Red Dao Homestay in Sapa

Discover mountain hospitality and the ancient healing traditions of the Red Dao people.

Welcome to the Dao Highlands

High above Sapa’s valleys, the Red Dao villages offer a peaceful blend of comfort, culture and care.

ETHOS works with a small network of Red Dao families who welcome travellers into their wooden homes; places where laughter, herbs and woodsmoke fill the air. Dao homestays are slightly larger than their Hmong neighbours, often hosting up to six guests, and offer a little more space while keeping a deep sense of authenticity.

Everyday Life in a Red Dao Village

Red Dao women are known for their bright embroidered clothing and extraordinary herbal knowledge. You’ll see terraces alive with rice and corn, hear the rhythmic chop of firewood, and join your hosts in preparing meals over open flames. Evenings bring shared meals, rice wine and stories told by the glow of a single bulb. Comforts are simple, but the welcome is heartfelt.

A Red Dao woman preparing food over an open wood fire inside her traditional homestay kitchen in Sapa, Vietnam.
Guests and local Dao hosts sharing a traditional home-cooked dinner together inside a wooden homestay in Sapa, Vietnam.

The Dao Herbal Bath Tradition

A highlight of every Dao homestay is the chance to experience the traditional herbal bath – a practice unique to the Red Dao people.
After a day of trekking, your hosts will gather more than 10–20 local herbs and medicinal plants, including cinnamon, wild basil, lemongrass and forest leaves known only to Dao women. These are boiled together for hours in a large pot over an open fire to create a deep, fragrant infusion.
The hot herbal water is then poured into large wooden barrels in a private bathing space beside the house. Immersing yourself in this bath soothes muscles, warms the body and calms the mind — an experience that’s both deeply traditional and wonderfully restorative.

A child enjoying a warm Dao herbal bath made with medicinal plants, served in a traditional wooden barrel in Sapa, Vietnam.

What to Expect

  • Sleeping arrangements: private or shared rooms for up to six guests, clean bedding, mosquito nets, and wooden floors polished smooth by time.

  • Meals: hearty family-style dishes — fresh vegetables, wild herbs, free-range chicken and mountain rice cooked over open fires.

  • Facilities: basic bathrooms with hot water and herbal baths available on request.

  • Hosts: warm, humorous and resourceful Red Dao women whose herbal knowledge has been passed down through generations.

Your Visit Creates Impact

Every Red Dao homestay is part of ETHOS’s commitment to sustainable, women-led tourism. Your stay helps fund education, community development and environmental conservation projects. By choosing ETHOS, you’re supporting more than a journey; you’re empowering families to preserve their heritage.

Suggested Experiences

  • Motorbike Loop & Dao Homestay - see the mountain scenery as part of a motorbike loop, complete with authentic homestay.(All tours are private, community-based and led by experienced local women.)

Traveller Voices

“The herbal bath was magical — warm, fragrant, and deeply relaxing.”


“Our Red Dao hosts were incredible. We learned so much about their culture and healing traditions.”


“It felt like staying with extended family rather than in a guesthouse.”

Plan Your Red Dao Homestay

ETHOS offers flexible itineraries for solo travellers, couples or small groups (up to six people).
Combine your stay with a trek, herbal bath, or cultural workshop; every visit supports Dao communities in Sapa’s highlands.

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