Day 1: Hanoi – Lao Cai

You will take an overnight express train (soft sleeper berth) from Hanoi to Lao Cai province (370km).

Day 2: Trek to First Base Camp – 2,300m (B/ L/D)

On arrival to Lao Cai, you will be picked up and transferred to Sapa. This morning you will meet your local guides and porters. Your porters will carry all equipments, foods and clothing. You will be responsible for carrying a daypack with jacket, camera and water only.
We drive out of Sapa to Cat Cat village where we will begin the first part of our ascent with a trek through terraced rice paddies and some of the villages of the H’mong minority people. Crossing the Muong Hoa River, we start our upward trek to reach an elevation of 1,700m where we will stop for lunch. On a clear day, we will see straight back across the mountains to Sapa.
In the afternoon, we will continue climbing to our first camp at an elevation of 2,300. The terrain in the afternoon becomes steeper and more difficult as we trek through massive Arrowroot plantations and up steeper slopes surrounded by bamboo.

Day 3: Trek to Second Base Camp - 2,700m (B/ L/D)

After our first night on the mountain we set out for a full day trek to our second camp. As we continue on we will pass through primary forest containing giant, centuries old pine trees and expanses of yellow bamboo. Sometimes we are climbing over huge tree roots and up steep embankments. Our trek will take us to an altitude of 2,900m. From this elevation we have a spectacular view across the Mount Fansipan.
After lunch we climb downhill to an elevation of 2,700m. Our descent will be over larger boulders, down a fairly steep slope. The rocks can be quite wet sometimes depending on the season. Our campsite today is a perfect spot to watch a spectacular sunset.

Day 4: The Summit – 3143m (B/L/D)

Today is summit day. Following an early breakfast this morning, we climb to the roof of both Vietnam and Indochina: the peak of Mount Fansipan. The final climb only takes around three hours. It is through quite dense bamboo forest. Once at the summit we will spend some time soaking up the best panorama in the country. The area at the peak consists of a pile of fairly large rocks. We then climb back to our second base camp where we will have lunch.
In the afternoon we will trek back to our first base camp, taking the same trails as the previous day (4hours).

Day 5: First Camp – Sapa – Lao Cai (B)

Today it’s downhill just about all the way. Following breakfast we continue our descent and reach Sapa by around lunchtime. We will then farewell the porters and local guide. The afternoon we will then be free to shower and relax. In the late afternoon we will be transferred to the train station in Lao Cai for the evening night train back to Hanoi.

Day 6: Arrive Hanoi

The train will arrive in Hanoi in early morning. The trip concludes.

(B): Breakfast
(L): Lunch
(D): Dinner

What should bring:

• Good trekking boots
• Rainwear
• 2 sets of clothes
• A warm fleece in the winter
• Camera and film
• Drinking bottle
• Flash light
• Medicine for personal use