How to get to Hue from Sapa [Updated 2024]

Sapa is a highland town located in the upper North of Vietnam, close to China. And Hue is a small city located right in the middle of the Central area. From Sapa to Hue, the total trip is about 1000km long by road, and the flying distance is about 770km. Depending on the transportations you choose, the travelling time can take from 7.5 hours to nearly a day. 

In general, there’s no direct public transportation going from Sapa to Hue, you will have to stop by at least 1 place to change the vehicle, and normally, that place will be Hanoi. You can think of an aeroplane, train, bus, or personal vehicle like a motorbike to travel this route, and the information provided below will help you have a deeper understanding of all the options and choose the best one for yourself.

1. By flight

Since there’s not yet an airport in Sapa, you can’t fly directly from Sapa to Hue. And not until we build one in Sapa, there is only 1 option for your consideration: travel to Hanoi and fly to Hue later. From Sapa to Hanoi, you can think of a bus or train as your transportation. 

The Sapa - Hanoi bus takes approximately 5.5 hours from Sapa town to Noi Bai Airport by the Noi Bai - Lao Cai new highway, ticket price starts from 12 USD depending on the bus type and bus class you choose. About a minimum 1-hour check-in time and 1 hour flying from Hanoi to Hue, the total travelling time can sometimes take only 7.5 hours. The flight ticket from Hanoi to Hue ranges from 40 USD and changes according to the time you book for it.

Going from Sapa to Hanoi by train will take longer than the bus, but a sleeper berth on the train is much more comfortable. The closest train station to Sapa is at Lao Cai city, about 35km away from Sapa town. It’s very convenient now when the train tickets from Lao Cai to Hanoi include an option of bus pick up from Sapa town to the train station. The total time to come to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi is about 10 hours including bus transfer from Sapa to Lao Cai, check-in time, and train from Lao Cai to Hanoi Train Station, and this process costs you from 15-50 USD. From Hanoi Railway Station, you can take the Express Bus 86 that costs 1.5 USD to go to the airport, and then fly to Hue as usual.

2. By train

In fact, it’s not possible to go directly to Hue from Sapa by train. You will have to take transit in Hanoi but it’s really convenient because, in Vietnam, there are trains called Vietnam National Trains running from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city several times a day every day. And of course, the National Trains pass by Hue. You can take a look at the tables below to find all the necessary information about this train route. 

Trains from Sapa to Hanoi

Trains from Hanoi to Hue

3. By bus

Same as the train, there’s no direct bus from Sapa to Hue, you still need to stop in Hanoi to change to another bus. The travelling time from Sapa to Hanoi is approximately 6 hours, and from Hanoi to Hue, it takes 13-15 hours. Depending on different routes,  the travelling time can be different.

There are too many bus companies that provide services for this route and you can catch one any time during the day, so we basically can’t mention every one of them.  You can see the overall price of different Sapa to Hanoi bus types and prices in the table below, the price may change depending on different bus quality, seat positions, and service providers.

The Hanoi to Hue bus route is quite long and the buses are not as many as the Sapa-Hanoi route, so you can see all information about the Hanoi - Hue bus schedule in the table below.

4. Sapa to Hue motorbike

The distance of 1000km from Sapa to Hue is not close at all, and the northern mountainous area roads are quite dangerous too, so traveling from Sapa to Hue by motorbike is a real challenge. You will have to keep your physical health always in perfect condition, as well as practice making acquaintance with the dangerous bends, slopes, and limited views created by the thick fog of the highland in North Vietnam. 

It’s always high risk - high return. The view on this long route is thrilling and miraculous. It may take days to travel from Sapa to Hue with a motorbike, but by this way, you can have thousands of chances to soak into nature or immerse yourself in the local life. The motorbike rental price in Vietnam is about 5-10 USD per day, or if you pay for the whole month, it’s ranging around 40-60 USD. Many tourists choose to buy an old motorbike from the previous tourists with a low price, use it for the whole trip, and at the end of the trip, they can sell the bike to another tourist or the hotel/bike rental company.

• The train is an excellent option to get from Sapa to Hue if you have plenty of time.
• Mind your luggage at train or bus stations.
• This is a really long journey, so don’t forget to prepare food, snacks, and water.
• An interesting book is really helpful to kill time while travelling.
• Always keep your important documents with you and make some copies of them for backups.
• Travelling by motorbike, equip yourself with a set of protective gear, that helps a lot in case you have some small crash.

Sapa and Hue are quite far away from each other, so normally, not many people plan to just visit these 2 places only. Most tourists prefer choosing a Vietnam 15 days tour, to visit Sapa, Hue, and the surrounding destinations like Halong Bay, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh city, etc.

A Thailand - Vietnam - Cambodia 3-4 weeks tour is another top favorite tour many visitors choose when visiting Southeast Asia. Not only offering a chance to visit both Hue and Sapa, but the tour is also an amazing time to discover the nature, history, culture, delicious cuisine, and spiritual beliefs of each country. 

Sapa and Hue are amazing! No matter what kind of transportation you get, the places will certainly surprise you with their culture, history, and stunning scenery. For all tour information, just contact BestPrice Travel.

Hue Pham

Image source: Internet