Sapa To Cao Bang – Conquer The Most Emotional Route In Vietnam’s Northern Highlands

Before the 2010s, it was really a difficult journey to travel all over Vietnam since, after the rain season, all the roads were dirty and seriously damaged by landslides, erosion, and flash floods. However, today, this is no longer an impossible task for the majority of tourists who want to explore the beauty of Northern Vietnam, especially the route from Sapa to Cao Bang, one of the most sought-after routes in our nation.

Why Sapa – Cao Bang is the most sought-after  off-road route  in Northern Vietnam? 

Sapa – Cao Bang is one of the most attractive routes of the Northern tourism paradise, with the beautiful natural landscape that is harmoniously combined with a clear sky, thick mist, flooding clouds, sloping mountains, and magnificent terraced fields, and craggy karst formations. Here are the top reasons for you not to ignore this rural highlight.

Here you can refer to other awesome routes in Northern Vietnam:

• Bumpy Ride On Bac Ha To Ha Giang Route – An Unforgettable Experience In Our Lifetime!
• Memorable Ride On The Tortuous Route From Ha Giang to Ba Be National Park

The most famous place in Northern Vietnam

Be prepared before starting this amazing journey full of surprises and emotions. You will officially land on the most incredible destinations in Vietnam. With this route, we ensure that you have the greatest tour experience through the most well-known regions and landscapes such as Sapa, Y Ty, Bac Ha market, Coc Pai, Hoang Su Phi terraced fields, Phung village, Chieu Lau Thi & Tay Con Linh mountain, Ha Giang Loop, Mo Pia Pass, Pac Bo Cave, Ban Gioc waterfall. Sounds interesting, right? What’s more,  you can experience the most beautiful routes of the geological parks, including Dong Van – Meo Vac and Non Nuoc – Cao Bang.

A great place for unchanged cultures

Traveling between the small local villages dotting the landscapes, you are lucky enough to meet many of several minority groups. The most enjoyable experience is learning how to make famous Linen products of the White H’mong people in Ha Giang and Hoa H’mong in Bac Ha.

Have you ever got an authentic insight into the daily lives of the villagers in Vietnam? If not yet, the answer is right here. Travel through lush green rice fields and get more about the minority communities like the H’mong, Tay, Nung, and Xa Pho, and especially the Lo Lo in Bao Lac – Cao Bang tour.

The roof of attractive cuisines 

Located in hilly and mountainous areas, except with greenery for miles, these lands also stand out thanks to extremely unique dishes. With the available materials such as buffalo meat, beef, stolen armpit pig, bamboo shoots, kohlrabi, and chayote tops, the local people take advantage of their skillful hands to make dozens of yummy local foods such as Bac Ha ‘thắng cố’, Sapa salmon, Bac Ha corn wine, and Cao Bang rolls. These local dishes can be found nowhere throughout the S-shaped land. So, it is time to do some more strenuous exploring!

What is the best way to travel from Sapa to Cao Bang?

Relax your mind by giving access to the summit in this mind-challenging tour. Located in high mountains, it is no way to find any airport. Sapa – Cao Bang can be accessible by road only. The most popular but dangerous way to enjoy this mountainous route is by dirt bikes.

However, today, you can reach the adventurous journey by some kinds of transport below. Take a look!

By family car

In the past, traveling by family car through the Sapa – Cao Bang route was impossible due to the dirty and sloping roads. Nevertheless, nowadays, it is easier to dominate the challenging adventure to ‘The Roof of Indochina’ and other worth-visiting landscapes by car. Just make sure that you avoid the rainy season in August. And then, everything’s gonna be okay.

By motorbike

Welcome thrill-seekers to discover the most stunning places of Northern Vietnam, highlighting Sapa, Bac Ha, Dong Van, and Ba Be Lake. Bikes, especially dirt bikes, are the most suitable means to completely explore the regions of fine, rugged, breathtaking destinations. However, to make it not a wrong choice, you’d better book a tour of a company specializing in organizing Sapa motorbike tours to ensure your most memorable enduro trip ever. And, if you prefer energy-restoring and peaceful, relaxing tours, scooters are not a bad idea.

Traveling by 4×4 vehicles today is the best way to gain unforgettable off-road driving experiences in Vietnam. Ride on your four wheels to ensure flexibility, safety, and comfort. What are you waiting for? Let’s have fun and active holidays with your family and friends.

By bus

Make your adventure easier by bus or coach. Everything you have to do is just to get on your means of transportation and get ready to admire the exquisite beauty of nature. All the tours will start from Hanoi, and then you catch a bus or night coach to Lao Cai. Enjoy!

What types of travel forms are best for this route?

Refresh your upcoming Sapa – Cao Bang trip no matter what types of tours you choose. Today, it is not challenging at all to travel in a way you have never tried before. Read on to discover what they are before packing your luggage to the indigenous culture discovery.

Off-road dirt bike tours

This is how enthusiastic riders go. Seek thrilling experiences while traveling since you are going to travel through small, muddy pathways in the local Northern Vietnam region with many potholes. Jump on two wheels through dangerous steep mountains, dense green forests, and brilliant flowers. This time, you will have a great chance to explore the best highlights of the Northeast. Enjoy the magnificent picture of thousand limestone islands while your eyes and soul are well served.

Riding a motorbike to see how locals maintain their cultural lives every day. However, one thing that should be noted is that driving through the  O Quy Ho pass will absolutely challenge your steering. So, be careful and well prepared!

Off-road Vietnam 4X4 tours

A complete guide to your best self-drive 4×4 tour experience (4WD) in Northern Vietnam is now right in your hand. Travel across the whole of Vietnam on two wheels seems like a sweet dream to all adventure lovers, especially off-road motorcyclists. Meanwhile, choose to drive a 4×4 for the unique experience through the town in the clouds to the highest mountain range in Northeast Vietnam.

A self-drive tour is actually the best way to sightsee no end of beautiful visions of the wild rural scene, green forest, deep blue sky, and mighty mountains. Be careful of the unfavorable weather during your long ride across tough and dangerous roads. Therefore, you better do with a well-experienced traveler to handle the risks and troubles in your trip.

Trekking tours to local villages 

As an enthusiastic traveler, Sapa trekking tours might cross your mind every day while reading about Vietnam travel. Here comes the good treat for hikers and adventurers. These tours will cover a vast range of Vietnamese tribe villages in Northeastern Vietnam, such as Ha Nhi, Black Lolo, Black Hmong, Tay, Red Dao, and Nung. Free your soul in colorful ethnic minority markets while immersing yourself in new knowledge of cultures and customs and fun. Vietnam trekking tours are specially designed for adventure lovers who are curious about the lives of ethnic minorities.

Bring the most breathtaking scenery into your lens across spectacular limestone mountains and magnificent scenes like Tay Con Linh Mountain ranges, Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, Ma Pi Leng Pass, Lung Cu flagpole, and Pac Bo Historical Complex. Let’s admire the most striking rice terraces and captivating buckwheat flowers in size.

Biking & climbing tours   

This exclusive cycling tour takes you from Hanoi to the best natural wonderland of Northeast Vietnam. Visit Ban Gioc Waterfall – the fourth-largest border-crossing waterfall in the world, which seems like a paradise of its own with deep blue sky, striking valley, and great limestone mountains. We ensure that this discovery will leave you the last amazing impression and memorable moments in your lifetime.

One certain thing is that not every rider can conquer this route easily since you may go through sloping roads with descending rocks and sharp curses. You should be carefully crafted by an experienced team to safely cycle on dirt roads, motorways, single tracks, and buffalo roads in North Vietnam. Roll on rocky mountain ranges, and cross several rivers, streams, and lush green tropical forests, hillsides. Are you ready?

Photo tours

A feast for all the scents! Known for turquoise rivers, deep blue mountains, and exotic tribal cultures, the route from Sapa to Cao Bang is such an endless inspiration for photographers’ creativity. Photo tours to Sapa – Cao Bang allow you to fully explore and join a life-changing experience to hauntingly beautiful padded terraces, verdant tea plantations, and misty mountains. Photography Tours feature the most flexible trips to photograph the outstanding highlights of the regions and explore the indigenous culture through amazing photos.

Where to stay

Finding local accommodations while joining the long route to the best travel hot spots is always one of the top concerns for tourists. To meet the requirements of finding comfortable but budget-friendly accommodation, we will give you some of the best places in the area for the most pleasant experiences.

Motels

If you are not seeking relaxing tours and fall for the beauty of remote villages, motels will be a convenient choice for you. It is easy to find ranges of small motels in towns while going from Sapa to Cao Bang. Plenty of money-saving accommodations are offered based on your budget. Check for necessary options like Wi-Fi, fans, air-con, and hot water before making your final decision. Most of the standard motels that are worth $30 or more per night are already equipped with basic necessities for travelers.

Hotels, Bungalows 

Mid-range hotels and bungalows are widely available at a mid-price range on the road from Sapa to Cao Bang. This type of accommodation often includes booking offices, room service,  in-house restaurants, bars, and so on. There are also more luxurious hotels to reach, even not on the main tourist trail for people who don’t worry about their financial status. On the other hand, cozy bungalows are also a great option for groups of riders or travelers to take a break after a long day.

Homestays 

To experience the most authentic Northern route in the most local way, you are highly recommended to take a village homestay. We swear that you will get fully exposed to traditional customs, cuisines, and new languages and have lots of fun. Nowadays, it is more and more feasible to spend your relaxing night in a traditional stilt, especially when you book a well-organized tour with local tour operators. Don’t be scared of mosquitoes in the remote mountainous area since your room is actually set up with several mattresses, blankets, and mosquito nets.

Almost all the homestays in the Northern mountain region are clean and tidy, and the people here are friendly and hospitable. You are always warmly welcomed and served with local specialties. Absolutely, the cost to stay in the local homestays will vary depending on the location (a meal included). But, it is likely a good deal. Imagine that you will start your day inhaling the tranquil fresh air, sightseeing the shiny terraced rice paddies and lush green forests, and diving into the world of sounds of cattle, birds, and the Tay weaving. That’s amazing!

Hope that you have gained important knowledge about the discovery of the Sapa – Cao Bang route in Northern Vietnam, which is filled with unrivaled destinations that you have just long seen in many postcards. Be well prepared for the real treasures in the rural areas up in Vietnam’s far north. Have a nice and safe trip to Vietnam, buddies!