Sapa is known as a mysterious land with a great number of spectacular sceneries and the special culture of the ethnic groups. However, there is no nearby airport the only option for getting there is to travel by road or rail and, despite being only 380 kilometres from Hanoi. For long active years, the best way to approach Sapa is to travel by train, thanks to its advantage of both time and money. Currently, tourists have many options for choosing the train firms to depart from Hanoi to Lao Cai district.
Nowadays, passengers can book Sapa train tickets online via our website and tickets will be delivered to you when you come to Vietnam, visitors can also find other information about accommodation, tours and things to do in Sapa. Depending on the running train time, you should take a taxi from your hotel before 30 minutes to avoid missing. Traveling by train takes about 8-9 hours and the train only stops in Lao Cai, where is the province of Sapa. Therefore, it will take about hour to get to Sapa from Lao Cai station. To get Sapa, you should use minibus (50,000 – 60,000 VND), taxi (350,000 VND) or private transfer (example hiring motorbike, or bus of tour firm).
Train often departs at between 8p.m and 10p.m, and you can catch a good sleep before getting worked up by the beautiful mountain scenery at dawn. There are also day trains which are not as comfortable as night train. It also takes a longer time to travel as it makes more stops.
Ticket for night train is 35$ – 80$/person/way (the most expensive one is Victoria express which is exclusively for in-house guests). Ticket for day train is 10$ – 20$/person/way
However, nowadays, most visitors choose to get from Hanoi to Sapa by overnight train; it’s more comfortable and safer than a bus or motorbike, and a lot cheaper than hiring a car. One of reasons is when you choose a private operator, you will sleep in private, clean and comfortable cabin with four berths and fully equipped. Seats or beds can be booked through travel agents in advanced so it’s very convenient for you. Although the overnight sleeper trains can bring new feeling for you, you should arrange some hours in the next day to catch up on sleep to save energy.
Nowadays, there are many brands of express Hanoi to Sapa offering the cheap price and the expensive price. In the article, we offer some popular train firms to you with the particular points for your choosing.
Friendly Express Train to Sapa
Firstly, you can search for Friendly Train which is one of the best trains in there. It offers soft sleepers and clean four-berth cabins in 2 carriages. About sub-meal: you are provided with one bottle of water, a small snack and a napkin. This train is a part of regular train including 2 carriages in SP1 and SP2 between Hanoi and Lao Cai. They offer for you some tools which create cozy comforts during the trip
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 8.25pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 7.30pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $80/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $38/ticket one way
Orient Express Train to Sapa
Orient Express is not a private train on its own, but a series of carriages that are attached to national train. Choosing Orient Express Train, passengers will be offered diverse cabins with various functions and atmosphere. Besides, passengers can choose from a wide range of accommodations to suite their preference. Therefore, Orient train is one of the most famous trains as number of travelers are attracted to its services rising considerably every year.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 8.25pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 7.30pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $74/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $38/ticket one way
Pumpkin Express Train to Sapa
Pumpkin Train Sapa also luxuriously equipped with modern equipments. For example, you can free to read under lights, clean berths and hygiene pillow and blanket. Moreover, this train provides the free snacks and mineral water for light meals of the guests. Passengers will be comfortable with the attitude of their staffs and atmosphere of the space, However, like other train service, Pumpkin Express Train is only able to provide one single bathroom on each carriage for passengers. Thus, maybe guests feel more inconvenient and unpleasant using those bathrooms. And if you want to have a perfect meal and bar carriage, you shouldn’t choose this train.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 9.10pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 8.15pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $88/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $42/ticket one way
Green Express Train to Sapa
Green Express Train is built from the wooden carriage, soft sleeper AC cabin with soft 4 berths and two toilet at either ends. This train is evaluated by the good brand which provide high quality service for passengers like individual reading lights, baggage storage for suitcase and hand luggage. The train provide also water and cold tower.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 9:50pm to Lao Cai at 5:30am
- Lao Cai at 8:30pm to Hanoi at 5:00am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $78/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $38/ticket one way
Royal Express Train to Sapa
Another train firm is Royal Express Train which is gaining more and more reputation in the short time. Because it is attractive of attention of travelers when they have trip to this allured town. The train might be not as superior or professional as other giant firms supplying train services, but key element to fascinate customers of Royal Express is cheap price and reasonable quality. In the train, you don’t have fruits and breads for free, so the price is cheaper than other suppliers by both domestic and international travelers.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 9.10pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 8.15pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $78/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $38/ticket one way
King Express Train
King Express Train has the high quality services by the wooden furnitures and excited light system. Thus, it makes the refreshment atmosphere for passengers.
Each berth cabins normally has 4 bedrooms but on VIP deluxe cabins, the number of berths have just only 2 rooms but they are created larger and more comfortable space to passengers. All cabins are prepared for the modern and nature items like fresh flowers and drink. However, this train hasn’t been equipped TV so you can play your mobile after connecting Wifi. Additionally, bathroom cabin is located at the end of the cabin with hygienic toilet and lavabo to ensure the safety of the guests. Finally, all staffs of King train has good attitude to serve passengers, and they are also pretty helpful to support the demand of clients.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 8.25pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 7.30pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $78/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $42/ticket one way
VN Express Train
Vn Express Train is evaluated as a reputable railway company as it offers top luxurious and professional train service. The carriages on this train are furnished with wooden interior under the strange of light system to be clean in order to get a pleasant of your feeling.
They are also modernly equipped with superior facilities and good furnitures in the cabin like a room of hotel such as TV and air conditioners, the clean and pure private bathroom cabin at the end of each carriage.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 9.10pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 8.15pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $78/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $38/ticket one way
Victoria Express Train
Added brand of train to moving from Hanoi to Sapa is the luxurious Victoria Express Train. This train features one dining carriage and two sleeping carriages to make the comfort of clients. The Victoria Express Train is romantic, with its elegant carriages. It offers every visitor a wonderful travelling experience in the area on the road.
The Victoria Express Train makes 10-hour trip from Hanoi to Lao Cai with six times a week. It contains 48 passengers with comfortable seating and has a dining carriage, two luxurious sleeping carriages.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 8.25pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 7.30pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $148/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $78/ticket one way
Sapaly Express Train
Sapaly Express Train is called a best Western Sapaly Hotel by the high quality carriage of the high-class tourism train. All cabins in train are compared with the rooms of four-star hotel. Thus, it provides an satisfaction of whole long train journey for passengers. With the luxurious interiors which obtains European standards, it’s not hard to imagine that you pass the journey of 350 kilometers from Hanoi to Lao Cai in just only one night. Each cabin has four comfortable beds with the wooden floor and the good furnitures that will certainly make you feel satisfied.
Sapaly Express Train provides passengers with excellent train service. The train offers guests 2 special carriages on two trains, namely SP3 and SP4. Each carriage is designed only for 6 cabins. The equipments in all cabins are provided the natural wooden furniture, soft pillows, fresh blankets, graceful curtains and state of the art facilities. VIP 2 berth cabins are designed solely for couples who need the privacy.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 9:50pm to Lao Cai at 5:30am
- Lao Cai at 8:30pm to Hanoi at 5:00am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $87/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $47/ticket one way
Chapa Express Train
Chapa train has two carriages. Each carriage has 7 deluxe cabins 4-berth which can be set up to Deluxe cabins 2-berth up on request. The enchanting luxury and comfort facilities of wooden cabins will attract almost passengers. You should keep the best opportunity to relax in the beautiful landscapes through your spacious windows. Luxury, inspiration and refreshment are main character of these carriages.
No less than others, Each Chapa express train cabin is also equipped with reading lights, baggage storage, flower, mineral water and napkin free. Moreover, choosing Deluxe 2 berths, you will be provided some more items like snack, a coffee, ice tea and so on.
Departure Time
- Hanoi at 9.10pm to Lao Cai at 5:00am
- Lao Cai at 8.15pm to Hanoi at 5:30am
Fares
- VIP cabin 2 berths at $85/ticket one way
- Wooden deluxe cabin 4 berths at $44/ticket one way