Sapa

Fansipan·Cat Cat Village

Arrive early on the night bus or train. If the sky is clear, go straight up Fansipan - the cable car runs from about 8am and clouds usually build later in the day (800,000 VND weekdays, 850,000 VND Saturdays and holidays). If it's cloudy, swap: Cat Cat in the morning and Fansipan tomorrow only if it clears. From the top cable station, climb about 600 steps or take the small funicular to the 3,143m summit marker. Afternoon: walk down to Cat Cat Village, about 2km below town (150,000 VND). Evening in Sapa town - the stone church square and the night market for grilled skewers, grilled rice paper and hot soy milk.

Muong Hoa Valley·Tả Van Village

The classic Sapa trek: about 10-12km downhill through the terraces of the Muong Hoa Valley to Lao Chai (Black H'Mong) and Ta Van (Giay). A common way to do it: take a one-way taxi down to Y Linh Ho, walk through the terraces to Lao Chai and Ta Van, and get a car back up from Ta Van in the late afternoon. Start by 8am, go with a local guide, and pay the Lao Chai - Ta Van ticket at the checkpoint. A car or motorbike taxi brings you back up to Sapa for the afternoon bus to Hanoi.

Cat Cat Village

Arrive in the morning, drop your bags and walk down to Cat Cat Village (150,000 VND) - touristy, but an easy first walk with the waterfall at the bottom. Late afternoon, watch the little Muong Hoa mountain train run below Sun Plaza from one of the cafes on the valley side of town. Evening around the stone church, the lake and the night market - try thang co (H'Mong stew) or a salmon or sturgeon hotpot, a local speciality of the cold-water farms.

Muong Hoa Valley·Tả Van Village

Guided trek through the Muong Hoa Valley to Lao Chai and Ta Van, 10-14km depending on the route, with lunch in a village. A common way to do it: take a one-way taxi down to Y Linh Ho, walk through the terraces to Lao Chai and Ta Van, where you stay the night. Sleep in a Ta Van homestay instead of going back to town - family dinner, rice wine and a quiet valley once the day-trippers leave.

Tả Van Village·Fansipan

Walk Ta Van at dawn before the tour groups arrive, then back up to Sapa. Fansipan in the late morning if the sky is clear; if it's in cloud, skip it - the view is the whole point. Afternoon bus back to Hanoi.

Cat Cat Village

Arrive, settle in, and take the easy walk down to Cat Cat. Evening in town.

Muong Hoa Valley·Tả Van Village

Full-day guided trek and a night in a Ta Van homestay. A common way to do it: take a one-way taxi down to Y Linh Ho, walk through the terraces to Lao Chai and Ta Van, where you stay the night. Family dinner, rice wine, and often no phone signal.

Early walk in Ta Van, then back to Sapa by midday. Afternoon: Ta Phin, northeast of town - a Red Dao village known for its herbal baths, a different culture from the H'Mong villages of the Muong Hoa Valley.

Fansipan·O Quy Ho Pass

Fansipan at the first cable car if it's clear. Afternoon by motorbike or car northwest over Tram Ton toward O Quy Ho Pass, one of the highest and longest mountain passes in Vietnam - Silver Waterfall (small entry fee) is on the way. Sunset from the pass is around 5-5:30pm, but cloud can roll in fast. Ride back carefully in the last light, then the late bus or night train to Hanoi.