Sapa Trekking Tour with Cat Cat Village & Homestay

Summary

Hill Tribe Trek & Homestay Experience from Hanoi

Step into Sapa’s mountain world: trek through rice terraces with a local guide, visit Black Hmong homes in Cat Cat Village, share meals at your homestay, and walk beside Muong Hoa River before heading back to Hanoi. It’s an experience you’ll carry with you long after you’ve washed off the mud.

What’s the experience like?

Ever wondered what it’s like to wake up in the mountains, somewhere you can’t hear city traffic at all? That’s how my Sapa trekking tour started — well, after a sleepy 6:30am pickup in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The bus ride was longer than I expected (about five hours), but watching the landscape change from concrete to misty green hills made it feel like we were leaving one world for another. Our guide, Minh, met us with this easy smile and a joke about how city folks always forget their rain jackets (guilty). Lunch was hot and simple — rice, pork, some greens — but honestly, after that drive, anything warm tasted good.

We set out on foot to Cat Cat Village in the afternoon. The path wound down past terraced rice fields so bright they almost hurt your eyes if the sun peeked out. Kids ran by with hands stained blue from indigo dye — Minh explained that’s how the Black Hmong make their clothes. He took us into one family’s home; it smelled faintly of woodsmoke and something herbal I couldn’t place. I tried saying “xin chào” to the grandmother and she just grinned at me, gold tooth flashing. Li (another traveler) tried asking about weaving in Mandarin — everyone laughed when she got tongue-tied.

After a rest by the waterfall (cold spray on my face felt amazing), we trekked back uphill to our homestay. My legs were jelly but there was tea waiting and someone had started cooking dinner already — garlic and ginger everywhere. It rained that night; I lay awake listening to it drum on the roof and thinking about how quiet everything else was. You don’t get that kind of silence in Hanoi.

The next morning we walked further — Y Linh Ho village first, then along Muong Hoa River where some kids were swimming even though it looked freezing. We stopped for a picnic lunch near Lao Chai; sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf, eaten sitting on a rock while clouds drifted low over the valley. By the time we reached Ta Van village (Red Dzao women waved as we passed), my shoes were caked with mud but I didn’t care much anymore. The bus back to Hanoi felt surreal after all that green space.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Hanoi to Sapa and Cat Cat Village

• Travel from Hanoi to Sapa
• Lunch in Sapa
• Visit Cat Cat Village and local house
• Relax at waterfall
• Walk back to Sapa homestay

Day 2 — Trekking Sapa Villages and Return

• Breakfast
• Walk to Y Linh Ho Village
• Visit Lao Chai Village and picnic lunch
• Visit Ta Van Village
• Transfer from Sapa to Hanoi

Top questions

How long is the Sapa trekking tour from Hanoi?

The tour lasts 2 days and 1 night, including travel time from Hanoi by bus.

Is hotel pickup included for this Sapa trek?

Yes, pickup from hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter is included.

Do I stay overnight in a hotel or homestay?

You’ll spend one night at a 3-star hotel or local homestay in Sapa town.

What villages do we visit during the trek?

You’ll visit Cat Cat Village on day one and Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, and Ta Van villages on day two.

Are meals provided during the tour?

Lunch and dinner are included on day one; breakfast and lunch are included on day two.

Is this Sapa trekking tour suitable for beginners?

The walks are moderate (about 5km each day), but not recommended for those with certain health issues.

What should I bring for the trek?

Packing rain gear is smart — weather changes quickly in Sapa!

What’s included

Your trip includes hotel pickup from central Hanoi, round-trip sleeping bus transfers to Sapa, all guided treks through villages like Cat Cat and Ta Van with a local guide who actually grew up here, overnight accommodation at a comfortable homestay or hotel depending on availability, plus all main meals (lunches and dinner) along with bottled water and tea or coffee whenever you need it.