Buzz
When Lào Cai is mentioned – a highland province bordering the Northwest, many immediately think of the town of Sapa. However, Lào Cai has many beautiful and equally fascinating areas.
April 30th Travel: Recommended 4-day Itinerary for Exploring Lào Cai – Sapa
Recommended Itinerary
Day 1: Lào Cai City – Bắc Hà
3 AM: Arrive in Lào Cai City, check-in, and relax.
6 AM: Rent a motorbike and have breakfast.
7 AM: Depart for Bắc Hà, explore the town (76 km from Lào Cai City), visit the palace of Hmong King A Tưởng, Bắc Hà Temple, plum orchards, and traditional corn wine distillery in Bản Phố.
12 PM: Enjoy lunch.
1 PM: Return to Lào Cai City, visit the Lào Cai International Border Gate, and Cốc Lếu Church.
5 PM: Take a leisurely stroll by the river, enjoy the cool breeze, and witness the sunset over the city.
Day 2: Sapa
6 AM: Travel to the town of Sapa.
7 AM: Conquer Fansipan by cable car, explore Love Waterfall, Ham Rong Mountain, and admire the panoramic view from Ô Quy Hồ Pass.
12 PM: Have lunch in the town of Sapa.
1 PM: Visit the Stone Church, explore the town.
4 PM: Transfer to Tả Van village, 7 km from the town center. Along the way, enjoy the beauty of terraced fields in the Muong Hoa Valley.
5 PM: Explore the ancient rock field with various carvings like terraced fields, human figures, pathways, written characters, etc., evidence of prehistoric presence in Lào Cai. Check-in at Tả Van village.
7 PM: Have dinner with the Mông and Dáy ethnic families in Tà Van, learn about the daily life of the ethnic minorities here.
Day 3: Y Tý
7 AM: Depart for Y Tý, 80 km from Sapa. The road is steep and narrow, challenging to traverse and time-consuming. Along the way, pass through Mường Hum and be amazed at its development. Mường Hum, a commune in Bát Xát district, boasts towering terraced fields and modern structures resembling a small town.
12 PM: Have lunch in Y Tý.
1 PM: Explore the villages of the Hà Nhì ethnic group, including Lao Chải and Sín Chải. Marvel at the wall-like houses resembling mushrooms in the valley, providing coolness in summer and warmth in winter.
5 PM: As the sun sets, the entire Y Tý valley seems to float above the clouds.
7 PM: Dinner, campfire activities.
Day 4: Cloud Hunting
5 AM: The unique specialty of Y Tý is the floating sea of clouds. Travelers should wake up early, head to Ngải Thầu Thượng, about 5 km from the Y Tý center, endure the frost, patiently wait, and then be overwhelmed by the feeling of standing higher than the sky.
9 AM: Leave Ngải Thầu Thượng, return to Lào Cai City via A Lù, A Mú Sung, Trịnh Tường.
10 AM: Visit Lũng Pô, milestone 92, where the Red River begins its flow into Vietnamese territory.
12 PM: Lunch break in Trịnh Tường.
At 2:00 PM, we returned to the bustling city of Lào Cai, returned the motorcycles, headed back to Hanoi, and concluded our adventurous journey.
All the attractions in Lào Cai offer clean and beautiful hotels, affordable homestays, and the option for adventurous travelers to bring their own tents and camp overnight.
When in Lào Cai, dare to indulge in the local specialties such as horse sausage, sturgeon raised in the cold waters at an altitude of over 1,000 meters, wild boar, and especially, the dish called tóp mỡ prepared according to the recipe of the Mông ethnic people. Enjoy a cup of spicy corn wine with friends in the iron-cold of the mountainous region.
Explore more about our journey on Zing News.
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For travel insights, refer to the guide on Mytour.
Explore with MytourApril 28, 2016
