Recommended by Lonely Planet, Bac Ha Market is held every Sunday and is the biggest minority peoples market in Northwest Vietnam. Alive with the bright colours and extravagant costumes of the local people, here you will meet Flower Hmong (Red Hmong), Black Dao, Tay, Nung, La Chi, Phu La and other minority groups who come from far and wide to buy and sell a wide variety of goods and livestock, to exchange news and to renew friendships. In the past the market was a centre for trading horses but now that motorbikes have replaced them it is more common to see buffalo, cows, goats, fish and other livestock being traded. The market opens at around 7.30am and closes mid-afternoon, so an early start is advisable.
6.30 – 7.00: Pick up from your hotel/accommodation, get on big bus and depart for Sapa Town.
9.30: Follow the highway to Lao Cai city with the first comfort break
11.00: Second comfort break at Lao Cai city before approaching Sapa
13.00: Arrive Sapa Town with colorful traditional costumes of H’Mong, Dzao, Tay ethnic People.
Welcome drink and itinerary briefing
Enjoy the lunch with local Vietnamese dishes, check-in procedures
14.30: Bus picks you up to the gate of Cat Cat village which is home of Black H’mong ethnic people and located near the bottom of a deep valley at the foot of Fansipan Peak. Our local guide will show you the daily life activities of the locals, trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station, stop for photo with bridge and waterfall then you will walk uphill for bus to pick up to get back to Sapa in the afternoon.
Trekking distance is about 2.5 kms and it lasts for 2 hours
17.00: Come back to Sapa Town. Have dinner and overnight in hotel with night activities.
6.15 – 7.00: Have breakfast at hotel and prepare all your luggage for Bac Ha market
7.00 – 14.00: Take 2.5 hour drive to Bac Ha Town – home of Flower H’Mong ethnic People
Visit Bac Ha market – the most typical weekly market with inhabitants of lots of Ethnic People.
Have lunch at local restaurant
A short walk to Hoang A Tuong’s palace which was built in 1914 with
French – Viet architecture and visit “Pho” village of Flower H’Mong People.
Trekking distance is about 3 kms and it lasts for 2 hours
14.00: Take 1.45 hour drive back to Lao Cai city, have a shower and relax in the border gate city. (Do not come back Sapa town)
16.30: You are welcomed to shuttle bus back to Hanoi with two comfort breaks.
21.30: We say goodbye to you at your hotel/stay. Trip ends
Note:
- When you come back to Lao Cai city from Bac Ha Market, we will arrange you to have a shower in a restaurant then you need to wait shuttle bus from Sapa to Lao Cai for sometimes. If you want to visit somewhere, our local guide will take you there; taxi or transport fee is paid by you.
Thing to bring:
- Warm clothes, scarf, hat, cap because the weather in Sapa is pretty unpredictable. It is normally cold in September, October, November, December, January, February and March
- Due to altitude of Sapa, it is sometimes foggy in December, January, February and March.
- Trekking shoes, sun glasses, sun cream, insect repellent are also necessary. You should take cash with you in Vietnam Dong because banking system in Sapa sometimes doesn’t function well. US Dollar, Euro, Australia Dollar are accepted in Sapa.
- You should take medicine with you although there are some chemist’s shops in Sapa in case you get sick.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
