Northern VietnamHanoi
Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital, with a 36-street Old Quarter, quiet mornings by Hoan Kiem Lake, and street food famous the world over.
View this destination
Northern Vietnam
Sa Pa
A town in the clouds at 1,500m, where terraced rice fields, ethnic villages and Fansipan all meet.
Sa Pa sits wrapped in cloud above 1,500 metres, where a single day can pass through every season and terraced rice fields trace the mountainsides. It's a land of ethnic villages that have kept their own way of life, where nearly every turn opens onto a view worth stopping for.
Highlights
- Fansipan Peak, 3,143m — the 'Roof of Indochina'
The Muong Hoa terraced rice fields, a national heritage site
Cat Cat, a H'Mong village with the Tien Sa waterfall
An old stone church at the centre of the misty town
O Quy Ho Pass, one of Vietnam's four great mountain passes
Ta Van and Ta Phin, villages of the Red Dao and Giay people
Experiences worth trying
Take the cable car or trek to the summit of Fansipan
Walk through villages and see traditional linen weaving
Chase the cloud sea at sunrise on O Quy Ho Pass
Browse Sa Pa's night market for grilled snacks and apple wine
Try a traditional Red Dao herbal bath
Trek through villages over one or two days
Sa Pa
Real photos(12)
Hover a photo to see its caption, tap to view it larger.
Northern Vietnam
More destinations in this region
Northern Vietnam
Northern VietnamNinh Binh
Often called 'Ha Long Bay on land,' Ninh Binh is limestone karsts, winding rivers and bright green rice paddies.
View this destination
Northern VietnamHa Long Bay
A natural World Heritage site of thousands of limestone islands rising from emerald water — Vietnam's most iconic sight.
View this destination