As there is no railway station in Sapa, when traveling from Hanoi to Sapa by train, you will arrive at Lao Cai City and will have to continue your trip from Lao Cai to Sapa by bus or private transport. Taking a local bus from Lao Cai to Sapa is the cheapest way for getting to this popular tourist destination. Find the current schedule and ticket prices of this bus.
Lao Cai – Sapa Bus Route
The route of Lao Cai – Sapa bus is as follows:
- Pho Moi Station (Lao Cai Railway Station)
- Coc Leu Bridge
- Hoang Lien Road
- 4D Highway
- Sapa Church
When traveling back from Sapa to Lao Cai, the bus returns the same way.
Lao Cai – Sapa Bus Timetable
From Lao Cai to Sapa
The bus from Lao Cai to Sapa departs daily, from 5:20 to 17:00. If you will reach Lao Cai later than that, you will hire private transportation or overnight in the city before going up to Sapa the next morning.
Buses from Lao Cai to Sapa leave every 20 to 40 minutes. Current bus timetable of departures from Lao Cai Railway Station is as follows:
- 5:20; 5:50
- 6:10; 6:40
- 7:00; 7:30
- 8:00; 8:30
- 9:00; 9:30
- 10:00; 10:30
- 11:00; 11:40
- 12:20
- 13:00; 13:30
- 14:00; 14:30
- 15:00; 15:30
- 16:00; 16:30
- 17:00
From Sapa to Lao Cai
The bus from Sapa to Lao Cai departs daily, from 7:00 to 18:30. If you have a train ticket for a trip from Lao Cai to Hanoi in your pocket, give plenty of time for getting back from Sapa to Lao Cai City as the road down from the mountains isn’t the easiest one and unexpected disturbances can occur.
The frequency of buses going from Sapa to Lao Cai varies from 15 minutes to 1 hour so you should plan accordingly. Current bus timetable of departures from Sapa Church is as follows:
- 7:00; 7:30
- 8:00; 8:30
- 9:00; 9:30
- 10:00; 10:30
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00; 13:30
- 14:00; 14:30
- 15:00; 15:30
- 16:00; 16:15; 16:30; 16:50
- 17:10; 17:30
- 18:00; 18:30
Lao Cai – Sapa Bus Ticket Price
Bus ticket price for a one-way trip from Lao Cai City to Sapa or vice versa is 30,000 VND per person.
If you are going to board the bus or drop off somewhere before reaching the final destination, the bus ticket price should be as follows:
- trip distance over 20 km - 30,000 VND per person
- trip distance from 10 to 20 km - 15,000 VND per person
- trip distance up to 10 km (in inner Lao Cai City or inner Sapa center) - 10,000 VND per person
Monthly ticket price is 950,000 VND per person per month.
Lao Cai – Sapa Bus Stations
In Lao Cai City the bus going to Sapa can be found at Pho Moi Station which is better known as Lao Cai Railway Station (Ga Lao Cai). You will notice parked buses in the parking lot in front of train station building.
In Sapa the bus going to Lao Cai can be found on the road nearby Sapa Church. You will notice a bus stop shelter and a yellow/red colored bus parked there.
Train from Hanoi to Sapa
As the route between Hanoi and Lao Cai is one of the most popular train routes in Vietnam, the train travel service on this route is offered not only by Vietnam Railways but also by private companies. Private companies have designed special carriages for tourists that are more luxurious and have higher standard than the ordinary train. Private cabins are provided for tourists where they can fully rest during the 7 to 9 hour journey from Hanoi to Sapa. The list of the best private trains running on this route can be found here: Train from Hanoi to Sapa: 9 Best Luxury Trains.