Real Sapa Experience 4D3N return by Sleeper Train - Private with Local

4 day

Overview Local - Real Sapa Experience 4D3N return by Sleeper Train - Private with Local

All incl. Return sleeping train+ 2 days trekking + homestay + cooking class with local + meals + private experience & more.

Only bookable as Private Experience

This unique journey will kick off traveling by sleeping train from Hanoi to Lao Cai Sapa in a relaxed way with your own soft sleeper berth. Designed with great variety, these trips are geared towards travelers searching for a healthy mix of active exploration, uncommon landscapes and local cultures.

Enjoy a very warm welcome from our local (Hmong) tour guide who will guide you through this stunning piece of Vietnam. From the lush terraced rice paddies to the rustic charm of the native dwellings, Sapa is a place you’re sure to fall in love with! Many diverse groups like the Dzay, Dzao, Tay, Xa Pho or Hmong populate this richly cultural northern territory. You’ll sample their unique delights as you pass through each village, trek 2 days and overnight with the local Hmong minority in an homestay, enjoy cooking class & 30 min herbal foot massage.

We hope you are ready for our non-touristic trekking on our private experience, this is a trip you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Are you ready for an unforgettable experience with us? Book now our 4 days during "Sapa Mountain Tribes & Nature Experience" in Vietnam that suits everyone's expectations.

There is no better way to explore Vietnam with our "Building Block Experiences" to get closer to tasty local cuisines, history & rich cultures.

Highlights

Sapa is a place you’re sure to fall in love with! Many diverse groups like the Dzay, Dzao, Tay, Xa Pho or Hmong populate this richly cultural northern territory. You’ll sample their unique delights as you pass through each village.

• Unique Experiences.
• Group tour, tour guide, homestay.
• Local life.
• Amazing trekking.

How can I book my trip & pay?

Very easy - Just select & book directly your day you would like to join us and choose how to pay! You will receive an instant booking confirmation from us!

• Pay Full via credit card & Paypal.
• Pay Partially 25%.
• Pay On Arrival.

*Credit card payments via our email credit card links or via our POS system in our travel outlet or office are subject to a 3% admin fee.

Itinerary

Itinerary day by day

• Day 01: Hanoi - Sapa (Lao Cai) by sleeper train.
  Day 02: Lao Cai - Sapa - Cat Cat - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai - trekking - homestay (B, L,D).
  Day 03: Lao Chai - Giang Ta Chai - Sapa (Lai Cai) - trekking - sleeper train (B, L,D).
  Day 04: Arrival Hanoi (B).
• The information below is intended to assist you to have a clear view in expectations as you consider your travel options for Vietnam with us. In addition to the detailed itinerary each tour has been supported with some useful information to provide you with an overview of your accommodation & meals, all things money, passports, visas, vaccinations, insurance, clothing, personal equipment and much more to help you with your travel preparations.

Day 01: Hanoi - Sapa (Lao Cai) by sleeper train

• 12:00 - 05:30 Tonight we are departing from Hanoi, by overnight sleeper train. You will have a Meet & Greet today at our office between 12:00 and before 17:30 PM for instructions about your Sapa trekking. It’s possible to leave & store your luggage not needed for your Sapa trekking at our office and before your departure. You can use our lounge area to refresh yourself or repack and organize your stuff for your adventure. You will receive from us a train ticket or voucher for Hanoi to Sapa and return and we will discuss the pickup location for your train departure for tonight. You will have leisure time to wander around Hanoi's Old Quarter and arrange your dinner yourself.
• 21:00 Our guide & driver will pick you up at our discussed meeting point for your train departure, we will guide you to the train station all the way to your cabin, you will be required to be on time at the discussed meeting point.
• 22:00 The sleeper trains throughout Vietnam are quite comfortable and an experience on its own. We booked a private tourist class berth in a 4-berth cabin, each of you will have your own sleeper berth. All bedding is provided. The sleeper train is air-conditioned and has Western style toilets, your luggage can be stored under the berth. Though restaurant carriage is not available, food and drinks are not available for purchase. Each carriage also includes one toilet at the end.
• Overnight sleeper train - A Private cabin 4-berth.
• Includes: transfer, train ticket, and entrance fees.

Day 02: Suoi Ho – Ma Tra – Ta Phin Village (B, L, D)

• Duration trekking: 6 - 7 hours.
• Length trekking: 17 KM +/-.
• Accommodation: Homestay shared with the group.
• 06:00 After arriving at Lao Cai train station in the early morning, our driver is waiting for you with a signboard with your name on it and will pick you up from Lao Cai train station for a +/- 1 hour drive to Sapa town by car or bus. We will drive you to our hotel as a meeting point.
• 07:00 On arrival at our hotel you'll be offered a refreshing shower and enjoy breakfast with stunning views of Sapa town and the Muong Hoa valley.
• 08:00 Our local Hmong or Red Dzao tour guide is happy to meet you and will introduce her/himself, who will guide you the next few days through this stunning piece of Vietnam. From the lush terraced rice paddies to the rustic charm of the native dwellings, Sapa is a place you’re sure to fall in love with!
• We begin through the breathtaking landscape to the village of Suoi Ho, home to Hmong minority. From here you can enjoy views over endless rice terraces, and you will have the opportunity to see some of the animals used by the locals.
• Arriving at Ma Tra Village you will come across the impressive ruins of a church dating back to the French occupation in the early 1900s. Take a minute to explore this intriguing sight and take some photos.
• Continue trekking to the village of Ta Phin you will be able to meet both Black Hmong and Red Dao minorities. The Red Dao are known for their expertise in herbal medicine as well as usage of plants from the land to treat many illnesses. Your guide will be able to introduce you to some Red Dao women who can tell you more about their many remedies.
• We will end up at our local homestay with our guide family. Dinner with family and a Red Dao herbal medicine bath will be arranged for you to experience.
• Overnight at our local homestay with the family the accommodation for the evening is clean, basic bedding and mosquito nets are provided, western toilet & shower, just a great place to be. You will sleep in a private room or on mattresses on the floor in a mixed-gender dormitory style and there are a few ways to better understand a country and its people.

Day 03: Ta Phin - Trung Trai - Sapa (B, L, D)

• After breakfast, you will begin your trek to Trung Chai Village, with a choice of routes depending on the weather and your preferences. Trung Chai is home to Red Dzao and Hmong minorities, and they have chosen a location with an exceptional landscape! You will be provided with a picnic lunch on route to the village and upon arrival to Trung Chai, you will be transferred back to Sapa Town.
• 16:00 Arrive Sapa Town at our hotel, time to say goodbye to your guide as memories are made. Our team at the hotel will help you to get your bearings and shower service is available and dinner will be offered later today. Leisure time to discover Sapa town on your own if you like.
• 17:30 Dinner served.
• 18:45 Our driver will pick you up from our hotel, it's +/- 1 hour drive to Lao Cai station.
• 20:00 Arrive at Lao Cai Train Station, please present at the registration desk to exchange your train voucher into a train ticket.
• 21:30 Departing sleeper train. We booked a shared tourist class berth in a 4-berth cabin, each of you will have your own sleeper berth. All bedding is provided. The sleeper train is air-conditioned and has Western style toilets, your luggage can be stored under the berth. Though restaurant carriage is not available, food and drinks are not available for purchase. Each carriage also includes one toilet at the end.
• Overnight in Sleeper Train - Private Cabin.
• Including: breakfast, lunch, dinner, train ticket, English speaking guide and entrance fees.

Day 04: Sapa (Lao Cai) - Hanoi

• Arriving back at Hanoi, arrival times are early depending on your train booking. Take a taxi to our office (we open at 7:30) or to your hotel.
• Tour end & we would like to thank you for choosing us! No, really, thank you! We believe and hope that we lived up to your expectations in every way! We really appreciate you choosing Friends Travel Vietnam for this experience. We look forward to welcoming you, or your family and friends, the next time you visit this wonderful country! Finally, we wish you a happy journey through Vietnam, and many more amazing memories!

Know before you go

Itinerary Disclaimer

This information has been compiled with care and good faith. They give an accurate illustration of the proposed arrangements for this holiday. Occasionally our itineraries are updated during the year to incorporate improvements stemming from past travelers' comments and our own research.

The information given in your itinerary may be slightly different on the day of your departure. It's very important that you print and review a final copy of your Itinerary & Trip Notes a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans, we always handover before your departure our latest updated itinerary. If you have any queries, please contact us directly and we are here to help you!

While we operate different options for all our “Real Sapa Experience” trips in this region throughout the year, some changes may occur in our itineraries. Circumstances beyond our control such as changes in local conditions, inclement weather to timetables and transport routes or other reasons could force us to make changes to this itinerary. Any costs shown are subject to change, though are an accurate reflection of costs at time of writing.

This can happen with little notice so please be prepared for modifications to the route. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary from time to time.

Is this trip right for you?

• Our basic trips include one night or more in simple homestay accommodation with local families, and there are a few ways to better understand a country and its people. You might sleep on mattresses on the floor in a mixed-gender dormitory style. If this is not your cup of tea we will advise you to book the hotel option. All our private experiences will have a private room with a shared bathroom.
• This trip includes a moderate level of hiking in the hills and mountains during this trip, ranging from 6 to 8+ hours. Although this hiking is possible for most travelers, a good level of fitness will help increase your enjoyment of this experience.
• Weather conditions might affect the level of hiking into challenging to difficult level tracking. We strictly advise to be prepared for the weather conditions with the right gear, our tracks can be on muddy roads where it might be slippery where in some situations the track can be classified as dangerous.
• In very bad weather conditions such as thunderstorms, storms or typhoons we have the right to cancel a part or the whole tour, with heavy rain or rainfall we might delay the trip and adjust the road depending on the weather forecast.
• Pregnant women will be advised not to join this trip, people with heart diseases or heart problems or weak fit level are not advised to join this trip.
• Please note many of our Adventures tours operate with a minimum of 1 person, so there may be instances where you are the only person on the trip.
• The average group size for our trekking is limited to 6-8 persons who join in our group tour, this all to create a unique experience. For private group tour bookings it will be only you and your own group.
• This experience is a ‘join in’ group departure, which means for some portions of this trip, such as at the homestay, you may join-in with other travelers who have booked on a different style of trip, or through other companies we work with. If you booked a complete private tour with a private homestay this will not be applicable.

Important Notes

We found expectations of our travelers very important, therefore we daily monitor all our travel services to guarantee the expectations in quality & service. If we are not sure about our set standards we will have the right to amend your booked travel services to similar service on last-minute notification without any extra cost for the traveler. There will be no refund for amending the booking in the same price category.

• Programs & itinerary schedules might be subject to change without prior notice, alternative refunds are not applicable.
• No shown or belated arrivals are subject under our terms & conditions policy.
• The cancellation decision made by local authorities or by us when safety is an issue on the day of the trip in case of bad weather conditions as strong wind or storm might occur on last minute notification. In such a case, we will make alternative travel arrangements for you on request or offer a refund in accordance with our policy.

Trip Notes

We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before traveling, and would appreciate any feedback on how well it's being implemented in the field.

What to bring

The following experiences suggestions for the packing list are based on our and feedback from our past travelers. Our packing list should be used as a guide only and is not intended to be a complete packing list. Any other items that you wish to pack are at your own discretion; Most travelers carry their luggage in a day backpack, though an overnight bag with a shoulder strap would be fine if you travel lightly. Smaller bags or backpacks with wheels are NOT convenient.

Packing list for Sapa

• Small Bag-pack: You will also need a daypack/bag to carry water and a camera etc and personal stuff.
• Walking / hiking shoes: Comfortable walking shoes with good grip/profile, Sandals/flip-flops (for evening), Hiking poles/walking sticks, Trekking socks.
• Sightseeing: Binoculars, Camera equipment, Film or memory cards, Spare batteries/charger, Dust proof camera bag.
• Personal items: Toiletries, Rubber flip-flops for showers, Small sewing kit & safety pins.
• Winter or extreme weather: Thermal underwear or base layers, Beanie/wooly hat/balaclava, Gloves / Hand warmers.
• Wet weather: Raincoat, Small Umbrella, Waterproof bags for rain protection while walking, waterproof & windproof jacket, Waterproof trousers.
• Personal health: First aid kit, Personal medication/prescriptions, Prescription glasses, Contact lenses and solution High protection sunscreen (25+), Lip balm/lip salve, Hat/wide brim hat, Sunglasses, Insect repellent, Antihistamine/insect bite cream, Antibacterial gel/wipes, Travel sickness tablets, Travel vaccination certificates, After-sun moisturizer, Anti-malaria pills (if recommended by the doctor), Aspirin and/or paracetamol, Dehydration powder (salts & glucose), Anti-diarrhea pills (consult your doctor for more detailed advice).
• Luggage: On the vast majority of our trips you are expected to carry your own luggage also during the trekking.
• Packing Tips: Remember to bring a plastic bag for dirty clothes.

Note: Again our advice will be to travel lightly and store your luggage at our office or leave at your hotel!

Tips

• Next departing destination directly possible:
• Halong Bay - Bai Tu Long - Lan Ha Bay
• Ninh Binh
• Cat Ba Island
• Mai Chau - Pu Luong
• Ha Giang
• If you are planning your next destination please let us know as we can assist you to start directly from our office to it.

David Leenson

David Leenson

David Leenson