Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Trekking Tour Sapa is 100% owned and operated by Black H'mong locals who grew up in and around Sapa. We hold Business License No. 5300817754 and Operator License No. 10-078/2023/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT, issued by the Vietnam National Tourism Authority. Your booking is legally protected.

Our guides — Tzu Hang and Lo Hu — are Black H'mong from the villages around Sapa. They grew up on these trails and learned English through years of interacting with international travelers. They are not tour agency employees: this is their community, their mountain, and their livelihood. They know which families will invite you in for tea, where the trail gets slippery after rain, and the best light for photos on the terraces at 6am.

We take this seriously. Our guides are from the communities we visit — money from bookings goes directly into H'mong families, not to a city-based agency. We avoid over-touristed paths, carry out all waste, and ask guests not to hand out sweets or money to children (it changes behaviour in the villages). We work with a small number of homestay families who meet our cleanliness and hospitality standards and who genuinely welcome guests.

We pick you up at your hotel anywhere in Sapa Town, or you can meet us at our office at 105 Thach Son Street at 7:30 AM. We will send you a photo of your guide the evening before so you know exactly who to look for. Your guide will hold a sign with your name and the Trekking Tour Sapa logo. If you don't see your guide immediately, stay calm — you may be approached by other guides first. Your guide will find you shortly.

Good trekking shoes are the single most important item. The trails cross streams, climb hillsides, and get muddy after rain. Beyond that:

• Rain jacket or poncho — Sapa weather changes fast; always bring one regardless of forecast
• 1.5–2 litres of water — we provide lunch but not water
• Light layers — mornings above 1,500m are cool even in summer
• Sunscreen & sunglasses
• Insect repellent — especially May–September
• Small daypack — we don't carry bags for guests
• Spending money — for drinks, extra snacks, or handicrafts from village women

Walking poles are available to borrow at our office — just ask when booking. For difficult routes, ankle-support trekking boots are recommended.

We trek every month of the year, and each season has something unique to offer:

• September–November — the golden season. Rice terraces turn gold before harvest in September and October. Dry, clear skies. Our top recommendation.
• March–May — spring bloom, fresh greens, good weather. One of the best periods.
• June–August — rainy season. Trails are lush and dramatic but muddy. Pack waterproofs and expect some rain each day.
• December–February — cold and occasionally misty, but the landscape is beautiful. December can bring frost and occasional snow on Fansipan.

Contact us on WhatsApp and we'll give you an honest assessment of current trail conditions.

Yes. We have routes at every fitness level, including tours specifically designed for seniors and first-time trekkers. Our Sapa Easy Trekking For Seniors tour follows mostly flat village paths — it is rated Very Easy and suitable for guests with limited mobility. For first-time trekkers, the Rice Paddies and Cultures or Mountain Views and Villages tours are excellent starting points.

If you have a specific health concern or mobility limitation, message us on WhatsApp before booking and we will tell you honestly whether the route is right for you.

A homestay is a home belonging to a local family in a village near the trek. You stay the night, eat dinner with the family, and experience daily life in a way that a hotel never offers. Our homestays are clean and comfortable: hot showers, western-style toilets, and fast free WiFi. Dinner is home-cooked and included. Beer, soft drinks, and water can be purchased from the host family.

Not all homestays are the same. We work with a small number of families that we know personally — our guides have eaten at their tables and slept in their homes. We don't send guests anywhere we wouldn't go ourselves.

All our tours have a maximum of 12 people per group. We intentionally keep groups small to maintain a personal experience, protect the trails from overcrowding, and ensure the villages and families we visit are not overwhelmed. If you are booking a larger private group (12–20 people), contact us — we can arrange dedicated guides and customised routes.

For all day tours: licensed English-speaking guide, lunch at a local family's home or restaurant, all entrance fees, and hotel pickup in Sapa Town. For overnight tours: all of the above plus homestay accommodation and dinner. Not included: personal spending, beverages beyond provided meals, travel insurance, and transport to/from Sapa. See individual tour pages for full inclusions.

Yes. All our tours can be booked as private tours — just your group, with a dedicated guide. Private pricing is per total cost (not per person), and becomes more economical for groups of 3 or more. Check the booking widget on each tour page for exact private pricing by group size, or contact us on WhatsApp for a custom quote for large groups.

There are three main options from Hanoi:

• Sleeper bus (~5.5 hours) — departs evening, arrives Sapa Bus Station around 4–5am. Most convenient, drops you directly in Sapa Town. From $10–17 USD depending on bus type.
• Overnight train (~8 hours, Hanoi → Lao Cai) — departs evening, arrives Lao Cai ~5–6am. Scenic and comfortable. Then 40 minutes by minibus to Sapa (~$3). From $30 USD.
• Private car or limousine minivan — door to door, approximately 5.5–6 hours. Most comfortable option. From $100 for a private car.

We can arrange all transport options for you — see our Transportation page or contact us on WhatsApp.

Yes. We can arrange a private car ($30 each way for up to 4 people) or a group minibus ($3 per person each way) from Lao Cai train station to Sapa Town or directly to the start of your trek. Contact us in advance with your train arrival time and we will arrange everything.

The quickest way is WhatsApp (+84 886 766 031) — we reply within 5–10 minutes, 7 days a week. Tell us the tour name, your preferred date, and the number of people in your group. We will confirm availability and send you a secure payment link. Your booking is confirmed once the deposit (50% of total) or full payment is received. You'll receive a booking voucher by email within 24 hours.

All prices are listed in US Dollars (USD). You can pay in USD or Vietnamese Dong (VND). We accept PayPal (all major credit and debit cards), OnePay (Vietnam), bank transfer (Wise), and cash (USD or VND) at our office in Sapa. See our Payment Methods page for full details.

For tours: 100% refund if cancelled 7+ days before, 25% refund if 2–6 days before, no refund if same day. For bus transfers: 100% refund (minus $2 handling) if 48+ hours before, 50% refund if 24–48 hours before, no refund within 24 hours. Holiday bookings (Tết, National Day, etc.) require 72 hours' notice and carry a no-refund policy. See the full Cancellation Policy for details.

For 1-day tours, we typically book out 2–3 days in advance. For 2D1N and multi-day tours, 3–4 days ahead is recommended. During peak seasons (September–October, March–May, and all Vietnamese public holidays), we strongly recommend booking 1–2 weeks in advance. Private tours and large groups should book 1 week ahead minimum. Contact us and we'll tell you what's available on your preferred dates.