Sa Pa is a picturesque town in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in northwestern Vietnam, known as "the Tonkinese Alps". Sa Pa and its surrounding region is host to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces, lush vegetation, and Phan Si Păng (Fansipan), the highest peak in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam). Other great mountains like Aurora & J, where Sa Pa sees the first rays of sun, make up a very steep valley.

Sa Pa has become a tourist hotspot where money is the new drug of choice. Throngs of vendors can be found in the streets, selling their wares. Don't be put off by the rush, your explorations of the surrounding countryside will be worth the trouble.

Anywhere in the main village of Sa Pa can be reached on foot, although the hilly terrain will be tiring for older tourists, and the town is small enough that you're not likely to get lost. A basic map will be good enough for most visitors.

Mopeds can be rented in the touristy parts of town, as well as near the gas station on the road leading to Lào Cai, for USD3–6 depending on the amount of time you wish to rent for and your bargaining skills (i.e., determination). Day trips into the surrounding countryside can be very rewarding, although a good up-to-date map and a healthy dose of caution are required as roads are winding and populated with all manner of conveyance, and road signs can be misleading as the north undergoes some odd town-relocation schemes. See also Vietnam by motorcycle.

Tourists intending to trek to the various villages through the paddy fields should be prepared with good trekking shoes or rubber boots, a walking stick and extra clothing kept in a waterproof bag. Hotels often have gumboots and ponchos to lend to their guests, and such equipment can also be rented or purchased from shops in the town. Depending on the season, the rice fields, which are built in terraces, can be slightly steep, and very muddy and slippery. Not wearing shoes with good grips risks slipping, and even sliding down the slopes. As the paths are also taken by water buffalo, excrement can be found everywhere. Walking sticks can be bought from children from the ethnic minority groups for about 5,000 dong. These enterprising children cut sturdy bamboo and sharpen one end to turn them into sturdy sticks.

For the less adventurous, some of the villages such as Lao Chai and Ta Van are accessible via 4WD, motorcycle or van.

The easiest way to travel in Sa Pa without your own vehicle is by taxi or motor taxi. The local government publicized the price for every company's service, though it is subject to change over time. Taxi in Fanxipan-Sapa: ☏ +84 20 362 6262. Taxi Xanh-Sapa: ☏ +84 20 363 6363.

• Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Nhà Thờ Đức Mẹ Mân Côi; Église Notre-Dame du Rosaire) (next to the central square; when no services are being held, the interior of the church can be accessed from a door on the right side of the building), ☏ +84 20 387 3014, sapachurch@gmail.com. A Roman Catholic church established by the French and constructed between 1926 and 1935. Mass is held on weekdays at 19:00 and on Sunday at 09:00, and the adoration of the sacrament is held at 18:30. Free; donations welcome. 
• Hàm Rồng Resort (a short walk south from the central square and then up some stairs). A hillside attraction with great views and various gardens such as an orchid garden and a European garden, ethnic minority dance performances, and restaurants. 70,000 dong. (updated Aug 2012)
• Sa Pa Culture Museum (behind the Tourist Office). Daily 07:30–11:30, 13:30–17:00. If you have time, the museum is worth visiting to learn about the history of Sa Pa, and the costumes and traditions of the ethnic minorities of the region. Free; donations welcome. 
• Sa Pa Square (City centre, near the church). The square is hard to miss. It is a centre of local activity. Often in the evenings, you may see the locals gather for shopping and selling, or playing a game of foot-badminton in groups. You may see dances in the square. (updated May 2017)

If you do not intend to hike in the countryside around Sa Pa on your own, you can join a tour or arrange a private guide who will take you to visit the sights. Your hotel should be able to assist. If you do not feel up to hiking all the way, arrange to hike out of Sa Pa and return by Jeep, minibus or motorcycle, or pick a tour that provides transportation all the way.

Admission fees are no longer required to visit most of the villages except Cat Cat (150 000 dong per person.) By far the most popular and touristy tour visits two villages near Sa Pa, Lao Chải and Tả Van, including a lunch stop. It is possible to get a taxi from Sapa to Lao Chai, trek the 3.5 km to the bridge in Ta Van and have the taxi pick you up there. Some very unpleasant Hmong women may try to attach themselves to you in quite large numbers in Lao Chai and (speaking excellent English) try to aggressively persuade you to let them be your guide. They may even tell you to 'go back to your country' if you refuse their services. It can be very difficult to shake these women off.

Tả Giàng Phình and Bản Khoang are less touristy but much further away from Sa Pa. Other villages worth visiting include Sín Chải, and Má Tra and Ta Phìn. On these treks, you can get a taste of the locals' way of life. You can spot their farms for rice, corn, beans, cabbage, spinach and sweet potato, and farm animals including buffaloes, ducks and pigs. There are also breathtaking views of the farm terraces along these treks.

As Sapa grows, overnight tours staying outside the town are becoming increasingly popular. The popular trek to Ta Van forms the first day of many of these tours, with an overnight at a homestay in the village. Indeed, the business is such that it now supports three bars in the village of Ta Van. Tours can be booked through travel agents in Hanoi, directly through operators such as Sapa Sisters or Xi Quan and no doubt through many hotels in Sapa.

• Cát Cát village (H'mong ethnic village). This walk provides a good chance to observe Vietnamese farming and farm animals, and there are excellent views. It's a few kilometers' walk from Sa Pa. You're not likely to get lost: just walk down the road out of Sa Pa, which should be marked on maps. After a while, you'll find a path which descends the hill to your left. This path runs through the village before climbing another hill back to the road. The walk back up can be difficult (it is steep in parts), but once you get back onto the road there are plenty of enterprising locals ready to take you back to Sa Pa on motorbikes (40,000 dong per person per bike). Alternatively, you could hire a cab at Sapa (for about 150-200,000 dong) to take you down to Cát Cát and wait for you at the car park 1 near the Cát Cát bridge, so that you don't have to take the tiring walk upwards. In 2024, this walk has become very popular with tourists and locals, and can be extremely busy, especially on the weekends. Admission: 70,000 dong, 30,000 dong for children under 10 year-old. (updated Aug 2024)
  • Walking down you will see a few cottage industries like weaving, carving, and art shops. You will walk by some mud-walled houses and the local shaman's house. In the middle of the trek, you come to a rest stop, with a so-so waterfall, and a supposedly minority village which is a block of dwellings with no sign of any activity. You will also spot water-mills and bridges made out of bamboo, as well as some swings. At the end, you will cross the Cát Cát bridge.
  • Overall, it makes for a nice stroll if you have a morning or afternoon free. Persons of limited mobility should skip this hike due to the large step-climbing involved.
  • There is a path that continues on in the valley, towards Lao Chải and Tả Van. Much fewer tourists, and great views on the rice terraces.
• Hoàng Liên National Park, Love Waterfall and Silver Waterfall (Thác Tình Yêu; Thác Bạc) (30-min drive from Sa Pa). Love Waterfall (Thác Tình Yêu), which lies within Hoàng Liên National Park (Vườn quốc gia Hoàng Liên; declared an ASEAN Heritage Park). It takes 30 minutes to walk from the entrance of the park to the waterfall. The path is paved with flat but slightly uneven stones and has many steps going up and down. there are many shaded areas for rest along the way. Silver Waterfall (Thác Bạc), regarded by some travellers as less picturesque than Love Waterfall, is alongside the road between Sa Pa and the entrance to Hoàng Liên National Park. You have to take a few hundred steps up to see the waterfall. Hoàng Liên National Park: 70,000 dong; Silver Waterfall: 20,000 dong. (updated May 2017)
• Massage. Numerous shops along Cầu Mây Street, the town's main street, provide foot and body massages. Many hotels also offer in-room massages. 
• 22.303333103.7751 Phan Si Păng (Fansipan). At 3,143 m (10,312 ft), Phan Si Păng or Fansipan is the highest mountain in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam), and lies within the Hoàng Liên National Park (Vườn quốc gia Hoàng Liên). Hikes to the summit lasting from 1-3 days can be arranged from tour companies in Sa Pa. Most of them recommend taking the 2- or 3-day options; few guides will take tourists on the round trip in a single day. A very small village offering accommodation and food is around 1,500 m (4,920 ft), and there is an overnight camp at 2,800 m (9,190 ft). Most booked trips will include the use of these facilities in their price should they be required. You should be fairly fit to attempt the ascent. 150,000 dong. (updated Aug 2012)
• Fansipan Legend (Fansipan Cable Car). The cable car up Fansipan offering a rather less strenuous route up the tallest mountain in Indochina. The views are often obscured by the fog. 750,000 dong, 550,000 dong for children between 1 and 1.4 m; 100,000 dong for the funicular from Sapa Town (Hotel Coupole) to the Moang Hoa cable car station; 70,000 dong for the funicular from the cable car to the peak. (updated Mar 2020)
• Sa Pa Lake (5 min walk from the church). The lake is within walking distance of the city center. At the lake you can rent a pedal boat for 40,000 dong for 30 minutes, or 80,000 dong for an hour. Pedal boats are available only on weekends and when the weather is good. (updated May 2017)

• Simacai Market. Of all Sa Pa markets, Simacai Market may well best demonstrate traditional customs and habits which have not been affected by tourist commercialization. 
• Handicrafts and other tourist trinkets. The usual endless supply of nearly identical tourist trinkets is available at every turn. Sa Pa is famous for its embroidery. Clothes, blankets, wall hangings and other fabric handicrafts with colourful embroidered designs traditional to the various ethnic minorities in Sa Pa can be purchased from markets and from ethnic-minority hawkers at villages visited by tourists. The indigo dye used to give a deep blue color stains the fingers, which is why many of the women who make them have darkened fingertips. When you wash these clothes the colour will run. To avoid this, soak them in cold salty water, and pack them carefully in your bag to take home.

There are two types of handicrafts: handmade and machine-made. It is easy to tell the difference. If you wish to buy handmade items, it is preferable to buy directly from their makers in the villages. Prices are highly elastic. When bargaining, try to find out how long it took to make the piece. If you do not mind machine-made products, you are better off buying them in the shops in town. It pays to shop around for the right pair of reproduction Montagnard earrings or machine-made fabric items.

Do buy some items, whether handmade or not, direct from ethnic minority sellers, especially if you have enjoyed a good conversation or received help from them. Though they do charge slightly more than shops, bear in mind that the majority of them are very poor and depend on tourist money to survive. However, it is suggested that you avoid buying items from children (see "Ethnic minorities" above).

• Sports and winter wear. A number of shops in town sell sports and winter wear such as waterproof jackets and hiking boots. Although they bear the logos of well-known international brands, given their low cost it is unlikely that they are original products.
• Batteries. Be careful when buying batteries as some people will sell dead ones. If you're really worried about this, just drop them on a hard surface. If they bounce they are empty or partially empty.

• The Hill Station Signature, Fansipan /Phan Xi Păng Road. Refined local (mostly Hmong) food in small dishes - the speciality, if they have found fresh fish that day, is their raw trout. Perched on the edge of the valley, some tables have views right across it. A few decent options for vegetarians. (updated Feb 2018)
• The Hill Station Deli, 007 Muong Hoa Street, ☏ +84 20 388 7111 (landline), +84 982 267 518 (mobile), fax: +84 20 388 7112, post@thehillstation.com. Fine wine, cheese and cold cuts of meat along with a few western style hot and cold dishes. Home-made hams and pâté. Punto Italia coffee. (updated Mar 2018)
• Little View Restaurant, 042 Ngõ Cầu Mây Street (on the main street, down a flight of stairs near Royal Sapa Hotel), ☏ +84988787711, littleviewrestaurant@gmail.com. A popular, low-priced restaurant. Serves outstanding local and decent Western dishes to a mixed local and foreign clientele. Features some unique dishes in addition to the fixtures available at any other Sa Pa restaurant. Try the hot pot with salmon. (updated Feb 2018)
• Marketplace food stalls. Food stalls selling good noodle soup for 10,000 dong, fried rice for 15,000 dong and the other usual Vietnamese fare for around 30,000 dong. It's a great experience to dine with the locals. (updated Mar 2018)
• Rose Garden Sa Pa, 054 Phan Xi Păng Road (on the way to Cát Cát village), ☏ +84 20 387 1734. 10:00–22:00. A mid-range restaurant. They have freshly baked baguettes and hamburgers from their own bakery. The desserts, ice cream, cakes, and cookies, are sweet delicacies at an affordable price. 
• Namaste Omar's Indian Restaurant One of a chain of Indian restaurants throughout the country. Namaste Omar's serves up good quality authentic Indian food, including a number of less well known dishes, in a pleasant restaurant a few minutes stroll from the central square. Prices are very reasonable and a Beer Hanoi costs 25,000 dong.
• Good Morning Vietnam two branches in town. This entry is for the one on Fansipan street. Excellent, English speaking staff, very good quality local food (try the chicken curry in a coconut or the sizzling duck in honey and garlic), great views across the valley and a fun range of drinks including hot apple 'white wine', a hot 'red wine' vaguely similar to German Gluwein and even 'opium wine'. Not to be missed!
• 22.33406103.841011 Hoa Tam Vegetarian Restaurant. One of the rare vegetarian restaurants in town, hidden in a small street close to the church, down the stairs. (updated Dec 2019)

• Hmong Sisters Bar, 031 Muong Hoa Street (close to the Sa Pa Bamboo Hotel), ☏ +84 983 379 862. Has a pool table, darts and a computer with free Internet. 
• 22.3361103.84241 Cong Caphe, 37 Xuan Vien, �� +84 9 11 81 11 54. 07:00-00:00. Coffee place that also serves some food. Lots of drinks available: coffee, tea, coconut milk (the one with coffee being their signature drink), yoghurt & beer. Food includes pizza, cocooned sweet potato & bamboo-cooked rice. Nice chilling atmosphere (thanks to the music & quite big space available). Staff speak decent English. While drinks & food are modern, entering the place you feel like you've travelled back in time thanks to the outfits worn by the staff, and the old newspapers & books. Live music on Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights (19:00-23:00). Happy hour everyday from 17:00 to 20:00 (buy 2, get 1 extra free). Terrace overlooking Sapa's main street on the 2nd floor. (updated Mar 2018)

There is a near oversupply of cheap rooms in the touristy area down the hill from the town centre, and generally a flock of young men and women will leap on you the moment you arrive with offers from USD3 and up for a double room.

In addition to the places listed below, homestays in some of the villages surrounding Sa Pa are available.

In Sa Pa, as in many other provinces of Vietnam, it is the law that you must supply your passport to your hostel, hotel or guesthouse to register your personal information. However, a photocopy of the main page and visa should suffice, and if they refuse, tell them your passport is in Hanoi because you are applying for a visa extension.

As of March 2020, there is a lot of construction in Sa Pa, with attendant noise and dust. Most seem to be on southwest side of town (on the down-slope with view of Fansipan Mountain) but north edge of town can also be impacted. To avoid construction zones, if possible, check on location before choosing your lodgings, or try to find very recent photo of hotel environments.

• Chau Long Sapa Hotel, 24 Dồng Lợi, ☏ +84 20 387 1245, fax: +84 20 3871 844. A large hotel with clean, pleasant rooms that is popular with group tours. It has a restaurant, lounge and bar, an indoor heated swimming pool, a fitness centre, and a business centre. Rooms in the old wing are cheaper. No additional charge for Wi-Fi. USD50–160. 
• Fansipan View Hotel, Xuan Vien Street, ☏ +84 20 387 3579. A nice relaxing hotel with boutique interiors. 
• Sapa Eden Hotel https://sapaedenhotel.com/%5Bdead+link%5D 64 Fansipan str, ☏ +84 214 3873 663. A well-run, clean, family-owned hotel with super comfy beds and a view to die for. Basic but decent breakfast is included. If you don't happen to like Bob Marley you may want to ask for a room facing away from the restaurant across the road which plays his songs from 07:30 onward.
• Green Bamboo Sa Pa (near the entrance to town). It serves a cheap and good breakfast at USD2.50. Rooms in the main and old wings of the hotel which are above the ground floors offer breathtaking views of the Fanxipan mountains. USD25 (USD10 in the old wing). 
• Pistachio Hotel, No 29, Group 5, Thac Bac St, ☏ +84 214 3566 666, rsv@pistachiohotel.com. In contemporary European architecture style, the upper floors have beautiful views of the hills and valleys. Amenities include a spa, gym, pool, karaoke room and bar. (updated Apr 2017)
• Lotus Hotel (a few metres from the Royal Hotel). Nice rooms, tea, TV, hot water, restaurant and for some rooms, a fireplace and a nice view. The staff are a little cold. Hotel closes each night at 23:00. USD4–7. 
• Pumpkin Hotel, 042 Cầu Mây Street, ☏ +84 20 872 350. Very friendly and helpful staff. Good-sized rooms with desks and computers. The hotel may try to charge extra for a space heater for 150,000 dong. If you are staying here as a part of an ET Pumpkin tour, make sure to get an assurance (in writing, if possible) that your space heater will be included in the price. USD18. 
• The Royal Hotel, Cầu Mây Street (bottom of the main street). Some rooms provide a nice view over the valley or the town, and many open on to a small balcony. It has an attached café offering standard back-packer fare such as banana or chocolate pancakes. Can help with travel arrangements. USD12–15. 
• Sapa Paradise View Hotel, 018 Phạm Xuân Huân Street (when walking downhill along Cầu Mây Street, the main street, you can take a shortcut to the hotel by taking a flight of stairs on your left between a hot dog stand and Fansipan Restaurant (023 Cầu Mây Street), and then turning left at the top of the stairs), ☏ +84 203 872 683, fax: +84 203 872 684, info@sapaparadiseviewhotel.com. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00. A good value three-star hotel. The décor is nothing to scream about but the rooms are comfortable, clean and well-stocked. Some of them have an interesting aerial view of the village. Breakfast is usually included in the cost of the room, and the hotel provides a complimentary fruit basket, bottles of water, a daily afternoon smoothie and snack, Wi-Fi (including a desktop computer in the room), and boots for hiking. The staff are attentive and friendly. In-room massages can be arranged. The four-story hotel does not have any lifts, but the staff will help carry your luggage. USD40–80 (check website for promotions). 
• Thai Binh Sa Pa Hotel, Hàm Rồng Street (from market, walk straight up from the left of the church, then turn left at the end of the street), ☏ +84 20 387 1212. Check-out: 12:00. In a quiet part of Sa Pa and within five minutes' walk of the market and restaurant street. Free Internet in the lobby and Wi-Fi in rooms. Electric heater and electric mattress available in the room. The hotel manager, a local teacher and education officer, and the female receptionist are very friendly and speak good English. They are able to book local tours, buy train tickets at Lào Cai train station for you, and transport you to and from the train station. USD22–25. (updated Mar 2018)
• Topas Eco Lodge (30-minute drive south of Sa Pa). Perched on beautiful grounds on a hill with stunning views of the surrounding valley. Spacious, detached bungalows, each with its own balcony, which can be a comfortable double or accommodate a small family. The "eco" part of the title comes partly through the lodge hiring local staff and using solar power and hot water in all the bungalows. About USD99 per night for a detached bungalow. 
• 22.33214103.8427781 Little View Homestay, No 042 Cau May Alley, Sapa (at the end of tourist street (Ngõ Cầu Mây), walk down stairs and follow signage), ☏ +84988787711, littleviewhomestay@gmail.com. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00. Good value home stay at USD17 per night. New building has great views and balconies with shared area on the top floor. Very clean. Hard beds. Friendly owners who speak good English. You need to walk down a lot of stairs to reach the homestay. Follow the main tourist street (Ngõ Cầu Mây) to the end where the motorbike parking is, walk down the stairs and follow the signs. USD17. (updated Nov 2017)

• Attire. Bring a poncho and/or an umbrella. You can also buy cheap ones in the many shops around. Rubber boots and trekking shoes can be rented from some shops or perhaps borrowed from your hotel. Sizes may be limited.
• Cash. It is possible to change money and travellers' cheques, and get cash advances on credit cards, at the bigger hotels in Sa Pa. There are ATMs on the main street. There have been reports of shops taking customers' crisp notes, switching them with cut and taped-up ones, and insisting that were the ones the customers gave them.
• Photography. Some of the minorities do not wish to be photographed. Ask permission beforehand. Most will overcome their reluctance to be photographed once money is produced.

Sa Pa's official Tourist Information Centre can help you organize your stay. The Sapa post office is opposite of garden and fountain in center Sapa (Address: No 06, Thạch Sơn Street, Sapa)

• Most people will head back to Hanoi and then on to other routes
• For those looking to go farther afield, the road to Dien Bien Phu is simply stunning and makes for a fantastic four-to-five-day trip. Always give yourself plenty of daylight hours to return home, however, as highly changeable weather could strand you in dense fog without notice, especially during the winter months. There are buses to Dien Bien Phu which run from the tourist office each day (day bus: 07:30, night bus: 18:30), the trip is 300 km, about 10 hours, and costs USD11 (Dec 2019). It is also the last big city before the Laos border (for those heading to Luang Prabang for example).
• Bắc Hà