Stay in a Hmong Homestay in Sapa

Staying in a Hmong homestay in Sapa is an invitation into daily mountain life. This invitation is rooted in warmth, simplicity and tradition. ETHOS partners with local Hmong families who open their homes to travellers, sharing meals cooked over open fires and stories that have passed through generations. These are authentic, small-scale homestays where comfort comes from connection, not luxury.

Life in a Hmong Village

Perched along terraced hillsides, Hmong villages surround Sapa with views of valleys with rice terraces and bamboo forests. Days begin with roosters calling and the smell of wood smoke curling from family kitchens. Guests join in slow, meaningful rhythms; walking through rice terraces, helping prepare meals, or learning about traditional embroidery and hemp dyeing.

Aerial view of terraced rice fields on a mountainside with several wooden houses, trees, and lush greenery.

What to Expect in a Hmong Homestay

  • Simple comfort: Sleeping arrangements are basic but comfortable, often on mattresses under mosquito nets in shared wooden houses.

  • Traditional cooking: Meals are cooked over open fires — hearty, flavourful dishes made from homegrown vegetables, herbs, and rice.

  • Warm hospitality: Expect laughter, curiosity and an abundance of tea. English is limited, but kindness and connection transcend words.

  • Real community: Each stay directly supports women-led households and helps fund education for Hmong girls through ETHOS initiatives.

Group of seven people, including children and adults, sitting around a table with food in a rustic wooden room, enjoying a meal together.

How Your Visit Makes a Difference

Every homestay is part of ETHOS’s community-led model. When you stay with a Hmong family, your visit contributes to fair wages, local food purchasing, and access to education for girls. ETHOS reinvests income into scholarships, environmental projects, and anti-trafficking education in northern Vietnam.

Suggested Experiences

Two-Day Trek & Hmong Homestay – a full immersion in mountain life with overnight stay and evening cooking.

Motorbike Loop & Hmong Homestay - see the mountain scenery as part of a motorbike loop, complete with authentic homestay.

Trekking options with Hmong Homestays

Hmong homes are very simple, often built from wood or bamboo with no glass windows, light filters in through the gaps in the walls. Extra beds are set up in the main living space, and guests join the family in cooking whatever has been foraged or harvested that day. It’s rustic and unfiltered, but full of warmth and tradition a chance to live as the Hmong have done for generations. 

A rustic wooden house with metal roofs in a lush green rural landscape surrounded by mountains.

What Travellers Say

“The most real and meaningful travel experience I’ve ever had.”


“Cooking dinner by firelight and waking to mountain mist — unforgettable.”


— Quotes from verified ETHOS guests.

Plan Your Hmong Homestay in Sapa

ETHOS offers private, ethical experiences with flexible itineraries.
Get in touch to plan your visit — from one-night stays to multi-day cultural treks.

Enquire Now

FAQ’s

  1. Do Hmong homestays have private rooms?
    → Most have family rooms or shared spaces, always clean and cosy.

  2. Is it suitable for children?
    → Absolutely. Families are warmly welcomed.

  3. Are meals included?
    → Yes, all home-cooked meals are included with your stay.

  4. Is there Wi-Fi or electricity?
    → Homes have basic power; Wi-Fi may be limited — it’s part of the charm.

Terraced green rice fields on a hillside with a small wooden house in the center, surrounded by trees and mountains in the background, under a partly cloudy sky.
Icons with text supporting community values: thumbs up for liking, investing locally, saving energy and water, protecting wildlife, respecting culture, and the spirit of the community with a group of people.