Top 10 Things to Do in Sapa for an Authentic Travel Experience

Whether it’s your first time in Sapa or you’ve walked these mountain paths before, this short video shares our top ten tips to help you prepare, settle in, and make the most of your time here.

From what to pack and what weather to expect, to how to connect meaningfully with local communities, these tips are shaped by years of experience living and working alongside Hmong, Dao, and other ethnic groups who call this region home.

The landscape can be dramatic, the climate changeable, and village life refreshingly different from what many travellers are used to. These tips are here to guide you gently, helping you travel with curiosity, care, and respect.

Have a look, and if you’ve got questions or want to learn more, feel free to reach out in the comments. We’re always happy to share more.

Top Things to Do in Sapa with ETHOS

For many visitors, Sapa means dramatic rice terraces and cool mountain air. Travelling with ETHOS takes you deeper, into family kitchens, quiet mountain villages, and the everyday lives of Hmong, Dao and other ethnic communities who call these highlands home. Our experiences are built around connection, respect and responsible travel. Here is what makes Sapa, and the wider borderlands, truly special.

1. Walk Among the Rice Terraces

The rice terraces of Sapa are iconic, and for good reason. Trekking here is not about ticking off famous viewpoints but about following ancient paths through farmland, bamboo groves and waterfalls. With an ETHOS guide, you will wander routes where few outsiders go, learning how rice is grown and sharing the path with farmers on their way to the fields. It is not only the scenery that moves people, but the warmth of conversations along the way.

2. Stay with a Local Family

Homestays are at the heart of the ETHOS experience. A night in a family home gives you far more than a roof and a bed. You will share meals cooked over an open fire, learn about traditional life and enjoy the kind of hospitality that cannot be found in hotels. Many guests tell us this is the most memorable part of their journey, the moment when Sapa stops being a destination and becomes a friendship.

3. Discover the Real Sapa

Sapa Town can feel busy, but just a short ride away lie valleys where life continues much as it has for centuries. On our treks you will find villages surrounded by quiet fields, stories of resilience that shape the land, and a peace that lets you breathe deeply. This is where the real Sapa is found, away from the crowds and rooted in the strength of its people.

4. Visit Sapa’s Waterfalls

Avoid the overly touristy and underwhelming Silver Waterfall in favour of many of Sapa’s hidden gems. Some are only accessible by walking and many are not named or marked on maps.

5. Learn the Art of Textiles

Textiles are the heartbeat of Hmong and Dao culture. Using indigo dye, hemp and intricate hand stitching, women here create some of the most striking fabrics in Vietnam. ETHOS textile workshops are a chance to see this tradition up close, to learn about its meaning, and even try your hand at dyeing or embroidery. In doing so, you help sustain a heritage that has been passed from mother to daughter for generations.

6. Experience a Red Dao Herbal Bath

The Red Dao are known for their deep knowledge of medicinal plants. Their herbal baths, infused with secret blends of roots and leaves, soothe tired muscles after a long trek and connect you with centuries of wellness tradition. To step into the fragrant wooden tub is to step into a story carried through time, one that continues in Dao homes today.

7. Explore by Motorbike

For those craving freedom, motorbike journeys open up the highlands beyond Sapa. Guided loops take you through mountain passes, across rivers and into valleys rarely seen by tourists. It is more than just a scenic ride. It is a way to support families who host and guide, ensuring your adventure leaves a lasting benefit in the communities you pass through.

8. Cook with a Local Family

Food is one of the most personal windows into culture. In the home of a local family you can learn to prepare dishes very different from mainstream Vietnamese cuisine, earthy, hearty meals that reflect the highland climate. Cooking together becomes a moment of exchange. Stories are told, laughter is shared, and a meal becomes a memory.

9. Visit Local Markets

Markets are not only places of trade but vital meeting grounds for ethnic groups. Some travellers enjoy the bustle of Sapa Market, especially on Sundays when people come in from distant villages. Others prefer the more traditional atmosphere of markets such as Mường Hum or Mường Khương, where livestock, tools and textiles are exchanged. With ETHOS you will experience markets respectfully, guided by someone who can explain the traditions and stories behind the colours.

10. Go Beyond Sapa

The story of Sapa is only one chapter of the northern highlands. ETHOS journeys extend across the borderbelt provinces, working with different ethnic groups to create travel that is truly immersive. These trips go far beyond standard tourism. They are for explorers who want to step into landscapes of rare beauty and communities that welcome you into their lives. Rich in culture, challenging at times, but always rewarding, they are journeys you will never forget.