Are you planning on trekking the green and yellow rice fields surrounding the North Vietnamese mountain town Sapa? There are two options for how to travel from Hanoi to Sapa by bus and train.
I opted for the night bus because of price and convenience. Taking the train to the Muong Ho Valley is not only more expensive, but the station is also a 1-hour and 20-minute drive away from Sapa.
Read on to find out the best option for you for how to travel from Hanoi to Sapa by bus and train, how much it costs, and how to reach Sapa from Lao Cai Train Station.
Check out my guide on trekking Sapa here.
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TRAVEL TO SAPA BY TRAIN
Trains from Hanoi to Sapa leave from Ga Hà Nội Station. The railway station is a 20-minute walk or short grab taxi ride away from the Old Quarter.
Make sure to enter the station through the West Side Gate – Tran Quy Cap, not the main entrance. This is where the trains leave, and the train tickets can be purchased.
Sleeper Trains.
The sleeper trains leave Hanoi at 10 pm from Tran Quy Cap Station. Lao Cai will be reached after a journey of around 8 hours depending on the train you booked.
The cabin will be shared by a total of four people. Don’t want to share? No worries, you can upgrade to a private suite at a higher cost.
National Day Trains.
Are you all about the views along the way? LC3 and LC4 are national day trains from Hanoi to Sapa. The trains leave as early as 6 am. The journey is reportedly uncomfortable and takes around 9 hours.
There are three different types of tickets. The best option is soft seating, since hard seating, and hard seating with no A/C will become uncomfortable after hours of travelling.
The Cost Of Sleeper And National Day Trains.
Tickets can be purchased at Tran Quy Cap gate at the Ga Hà Nội train station or online. Make sure to buy a ticket three days, and up to a month in advance if you wish to travel during national holidays.
There are different types of Sleeper Trains. The cheapest being Livitrans Express with a single-ticket price being $ 30. The most popular train is King Express for $ 37 due to the hotel-like interior of the train.
A ticket for the National Train costs around $ 18 (2018) depending on the train and seating you choose.
HOW TO REACH SAPA FROM LAO CAI TRAIN STATION
Once you have reached Lao Cai take a taxi, bus, or pre-book a pick-up with your accommodation to Sapa.
Busses leave from outside the train station. Anyone who wants to save some extra money on the bus can take a 6-minute walk to the public bus station (VND 34.800/ $ 1.50).
TRAVEL TO SAPA BY BUS
The bus journey from Hanoi to Sapa takes 6 – 7 hours depending on the bus company and scheduled time you choose to travel. Night buses arrive in Sapa as early as 4 – 6 am.
If you travel anything like me you will want to get that night bus to save some money. The bus stops twice once for dinner and to purchase snacks before leading onto a curvy mountain road for the rest of the stretch.
The Inter sleeper buses in Vietnam do not have toilets on board but they are incredibly comfortable. Ok, I am short and have a tiny advantage here. The seats almost fully recline, and your stretched out legs are comfortably tucked away under the seat in front of you allowing for a good night sleep.
Anyone with long legs will struggle to fit. Check with the bus company if the seats at the far back have more legroom. On the Inter Bus the four seats right next to each other at the back had more space. Otherwise Sapa Express has more legroom.
Once you have reached the bus stop in Sapa you can either take a motor-taxi or walk. Tours booked in Hanoi usually arrange a pick-up from the bus stop for you.
The Cost.
A single-bus ticket costs $ 9.50 – $ 22 and includes free wifi (if it works), a blanket, a bottle of water, and most even include a free hostel pick-up. Tickets can be purchased online directly from the relevant bus company, local travel agents, or trusted booking sites.
Do you feel ready for trekking Sapa? I hope this guide on how to get to Sapa from Hanoi by bus and train was helpful.
Now go ahead and explore! Try not to lose your towel.
