Fansipan Trekking: Ultimate Guide 2024

Rainy or foggy weather is never nice weather for trekking. Because trekking completely relies on the strength of our mind and body, let’s do it when the weather is advantageous to lessen bad impacts from the environment on our health. 

In a year, spring is very ideal because it’s warmer than winter but not so hot as summer. It’s also the dry season of Northwestern Vietnam so it hardly rains this time. The typical month of spring in March. It’s also the best time to trek on Fansipan Mountain chosen by most trekkers that you can refer to to choose your right time. 

Let's learn more about Fansipan weather

Best weather to do fansipan trek

Where should you start your Fansipan trek? To find the answers, take a look at the list below.

1. Tram Ton - The most popular and best for beginner trail

If you want to find a trail that is short and easy to go for trekking Fansipan, don’t skip Tram Ton. This trail is also known as the most popular one and best for beginners with flatter tracks and being guaranteed by many trekking or climbing service providers.

Your departure point is at Tram Ton forest entrance with an altitude of 1900m. From here, your journey is divided into 3 sections and usually starts in the morning. There are camps for taking rest at the altitudes of 2200m and 2800m. The first section (from the starting point to the 2200-meter landmark) takes 6 hours and the second (from the 2200-meter landmark to the 2800-meter landmark) takes 3-4 hours to conquer. You will stay overnight at the camps on the 2800-meter landmark and go on your trekking the next morning for 2 hours till the 3143-meter peak, Fansipan. 

This trail takes 2 days and one night to conquer, or just one day if you are strong enough or have much experience of trekking. 

2. Sin Chai - The thrilling but shortest trail

If you have more experience of trekking, you can raise the hard level for trekking Fansipan by choosing Sin Chai. This trail is very sloping but full of beautiful landscapes, especially many yellow bamboo hills. 

Also known as the shortest trail for trekking Fansipan, you have to spend a sum of time just 9 hours coming to the peak. Concretely, it takes 3 hours from the starting point at the altitude of 1290 meters in Sin Chai village to the 2200-meter landmark, then 4 hours to the 2800-meter landmark. The final section to Fansipan peak takes 2 hours. The hardest of this trail is the first section from Sin Chai village to the point with an altitude of 2200 meters. 

In short, Sin Chai trail has a moderately hard level and worth trying for experienced trekkers. It’s more challenging but gives you a chance to explore passionate beautiful landscapes.

Fansipan Trek trail via Sin Chai

3. Cat Cat - The longest trail with a magnificent view

If Sin Chai isn’t enough for your recklessness, think about Cat Cat as the trail for your Fansipan trek. According to many experienced insiders, this trail is the hardest which is not only the longest but also has the most magnificent view.

Your journey will start at Cat Cat valley at an altitude of 1245 meters. It ends at Tram Ton or Sin Chai. You have to set up your trek yourself when choosing this trail because there are mostly no service providers exploiting it for tourism.

Fansipan trek trail via Cat Cat

Before trekking, it’s very necessary to check your packing list well. There are some essential items for Fansipan trek you must not forget because it will help you be less tired or protect you from bad impacts of the natural environment such as harmful insects.

• Brogues: to reinforce the grip of your footwear to the ground.
• Hose stocks: to keep warm and avoid leeches (Haemadipsa).
• Trekking pole: especially necessary to pass the sloping trail and help you less tired.
• Protective gloves with rubber spikes: in some rouge and sloping tracks, this item can help you cling better without any harms to your hands.
• Ankle and knee braces: protect you from the risk of sprains during the trek.
• Suitable clothes: to choose them, you should rely on the weather of the trekking time as long as they are comfortable and can help you avoid harmful impacts of the environment.
• Medicines such as aspirin, diarrhea tables, medicated oil, bandage, Salonpas patch, etc.
• Personal identifications: these items are useless to help you trek from the starting point to the peak but it’s necessary to be allowed to trek on Hoang Lien mountain because it’s under control of the local government.

Fasipan trek packing list

Beside choosing Fansipan trekking tours with a certain price for the whole trip, you can experience this activity yourself and here are some expenses with reference prices you need to take a look at before starting your trip. 

• Bus ticket price: 200.000 VND
• Bike rental: 100.000 VND and 50.000 VND for fuel
• Hotel rental for the first day (necessary for recovering after a long trip to Sapa): 50.000 VND to 400.000 VND 
• Combo fees for being allowed to trek on Hoang Lien mountain: 
• Sanitation fee: 5.000 VND
• Forest service fee: 150.000 VND
• Entrance ticket price: 30.000 VND
• Insurance fees: 5.000 VND
• Porter hiring fee for guiding and loading luggage (optional): 200.000 VND
• Sleeping bag, trekking essentials, and tents hiring fee: 70.000 VND

Trekking Fansipan Mountain without a guide is really a reckless experience for everyone who loves adventure. Here are some tips to help your trips be better.

• Choose your right hard level: Based on your experience of trekking, health, and knowledge about this area, find the most suitable trail for trekking Fansipan. 
• Set up your mind: Trekking requires not only very good health but also perseverance because there are some sloping tracks that are extremely difficult to go and take hours to complete. 
• Keep discipline and follow the leader of your group: Don’t separate yourself from your trekking group, it’s very dangerous. In case you want to give up or rest longer, tell the leader for allowance to make sure that it doesn’t impact the others’ spirit or their trekking experience. 

Fansipan trekking is a fantastic experience for those who love adventure tourism. You will have a chance to explore so beautiful wild landscapes, challenge your duration and spirit to conquer the highest peak in Vietnam. It’s really worth trying to make your life more colorful, as well as broaden your experience of trekking so you can raise the hard level the next time. 

With much information in this article, BestPrice team hopes that you will gain many useful suggestions about time, trails, cost, etc. to have a good preparation for a wonderful trip. Thanks for your reading!

If you don't need to trek on your own, let's find the best Sapa trekking tours and sign up the right one for you.

Nhat Anh

Image source: Internet