Nowaday, Vietnam becomes a very attractive destination for foreigners for all over the world as this country is known for beautiful country, good foods and especially friendly people. This tour let us witness Vietnam’s most stunning landscapes, ancient history, colorful minority cultures, friendly people and interesting metropolises. It takes tourist from stately Hanoi to the ethnic minority people in Sa Pa. One suggestion for you is to spend 5 days and 4 nights getting Hanoi Sapa itinerary.

Visiting Hanoi capital in 2 days in Hanoi Sapa Itinerary

Ho Chi Minh Complex

The first destination in this city is Ho Chi Minh complex which combines other sites like his Mausoleum, former residence, the impressive house around, his garden and the One Pillar Pagoda. However, you should check the schedule because it opens only from 8.00-10.30 every day, accepting Monday and Friday so you will visit the surrounding area of this complex. When visiting here, you must wear formal clothes and do not make noise during the time.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

You move to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. The museum focuses on the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam, you will know more about the culture and Vietnamese people. However, Museum of Ethnology is closed on Monday so Ho Lo prison will be the alternative site to visit for you. If you want to visit both, you should arrange your time.

Hanoi Old Quarter

You should take a cyclo tour of Hanoi Old Quarter will complete your trip to Hanoi. You can grace the views of Hoan Kiem lake when sitting on a cyclo. Hoan Kiem Lake (or is called Turtle Lake) located on the central place of city attracting locals and tourists throughout the day. Den Ngoc Son is dedicated to the spirits of the soil and literature. At the southeast corner of the lake and is opposite to the lake, the enormous Hanoi Post Office stands, which marks the northern fringe of the French Quarter. This is a great chance to observe the daily life of the locals and capture some memorable pictures. Then, you start to explore the diverse architecture and the famous 36 streets of the Old Quarter on a walking tour. And you should go to Dong Xuan market to buy some necessaries for trekking mountains in Sapa like clothes, shoes, medicines, and so on.

Thang Long Water Puppet

You will spend some minutes in the theater enjoying the Water Puppet show – a traditional show of Vietnamese people. The traditional activities include farming or legends like the golden turtle and the emperor. The more modern version continues the use of water. The instruments of Vietnamese are displayed following to the puppets’ actions. Especially, musicians will combined with puppets, which encourage the heroes. Guests of the theater don’t need to brave the monsoon weather that would pour on outdoor audiences, but it can sit and enjoy a meal during discovering this ancient dramatic art.

Ta Hien street

One suggestion for you is to have a dinner in Ta Hien street which is a famous foreign street. Coming here, you will know about the culture of the street-food in Northern Vietnam with drink street beer and special foods. After that, walking on the walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake such as Ly Thai To, Hang Dao… There are many Vietnamese traditional games with the fresh air.

Bat Trang village

Bat Trang – the Ceramic Village is one of the trips guided in what is the best Hanoi Sapa itinerary. Coming here, you can take a walk for sightseeing and shopping. You visit Bat Trang Porcelain where you can directly build pottery products by yourself. Many youngsters and foreign tourists are interested in this pottery gaining experience.

Temple of Literature

Temple of Literature is accumulated old-traditional appearance, which is the first university in Vietnam. Especially, almost of universities in Hanoi has come here to take photograph yearbook before graduating, which is a characteristic culture.

Traveling up to Sapa in 3 days

Cat Cat village

Starting the trip with Cat Cat village and Shin Chai village which are the home to Black H’mong and Red Dzao located at the foot of Fansipan Mountain – “the Roof of Indochina”, where you enjoy stunning landscapes of the mountain. Cat Cat village is also the perfect place to see traditional clothing being made, hemp being dyed and women weaving. Especially, it is an ideal place to purchase some traditional souvenirs and handicrafts right from the craftsmen. In Shin Chai village, local people will spend the time to teach textile weaving and dying and they take the group on a locally built trail. Coming to Sin Chai you will have chance to take pleasure flowers as peach blossom, plum blossom, gladiolus, pear blossom, rose, chrysanthemum.

Muong Hoa Valley

You need trek to Muong Hoa Valley from Cat Cat village about 3 kilometers through rice terraces and small dwellings. Moreover, you can grace the rice terraces which is one of the attractive points in tours to Sapa from Hanoi are built by competent hands of the Dao, the H’Mong, the Tay and more for hundreds of years. In May, Muong Hoa valley is blooming with lots of colorful flowers in a wide range of various beauties. Muong Hoa valley is the largest farmland for rice growing in Sapa.

Lao Chai – Ta Van village

You continuously explore Lao Chai – Ta Van where you can grace the life of ethnic minorities, admire the spectacular natural scenery with the terraced rice fields. In the trip, you have an opportunity to trek Lao Chai, Ta Van village where you can see indigo dyeing by H’mong local people. Coming to this village you know how they make their traditional clothes, handicraft, indigo… During time in Ta Van village, you are recommended to taste some special dishes of ethnic Giay such as roast fish, horse meat, sticky rice, enjoy festivals, folk games: Nao Cong, Roong Pooc…or participate in tours of the village. Otherwise, you will visit the biggest valley which offers to the awesome landscape of the golden rice terrace field in Vietnam. Then you continue walking to Ta Van, a village of Dzay people. It is a small group of ethnic people living in Northern Vietnam, they still keep a rich and traditional culture.

Ham Rong Mountain

Standing on Ham Rong Mountain, looking at the wonders of nature like vast heaven and earth and the majestic mountains from afar, you seem to feel so small. You will have an opportunity to immerse them in the romantic natural scenery majestic when going to Silver Falls. The sounds of streams with birds make you feel like getting lost in the realm of Penglai. After approaching the various sizes of stones and conquering the waterfall, you can collect something on the foot of the waterfall.

Local markets

Sapa is famous for its markets, and on almost every day in the week. Therefore, you don’t worry about missed any markets during the coming time. For distance, Coc Ly Market opens on Tuesday which is a great place to buy traditional costumes and to learn more about the local culture. On Wednesday, Sin Cheng Market is a small market in the Si Ma Cai district, where you can meet several ethnics of the White H’Mong, Flower H’Mong, Tay and Black Dao who sell the beautiful traditional costumes. Sometimes the market can be hard to reach due to road conditions. After one day, Lung Khau Nhin is located high in the mountains of the Tram Ton pass. Various small tribes such as the H’Mong, White Tai and Tai Lu are gathering to sell their products. There are two largest markets organized in the weekend like Can Cau Market and Bac Ha market. Can Cau market is located only 7 kilometers from the Chinese border, and just like the other markets, a fascinating and authentic experience. And Bac Ha Market is the most famous and biggest market of Sapa. You can buy several products, such as handicrafts, traditional costumes, and food. Various tribes are gathering at this market.

Sapa Stone Church

You continuously come back to Sapa town to visit the stone church, which is situated in the central position; the backside of the church relies on Ham Rong Mountain and its front side overlooks the lowland. It’s said that the direction of the church is the east, the direction of the sunrise. According to the old conception, it’s regarded as the light direction of the God that brings the good things to the humans. The Church was made from the shaped stones in combination with a mixture of sand, lime, and molasses even from the smallest details; that makes the church becomes more special. Currently, Sapa Stone Church is a religion for belonging people as well as locals and foreigners. Moreover, it is also the main place for keeping many cultural traditional activities of the ethnic people in there.
Ending the journey in Sapa, you will come back to the capital of Vietnam and finish Hanoi Sapa itinerary. Thanks for spending time to read our guide. We are cheerful to reply your questions relating the traveling in Vietnam, let’s send for us.