How to get from CatBa to Sapa

Why visit Sapa?

Sapa is a small village and popular tourist destination in northern Vietnam. Backdropped by spectacular rice terraces, the town boasts both natural and cultural beauty. Ethnic minorities make up over 80% of its population, and here you’ll get the chance to see and experience their traditional way of life.

Here you’ll also find Fansipan, the highest mountain on the Indochinese peninsula and a great adventure if you’re up for the hike. Don’t worry, cable cars to the summit are also available. The town centre can be a bit touristy, but don’t let that deter you. The real charm of Sapa lies in its mountains and the rice fields still farmed by the hill tribes, as they have been doing so for centuries.

There are 2 ways to travel the 370 kilometres (230 miles) from CatBa to Sapa. You can choose between the bus and train. The journey takes 9 to 13 hours and the quickest way is by bus. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 539,000 VND ($20.50).

There are seven companies offering direct buses from CatBa to Sapa:  Sapa Ethnic Travel, Techbus VN JSC, Duc Duong Bus, Ket Doan, Full Moon Party, TBus and Good Morning Cat Ba.

Ket Doan offers the cheapest fares from 539,000 VND ($20.50), already with free hotel drop-off. Good Morning Cat Ba gets better reviews, though — you can expect friendly staff and comfortable buses.

Both day and night buses are available from CatBa to Sapa. When you take the day bus, you will lose an entire day on the journey. But if you take the night bus, you will arrive in the middle of the night in Sapa, so you will still need accommodation for that night.

Schedule-wise, taking the indirect train is more convenient because you will travel overnight. That is, if you don’t mind all the transfers.

Departure and arrival station

Good Morning Cat Ba offers free hotel pick-up and drops off passengers at Sapa Bus Station, 1 km east of Sapa Lake in the town centre.

Ket Doan departs from the parking lot of CatBa Night Market in the town centre. It takes you straight to your hotel’s doorstep as long as it’s within Sapa town centre.

Travelling by train from CatBa to Sapa covers 3 steps and takes around 12 hours 30 minutes to 13 hours — a few hours longer than the bus.

The train offers one advantage though: the train leg from Hanoi to Lao Cai travels overnight and allows you to have a good night’s sleep as well as save a night on accommodation.

There are 2 ways you can travel from CatBa to Hanoi: by combined ferry & bus or via a DIY ferry + taxi + train. See below for a detailed guide.

Taking a combined bus & ferry from CatBa to Hanoi is more convenient. Your tour operator takes care of your transfers, which depart from CatBa centre and arrive at Hanoi city centre.

Ticket prices start from 288,000 VND ($11) for the combined bus & ferry journey that takes 3h - 5h 40m.

For more info, visit our page for CatBa to Hanoi.

This 2nd option involves several steps that you will have to do and plan on your own. While we don’t recommend this, it’s worth knowing these steps as an alternative if the combined bus & ferry tickets are sold out.

From CatBa Pier, you can get to the mainland by ferry to Pha Binh Harbour. There are six ferries available daily, but we recommend taking the last ferry that departs at 15:50. A ticket costs 140,000 VND ($5.30) and you can buy them online through Baolau.

From the pier, you can get to Hai Phong Railway Station via a 20-minute walk or a 10-minute taxi. Rates start from 50,000 VND ($1.90).

From Hai Phong, Hanoi is 2.5 hours away by train. We recommend taking the last train, which departs at 18:40.

Vietnam Railways operates every night from Hanoi to Lao Cai. Train SP3 departs at 22:00 and arrives in Lao Cai at 05:55 the next day. Travel time is around 7h 55m - 8h 05m.

Ticket prices for a 4-berth sleeper start from 704,000 VND ($27) when you book online.

More luxurious train choices are also available on BookAway, where you can book deluxe, luxury and private cabins.

Visit our Hanoi to Sapa guide for more details.

From Lao Cai Railway Station, you can reach Sapa via a van for 1 hour 02 minutes or bus for 1 hour. A ticket costs 97,000 VND ($3.70) and 30,000 VND ($1.10), respectively.

Vans are normally waiting for passengers just outside the train station. If you’re taking the bus, you can find them at the parking area across the railway station.