How to go → CAT BA to SAPA? ☀️

1. Bus + Ferry to Sapa
2. Bus + Train + Ferry
3. Private Car + Ferry
🎫 Book a Tour in Sapa
🎫 Book Ticket to Sapa

Sapa is one of the most popular mountain destinations in Vietnam.

• • Sapa in Lao Cai province belongs in the recent time to the most visited places in northern Vietnam. It is a home of the Black Hmong ethnic people and they offer their services for foreign tourists, eg. homestay, trekking, walking, travel quide…In Sapa you can try homestay of ethnic minority people or you can visit the highest mountain of Vietnam – Fansipan (by train + cable car). Sapa has no airport, so the only way how to travel is to travel by land – by combination of ferry, bus and train. The closest railway station to Sapa is in Lao Cai city, about 2 km from the border with China. From Hanoi to Lao Cai you can use private luxury sleeper trains of various companies or regular train by Vietnam Railways. From Sapa you can also travel back to Hanoi or Ninh Binh.

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From Cat Ba to Sapa by combination of bus, train, taxi/car + ferry.

• • Travel distance from Cat Ba Island to Sapa is totally about 480 km by land via Hanoi. There are 3 popular ways of transport from Cat Ba to Sapa: transfer by bus + ferry, train + ferrry or private car + ferry. The most popular option is to travel by bus + ferry via Hanoi. From Cat Ba Island to Sapa you can travel by combination of bus and train: 1.step – From Cat Ba Island to Hanoi (bus+ferry), 2.step – From Hanoi to Sapa/Lao Cai you can travel by train (via Lao Cai) or direct bus/minivan to Sapa, bus tickets to Sapa are cheap.
  • There is also a bus from Cat Ba Island to Sapa, travel time by bus is about 10-12 hous and bus ticket costs about $22-32/pp. You can also travel by train from Hai Phong to Hanoi and from Hanoi you can take another train to Lao Cai (about 35 km from Sapa). From Lao Cai to Sapa you can travel by local public bus or taxi. The most expensive and comfortable way is to book a private taxi from Cat Ba to Sapa via Hanoi. Recommended – Book and buy your e-tickets from Cat Ba Island to Sapa online in advance.

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How do I get from Cat Ba Island to Sapa?

1. BUS + FERRY from Cat Ba Island to Sapa

The used low-cost variant of transportation from Cat Ba Island to the city of Sapa in the north of Vietnam is a bus + ferry trip via Hai Phong. This is a transfer that has a total of 3 steps and includes a short boat transfer from Cat Ba to Hai Phong (or to Tuan Chau / Ha Long). The first step is to go by bus to the port on Cat Ba, then a boat transfer to Hai Phong, followed by another bus transfer to Sapa town. Please note that buses may make other stops before arriving at their destination.

Bus services from Cat Ba Island to Sapa are operated by various companies such as Sapa Ethnic Travel, Techbus VN, Cuong Lan, Ket Doan, Good Morning Cat Ba, Grouptour, Luxury Van Limousine, Full Moon Party Tour, Daiichi Travel, Sapa Discovery Travel, Phuc Xuyen or Vietnam Easy Go Travel. Most of these transport companies will offer you older, but also very new and modern sleeper buses, a boat transfer from the island to the mainland is included in the transfer and tickets.

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The one-way bus + ferry tickets from Cat Ba Island to Sapa cost around $22-32/pp, very modern and comfortable buses are usually more expensive. The travel time by bus and ferry from Cat Ba to Sapa is approximately 10-12 hours, but you should also take into account that the departure and arrival times may not be respected at times, and delays are unfortunately common in Vietnam.

Most of these buses depart from the city of Cat Ba in the south of the island, you will see this information about departures and arrivals in Sapa when ordering tickets. You can search and book bus tickets from Cat Ba to Sapa online in advance. It is also advisable to arrive at the departure point approximately 30 minutes before the departure of the bus.

2. BUS + FERRY + TRAIN from Cat Ba Island to Sapa

If you would like to travel by train to Sapa, it is best to take a bus to Hanoi first and then take a train to Lao Cai city. From the city of Lao Cai to Sapa, you can take a local bus or a private taxi, car or minibus. This option has a total of 3 steps, first a trip by bus + ferry to Hanoi, then a trip by regular or tourist train to Lao Cai and the last step is a trip from Lao Cai to Sapa (approx. 30 km). Please note that this is the slowest way to transfer from Cat Ba to Sapa and will take a lot of time.

The first step of this transfer is a bus + ferry trip from Cat Ba to Hanoi. You can use a number of transport companies that offer you a combined transfer, i.e. bus + boat transfer, the travel time in this way is 3.5-4.5 hours. You can buy a combined ticket from Cat Ba to Hanoi online even in advance and it costs between $8-17/pp, depending on the type of bus you choose. Most companies offer relatively comfortable buses with seats on this route.

Buses mostly depart from the city of Cat Ba in the south of the island and arrive at various locations in Hanoi. You can also use a private car/taxi transfer on this route, but it is significantly more expensive than the bus.

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The second step is to travel by train from Hanoi to the city of Lao Cai, which is a busy railway route and there are regular night trains of the Vietnam Railways, including tourist sleeper trains. Sleeping beds are especially popular on this route, as the train transfer to Lao Cai takes about 8 hours. Regular trains to Lao Cai are the cheapest option, sleepers start at $14-17/pp, some regular trains will offer seats that are even cheaper.

Tourist sleeper trains such as New Livitrans Express, Violette Train, King Express, Fanxipan Express, Chapa Express, Laman Express or VicSapa Train are more expensive than regular trains, tickets for these trains cost between $28-40/pp (a sleeping bed in a cabin for 4 passenger). Some tourist trains may also have cabins for 2 passengers, but this is the most expensive transfer option between Hanoi and Lao Cai

. These tourist trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai, often called as trains to Sapa, offer better comfort and service than ordinary Vietnam Railways trains. Trains arrive at Lao Cai railway station which is approximately 35 km from Sapa town, there is no railway station in Sapa town.

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The third step is the journey from Lao Cai city to Sapa city. There are 2 ways you can travel and that is the local public bus from the main station or private cars/taxi. The local bus from Lao Cai to Sapa is the cheapest option, tickets cost approximately $2.00/pp (you will pay in Vietnamese dong) and the journey time is approximately 1.5 hours.

However, there are also other private minivans or minibuses in operation, also leaving from the train station or the city center, tickets for these minibuses are a little more expensive, they cost, for example, up to $5.00/pp.

You can also choose a private taxi from Lao Cai to Sapa, however this is the most expensive transport option and can cost around $15-30/car. If you are traveling solo and in a low-cost style in Vietnam, you will need to use the local public bus from the train station. All the tickets for the above-mentioned connections can be searched and booked easily online, even in advance, as well as for regular buses or private transfers.

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3. PRIVATE TAXI / CAR + FERRY from Cat Ba to Sapa

Want to travel by private car/taxi from Cat Ba to Sapa? Even this most convenient, but also the most expensive option is available, but it probably won’t be suitable for low-cost travelers. Although it is a long route, a private car/taxi is the fastest transfer option to Sapa from Ostova Cat Ba and takes approximately 8 hours. These private transfers also include a boat transfer from the island to the mainland, which are usually included in the fare.

If you would like to shorten your trip and visit, for example, Hanoi, you can also use a private transfer to Hanoi and then perhaps continue the next day with another private transfer to the city of Sapa. Private cars/taxi companies Saigon DMC or Ouros Travel operate from Cat Ba Island to Sapa city, which are also well rated by other travelers.

However, there are several private companies operating between Cat Ba town – Hanoi and Sapa, so you can split the transfer and choose from several companies.

BOOK PRIVATE CAR to Sapa ➜

The companies Saigon DMC and Ouros Travel will offer you modern, air-conditioned and comfortable cars, SUVs, Jeeps or minivans for several people to Sapa. Depending on the type of car, the transfer will also cost you, transportation by private car from Cat Ba to Sapa costs approximately $240-320/car, depending on the type of car. If you are traveling in a group of several people, you can book a minivan for up to 9 people and you can then calculate the fare for each person.

You can search and book your private car/taxi or minivan for more people from Cat Ba to Sapa online even in advance. If you use a private transfer to Sapa, always carefully read all conditions and instructions when booking a car to avoid possible inconveniences. So, if you are mainly looking for transfer speed and comfort and you are not dealing with the financial budget for the trip, then a private car can be a suitable choice.

❓ FAQ + TIPS – Travel from Cat Ba Island to Sapa/Lao Cai:

BOOK a TOUR / ACTIVITY in Sapa ➜

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3 Ways of Transfer from Cat Ba to Sapa:

BOOK your HOTEL / STAY in Sapa ➜

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🎫 Book your bus, train or ferry tickets from Cat Ba Island to Sapa:

(you can change your departure and arrival, eg. Hanoi to Sapa, Hai Phong to Hanoi…)

Vietnam Bus Schedule ➔