Visit Sapa in 2 days – Beautiful scenery in the highlands

Sapa – the land of fog is always a promising destination with beautiful landscapes. That fascinates people, along with the unique cultural identity of the enchanting highland people. Surely, everyone wants to come to Sapa once to admire the majestic natural scenery and diverse and new travel experiences. If you are also planning to visit Sapa in 2 days, try to refer to the “pocket tour” that IDC Travel will suggest below.

2 days in Sapa – The jewel of the mountains

Sapa is a small town in Lao Cao province. This place is located on the mountainside 1,500 – 1,600 meters above sea level, 40 km from the center of the province, and 376 km from Hanoi. Sapa possesses a tropical climate with four diverse seasons in such a favorable location. More specifically, Sapa in recent years is also one of the rare places in Vietnam with snow in winter.

Want to plan to visit Sapa in 2 days? Then choose 2 days in Sapa in any season you like. Sapa has typical beauty in each season with the temperature usually maintained below 25 degrees Celsius.

However, for Sapa 2 days itinerary to be most complete, you can note the specific schedule of each season as follows:

• Spring

From the end of December, the peach blossoms in Sapa have bloomed, lasting until February, covering this place in brilliant pink. From February to March, you will admire the forests of apricot flowers, and plum flowers blooming on the horizon.

Continuing to March – April is the time of blooming of all kinds of flowers when the weather is warm in spring. This is the time when the whole town is filled with white flowers and buckwheat flowers.

Spring of Sapa mountains

• Summer

It is also the rainy season of Sapa, but do not think that summer is not suitable for traveling to Sapa. Early summer and late summer are two great times for you to make a self-sufficient Sapa tour if you are always fascinated with the majestic terraced fields.

April – May is the rice transplanting season, also known as the pouring water season. This is the time when people start a new crop, Sapa is immersed in the green color of young rice fields. But the most beautiful is the moment of dawn or dusk, when the orange-yellow sun spills over the fields, reflecting sparklingly on the water.

The end of August – September is the ripe rice season. Coming to Sapa at this time, you will have the opportunity to see the golden ripe rice season on the winding terraced fields in the cool air of late summer and early autumn.

Summer in Sapa

• Fall

In particular, the last two weeks of October are also the time to organize the Buckwheat Flower Festival with many enjoyable cultural exploration activities.

Autumn terraces in Sapa

• Winter

Sapa is one of the rare regions in Vietnam that gives you the opportunity to watch the snowfall. If you want to experience the cold of the high mountains and admire the snow-covered scenery of this small town, do not hesitate to come to Sapa in the winter months. Besides, the time from the end of November to the beginning of the new year is when the rapeseed fields in Sapa are in full bloom, welcoming tourists.

One point to note is that although Sapa is charming in winter, the weather is also very harsh, the temperature can drop below 0 degrees, and it is cloudy. Therefore, when traveling to Sapa on your own during this time, you need to equip yourself with warm clothes and necessary items to ensure health for a tour visit Sapa in 2 days.

Sapa in winter

Visit Sapa in 2 days with hot check-in locations

Your Sapa 2 days itinerary may seem limited in time, but if you know how to arrange your schedule. If you book a hotel near the center of town, you can still visit many destinations there.

48 hours in Sapa – Day 1: Stone Church – Love Market – Ham Rong Mountain

During a 48-hour tour in Sapa, you should choose to stay a little closer to the town center. Because in this area, you can see the beauty of Sapa like a wildflower immersing in the city to the fullest.

Stone Church

On the first day of 2 days in Sapa, you should visit the Stone Church. Located in the center of Sapa town, the Stone Church (or the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary) is considered the most complete ancient architectural mark of the French left. Built-in the late 19th century according to French Gothic architecture, the church has been preserved almost intact until today.

According to some records, the church was chosen to have the facade facing the East, that is, the direction of the rising sun. Some people explain that it is the direction to receive the light of God. In the area with the bell tower, that is, at the end of the poem, it is turned to the West, which means the birthplace of Christ. The church was built from hewn stone, in the style of Roman Gothic architecture.

The cross-shaped walls are built with a very special formula: a combination of sand, lime and molasses have beautifully bonded the stone blocks. Previously, the roof was made of lime straw, now it has been replaced and roofed with tiles. The total area of ​​the church campus is more than 6000m2.

Stone Church in Sapa

Ham Rong Mountain

In the afternoon, before enjoying the unique features of the Northwest love market, you can visit Ham Rong mountain.

Ham Rong Mountain is about 3 km from Sapa town, located at an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters above sea level, right behind the Stone Church. The name “Ham Rong” means “jaw of a dragon”, derived from the clear image of a dragon’s head facing the blue sky due to randomly stacked cliffs. Accordingly, this natural masterpiece is associated with thrilling and fascinating folk tales.

From the top of Ham Rong, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Sapa and the beautiful valleys surrounding it. On foggy days, the clouds around the mountain are extremely fanciful, making this place known as the Clouds Stadium of the foggy town.

Ham Rong mountain

Love market

The love market usually takes place right in front of the Stone Church yard every Saturday and Sunday night. If your Sapa 2 days itinerary is on the weekend, you will be lucky to experience this unique Northwest culture.

This is a market of the Dao, only open once a week on Sunday, but the night before, there were many couples coming to make love and affection. Today, the market is an interesting place for visitors to discover the culture of the highland ethnic groups, as well as enjoy attractive local products.

Previously, people only held the Sapa love market once a year. When you have worked hard in the fields all year round, the love market is the only opportunity for you to cultivate a complete love story.

Boys and girls find each other in the market, wives meet ex-lovers, and husbands find old girlfriends. Only one day and then everyone went home, the husband and wife saw each other, then went back to take care of the wedding, those who have not found each other regretted waiting for the opportunity next week. In the morning, people struggled for a piece of rice and clothes. Loving each other, and missing each other must wait until next year.

Romantic love market in Sapa

Sapa 2 days itinerary – Day 2: Muong Hoa Valley (Old Beach) – Ta Phin Village – Fansipan Peak

In the itinerary to visit Sapa in 2 days, you should spend the 2nd day visiting these places.

Muong Hoa valley – Ancient stone beach

About 8 km from Sapa, this beautiful valley preserves a lot of ancient traces, typically an undetermined ancient rock beach of undetermined age and origin. Thanks to the favor of nature, the climate in the valley is very cool and fresh. Each month of the year the valley brings its own beauty. Therefore, visitors can visit here at any time of the year. March to May is the time when the rice fields begin to bloom. The valley will be covered with lush green. When visitors come here, they will be greeted with gentle breezes, a little chilly of spring Sapa.

Besides admiring the ancient stone beach, visitors can watch the clear blue stream bending along the craggy hills. In the valley, there are currently about 22 small streams originating from the flow of the ravine. Visitors can go through the rattan bridges built by the people to see them more clearly.

Terraced fields are probably the “specialty” of Sapa that you should not miss when coming to the valley. Here, there is a terraced field that is considered the most beautiful in Vietnam. When the rice season is ripe, the yellow color seems to cover the whole valley. This creates a poetic and peaceful beauty in this town.

Muong Hoa valley – Ancient stone beach

Fansipan Peak

The last place you must conquer in Sapa is the top of Fansipan. Referring to Sapa, it is impossible not to mention Fansipan – the “roof” of Indochina. This city is more than 3,000 meters above sea level. There are 2 ways to conquer Fansipan: a 2-3 day climbing journey, or a cable car ride.

With a tour to visit Sapa in 2 days, you should travel by cable car to conquer Fansipan peak. To go by cable car, you will have to buy tickets with the listed price of 700,000 VND for adults, and 500,000 VND for children. Children under 1m tall will be free to ride the cable car. Please note to keep the ticket carefully. Because this is a 2-way fare and needs to be used for the return. In a trip lasting about 15 minutes, each cabin can handle about 30 other turns. Note when conquering Fansipan peak:

• Please prepare snacks and drinks because the service on the mountain is quite expensive.
• Only bring the things you really need because when climbing, it is difficult for you to carry bulky luggage.
• Please dress warmly the climate in the mountains is quite low. When you move the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature. In some places, it is only about 8 degrees Celsius.

Fansipan peak

That is all about the highlighted destinations that you should visit in Sapa if you only have 48 hours. However, in case you have a little more time to spend there, or you have already been to all the places mentioned, you can take this list of  “The most beautiful villages in Sapa “ as a reference.

Typical Sapa cuisine you should try in the visit Sapa 2 days itinerary

Sapa in particular and the Northwest mountainous provinces in general possess extremely unique specialties. Let’s take a look at the list of dishes you can’t miss when you have up to 2 days in Sapa.

Thang Co

The most famous dish in the Northwest that you should try when traveling to Sapa is Thang Co. Thang Co is cooked from all kinds of meat, and animal organs in a large pan. This dish is simmered on a charcoal stove for many hours to soften and absorb the spices.

Black chicken

Black chicken is famous for its medicinal value and nutritional value. In the cool weather of Sapa, there is nothing better than a bowl of black chicken with herbs, or hot honey-grilled black chicken.

Stewed black chicken

Barbecue

Barbecue skewers are a great snack on the cold days of Sapa. The choice is also extremely diverse from meat, sausages, chicken feet, and vegetables … You can serve grilled food with sesame-salted rice to increase the deliciousness.

Salmon

Salmon is no longer a “rare” of the temperate country but has been raised in Sapa. If you are a salmon fan, you can enjoy an attractive menu including sashimi, salmon hot pot, or grilled salmon.

Salmon Sapa hotpot

Things to know before you visit 2 days in Sapa

To have a trip to visit Sapa in 2 days with the most perfect experience, you need to note the following things.

• Sapa is always crowded with tourists, especially in the flower season, or the peak of winter-spring tourism. You should book the hotel in advance to avoid overpriced, rare rooms on this occasion.
• Before buying or using travel services, you need to ask the price first and pay the price to avoid being challenged.
• Be prepared if you want to buy souvenirs and decorations of small value. If giving even money, the seller may offer to exchange the change for goods.
• Sapa tourist destinations often have many steep hills, you have to walk a lot. So you should choose comfortable clothes, sports shoes or soft sole shoes.
• If you see ethnic girls and want to take a photo together, you should ask first because sometimes you will have to pay a fee.
• The average temperature of Sapa is quite low, especially at night. So you need to prepare a full coat, scarf, socks, gloves, and wool hat to keep warm.
• If you are in Hanoi and want to travel to Sapa by car or motorbike, you should consider safety. Because the terrain of the mountain road in the Northwest is constantly a dangerous pass. If you are not familiar with it, it is easy to be in danger.
• If you are in the inner region and want to visit Sapa, please land at Noi Bai airport. Then you can continue to choose a means of transportation afterward such as a plane, coach, car …

Tips for visiting Sapa in 2 days

Hopefully, with the experiences of the above trip, you will have an exciting trip to visit Sapa in 2 days. Now let’s prepare for Sapa 2 days itinerary this winter!