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At 3,143 meters, Fansipan Mountain near Sapa is the highest mountain in Vietnam and Indochina, located in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Before the cable car it was only visited by adventurous travelers who were fit enough to take the demanding trek all the way up the mountain. Now the top of the mountain can be reached by all types of travelers.
Fansipan was the best of the mountains in Vietnam you could climb. You could only reach the top on foot. Since February 2016 there is a cable car. Instead of walking one to three days to the top, you are there with the cable car in just 15-20 minutes. If you like it and you like a challenge, you can still choose to climb the mountain. You can do it within 1 day, 2 days or 3 days. During a multi-day trip you will stay in a cabin or tent on the mountain. Keep in mind that the top of the mountain is often in the clouds and that you therefore have little view, so do it mainly for the experience.
Are you coming to Sapa for the beautiful views over rice fields and do you want to see something of the local ethnic cultures? Then you better not climb Fansipan, but make a trekking in Sapa through the Muong Hoa valley.
If you would like to stand on the highest mountain in Vietnam, but do not want to make a tiring climb, then choose the Fansipan cable car.
The first highlight of Fansipan is the funicular train going from Sapa town to the cable car station. It is also called the Muong Hoa mountain train, as on the way you can enjoy views of the famous Sapa rice fields in the Muong Hoa valley. The train starts in the city, close to the MGallery hotel. The train passes a few tnnels and crosses a impressive viaduct with some of the best views during the ride.
If you don’t like walking or your budget or body can’t handle it, there is always the cable car option. This Fansipan Legend cable car is also an adventure because it spans 6,292.5 meters, making it the longest three-cable and non-stop cable car in the world. Not only that, it also has the record for highest gain with 1,410 meters for a three-cable cable car. It floats through clouds with views over the Muong Hoa Valley and through the beautiful peaks of the Hoang Lien Son Range.
The cable car opening times are daily from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
For this reason it will be difficult to see sunrise or sunset on the top of Fansipan. However, make sure you are here around noon when it is less foggy.
You can buy the tickets online at the website of Fansipan Sunword or directly at the station, the price of tickets is stated publicly. The price is 700,000 VND for adults and for children this is VND 400,000. Children under 1m height can go for free.
From the station on Fansipan to the top you have to climb 600 steps. The views on top are without doubt the biggest highlights of Fansipan.
For those in good health or in good weather, climbing the steps to the peak would not be a problem. But for the elderly or when visiting on a windy day, you can choose the Do Quyen mountain train to reach Fansipan. Depending on the situation, you can purchase a single or return ticket. The train starts directly next to the cable car station and offers great views of the mountains below and to some of the temples and statues part of Fansipan Sunword.
On Fansipan you have different temples that you can visit. When you do this, make sure you wear discreet and polite clothing. There are 11 spiritual attractions. You will also find a number of gardens. The most impressive sights are The Guanyin Statue, The Bao An Zen Monastery, The Great Buddha Statue, The Grand Belfry and the Stupa. All of these sights are part of the SunWorld Fansipan Legend park and not old. They don’t give a very authentic feeling to the landscape but they do offer some great views.
This flagstaff at Fansipan is not as impressive as the Lung Cu flag tower in Ha Giang, but it is according to SunWorld the tallest flagstaff of Indochina. It is 25 meter tall and the base of the flagpole is dotted with refined bas-reliefs that recreate the essences of Vietnamese culture, including the Cham Towers, Central Highlands stilt houses, Northwestern cultures or the New World Wonder of Halong Bay.
Maybe less of an actual highlight, but there are a few restaurants to be found on the same level as the top cable car station. They are a little bit more expanse compared with the restaurants in the city, but it is nice to enjoy a lunch here before you go down. In additional there are also a few cafes to get a hot drink on cold days or to relax for a bit after walking the stairs to a few temples around. They also even added four different shops to buy snacks and souvenirs.
On the other side of Fansipan than where Sapa is located you will find the Tram Ton pass. This is the highest mountain pass in Vietnam, with impressive views. It is about 17 km from the city and can be reached by taxi (or car with driver) or you can rent a motorbike in Sapa from 100,000 VND per day. In addition to visiting the mountain pass, you will also find two waterfalls here. The Silver waterfall is right next to the road and for the Love waterfall you have to hike for half an hour through a beautiful forest area. Near this last mentioned waterfall you will also find the start of the path to climb Fansipan.
Spring (from March to May) and Autumn (from September to October) are the best time to visit Fansipan mountain. You have the most change on clear days and great views. In addition the weather is pleasant; not too hot or not too cold.
You can visit Fansipan all year round, although during the summer months (from June to August), it can rain a lot and the weather will be very hot. In the winter time (from December to February), the weather can be very cold and there can be even a change of snow.
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