Sapa trekking: Muong Hum Market and Sapa Tribal Villages Explore 4 days

Please, be ready at your hotel lobby at 20.00 for a short transfer to Hanoi railways station. Tonight you will travel to Lao Cai on sleeping train in the most comfortable 4 bed cabin of Victoria compartment or in 2 bed deluxe cabin of other train carriage. 

Overnight on train.

If trains are unavailable, you will be picked up at your hotel in time to catch the 10PM sleeper cabin bus to Lao Cai and return to Hanoi by Limousine bus arriving at about 3PM.

Early arrival in Lao Cai, at the Chinese border, you will meet your local guide and driver as soon as you check out the station, freshen up and Breakfast before taking an hour drive through scenic countryside to Muong Hum. Arriving at the market at about 09.00Am, joining the locals for the market activities. It is here at this market place where you can see and meet the most diversity of ethnic minority peoples living in Lao Cai Province: The four H’mong sub groups: Black, Flower, Red and Blue; Red Zao, Black Zao, Zao Tuyen; Ha Nhi; Zay; Nung…You will realize easily women from many different groups by watching at traditional costumes they wear. The Zay wear black trousers, pink or blue blouse or shirt with a woolen headscarf, the Flower H’mong and Red H’mong wear colorful skirts which decorated with thick red and yellow embroidery on the batik patterns, silver ear rings and necklaces while the Black H’mong choose the simple indigo color with light decorative embroidery…

Time has passed away fast and the market coming to an end. Let’s sit down on a large and flat rock by the river to relax and enjoy picnic lunch before taking the road ride to Sapa. You’ll enjoy some stops for sightseeing along the way. Check in your hotel upon arrival in Sapa and time is set free at your leisure.

• Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa 

Lying on the south of Sapa town, this vast valley composes of 3 chambers surrounded by high mountains with thick forest at the top and terraced rice paddies from lower slopes stretching to the bottom. It is home to the Black H’mong and the Red Zao ethnic minority who live in wooden houses scattering here and there.

Starting from Sapa with your guide, you will follow a trail running through fruit and orchard gardens, lush pine forests to a Black Hmong ethnic minority village named Matra, isolated away from the civilization. Chickens, water buffalos, pot – belly pigs and piggy everywhere, some locals will be happy to invite us to their home which offers chances to see their dwellings, weavings on belly looms to makes traditional costumes out of hemp fiber…Our path weaves itself up and down hills, through valleys with terraced rice fields which create spectacular landscapes. After picnic Lunch, we get to Taphin Commune where the Black H’mong and the Red Zao live together. It is very interesting to realize culture assimilation: Which can be mixed, which can not! At the end of the footpath, our Jeep is waiting for us for the return journey to Sapa. 

• Accommodation: Hotel in Sapa 

Today you will spend the whole day exploring the spectacular Muong Hoa Valley. Two high ranges of mountains run in parallel north to southwest of Sapa town had created a narrow and long valley, which is the most famous valley in the region for its breathtaking scenery and is home to the major part of Sa Pa’s ethnic population including the H’mong, Zao, Zay, Tay and Xa Pho.

A Jeep will take us out of the town, following the only road built on the side of a mountain range, looking down the valley, over viewing magnificent landscapes composed of high mountains, deep valleys, and stream of water winding, waterfalls and terraced rice paddies… leaving the main road for some short trek, you will visit tribal villages such as Ta Van of the Zay, Su Pan of the Black H’mong, Ban Ho of the Tay…enjoy meeting and contacting locals at home and at works.

We leave Ban Ho of the Tay people in late afternoon, drive back to Sapa. After a short rest for shower, we then transfer down hill to bus station at 10p.m. Trip ends when arrives in Hanoi early next morning on Wednesday morning at 5:00 am.