Sapa To Halong Bay in 7 days – Stunning Forests and Beaches

Best season to make a trip from Sapa to Halong Bay

Summer is the best time for you and your beloved to enjoy the excursion from  Sapa to Halong Bay.  Sapa brings you a cool and pleasant space all year round with a temperate climate. If the temperature in Hanoi is up to 39-40°C, Sapa has a temperature of only 17 – 19°C. This is also the season that attracts the most visitors to Halong. Coming here in summer, you can admire the blue sea, go for a walk along the white sand, and explore the mysterious caves in the underground system of limestone mountains. So don’t hesitate to plan a tour from Sapa to Halong Bay now:

Best means of transportation for a one-week tour from Sapa to Halong Bay

There are two ways to take a trip from  Sapa to Halong Bay: by joining the tour offered by a travel company or by yourself. If you work through a travel agency, this form of travel is often more expensive than choosing a  self-guided tour, but you do not need to prepare anything but enjoy your trip. On the other hand, if you choose to make a travel plan, you need to cover everything, including selecting the transportation that suits your budget, health, time, and interests. This form of travel is the cheapest way to discover Vietnam on your way.

Motorbike

If you are a trekking and adventure lover, riding  your motorbike  through challenging roads to reach  Sapa and Halong Bay  is advisable. Traveling from  Sapa to Halong Bay by motorbike  is recommended for experienced riders who are in good health and can handle stuff on tour. It takes you time and effort to travel between places.

The distance from  Hanoi to Sapa  is over 300 kilometers, while Sapa is about 400 kilometers from Quang Ninh. Your motorbike will experience winding and tortuous mountain roads that challenge thrill-seekers. Therefore, working with a professional  Vietnam motorbike tour operator  is highly recommended to avoid risks and headaches. Besides, you will be advised to choose a motorbike suitable for the terrain and your riding level.

Check out BM Travel Adventure’s Motorbike Tours from Hanoi to Halong Bay via Sapa, ranging from 10 to 14 days to discover northern regions of Vietnam: The 10-day North Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Halong  is a great chance for you to discover some of the most well-known landmarks in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, including some northern attractions like  Tu Le, Mu Cang Chai, Sapa, Hoang Su Phi, Dong Van, MeoVac, Ban Gioc Waterfall, and Halong Bay  ” the World Natural Heritage Site. If you don’t have much time here in Vietnam but still want to explore most of the beauty from  Northwest to Halong Bay as the final destination,  the  Vietnam Motorcycle Tour in 12 days from Northwest to Halong Bay  is just for you.

Every day on the road will bring you different levels of emotion. Motorbiking to uncharted places while enjoying the raw beauty of nature in Northwest Vietnam will surely bring you the most memorable riding experience of your life! If you are a big fan of  Northern Vietnam’s  natural beauty and  motorbike tours, the North Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Halong Bay – 14 days will be a good choice. It is considered one of the most interesting tours in Northern Loop Motorbike Tours in Vietnam, with two scenic routes:  Sapa to Ha Giang  and  Sapa to Halong Bay  which is worth trying for any adventure biker.

Train

From Hanoi, you can go to Sapa by train. You can choose from many seat types, including hard seats, soft seats, and VIP sleepers. The trains usually depart Hanoi at 9-10 p.m and arrive in Sapa early the next morning. The train ticket price is quite reasonable, 150,000 VND / ticket for a hard seat, 280,000 VND / ticket with a soft seat, while the price of a VIP ticket can range from 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND / ticket. After experiencing the wonderful days in Sapa, you will continue your journey as a coach. It is the only choice because no trains are taking you from Sapa to Halong Bay.

Coach/ bus

A coach is the most appropriate means of transport for a trip from Sapa to Halong Bay. Compared to other vehicles, the coach not only offers a low cost but also helps you save time and brings great comfort and convenience while moving.

From Hanoi to Sapa:

Every day, many high-quality coach brands offer trips from  Hanoi to Sapa,  such as Camel Travel, Queen Cafe, Hung Thanh, Sapa Express, and Sao Viet. The ticket price ranges from 180,000 to 250,000 VND, and the VIP ticket costs 400,000 VND. Coaches are available from early morning to late night, so you choose the most convenient time to buy a ticket and take a coach trip. From Sapa to Halong Bay: How can you take a  Sapa to Halong Bay bus? Now the best option for this route is Phuc Xuyen. Previously, you would have to go back to Hanoi and take a bus to Quang Ninh, but now it is much more convenient because the Phuc Xuyen bus can take you from Sapa to Halong Bay and some other places in Quang Ninh.

From Halong to Hanoi:

Phuc Xuyen not only provides  Sapa to Halong Bay buses  but also takes you from Halong Bay to Hanoi. The earliest trip leaves Halong at 4:00 a.m, and the latest trip departs Halong at 6:30 p.m. The coaches will stop at My Dinh or Luong Yen bus station. The price of a ticket is now 200,000 VND. A big advantage of choosing a coach for the route from  Hanoi to Sapa  and from  Sapa to Halong Bay  is that it will not take time to have stops along the way while still giving you a chance to experience a lot of interesting things during the trip. It takes about 6 – 8 hours to move from Hanoi to Sapa, 8 hours from Sapa to Halong Bay, and 3 hours from Halong to Hanoi.

Accommodation and transportation in Sapa and Halong

In Sapa

Accommodation The system of hotels and motels in Sapa is developing strongly. There is a wide range of rooms with different quality standards, ranging from affordable to 4-5 star hotels, satisfying various demands of visitors. If you want to save money for your trip, you can choose a cheap motel or hotel of average quality or a homestay. Following are some hotels and motels with affordable prices you can choose to stay at when coming to Sapa:

• Sapa Success Hotel: No.147 Thach Son, Sapa town. Price: 300,000 VND / room,
• Sapa Hostel: No.1, Hoang Lien, Sapa town. Price: 112,000 VND / room,
• Go Sapa Hostel: No.25, Thac Bac, Sapa town. Price: 112,000 VND / room,
• Pumpkin Sapa Hotel: No.14, Dong Loi, Sapa town. Price: 336,000 VND / room,
• Sapa Travel Hotel: No.17, Thac Bac, Sapa town. Price 112,000 VND / room

Transportation When staying in Sapa, you need to choose a convenient means of transportation that can help to reduce your expenses during your trip. It is recommended to choose one of the following vehicles:

• Motorbike: the motorbike rental service in Sapa is quite common. The average price is about 120,000 VND / day. You fill up the motorbike with gasoline by yourself. The rental time is from 6 a.m to 6 p.m every day.
• Motorcycle taxi: You can hire a motorbike taxi driver. He/she will take you to several famous sites. The average price for 4 or 5 nearby destinations is from 100,000 to 150,000 VND.
• Take part in the tour provided by Sapa travel companies: You can find this kind of tour at hotels in Sapa or ask people in the town for detailed information.

In Halong

Accommodation As a famous tourist destination, Halong has a diverse system of hotels, motels, and homestays with different prices to suit travelers’ budgets. Depending on your income, you can choose the most suitable room for yourself. If you are hunting for hotels with affordable prices, you should consider hiring a room at one of the following hotels:

• Halong Happy Hostel: No.25 Anh Dao, Halong City. The lowest price is 112,000 VND / room / night,
• Halong Backpacker Hostel Hostel: No.41 Anh Dao, Halong City. The lowest price is 112,000 VND / room / night,
• Doan Trang Hotel: No.108 Hau Can, Bai Chay Ward, Halong City. The lowest price is 164,000 VND / room / night,
• Truong Thinh Hotel: No.142 Hau Can, Halong City. The lowest ticket price is 313,000 VND / room / night.

Transportation

• Taxi:  In Halong, you can choose from many taxi companies. You can refer to Halong taxi (0333 626 262), Mai Linh taxi (0333 628 628), Hon Gai taxi (0333 848 484), and Mong Cai taxi (0333 886 886).
• Motorbike:  You can rent a motorbike for sightseeing in the tourist destinations in Halong. For more information about motorcycle rental, you can ask the staff of the motel or hotel you are staying at. Besides, you also can refer to travel companies.
• Cruise boat:  When doing a sightseeing tour around Halong, you should not miss the opportunity to travel by boat. You can take a private boat for the most enjoyable experience. If you want to save money, it is recommended to join a boat tour. Each Halong boat trip usually lasts for 4 to 6 hours. Taking a boat tour, each person will pay 100,000 VND / ticket. Meanwhile, when you hire a private boat, the expense will be about 1,500,000 VND.

Tour schedule of the one-week trip from Sapa to Halong Bay

The first three days in Sapa: explore the natural forest

The first day: visit the Ancient Stone Church, Ham Rong Mountain, Cat Cat village, and Love market On the first day, you should visit the tourist attractions near the town center.

• Sapa Ancient Church

This unique religious architecture was built in the French colonial period in the late 19th century. It has been regarded as the most magnificent building with ancient French architectural features in Sapa.

• Ham Rong Mountain

From Sapa town center, you move a distance of three kilometers to reach Ham Rong Mountain, the best sightseeing spot in Sapa. Standing on the top of Ham Rong, you can have a panoramic view of Sapa with Muong Hoa valley, Ta Phin, and Sa Pa communes. You would feel as if you got lost in a fairyland with a perfect combination of mountains, sky, clouds, and thousands of colorful flowers.

• Cat Cat village

This special market is for Yao and H’ mong people in Sapa. The market takes place every Saturday in front of Sapa Town Church. The Love market in Sapa is a place for ethnic boys and girls to make a date. In souvenir shops, you can also find jewelry, brocade hats, scarves, and shirts. You can choose to buy any of these items as a gift before coming back to Hanoi. In the evening, you should visit a store in Sapa town and enjoy some famous delicacies of this mountain region. Grilled dishes, bamboo cooked rice, 7-color sticky rice, and cat mustard green with salt and chili are all worth a try. Only two kilometers from the center of the town,  Cat Cat village  is an old village of the H’ mong ethnic people in Sapa. Established in the 19th century, Cat Cat retains many traditional crafts such as cotton and linen, cloth weaving, and brocade embroidery.

• Love Market (Chợ Tình) 

The second day: visit Lao Chai – Ta Van villages, Thac Bac, and the Heaven’s Gate

• Lao Chai – Ta Van

Located about seven kilometers from the town center, Lao Chai Village and Ta Van Village are inhabited by ethnic minorities of the Mong, Giay, Yao, and Tay. The hard-working people here created hundreds-of-year terraced fields that can compare to a wonderful picture of nature with marvelous curving lines. If you come here in the pouring season (April) or the ripe rice season (September), you will be surprised to see a beautiful and gorgeous picture covering the whole space. You also will immerse yourself in the peaceful life of the mountain people, eat tasty specialties, and experience the unique cultural features of this mountain region.

• Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall)

Located about 10 kilometers from the center of Sapa town, Thac Bac has long been known as a great beauty spot in Sapa. Pouring water from 100 meters, the waterfall produces a delightful sound that visitors can hear from a long distance. Moving toward that sound, you can see the breathtaking beauty of the waterfall. At the foot of the waterfall, many households in Sapa breed salmon, a rare fish species often found in areas with cool climates. You can visit the salmon farms to see this rare species in Vietnam.

After the morning of walking around  Thac Bac  and enjoying salmon dishes, you should spend your afternoon on a journey to Fansipan, called “the roof of Indochinaâ€. This legendary peak is an ideal destination for those who desire to conquer challenges. That being said, according to the itinerary, you have only three days for the discovery of Sapa. Meanwhile, climbing Fansipan takes up to 6 or 7 days. Besides, this challenge needs thorough preparation and excellent health. Therefore, reaching the Fansipan peak on foot seems impossible on your recent trip. Instead, you can choose to go to this summit by cable car.

Since 2016, a modern Fansipan cable car system has been inaugurated to take visitors to the top of Fansipan. It only takes about 15 minutes from Muong Hoa valley as the station to the 3000-meter point. You take 600 steps to reach Fansipan peak, 3,143 meters above sea level. Surely you will get a chance to experience the wonderful feeling when standing on the roof of Indochina, where you can admire the majestic scenery of the Hoang Lien Son mountains. In the afternoon, you stroll around the shops in Sapa town before continuing the journey to Halong by taking the Phuc Xuyen bus at 4 p.m.

The next three exciting days in Halong: explore the stunning sea

Halong Bay, known as one of the seven world natural wonders, consists of many interesting things. How will be your three-day tour in Halong Bay? It is highly recommended to refer to the following schedule:

The first day: visit Bai Chay Resort, admire Halong from above with the Queen’s cable car

• Enjoy Bai Chay

After checking in at a guesthouse or hotel in Halong and enjoying a great night in the evening, you start the journey to explore Halong the next morning. After getting up, you first have breakfast with Halong’s specialties. Sticky rice served with dipped squid and pepper sauce is the must-try dish here. The price of this dish ranges from 15,000 to 20,000 VND. The first place to visit in Halong is  Bai Chay Resort. Located along the banks of Halong Bay, Bai Chay Resort is an ideal site to relax and swim.

This six-kilometer island is shaped like a tablet and features a large and beautiful artificial beach with over 50,000 square meters of sandy beach. This beach comes with year-round sea wind and an average temperature of 20°C. Coming here, you certainly will be excited about the fascinating legends about Bai Chay’s name. Legend has it that in the Mongol-Vietnamese war, Bai Chay witnessed the historical event that the Vietnamese army of General Tran Khanh Du set the boat carrying Mongol troops’ food on fire. Many Mongol boats were burned before the northeast wind blew the fire into the western bank of Cua Luc Bay, causing fires in dry forests. After this dramatic event, the name Bai Chay came into existence.

On the hottest summer days, thousands of people flock to Bai Chay for swimming, bringing a lively and bustling atmosphere to Halong City. Traveling to Bai Chay in summer, there will be lots of interesting underwater games for you to take part in. You cannot ignore fresh seafood dishes on the trip to Bai Chay. You can taste fresh seafood dishes at restaurants and bars along the streets.

• Explore Halong Bay from above with the Queen cable car

After exploring the bustling space of  Bai Chay beach  in the morning, you cannot miss the opportunity to watch Halong Bay from above in the afternoon. What an enjoyable experience! Since its inauguration in June 2016, the Queen Cable Car has achieved two Guinness world records for the pillar’s height above sea level and cabin capacity. Many tourists compare this cable car with a huge 2-story bus in the vast sky of Halong Bay.

The cable car departs at Bai Chay Resort, crosses the gateway of Cua Luc Bay, and connects the Bai Chay coast with Ba Deo mountain in Hong Gai ward, Halong city. When taking the Queen’s cable car, you can admire the astonishing beauty of Halong Bay from above. While traveling in the cabin, you will realize a great combination of pristine natural beauty and contemporary characteristics of Bai Chay City, Halong. A package ticket for taking a cable car trip and having fun at the Sunset Circle and other amusement parks in Ba Deo Hill costs 300,000 VND. The price for children under 1.3 meters is 200,000 VND, and kids under one meter go free.

The second day: Visit the system of famous caves (Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, Dau Go Cave, and Tam Cung Cave); explore the unspoiled Co To Island.

• Pay a visit to famous caves

On the second day, you will go on a journey to the most famous caves of Halong Bay. You should share a boat with other groups for a money-saving trip to various points of interest. As usual, each route will last for 4 to 6 hours and allow you to visit 4 or 5 caves. A sightseeing ticket to destinations like Dau Go cave, Sung Sot cave, Titop beach, Thien Cung cave, and Me Cung cave usually costs 50,000 VND. Dau Go Cave:  The cave features majestic beauty and looks like a poetic picture created by miraculous brush strokes.

It is also known as the cave of wonders with stone pillars and small and high stalagmites. Sung Sot Cave:  Seen as the most spectacular cave in Halong Bay, this cave is home to numerous rocky islands with unique shapes that can be found nowhere else. Sung Sot Cave is located under the forest’s canopy and comes with steep stone steps. The cave’s ceiling is over 30 meters in height and includes many small dents, which look like the magnificent walls of big theatres.

Thien Cung Cave:  Located in the southwest of Halong Bay and about four kilometers from the ship port, Thien Cung cave will bring you a sweet surprise due to its splendid beauty. You also can go to visit Ti Top cave, Trinh Nu cave, Me Cung cave, Tam Cung cave, Kim Quy cave, and many others in the cave complex of Halong Bay. They are endowed with distinctive charms, making your adventure trip more fascinating.

• Discover Co To Island

Co To Island will be the next destination on your journey. To get to Co To, you must travel from Cai Rong port by wooden boat or speedboat. Speedboat departs at 1 p.m every day and takes you 90 minutes to reach the destination. The wooden boat departs the port at 6:30 a.m and takes about 3 hours to get to Co To Island. Hong Van and Van Chai are the two most stunning beaches of Co To Island. Hong Van stands out due to its clear blue water. Meanwhile, Van Chai, located at the end of the Island, is considered an awesome spot for sunset watching. Don’t miss such marvelous moments on the trip to Co To. The third day: visit Tuan Chau and Cua Van fishing village

• Tuan Chau Island

Of the nearly 2,000 islands of Halong Bay, Tuan Chau, situated southwest of Halong City, is the most beautiful island. It is also one of the few populated islands. You cannot miss visiting a gentle Tra Co beach with clear blue water and a fine white sand beach stretching about six kilometers. The beach is surrounded by over 220 hectares of green pine forest, with cool sea breezes all year round. Tuan Chau is an ideal place to build resorts.

You can comfortably participate in interesting activities on the white sand along the seaside. There are many games to play on the beach, like windsurfing, volleyball, jet skiing, and parasailing. You should also visit the Vietnam Culinary Garden and enjoy the delicious foods here. This impressive spot was built based on the ancient architectural style of the Vietnamese royal court in the 17th and 18th centuries.

• Cua Van fishing village

Cua Van fishing village, located in Hung Thang ward, Halong city, is home to nearly 180 households living by fishing. This fishing village is about 30 kilometers from Doan wharf (Halong) and originates from the ancient villages of Giang Vong and Truc Vong on the banks of Halong Bay. Surrounded by rocky mountains and calm sea waters, the village is a favorite destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

Visiting Cua Van fishing village lets you enjoy the peaceful space of a coastal fishing village, admire the charming nature, and explore the daily life of fishermen living here. The local girls will guide you around the village and instruct you to row a boat, cast a fishing rod, and spread a net. You will gain the most pleasant experience of a simple and peaceful life here. Going around the village, you can meet sunburnt children with radiant smiles. If you want to escape the noise and chaos of urban life, spend time relaxing here.

End the tour from Sapa to Halong Bay and return to Hanoi

After spending a night in Cua Van fishing village, you return to the city center the next morning to prepare for the trip back to Hanoi. It will take about 3 hours to travel from Halong to Hanoi by Phuc Xuyen bus. You should get on the bus in the morning so you can arrive in Hanoi at noon and have an afternoon of rest before starting a new working day. If you travel back to  Hanoi from Halong Bay by motorbike, it will take about 4 hours. Try to arrive in Hanoi before rush hour. Check Out: Ha Long Bay Tours Please contact us

• Address:  3/7/36 Duy Tan Street, Cau Giay District, Ha Noi City
• Mobile:  +84 976 024 986
• Email:  [email protected]
• Website:  https://vietnammotorbiketoursclub.com/