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North Adventure: Climb Indochina’s highest peak |
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8 Days / 7 Nights in Ha Noi – Lao Cai – Sa Pa – Fan Si Pan – Sa Pa – Lao Cai – Ha Noi |
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Tour Overview
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Be one of the fortunate few to climb and conquer Indochina’s highest peak, Fan Si Pan. The four day trek takes you past stunning vistas of terraced hillsides, through wild bamboo forests, across rivers and streams, and up challenging ridges to finally reach the peak that affords you breathtaking views of Vietnam, China and Laos. Not for the fainthearted! |
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Adventure Highlights
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• Conquer Vietnam’s and Indochina’s highest peak, Fan Si Pan, located at 3,143 m above sea level; only around 1000 trekkers have accomplished this feat
• Take a trek through enchanted forests and rustic hill-tribe villages around Cat Cat
• Visit and meet the rich and colorful ethnic minority people or ‘Montagnards’ in and around Sa Pa
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Detailed Itinerary
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DAY 1: Ha Noi – Lao Cai (no meals included) |
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| Your friendly tour guide will pick you up from your hotel at 9.00pm to be transferred to Ha Noi’s Tran Quy Cap railway station. You’ll depart on the night train to Lao Cai around 10.00pm. Train accommodation includes a comfortable soft sleeper in a cabin of 4 passengers. Wake up early to glimpse life spanning the train tracks among verdant rice paddies as you inch your way north into Vietnam’s most spectacular mountain scenery.
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DAY 2: Lao Cai – Sa Pa (breakfast/dinner included) |
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SA PA: This former French hill resort, built in 1922, is filled with picture-perfect mountain views – often shrouded in mist – and diverse and colorful ethnic minority hill-tribe communities. Minority villages dot the landscape like distant boats at sea; and terraced rice paddies along sheer hillsides give the impression of a giant sculpted garden.
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| AM: After arriving at Lao Cai railway station early in the morning, you’ll be picked up and transferred to Sa Pa. The drive meanders through hilly villages and undulating valleys. You’ll enjoy a relaxing breakfast at your hotel and some time to soak up the friendly and charming atmosphere of Sa Pa. You’ll no doubt be greeted by loquacious Black H’mong girls who speak near-fluent English from their contact with foreigners!
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| PM: You’ll take a scenic drive to visit the Black H’mong community at Lao Chai, and later to Ta Van village, technically home to two villages of Giay and Dao ethnic communities. Return to Sa Pa for dinner where you can try some regional food specialties.
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DAY 3: Sapa – Camp in Forest (breakfast/lunch/dinner included) |
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CAT CAT VILLAGE: A popular village for tourists on a short trip to Sa Pa. Cat Cat village nonetheless is a charming and rustic locale; bamboo pipes supply water to locals, and dogs, children and pot-bellied pigs run amuck between fruit trees and tubs of indigo dye used for typical H’mong dress. The waterfalls at the base of the village are a magical place to stop and rest.
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AM: After breakfast at your hotel, your vehicle will drive you to Cat Cat village. Then the real climb starts. First you’ll visit the H’mong village near Cat Cat stream and cross the Linh Ho river. Trek further into the forest and you’ll soon uncover the enchanting bamboo thickets and pine forests that define this landscape.
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PM: After a peaceful afternoon’s trekking, porters will set up camp at an elevation of 2,200m to spend the first night camping in the forest. Dinner will be prepared around the campfire while the nocturnal sounds of the forest provide an exotic soundtrack.
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DAY 4: Camp in Forest – Camp on Ridge (breakfast/lunch/dinner included) |
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AM: After breakfast, you’ll embrace the upward trail. Today, you’ll trek about 6 to 8 hours. There will be several steeps to climb and some sections will be best mounted by using the roots of trees to pull you upwards. After a challenging hike, you’ll take a magical walk through dense foliage and the huge groves of bamboo trees that line the trail. Perhaps you’ll see some wildlife of monkeys, mountain goats or birds. At the end of the day you’ll reach a ridge at about 2,700m altitude, which affords breathtaking views over the entire Sa Pa valley – a sight not often seen by travelers to Vietnam.
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PM: You’ll descend part way down the ridge to an altitude of 2,400 m where camp will be set up for the night. A moment to share trekking stories and adventures.
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DAY 5: Camp on Ridge – Fansipan Peak 3,143 (breakfast/lunch/dinner included) |
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MT FANSIPAN: Part of the Hoang Lien Mountains, nicknamed the Tonkinese Alps by the French, Fan Si Pan is the range’s highest peak at 3,134m. The pinnacle is often veiled by clouds and in colder months dusted in snow. Once you reach the summit and if weather permits, you can see all the way to China in the north and Laos in the southwest.
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AM: Today, we conquer Fan Si Pan! After breakfast and another uphill walk, you’ll arrive at the 2,900m mark. Again there is another stunning view looking back at Sa Pa and of Fan Si Pan in your midst! After a downhill walk to a camp site located at 2,600m, you’ll make your final ascent to the pinnacle through a trail of dense bamboo forest and small bushes. Congratulations! You’ve made it! You’ll literally be on top of the world as you scan the awe-inspiring landscape across mountain ranges and country borders, and delight in your personal triumph.
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PM: There is time for a well-earned rest before descending to the camp site.
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DAY 6: Camp on Ridge – Sa Pa (breakfast/dinner included) |
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AM: Enjoy your last breakfast al fresco before commencing your descent back into Sa Pa. The trek home via well-known terrain always goes more quickly.
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PM: You’ll arrive in Sa Pa in the late afternoon, ready to put your feet up, indulge in a massage or do some shopping. After a relaxing dinner, you’ll relish a good night’s sleep in a real bed!
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DAY 7: Sapa – Lao Cai (breakfast/dinner included) |
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AM: This morning you’re free to explore more of Sa Pa town; perhaps see the flower gardens, or visit the local markets and surrounding alpine countryside.
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PM: On your way back to Lao Cai, you’ll stop off at the Thuong Temple and the Open-Economy-Area at the Lao Cai Border Gate to enjoy some tax-free shopping. After dinner, you’ll be driven to the Lao Cai railway station to take the night train back to Ha Noi, departing at 9.00pm. Overnight in a soft sleeper cabin.
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DAY 8: Ha Noi Arival (no meals included) |
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AM: You’ll arrive early in the morning at Ha Noi’s Tran Quy Cap railway station where the tour ends but hopefully not your triumphant memories or adventures in Vietnam!
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