Ha Giang Travel Guide

Ha Giang province is one of the most adventurous destinations in the country. Filled with beautiful karst mountains, steep mountain passes, winding roads, and foggy villages. The province is home to a wide variety of local ethnic minorities who still preserve their traditional culture and lifestyle.

Best time to visit

The scenery of Ha Giang is stunning all year round. The warm and rainy season runs from April to October. If you can, try to avoid the months of July and August, as this is the time of the year with the most rain and chance of landslides. The dry season starts in November and ends in March. In December and January, it can get quite cold in the mountains. 

5 best things to do in Sapa

This town and the area around it has been very developed over the years, so there are many things to do in Sapa. You can choose to do 

1. Trekking

Some of the best things to do in Sapa can be combined into one highlight and that is trekking in Sapa! You can choose to do a half-day, full-day, or multi-day trek where you spend the night in a homestay. It is the best way to see the rice fields and get in touch with the local minorities.

2. View the terraced rice fields

The main reason for most travelers to visit this mountain town are the stunning Sapa rice fields. It is for this reason that it is considered one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam. These impressive terraced fields are spread all over the Muong Hoa valley from the bottom all the way to the top of the mountains. The locals grow rice here and settle around the rice fields, often at the foot of the mountains. The rice terraces look like straight out of a travel brochure. It is best to discover them on a trekking tour, but you can also drive around by car or motorbike.

3. Visit minority villages

The second reason to visit Sapa is the unique culture of the mountain tribes. These ethnic minorities live in the mountains and live from the land for many generations. There are different kinds of minority groups to be found in this area, including the Hmong, the Dao, the Tày, and the Giay. Each group has its own language, traditional clothing, and culture. The best way to discover this unique culture is by visiting the local villages outside of Sapa. Walk around the village to discover their daily life and unique way of living in the mountains. Again, the best way is to do this by trekking tour, but you can also drive by car or motorbike.

4. Stay overnight in a homestay

Complete your unique local minority adventure by staying in a homestay. There are several homestays in Sapa and in the villages around it. The most unique experience is of course spending the night in a house of a local hill tribe. The accommodation is often basic and lacks comfort, but the experience is great! In the evening you can enjoy a family dinner. End your day with a delicious traditional herbal bath or drink rice wine with the family. It will be an experience you will never forget. The best thing is to combine a homestay overnight stay with a multi-day trek. For example, if you go hiking for two days you will spend the night in a local homestay, and the day after you continue walking, going far off the beaten track.

5. Visit a local market

One of the other best things to do in Sapa is to visit a mountain market. There are several markets in Sapa and beyond that you can visit. These markets are used by the local hill tribes to trade their locally grown food. But you will find much more here. Think of clothing, pieces of cloth, brocade, jewelry, and even telephones and chargers. One of the most fascinating parts of the market is the livestock section. Here you can see traders checking every part of the animal before making a trade. It is an incredibly unique experience to visit an ethnic minority market. The colors of all the traditional clothing, the animals, and the crowds make it seem like chaos. But this chaos is surprisingly cozy with a good atmosphere. The most popular market around Sapa is the Bac Ha market (held every Sunday), but there are many other markets you can visit.