//
This walk provides a good chance to observe Vietnamese farming and farm animals, and there are excellent views. It's a few kilometers' walk from Sa Pa. You're not likely to get lost: just walk down the road out of Sa Pa, which should be marked on maps. After a while, you'll find a path which descends the hill to your left. This path runs through the village before climbing another hill back to the road. The walk back up can be difficult (it is steep in parts), but once you get back onto the road there are plenty of enterprising locals ready to take you back to Sa Pa on motorbikes (40,000 dong per person per bike). Alternatively, you could hire a cab at Sapa (for about 150-200,000 dong) to take you down to Cát Cát and wait for you at the car park 1 near the Cát Cát bridge, so that you don't have to take the tiring walk upwards. In 2024, this walk has become very popular with tourists and locals, and can be extremely busy, especially on the weekends.
Fansipan
At 3,143 m (10,312 ft), Phan Si Păng or Fansipan is the highest mountain in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam), and lies within the Hoàng Liên National Park (Vườn quốc gia Hoàng Liên). Hikes to the summit lasting from 1-3 days can be arranged from tour companies in Sa Pa. Most of them recommend taking the 2- or 3-day options; few guides will take tourists on the round trip in a single day. A very small village offering accommodation and food is around 1,500 m (4,920 ft), and there is an overnight camp at 2,800 m (9,190 ft). Most booked trips will include the use of these facilities in their price should they be required. You should be fairly fit to attempt the ascent.