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Real Extreme Sapa Experience + Climb Mount Fansipan!
$399.00
- Epic 6-day, 5-night adventure with a local indigenous guide.
- Conquer Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fansipan.
- 1-Day Mountain Biking. 3 Days Challenging Trekking.
- Homestays with local hill tribe communities.
- All Food + Accommodation Included.
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Available!
Updated November 2nd, 2018.
A Sapa experience like no other!
Mount Fansipan is the highest mountain in Vietnam (3,243 metres) often referred to as the ‘Rooftop of Indochina’. Located in the northern province of Lao Cai, near the mountain hill town of Sapa, conquering the mighty mountain is the perfect challenge for adventurous backpackers! The mountain can be climbed in one day from Sapa and along the way, you will experience a variety of different landscapes, flora and fauna as you ascend into the clouds. The view at the top of the surrounding green and blue peaks rising through the mist is unforgettable.
After conquering Fansipan, we will then head to lower ground to trek the lush green rice paddies of Sapa and walk amongst the hill tribe villages. You will come across ethnic minority tribes such as the Hmong, Dzay, Dzao, Tay or Xa Pho and you’ll stay with a local Hmong family. As part of your homestay, you will learn how to prepare a local meal and have a herbal bath!
You must have a high level of fitness to take this trip.
No ropes or technical climbing skills are needed, just endurance and plenty of energy. The terrain is rugged, wet and often cold so wet weather gear and appropriate shoes are a must. During the summer months of June to August, it can also be very hot so you need to plan in advance for a variety of possible conditions. Climbing Mt Fansipan in Vietnam is for active adventure seekers who are up for a challenge! It is required for you to be of a high level of fitness.
Sapa is known to be an area consisting of four seasons in one day, therefore the weather can change quite rapidly, altering from heavy mist and fog to warm sunny days. Hence, we cannot guarantee clear views from the top of this mountain.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Hanoi to Sapa
Overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai – Sapa.
Day 2: Sapa – Fansipan + Camping/Homestay (Climbing Day)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
We’ll arrive in Sapa in the early morning at around 7.30 am. First, we will head to a local hotel to have a refreshing shower and enjoy a lovely breakfast on the rooftop enjoying stunning views of Sapa town and the surrounding Muong Huo Valley. Once you’re feeling refreshed and full of energy, you will meet your local private guide, from the Hmong Indigenous Community. He will drive you up the Park Rangers Station where the adventure really begins!
We’ll begin our climb of Mount Fansipan at the height of 2000 metres and climb further into the clouds. Along the way, you’ll enjoy amazing views and incredible flora and fauna. After stopping for lunch, we’ll continue the climb until we reach the ‘rooftop of Indochina’. Here, we will arrive at our campsite for the night which has the best views in all of Vietnam! Here, we’ll light a campfire, cook dinner and keep warm, creating a cosy atmosphere! After your tough day of you will sleep soundly, nestled amongst the rugged beauty of the mountains. In case the weather is not good for camping, we will descend and stay at a local homestay.
Day 3: Fansipan – Giang Thai Chai + Homestay (Mountain Biking Day)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
We will descend from the mountain via cable car and then prepare for our next adventure!
Today, we are taking an epic 27-kilometre mountain bike trip off the beaten path, far away from the tourists. In the evening, we will stay at a local homestay where you will learn more about local indigenous cultures and traditions.
Day 4: Sapa – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Tavan + Homestay (Trekking Day)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This part of the tour now follows our extremely wonderful ‘Real Sapa Experience’ where we follow the non-touristic local trails to discover a different side of Sapa than the average tourist. Today’s 12km trek will take us through bamboo forest, waterfalls and rice terraces. Lunch will be eaten with a local family and in the evening, we’ll spend the night at a local homestay where you’ll enjoy a cooking class to learn traditional Hmong style cooking, as well as the extra special treat of a 30-minute massage! Your legs will be ready for more trekking tomorrow!
Day 5: Tavan – Giang Ta Chai – Sapa – Hanoi (Trekking Day)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
On your last day of trekking in Sapa, we will pay a visit to the Red Dao people to see how they make their own clothes from old-fashioned weaving techniques. We’ll pass through more beautiful lush green rice paddies and more indigenous local villages before we eventually cross the Hoa River. After that, we’ll head back to Sapa town to have dinner and get ready for you to catch the overnight train back to Hanoi.
Day 6: Return to Hanoi (Travel Day)
Breakfast included
We will arrive in Hanoi in the early morning. Breakfast will be served at our office before we say goodbye!
Please note: For solo travellers wanting a private tour, there is an extra fee of 75$ per person.
*If you have any dietary requirement please let us know before the tour.
Friends Travel Vietnam
Updated November 2nd, 2018.
Friends Travel Vietnam pride themselves on providing trips and tours that go far beyond the norm. In their own words, there are as many travel companies in Vietnam as there are destinations! Friends Travel know that in order to stand out, they have to offer something truly exceptional.
To guide them in this endeavour, they are lead by a set of basic principles:
- Thinking Small – Taking the care and attention to ensure that even the smallest of details is well thought out.
- Thinking Local – In order to make sure that the tours they carry out are beneficial to the local community at the same time as making sure that the very best of that local community is allowed to shine in the eyes of the visitor.
- Thinking About What Benefits The Visitor – It is always of the utmost importance to provide the visitor with an experience that’ll be unforgettable for them.
- Thinking About What Benefits The Trip – A tour with Friends Travel Vietnam should be considered as a unique entity. The entirety of it from the first, until the last moment, adds up to the overall experience, much like a fine multi-course meal or a piece of music. Every aspect of the tour must compliment the totality of the experience.
- Thinking About What Benefits The Planet – An aspect of travel which is often sadly overlooked. Friends Travel Vietnam ensure that the tours they organise have a net positive effect on the planet.
- Friends Travel Vietnam will only provide tours that they would truly like to go on themselves. This carries through every aspect of the tour, the guide, the accommodation, the transport, food etc. Everything has to meet the high standard’s that the company themselves would demand when travelling.
- Honesty is the Best Policy – This can refer to a number of situations. For instance, if bad weather is expected during the time that a customer has booked a tour, Friends Travel will inform them of this and make suggestions as to the ideal clothes for them to bring with them. Sometimes the accommodation provided on a certain tour is in a shared room, or with mattresses on the floor. In each of these situations, the accommodation will be good and highly appropriate for the trip in question. It is, of course, very important that the customer knows what to expect.
- Offer A Small Collection Of Tours, But Make Them Truly Great – Here at South East Asia Backpacker we are guided too by this exact philosophy. There is too much choice in this world of travel. Both we and Friends Travel Vietnam believe that by offering only the very best activities and doing them as well as is humanly possible, we can ensure a truly incredible experience for the customer.
- Customer Care Doesn’t Finish At The End Of The Tour – When you come to the end of your time with Friends Travel, they will be very happy to help you with the next stage of your journey. Whether you need help booking another activity, transport, catering, whatever, Friends Travel will be there to help you with it!
What to bring?
Updated November 2nd, 2018.
- Strong and comfortable trekking shoes
- Waterproof jacket
- Suitable clothing during different seasons.
- Mosquito repellent
- Sleeping bag or silk sleeping bag
- For Fansipan base camp, it might be advisable to take an inflatable or roll matress/mat
What's Included?
Updated November 2nd, 2018.
- All transport
- All entrance fees
- All meals as stated on the itinerary
- Use of Mountain Bike
- Guides & Porter
- All Accommodation
What’s Not Included?
- Additional snacks, beverages
- Souvenirs
- Tips
- Travel Insurance
Should you tip your guide, porter, trekking crew?
Tipping is at your own discretion and we must stress that we pay our guides well and they do not rely on the tips from tourists in order to earn their living.
However, with the influx of tourism to Sapa, and the different nationalities who come to Sapa to trek, in particular, those nations for whom tips are the norm, tips are becoming more and more expected.
If you feel like you have experienced excellent service from your guide and trekking crew then a tip is an accepted form of saying ‘thank you’ – no doubt it will be greatly appreciated.
Sometimes, you may find that giving a tip is difficult as in Vietnamese culture, it’s common for people to get embarrassed when being thanked or praised. One idea is to gently put the tip in someone’s pocket and walk away giving them a nice surprise!
How much should you tip?
We suggest that you tip 50,000 VND – 100,000 VND per person. This is based on suggestions, local considerations and feedback for a 2-day, 1-night trek.
Refund Policy
- In order to book this experience, you will need to pay a refundable deposit.
- The deposit remains in a ‘pending state’ – i.e. will not be taken out of your bank account until you hear from the organiser and have confirmed that there is availability and that they can meet all of your requirements.
- If you are unable to agree on a date or the organiser cannot meet your requirements, your deposit is automatically returned to you in full.
- Once you have agreed on a date and you are happy to go ahead with the trip/retreat/course as planned, your deposit will be accepted.
- At this point, your deposit is still refundable, however, there will be a small cancellation fee applied (which is what Paypal charge us to accept your payment in the first place) which is around 5% of the total amount that you paid to us.
- The rest of the payment for the experience is payable to the organiser, either upon arrival at the destination or before in some cases, if the organiser requires it. The organiser will arrange this with you.
- The refund of the second payment, which goes directly to the trip organiser, is based on their own Terms and Conditions, and we have no control over this.
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