Sapa to Hanoi

Lao Cai city is roughly 35 km away from Sapa and the only way to reach Sapa from here is by road. It takes anything between 50 to 90 minutes to reach Sapa. You can travel by the public bus or arrange a taxi or private car transport. Remember to make arrangements for your Lao Cai to Sapa transfer beforehand to avoid troubles after you land in Lao Cai early in the morning. 

The cheapest option is the public bus. The bus stop is located near the car parking of the Lao Cai train station, to the left of the main gate exit. The buses are a bright yellow and red and very easy to identify. The bus journey takes about an hour and a half to reach Lao Cai, Tickets can be bought on board or online at VND 30,000 per person.

Else, you can arrange for private transfer by a car or minivan. The route from Sapa Lao Cai is very windy, so if you suffer from motion sickness, this option is not for you. It’s better to opt for the public bus. The car ride is however faster, taking only 50-60 minutes. You can also arrange for the hotel you are going to stay in to pick you up from Lao Cai or can reserve a seat on a minibus through Sapa O’Chau. Be wary of taxis at the station as there is a risk of being scammed.

Lao Cai to Hanoi

Travelling by train is safe and reliable, it is also easy on your pocket if you travel overnight. You can one night’s accommodation and you’ll get time for sightseeing instead of travelling during the day. Families can also opt for train travel as kids seem to enjoy the ride.

The train services are provided by the state-run Vietnam Railways. There are several trains every night from Sapa to Hanoi. There are a few during the day time as well. There are multiple carriages in the trains. The normal carriages are owned by the Vietnam Railways and the luxurious ones which are costlier are run by private companies.

There are four trains from Lao Cai to Hanoi and during the holidays when tourist traffic is at its peak, more trains are added. However, the fastest train services with the least number of stops are the SP1 and SP3 trains. Both the trains have VIP sleepers (soft beds; 2 berths per cabin), first class sleepers (soft beds, 4 berths per cabin) and second class sleepers (hard beds, 6 berths per cabin). The VIP and first class tickets are also reasonably priced. 

Tickets for the hard beds and soft beds are priced at VND 180,000 and VND 135,000 respectively. The prices are slightly more expensive if bought on the website.