How to go → HAI PHONG to SAPA? ☀️

1. Bus – Hai Phong to Sapa
2. Train + Bus to Sapa
3. Private Car/Taxi to Sapa
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From Hai Phong to Sapa you can travel by bus, taxi/car or train + bus.

• • Travel distance from Hai Phong to Sapa is about 430 km by bus/train or car via Hanoi and Lao Cai town. There are 3 ways how you can reach Sapa from Hai Phong – transport by tourist bus, train+bus via Lao Cai or private car/taxi. The most popular option is to travel by sleeper bus. Travel time by sleeper bus from Hai Phong to Sapa is about 8-10 hours and it costs about $17-40/pp, there are various modern buses or fast minivans. Another option is to travel by train+bus to Sapa with stopover in Hanoi and Lao Cai. There are trains from Hai Phong to Hanoi and from Hanoi to Lao Cai, from Lao Cai you can travel by public bus or taxi to Sapa.

• • Travel by train+bus to Sapa via Hanoi and Lao Cai takes totally about 14-16 hours and it costs about $20-100/pp. From Hanoi to Lao Cai you can take a regular train of Vietnam Railways or there are various tourist luxury sleeper overnight trains. Travel by train+bus to Sapa via Lao Cai is the most cheapest option if you take a seat in the train. You can also travel by private car or taxi from Hai Phong to Sapa with stopover in Hanoi. Travel time by private car to Sapa is about 7-8 hours and it costs about $210-330/car, it is the most fastest option of transfer, but it is not a cheap way. There is no flight from Hai Phong to Sapa, Sapa has no airport. From Sapa you can travel to Ha Giang or Ninh Binh.

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• • Sapa in northern Vietnam is a famous tourist site, one of the most visited place by foreign tourists in the north. Sapa is a home of the Black Hmong ethnic group and these people offer various homestays around Sapa, so you should definitely try some local homestay. There are varios ethnic tourist villages mainly in Muong Hoa valley, this valley begins already about 2 km from the town of Sapa. Sapa is a big tourist place and changed a lot in the recent years. There are various hotels, restaurants and also Fansipan Legend Cable Car to Fansipan mountain – the highest mountain of Vietnam. Sapa is a starting site for exploring Hoang Lien Son National Park and Fansipan mountain. Sapa has no railway station and no airport, the closest train station is in Lao Cai town (33 km from Sapa).

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How do I get from Hai Phong to Sapa (Lao Cai)?

1. SLEEPER BUS / VAN from Hai Phong to Sapa

The low-cost transportation option used from the city of Hai Phong to the city of Sapa in Lao Cai province is a transfer by a sleeper intercity bus or a minivan. From the city of Hai Phong, you can use some companies that operate a bus transfer without a transfer, but with only a few stops, however, on the route between Hai Phong – Hanoi – Sapa, you can use a number of other companies as well.

Companies that operate sleeper buses from Hai Phong to Sapa without a transfer are, for example, Ket Doan or Sapa Ethnic Travel. These buses can depart from stops such as Vinh Niem Bus Station or Duong Kinh Petrolimex Hai Phong and offer good comfort in modern buses.

You will always see this information about departures, arrivals and timetables when searching for tickets on online platforms. When searching, you will also see buses departing from Cat Ba Island, which is a short distance from the city, so check carefully where the buses depart from to avoid making a mistake.

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The travel time by sleeper bus from Hai Phong to Sapa takes about 8-10 hours, but it is also good to know that buses in Vietnam may be late or may not follow the exact departure time. A sleeper bus to Sapa can be the cheapest transport option, bus tickets from Hai Phong cost in the range of $17-40/pp, these prices can change during the seasons.

You can easily find and book bus tickets from Hai Phong to Sapa online even in advance, carefully read where the buses depart from and other instructions for transfers and tickets. Transport by sleeper bus is mostly suitable for solo low-cost travelers who have a more limited travel budget.

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2. TRAIN + BUS from Hanoi to Sapa (via Lao Cai)

Another transfer option from Hai Phong to Sapa, intended for solo travelers, is to travel by train and bus via Hanoi and Lao Cai city. This option has 3 steps, first a train journey from Hai Phong to Hanoi, then a train journey from Hanoi to Lao Cai city and as the last step a bus transfer from Lao Cai to Sapa. A train and bus transfer takes longer than a sleeper bus, but can be an interesting diversion and you can also use the popular tourist sleeper trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai.

So the first step is the train transfer from Hai Phong to Hanoi. On this shorter route, which takes about 2.5 hours, you can use the classic Vietnam Railways trains with comfortable seats. Seats are always the cheapest option on trains and tickets from Hai Phong to Hanoi cost only about $3-6/pp.

Trains depart from Hai Phong Railway Station and arrive at Hanoi Railway Station, from where you can also take trains to Lao Cai, see Vietnam railway map. Both train stations are located in city centers, so they are easily accessible. You can search and buy train tickets from Hai Phong to Hanoi online in advance.

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The second step is to travel again by train from Hanoi to the city of Lao Cai. Lao Cai is a border town, about 2 km from the Chinese border in the far north of Vietnam. From there, you continue, for example, by local bus to the city of Sapa. The city of Lao Cai is about 30 km from the city of Sapa, and there is no railway leading directly to the city of Sapa.

Regular Vietnam Railways trains run on this route, including popular tourist sleeper trains such as Violette Train, Laman Express, Livitrans Express, Fanxipan Express, King Express, Chapa Express, Sapaly Express, Vic Sapa Train, Damitrans Train. Most foreign travelers choose these sleeper tourist trains, but they are always a more expensive option compared to regular trains.

And even regular trains have sleeping beds or seats ready for you. It is definitely better and more comfortable to choose a sleeping bed. The train travel time from Hanoi to Lao Cai is about 8 hours and tickets for regular trains cost between $10-20/pp and tourist sleeper trains cost about $27-40/pp, in the case of a double cabin it can be even more. Be sure to book your train tickets online well in advance for these trains due to their high popularity.

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The last step is transportation by local bus or private car from the city of Lao Cai to Sapa. There is a local bus on this route, which is the cheapest form of transport, but you can also use a private taxi or other minivans. Buses or minivans often leave from the train station or the city center and transport to Sapa takes about 1 hour or a little longer.

Bus tickets for a local bus from Lao Cai to Sapa cost around $2.00/pp, private minivans cost, for example, $4-10/pp, private taxis or cars for a limited number of passengers and more.

Most regular travelers will be fine with the local public bus. You can search and book tickets for buses, minivans or private cars online. There is no railway from Lao Cai to Sapa, you only have to travel by bus or private car.

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3. PRIVATE CAR from Hai Phong to Sapa (via Hanoi)

A very convenient but more expensive transportation option from Hai Phong to Sapa is by private car/taxi with a transfer in Hanoi. Between Hai Phong – Hanoi – Sapa, you can use various private companies such as Taxi with VTS, Ouros Travel, Saigon DMC, Viet Technology Travel, Hai Van Transport, Cat Ba Express, Dichung Taxi, Daiichi Travel, Tiim Group, Grouptour, Ouros Travel, PacknGo, Booking Car and others.

These companies will offer you a variety of modern cars, SUVs and minivans for groups of people traveling at once. Most of these private transfer companies are also well rated and have good references. You have to make this transfer in 2 steps, first from Hai Phong to Hanoi and then from Hanoi to Sapa.

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Transfer by private car with a driver from Hai Phong to Hanoi takes about 1.5-2 hours and the fare ranges from $40-210/car. These prices vary by car type, smaller cars tend to be cheaper than multi-passenger minivans. Transfer by private car from Hanoi to Sapa takes longer, about 4.5-5.5 and the fare ranges from $95-300/car.

In total, a private car transfer from Hai Phong to Sapa can cost you about $140-500/car. The advantage of these transfers is comfort, experienced and professional drivers and the choice of your departure and arrival point. This option is probably not suitable for low-cost travelers, mainly because of the higher transfer price. You can easily search and book your Hai Phong to Hanoi and Hanoi to Sapa private cars online ahead of time.

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❓ FAQ + TIPS – Travel from Hai Phong to Sapa (Lao Cai):

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🎫 Book and buy train / bus tickets from Hai Phong to Sapa + Schedule:

(You can change departure or arrrival, date and book another tickets, eg. Hai Phong to Hanoi, Hanoi to Sapa…)

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