Getting from Hanoi to Sapa by train via Lao Cai

Sapa and Hanoi feel a world away from each other. While Sapa showcases Vietnam’s hill country and has long been a favourite destination for locals and visitors alike, Hanoi is a chaotic but charismatic capital city, full of energy and experiences. Most visitors to the country explore both places and they’re handily linked by two overnight trains. Although it should be noted that the train doesn’t go directly to Sapa, instead you take the train to Lao Cai and then Sapa is a 45 minute drive away by bus or taxi.

Travelling the other way? Check out our guide for taking the train from Sapa to Hanoi.

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Route map and details

After leaving the Hanoi’s grand central station, the train crosses two bridges before turning west towards Sapa. The 300km journey takes around eight hours and ends in Lao Cai, one of Vietnam’s most northerly cities, only a couple of kilometres from the Chinese border.

Timetables

Sapa doesn’t have its own railway station, the closest is at Lao Cai from where you need to take a bus or taxi to Sapa (45 minutes). There are only two trains per day between Hanoi and Lao Cai, both departing late in the evening.

While these timings are conducive to a good night’s sleep, you do miss out on the stunning scenery en-route, and the arrival time in Sapa isn’t ideal for checking into your accommodation.

How to buy tickets

The easiest way to buy train tickets in Vietnam is online rather than going to the station. You do pay a very small commission but the ease and convenience makes it worthwhile in our opinion.

Baolau is the best site to use for buying train tickets, they have access to the live Vietnam Railways booking engine, so you can easily see availability, timetables and prices.

Payment can be made using international credit card and PDF confirmation tickets are sent to your email address within a few minutes. This is the actual ticket you need to board the train, so there’s no need to exchange it at the station before travel. You may prefer to print the pdf out, but it’s also fine to show it on your mobile phone to the conductors and station staff.

Hanoi to Sapa train tickets

How much does it cost?

This part is slightly confusing. Although there are only two trains running per day on the Hanoi to Lao Cai route, the booking websites shows a dozen different options. The reason is because several different train companies operate on the route, with each one leasing a carriage from Vietnam Railways and selling their own tickets.

If you want an extra sprinkle of luxury (e.g. flowers on the table, carriage attendants, free bottles of water and light refreshments), you have the option of paying extra but in all honesty, the experience is almost identical to the ‘normal’ Vietnamese Railway compartments and they all follow the same timetable.

In the table below, each price is for one berth in a four-berth sleeper compartment.