houses are built on stilts and the people around you wear indigo cloth dyed the same way their grandmothers did. That's the gap this tour closes — between sitting in a city and actually being somewhere else, with time to stay. The sleeper bus option gets you there by 5am if you prefer to sleep through the drive, though most people take the daytime route and arrive in Sapa Town by early afternoon, where your English-speaking guide meets you at the station.

The first day's trek covers about 9 kilometers through Y Linh Ho and down into rice paddies that drop away in layers toward Muong Hoa Stream. You pass through Lao Chai, a Black Hmong village, and keep walking until late afternoon when you reach Ta Van, where a Giay family runs the bungalow you'll sleep in that night. The trek takes 3.5 hours with breaks, and the landscape doesn't let up — terraces, bamboo, mountain ridges, and at the end of it you're tired enough that the simple dinner the family cooks tastes like the best meal you've had in weeks. You can join the local bar nearby if you want, or just sit on the porch and watch the light go.

Day two starts with breakfast at 8am, then another trek — shorter this time, about 4 kilometers through bamboo forest and rice paddies, with a stop at Giang Ta Chai village where the Dzao people wear red headscarves and the views open up again. By 11am you're back at the bungalow to shower and eat lunch. The van picks you up at 1:30pm and takes you back to Sapa Town, where you have an hour to walk around or buy things before meeting the group at the bus station. You leave at 3:30pm and arrive back in Hanoi around 9:30pm, dropped at your hotel or the meeting point depending on where you're staying.

The bungalow is a dorm-style room, 2–3 people per room, which means you'll probably meet other travelers. Bring warm clothes — Sapa gets cold, especially between September and March — and trekking shoes that grip. Cash in Vietnamese Dong is better than cards up there; the banking system doesn't always work. If you're vegetarian or have dietary needs, tell the operator when you book so the family knows what to cook.

What’s included

Hotel pickup in Hanoi, roundtrip bus transport to Sapa with two rest stops, English-speaking local guide for the treks, one night in a bungalow (dorm room) in Ta Van village, breakfast on both days, lunch on both days, dinner on day one, 2 bottles of water per person on each bus leg, travel insurance while on the bus, and an air-conditioned vehicle in Sapa. You arrange your own way back to your hotel from the drop-off point in Hanoi.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Vietnam Travel Top

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to trek through Sapa's rice terraces and stay in a hill tribe village without arranging transport, accommodation, or a guide yourself — the fixed itinerary and included meals mean you just show up in Hanoi and the rest is handled.